Anxiously engaged in living the Gospel D&C 58:27 - January 26th, 2015

Loved Ones,

This has been quite a week. I feel like I have a lot to write about. I have learned a lot and met some hilarious people. 

So I will start with a story. We went to find this really old man, and we found him, and he old. He is 82 years old and all of his missing teeth prove it. He was funny. He told us it was so cold we should take a shot of whiskey and then we would warm up. Then he proceeds to try and offer us whiskey....no thank you sir. Haha then he says, ""Keep doing what you're doing because then when you die you'll go derechita al cielo". It was funny. He was an interesting old man. 

So we taught a very interesting man this week. We will call him Jose (because that really is his name). Let me start by telling you he is a registered gang member, and is currently awaiting trial for an armed robbery, 2nd offense. In case you're unfamiliar with the courts, that's 25-60yrs. Apparently he is innocent 'this time' (in his own words). He actually really nice and has a very cute family. His mom is an awesome member in Bloomingdale, where I served during the summer. So anyway, I could sum this up by saying he isn't ready for the gospel, but then you'd miss out on all the ridiculous details. So we will start from the beginning, we were visiting his mom, and he was home and I innocently asked him if he was working or had a job, and in response to this simple question he gives an hour (literally, Hermana Neff and I timed him, he talked without stopping for an hour) summary of his entire life and all the kinds of different things he has been involved in. He started in the gangs when he was 11 yrs old.... (His older brother was involved), now he is 33. So he had quite the life story. He became seriously involved in drugs and the likes, a long time ago he was involved in an armed robbery and charged as an adult, plus he got "beat to near death by Chicago police" for what he says was no reason, and just got out of the hospital from a very serious back injury that a man caused him while trying to steal his car. Then he concluded by saying he couldn't get a job because he was out of prison on bail right now, and was about to go to trial for his life because he was framed and in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he is innocent this time......"okay, cool. So we have to go now because you just too much of our time, we will come back next week to see your mom." We come back, and he sits down armed with materials to contend with us. "Oh this will be good". I forgot to mention that Jose is now involved heavily in a bible church and has 'given his life to God'. So we had a bunch of ridiculous questions. But we declared very straightforward our doctrines and the way he can know for himself. At one point he insulted us by telling us that we were too young to know for ourselves. That we are just mislead. I wish I had a picture of my face, because he looked at me and stopped talking, as I basically told him, what I know to be true for myself, and concluded by telling him "we will no longer throw our pearls before swine, we will be leaving now". Hahaha it was quite interesting, but I came out of that lesson knowing 100% for myself that what I believe is true. He said all sort of things trying to confuse us, but it just built my faith more. We won't be going back to Jose's house. His mom is moving out anyway. But he is quite interesting.

We also had some awesome dinners with members. The members in this area teach me so much. So we will start with the Kleins, they're 80yrs old roughly. Some people might think spending an evening with them would be boring, but they're amazing. They have been married for 58 years and I asked them how you stay married and in love that long and they had seriously some of the best advice I have ever heard. They have taught me a lot about marriage. They know so much and I can ask them so many things and they don't think it's weird or inappropriate, but they really answer genuinely and help me. They always teach me. Plus Brother Klein is seriously hilarious. He cracks jokes all the time and they're seriously funny. He said you can't make it 58 years without having a lot of humor and laughing a lot, even when life is falling apart. 

Then we had dinner with Mairi Madailin Scott Douglas Godden- Wood. Everyone calls her sister Maggie. Haha she is AWESOME. She is probably in her mid 70's and completely full of life. She is a Scottish red head. She was born in Switzerland and speaks 9 languages including Latin, and mid evil Italian and French. But not including Spanish, haha. She is soooo funny. She has been a member for 3 years. She is quite weird, but in a good way. She has 6 degrees including psychopharmacology. Her dad was an interrogator, like a big deal one, the government brought him in to play mind games with people, he worked with some pretty infamous people, I can't remember exactly who, but when she told us names I knew who they were and it was years ago. She makes her own granola, and cheese, and medicine....haha I loved that one. She showed us all her natural medicine. She also made us like 4 different types of food just in case one of them was bad. She awesome. I always make sure I am sitting next to her if I can help it. Just a quote from our dinner appointment with her "They don't let the elders come over anymore because of me being here alone. I don't know what they think is going to happen, It's not like I'm going to jump out of a cake or something......(then she busts up laughing) if I did that I would turn those poor elders gay" hahah I'm sorry if you don't find that as completely hilarious as we did. You just have to know Maggie. She is a little crazy. She told us if we ever got into trouble to call her because she has a license to carry a concealed weapon. Haha and she said, if we ever needed help in her neighborhood to come yelling towards her house and she would come out with a baseball bat. Haha she's a little nutty. I want to be just like her. 

Also the Barrows. They're are this cute newly wed couple in our Ward. They have been married almost a year. They both served missions, and are so amazing and focused on the things that truly matter. She reminds me a lot of Lindsey actually, maybe that's why I love sister barrows so much. They talk to us like real people and help us so much. They're always willing to help us. She is the young women's president (which kind of freaks me out, I didn't think people got callings like that so fast...) and she is so diligent. You can see how much they love each other and they're just awesome. We have decided to be friends forever and they're going to come to visit me someday. Haha I like them. 

Then we also taught this super old lady and she kept talking to us about how she dying and she was "just waiting to die" but how she didn't know how to use the phone, so when she was dying she couldn't even call anyone. It was kind of funny, but she is completely fine. Her family just kept rolling their eyes. 

Sorry this email is getting so long, but on to my learning from the week. I have been planning out my studies and studying by different topics this week, and I have learned so much! Especially about the importance of the sacrament and how if we are really focusing on preparing ourselves throughout the week to partake of the sacrament then it will be a sacred part of our week, and we be consistently moving forward and overcoming weaknesses. Needless to say, partaking of the sacrament this week was probably the most spiritual it has been in my life. It was so cool. I have also been learning just so much about life. About being a daily disciple, the things in life that matter. I feel like things have started to become so clear. That Lord is showing me what is important for me in my life, and who I need to be, and how I need to get there. I see my prayers being answered all around me. I know without any doubts that he hears me, sometimes I see the answers to prayers offered long ago, and sometimes I see the answers to prayers answered minutes before, but I know Heavenly Father is answering my prayers. It fills me with gratitude. He has also be helping me to develop charity. I have grown to love all these people in my area. The members and my companions especially. I know that the atonement is real for everyone, because for everyone it stands in the space between who you are and where you should be. That's why the atonement is so deeply personal and so meaningful to each individual, no matter the degree to which they need the atonement, it still is the grace that makes up the difference of where they are and where they need to be. It helps them get there. I know I have learned that before, but this week it just really sunk in. Hermana Neff and I had some awesome conversations this week, and I learned so much I'm not sure how I will ever be able to put it all into words or remember it. But I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is the way, the only way. I know covenants allow us to access the atonement. I know that Joseph Smith is the instrument the Lord chose to restore both of those things. I know the Book of Mormon of true, like I have never know it before. It feels me, and teaches me. I will never be able to deny how I feel about that book. It is the word of God. I intend to read it everyday for the rest of my life.

I will end. This is too long. I don't even want to read it. I love you all. Fight the good fight. Stay healthy. 

Love,

Hermana Simmons