Hello Everyone,
So maybe this was the longest week of my mission to this point. First, no car, which would have been fine except the -20 weather and not being allowed to leave Monday or Tuesday. Then pouring rains on Friday where we were out tracting for 4 hrs. I am talking drenched. I can't explain it. This rain was wet rain. In Washington I don't feel like you get as soaked. Then to top it all off, 8hrs of knocking doors in this one area on Saturday. 8 hours! We were so done by the end of the day. We were there so long that cause we had to get rides. But on the plus side I maybe watched the Seahawks game at the restaurant someone took us to dinner at :) killing it. Oh also on Saturday, we taught a couple drunk people who asked us to forgive their sins....awkward. And when we shook their hand (we were leaving as fast as possible) this one guy caressed my hand. It was disgusting. I have never felt more violated. Seriously. Needless to say. That was fun. Then we visited one of our investigators who pulled dirty cups out of the sink and washed them with her hand and have us water in them....I could have gotten over this except that she lives in a bug infested house with a leaking roof. Honestly you leave and want to wash you whole body inside and out. That being said, she is a wonderful person, and I have high hopes for her. I would just like her to find a new place to live.
Haha this was a disappointing week. No one let us in. And everyone kept canceling. It was really frustrating because you start to feel like there is no point being here if no one wants to hear what you have to say. Plus you get so cold you just wish some old lady would let you in and give you some hot chocolate. Haha long story short, I maybe have had a couple very emotionally nightly prayers with Father in Heaven. First time since I have been here.
But the highs of the week, 4 or 5 of the less actives we have been working with have come to church the last couple weeks! It is awesome!! And this little girl we are teaching was finally able to come to church yesterday. This might not sound like huge successes but they really are. Our biggest struggle is getting people to come to church. The less actives are so stubborn and just have no desire. And our investigators just say, "tengo pena, tengo pena"which loosely translate to I am afraid/nervous/embarrassed/worried about it...so basically I don't want to do it. It's so annoying and frustrations. Haha we just roll our eyes when people say that to us. Anyway, so what I'm saying is it was a giant success. The little girl we have been working with it has been a struggle to get her mom on board. But I think she is going to let her now. (Her whole family is non members).
Some other highlights, we are being fed everyday this week....AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE. One of our favorite members happens to be el salvadorian and she is teaching us to make papusas on Wednesday :) we are generally fed 3 or 4 times a week. But yeah. So that's exciting. Other exciting things, our schedule is jam packed this week, so if things go as planned (hahah who am I kidding, the mission life is a series of changing plans...8 million times) we will have to go on splits with members to get everything done. So this week definitely is looking up. Plus we have a car :) there hasten tons of drama in the past in this ward, but everyone is really starting to get along which is awesome. And it seems like prayers are being answered and they want to help more with missionary work so hopefully that will make things easier. I love this ward though. I can't imagine leaving them and going anywhere different. I am working on trying to be their friend, someone they can trust, and encouraging them in their desire to help, and complimenting them on the things they do that really help us (thanks mom for the idea it was perfect).
So yes, this week was hard. I definitely struggled with not getting a bad attitude, or getting irritated with my companion for no reason except being stressed. I finally got frustrated about the language and not being able to understand anything. Or say what I want to say. I felt like I was just exhausted all week, which also hasn't really been a thing. I mean I don't love waking up at 6:30. But it also isn't something I complain about, or something has really affected me. But this week I was tired the whole time. But I know in whom I trust as Nephi says (2nd Nephi 4). I know who to turn to. I have not lost hope, or been defeated. Things have just started to get hard. Which is okay. I have been anticipating it. Things seemed too easy. Easy things don't stretched you and make you grow. Easy things don't allow The Lord to mold you and make you great. My attitude is still, "Give me this mountain Lord, I will climb it." Our Father has a perfect plan for each one of us. He has tailor made our struggles and our hardships to teach us the things that each of us individually must learn to one day become as He is. And I don't know about you all, but that sounds really nice to me. To become like God, to receive all that He has. So if we suffer a little here, or even a lot, I have faith that it will one day be made right. It will be more than worth it. On fact in the words of Parley P. Pratt, "I have desired, after traveling for twenty-five or twenty-six years, mostly abroad, to stay at home and minister among the people of God, and take care of my family; but God's will be done, and not mine. If it is the will of God that I should spend my days in proclaiming this gospel and bearing testimony of these things, I shall think myself highly privileged and honored. And when the spirit of God is upon me, I think it matters but very little what I suffer, what I sacrificed-whether I secure the honor or dishonor of men, or where I die, if it so be that I can keep the faith, fight the good fight, and finish my course with joy. I have all eternity before me, in which to enjoy myself". Now probably none of us will ever be asked to make the sacrifice he made in leaving His family for so very long. But I think his words can apply to anyone in any struggle. Especially where he says, "I think it matters but very little what I suffer, what I sacrificed...if it so be that I can keep the faith, fight the good fight, and finish my course with joy". So I hope you will think of this during your difficulties. And when it seems too hard, remember this, because our Father in heaven tailor made this for you, He also knows exactly how to help you through, and if you will turn to Him and place your trust in Him implicitly, then He will walk you through the dark times and bless you more than you can understand. He will take you farther, and make you more than you could ever make yourself, if you will just let Him. If you will submit your will to His. That is the ONLY thing that is truly yours.
Everything else is already His. He has just given it to you.
Anyway, your prayers are much appreciated. I love you dearly. I hope to hear from all of you. Fight the good fight as my family likes to say. I will be praying for you.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Oh you know, see you in 15 Fast Sundays - Jan 6, 2014
Hello Ladies and Gents,
It is crazy to think I have come to another p day already. Time is a weird thing on the mission. Anyway, I only have 15 more fast Sundays on the mission. Weird right! Another weird thing, I will be 22 when I come home. Jeez. So yes, on that note. This week has flown by but unfortunately hasn't been exceedingly productive. We're not allowed to proselyte on holidays. And we had to be home at 7 on New Year's Eve. Which was fine, because besides the anticipation of all the drunks, the roads were also terrible, the snow was worse than it has been the whole time I have been here. And guess who is the designated driver in the snow....this girl. But that's only because driving in the snow doesn't freak me out. Then the roads got so bad we weren't allowed to leave at all..so we walked....hence the video. And it just kept snowing....I have never seen snow just keep falling like that...for days. But the nice thing is when it snows it isn't as cold. The snow has stopped now though and so the temperature has plummeted...and on the week we don't have a car. So we're anticipating not leaving much this week, because you're not suppose to be outside very much when it is 0 or below which it's suppose to be all week. Especially because of the wind. So 16hrs of studying. Maybe I will perfect my Spanish! Haha which on that topic is coming along. It doesn't really stress me out. I can understand the general concept people are talking about, and I can express myself well enough for now. I can actually speak better than l thought. Plus everyone's kids speak Spanish. And I pray a lot to be able to learn the language.
Also this week, we went on exchanges with the Hermana training leaders. I went to there area with Hermana Davies. We had a blasted, laughed a lot and spent the whole day talking like the grinch (that was me fault, I don't know why but lately I keep slipping into the grinch voice). Except of course when we were speaking Spanish. That's a little more difficult. Or we talk in a British accent. Which I don't know if I told you, but when my companion and I knock doors, and accidentally knock a white persons door, we speak to the, in British accents...then they don't slam the door in our face....and since we give them as a referral to the English speaking elders in our area, the never know it's not our real accent. It's fun. We do lots of silly things when we are knocking doors otherwise it just gets so tedious. We tell them a joke right when they open the door, or we say crazy things, I dunno. Someone told me, you can say whatever you want to them to get them to let you come back, as long as it isn't a lie. So we do that. It's been funny. We also always talk in accents when we aren't speaking Spanish. It just happens. My companion and I may or may not have freestyle rapped the first lesson during one of our practices....it was hilarious.
Sorry I went off on a tangent, but anyway, exchanges, so yes, I went there on Thursday night, and came home Friday night. She is awesome, I learned so much and realized some talents that I have and some goals I have for myself also. The coolest thing was that we had this deep talk about how merciful our Savior is and how he really does make your weaknesses strengths, or in my case, he has helped me turn some of my life experiences into things that can help other people with their desire to come unto Christ. So, they have this family investigating and they think that the missionaries have no idea how hard it is to overcome bad habits because they were born and raised in the church and have never lived basically, but I was able to, in not so much detail tell them a bit about my life, and kind of call them to repentance. I was also able to talk to them about my experience being sealed to my family forever, because they have a daughter and are pregnant and they aren't married, and are hesitant to do s. Anyway, I don't know if that makes much sense, but it was so awesome to see that I really can help people because of who I am and my life experiences.
So that was my experience.
Also on Saturday night a member took us to benihana! :) saweet. It was so good. I then went home and drugged myself so that I would stop being sick. It was awful this weekend. Not a joke. Friday I used a roll and a half of toilet paper...my nose has NEVER run that much, and my throat felt like daggers going down it ever time I swallowed and coughed. Everyone of these Hispanics told me to drink lemon juice and honey. So I finally tried it, I will now recommend it to anyone anywhere who has a sorethroar. It tastes gross, but works wonders. I am actually feeling almost back to normal.
My companion and I are doing great, we had a day ish that we were slightly annoyed with each other, but we just said hey I'm annoyed with you because I have spent so much time with you and have realized everything about you that drives me nuts, and then we got over it. So we're good now. Haha she is awesome. I love her lots. Plus her language skills are super strong. And besides that I'm pretty much
already trained so she doesn't stress out about me.
We are spending lots of time working with less actives. There are so many. But we also have some really awesome non members we are working with. I am excited about them. I love when people start to get it, and realize that this is right, this is the way you improve you life, and come unto Christ. This is the way to inexplicable joy.
Oh a cool experience this week, I was driving, and we were in a parking lot trunking a corner, and there was no stop sign or anything, but I thought I should stop and see if there was any cars just in case, and so I stopped, and said out loud, "let's just check and make sure no cars are coming" and right then a car came speeding around the corner of the building where we were about to turn. He almost hit us coming around the corner, but if we hadn't stopped he would have hit us straight one (because this whole story happened in a manner of like 15seconds). It was just a cool experience. It wasn't like oh my goodness. But just a simple way the spirit works, by making you pause and think when your otherwise might not have. It is so awesome to have the spirit with me. The gift of the Holy Ghost is definitely very real and a huge blessing from our father in heaven for our safety and comfort and guidance.
So two other things, Mexicans love Chinese/Asian food, at least the ones here. I don't know why. But I have eaten more Chinese food then anything else besides Mexican food.
It's kind of funny, because even when they make Chinese food, it is still Mexican food. Haha they also make sushi everyone loves sushi. Luckily though they usually make other stuff too, so I haven't had to eat any, and when I have I sneakily put it on my companions plate because she likes it. And then I eat the rice or whatever else they give us. They dish up our plates for us always. Also everyone here drinks bottled water.
The last thing is there are two girls in this ward who have Down's syndrome and let me just tell you, they are ADORABLE. They speak Spanish, and they're young girls, one is in primary, and the other is in young women's. Also....the younger ones name is Johanna. Spelled like mine :)
It is crazy to think I have come to another p day already. Time is a weird thing on the mission. Anyway, I only have 15 more fast Sundays on the mission. Weird right! Another weird thing, I will be 22 when I come home. Jeez. So yes, on that note. This week has flown by but unfortunately hasn't been exceedingly productive. We're not allowed to proselyte on holidays. And we had to be home at 7 on New Year's Eve. Which was fine, because besides the anticipation of all the drunks, the roads were also terrible, the snow was worse than it has been the whole time I have been here. And guess who is the designated driver in the snow....this girl. But that's only because driving in the snow doesn't freak me out. Then the roads got so bad we weren't allowed to leave at all..so we walked....hence the video. And it just kept snowing....I have never seen snow just keep falling like that...for days. But the nice thing is when it snows it isn't as cold. The snow has stopped now though and so the temperature has plummeted...and on the week we don't have a car. So we're anticipating not leaving much this week, because you're not suppose to be outside very much when it is 0 or below which it's suppose to be all week. Especially because of the wind. So 16hrs of studying. Maybe I will perfect my Spanish! Haha which on that topic is coming along. It doesn't really stress me out. I can understand the general concept people are talking about, and I can express myself well enough for now. I can actually speak better than l thought. Plus everyone's kids speak Spanish. And I pray a lot to be able to learn the language.
Also this week, we went on exchanges with the Hermana training leaders. I went to there area with Hermana Davies. We had a blasted, laughed a lot and spent the whole day talking like the grinch (that was me fault, I don't know why but lately I keep slipping into the grinch voice). Except of course when we were speaking Spanish. That's a little more difficult. Or we talk in a British accent. Which I don't know if I told you, but when my companion and I knock doors, and accidentally knock a white persons door, we speak to the, in British accents...then they don't slam the door in our face....and since we give them as a referral to the English speaking elders in our area, the never know it's not our real accent. It's fun. We do lots of silly things when we are knocking doors otherwise it just gets so tedious. We tell them a joke right when they open the door, or we say crazy things, I dunno. Someone told me, you can say whatever you want to them to get them to let you come back, as long as it isn't a lie. So we do that. It's been funny. We also always talk in accents when we aren't speaking Spanish. It just happens. My companion and I may or may not have freestyle rapped the first lesson during one of our practices....it was hilarious.
Sorry I went off on a tangent, but anyway, exchanges, so yes, I went there on Thursday night, and came home Friday night. She is awesome, I learned so much and realized some talents that I have and some goals I have for myself also. The coolest thing was that we had this deep talk about how merciful our Savior is and how he really does make your weaknesses strengths, or in my case, he has helped me turn some of my life experiences into things that can help other people with their desire to come unto Christ. So, they have this family investigating and they think that the missionaries have no idea how hard it is to overcome bad habits because they were born and raised in the church and have never lived basically, but I was able to, in not so much detail tell them a bit about my life, and kind of call them to repentance. I was also able to talk to them about my experience being sealed to my family forever, because they have a daughter and are pregnant and they aren't married, and are hesitant to do s. Anyway, I don't know if that makes much sense, but it was so awesome to see that I really can help people because of who I am and my life experiences.
So that was my experience.
Also on Saturday night a member took us to benihana! :) saweet. It was so good. I then went home and drugged myself so that I would stop being sick. It was awful this weekend. Not a joke. Friday I used a roll and a half of toilet paper...my nose has NEVER run that much, and my throat felt like daggers going down it ever time I swallowed and coughed. Everyone of these Hispanics told me to drink lemon juice and honey. So I finally tried it, I will now recommend it to anyone anywhere who has a sorethroar. It tastes gross, but works wonders. I am actually feeling almost back to normal.
My companion and I are doing great, we had a day ish that we were slightly annoyed with each other, but we just said hey I'm annoyed with you because I have spent so much time with you and have realized everything about you that drives me nuts, and then we got over it. So we're good now. Haha she is awesome. I love her lots. Plus her language skills are super strong. And besides that I'm pretty much
already trained so she doesn't stress out about me.
We are spending lots of time working with less actives. There are so many. But we also have some really awesome non members we are working with. I am excited about them. I love when people start to get it, and realize that this is right, this is the way you improve you life, and come unto Christ. This is the way to inexplicable joy.
Oh a cool experience this week, I was driving, and we were in a parking lot trunking a corner, and there was no stop sign or anything, but I thought I should stop and see if there was any cars just in case, and so I stopped, and said out loud, "let's just check and make sure no cars are coming" and right then a car came speeding around the corner of the building where we were about to turn. He almost hit us coming around the corner, but if we hadn't stopped he would have hit us straight one (because this whole story happened in a manner of like 15seconds). It was just a cool experience. It wasn't like oh my goodness. But just a simple way the spirit works, by making you pause and think when your otherwise might not have. It is so awesome to have the spirit with me. The gift of the Holy Ghost is definitely very real and a huge blessing from our father in heaven for our safety and comfort and guidance.
So two other things, Mexicans love Chinese/Asian food, at least the ones here. I don't know why. But I have eaten more Chinese food then anything else besides Mexican food.
It's kind of funny, because even when they make Chinese food, it is still Mexican food. Haha they also make sushi everyone loves sushi. Luckily though they usually make other stuff too, so I haven't had to eat any, and when I have I sneakily put it on my companions plate because she likes it. And then I eat the rice or whatever else they give us. They dish up our plates for us always. Also everyone here drinks bottled water.
The last thing is there are two girls in this ward who have Down's syndrome and let me just tell you, they are ADORABLE. They speak Spanish, and they're young girls, one is in primary, and the other is in young women's. Also....the younger ones name is Johanna. Spelled like mine :)
So much to do, not enough time to do it - Dec 30, 2013
Hey there everyone, sorry my email is so late, I have had a lot to do today. We went to costco, and Nordstrom and such, had a lot of errands to run, and things to do. But anyway, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, mine was awesome :) I had subway for dinner! Haha and opened my presents. Love all of you. And that's what I wanna focus on in this email. I just want to say how grateful I am to all of you for the love and support you have unconditionally shown me. You have all
played very contributing roles in me getting back on a mission, and honestly in helping me grow up. Though I have only been out a couple weeks in the field it feels like forever already, and I have grown and changed so much already and though the mission feels like "a series of disappointments interrupted by moments of inexplicable joy, and miracles"(to quote president Fenn) I am so grateful to be here. This is where I have the opportunity to become who I really want to become. To become the women God wants me to become, and you all have helped me get here. I just wanted to say thank you, and express my love for my family and friends. It truly has deepened as I have been out. My heart has become a lot more open, and I love people so much more. I see them as they can become. It is kind of a incredible thing, it's like all of their weakness and shortcomings fall away and you don't even notice anything but how awesome they are and who they can become as they except our Savior and apply His atoning blood in their lives, and
especially as they follow Him by example into the waters of baptism.
Anyway, yeah, I love you all, and I am hugging you in my mind. Thanks for being awesome, and being apart of my world and my support team.
So, this week I have been focusing a lot of letting go, and trusting. Our Father in heaven is perfect. He knows exactly what is going on. He has figured it all out. He knows me better than I know myself and He has a plan for me, and if I just trust implicitly, then things will more than work out, the will be exactly perfect, because they will go exactly as He wants them too. So I have just been trying to trust more, and rely more fully on that guiding spirit which is The Holy Ghost. It has been cool experience, and deeply humbling as it helps me to realize the hand of The Lord more in my life! and I have become more aware of how much I truly 'need him every hour'. It fills me with gratitude.
Also this week we have knocked into some really amazing people. Well let me start from the beginning, this week we have had little to no success. But that being said we found 3 really cool people. One young family, one young mom, and one old man. They all are just super prepared and we are so excited to teach them. We already invited one to baptism in our first lesson(though it wasn't really a lesson). We are planning on visiting them all this week, so I will keep you
updated.
It has gotten really cold. I was living in ignorant bliss for awhile. But now it is starting to get real cold. Water freezing on the windshield before the windshield wipers can move it....fun times...he wind is what really sucks though. But I got a jacket today so that will be awesome. Cost me a pretty penny though, it was hard to find one (even at Nordstrom Rack). They were picked clean.
Things are going well, I love hearing from all of you. Though I am sorry I don't have tons of time to reply individually to everyone. I have been sick all week, as well as my companion, hers is more of a never ending nose running, and mine is more of a I can't talk or sing because my throat hurts. But we have both been getting better.
Anyway, I love you. Happy new year! I will be in bed at 10:30. Sleeping when the new year rolls in. Haha holidays are weird on the mission. Be safe. Choose the right.
Hermana Simmons
played very contributing roles in me getting back on a mission, and honestly in helping me grow up. Though I have only been out a couple weeks in the field it feels like forever already, and I have grown and changed so much already and though the mission feels like "a series of disappointments interrupted by moments of inexplicable joy, and miracles"(to quote president Fenn) I am so grateful to be here. This is where I have the opportunity to become who I really want to become. To become the women God wants me to become, and you all have helped me get here. I just wanted to say thank you, and express my love for my family and friends. It truly has deepened as I have been out. My heart has become a lot more open, and I love people so much more. I see them as they can become. It is kind of a incredible thing, it's like all of their weakness and shortcomings fall away and you don't even notice anything but how awesome they are and who they can become as they except our Savior and apply His atoning blood in their lives, and
especially as they follow Him by example into the waters of baptism.
Anyway, yeah, I love you all, and I am hugging you in my mind. Thanks for being awesome, and being apart of my world and my support team.
So, this week I have been focusing a lot of letting go, and trusting. Our Father in heaven is perfect. He knows exactly what is going on. He has figured it all out. He knows me better than I know myself and He has a plan for me, and if I just trust implicitly, then things will more than work out, the will be exactly perfect, because they will go exactly as He wants them too. So I have just been trying to trust more, and rely more fully on that guiding spirit which is The Holy Ghost. It has been cool experience, and deeply humbling as it helps me to realize the hand of The Lord more in my life! and I have become more aware of how much I truly 'need him every hour'. It fills me with gratitude.
Also this week we have knocked into some really amazing people. Well let me start from the beginning, this week we have had little to no success. But that being said we found 3 really cool people. One young family, one young mom, and one old man. They all are just super prepared and we are so excited to teach them. We already invited one to baptism in our first lesson(though it wasn't really a lesson). We are planning on visiting them all this week, so I will keep you
updated.
It has gotten really cold. I was living in ignorant bliss for awhile. But now it is starting to get real cold. Water freezing on the windshield before the windshield wipers can move it....fun times...he wind is what really sucks though. But I got a jacket today so that will be awesome. Cost me a pretty penny though, it was hard to find one (even at Nordstrom Rack). They were picked clean.
Things are going well, I love hearing from all of you. Though I am sorry I don't have tons of time to reply individually to everyone. I have been sick all week, as well as my companion, hers is more of a never ending nose running, and mine is more of a I can't talk or sing because my throat hurts. But we have both been getting better.
Anyway, I love you. Happy new year! I will be in bed at 10:30. Sleeping when the new year rolls in. Haha holidays are weird on the mission. Be safe. Choose the right.
Hermana Simmons
First Week In Mission - Dec. 23
Hey there!
So here it is first P day in the field. Cool cool cool. It seems kind of silly since I will be skyping on Wednesday. But I do have something's to tell you. So first things first, I have an iPad mini for the duration of my mission. Every missionary has their own, we use it for area book, planning, gospel library(super awesome) proselyting, and limited internet. So that is super awesome. They just got them like a month ago do everyone is still adjusting, I was the first group to come in since they got them. So because of that, we are allowed to read emails anytime, so I can always read emails, anytime you wanna send them, but I can only reply on Mondays still. Also I can email anyone, that changed. Also I don't have a time limit to email, so I can kind of email all day on Mondays. All of these things with in reason of course and not excessive.
So you also probably noticed I am using Facebook, so that's a thing, I can't communicate ally though with anyone family or friends from home that are members. I mean you can comment and like my stuff, but I can't really talk to you. We also got that in the last month. So everyone is still learning how to use it. It is helpful to get in contact with our less activs and investigators that don't have phones. Oh yeah, that being said, I am in the area closest to the city, I border to missionary boundaries, in a place called Wheeling. I am in a Spanish WARD with 3 other sets of missionaries. Including zone leaders and sister training leaders. My companion is Hermana Jacobson, she is awesome! She's a red head! But when they'd assigned me with her, I immediately knew it was write. I am the first person she has trained she has only been out 4 months ish so she just finished her training almost. She is from Portland area. We have been working a lot with inactives. We are in a rough area, everyone is very poor, and doesn't drive for that reason and others. Most of the people in this area are from Mexico. Even though we are in a ward it doesn't feel like it because most of out ward is inactive. Seriously. It is really hard. Maybe a 3rd of people come to church. People here have really hard lives, it is strange I definitely have never seen anything like this before, the poverty, and the hardships, and broken homes, or abusive homes..etc. Like I said it is a rough area. I'll have to take a picture of one of the areas we visit, it has the flash police lights on top of the street light p, which here basically signals a high crime area and that it is always recording. Good times.
I have been adjusting, I can't understand 9/10 things so that is sometimes frustrating, but even though I can't understand, I still have impressions of things I should say, and I roll with it. So yeah.
So I will conclude with a story....
We were eating with this less active the other day and she made these awesome homemade corn tortillas and some eggs, with tomatoes, and onions and such, and this warm milk with rice in it(you eat it with bread....so good!) and black beans. It was delicious. I was just eating along, and then I bit into something crunchy in my eggs....that's when the train hit....suddenly my internal body temperature was rising, and I am pretty sure I was over heating from the inside out. Seriously my mouth was on fire! I died. And there was nothing to stop the burning! All there was to drink was warm milk! So you just had to keep eating. Which was fine until I bit into another one(I wasn't exactly sure what it was yet) but then I found out what they were and I sneakily snuck the rest of them into a napkin and they rest of the meal was great! So that was awesome. I think it was worse
because I wasn't expecting it. The meal looked so innocent! Those sneaky Mexicans! Also jeez do they like to arrive exactly when they want to. Mormon standard time has turned into Mexican Mormon standard time which is at least 15minutes later.
Also President Fenn....AWESOME. I seriously love him and his wife. This is a super obedient mission which is awesome. We focus heavily on the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. President Fenn is really strict on the things that matter, but on everything else, he is just a goof. He is an awesome speaker. Also, he doesn't write talks, so sometimes he says some interesting things....like my first transfer when he went off on a tangent about how he would love his missionaries to marry each other. He said he couldn't think of anything better. Then two
well trained missionaries from his mission marrying each other. He said, "It's okay to notice they are worthy vessels, you just can't act on it, until after the mission, then go home and marry them" it was hilarious, and then he kept saying, I probably shouldn't be saying this. So that was my first experience, it was quite funny.
We'll more on Wednesday!
Well I love you all! Email me, and write me letters! See you on Wednesday! Praying for you! Keep me in your prayers!
Hermana Simmons
So here it is first P day in the field. Cool cool cool. It seems kind of silly since I will be skyping on Wednesday. But I do have something's to tell you. So first things first, I have an iPad mini for the duration of my mission. Every missionary has their own, we use it for area book, planning, gospel library(super awesome) proselyting, and limited internet. So that is super awesome. They just got them like a month ago do everyone is still adjusting, I was the first group to come in since they got them. So because of that, we are allowed to read emails anytime, so I can always read emails, anytime you wanna send them, but I can only reply on Mondays still. Also I can email anyone, that changed. Also I don't have a time limit to email, so I can kind of email all day on Mondays. All of these things with in reason of course and not excessive.
So you also probably noticed I am using Facebook, so that's a thing, I can't communicate ally though with anyone family or friends from home that are members. I mean you can comment and like my stuff, but I can't really talk to you. We also got that in the last month. So everyone is still learning how to use it. It is helpful to get in contact with our less activs and investigators that don't have phones. Oh yeah, that being said, I am in the area closest to the city, I border to missionary boundaries, in a place called Wheeling. I am in a Spanish WARD with 3 other sets of missionaries. Including zone leaders and sister training leaders. My companion is Hermana Jacobson, she is awesome! She's a red head! But when they'd assigned me with her, I immediately knew it was write. I am the first person she has trained she has only been out 4 months ish so she just finished her training almost. She is from Portland area. We have been working a lot with inactives. We are in a rough area, everyone is very poor, and doesn't drive for that reason and others. Most of the people in this area are from Mexico. Even though we are in a ward it doesn't feel like it because most of out ward is inactive. Seriously. It is really hard. Maybe a 3rd of people come to church. People here have really hard lives, it is strange I definitely have never seen anything like this before, the poverty, and the hardships, and broken homes, or abusive homes..etc. Like I said it is a rough area. I'll have to take a picture of one of the areas we visit, it has the flash police lights on top of the street light p, which here basically signals a high crime area and that it is always recording. Good times.
I have been adjusting, I can't understand 9/10 things so that is sometimes frustrating, but even though I can't understand, I still have impressions of things I should say, and I roll with it. So yeah.
So I will conclude with a story....
We were eating with this less active the other day and she made these awesome homemade corn tortillas and some eggs, with tomatoes, and onions and such, and this warm milk with rice in it(you eat it with bread....so good!) and black beans. It was delicious. I was just eating along, and then I bit into something crunchy in my eggs....that's when the train hit....suddenly my internal body temperature was rising, and I am pretty sure I was over heating from the inside out. Seriously my mouth was on fire! I died. And there was nothing to stop the burning! All there was to drink was warm milk! So you just had to keep eating. Which was fine until I bit into another one(I wasn't exactly sure what it was yet) but then I found out what they were and I sneakily snuck the rest of them into a napkin and they rest of the meal was great! So that was awesome. I think it was worse
because I wasn't expecting it. The meal looked so innocent! Those sneaky Mexicans! Also jeez do they like to arrive exactly when they want to. Mormon standard time has turned into Mexican Mormon standard time which is at least 15minutes later.
Also President Fenn....AWESOME. I seriously love him and his wife. This is a super obedient mission which is awesome. We focus heavily on the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. President Fenn is really strict on the things that matter, but on everything else, he is just a goof. He is an awesome speaker. Also, he doesn't write talks, so sometimes he says some interesting things....like my first transfer when he went off on a tangent about how he would love his missionaries to marry each other. He said he couldn't think of anything better. Then two
well trained missionaries from his mission marrying each other. He said, "It's okay to notice they are worthy vessels, you just can't act on it, until after the mission, then go home and marry them" it was hilarious, and then he kept saying, I probably shouldn't be saying this. So that was my first experience, it was quite funny.
We'll more on Wednesday!
Well I love you all! Email me, and write me letters! See you on Wednesday! Praying for you! Keep me in your prayers!
Hermana Simmons
December 12th, 2013 - Final MTC Email.. Hopefully
So Folks, I have finally arrived at my last P-day in the MTC well, one can hope right....But assuming weather permits me to leave I should be heading out Monday, at a unspeakable time (2:30am).....I think I might die. I am on a very strict schedule. Today I packed almost all my things. They don't have vacuums with hoses on them so I attempted packing without using my vacuum seal bags. Turns out everything is going to fit...maybe? I still have a few odds and ends.
So the last week, First off, Elder Quentin L. Cook came and spoke to us on Tuesday....AWESOME. He talked a lot about the process of assigning a missionary. He said something that was fascinating to me, He said generally when they feel impressed to send someone to a certain mission it is because they feel that the missionary needs to work with a certain mission president. He said that is most commonly what the feel impressed about, not so much the place or, though sometimes, and sometimes it is the people that they should serve with, and occasionally it is a feeling that they need to help a specific person living in a mission. This was interesting to me since when they reassigned me to Chicago West mission they told me it was because they wanted me to stay with the same mission president I was originally assigned to. He said that usually they feel the missionary needs to learn and grow and have experiences with a specific mission president and his wife. So cool! :)
Also this week, we have had some really cool lessons, ones that had the spirit so strongly. Here is what changed. We had a lesson on the Atonement of Christ. In this lesson our teacher said something that hit me really hard. If Christ only had to be crucified for a few of us, He still would have. She said if Christ only had to sacrifice His life for me, He still would have because that is how much He loves me. And I know in my heart this is true. But when she said this, I realized that is also how Christ feels about each of you reading this, and each of my investigators individually. If He had to give his life only for you, He still would have. When I thought of my investigators this way, I was filled with a deep love for them. I have been trying to keep that in mind when I am teaching, and when I am praying for inspiration for their lessons. I try to pray more fervently and really feel how much Jesus loves them. It has made all of the difference. In my lessons when I am feeling this way for them and I stop to try and think of something say, I (figuratively) look upward, and am filled with the words they need to hear. Sometimes it is scary, I have felt prompted to share stories that I wouldn't normally share, or be bold and call people out a little bit. But I know it is right, and I know that I am doing it because I love them, and they know this, because I really feel it, and it is obvious. It has been cool.
That has been one of the things I have been working really hard on this week, but right along with that, I have been working really hard to open my heart. I am not a person that allows myself to really feel things deeply as I have mentioned in prior emails, but in order to be a successful missionary I need things to sink deep into my heart, the doctrine, the love for all of God's children, etc. I have been studying Faith a lot, and trying to have more. Because with more faith all things are possible. Miracles happen. Investigators come unto Christ. Along with that I have been studying the Atonement as I mentioned. Because through the Atonement comes an understanding and a hope and well increased faith. It is awesome. Have I mentioned how much I truly love my Savior. Trying to put it into words is pointless. But I want everyone to know that I really love my Savior, and I know this church is His church, and I invite everyone to pray to know this for themselves. Whether they already know or they are unsure, or have never wondered. You can always pray to know, and have in confirmed again or for the first time. This is His church. He is our Savior. He laid down His life for us, that we can repentant and come unto Him through baptism, and live with our Father in Heaven again. What an awesome message! Especially this time of year, as we celebrate His birth. Let us remember what Christmas is really about. Him. Our Lord and Savior. Our Rescuer. Our Friend. Our confidant. I encourage those of you that know this, and have felt Him in your life to share this with those who haven't. That is what this season is about.
Anyway, sorry! I am a missionary after all :) That makes me so happy. Sharing this with others. I am so excited to get to Chicago. It doesn't feel real, like it is really happening! And I know it will be hard, and I can't comprehend the struggles I will face, and maybe this is just the new/nonunderstanding missionary in me talking, but I welcome those struggles because I know it will strengthen my testimony, and deepen my conversion. I know that it will refine me, and bring me closer to Him if I allow it to. I know that through our challenges we become the people our Father in Heaven wants us to become, and learn the things we need to learn to become more like the Father.
In case you are curious about the spanish, well it is coming along. I am no where near good, However I feel like in my brain I get it, I understand the rules, and how to speak correctly, but then my speaking doesn't exactly show this. I feel like I am just out of the habit of speaking spanish. I speak when I have to and the rest of the time I just use english. I can understand somewhat, But I am awaiting the shock I will feel when I talk to real speakers in the field...haha However I did skype teach a lady in Bolivia the other day, and I understood her so that was cool (but she was probably speaking slowly...) Oh! cool thing about this lady, Her daughter is serving in my mission right NOW! She has been there for 8 months and she is spanish speaking, So I will definitely meet her! :) It was cool!
So, that was my week, you might not hear from me for awhile depending on when my P-day is in the field. And that Christmas is the week after I get there!! I am not sure when I will be emailing again. But I love you all. And I pray for you daily. I invited you all, as a representative of Jesus Christ, to come unto Christ. To turn your hearts more fully to Him. He is the way. Through Him we find true and lasting happiness, we find someone to lift our burdens, and we find the answers to the questions in our hearts and souls. He is not just the way, but the ONLY way. And why would you not want to. He loves you more than you can comprehend. I know these things are true. I have seen it in my life, as I have struggled to live contrary to His will, and as I have tried to realign my life with Him.
Again, I love you! If you don't hear from me, Merry Christmas! Remember who and what it's about.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
I am a missionary again...in a couple days!
Well Ladies and Gents, as most of you already know, I am returning on my mission finally! Woohoo! I will be leaving at 7am on Tuesday November 26th. However there will be some changes, I was originally assigned to serve in the Illinois, Chicago Mission, which actually includes the city of Chicago. I am now assigned to the Illinois, Chicago West mission...basically everything outside of Chicago in Northern Illinois. But I am excited, the two Hermana's from my district at the MTC are in that mission as well! I am hoping one of them get to train me when I get there!
Speaking of the MTC.....I was there for 6 weeks, the whole time I was assigned before I came home, however they want me to go back for another 3 weeks. So I will be going straight to the MTC in Provo for 3 weeks, spending Thanksgiving there, and leaving December 18th ish to head to Chicago....weather permitting. I am not exactly sure how long I will be serving, if it will be the full 18 months, or 18 months minus the 6 weeks I was already at the MTC. The communication situation has not been ideal.
This has been a crazy journey, leaving and coming home, and now getting ready to leave again. It has definitely helped me figure out who I am and what I want to in my life, and who I want to be, more than I knew before. These last 6 months have been some of the hardest of my life, but throughout it all I felt my Savior there beside me, supporting me, and strengthening me, or "leading me, and guiding me".
It is hard to leave again, as it was hard to leave the first time. But this is something that I have been working for, and something I know my Heavenly Father wants for me, and something I want for myself. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and I can't wait to share it with the people of Illinois. I will be missing all of you though.
I will be writing emails every week to my family, and my mom will be sending them out to the people on her email list. She will also be posting them on here, and sharing it on Facebook so that those who aren't on her blog can also hear what's going on with me! I would also love to get letters (or Christmas presents ;) )from whoever would like to write me, and I will do my best to respond in a timely matter.
If you would like to write me this is my address AFTER DECEMBER 18TH:
Hermana Simmons
Illinois, Chicago West Mission
1319 Butterfield Rd Ste 522DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS 60515-5621UNITED STATES
I will have my mom update this with my MTC address when I arrive there, but I will only be there for 3 weeks.
Anyway, I just wanted everyone to know what is going on. I love you all and will be praying for you, as I hope you will be for me. I will see you in a year and a halfish.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
Speaking of the MTC.....I was there for 6 weeks, the whole time I was assigned before I came home, however they want me to go back for another 3 weeks. So I will be going straight to the MTC in Provo for 3 weeks, spending Thanksgiving there, and leaving December 18th ish to head to Chicago....weather permitting. I am not exactly sure how long I will be serving, if it will be the full 18 months, or 18 months minus the 6 weeks I was already at the MTC. The communication situation has not been ideal.
This has been a crazy journey, leaving and coming home, and now getting ready to leave again. It has definitely helped me figure out who I am and what I want to in my life, and who I want to be, more than I knew before. These last 6 months have been some of the hardest of my life, but throughout it all I felt my Savior there beside me, supporting me, and strengthening me, or "leading me, and guiding me".
It is hard to leave again, as it was hard to leave the first time. But this is something that I have been working for, and something I know my Heavenly Father wants for me, and something I want for myself. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and I can't wait to share it with the people of Illinois. I will be missing all of you though.
I will be writing emails every week to my family, and my mom will be sending them out to the people on her email list. She will also be posting them on here, and sharing it on Facebook so that those who aren't on her blog can also hear what's going on with me! I would also love to get letters (or Christmas presents ;) )from whoever would like to write me, and I will do my best to respond in a timely matter.
If you would like to write me this is my address AFTER DECEMBER 18TH:
Hermana Simmons
Illinois, Chicago West Mission
1319 Butterfield Rd Ste 522DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS 60515-5621UNITED STATES
I will have my mom update this with my MTC address when I arrive there, but I will only be there for 3 weeks.
Anyway, I just wanted everyone to know what is going on. I love you all and will be praying for you, as I hope you will be for me. I will see you in a year and a halfish.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
Monday, August 6, 2012
Mama Baby Haiti
Thank you so much! I hope you all are having a wonderful day, and leaving everyone you meet, a little better than you found them!
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