Lex had limited time to write because the libraries are closed due to Memorial Day and she was sharing the Mission Home computer.  Enjoy this shorty but goody...

I don't have much time, but this week has been great.  It's been sunny and I'm beginning to get some cool tan lines from walking around.  I have not hit a deer yet, and I am getting used to random hail storms, walking, people staring, and lots of smiles.  People here are really happy.  We visited a member family this week, and the little girl was laying on her mom's lap.  Then suddenly, she gets up and stands in front of us in her cute red dress and says, "You two are beautiful."  Oh it was so cute and reminded me of the little things that make such a difference.  Just that little thing made me so happy.

I am getting used to it here, so I feel like this could be my home for a little while.  I feel for people who move all the time, because you just have to readjust to a lot, but the church and its friendly people make it easier.  Members have treated us so well.

Well, I really have to go, but thank you Mom, Dad, Kenzie, Gisselle, and Brooke and Luke for the letters.  Also, really late shout out for Kristy and David Grimm and Erica and Carver Stellmon!! Woot woot!  Brooke, Happy Bday! You have something coming :)

Love you,

Sister Hixson 

Pictures!

Lexi with President and Sister Mecham in front of the Billings Montana Temple

Happy in Montana

Lexi's words:

1) they gave me keys to a truck! now we have a car, but for a few days, my companion and I were in this, haha 2) I couldn't quite reach :)

Lexi's second letter...May 20, 2013

Hello! This week has been good. I am now in Montana with a new companion, Sister Chapman. We live in a house owned by the stake president, and we live with one other sister companionship. The house is tucked in this little corner, right below the rims (those of you from Montana will know what this is i think). Oh, and I forgot to say...my first area is Billings!! Haha, so much has happened in the whatever many days it's been since last P-day. I don't remember a lot of things, haha. So, I'm here in Billings, and everyone says Billings isn't pretty, and I think it is, which makes me wonder what the rest of Montana looks like! Deer are everywhere, and my companion got a little scared yesterday when I didn't really slow down by the deer that was glaring at us on the side of the road (meaning he was thinking about darting in the road...they do that here).  Sister Chapman has been out 6 weeks, and she is my trainer! She was in Wyoming for the first 4 weeks, so she has been in this area for 2 weeks, so we are both learning the area together! Each day, we go down the ward list, look at a map of our area, and plan out where we will go. We study and train from 8-12, eat lunch, and then head out. The members here are amazing. The Hammers and the Hoopers are two families who we have had dinner with already, and they gave us lists of names to visit: referrals, less-actives, etc. and have offered to be there for our visits. The members make a huge difference. Already, if those families hadn't helped us, our work would be a lot less productive and more discouraging. We had a cool experience this week. We were going down the ward list, and we were driving through this established mobile home neighborhood, and then there was this big house in the middle of it, and we realized that was the address we were going to. We were kind of hesitant, but we went inside, and it was this lady who was really friendly and who we soon found out isn't active. She just opened up to us as we were getting to know her, and she told us that her active 18 year old grandson died a month ago and how hard it's been, and she just started to cry. She then told us that the reason why she doesn't go to church is because she smokes and drinks and doesn't like feeling guilty at church. We visited with her for a bit and then Sister Chapman sang "Because I Have Been Given Much" to her (this is Sister Chapman's and my favorite song). Her husband heard us and came in and visited with us and told us about his Catholic beliefs. We left them with a prayer, and the Spirit was really strong. They are going through a really hard time, but they were able to open up to us, and we could learn about them and their needs. We are visiting them again, and we hope they can progress in the gospel. I am learning how real the Spirit is, and how powerful it is. Something I learned in the MTC: "You are never more like Jesus Christ than when you are helping someone repent and come unto Christ." I know that this work is of God. I am grateful to be a missionary. I hope you are all doing well :) Love you! Wait. One more thing I can't not say! When my district arrived here on Tuesday, we went to the Billings Temple. Normally we would do a session, but it is closed for two weeks for cleaning, so we were able to help in the cleaning. We were able to clean the chandelier of the celestial room. The way they clean it is by lowering it, and taking every crystal off (there are about 18,000) and dipping them each individually in a cleaning solution, drying them individually, and then putting them back on. That is how important the Temple is- that we would clean every crystal of a chandeleir individually. Something to think about. Thank you Eva, Brooke and Luke, Andy, Asher, and Mom for the letters/packages. Love, Sister Hixson

Lexi's first week

Hello! P-day is finally here. It feels like Christmas! We got here Wednesday and our Pdays are Thursdays but not the week you arrive, so we've waited a little while. The MTC is amazing. Everyone says hi to you in different languages and everyone seems happy. When we first got here, everyone said, just make it til Sunday. Wednesday to Sunday was sooo long, but since then, the days have been flying by! I have thought about what I would write since so much has happened since I got here. In just one day, so much happens. I wanted to tell you about my companion Sister Lemmon and our investigator Terry. Sister Lemmon is an angel. She is so faithful and diligent and loves the Lord, and you can see that in how she talks to you and how she gives her time to the Lord. Her prayers are so sincere and everything she says is uplifting. On Sunday, we had a lot of meetings(Sister Lemmon and I got assigned to be the STLs-Sister Training Leaders- for our district, so we had a couple more meetings on Sunday). I was feeling a little overwhelmed and got to Sacrament meeting just in time to play the piano, but was struggling because the piano was weird and the pages weren't staying open. I was wishing someone would come over and hold the pages, and as I thought that, there she was. It was such a small thing, but made me feel so much better. I write about her, because I know she has been a direct answer to my prayers, and probably yours as well, because she has helped me in more ways than I can say. Sister Lemmon and I started teaching our investigator, Terry, on Friday. Terry is actually our teacher, but when we go in and teach him, we don't break the role play- he is Terry. Our lessons with him have gone really well. He is really receptive and faithful. But our lesson yesterday was the best one yet. We didn't do anything differently, but the Spirit was so strong. We knew he needed to know about the Atonement, so we taught him about it, testified to him, and asked him questions, like if he knew that God would forgive him for his sins. Terry just got out of jail a month ago. During the lesson, there was a moment where we all just paused for about one minute. No one said a word. The Spirit was so strong, and Terry just sat there thinking. At the end, he just said, "I just keep replaying in my mind, He will forgive you." We ended the lesson by asking if we could sing a song for him. We sang the second verse of Come Thou Fount, and after, Terry was crying. The Spirit was so strong. We ended with prayer. When we walked out of the lesson, Sister Lemmon and I just hugged. We hadn't done anything, but the Lord had. God had spoken to Terry. As missionaries, we want our investigators to be taught by God, and that was what happened. Since I have been here, I have felt God's power, love, and peace more than I have ever felt it before. I am learning to recognize God's answers to my prayers. I know that God answers our prayers. I also know that the Spirit is real. We feel the same Spirit in our role plays than we feel in actual, real experiences. This has taught me that the Spirit is real and that God cares, even when he knows it is only a role play. Our district is amazing- 8 sisters and 2 elders-I would say poor elders, but no, they love us. We make sure they love us, haha. The food is not as good as everyone says. The flowers here are so beautiful and smell so good. Letters and packages are gold. Thank you Mom, Kenny, Star, and Brooke, for your letters and Star for your package. I am wearing the cowboy socks right now, and I loved the pictures from Asher and Bella! Tell them I love them. Something funny- Sister Lemmon meditates. So sometimes our district meditates together, sometimes outside while people walk by. It's actually sooooo relaxing and clears our minds. I recommend it :) Thank you for your prayers. Missionary work is hard, but it is so good. Satan knows that we are working to bring others to Christ, and sometimes he gets at you, but God is stronger, and He has been helping me. I love you all! Love, Lexi