Easter in Toronto! April 18, 2017

This week has been incredible! Many miracles! This 3 week transfer thing is really not a good idea! You probably didn't know this but libraries were closed yesterday(Monday), and we use the libraries to email so we are emailing today! President still had us have preparation day yesterday though! So today we are just emailing and then getting to work!

    One cool finding thing we do here is an English as a second language class! It's super fun and from what I hear it is probably the single most effective way of finding new investigators that missionaries have found. Of course we as English missionaries arent' directly teaching those investigators, but we get to help with the class!

    We also have many service opportunities here! And it seems much more often that people accept when we offer to help lift various items, or other things. We do service for someone almost every week to organize her work office haha. Last time we were organizing receipts for taxes haha.

First District meeting here was good. Had an easter egg hunt an dtalked a bit about hope and the Resurection!

   Ressuerection Sunday and really the whole week was incredible! We really used the Easter video in all finding situations with members and non-members!

    Ressurection Sunday itself was incredible! In church we sang "I know that my Redeemer Lives" and I really felt the spirit! I am so grateful for my knowledge that the Savior was resurrected and that He lives today! In Jesus the Christ it goes through all of the reasons why it is simply a fact that really there is no legitimate disputation over that the Savior was resurrected, but then says the greatest evidence we can receive is from the Spirit when we ask Heavenly Father for ourselves! I know this is true! No worldly evidence will ever compare to the incredible evidence that can be received from Heaven! So ask, I know He answers.

   Also at church an Investigator named Jimmy showed up and he left to Turkey my companions thought for a few months a short time ago, and he's back! And I'm pretty sure he is ready for baptism so that's wonderful! And we have found some sweet people and have solid appointments with them today and the rest of the week!

   Also can't remember if I said the Book of Mormon Musical finished on Resurection Sunday, Elder Tetauru is searching hard for a poster haha. It's been a fun conversation starter with people here!

  I love this work and know that it is real! The Lord has the capacity and willingness to accomplish His work! His work is not frustrated, and it will go on until all His promises are fulfilled! I am so grateful I get to be a part of It! Love and miss you all! Have a wonderful week!

Elder Dixon's first P-day back, April 11,2017

Sorry I got this off a bit late, his new one will follow shortly. This was last week's email!!

Thank you all for your prayers and your support while Steve did his two transfers at home and had his ACL knee repair. While he was home he was able to be a temple ordinance worker 4 days a week and he got to teach seminary 2 days a week at a local Jr. High with one of his favorite people in the world Brother Vallace. Between that and physical therapy and attending the temple, he was very busy.

We count ourselves very blessed for getting this 3 extra months with Steve.  He was so present while he was home. He would play four square with Sarah and her friends after school, and he would be full time quarter back with Kevin and his friends regularly. He would talk to his sisters and listen to them. It was basically like getting to live with a full time missionary in our home. He was very strict about studying, bedtime, and media. What an example and blessing it was to our family. A very surprise blessing. You wouldn't think your son blowing his knee out on his first P-day of his mission would be a blessing, but none of us here in the Dixon family would trade that special recovery time for anything.

We all feel so blessed that the surgery went so well. His physical therapist said that it is the 2nd all time best recovery he has ever seen in his practice, and that there was definitely divine intervention. 

We are so grateful he was able to return to the Toronto, Canada mission on April 4th 2017. I don't think it was quite as hard sending him back the second time, maybe because we all knew how badly he wanted to return. 

Ok Here is the email from Elder Dixon....

Hello from Canada! How great it is to be emailing back home to Utah again! I love being back!

When I got to Toronto President and Sister Shield's picked me up with my new Zone Leaders Elder Scofield and Elder Bagtas. Then they drove us to the zone leaders car, put my bags in their car and said see you later! They then took me to our apartment in down town Toronto. We are in the Ossington Zone in the Toronto East area. It's quite a bit different than Tillsonburg! haha we us the TTC (Toronto Transportation Company [I think]). So light rail trains, buses, and subways!

   It's crazy! We literally can't talk to everyone, because there are people everywhere pretty much all the time! So we talk to a lot!

    I am in a tripanionship with Elder Burton and Elder Tutauru. They are awesome! Elder burton is actually from Bountiful and is very outwardly humble and awesome! Elder Tutauru is super funny and is from Taheede. He is a native French speaker and was up in Valdoire speaking French, but I guess was struggling or something so now he is down here and has been here for a while! His English is very impressive! 

     This week we had interviews with President Shield's, which was good because I could ask him all of my logistical questions! Also had Zone council this week (in our mission that is a monthly meeting that the Zone Leaders put on just for the zone). They are talking a lot about the Prince of Peace Easter Initiative which is fun because when I was last here the big thing was the Christmas Light the World intiative!

   

     The new schedule is cool and super weird and I'm definetly getting used to it. It is a lot more flexible and missionaries have a lot more freedom, which is good, possibly could be difficult too.

Many miracles! I lov emissionary work! I love the Gospel and know it's true! Even today when an "ex-mormon" said she was there for me... haha I did contact and pick up a potential investigator right in front of her face too haha. Anyway life here is amazing, and I have a toothbrush I bought today! I had forgotten mine... Good times here in Toronto! Love you all! Have a great week!

Steve Returns home for Knee surgery DEC 17-APR -4

On December 17th 2017 Elder Dixon returned home from his mission to have an ACL knee surgery.
He decided to have Pepper Murray perform the surgery and he had it on January 4, 2017.

It was fun for Elder Dixon and his family to be together to for Christmas. Although Elder Dixon would have rather been face timing us from his mission.

Elder Dixon was a complete delight to have home for 3 months. His mom was worried that he would be depressed and it would be very difficult time for the family while he was home. It was not that way at all. From the second Elder Dixon got off the airplane from Toronto until he re boarded the airplane in April there was rarely a time you didn't see a smile on his face.

He was constantly studying, praying, visiting, and being such a force for good, even during all his recover time.

We all feel blessed we got to spend this 3 months with Elder Dixon in the middle of his mission.
I'm not sure there will be another time we will get that kind of time with him.

His knee surgery and recovery went as great as possible. His Physical Therapist, Joel, said it was the 2nd best recovery he has ever seen. He said there was definitely divine intervention.
He had to walk 3 days in a row 6 miles a day with a priesthood leader and Kelly gladly volunteered for that assignment.

Elder Dixon got to be a ordinance worker in the temple for the 3 months it was home. Kelly and Teri and Grandma Dixon all got to go and be with him while he was the session leader and Kelly got to do initiatory with him. He also baptized and confirmed all of us. What a great time to be in the temple.

We are so grateful to Brother Vallace who let Elder Dixon come and teach with him 2 days a week. Steve learned so much from this experience.