Week 16 (I think)

Well hello from Canada!

Seems like a lot of good things are happening back home! Davis Going to Indianapolis, and Jacob going to Las Vegas!! I'm so exited for those punks!

Well, things are definitely going better in Nottingham. I've been really working on cultivating a good relationship with my comp. And he is changing for the better. Little by little anyway. He still doesn't get out of bed in the morning and he gets all grouchy when I try to get him to work, but he's getting easier to work with. The work is so much more enjoyable when you are unified with your companion. The lord is beginning to pour out blessings upon us here. We have found a couple more people who will receive us, and we have a referral to contact tomorrow from Germany. This is good because my companion speaks a good bit of German and some members in the ward are friends with him. We'll see how it goes!

My anxiety is going back down to normal levels and I have been feeling an increase of strength from the Lord. I have put a number of old conference talks on my flash drive and I have noticed a recurring theme throughout, and that is the necessity of revelation. Every member of the church is entitled to receive revelation and should seek diligently to receive it (Bruce R. MCconkie). Revelation is necessary for exaltation and understanding the nature of God and our relationship with him. Joseph Smith said that "a man could learn more about the things of God by looking into heaven for five minutes than by reading all the books ever written upon the subject of religion." I have been trying to learn more of the Lord's heart and of His plan for me as I approach Him in prayer. I think about the people in my area and the resources available to me, and then I come to the Lord in prayer and ask for specific instruction. He does not always answer, and rarely immediately, but I know that I have received promptings from the Lord in regards to how the direction of the work must go.

I have also got ahold of the Truman G. Madsen discourses on Joseph Smith. It has put fire in my soul and a deep and abiding love for the prophet of the restoration in my heart. Thank you to the Duvals for introducing me to them :) I love you all so much, and know that I am doing well in the mission field, physically and temporally. 

Love,

Elder Higginson

Nottingham Week Fifteen

Hello everybody!

So this week was a bit of a roller coaster. I have been experiencing a great deal of anxiety off and on since I got to this place. That's been tough, and I know the only way to overcome it is to work, and work hard. It's a struggle, especially because this area is new to me. But the Lord has visited me in mine affliction and He will yet lift me out of it. 

There have been some really good things happening in our area. We contacted a referral a couple days ago and the guy was golden. He has had LDS friends in the past and seemed very receptive. I explained to him about the Book of Mormon and he accepted a copy. He gave us his number and we invited him to come to church. He'll be out of town for a couple weeks but he said he'd come when he gets back and he is fine for us to come for a visit when he gets back. I can't wait to teach him!

Well, I know that this will be a learning period for me. Things are going better than they were at the beginning of the transfer. I have faith that they will get better. I love you all.

Love,

Elder Higginson

Transfered

Greetings family!

So you know how I told you I would be going to Cherry Grove and serving with an Elder Who looks like Nick Cage? Well President Manion called me over just before transfer meeting and informed me that I would be going to Nottingham with a fellow by the name of Elder Parker instead. 

Well, their isn't much going on in my new area, and a lot of new adjustments. I've been working really hard to clean this place up over the last couple days. The ward here is really good and the mission leader has been taking initiative to get the members involved in the work. I'm trying really hard too. The Lord wants me to learn something here. I am praying more earnestly and studying more diligently and trying to become the best missionary I can be. It's been a really stressful couple days, and I fear there will be a lot of stress in the future, but I know that as I trust in the lord and cease to dwell on my own short comings and look for good in others, that the Lord will make something more of me. Jesus said that "no man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven." Neal A. Maxwell said the key to being a good servant of the lord is neither looking back, nor forward, but focusing on improving now, little by little and not dwelling on our weaknesses. Then we become more effective instruments in the hand of the Lord.

I love you all so much and look forward to spending eternity with you. 

Love,

Elder Higginson

 

Dinner with Fishers and Elder Parker

St. Patrick's Day dinner with green waffles! Photos texted by Sister Fisher, a missionary mom.

Done Being Trained!

Hello everyone! I've got a lot of news for you today! But first, a recap of the last week.

We visited an old lady who lives a ways outside of town to help her castrate lambs. That was a hoot! Learning all sorts of lovely skills out here in the mission field! Probably went through about 50 or 60 of the little guys. It was somewhat humane I suppose. Chasing lambs around was good fun.

 

In other news, on Friday before last, we visited a lady named Rhonda who the sister missionaries have been teaching, but she's in our area. The sisters had us come over because Rhonda had a nasty migrane headache and lots of other problems going on in her life. So we taught her about Priesthood Blessings and extended an invitation to receive one. She asked Elder Allen to anoint and me to give the blessing. It was a humbling and faith promoting experience. After I said amen, Rhonda said that she felt all tingly and invigorated. She said that it was never a feeling that she had felt while attending Catholic church, and she was so grateful. The sisters reported at district meeting that Rhonda said that her headaches left her that day and she has been feeling well since. The experience has given me new reverence for the priesthood in my life. I knew before that God had power to heal people of their illness, but I was unsure that he would ever do it through a vessel as imperfect and impulsive as myself. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have been given to serve the Lord and watch as His hand works miracles in the lives of His lost sheep. 

Also last week we were just walking up to our apartment and a lady we see often said that she had a few questions. She told us that her son, Keyon, was actually the son of her brother who had died. He had requested of her that he be baptized when he was ready. I'm pretty sure that the man intended for him to be baptized in the catholic church, but seeing that he's on the other side, he probably wouldn't mind him being baptized into ours, hehe ;) And Keyons new mother really doesn't know that much about religion (obviously, because she is talking to us about him being baptized and not the Catholics). So we gave them a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet and we'll teach them in a couple days and try to get them to church. 

But the big news is transfers. I have been with Elder Allen for 12 weeks and we anticipated that he would be moving on and I would stay in St. Albert. But the mission president surprised us! Elder Allen will be leaving as anticipated: he'll be off to Fort Saskatchewan, a descent sized town next to nowhere. But I'm leaving too! I'm going to a very small town called Cherry Grove near a body of water called Cold Lake. It's near the Saskatchewan Border. My area should be pretty big though: lots of farms and houses spread over a lot of country. I'll be serving with Elder Larsen (who looks a lot like Nicolas Cage.. I thought you might like to know that dad). He served here in St. Albert before I was here, and I met him once. He had a rough patch on his mission, but I hear he's killin' it now and finishing off strong. He'll go home after I am with him. Well, I've got lots of packing to do, and food to eat! I hope the next elders like Canada Dry, I got a big case of it last week and I can'

t take it all with me. 

I love you all and thank you for you're support! I'm off on a new adventure!

Love,

Elder Higginson

Social Media Service Day

Greetings from Canada!

 Well this week has been fun, but I can't really remember much. I remember that a couple days ago we had an city wide social media campaign to counteract the silly Book of Mormon musical. People took pictures of us all day and posted them on facebook and it was a lot of fun. bit exhaustive though. Yesterday we tried to get Barbra to church, but things are so crazy and their was no way it was going to happen. She doesn't even live in St. Albert anymore, she lives in the northern part of Edmonton city, 20 minutes outside our area. She doesn't have a car which just makes it hard. We where able to help her move some stuff after church though, for which she was most grateful. She's gonna be in Calgary for the next six weeks so we'll try to get some missionaries to her there. And guess what?? the guy who helped her was taught by missionaries in High Prairie and he said he wouldn't mind if we resumed teaching him here! Hopefully that yields results.

I'll be getting a new companion in 9 days which is exiting. Elder Allen has been a good trainer though, probably the best I could have asked for!

If you have been on Facebook, you probably say Elder Allen and myself studying. The topic of my studies was Charity, which is the pure love of Christ (Moroni ch 7) I read a German proverb that said "Charity fixes no blame: she see's only the need, not the cause." Hyrum Smith said that "Charity is the ability to separate a man from the things he does." Looking past what people have done and not finding fault with others is to love as Christ does. He doesn't want us to dwell on our sins and short comings, he wants us to repent leave them behind, and he want us to forgive others as he forgives each of us. I love you all so much and I'm so grateful that God put me with such and incredible family. I'll report to you in a week!

love,

Elder Higginson