November 4, 2013

Hey everyone! 

Time is seriously passing so quickly.  I cannot believe it's P-day again and this transfer is rapidly coming to an end!  This week was wonderful.  The Halloween spirit was in the air.  

We started off the week by teaching an investigator named Sandy on Monday night.  Sister Nuttall and Sister Anson found her two transfers ago.  They were driving down the road and Sister Nuttall felt the distinct impression they should stop the car and go knock on her door and sure enough, she was interested!  I think that is just the neatest experience.  Sandy is AMAZING.  She knows it is true and takes notes during our lessons which is really awesome.  She is kind of hard to get a hold of though and her daughter is holding her back in a way.  Her daughter, who is about 7, recently started going to a different church and is really involved with all of the activities there.  Sandy doesn't want to tear her away from that so it's a difficult situation, but she is definitely progressing, so we are grateful.

On Tuesday, we had a ward Halloween party which was so much fun.  Sandy came with her daughter.  Her daughter kept calling us "The Holy Girls" which was really funny.  They both had a really good time and it was so fun to see all of the little kids dressed up in costumes.  It reminded me a ton of Halloween in Colorado--many of the costumes were covered up by winter coats and scarves and mittens but everyone had a really good time trunk or treating.  Also, pretty much everyone in the ward made jokes about us dressing up as missionaries for Halloween which I just loved.

Wednesday we had our weekly scripture study class.  An investigator named Kelle came.  Kelle is absolutely incredible.  I love her so much!  She has been investigating for a really long time.  She knows it's all true but she doesn't want to get baptized because she doesn't want to discriminate against other churches...it's kind of a hard situation. She comes to scripture study every week though and is such an amazing woman!  She used to live in Highlands Ranch a while ago so that was a fun connection to make.  She has been having some really difficult situations recently.  Her father passed away a month or so ago and she said her kids have been asking about the plan of salvation and we are going over there to teach it to them tonight.  I am excited to testify of the things I have learned about the spirit world from grandpa recently passing.  It's amazing to see how much the gospel really helps us in those dark times.       

Thursday was Halloween.  It was POURING RAIN the whole entire day which was so much fun!  We went door knocking out in the rain (my favorite--miracles ALWAYS happen) but we had to stop at 5.  We dropped by a less-active’s house and taught her.  It was pretty funny because her last name is Gentile.  We felt like we should read Ether 12 with her.  In the past when we have visited her, we usually aren't able to get a very solid message in because she diverts the conversation and is very talkative, but this chapter talked about the gentiles and she really wanted to read more about it!  Haha, the Lord definitely works in mysterious ways.  After we dropped by another less active’s and helped her pass out Halloween candy.  Our favorite costume was a little girl dressed up as a founding father.  It was revolutionary. 

On Saturday we had interviews with President Hess in the morning.  He is amazing, and I learned so much from him.  We talked about the Spirit and Christlike attributes.  When we have the Holy Ghost, we are able to cultivate our Christlike attributes.  When we are exhibiting those attributes, we are able to more fully feel the influence of the Spirit in our lives.  It's really amazing to see that these 2 connect so well and they fully help us to become like our Lord and Savior.  He also shared with me that they haven't heard anything about my visa so it's looking like I will spend Christmas in Michigan!  He said there is a chance I could get permanently reassigned here.  It's crazy!  I didn't really ever think that could be a possibility, but I am excited to serve where the Lord needs me.  He used a quote I really liked:  "Life is hard by the yard but a cinch by the inch."  Isn't that wonderful?  Focusing on the present is the key to being happy in life.  If we dwell too much on the responsibilities of the future or focus unnecessarily on the mistakes of the past, we won't have a good today. 

We went on Saturday night and taught Jaszzameen.  (We just learned that's really how you spell her name, haha.)  She got a priesthood blessing from Brother Winder and it was really powerful!  She was able to feel the calming influence of the Holy Ghost and the immediate contrast it brought from the stress of her life.  We went over and read with her after church on Sunday as well and she is progressing well.  I love her so much and I am so blessed to be able to witness how the gospel is positively changing her life.

Things are going so well and the members are amazing too.  We haven't had a car this week and they have been so willing to help with rides and appointments and feed us dinners!  The Hunters fed us again and their girls were so cute.  They wrote notes to us and gave us some of their Halloween candy. 

One thing I really loved in gospel study this week was reading Ether 6:5.  It talks about how the Lord sends a "furious wind" to direct the barges across the waters.  To me, that could be interpreted as a trial in their life.  It's funny to see how the trial came because the brother of Jared asked that they could receive steering to get to their destination.  Sometimes, we pray for blessings and guidance.  The Lord helps us to get to that destination and answers our prayers--but not always in the way we expect.  Sometimes, the path we take might seem like a "furious wind" is blowing against us but really it helps us to reach who we need to become much faster than a gentle breeze.  It made me think of a quote by Neal A. Maxwell:  "How many times, naively, have we vigorously protested while on our way to a blessing?"  I love it!  The church is true and trials are true!

  

Thanks for all your support and love!  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve my loving Heavenly Father.  Have a great week!

Sister Dixon

At Hu Wen Qi's first baptism

October 28, 2013

Ola familia! 

Thanks for all your e-mails and sweet hellos.  Aren't we all so blessed to be in a family with each other?  Seriously, though, our family really is so great!  This week was amazing!  It flew by.  I really can't believe it is P-day again.  Time is so bonkers on a mission. 

The weather here is definitely getting chillier.  This past week we had a little snow even!  I love tracting in crazy weather though!  The other day we got to go door knocking in some hail and it was SO fun!  It makes you feel like you are working harder for some reason.  Luckily we have a car so the weather usually isn't too terrible, but we are losing our car this Wednesday for a week so hopefully the cold weather can hold out for just a little while longer!  I checked on the missionary portal and it said it should be in the 50s all week so that is definitely manageable. Phew. 

It really was such a great week though.  We experienced a MIRACLE!  Thomas has not been able to come to church because of his work schedule.  He said it's impossible to get work off at Walmart on Sundays.  He even had a family reunion over the summer and they didn't give him work off so he had to call in sick.  Anyway, we fasted with him last Sunday so that a miracle could happen and he could keep the Sabbath day holy.  He told us during the week he couldn't come to church, but he would come watch a baptism on Saturday.  We were sad, but happy he would come feel the Spirit at the baptism.  Well, he texted on Friday and said he got work off!  He switched his days around and he came to sacrament meeting.  He is student age, so we went to the MSU ward with him and this week we will be passing him off.  The Spirit was so strong at the meeting and I felt like the talks were directly applicable to him.  That was such a beautiful answer to our fast and I could feel Heavenly Father's power and love in my life.

We had exchanges this week and Sister Smith came to Williamston with me.  It was my first day in the mission with only one companion, haha.  I am so grateful for her wonderful example.  We found such an amazing man as we were door knocking and we got to tract on a street called Mullett Street.  It was a great day! 

Sister Anson shared something cool from her sister this week.  The gospel is full of paradoxes.  For example, we learn in the scriptures when we find our lives, we lose them; but when we lose our lives for Christ's sake, we find ourselves. I love that beautiful and simple message.  Her sister shared another one with us this week. 

If you read 1 Nephi 8:30, there is a huge paradox.

"But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the^arod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."

It says they fell down and partook of the fruit but we know fruit grows at the tops of trees.  There is a beautiful message in there that we have to go down to feel true joy.  We have to experience humility and find ourselves willing to submit to the Father in order to feel God's love for us.  If you notice, the people who partake of the fruit and don't fall down (vs. 24-25) end up eating it and then being embarrassed and falling away.  So interesting!

I am so grateful for a gospel that tells us it's ok to rely on God.  It is beautiful to trust in Him and know we can't do it alone.  When we seek Heavenly Father first and humble ourselves, with an eye single to His glory, we are able to experience eternal bliss.  This is definitely not what the world teaches, so I am grateful for the scriptures that help us to know otherwise.

We went to a baptism this weekend with one of our other investigators, Jazzameen.  She ended up coming late and she missed the actual baptism which was a bummer but the baptism was really cool because Hu Wen Qi baptized the girl!  It was so amazing to see him do that and he told me he felt the Spirit really strongly.  These people are amazing.  The gospel is amazing.  I love being a missionary so much!

Earlier in the week, we were looking through our formers and there was one family who intrigued me because they were dropped due to a trip to China, and not for any other reason.  We decided to call them and they said they were interested in learning more and we scheduled an appointment for Saturday night at 8 p.m.  We were super excited because they were from China and they seemed so solid.  We got a member who spoke Chinese to come with us to translate.  We arrived on Saturday night and knocked on the door.  They opened it and we were shocked because their family was there but also our zone leaders!  It was so bonkers. We were both there to teach lessons and we still aren’t sure how it happened.  We think our former investigator gave his old phone to this family who just barely moved to Michigan like 2 days ago.  The zone leaders helped them move in and scheduled a lesson with them for the exact same time we did.  It was soooo strange.  But, it was a huge witness to the power of prayer because the zone leaders were looking for a fellowshipper who spoke Chinese.  So we brought them a fellowshipper and ended up leaving and their prayers were answered!  We were able to visit someone else who really needed us too so it was amazing to see how plans work out.  I don't know if that conveys how confused all of us were but it was really strange but also really hilarious. 

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week!  Remember during the down times that we have to go down to truly feel God's love and joy!  I love you all!

Sister Dixon

Sisters Anson, Dixon, and Kaegi

October 21, 2013

Hey family!

It's been a great week here in the Williamston area!  I love the area more and more with every day I serve here.  The investigators we have are all progressing nicely and we have met some more amazing people.  It's so wonderful to be able to feel of God's love for people and watch them be touched by the gospel message.  I learned especially this week that Christlike love and service and charity bring such a sweet spirit. 

Dayra is doing well.  She is such an inspiration to me.  We were able to go over this week and wash her dishes for her.  It was a simple act of service but she was so grateful for it.  Her children have been sick recently and the dishes were piling up--we came at the perfect time.  We sang hymns as we washed her dishes and it was just a powerful moment for me.  I felt blessed to be there and be able to help her. 

Another experience was when Jazzameen came to church on Sunday.  We went to Gospel Principles with her and our ward mission leader, Brother Winder, taught the class.  He showed us a few videos, so he set up his laptop and speakers to play them.  At the end, he was packing his stuff away and Jazzameen told him his speakers were nice and asked where he got them.  Then, he proceeded to say he had another pair at home and she could just have them.  It was amazing to see how charitable that gift was.  Jazzameen comes from humble circumstances.  I almost started crying because she was in such disbelief that someone would do something so nice for her.  She said, "Well, what can I do in return?"  And Brother Winder said, "Keep doing what you're doing.  Keep learning about the gospel."  It was powerful.  True conversion comes when we are able to disregard every worldly care and devote ourselves to the cause of bringing happiness through the gospel to others.

We had lots of finding time this week and we had some awesome experiences.  One of them was with a man named Kenneth.  We initially passed by his house and didn't knock because he had people leaving.  As we were walking by, they came over and started talking with us.  They were Jehovah's Witnesses (We have knocked on multiple JW's houses this week.  It's always kind of funny and bonkers how many we meet!) and we talked with them and exchanged literature and such.  They said they go to Kenneth's and read the Bible with him.  Later, as we were finishing up door-knocking, we went back and knocked on his door.  He invited us in and we read the Book of Mormon with him.  We invited him to pray about what he read and he told us, with tears in his eyes, “God will say it's true!”  It was so powerful.  We went back the next day and taught him the plan of salvation.  It was really powerful because he is a widower and he has had a son and a daughter pass away.  It's kind of an interesting situation though because he is not physically able to come to church due to his older age but it was definitely such a miracle and it brought such an amazing spirit!

Yesterday we were sitting in the chapel when all of the sudden Bruce came in with Erin and Greg!  They came to our sacrament meeting and it was really cool because one of the speakers was a recently-returned missionary who shared stories about the change he saw in people due to the atonement.  His message was powerful and I was grateful that we got to tell Bruce about God's love for us and that we can change and that he was sitting right there with me!  Afterward, I talked to Bruce and it turned out he and Yifan got to do temple baptisms on Saturday for the first time.  Ah it was so wonderful to hear!  Bruce said the temple workers looked like angels and he felt like he already knew the people he was doing baptisms for.  Also, bishop requested Bruce get the Melchizedek Priesthood early for some reason.  We don't really know why, but Bruce came to our ward yesterday so he could get interviewed by the stake president during the MSU ward's sacrament meeting.  It was just so cool to see him progressing so well in the gospel and to see how happy he is because of it!  I am grateful to have witnessed that.  The gospel is amazing.  God's greatest gift to us is our ability to change.

This past week was fun because we got a car.  And ya I will get to drive a bit while I am here.  We have a pretty nice car too! I'll have to send a picture.  We are on a rotation but it's definitely good when we have a car because we can knock in different areas.  We live in Okemos which is not as much of a rural area but when we have a car we can actually go to Williamston.  It is a very beautiful rural area indeed!  The farms and fields are SOO pretty, especially right now in the fall!  It is crazy I have been waiting here for so long, but I have been cherishing my experience here.  This week is my 6-month mark--I'll have less than a year in Brazil.  Time is flying!  I am nervous about getting there at times but I know it's all in the Lord's hands!

We are going thrift store shopping today so hopefully I can get some boots and jackets and tights and such.  Wish me luck!  I have gotten a few new skirts but I also have companions who love sharing clothes so that makes it fun:-)  Probably very different from elders, haha. 

Love you all!!

Sister Dixon

Week won in Williamston!

October 14, 2013

I hope you all like the alliteration . . . sorry it's not grammatically correct but I hope it doesn't make mom cringe too much. Well, it's been an amazing week here in Williamston!  Everything is different from the singles ward, but different in the best ways.  I am grateful for the opportunity to have a change because I am learning so much.  Here are the details of the new area:

We cover the Williamston ward and there is also a set of elders in our ward.  Williamston just underwent a ward split right before I came.  The ward is about 1/7 the size of what it used to be so the members are really having to step up their game to keep the ward moving along!  With the change, our apartment is not in the ward or our area anymore.  We are on a car rotation but this past week we didn't have a car so it was an adventure for all of us to coordinate where to go.  We walked a lot of places which I absolutely loved!  The trees are beautiful and the weather was perfect this week.  Plus there were many crunchy leaves to walk on so it was just really fun.  Sorry I don't have pictures of the new area or companions yet but it is beautiful here!  We have some awesome investigators here.  I haven't been able to meet all of them yet, but we did have a few lessons.

Thomas is a college-age student.  He is a miracle find!  The sisters got him as a media referral (it comes in as a text on the cell phone) so they went to find him.  It turns out he didn't ask for anyone to come and he doesn't know anyone Mormon so it's like Heavenly Father sent in the referral Himself.  But Thomas was interested in learning more.  We taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ this week and set a date with him for November 16th.  He works every Sunday at Walmart--we are hoping a miracle will happen with his work situation so he can come to church!  He is such a sweet guy and really loves reading the Book of Mormon.

Jazzameen is hilarious.  She is a middle-aged woman who used to be Jehovah's Witness.  She is reading the Book of Mormon now and is waiting to get her answer.  Whenever she would try to say "murmuring" in the scriptures, she would say "mothering."   She is so funny . . . I don't really know how to describe it but here is one funny incident.  She went to conference last weekend at the stake center and ordered a pizza into the foyer so she could sit outside and eat it.  Needless to say, she told us she didn't learn very much. 

Dayra is another investigator.  She is actually from Guatemala and doesn't speak very much English.  She has a very hard life--she has 3 children and her husband got deported to Mexico so she cares for them by herself.  Her littlest daughter is in and out of the hospital and is very sick!  We went over yesterday with Katie Parent from the MSU ward.  She recently got back from her mission in Argentina.  The lesson was awesome.  Dayra has so much faith!  She said such a beautiful prayer at the end of the lesson.  It was cool because I could understand most of the Spanish they were saying.  Hopefully that will be the same in Brazil.

We do a lot of door-knocking which I have really grown to love.  It is such a huge adventure and you never know what the person on the other side will be like.  People say the funniest things, too.  One couple started telling us if we really wanted some good work in the area then we should take up bowhunting deer.  Apparently people get paid for that because there is an overgrowth of deer in the area.  It made me think of Napoleon Dynamite haha.

I am really loving being in a family ward.  All of the people I have met are so awesome and really have strong testimonies of the gospel that are apparent in how they raise their children.  Oh and the Hunters are in my ward now!  We are having dinner with them on Friday.  The things I am learning here are teaching me so much about how I want to be.  I love the gospel because it is a gospel of progression and change.  I live for constantly learning and becoming better.  And the only way to do that is through the Atonement! 

I am excited to keep working in this area and to see the miracles that happen.  It's been a huge blessing to be here so far.  I am not the best door-knocker currently but I am learning more and more every day about how to help the gospel message resonate with people.  If anyone has any tips let me know!

Here is a quote I found this week that I liked:  "All the water in the world, no matter how it tried, could never sink the smallest ship unless it got inside.  And all the evil in the world, the blackest kind of sin, can never, ever hurt you unless you let it in."  I think it applies to discouragement and doubt as well.  We always have the choice to be happy!

Have a great week.  Love you all!

Sister Dixon

It doesn't matter where you serve, it matters HOW you serve!

Farewell MSU!

October 7, 2013

Hi family!

Thanks for the wonderful e-mail!  I did indeed get transferred.  I leave tomorrow morning for my new area at 6:40 am...but it's like a 10-minute drive haha so not too crazy.  I am now serving in the Williamston ward with Sister Anson and Sister Kaegi.  Sister Smith used to serve in Williamston and loved it so I am really excited!  Sister Anson is also from Colorado--I think Firestone?  We will be co-training Sister Kaegi.  She is on her second half of training and is already amazing--I think she will be training me.  I got to go on exchanges with her last transfer and I was blown away so it will be fun.  Plus she is a visa waiter too!  We will get to have language study together which will be otimo!  She was in the same MTC district as Brianna Vail.  Small world:-)

The ward boundaries of Williamston just changed so the ward is a ton smaller than it used to be.  I think it will be a really great opportunity to know the members really well and get them involved in the work.  I am going to miss MSU SO much but I am excited for the opportunity to learn and grow.  I know it's where God needs me.  I never would have guessed I would be here for at least 4 transfers but it feels right!  I love Michigan so much!

The highlight of this week was definitely General Conference.  We had some investigators and recent converts come and it was amazing.  The talks answered my questions as well as their questions and it was such a revelatory experience for all.  We got to watch it together in the institute and it was fun!  I loved being there with the people I have grown to love and getting to spend time together before I have to leave.  It was the best conference I have ever experienced.  Can you believe it's already been a year since they made the announcement?  Boy has my life changed a ton!  I am grateful  for the opportunity to be here and to be surrounded by many amazing people.  I love this gospel so much.  

Love,

Sister Dixon

1862 Hamilton Rd. Apt. E6

Okemos, MI 48864

Hu's baptism

September 30, 2013

Hello family!

We had an amazing week here!  Hu Wen Qi got baptized on Saturday and it was a great day.  He said what first attracted him to the Church was how serious we took sacrament meeting (there are a ton of churches in East Lansing that have rock bands and stuff that play during church) and the high standards of Latter-day Saints.  It's wonderful to have been able to see him grow and progress!  He truly has become so much happier because of the gospel in his life and I feel so blessed to have been able to be the one to share it with him!  I'll attach pictures.  Also he bought that suit for his baptism!  It was so precious to see him stroll in.  Oh and by the way his name is pronounced Who When Chee.  We sang another musical number so look for it on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajw0yQFAszQ) and I gave a talk on the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Mom--he wanted to sing “When Faith Endures” for the closing hymn so that was cool!  He was able to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday as well which was a really tender experience.

We have been blessed in so many ways!  We have been meeting incredible people.  There is one guy named Steven who walked up to us as we were talking to people on campus.  He was like "Are you Mormons?"  We started talking to him and it turned out he took missionary lessons over the summer in Troy, Michigan--that's in the Detroit mission.  He was hesitant about meeting again but he told us every time he wants to sell his soul to the devil, missionaries find him and so maybe he should take that as a sign.  We ended up meeting with him yesterday morning and he told us he already knows the Book of Mormon is true and so we committed him to baptism!  It was amazing!  He was so prepared and it was such a miracle to cross paths with him.  It was so funny at his lesson.  We finished teaching and then after he was like "Wait--I do have one question."  He is really smart and was asking really deep questions the whole lesson so I was pretty nervous.  Then he said "How does the church feel about polo?"  It was really unexpected and I still have no idea why he asked that but he is awesome and so prepared!  He ended up coming to church later which was such a blessing too.

Saturday was the best day of my mission!  We had Hu Wen Qi's baptism and after we went and got Tasty Twist together.  Then we had a ward BBQ which ended in cooking s’mores in the fire pit behind the Living Center.  It is sooo beautiful back there!  The trees are changing right now and East Lansing is seriously gorgeous.  I have heard it will get pretty cold soon though so hopefully I can find some cheap winter clothes.  After the party we went to the RS broadcast.  Wasn't it amazing?  I loved hearing them talk about covenants!  Covenant people are happy people.  I am grateful for the chance we have to make promises with God.  We were all so happy that day and felt so grateful to be missionaries!

Transfer calls are this week.  I really hope I get to stay with these wonderful companions.  I kinda have a feeling I will be transferred, but we will see!  

Also, mom, I have heard that visa website is pretty unreliable.  One guy in my district at the MTC got his visa and it said it hadn't even been received and then someone else said his was done and he didn't actually get it for like 2 transfers.  Who knows?!  I love the adventure and suspense behind waiting for my visa.  The good news is it's all working out like it's supposed to!

Have a great week everyone!  I love you all so much!

Sister Dixon

Matching missionaries!

September 23, 2013

Hey family!  

I can't believe I am here e-mailing you again...the weeks are seriously flying by!  Tomorrow is my 5 month mark (and also Nick's birthday--happy birthday Nick!) and I can't believe it.  It's sad to me that the time is passing quickly.  There is still so much left to learn but I just have to work my hardest every day and hope for the best!

We had an amazing week here.  Hu Wen Qi's baptism didn't end up happening this past weekend because all of the ward was supposed to be gone for a YSA conference and there were some scheduling conflicts for the building.  But we are definitely having it this Saturday at 11 and he is sooo excited!  He came to church yesterday and had a great experience and we are just stoked for that day!  Saturday will be amazing.  We are also having a ward bbq that night and then we get to go to the Relief Society broadcast.  Hopefully we are going to get some investigators there as well but it will be amazing!  The broadcasts are all 2 hours later here so it will go from 8-10 which is kinda crazy.  We will be up late!  And sessions will be from 12-2 and from 4-6 on those days.  It will be different than watching it in Colorado and Utah!  All of us missionaries are SO excited for conference and Bruce and Yifan are really excited too.  Also Hu Wen Qi has started reading my blog as well hahaha all of the Asians just love my blog for some reason.  And we had a half mission training this week and there was a missionary named Sister Kane in Midland and she said one of her investigators is reading my blog as well.  I am starting to get really self conscious of what I put on it. Anyway...

Here are some updates!

-Sister Kaegi came to MSU for a day and it was a blast!  She is amazing and it was so fun to work with her and Sister Richardson.  We got to do language study together as well which was fun.  I did a door approach in Portuguese and I didn't forget everything yet so there is hope!  Speaking of, mom, I haven't heard anything about the police letter forms.  Hopefully they are safe with the consulate but maybe you can check with Veronica or something?

-We had half mission training last week on Thursday.  We went to Mt Pleasant for it and it was seriously incredible!  We learned so many things that will help our investigators progress and it was a very spiritually uplifting day.  The missionaries in this mission are amazing. They are all striving to be their best which I think is such a nice environment to be around.  We got to ride up and back with President and Sister Hess and we stopped by a cider mill on the way home.  It was a blast!  We got to watch a little factory make the apple cider and then we ate cider and donuts.  I love President and Sister Hess so much and I was blessed to be able to spend that time with them and learn from them.  Michigan is beautiful right now so it was fun to explore!

-The weather is getting chilly!  I haven't broken down and bought a jacket yet--so far cardigans have been sufficient--but I feel like I might need to soon!  Yesterday was really cold at church.  The weather was in the 50s.  You might remember around when Bruce got baptized, the church flooded.  They have been re-doing the gym floors so yesterday church was only sacrament meeting because of the fumes and they kept all the doors open.  It was pretty nippy in the chapel!  Sister Smith got snowboots; I am starting to get nervous about what to do if it snows...what an adventure!

-Sister Richardson and Sister Smith are so great.  I haven't really taken very much time to write about them but I feel like I would be ungrateful if I didn't say something about how amazing they are!  I have been blessed with companions so far.  Sister Smith is 23 and I am so glad she waited to come out until this time because I know there were things I needed to learn from her.  She is so poised and such a good teacher and so smart!  She already graduated with a teaching degree and she has taught me so much about how to be an elegant advocate of the gospel message.  She is also the most hilarious person ever and loves the sisters in the zone so much!  I have learned so much from her.  Sister Richardson is SO sweet.  She loves everyone she meets and the way she treats them reflects her testimony of Christ.  She has had some really hard times in her life but she doesn't let that stop her from being happy and positive.  She is so hard working as well.  I am just loving the opportunity to be companions with them.

We really think we have the best area and the best companionship!  We are loving the work so much.  This transfer has been such a grand adventure indeed.

Love,

Sister Dixon

p.s.  I can't believe how many missionaries there are from the stake right now.  You should post the video on my blog--I bet my readers would love to see it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cR3dM-xwGk).