I'm lonely, oh so lonely

So I'm not completely lonely, there are a lot of missionaries here. The downside is though that I have been companion-less for going on five days now. Elder King was called to serve as an Assistant. He got the call Wednesday evening and left Thursday morning. I have been serving with the elders in Kalispell, Whitefish, and Colombia Falls. So, there really isn't an update on my area because I haven't been in it for five days. The positive side, Elder Carlson gets in tonight and we are going to head back to our area tomorrow. In case you don't remember Elder Carlson served as my first District Leader in Great Falls. In fact, Elder Davis is getting transferred to Kalispell and so all three district leaders from my time in Great Falls, the two of them and myself, are going to be here now.

And because I have been companion-less, it has caused me to reflect on having a companion. The scripture for the week is D&C 42:6. I have come to realize that companions are here to support us and to keep us going. They bear testimony of the work and everything goes well. Even after full-time service, if we are teaching with the Spirit and trusting the Lord then the work moves forward.

So I'll have more next week to talk about and we'll have fun.

Enjoy the new month and General Conference this weekend.
Elder Wixom

Field is white.... so is the sky

So pretty much this week just emphasized how white the field truly is.

The Murray baptism was absolutely amazing!!! Most of the branch was there and just everything went the way it should. The Spirit was so strong and there were tears shed by many in attendance. How grateful I am for the blessing it was to be a part of their story.

This week while working in Big Fork we tried a man that Elder King and Elder Larson had street contacted into a few months ago. We had a good chat and he talked about how he would like his daughter to perhaps attend BYU. Well we talked about that and he invited us in. His two kids came in on their own and sat down and started talking to us. His wife was working on dinner and so was kind of busy but joined in as well. We had a really good discussion and they are pretty neat people. After words Todd, the dad, told us how grateful he was because he had been trying to find a way to bring religion back into their lives. We'll see what happens.

Add them to the D family and the M family and the Mc family and the M family, it just goes to show how the Lord is preparing people to recieve the message of the Restoration.

This morning we went and hiked Mount Aneas, which is the tallest peak around here. On a clear day you can see from Polson to Colombia Falls (roughly from Hurricane to Beaver I think). Well, this last week has been rain, rain, rain but that's ok. It was really foggy but made for some cool pictures. Maybe we'll go when it is clearer; depends on transfers and snow.

So attached are a lot of pictures:

1) Murray's before their baptism
2) Our Zone on Mount Aneas
3) Me on the peak of Mount Aneas (cool and mysterious shot)
4) Just a really cool scenery shot on the mountain

Hope you enjoy and hope everything is going well.

Elder Wixom

Another week in Montana

So today is the beginning of week 5. It is hard to imagine that this transfer is almost over. So much has gone on and so much is still in the works; just pretty awesome to be out here. The weather is turning for the better which is a good thing; how long it will last though, no one knows. As I'm sure you have heard me say before, "If you don't like the weather in Montana, wait five minutes for it to change.

This week we spent most of the time in Lakeside. We also taught the most lessons so far this transfer which is really good. The Zone as a whole also taught the most we have this transfer this past week. The work is still moving and going strong which is really cool.

We found another new investigator this past week. His name is Warren Williams. He has been having a lot of health issues and has a good history with the church; his grandmother was a member. We mostly just got to know him better this past week and learned more about his background. We then discussed the importance of the Book of Mormon and overall had a really good visit.

The main focus this week was the Murrays. We finished the lessons with them, they all had their baptismal interview, and now we are just getting ready for Saturday!!! It is going to be a really neat and spiritual experience. The Lord truly is preparing people out there for the gospel. I'm just grateful I got to be a part of their experience and were able to help them in whatever small way I could.

The scripture for the week is the classic Matthew 11:28-30. We can come to the Savior and find comfort in our different struggles. As we take His name upon us, learn more about Him, and become more like Him we will find rest unto our souls. Baptism is the first step for us to find that lasting peace. Then as we continue through life and make other covenants with our Heavenly Father, we will learn more and find more as long as we magnify what we know and strive to be faithful to it.

Hope everything continues to go well. Enjoy the last weeks of summer; fall is just around the corner.

Elder Wixom

Oh the madness

So this week was really exciting. Zone Conference was a very neat experience; it was neat to be outside to enjoy the beauty of nature. We talked a lot about faith and about how to be better finders. Overall a unique experience since I most likely will not have another one on my mission.

Team-ups in Kalispell and Whitefish were neat. The area is so beautiful. It was a neat experience to spend time with the other missionaries one-on-one and get to know them better. The work was a little slower those two days, but that is what happens sometimes.

Elder King had a lot of success in our area. He and Elder Lanham taught a new family in Bigfork. Elder King said they are absolutely prepared by the Lord to recieve the gospel. I'll meet them this week and I'll have more info.

Sorry for the short one. We are in a very big time crunch and yeah. I'll have more this next week considering I'll be in the area for more than three days.

The scripture for the week is Jacob 4:4,6. The reason for this scripture is that Elder King and I are working on memorizing scriptures and this is the one we are working on. I like how it puts emphasis on scriptures and prophets.

Hope everything goes well. Have a good week.

Elder Wixom