HERE COMES THE SUN, DOO DOO DOO DOO

Lexi's letter from April 7th...It's always hard to remember exactly what has happened during the week.  We had some great lessons, some miracles, some struggles, and some Conference.  Conference was wonderful.  I'm excited to read it online and study the talks more. 

A couple weeks ago, our Relief Society President invited us to stop by her neighbors' house.  We tried and tried for a couple weeks, and then finally early this week, we got in to see the neighbors! The lady is actually a member of the church, and although she is not interested in hearing much about the gospel right now, we were able to get her records into the ward and invite her to church and Conference.  She is a really nice lady who may need some help along the road, and now she is connected better with the church members who can help her! That was a little miracle to find her.

Last Sunday, a young woman in the ward, Kali, invited her friend Raven to church.  Then Raven came to mutual on Wednesday, and we met her! She accepted the invitation to meet with us and we had an amazing lesson on Friday night with her.  Kali and her mom were able to bear their testimonies to her.  As she said the closing prayer asking if this is what God wants her to do, she started crying.  We all sat there in silence and the Spirit.  I am so amazed, still, how the Spirit can touch people.  It reminds me that it's not my words or skills that convert people, but it's the Spirit.  My job is just to bring the Spirit to them and help them feel Him.  That was another miracle this week.  I am grateful for members who reach out and invite their friends.  Kali joined the church a year ago because her friend Daisy, in our ward, invited her.  Now Kali has been adopted into Daisy's family, and now she is inviting her friends to join the church too!

We had another really cool experience.  Our ward mission leader invited us to teach a lesson at the Sacrament table, so we did! We invited Justin over to the church for a lesson.  We have been meeting with Justin for a while now, but off and on because he was doing some super intense thing with school/work, so he wasn't available for a while.  Justin has said he wants to be baptized, but he doesn't want to prepare for a specific date.  He wants to take his time.  So Sister Frost, Penny, and I sat at the Sacrament table and had one of the most Spirit-filled lessons I have ever had.  And I believe it's because we were sitting at the Sacrament table.  My testimony of the Sacrament and the Priesthood grew as I felt the power of it during Justin's lesson.  Justin feels that he is still not ready to be baptized, but he still wants to meet with us.  We feel that if he reads the Book of Mormon, the Spirit will testify to him that he is ready. 

Conference! So, I love Conference, and I was SUPER excited for this Conference.  I was also super tired.  Unfortunately, I struggled staying awake and focused, BUT I did learn some things that I am grateful for.  I am excited to be able to study the talks online soon. 

This week was good. Anyone who has served a mission and lived life knows there are ups and downs in each month, week, day, etc. It reminds me of something Brad Wilcox asked his wife one time.  His wife replied that the ups and downs are evidence that we are living.  It's like a heart monitor.  When it is up and down, it's good.  It means the person is alive, and the heart is well.  When the heart monitor flattens, that's when you need to worry.  When it is steady and straight, the heart is failing.  So, we have to be grateful for the ups and the downs because that means we are living.

The more ups and downs there are, the more I realize the need for the anchor of the gospel.  So when the winds push you down or from side to side, you at least are anchored- and not just to anything, but Jesus Christ.  Through covenants, and the keeping of covenants, I know that I am anchored.  I also recognize more and more the need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I love the people here.  I love Great Falls.  I love this gospel.  Thanks for all your prayers and love.  The church is true!

I have thought about charity this week, and it brought me to one of my favorite scriptures, Moroni 7:45...

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

May we all strive to be filled with this love!

Love,

Sister Hixson