Mis Queridos,
This week was like the greatest week ever :) so much good stuff
happened! I don't even know where to start. So right now I am sitting
at costco, where we did our weekly shopping. Not the ideal place to
write an email but so be it.
So first things first, on Tuesday we went over to a members home. She
is from Cuba, her husband has dementia so she can't come to church
because she takes care of him. We went to her house and the spirit was
so strong. You could just feel that it was a home so close to Heaven.
We met him and he was so sweet. He shook our hands and told us his
name, all in English, and he says to me, your hands are cold, and he
starts rubbing them between his hands to warm them up. It was so cute.
Then he just sat down and stay very quite and still the whole time we
were there, just watching us, while we were talking with his wife,
sometimes smiling. His wife has so much faith. She is so strong. Being
there alone just taught me so much charity. So much love. By the time
we left her husband didn't remember who we were. We were talking to
her and she said her husband remembered hymns. So we sang before we
left, and he started singing with us and it was so sweet. I have felt
the spirit that strong only one place. It was awesome. I mean awesome.
When we left he took my hand and he says "thank you for all you are
doing, thank you for everything, thank you" it was so sweet. He was
just looking into my eyes, and in those eyes you could see his soul.
Maybe his mind doesn't work right, maybe his body is weak, but his
spirit is whole. It knows what's going on. It was just such a
testament to me that we are spiritual beings having a mortal
experience. Everything we go through in this life is to grow our
spirit, to help our spirit learn and grow and become more like God.
Yes, we need a body for that, but that body can come in any shape or
size, it will eventually be resurrected and perfected. But we are here
so our soul can learn and grow. Every experience is for our spirits.
There is spirituality in everything or there should be. I don't know
if that makes sense. But it was one of those moments where my
understanding just grew so much. I love them so much. I just want to
be at there house all the time.
Then on Wednesday we went over to a less actives house and her son was
there and I don't want to go into too much detail that might be hard
for some people to understand, but he was just in his own little
apostasy. We left that house, just so sad for how much confusion he
has in his life. At one point during our conversation he compared
president Monson to king David, who fell from grace. Yeah. We had to
stop him right there and say never say that again. I just want to say
that I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, and
the things he says, and the council and direction he gives is from
God. As if he had said it himself. This is the whole purpose of a
prophet. God has always called prophets. God is unchanging. He always
will call prophets to help his children know the truth and help them
return back to him again. To know the truth from the lies. Someone who
has the authority of Jesus Christ to perform ordinances like baptism.
I love President Monson.
Then, next big thing that happened was we went on exchanges. I feel
like every exchange I go on is just incredible. I learn so much and it
is like Heavenly Father is just telling me exactly what I need to hear
and know. So I went with Hermana Child (remember that name from when I
was in the MTC, yep her :D love her sooooo much. She's the red head :)
) we had this awesome conversation that made me so glad for the
covenants I have made. I have so many weaknesses. Something that has
kind of been overwhelming me lately (I will get to that) and there are
so many times I am just lacking. But because of the covenants I have
made I am tied to my Savior Jesus Christ and when I fall short, he
picks up my part and sometimes me and keeps moving me forward. If that
makes sense. Because I was baptized and I made covenants to follow him
and take his name upon me, and because it was done with his priesthood
authority he can help me, he can strengthen me, and through his
atonement I can overcome my many weaknesses. I have kind of gotten
into this very self critical pattern of thinking lately because of
something's that I have gone through on the mission. Just kind of
thinking about things in a way like, "who am I to think I could ever
do this when I have so many weaknesses." So Hermana child helped me a
lot. We went through 1 Nephi 17 starting in verse 17. She compared
Nephi's brothers to the adversary and we looked for how satan tries to
get in our head and make us weak. And how Nephi responds at the end in
verse 48-52 by relying on his testimony. By falling back in his
covenants, and by remembering how merciful The Lord has been unto him.
In my case this was like mind blowing. We talked a lot about how
merciful The Lord has been unto me. By even bringing me on a mission
helping me completely change. If he brought me here on my mission
through his mercy, of course he will continue to show mercy on my
weaknesses and help me do this. How could he not? It was just really
cool. There is more too it then that. But you can study it for
yourself with those ideas in mind. It was so cool. I had never thought
of it that way before. I loved being on exchanges. I learned so much.
I love my companion too. We talked a lot about it. She is so easy to
talk to. We have a lot of laughs and enjoy our time together :) I love
Hermana Santos :D
Anyway, then we had an awesome Sunday. I mean seriously one of the
best I have had on the mission so far. First, Josefina got confirmed!!
:) yay. And she said she felt so happy, so excited. Which was great
because the last couple times, and about her baptism she didn't seem
super excited. She later said she was just scared/nervous. But she was
so excited to be confirmed and so happy afterwards. There was a glow
:)
Plus we had a member bring a friend to church who lives in our area! Yay!
And we were able to get one other investigator to church. She is sick,
she has arthritis, and so her legs hurt her a lot and she has a hard
time walking so she wanted a blessing. So she came to church. She felt
the spirit so strongly in the church and she kept saying how she was
lost and she just wanted to find the path to God, and she just wanted
to know what she lacked, why she couldn't find it. So later after
sacrament meeting she got a blessing, and the brother asked her what
she wanted a blessing for and she said because she wanted to find the
path to God, she wanted to find the light, and she didn't know how.
But she also need a blessing for health. Anyway it was the most
incredible blessing, the spirit was so strong. This was the first time
this lady has come to church. Her name is Lucero. In fact, I haven't
taught her before. But during her blessing she was blessed to be
healed and to have the strength she needed to follow the road she was
on. It specifically said that in the next couple weeks she would be
baptized and confirmed and then she would know she had found the path.
That her family would notice and ask what happened, why she was
different and she would tell them, I found the way. I am in the true
church. It was incredible. He told her how much God loved her. How he
knew her and was waiting for her. It was amazing family! We haven't
even taught this lady, much less talked with her about baptism. After
the blessing she went home because she really wasn't feeling well. But
she said she wants to come every week, and we told her that would help
her to know the truth and to prepare to be baptized in God's church
and she said that is what she wanted. She wanted to be filled. It was
a serious miracle.
There was so many other amazing things that happened this week, but if
I tell you them all this will go on forever. Just know that there has
been many times this week, where I have known that this is The Lord's
work. He knows us. He knows his children and he does have a plan for
them. He helped me so much this week through Hermana child when we
went on exchanges. He calmed my troubled soul, and helped me over come
some weights that have been holding me back. He helped Lucero and told
her what calmed her soul, and will help her progress back to him. He
filled josefina with his spirit so she had that confirmation that
everything she has done all the sacrifices she has made are and were
and always will be worth it. I love him so much. The strongest part of
my testimony, maybe the only thing I know without any doubt or
question is that I love my Heavenly Father, that he loves me and knows
what is best, and I have had that reaffirmed to me so many times, that
I trust him. That is what keeps me going, that is why it is settled in
my heart. I love him, and I trust him. I will do whatever he asks. I
want to be like him. I don't even know what that means all the way,
but I want it. I want to give away all of my sins, all of my
shortcomings, and weaknesses. I want to be like Him.
This is His work. This is where we find true happiness. This is true
peace. I love my Savior so much. I love my Father in Heaven. I will
trust and not be afraid.
Fight the good fight cariños. The only fight worth fighting.
Con mucho Amor,
Hermana Simmons
P.S.
Congrats to the mommies and the new babies in our fam :) they're
joining the greatest fam ever :)
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