I Love Learning!

Dear family and friends,  

Hello. As always I don't have a ton of time so I'm just going to jot down a thought I’ve had lately.

I love learning! I really love it! It's definitely a blessing that has come from the mission. And it's not just a phase that I'm going through right now, but it's something that I've developed since the beginning of my mission. It's a “high” you get as you find answers to personal questions or to questions others have. That's probably the best part, when somebody has a question, concern or objection and you’re able to answer it because of the studying you've been doing. It's extra cool when it's something you’ve learned recently and you can apply it the very next day!

We had that kind of an experience this week. We met some people who had concerns. Last week we wouldn't have been able to answer those concerns as well, but we were able to answer them this week because of things we had studied. It was just the neatest experience, to see how we've grown in our own understanding, learning, and abilities to help someone else out with theirs.

In Cambodia land it was different. It wasn't too critical to have expansive gospel knowledge and evidences to support what we taught. Cambodians are mostly Buddhist and so they pretty much accepted whatever we said as Christian doctrine. Of course we tried to connect things to Buddhism so they could relate better, but here, in HB, everybody is under the same banner of Jesus Christ. It's a totally different approach. We've had to really help people see how prophets are necessary, along with baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.  And we’re finding we need to do this by using the Bible, because that's what all these people consider to be valid when we first try to start teaching them. A solid understanding of the Bible is so important; especially to teach them how the restoration is real and that it can help them come even closer to Jesus Christ. Seeing ourselves accomplish this is fun and it makes me want to learn even more, to be able to relate even more to the people we are serving, and to help them understand even more.

It's the same way with learning Cambodian, which I have loved doing by the way, and continue to love doing. For instance, I'll be studying a word, and then that afternoon I'll hear somebody say it and I'll understand it! Before studying I wouldn't have understood what they were trying to communicate to me as clearly. Does that make sense? Anyways, I think it is that success that creates and maintains a fire or drive to learn. So, if your fire is weak or if you're down to just coals, try making an effort to study something. Learning is of eternal value. I’m so grateful to be learning the gospel right now. I know it is true.

Just felt like passing that along for whomever. Hope I didn't sound too "preachy." haha

Love Elder Hicken