Week 78: My Last Testimony..Farewell Mexico!

Pues, no puedo creer que ya se acabo mi misión estoy muy feliz y triste al mismo tiempo. En esta día no he podido dormir por tantas cosas que siento. Pero la misión ha cambiado me vida:) Yo se que esta es la iglesia verdadera no tengo duda, estoy tan feliz que por un año y medio podría servir al Señor. Se que el bautismo es el primer paso para  entrar en el camino de Dios. Ver personas entrar en el agua es algo tan bonito porque puedo ver el cambio en sus rostros y sus vidas. Amo este evangelio y se que no podemos disfrutar de las bendiciones si no lo vivimos. Yo se que las familias pueden ser ETERNAS:) Se que el Libro de Mormón tiene respuestas para cada un de nosotros. Se que Dios contesta las oraciones y que Dios nos ama:) Amo la misión y voy a extrañar ser misionera pero cada alma que he conocido voy a llevar en mi corazón. Yo se que voy a verles en el reino Celestial se que el plan de Dios es perfecto:) ESTA ES LA IGLESIA VERDADERA NO SE OLVIDEN:)

LOS AMO nos vemos en 3 días:)

Hermana Hickman (para siempre)  

Week 77: My dream is coming to an end but a new one will soon find its way into my life.

How do you think you have changed the most in the last 18 months?

I am stronger and no longer emotional.... I don´t cry and even though people have said goodbye to me and cry a lot I can´t cry.... I guess what I´m trying to say is the mission has made me have to except change.   have also learned to trust in the Lord, do my part and the Lord takes care of the rest 

What talent did Heavenly Father magnify in you as a missionary?

The gift to love people... I did not ever think that I could love so many people, I told my companion it is going to be weird to not be worried about so many people. 

 So you served a full time mission what impact will that have in the way you lead your life after your mission? 

 

 I love this question.... I came to Mexico to change people´s lives but in the end my life is the one that changed, the mission has changed my veiw of the gospel and helped me live the gospel and value it. Serving a mission will change the kind of husband I  will look for and the kind of mother I will be one day. 

Well I just want to take the special chance to thank you mom and dad for all the support and love you have given me these 18 months. I  know we have seen some ups and downs together but I could not be more grateful, as I have been able to touch the lives of a few people here in Chiapas.... I think if it were not for two amazing parents I would not be here, I would not know what I know and be doing what I´m doing. Thank you for raising us in the gospel. I know that you have put a lot of money, nights stressed, or time writting me. I just want you to know I will forever be grateful for the sacrifice that you both have made. I can´t wait to thank you in person but I hope you know how much I love you. As for my two amazing siblings, thank you for so faithfully writing. I know I have not been the best at answering but it is so fun to read your letters and see your kids growing. T.... it has helped me so many times to think my brother did this and I want to be like him so I will keep working even if it is hard. N... I can´t even tell you how many times your letters were exactly what I needed. I love you sis and thank you for all the pics that you send so that I can feel apart of your life. I love you all J.. and H..I always tell people I have 4 sibling becasue I love you both so much. I so excited to see you all soon:) My dream is coming to an end but a new one will soon find its way into my life. I have loved every hard, tiring, wonderful, wet, hot, amazing day of my mission and would not change it for the world. I think more then anything I have learned to love my Savior and have realized that He loves me. I know our family is forever:) I love you all:)

With Love

Hermana Hickman

Week 76: 17 More Days of Living My Dream!

Well I will not lie I´m so excited to come home. But I´m also excited about staying here for 17 more days because this next Saturday we have an activity called ( White Afternoon)  All the missionaries are coming to the stake center to baptize. We have two people that are going to baptized, all of the missionaries are going to be dressed in white with their  investigadores and Presidente George is going to come and preside. It is going to be so amazing:)
I had a challenging week because I wanted to feel like I have given everything to the Lord to the very end of my mission. One night this week I got on my knees and had a talk with my Heavenly Father.  When I prayed I  said I needed an answer and direction.  Throughout my mission I have taught people that Heavenly Father would give them answers.  I wanted to know that I could get answers also. I wanted to feel at peace or understand what I needed to do to finish my mission strong. After I prayed I waited a long time. I finally decided to open up my scriptures. I opened them and started reading where I opened up... in Alma 34, I read the scripture that says " For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare tomeet God; yea, behold the day 
of this life is the day formen to perform their labors. "

 

I realized that today is my day to prepare to be in the presence of my Heavenly Father and it doesn't matter if I 17 or two days left to serve my mission.  I´m so thankful that my Heavenly Father gave me the answer that I needed  to repent and prepare... My prepartion  will not end when I finish the mission... I know that my preparation has only just begun.   I love my Heavenly Father! This week I learned so much about faith. My faith has grown but I still have a lot to go. Please prayer for R.., L..., and A... and G... they are the ones that are going to be baptized on Saturday. 

I love you all:)

Hermana Hickman

Week 75: Full Circle....so Blessed!

 

I don´t have much to say only that I can´t believe that in less than 30 days I will be in the USA. This week was crazy as always, but so fun, I love my companion and we continue to work hard. The best part of this week was on Sunday I... (from my first area over 13 months) ago came to my ward to see me. I also got to go to my first area for the last time. The scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 18:16 "If your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me."

I felt that joy as I saw P... our first baptism over 17 months ago, his mom is now a member and his son is preparing to be baptized. As I talked with I... and he expressed the desire to go on a mission. As R... this Sunday recieved the priesthood and as L... told us that she used to feel all alone sometimes but that now that she has the gospel she feels peace. She told us that she feels like we are her family. I feel a deep love for the people here in Chiapas and  I am not sure how to let go. I feel so blessed to have known each person that I have met and I feel changed because of my friendships. I love you all, the church is true, see you all soon:)

Hermana Hickman 

Week 74: Busy but Wonderful Week!

Hello Everyone,

Wow hard, hard week but with the best ending:)

This week we had consejo for all the leaders and then zone conference the next day so we had to stay up late planning two nights in a row.... By Wedneday afternoon we were dead tired but then we had exchanges with the sister that live two hours away to take advantage that they were here in Tuxtla for zone conference. We did a two day exchange and then I went to go get me companion in Villaflores, almost falling asleep on the man next to me on the crammed bus. lol But the night before the zone leader called and told me that two of our sisters were fighting and that they wanted us to go have exchange with them... on our way back from Villaflores we stopped by and I once again went back to my area with a different sister. During all of this we're trying to prepare for the baptism of our little family:) My body by this point did not have anything left to give. But it all did not matter as a I watched my little family all enter the waters of baptism, recieve the Holy Ghost, look at their new hymn books and scriptures that I bought them and to really see them happy:) I think the best part of my week was as I helped them get out of the water. The two little boys gave me the biggest hugs... as I hugged the littlest one in his little wet white clothes I realized that Heavenly Father not only sent us a family ( 6 weeks ago President George asked us to fast and find a family to baptize) but that I really love them with all my heart. It was as I sat in RS with L... the mom we started to talk about how I was going to go home soon.  She looked me in the eyes and said are you going to come back.... I felt my heart sink and told her yes but know they will always have a part of my heart.  I love you all:)

Hermana Hickman  

Week 73: "Pure Joy"

    Hello Family and Friends,

 Well por fin... R... was baptized this Saturday and it was perfect:) J... a recent convert baptized R.... but had to do it three times because R...´s head did not want to go in. lol But the best part for me was his conformation on Sunday. The bishop gave him the blessing and talked about that his eyes would always be placed on the temple and that that is where he would one day be married.  He also said that he would have the desire to share the gospel as a full time missionary. It was in that moment that I felt I had completed one of the main reasons I came on the mission. Then after the blessing they opened the doors to let people in before the sacrament and there was my little family of four... words can't express how I felt as pure joy filled my heart.  I love helping people come unto Christ. I feel like the Lord has worked mircales in T..... I feel of his love as I look at or think about our converts. Although some of them have fallen away, they have all made part of who I am today. I have been studying a lot about being converted this week and it has been interesting because I asked myself have I really changed enough. I hope to change more in the 5 weeks I have left and to continue to  try to come closer to God... to know him. I read Mosiah 5:2 and it talks about having the desire to give up all bad and only do the good. I want to give up the bad and only do the good. I love the Lord with all my heart and this week  I read  2 Nephi 2 :13 and realized that everything around me testifies of Jesus Christ and his love for us. I know that He lives, as I am writing I feel the spirit sweetly telling me it is true. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church.  Pray and you can know the same:) Another highlight of this week yesturday helped a young man start his mission papers! I love being Hermana Hickman:) I love you all:)

Hermana Hickman

Week 72: Last Transfer in Tuxtla

 

   Hello Everyone!

 

Well my amazing campanion Hermana C... is leaving tomorrow to go to one of my old wards... we are both sad. I have never loved a campanion like I love her. The great thing is that I will be able to see her after the mission at BYU. I get to train a new sister trainer leader which I´m excited about. It hit hard today that I only have 6 weeks to make things happen. I find myself tired and ready to give in but I decided I don´t want to be a missionary that just finishes. I want to give the Lord all I have for this last 6 weeks. Starting with the girls in my zone:) Hey side note R.... is in my zone he is going to train and open an area this transfer.. 

Well R.. ended up not getting baptized this weekend. It was very sad. We took him to the temple to teach him a lesson and a group of his friends that are members of our ward came with us and the spirit was super strong. We told him that generations past and future were celebrating that he was going to become a member on Saturday. He cried a whole whole bunch and we asked him if he would prepare to be baptized on Saturday and he said yes.  Then the next day he called us and told us he knows the church is true but that he wants to hold off his baptism until his girlfriend and his family can come to his baptism... we were pretty sad but we know he will be baptized soon! 

Our investigator family is so happy in their new home and with protection from the rain. They came to church by themselves this week.  The 12 year old daughter told us,"I know that this is the true church and I want to be baptized." The daughter told us she had a dream that a man came to take to her (a man sent from God and he told her the church was true) She told us, " I used to think church was boring but now I love it because I know it is true:) 

I´m so happy to be a missionary. On Saturday we got to be part of Helping Hands and picked up bottles. My companion and I walked around having the time of our lives. After the activity a group of missionaries were together and 3 of the American sister missionaries that I love and respect (Hermana M.., H..., and my companion) all told me I read your blog every week before I left on the mission. It filled my heart with such joy and realized that my dream is coming to an end. Well I love you all with all my heart and plead that you can keep the people we teach in your prayers! I love you all:) 

Hermana Hickman