Staying in the Riverside Mission!

June 17, 2013  

So here is the news. I'm still in the Riverside Mission, in Moreno Valley, with Elder Galindo. The news is that there is none. I'm super excited though! We have some good work going on, and we work well with one another. It's definately the most brotherly companionship I've been in so far. So I'm excited!

The big meeting was really fun, with all the missionaries. I can feel the spirit strongly when we all gather together. It's so cool. I loved It! It's weird to think that I won't see a lot of them anymore though. I was able to see all my past companions, and my other buddies like Opeda, and some of the missionaries from Murrieta. So that was really cool. I'm sure Sister Smart will be posting some pictures on her blog, and some will be staring me :) So watch our for those!

So the adversary has been working super hard with our investigators. They were told all sorts of lies about our church that scared them, and prevented them from being baptized this week.  It's been hard because we have counseled over, and over again, that listening to others should not influence their decision. We've encouraged to pray, and pray, and pray.. and to seek help from God while making decision....

Hey, and thanks for everything else you do for me as well. For your prayers. I feel them. Elder Boyd K. Packers talk this last conference mentioned that there is only a few forces greater than the prayers of faithful mothers.. Or something like that. So thank you for those :)

I'm in the Lords work and couldn't be happier. It's hard somedays, in the sun, riding my bike, and I might not be smiling, but I'm happy, because I know I'm where my father in heaven wants me to be.

Love, Elder Higgins

Mission Transfer/Split Meeting June15, 2013

Sickness, Which Mission Will it Be? and Fasting

June, 12, 2013

Hey Guys!

So a little weird that you are receiving an Email on Wednesday right? Well, there are reasons for that. The first one being that all the computers were shut down on Monday, and no one in the Moreno Valley stake was able to Email, and so we got permission to Email a little later. The 2nd reason being that I have been on the verge of death. I've been pretty sick these last few days. Saturday night into Sunday morning I had a hurling spree of about 20. It was pretty miserable. Then I stopped for big part of Sunday, and after resting a little on Monday I thought I would go out for dinner at a members house. I didn't really have an appetite so I just nibbled on some stuff, and then one of the members brewed me up some weird remedy that was supposed to help me.. It didn't. I ended up puking everything up in their bathroom, and it made me feel super weird the rest of the night. Yesterday I just stayed in and rested, mainly cause I was afraid that if I went out people would try and help "cure me" with weird remedies.. not cool! It's not the same being sick without a Mother to be there with you. Every time someone would try and help I would think, "I don't want your help or your weird remedies, I want my mother" That's the honest truth. Hey, but I'm feeling pretty good now though :) Just a little weak still, so we won't go super hard core on the bikes these next few days.

So we find out what mission we are going to be a part of on Saturday. The whole mission is meeting together, and we are having a live transfer call meeting. It should be very interesting. I just can't believe another transfer has passed. It's crazy!

So we are still teaching a lot of the same people, and a lot of them are doing well, and progressing. Early last week we took a member that is planning on serving a mission to one of our appointments with Y & V, and we taught a short lessons about prophets, and then asked them about how they feel about their baptismal dates, which led into another discussion about how they've already been baptized (Baptized Catholic), and why they need to be baptized again. For 2 or 3 lessons they have been asking the same questions. We left, and they still hadn't grasped why they need to be baptized again. Well, we were taking with our member friend Diana, and we were saying that we didn't know what to do now, because we have tried a lot of different ways of approaching baptism, and she suggested that we fast, demanded it actually. We decided we would, even though it would be super hard being on bikes. So we did, and she fasted with us. It was tough. I thought a few times I was going to kick over from dehydration. Later that week we taught them again. We went in got straight to the topic of baptism, and they came up with the same concerns. We had planned to read Moroni 8 when this happened. So we read that with them, all we did was read it. We didn't say much, just read, and afterwards Y said she was going to get baptized. You could tell that something in the chapter hit her pretty direct. I think it is because she has a little girl, and having her in mind as she read it, made her realize that it wasn't right. V agreed to get baptized as well. They will be baptized on Friday :) My testimony of Fasting & The Book of Mormon grew a ton this week.

 

Love you, Elder Higgins :)

Picture This!

Redlands Temple

P-Day Kite Flying

Days Feel Really Short....

June 3, 2013

Well hello there family! I'm glad everything is still going good, and everyone is still going strong. Thanks for sending the video of Neal opening his mission call.. But I'm in a library as you know and I can't listen to audio, I can only watch it. So I watched it, and it was wonderful. I am proud of him. I still didn't know where he was going though. Oh well, I thought, my mom will mention it in her Email.. Wrong. There was no mention of where he was going!! What the heck!? But no worries mother. I ended up buying earphones from the library for a dollar, and then I was able to listen to it. And Honduras it is! How cool is that!? I'm excited for him! That will be so cool!!

We had another good week. Elder G and I have been working with mostly the same people. We have left so many invitations, testimonies, and promises, and told them that if they would do the things we told them to they would get their answers, and would be prepared for a baptismal date, so I don't know. We did find two more little families this week though. So I'm excited to go back and talk with them.

I'm still learning a whole lot. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed because there is so much to learn, and do, and suddenly two years doesn't feel like enough time, and I'm already 8 months in. Days feel really short. So, I've been trying to improve myself as a teacher, which by the way is not my thing, I'm not a natural born teacher, and especially not so in Spanish, but I've learned as I forget about myself, and my teaching weaknesses while I'm in a lesson, I am able to teach better, and feel a lot more comfortable doing so.

Anyway, Spanish is coming along well. I'm starting to study in Spanish completely now. I figured by doing so I would learn a lot more, and I would keep myself away from going into deeper doctrine that isn't super necessary right now.

Love, Elder Higgins :)

And hey, Some guy told me today that I looked like Brad Pitt's stunt double. I was pretty flattered. Just thought I would let you know that :)

Things That Are On My Mind!

Hey everybody!

So this week was good. It was a busy one! We had to drop the car back off to Riverside on Tuesday morning, and that means I've been biking around this past week. It's been good. I can't complain too much. Do I miss the car when I go into lessons all sweaty and feelin' nasty?? Yes! Oh yeah!! I can feel my legs growing though. That's a bonus. So my Orange Steed had her first real maiden voyage this week.

We have two investigators that are quite smart and like to question everything.  So because of them our lessons have produced some very interesting questions about the Plan of Salvation, that in turn has made me study a little harder to figure these things out. I studied the plan of salvation a lot this week, and I've learned a lot, but I've come out of each study with more questions. Some of them go pretty deep. I would honestly like to hear your opinion on all of them, but I would have a hard time explaining them to you. The thing I've learned though, and what we've been trying to help them to understand, is that we will always have questions, and as they have proved to me, they are healthy. They drive progress, and learning. What we are working on eliminating in this life is our doubts. They stunt our faith, and our testimony, and keep us from progressing.. In my investigators case she has cancer, and she is starting Chemotherapy this week for the 3rd time. She has a lot of good, good questions, but more so, she has a lot of doubts. She has doubts about if God is our loving Heavenly Father, which by the way He is. And doubts about Jesus Christ.. Is He our Savior? I would answer in the affirmative. These are doubts, and when they are replaced with faith, they drive you to an action, and that will provide a spiritual manifestation that these things are true. Spiritual Knowledge.

So, yeah. That's been on my mind :)

The T family are still doing good. They had some doubts arise as well. It's apparent that the adversary is working with them, and they have an Uncle that has been trying to talk them out of baptism. I still think they will be baptized, but It might take a little more time now..

We have also been helping a less active return. He has a goal to get back to the temple, and wanted help overcoming problems that prevent him from getting there. Mainly the law of chastity, which he has a very hard time with.. We've helped him learn that there is a process that takes place before sin, and It all starts with your thoughts. The only way to prevent sin is to stop your thoughts before they manifest themselves in action. I believe this is called virtue. Something everyone has to pray for, and strive for each and every day. It's the key to self control.

Another thing that has been on my mind :)

Anyway, Love you guys

Love Elder Higgins :)

The Temple...the most peaceful place on earth

May 20, 2013

Hello Everybody!

I'm doing great! We actually lucked out and we were able to keep the car for another week. So we didn't have to ride our bikes. So we'll see if we have to turn in the car this week..

 

We had the opportunity to go to the temple this week. It was great! I always learn so so much, and I'm convinced it's the most peaceful place on earth, even more so then that one camping spot in Beaver when I hung my hammock over that small stream. I would take small naps, and just read my book there. I still dream of that place, just to let you know.. It was bliss. But the temple has it beat. Hey, and guess what is in Redlands by the temple!? A Cafe Rio!! I ate at cafe rio for the first time in, like, 8 months!! I forgot how awesome it is!

 

We are teaching a couple of really good families. We see the Family T a few times a week, and they should be getting baptized soon. They are a wonderful family of four. The Dad is kind of hard to teach because he is a trucker, and is gone a lot, but he is just as great as the rest of them. It's a really good area, and I'm excited to be here. My companion is pretty cool. He is very dedicated, and is a really good teacher. He knows how to motivate people. He is helping me with Spanish a lot as well. So I'm excited for this transfer!

 

I've been studying out of true to the faith, and making lesson plans, and just working on improving my teaching skills. Anyway, that's about it for me, I don't have too many crazy or miracle stories, but after all everyday is full of little one's, and I'm very grateful for those, because they keep me going.

 

Love, Elder Higgins

Mother's Day Skype May 12, 2013

I waited all day till after 7:00 pm for Elder Higgins to make his Mother's Day call to us!! He's been teaching me patience his whole life......It was so good to see him on Skype and have a fun family visit with him.  He had been in his new area in Moreno Valley, CA just one week!  I should have made a list of questions to ask, you know things a mother wants to know....This is a brief summary of what we learned:

He is living in an apartment now with a companion a native from Juarez Mexico, he is bilingual so this will be a good opportunity to continue to learn Spanish.  Another set of Spanish Speaking Elders and the Zone Leaders also live in his apartment building. He is serving in a Spanish Ward.

He is now in a biking area, so ironic that he spent the whole fall and winter months in a car and now that the temperature is 100 degrees plus, he finally gets to ride his bike!

He continues to meet many interesting people as he searches for those who want to hear the gospel....

He loves the work and the people, misses his family and friends, still plays his guitar and enjoys learning new hymns and has managed to keep up with all of his belongings! He is learning so much about life, his testimony is strong and he is still crazy Jordan that loves life :) He expressed his love and appreciation to us for raising him in the gospel and supporting him as he serves the Lord.  What a great Mother's Day!