Hello there :)
Can I just start by saying this is going to be an amazing transfer :)
I am so excited to do missionary work and to see miracles, because
this is the land of fruit and honey. Really though. I mean we had a
baptism yesterday :) this wonderful women named Josefina. She is
blind, and has been learning from the missionaries for awhile and
finally decided to be baptized, without the support of any of her
family members, but the support of the whole branch. Hermana Santos
and I were in bathroom standing at the top of the steps to the
baptismal font (because we needed to help her) and it was beautiful. I
mean the spirit was so strong. I would venture to say so strong
because she can see physically, but Heavenly Father wanted to make
sure she saw spiritually. The baptism was wonderful. It was right
after church, which ends at 4...dinner time, but most of the branch
stayed and they all were so happy for her and you could feel the
happiness and excitement from everyone.
Goodness, I am in love with these people. This branch is incredible.
They are so focused on missionary work. Everything they do, every
activity they have is for missionary work. The members brings friends,
I mean everyone brings a friend. The Branch Presidency are all return
missionaries except one who is a convert from two years ago but is so
strong, just very quite and kind. They are all very kind. Yesterday
after the baptism Presidente Montesinos called all the missionaries in
because he wanted to talk to all 6 of us (2 sets of Hermanas and
Elders who are white washing one of the areas) and his presidency and
our ward mission leader were there, and they basically just told us
their goals, how they planned on accomplishing them and what they
expect from us as missionaries, which is to be professional, polite,
kind, and very spiritual. They want to help us anyway they can, they
want to hear all our ideas. I walked out of that meeting so excited to
do missionary work. So excited to help this branch with their vision
and their plans. They have a goal to baptize 24 people this year, and
they are half way :) they're so kind. Such good people. I felt like I
was sitting in preach my gospel. It was amazing. I wish/hope you can
understand fully what a miracle that is. My missionary friends will. I
am so ready to make miracles happen.
This is a funny branch, is basically a Spanglish branch. We are almost
constantly speaking spanglish, which is perfect because Hermana Santos
and I are too always. But it's great.
There are so many Hispanics, I see them and I have a small panic, of
"Oh, we NEED to talk to them" because in Bloomington when you saw them
you did HAVE to talk to them, because they were one of few. It's
amazing. It is a good place.
So this area is fondly referred to as the promised land by
missionaries who have served her and I can see why :)
Hermana Santos is great! :) we get along really well and laugh a lot.
But we are also very unified in our goals. This week we have been
talking about all our goals, and our desires, it has just kind of
naturally come up, and we are very unified and have a lot of plans for
how we can accomplish the desires of our heart, which is to baptize a
family of 6 people. We have realized that this all starts with real
charity-the pure love of Christ. We have started reading every
companionship study for 5 minutes about charity and evaluating
ourselves. We also have really been trying to pray very specifically,
for our desires, and as it says in Moroni, with all the energy of our
heart for charity. For real love for these people so that we will seek
the spirit, I mean de veras, buscar fervientemente por el espíritu.
(Sometimes you just have to speak Spanish because it means more in
Spanish then it does in English). But we want to really be lead in all
we do by Heavenly Father. We have been studying a lot about baptism as
well, and why it is essential in order to enter into the kingdom of
our God. A lot of times, people, missionaries, members, and myself,
want to baptize for prideful reasons, as missionaries sometimes so
that our numbers look good, or we look good. But this is not the point
of baptism. So we have been seeking to deepen our testimonies of
baptism so that we are driven by charity, and by an understanding of
its absolute importance, and not by prideful reason, or selfish
reasons. Because baptism is absolutely essential and not just baptism
alone, by anyone, but baptism by someone who holds the authority, or
priesthood power of God. When Jesus Christ set the example for us of
being baptized. He didn't just go to any ol' person. He went directly
to Juan el Bautista, because he had the authority to baptize as it
teaches us in the bible. Why did he do that? Because the authority is
what makes baptism mean something. Not just anyone has authority. You
don't get it by going to a school to become a pastor. You don't get it
by deciding you have it one day, you don't get it by claiming to have
received in from Peter's bones, or that it is in your blood or
heritage like the Pharisees of old, or whatever other reason. But you
get it directly from Jesus Christ, or his apostles. This is how John
the Baptist got his authority. This is why Jesus went to him. This is
why we need to find the church that has the authority of Jesus Christ,
the church that has a prophet that communicates with God so we can be
baptized by someone the authority of Jesus Christ in order to receive
salvation. So those are our goals. We are really excited, because we
know these things are so possible and that we can accomplish our
goals. That we can see miracles. We know it is going to take a lot of
work, and mental effort especially in focusing our prayers and praying
with all our hearts. But it will be so worth it.
I am so excited to be here in this area. Hermana Jacobson and her me
companion Hermana Lewis are in our branch and we share a car with them
so we see them a lot. Needless to say, their is a lot of laughter and
sometimes we have to pull ourselves together. Piper don't know why but
we all just bring out the weird in each other.
I love being a missionary. This is the greatest work. I know that
families can be together for ever through the authority of Jesus
Christ that is in the church, and that we can know what will happen
and where we are going when we die. That we can find inner peace when
everything around us seems to be falling apart. That we can be made
more than we are, more then our natural abilities. I love our savior
Jesus Christ. I has done so much for all of us, and he asks for so
little in return. So do it. Read the Book of Mormon, pray to be lead
to the truth. Follow the guidance of the spirit. Fight the good fight.
I love you all so much. I so desperately want you to be in Heaven with
me. That we may all be together.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
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