Hello Ladies and Gents,
How are you all? Fantastic I hope!
So this week was great, I mean all weeks usually end up being great, but some weeks are just better then others. This was one of those weeks. I will get into that later. But first I want to talk a little about something's I learned. I will start with a story that happened on Thursday night at about 8:45. Last person before we went home. So the area books on the iPads have a lot of member records on them that the ward doesn't have because they come straight from Salt Lake, so we have been working on tracking those people down and seeing if they live there still. So Thursday night we went to visit this family who records we have. And they let us right in, and they know who we are. They are super friendly, and seem really great. We sit down, and start getting to know them, finding out their story and such. Long story short, they aren't less actives, they had left the church. They go to another church now. So we start talking about the Book of Mormon because that is our message. And she says to me, "Yeah, well with all due respect, I am not interested, I am focusing on trying to understand the Bible, and that book lies about the Bible". My heart starting pounding. I seriously thought maybe I swallowed a marching band. I think everyone must have been able to hear it, because they all looked at me like I was about to talk. Which was convenient because of course I was. So I opened my mouth, and words just started flowing out. I wasn't even sure what I was saying (cause sometimes I can't understand myself in Spanish). But I spoke with the power and authority that I have as a missionary, and with boldness, and I told that women what I will now tell you. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the most correct book on the face of the earth. It fully supports the bible as does the bible support the Book of Mormon. You cannot fully believe in the bible and not in the Book of Mormon because they go together. They support each other, and with both we have the fullness of the everlasting gospel. I told her, there is no way for us to enter into Gods presence without the Book of Mormon. The bible is not enough. If it were enough there would not be so many church's. Because everyone would know the right way. Now I said some other stuff, but you get the jist. I know some of you who read this email are not members of our church, and I know that you do not read or believe in the Book of Mormon, and I would like to say something to you all :) Mormons believe in the bible, and we cherish it as the word of God, but we also know that through the years it has been changed, and very precious parts have been removed. For this reason God revealed the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ. It doesn't not take away anything the bible teaches, but adds to it. It helps us to better understand the bible, and the commandments, and the role of our Savior Jesus Christ in our lives. This book was not written by Joseph Smith, he merely translated it, through the power and authority of God. This book was written by prophets of old as was the bible. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he was commanded to translate the Book of Mormon for us, for our benefit. It is through this book that we're learn how we can return to live with our Father in Heaven. It is through this book that we learn how we can stand blameless at the great judgement seat of God. I encourage, and invite you all to read it. To ponder it, and to pray about it. That is all we as missionaries ask, for people to find out for themselves. God does not lie, so he will tell you the truth, he will tell you if this book is true. I promise you will get an answer, and it will change your heart, and your lives. So often we think that we are fine. Life is good. But there is more. More happiness them you have ever before felt, and it is waiting for you in the Book of Mormon.
Now for those whose read this and are members of the church. We meet to many members of this church, who fall away, who don't have a solid testimony of the Book of Mormon. Read it. Pray about it. Cherish it. Quite taking this book for granted. It is a treasure. This gospel is a treasure. There are so many people who don't have the great knowledge and testimony that we have. So many people who haven't experienced the blessing that we have. Read the Book of Mormon. Because if you don't, you will fall away. That is how serious it is. The Book of Mormon is the foundation. I invite you all to begin the Book of Mormon this year, and read the whole thing, and pray about it. Even if you have done it a hundred times, and if you haven't done it ever, well no time like the present.
And everyone should watch this awesome video.
https://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon
But this week was so awesome. We put a lady on date for baptism on March 29th. She is awesome. Finding her was a miracle. We also have two more awesome investigators that we are planning to commit to dates this week. This is the Lords work. We see his hand in our work all the time. I am so grateful to be here. To know these people. To speak this language, and to find Gods elect.
This is the church of God. The same church Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth. I know it.
I love you all
Con Amor,
Hermana Simmons
Sunday, May 11, 2014
The week full of Sunshine - Feb 24, 2014
Hello :)
So this week was awesome :) full of sunshine. Thanks family for the package :) I loved it! And DAVID GOT BAPTIZED :) hallelujah. He is seriously so awesome. So prepared. He is literally the definition of golden. He wants to start doing missionary work, and he said to us that he wants everyone to feel how he feels since being baptized. He was like I just feel so clean, so happy. I want everyone to feel this way. So he is excited to be able to start coming out with us when he
gets confirmed on Sunday (he had to wait a Sunday because we had stake conference). But I honestly just feel so blessed to be one of the missionaries that got to participate in his conversion. It was such a testimony builder that people really are ready, and The Lord's hand is constantly directing us and guiding us. He just gave me this big hug after his baptism (not technically against the rules, but still a little weird haha). I just wish everyone could have been there. It is moments like that, that make all the hard stuff worth it. When you see people you have grown to love so much, take those first steps, and
make those first covenants, and be baptized. When you see how incredibly happy it makes them. Those are the moments of inexplicable joy. And then after it has all settled down, I also feel this great homesickness, cause I wish everyone I love could have been there, and just shared in my joy with me. It was wonderful. Pretend you were there.
But that being said this was a week I was a little more homesick then I normally am. I mean I always love you and miss you of course, but sometimes it is a little more prevalent, and little more of a pang in my chest. So I just want you all to know how much I love you. I am always praying with all the intensity of my heart for my family and my loved ones. I was so happy to get that package. It really lifted my spirits. The funny thing is I got this "Sunshine package" on a day that it just poured rain ALL day. So you're the best.
But on this topic of homesickness, I was reading this scripture that is now on my wall. The one from Moroni that says, "Perfect Love Casteth Out All Fear". I love this scripture because it is so true for so many reason. First and foremost, perfect love for our Savior and our Father in Heaven, casteth out all fear, and uncertainty, all doubt, all discouragement, or lack of courage. Perfect love for our Father in Heaven drives us to do that which we would not normally do. And also His perfect love for us motivates us, builds us, it allows us to do hard things. His love edifies, and perfects us. And our perfect love for Him allows us to trust implicitly, to put our lives in his hands, to in my case leave my concerns, my worries, my preocupaciones, at the alter of The Lord. It is amazing feeling, the brief moments when I feel such a deep love for my Father in Heaven that I am overwhelmed with gratitude, and I know He will guide my life in the best way. The other thing this scripture makes me think of is in relation to all of you. Perfect love casteth out all fear. All fear that you will fall, all fear that anything would happen to you, all fear. Perfect love gives us comfort, that loved ones will be okay. It provides us with the revelation we need to uplift and edify, strengthen and support those we love. Because perfect love is charity. It is the pure love of Christ. It is being filled with compassion and love, the kind of love that drives you to save souls and teach people the gospel, and share our testimonies.
Also some random thoughts thoughts/things I learned:
When it comes to doing things out of your comfort zone o algo: We have a list of things we think we can do, and things we think we can't do...without remembering that through The Lord all things are possible. An impossible thing is only impossible until we do it. You may think you don't have those talent and so you can't do it, but talent matters less then hard work, and what matters more then hard work is believing in yourself, and that you can do it, and the most fundamental thing of all is having the faith, remembering that God lives and loves you, and has your back, and if God is with you, who or what can be against you.
Also so done said this is stake conference and I loved it:
"Take the time to believe, and to gain a testimony, because this is what keeps us going when things get hard"
"The Lord occasionally gives us a Red Sea to cross, he does it to help us develop talents, strengthen our testimonies, increase our faith. We need to trust that he will open up the Red Seas in front of us"
And last but not least I am in love with this years youth theme (and song):
"32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (Moroni 10:32)" honestly what more could you want. So all I can say is Come unto Christ. Our Savior, Our Redeemer, Our Friend, the one who has made an intercession for us, the way, the light, the peace, the hope, the love, the joy, all that we all deeply desire and yearn for, all of it is in Christ. So Come Unto Christ.
I love you all. I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Read it. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet. It is simple, it is basic, but it true. The only truth. Every church isn't good. There is one God. There is one truth. There is only one true church.
I love you all so much,
Hermana Simmons
Sorry this is weird, we have been driving the Hermana training leaders around all day.
So this week was awesome :) full of sunshine. Thanks family for the package :) I loved it! And DAVID GOT BAPTIZED :) hallelujah. He is seriously so awesome. So prepared. He is literally the definition of golden. He wants to start doing missionary work, and he said to us that he wants everyone to feel how he feels since being baptized. He was like I just feel so clean, so happy. I want everyone to feel this way. So he is excited to be able to start coming out with us when he
gets confirmed on Sunday (he had to wait a Sunday because we had stake conference). But I honestly just feel so blessed to be one of the missionaries that got to participate in his conversion. It was such a testimony builder that people really are ready, and The Lord's hand is constantly directing us and guiding us. He just gave me this big hug after his baptism (not technically against the rules, but still a little weird haha). I just wish everyone could have been there. It is moments like that, that make all the hard stuff worth it. When you see people you have grown to love so much, take those first steps, and
make those first covenants, and be baptized. When you see how incredibly happy it makes them. Those are the moments of inexplicable joy. And then after it has all settled down, I also feel this great homesickness, cause I wish everyone I love could have been there, and just shared in my joy with me. It was wonderful. Pretend you were there.
But that being said this was a week I was a little more homesick then I normally am. I mean I always love you and miss you of course, but sometimes it is a little more prevalent, and little more of a pang in my chest. So I just want you all to know how much I love you. I am always praying with all the intensity of my heart for my family and my loved ones. I was so happy to get that package. It really lifted my spirits. The funny thing is I got this "Sunshine package" on a day that it just poured rain ALL day. So you're the best.
But on this topic of homesickness, I was reading this scripture that is now on my wall. The one from Moroni that says, "Perfect Love Casteth Out All Fear". I love this scripture because it is so true for so many reason. First and foremost, perfect love for our Savior and our Father in Heaven, casteth out all fear, and uncertainty, all doubt, all discouragement, or lack of courage. Perfect love for our Father in Heaven drives us to do that which we would not normally do. And also His perfect love for us motivates us, builds us, it allows us to do hard things. His love edifies, and perfects us. And our perfect love for Him allows us to trust implicitly, to put our lives in his hands, to in my case leave my concerns, my worries, my preocupaciones, at the alter of The Lord. It is amazing feeling, the brief moments when I feel such a deep love for my Father in Heaven that I am overwhelmed with gratitude, and I know He will guide my life in the best way. The other thing this scripture makes me think of is in relation to all of you. Perfect love casteth out all fear. All fear that you will fall, all fear that anything would happen to you, all fear. Perfect love gives us comfort, that loved ones will be okay. It provides us with the revelation we need to uplift and edify, strengthen and support those we love. Because perfect love is charity. It is the pure love of Christ. It is being filled with compassion and love, the kind of love that drives you to save souls and teach people the gospel, and share our testimonies.
Also some random thoughts thoughts/things I learned:
When it comes to doing things out of your comfort zone o algo: We have a list of things we think we can do, and things we think we can't do...without remembering that through The Lord all things are possible. An impossible thing is only impossible until we do it. You may think you don't have those talent and so you can't do it, but talent matters less then hard work, and what matters more then hard work is believing in yourself, and that you can do it, and the most fundamental thing of all is having the faith, remembering that God lives and loves you, and has your back, and if God is with you, who or what can be against you.
Also so done said this is stake conference and I loved it:
"Take the time to believe, and to gain a testimony, because this is what keeps us going when things get hard"
"The Lord occasionally gives us a Red Sea to cross, he does it to help us develop talents, strengthen our testimonies, increase our faith. We need to trust that he will open up the Red Seas in front of us"
And last but not least I am in love with this years youth theme (and song):
"32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (Moroni 10:32)" honestly what more could you want. So all I can say is Come unto Christ. Our Savior, Our Redeemer, Our Friend, the one who has made an intercession for us, the way, the light, the peace, the hope, the love, the joy, all that we all deeply desire and yearn for, all of it is in Christ. So Come Unto Christ.
I love you all. I know this church is true. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Read it. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet. It is simple, it is basic, but it true. The only truth. Every church isn't good. There is one God. There is one truth. There is only one true church.
I love you all so much,
Hermana Simmons
Sorry this is weird, we have been driving the Hermana training leaders around all day.
The week I learned something's about evilness - Feb 18, 2014
Hello Everyone,
How are all of you? So this has been an interesting week, with lots of interesting thoughts. Sorry I didn't email yesterday, we moved our P day this week to Tuesday so we could go to the TEMPLE! woohoo! :) the temple is just he best place ever. The peace there is unlike anything else. It is a place to truly escape all the evil in the world. I love the temple. The Chicago temple is really small, and everything is one floor, but it is beautiful. We went with the whole zone. Speak of the temple, and the opportunity to escape the evil in the world. I have been thinking a lot about the evil in the world and how it comes in contact with our lives so often. There are times especially here on the mission when you hear so much about the evil that people encounter in their lives and how they are effected by it. I have heard about things going on at home and I have been thinking of that too. I just was thinking last night about how sometimes it feels like Satan is winning a lot of battles, and there is so much evil, how can we ever come out unscathed. I have come to these conclusions.
The Atonement is real. Not only can people come back from the vilest of sins, but the atonement also has the power to heal us when darkness touches our lives, and help us overcome. The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives hope. Hope of a better place, or living with God again in the eternities in perfection. And inner peace that the world cannot provide. The calmness and peace you need when the world is crazy, when it seems like satan is winning. Through the Atonement we realize the he is not winning.
Sometimes it seems like the world is wicked, and that everyone is losing, and how could we possible overcome. But this is simply not so. Satan is losing more battles then he is winning, there are more good people then there are bad people. If we can't see this them we are dwelling in the darkness, our perspective is all wrong. Because Christ is winning, and people are changing their lives and coming closer and closer to him. I see it everyday. As Elder Utchdorf said, we have to
acknowledge that darkness exists, but choose not to dwell there.
The second thing this made me think of is actually something my mom said in her email yesterday, so I will quote that. She said, "We are all human and not perfect, how wonderful it is to show mercy and compassion to people when they are having a rough patch, or make a mistake, or just don't show us their best. It is a gift to remember that people are more important than _________." This is one of the most important principles of this gospel. They is having charity. Recognizing that everyone is fighting a hard battle, and sometimes they lose ground. But it is not our responsibility to judge people based on their sins. It is only our responsibility to overcome our own weaknesses. Sometimes people make mistakes, and at that moment is when we need to pull all the mercy and grace, and compassion we can muster and allow people to change. To recognize the good. To recognize the power of the Atonement. To pray with all the" energy of heart that you will be filled with this love".
Anyway that's my 2 cents.
So my miracle this week. Hopefully this will make sense. Last transfer Hna Jacobson and I knocked into this man named Victor who is so awesome. But it has been hard to meet with him because a women doesn't live with him. But he said he really wants his daughter to learn, so he gave us her number. We called her once and she said she would come and then she never did. So we didn't really worry about that for awhile. But the last week, Hna Barlow and I were tracking down all the less actives on our records and we went to one who lived in our apartment complex and she doesn't live there anymore, but guess who does.....VERONICA, Victor's daughter. We had no idea she lived there. But she was super interested and wants us to come back. It was just crazy that we 'randomly' found her. It was awesome! Also other random facts. February 15th was a year since I got my call. Wow a lot has happened.
Also I don't know if I told you this, but Hna Barlow and I have the same birthday!!!! Like crazy right? I was actually kind of worried before transfers that I would get a companion that didn't understand how much I loved my birthday. Guess what she does. Haha same one March 18th. But she turns 20, and me 21!!!!!
Anyway, sorry not much time to write. But I will write more next week.
I love you! Fight the good fight.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
How are all of you? So this has been an interesting week, with lots of interesting thoughts. Sorry I didn't email yesterday, we moved our P day this week to Tuesday so we could go to the TEMPLE! woohoo! :) the temple is just he best place ever. The peace there is unlike anything else. It is a place to truly escape all the evil in the world. I love the temple. The Chicago temple is really small, and everything is one floor, but it is beautiful. We went with the whole zone. Speak of the temple, and the opportunity to escape the evil in the world. I have been thinking a lot about the evil in the world and how it comes in contact with our lives so often. There are times especially here on the mission when you hear so much about the evil that people encounter in their lives and how they are effected by it. I have heard about things going on at home and I have been thinking of that too. I just was thinking last night about how sometimes it feels like Satan is winning a lot of battles, and there is so much evil, how can we ever come out unscathed. I have come to these conclusions.
The Atonement is real. Not only can people come back from the vilest of sins, but the atonement also has the power to heal us when darkness touches our lives, and help us overcome. The Atonement of Jesus Christ gives hope. Hope of a better place, or living with God again in the eternities in perfection. And inner peace that the world cannot provide. The calmness and peace you need when the world is crazy, when it seems like satan is winning. Through the Atonement we realize the he is not winning.
Sometimes it seems like the world is wicked, and that everyone is losing, and how could we possible overcome. But this is simply not so. Satan is losing more battles then he is winning, there are more good people then there are bad people. If we can't see this them we are dwelling in the darkness, our perspective is all wrong. Because Christ is winning, and people are changing their lives and coming closer and closer to him. I see it everyday. As Elder Utchdorf said, we have to
acknowledge that darkness exists, but choose not to dwell there.
The second thing this made me think of is actually something my mom said in her email yesterday, so I will quote that. She said, "We are all human and not perfect, how wonderful it is to show mercy and compassion to people when they are having a rough patch, or make a mistake, or just don't show us their best. It is a gift to remember that people are more important than _________." This is one of the most important principles of this gospel. They is having charity. Recognizing that everyone is fighting a hard battle, and sometimes they lose ground. But it is not our responsibility to judge people based on their sins. It is only our responsibility to overcome our own weaknesses. Sometimes people make mistakes, and at that moment is when we need to pull all the mercy and grace, and compassion we can muster and allow people to change. To recognize the good. To recognize the power of the Atonement. To pray with all the" energy of heart that you will be filled with this love".
Anyway that's my 2 cents.
So my miracle this week. Hopefully this will make sense. Last transfer Hna Jacobson and I knocked into this man named Victor who is so awesome. But it has been hard to meet with him because a women doesn't live with him. But he said he really wants his daughter to learn, so he gave us her number. We called her once and she said she would come and then she never did. So we didn't really worry about that for awhile. But the last week, Hna Barlow and I were tracking down all the less actives on our records and we went to one who lived in our apartment complex and she doesn't live there anymore, but guess who does.....VERONICA, Victor's daughter. We had no idea she lived there. But she was super interested and wants us to come back. It was just crazy that we 'randomly' found her. It was awesome! Also other random facts. February 15th was a year since I got my call. Wow a lot has happened.
Also I don't know if I told you this, but Hna Barlow and I have the same birthday!!!! Like crazy right? I was actually kind of worried before transfers that I would get a companion that didn't understand how much I loved my birthday. Guess what she does. Haha same one March 18th. But she turns 20, and me 21!!!!!
Anyway, sorry not much time to write. But I will write more next week.
I love you! Fight the good fight.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
The week I realized how much I love being a missionary - Feb 10, 2014
Hello Family & Friends,
How are all of you! I miss you :)
Well this has been a pretty great week. I love my new companion. I mean of course I miss Hermana Jacobson, but I also love my new companion. She just has something about her that makes me love being a missionary. So many times this week I have found myself thinking, ah I love being a missionary, or today is a good day to be a missionary. I can't really explain it. But I love being a missionary. I love being able to share my love of God and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ, with other people, I love being able to share my testimony with others. I love being able to study the doctrines of His kingdom so much. I love how much I am changing and growing. Honestly being a missionary is the best thing. I mean it is hard, and this week we walked miles in the snow, but I love it. I just have been so happy all week. It is great.
Honestly, can I just take a second to express how much I love Our Savior. I mean I have always loved him, but it is personal now, real. I understand a little better than I have understood in the past. My heart has just been filled with so much love for my Savior and my Father in Heaven, and his children. It is an incredible feeling. I am full of so much gratitude so much of the time, as I realize the opportunity I have to be an instrument in His hand and as I realize how much it is blessing my life, and as I have come to realize my own nothingness. It just fills me with so much desire to go and find His children that don't know Him, have never kneeled down and prayed to him. Have never felt the overwhelming love I feel when I pray to Him.
I guess I should have started with that. This week I have been trying really hard to pray more fervently and with more faith. It has made all the difference. I start my prayers by asking for the guidance of the spirit and then I try really hard to rely on the spirit and say the things that come to me mind. It has allowed me to better express the feelings of my heart, and has really become a significantly more edifying experience. I would encourage you all to try it. Pray is a revelatory experience, or it should be. The time we take to talk to our God, our Father, should be precious and meaningful, it shouldn't be something we just do because we have been taught to pray. Make your prayers more meaningful, remember who you have the honor to talk to and your life will change, the windows of Heaven will be opened with the blessings you need, and your relationship with God will grow.
I just wish I could adequately express the feelings I have. This is real people, this is eternal salvation. This isn't a joke. This is literally make or break. We were sent here to walk by faith. To make covenants, and to be obedient so we could live with our Eternal Father again for eternity. This is the most important thing in life, no. It is the ONLY important thing in this life. It is literally the whole reason we are here, and if you aren't progressing towards that end goal, by making necessary covenants like baptism, and being obedient to the commandments He has given us, then let me be frank and say, you are failing. If that was hard to hear then I guess you have some repenting to do. But take courage, there is still hope. His merciful hands are always extended towards you. He is always waiting for you to turn your hearts to Him more fully. He does not expect perfection, He expects progression.
Anyway, sorry haha,
This has been a pretty good week too. We got one of our investigators on date for February 22nd. He is awesome. We found him knocking doors two weeks ago. His name is David, and he came to church before we even taught him. He is just so prepared. Sometimes we are in a lesson with him, and I just think to myself am I the missionary or is he? Our first actual lesson with him he said, why haven't you asked me to be baptized yet? I want to get baptized as soon as I can. So we made him a calendar with everything he had to do to be baptized. And so far everything has gone smoothly. So let's all pray it stays that way. He is just definitely the elect, one time we went to his house, and he opens his door, and he tells us, I wasn't going to open my door, and then I just figured why not....the elect open their door and answer their phones. He is awesome. We were just walking and I felt like we needed to knock on this door, and David was behind it. He has such a strong belief in the bible, and as President Fenn always says, you can't honestly in your heart believe in the bible and not believe in the Book of Mormon. They go together, they support each other. If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, give it a try you will see what I'm talking about. If you have, well read it again :) but I can see this in him. He just loves the Book of Mormon because he truly understands the bible, and vice versa. Yesterday in our lesson he was telling us how he had studied this his whole life in the bible, but reading about it in the Book of Mormon just made it click, and he grasped it, like he never had before. That is the power of the Book of Mormon.
This is the testimony in me. Through the Book of Mormon we come to know our Savior, not just know about him. Through the Book of Mormon we have the fullness of the gospel. The parts that were lost of changed about the bible are made clear in the Book of Mormon. And when we read it, we feel a power come into our lives that has never before been there. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the keystone of this religion. If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet, and this is His restored church upon the earth, and if the book isn't true, well then our religion has nothing to stand on. But it is true. I know this, this spirit of The Lord has testified of this too me, and Joseph Smith was a prophet of The Lord, and we do not worship him, but we revere him because he, "has done more, save Jesus Christ only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it...he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God..." (Doctrine and
Covenants 135). I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of The Lord. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know this is the only, true church on the face of the earth, the only church that has the authority to administer baptism and other saving ordinances in the name of Jesus Christ. I would like to invite you all to find out for yourselves to 'experiment upon my words' as Alma says, "Now, as I said concerning faith--that it was not a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." (Alma 32:26-27).
I love you all. I am so grateful for the big circle of supporters I have. You are the best. I am praying for you. Your prayers are appreciated, especially for David. Fight the good fight.
Con Amor,
Hermana Johanna Simmons
How are all of you! I miss you :)
Well this has been a pretty great week. I love my new companion. I mean of course I miss Hermana Jacobson, but I also love my new companion. She just has something about her that makes me love being a missionary. So many times this week I have found myself thinking, ah I love being a missionary, or today is a good day to be a missionary. I can't really explain it. But I love being a missionary. I love being able to share my love of God and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ, with other people, I love being able to share my testimony with others. I love being able to study the doctrines of His kingdom so much. I love how much I am changing and growing. Honestly being a missionary is the best thing. I mean it is hard, and this week we walked miles in the snow, but I love it. I just have been so happy all week. It is great.
Honestly, can I just take a second to express how much I love Our Savior. I mean I have always loved him, but it is personal now, real. I understand a little better than I have understood in the past. My heart has just been filled with so much love for my Savior and my Father in Heaven, and his children. It is an incredible feeling. I am full of so much gratitude so much of the time, as I realize the opportunity I have to be an instrument in His hand and as I realize how much it is blessing my life, and as I have come to realize my own nothingness. It just fills me with so much desire to go and find His children that don't know Him, have never kneeled down and prayed to him. Have never felt the overwhelming love I feel when I pray to Him.
I guess I should have started with that. This week I have been trying really hard to pray more fervently and with more faith. It has made all the difference. I start my prayers by asking for the guidance of the spirit and then I try really hard to rely on the spirit and say the things that come to me mind. It has allowed me to better express the feelings of my heart, and has really become a significantly more edifying experience. I would encourage you all to try it. Pray is a revelatory experience, or it should be. The time we take to talk to our God, our Father, should be precious and meaningful, it shouldn't be something we just do because we have been taught to pray. Make your prayers more meaningful, remember who you have the honor to talk to and your life will change, the windows of Heaven will be opened with the blessings you need, and your relationship with God will grow.
I just wish I could adequately express the feelings I have. This is real people, this is eternal salvation. This isn't a joke. This is literally make or break. We were sent here to walk by faith. To make covenants, and to be obedient so we could live with our Eternal Father again for eternity. This is the most important thing in life, no. It is the ONLY important thing in this life. It is literally the whole reason we are here, and if you aren't progressing towards that end goal, by making necessary covenants like baptism, and being obedient to the commandments He has given us, then let me be frank and say, you are failing. If that was hard to hear then I guess you have some repenting to do. But take courage, there is still hope. His merciful hands are always extended towards you. He is always waiting for you to turn your hearts to Him more fully. He does not expect perfection, He expects progression.
Anyway, sorry haha,
This has been a pretty good week too. We got one of our investigators on date for February 22nd. He is awesome. We found him knocking doors two weeks ago. His name is David, and he came to church before we even taught him. He is just so prepared. Sometimes we are in a lesson with him, and I just think to myself am I the missionary or is he? Our first actual lesson with him he said, why haven't you asked me to be baptized yet? I want to get baptized as soon as I can. So we made him a calendar with everything he had to do to be baptized. And so far everything has gone smoothly. So let's all pray it stays that way. He is just definitely the elect, one time we went to his house, and he opens his door, and he tells us, I wasn't going to open my door, and then I just figured why not....the elect open their door and answer their phones. He is awesome. We were just walking and I felt like we needed to knock on this door, and David was behind it. He has such a strong belief in the bible, and as President Fenn always says, you can't honestly in your heart believe in the bible and not believe in the Book of Mormon. They go together, they support each other. If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, give it a try you will see what I'm talking about. If you have, well read it again :) but I can see this in him. He just loves the Book of Mormon because he truly understands the bible, and vice versa. Yesterday in our lesson he was telling us how he had studied this his whole life in the bible, but reading about it in the Book of Mormon just made it click, and he grasped it, like he never had before. That is the power of the Book of Mormon.
This is the testimony in me. Through the Book of Mormon we come to know our Savior, not just know about him. Through the Book of Mormon we have the fullness of the gospel. The parts that were lost of changed about the bible are made clear in the Book of Mormon. And when we read it, we feel a power come into our lives that has never before been there. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the keystone of this religion. If the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith was a prophet, and this is His restored church upon the earth, and if the book isn't true, well then our religion has nothing to stand on. But it is true. I know this, this spirit of The Lord has testified of this too me, and Joseph Smith was a prophet of The Lord, and we do not worship him, but we revere him because he, "has done more, save Jesus Christ only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it...he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God..." (Doctrine and
Covenants 135). I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of The Lord. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know this is the only, true church on the face of the earth, the only church that has the authority to administer baptism and other saving ordinances in the name of Jesus Christ. I would like to invite you all to find out for yourselves to 'experiment upon my words' as Alma says, "Now, as I said concerning faith--that it was not a perfect knowledge--even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." (Alma 32:26-27).
I love you all. I am so grateful for the big circle of supporters I have. You are the best. I am praying for you. Your prayers are appreciated, especially for David. Fight the good fight.
Con Amor,
Hermana Johanna Simmons
The week that we saw miracles! - Feb 3, 2014
Hellllo Everybody :)
So just forewarning. This is going to be a long email. A lot happened this week! I will save the best for last :)
So let's gets real THE SEAHWAWKS WON THE SUPERBOWL! Like whaaaaaat. They didn't just win, they destroyed, how embarrassing. Everyone over here loves the Broncos, and I was just like NEVER doubt my team again. Haha but really I was so excited I was running around the apartment! Pumped.
Anyway, so.....transfers.....I am just going to cut to the chase, my companion/trainer is getting transferred..... :( we were pretty bummed. I mean she has been here awhile, but we weren't expecting that really. Everyone in our zone except the zone leaders is getting a new companion. It's weird at transfers because I realize how sad it is for the ward to keep telling missionaries goodbye. So many tears yesterday (none of the mine). Anyway, so she leaves tomorrow. My new companion is Hermana Barlow. She is apparently awesome. I met her once this week because we have sisters conference (I will talk about that later). She sings beautifully, and apparently plays the piano, so my ward is very
excited about that. But I am kind of stressed out because I am staying here, and I will be senior companion, since this is my area and she doesn't know it. But I still have training. And I don't really know the area that well, and Hermana Jacobson is taking her GPS and I am not buying one cause they are like a million dollars. So we will figure it out. My poor new companion though she comes in on a week we don't have the car. So we will have to find rides everywhere and by we I mean I since she doesn't know anyone. Understanding Spanish on the phone is a challenge. Oh boy. I mean I am really starting to understand Spanish a lot better, and by a lot better I mean I think I am being significantly blessed since finding out she is leaving because it is like something just switched on inside of me and now my brain/ears are in tune to comprehend Spanish. Don't get me wrong not super well, but yesterday, I actually held conversations with people
without her help. For those of you who have learned another language, you know it's super exciting. So anyway, what I am saying is I am anticipating a slightly stressful week, and your prayers are much appreciated.
Now drum roll please, the most exciting news :) we had a surprise BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!! :) do you remember me telling you a little about Ligia, her family is from Ecuador? She is the women we met my first month here, she is from a part member family, her daughter is a member. She has come to church a bunch and we taught her a bunch and then she just dropped us randomly. But she is the one that just randomly showed up to church a couple weeks ago. Then we taught her that Tuesday, and it was good. But she didn't come to church last week. So we stopped by this last Tuesday and taught her and she said, I want to be baptized. (Side note, she has had 4 baptismal dates! 4!). So we were like okay well we want you to pray about it and make sure. We called her on Thursday and she said she prayed and she knows she needs to make this covenant. So we spent Friday and Saturday teaching her the last two lessons, and preparing her baptism, and getting her interviewed. And then Sunday came, and she showed up and got BAPTISED! It was so awesome. It was seriously a miracle. We set crazy goals for ourself this week, and it really helped us to raise our vision and work harder and though most of our goals we didn't reach, we had a surprise baptism! The whole time I was just thinking to myself, this is what it is all about. It is so true what President Fenn always says, the mission is a series of disappointments occasionally interrupted by moments of inexplicable joy. That was last night. It
can't be explained. When you work with someone and love them, and then they drop you, but The Lord is working in them still, and you see them make those covenants. It is pure joy. She got out and she hugged me all sopping wet and told me she was so happy we had never given up on her because she felt like she was in Heaven. It was a super awesome experience. The baptism was so spiritual. Everyone's talks, the music all of it. It was made more cool (I know that isn't the right way to say that, Spanish brain) by the fact that everyone in the ward knows her daughter who is 17 and loves her and everyone was so excited to see a family being brought together in the gospel. That was what made it better. Salvation is a family affair. Oh gosh, I wish you could have all been there. It was so cool. Those are the pictures I included, of her baptism.
So also this week we had sisters conference. Which is basically when all of the sister missionaries in the mission get together and are instructed by our sister training leaders, and President and Sister Fenn. It was awesome, except they talked a lot about not being to hard on yourself, and getting depressed, apparently that is a big thing. But it was really cool, and there was a few random things that were talked about that I was like oh! That was for me, it would be something that directly related to something I had been praying for. It is moments like that when you can be assured that our Heavenly Father knows us personally, and He wants to help us. Then of course we were instructed by President Fenn, he never writes talks or anything, he just gets up and talks. Usually about faith, obedience unto becoming consecrated and sanctified, and Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Those are the things he is super passionate about. It is always awesome. He speaks with such passion. That was the first time I was listening to him speak and I just thought to myself, I feel sorry for everyone that doesn't have President Fenn as a mission president. He is just so noble, and he always talks about how much he loves Sister Fenn(they are high school sweethearts). How he is only getting into the celestial kingdom because he is sealed to her and she is getting in. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be the man he is. He goes on and on. It is very tender. So husbands love your wives, and wives love your husband. You need each other.
Being a missionary is the best, even when it is the hardest thing you have ever done. I want my brothers and my cousins and all those preparing to go on missions, or thinking about it, to know that it is the best thing. It is hard, it seems like a sacrifice, but is the best thing. The relationship I have already developed and cultivated with my Savior is amazing to me. I hope you will all go. Well as for my brothers, you will go! ;) but it will be the best thing for your life. I would never take back the struggle it was to get here, because now that I am here, I realize that no sacrifice is to great, No price to high, for the opportunity to serve The Lord. So sanctify yourselves as Elder Holland says, and go on a mission so The Lord can work wonders with you.
Anyway, I have lots to do today, so I will write more later maybe. I love you all. Fight the good fight.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
So just forewarning. This is going to be a long email. A lot happened this week! I will save the best for last :)
So let's gets real THE SEAHWAWKS WON THE SUPERBOWL! Like whaaaaaat. They didn't just win, they destroyed, how embarrassing. Everyone over here loves the Broncos, and I was just like NEVER doubt my team again. Haha but really I was so excited I was running around the apartment! Pumped.
Anyway, so.....transfers.....I am just going to cut to the chase, my companion/trainer is getting transferred..... :( we were pretty bummed. I mean she has been here awhile, but we weren't expecting that really. Everyone in our zone except the zone leaders is getting a new companion. It's weird at transfers because I realize how sad it is for the ward to keep telling missionaries goodbye. So many tears yesterday (none of the mine). Anyway, so she leaves tomorrow. My new companion is Hermana Barlow. She is apparently awesome. I met her once this week because we have sisters conference (I will talk about that later). She sings beautifully, and apparently plays the piano, so my ward is very
excited about that. But I am kind of stressed out because I am staying here, and I will be senior companion, since this is my area and she doesn't know it. But I still have training. And I don't really know the area that well, and Hermana Jacobson is taking her GPS and I am not buying one cause they are like a million dollars. So we will figure it out. My poor new companion though she comes in on a week we don't have the car. So we will have to find rides everywhere and by we I mean I since she doesn't know anyone. Understanding Spanish on the phone is a challenge. Oh boy. I mean I am really starting to understand Spanish a lot better, and by a lot better I mean I think I am being significantly blessed since finding out she is leaving because it is like something just switched on inside of me and now my brain/ears are in tune to comprehend Spanish. Don't get me wrong not super well, but yesterday, I actually held conversations with people
without her help. For those of you who have learned another language, you know it's super exciting. So anyway, what I am saying is I am anticipating a slightly stressful week, and your prayers are much appreciated.
Now drum roll please, the most exciting news :) we had a surprise BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!! :) do you remember me telling you a little about Ligia, her family is from Ecuador? She is the women we met my first month here, she is from a part member family, her daughter is a member. She has come to church a bunch and we taught her a bunch and then she just dropped us randomly. But she is the one that just randomly showed up to church a couple weeks ago. Then we taught her that Tuesday, and it was good. But she didn't come to church last week. So we stopped by this last Tuesday and taught her and she said, I want to be baptized. (Side note, she has had 4 baptismal dates! 4!). So we were like okay well we want you to pray about it and make sure. We called her on Thursday and she said she prayed and she knows she needs to make this covenant. So we spent Friday and Saturday teaching her the last two lessons, and preparing her baptism, and getting her interviewed. And then Sunday came, and she showed up and got BAPTISED! It was so awesome. It was seriously a miracle. We set crazy goals for ourself this week, and it really helped us to raise our vision and work harder and though most of our goals we didn't reach, we had a surprise baptism! The whole time I was just thinking to myself, this is what it is all about. It is so true what President Fenn always says, the mission is a series of disappointments occasionally interrupted by moments of inexplicable joy. That was last night. It
can't be explained. When you work with someone and love them, and then they drop you, but The Lord is working in them still, and you see them make those covenants. It is pure joy. She got out and she hugged me all sopping wet and told me she was so happy we had never given up on her because she felt like she was in Heaven. It was a super awesome experience. The baptism was so spiritual. Everyone's talks, the music all of it. It was made more cool (I know that isn't the right way to say that, Spanish brain) by the fact that everyone in the ward knows her daughter who is 17 and loves her and everyone was so excited to see a family being brought together in the gospel. That was what made it better. Salvation is a family affair. Oh gosh, I wish you could have all been there. It was so cool. Those are the pictures I included, of her baptism.
So also this week we had sisters conference. Which is basically when all of the sister missionaries in the mission get together and are instructed by our sister training leaders, and President and Sister Fenn. It was awesome, except they talked a lot about not being to hard on yourself, and getting depressed, apparently that is a big thing. But it was really cool, and there was a few random things that were talked about that I was like oh! That was for me, it would be something that directly related to something I had been praying for. It is moments like that when you can be assured that our Heavenly Father knows us personally, and He wants to help us. Then of course we were instructed by President Fenn, he never writes talks or anything, he just gets up and talks. Usually about faith, obedience unto becoming consecrated and sanctified, and Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Those are the things he is super passionate about. It is always awesome. He speaks with such passion. That was the first time I was listening to him speak and I just thought to myself, I feel sorry for everyone that doesn't have President Fenn as a mission president. He is just so noble, and he always talks about how much he loves Sister Fenn(they are high school sweethearts). How he is only getting into the celestial kingdom because he is sealed to her and she is getting in. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be the man he is. He goes on and on. It is very tender. So husbands love your wives, and wives love your husband. You need each other.
Being a missionary is the best, even when it is the hardest thing you have ever done. I want my brothers and my cousins and all those preparing to go on missions, or thinking about it, to know that it is the best thing. It is hard, it seems like a sacrifice, but is the best thing. The relationship I have already developed and cultivated with my Savior is amazing to me. I hope you will all go. Well as for my brothers, you will go! ;) but it will be the best thing for your life. I would never take back the struggle it was to get here, because now that I am here, I realize that no sacrifice is to great, No price to high, for the opportunity to serve The Lord. So sanctify yourselves as Elder Holland says, and go on a mission so The Lord can work wonders with you.
Anyway, I have lots to do today, so I will write more later maybe. I love you all. Fight the good fight.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
The week I got strep throat and also almost died....separately - Jan 27, 2014
Hello everyone!
So yes, this week, well I must be doing something right since I keep almost dying! Well as far as the strep goes, it isn't super bad, well actually they tell me it is strep but I don't really feel like I am dying? I just have white dots on my throat, and it is swollen on the outside, but it doesn't really hurt very bad. It hurt worse a few weeks ago when I was sick forever. So there's that. If it gets worse I am suppose to go to the doctor. But as of now I guess I am fine? But almost dying....yeah that was real. So here we are trying to cross the street, I look one way, no cars, I look the other way, cars, so I wait for them to pass, then, I step off the street, that's when I hear "Hermana!" And look to my left there is a car very close to me, and not slowing down. I didn't know what to do for a heart beat, step the few steps back to the curb, or continue crossing. I just froze. And then in what felt like slow motion I backed up to the curb, not
exaggeration, within maybe 3 seconds of my stepping onto the curb the car flies by. My companion was just like "what were you thinking?" I was just like there wasn't any cars when I looked. Rookie mistake, forgot to look again. So a few minutes later after this she is like holy cow I just realized what would have happened if you hadn't moved exactly when you did, and I was like yeah, I would have died. We just paused for a moment and let that sink in. It didn't really hit me though until I got home that night that I realized actually would have died. That car was going to fast. It was crazy I just got this feeling that I can't really explain, but it was close to the same as when I came home from work that night we got robbed, and the guy had the gun. The moment you actually realize you could have died. Cause you don't think about it in the moment really. You just act. It was crazy. So that was the miracle this week. I am alive.
Oh and just so you know, it is freezing here. Literally. (Say it in the voice from parks and rec). You step outside and you go, nope, nope, definitely not. But at least we have the car this week! That's always a plus.
Oh on Sunday I gave my first talk, didn't prepare it. I hate writing talks, I just like to get up and speak my peace. It went pretty well. Well everyone told me it was. I am not really sure what I said. Especially when I speak Spanish, sometimes I just talk and hope the right words are coming out because I can't really understand myself. It's an awkward feeling.
This week we had zone conference it was cool. We have awesome leaders. We have transfers next Tuesday. This was a 7 weeks transfer. But I would be shocked if I go somewhere or get a new companion. Though that actually could happen because she has been here 5 months which is a while. Next transfers are on my 21st birthday! (March 18th). So I will probably get a new companion on my birthday..... :( oh well!
This week went really fast, but it was kinda boring (well for all you reading at home) besides what I already told you. So I am not sure what else to say. People are trying to fatten me up, and I am like wow wow wow. I want none of that. Haha I say no to more and always ask for only a small amount (which is still more than a normal person eats). And now people know and they give me smaller portions and don't ask if I want more. It is nice. Haha also we have this angel women in our ward who ALWAYS gives us groceries. Like cereal and granola bars and then usually food she has made like tamales. But she always gives us milk too, which would be awesome except it is fat free....and my companion and I drink whole milk. We try and give it away, but no one wants it. She also gives it to us every week. So right now we have two gallons of milk in our fridge. We decided we are only eating cereal this week. We have so much of both. So good times.
We have some crazy goals this week. So were are preparing to have a week of miracles. Well I love you all. I hope you are getting pumped for the Super Bowl. That would be so awesome. Hispanics don't watch the Super Bowl. :(
I love you. Fight the good fight. Sorry this is a lame email. Maybe I
will write more later.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
So yes, this week, well I must be doing something right since I keep almost dying! Well as far as the strep goes, it isn't super bad, well actually they tell me it is strep but I don't really feel like I am dying? I just have white dots on my throat, and it is swollen on the outside, but it doesn't really hurt very bad. It hurt worse a few weeks ago when I was sick forever. So there's that. If it gets worse I am suppose to go to the doctor. But as of now I guess I am fine? But almost dying....yeah that was real. So here we are trying to cross the street, I look one way, no cars, I look the other way, cars, so I wait for them to pass, then, I step off the street, that's when I hear "Hermana!" And look to my left there is a car very close to me, and not slowing down. I didn't know what to do for a heart beat, step the few steps back to the curb, or continue crossing. I just froze. And then in what felt like slow motion I backed up to the curb, not
exaggeration, within maybe 3 seconds of my stepping onto the curb the car flies by. My companion was just like "what were you thinking?" I was just like there wasn't any cars when I looked. Rookie mistake, forgot to look again. So a few minutes later after this she is like holy cow I just realized what would have happened if you hadn't moved exactly when you did, and I was like yeah, I would have died. We just paused for a moment and let that sink in. It didn't really hit me though until I got home that night that I realized actually would have died. That car was going to fast. It was crazy I just got this feeling that I can't really explain, but it was close to the same as when I came home from work that night we got robbed, and the guy had the gun. The moment you actually realize you could have died. Cause you don't think about it in the moment really. You just act. It was crazy. So that was the miracle this week. I am alive.
Oh and just so you know, it is freezing here. Literally. (Say it in the voice from parks and rec). You step outside and you go, nope, nope, definitely not. But at least we have the car this week! That's always a plus.
Oh on Sunday I gave my first talk, didn't prepare it. I hate writing talks, I just like to get up and speak my peace. It went pretty well. Well everyone told me it was. I am not really sure what I said. Especially when I speak Spanish, sometimes I just talk and hope the right words are coming out because I can't really understand myself. It's an awkward feeling.
This week we had zone conference it was cool. We have awesome leaders. We have transfers next Tuesday. This was a 7 weeks transfer. But I would be shocked if I go somewhere or get a new companion. Though that actually could happen because she has been here 5 months which is a while. Next transfers are on my 21st birthday! (March 18th). So I will probably get a new companion on my birthday..... :( oh well!
This week went really fast, but it was kinda boring (well for all you reading at home) besides what I already told you. So I am not sure what else to say. People are trying to fatten me up, and I am like wow wow wow. I want none of that. Haha I say no to more and always ask for only a small amount (which is still more than a normal person eats). And now people know and they give me smaller portions and don't ask if I want more. It is nice. Haha also we have this angel women in our ward who ALWAYS gives us groceries. Like cereal and granola bars and then usually food she has made like tamales. But she always gives us milk too, which would be awesome except it is fat free....and my companion and I drink whole milk. We try and give it away, but no one wants it. She also gives it to us every week. So right now we have two gallons of milk in our fridge. We decided we are only eating cereal this week. We have so much of both. So good times.
We have some crazy goals this week. So were are preparing to have a week of miracles. Well I love you all. I hope you are getting pumped for the Super Bowl. That would be so awesome. Hispanics don't watch the Super Bowl. :(
I love you. Fight the good fight. Sorry this is a lame email. Maybe I
will write more later.
Love,
Hermana Simmons
Same ol' same ol' - Jan 20, 2014
So this week has been pretty much the same as last week. In fact I have kind of been racking my brain as to what to write, so I don't bore you with the same things over and over. Weeks we have the car seem to just fly by. I am just it's Monday already?
So things in this zone have been kind of rough. No one has been have much success. We have zone conference on Friday. I am anticipating a lot of discussion on how we can step up. Hermana Jacobson and I had a long nightly planning last night where we just brainstormed a lot about how we can be better. How we can do more. How we can be more Christlike, and how we can teach better. So I'm kind of excited to start putting them in play and see how they work. We are missionaries.
We represent Jesus Christ. We can call down the powers of Heaven. So we are going to try a little more earnestly to do that. We are going to change the world.....okay maybe not. But we are going to try and change this area. Some struggles though.....working in a Spanish ward. Unless you have worked in a Spanish ward before, there is just no way to explain how different they are. White people wards are so much easier. Hispanics are not generally pumped for missionary work. I mean as in all wards we have our people who are just solid. But mostly they don't really see the vision. And there is SO much drama. I mean
Hispanic drama is wow. And it's hard when as missionaries, the revelation you think you are getting for people conflicts with what those(bishop) is actually doing. But that being said. I really love these people and things are actually starting to turn around. We feel like we are rebuilding the foundation in which to start adding new people to. We fasted and prayed a lot for our less actives and we have actually been having a lot of success with them. The chapel is starting to actually fill up. I mean given it starts to fill up 20ish minutes after we start, but ya know, what're you going to do? The whole Mormon standard time, yeah here it's Mexican standard time, and that's at least 15minutes later. Love them. Haha they have their little quirks. It's kind of funny. You just roll your eyes. Things like you show up to a dinner appointment and they have all the food prepared....for you to cook for yourselves....food that takes like
2hrs to cook. All dinner appointments are suppose to be like an hour. Yeah here, Good luck with that. It will be closer to 2. Or that awkward moment when you are late to a meeting because someone is telling you their BORDER CROSSING STORY, and you can't really cut them off. Seriously that should be on a meme. Or they says things like "cada ocho dias" (every eight days). Like I'm sorry what? There isn't
8 days in a week? No wonder they are always late, they don't know what day it is. Haha or they always say, "Dios primero" (God first) which in theory is great, except the say it to everything. Like "okay, see you tomorrow at church" and they respond with that, your like "okay?"
Haha Mexicans are seriously some of the strangest and greatest people I know. Usually everyone lets you in and offers you water, but the don't want to hear your message. But when it's cold outside, ya know, I'll come in a drink your 'abuelita'. They are so hospitable. Almost to a fault. You will be in the middle of teaching them and they'll just walk away for like 10minutes (which in a lesson is forever) and they just leave you alone..and then they reappear with food or drinks or something they just made. And your left there like remember when you walked away right after I asked you something. Haha they also tell you every single detail of their lives even the ones you don't want to hear. They are really good at that, going off on tangents. They either talk way to much or they just say "Si". But they are really good people here. They have good hearts and they're kind to us. I love them. I love these people. I am really glad to be serving among these people. I am glad to be learning Spanish. It is coming slowly but surely. Sometimes with some people it feels like I have almost got it. And then sometimes I am just like, "what is Spanish?" or "this isn't the language they taught me in the MTC".
Long story the mission is great, even when you get bad news and feel like you are one minute from walking in front of a bus (just kidding, but side note, in training you take this stress test and it asks you if you're feeling suicidal....like um no? So now we make jokes about that...probably shouldn't, but sometimes we have to work with what we got, we don't live super comical lives). But really it's interesting how on your mission, every thing feels more dramatic. Like bad things are bad. Good things are great. It's strange. But good cause it makes the highs that much higher.
Miracle of the week: yesterday at church, we are standing at the doors, greeting the members and in walks this investigator we use to teach. Just randomly. She was someone who we committed to a baptismal date and then couldn't get Sundays off and then she just dropped off the face off the earth and we couldn't get in contact with her. That was like my first couple weeks here. So anyway, yesterday she just randomly showed up to church and stayed the whole 3 hours, and then asked us to come teach her on Tuesday. Like seriously wow. It was awesome. I love her a lot. She is a really kind person and she always just gave us bags of food (sometimes we donated it). Her name is Ligia she is the one that said she had a vision about Joseph Smith and knew it was true. Don't know I told you about that. But yeah it was super awesome.
I love this work. It is changing my heart, my nature, it is stretching me, and making me grow, it is turning me into the person God wanted me to become. This church is true. The only true church. This church is the same church Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth. Restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. Because of this prophet of God, we have the authority to preform saving ordinances that enable us to return to live with God again, and be with our families forever, after death. If you really love your family how could you not want that? I could never be okay with until death. Then what? It seems so hopeless. I was there in the temple sealed to my mom and dad and it was inexplicable. There is nothing so beautiful. The blessing of the temple are real.
That is why I am here. That is why I 'sacrificed' a year and a half of my life, school, work, being away from the people most important to me, my family. This is why even when things are hard and I want to give up, I don't. Because this is literally eternal salvation. This cause is great, there is none more important. There is no sacrifice too great. This message is true, and it changes lives. It blesses your lives eternally. Those of you who aren't members I encourage you to
ponder and pray about my words. Even if you already have your opinions. What if what I'm saying is true. What if this is right, wouldn't you want to know. God will tell you, if you ask with a sincere desire to know. No one obligating you. Just a desire to know why a 20yr old (almost 21...March 18th) would give up her life to come to this freezing place and knock on doors of people she doesn't know. It's not because I had to. In fact, I already came home. I could have
just stayed home. It would have been a lot easier. I could have gone to school. I didn't. I choose to come, because this is true. I more than believe it, I know it. It has changed who I am, changed my heart. Many of you have known me through my darkest of days. I am different BECAUSE of this gospel. Ask yourselves why? Ask God why? Those of you who are members, I encourage you to share the gospel, that is how we show how grateful we are for these blessings in our lives. It is the responsibility of all of us to share.
I was reading a talk this week, I would like to share it with you, it's called 'The Atonement and the value of one soul' by Elder M. Russell Ballard. In it he says, "Brothers and sisters, I believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others. If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel....We do not want God to weep because we did not do all we could to share with His children the revealed truths of the gospel." I know this is true. I encourage you all to read this talk it's awesome!
Anyway, sorry this ended up being so long. I start writing and I realize I have a lot to say. But side note I ate cow stomach this week....wanted to cut out my own stomach. Haha
I love you a lot. Your prayers are much appreciated. I am praying for you all. You're the best. Stay awesome. Fight the good fight.
Hermana Simmons
So things in this zone have been kind of rough. No one has been have much success. We have zone conference on Friday. I am anticipating a lot of discussion on how we can step up. Hermana Jacobson and I had a long nightly planning last night where we just brainstormed a lot about how we can be better. How we can do more. How we can be more Christlike, and how we can teach better. So I'm kind of excited to start putting them in play and see how they work. We are missionaries.
We represent Jesus Christ. We can call down the powers of Heaven. So we are going to try a little more earnestly to do that. We are going to change the world.....okay maybe not. But we are going to try and change this area. Some struggles though.....working in a Spanish ward. Unless you have worked in a Spanish ward before, there is just no way to explain how different they are. White people wards are so much easier. Hispanics are not generally pumped for missionary work. I mean as in all wards we have our people who are just solid. But mostly they don't really see the vision. And there is SO much drama. I mean
Hispanic drama is wow. And it's hard when as missionaries, the revelation you think you are getting for people conflicts with what those(bishop) is actually doing. But that being said. I really love these people and things are actually starting to turn around. We feel like we are rebuilding the foundation in which to start adding new people to. We fasted and prayed a lot for our less actives and we have actually been having a lot of success with them. The chapel is starting to actually fill up. I mean given it starts to fill up 20ish minutes after we start, but ya know, what're you going to do? The whole Mormon standard time, yeah here it's Mexican standard time, and that's at least 15minutes later. Love them. Haha they have their little quirks. It's kind of funny. You just roll your eyes. Things like you show up to a dinner appointment and they have all the food prepared....for you to cook for yourselves....food that takes like
2hrs to cook. All dinner appointments are suppose to be like an hour. Yeah here, Good luck with that. It will be closer to 2. Or that awkward moment when you are late to a meeting because someone is telling you their BORDER CROSSING STORY, and you can't really cut them off. Seriously that should be on a meme. Or they says things like "cada ocho dias" (every eight days). Like I'm sorry what? There isn't
8 days in a week? No wonder they are always late, they don't know what day it is. Haha or they always say, "Dios primero" (God first) which in theory is great, except the say it to everything. Like "okay, see you tomorrow at church" and they respond with that, your like "okay?"
Haha Mexicans are seriously some of the strangest and greatest people I know. Usually everyone lets you in and offers you water, but the don't want to hear your message. But when it's cold outside, ya know, I'll come in a drink your 'abuelita'. They are so hospitable. Almost to a fault. You will be in the middle of teaching them and they'll just walk away for like 10minutes (which in a lesson is forever) and they just leave you alone..and then they reappear with food or drinks or something they just made. And your left there like remember when you walked away right after I asked you something. Haha they also tell you every single detail of their lives even the ones you don't want to hear. They are really good at that, going off on tangents. They either talk way to much or they just say "Si". But they are really good people here. They have good hearts and they're kind to us. I love them. I love these people. I am really glad to be serving among these people. I am glad to be learning Spanish. It is coming slowly but surely. Sometimes with some people it feels like I have almost got it. And then sometimes I am just like, "what is Spanish?" or "this isn't the language they taught me in the MTC".
Long story the mission is great, even when you get bad news and feel like you are one minute from walking in front of a bus (just kidding, but side note, in training you take this stress test and it asks you if you're feeling suicidal....like um no? So now we make jokes about that...probably shouldn't, but sometimes we have to work with what we got, we don't live super comical lives). But really it's interesting how on your mission, every thing feels more dramatic. Like bad things are bad. Good things are great. It's strange. But good cause it makes the highs that much higher.
Miracle of the week: yesterday at church, we are standing at the doors, greeting the members and in walks this investigator we use to teach. Just randomly. She was someone who we committed to a baptismal date and then couldn't get Sundays off and then she just dropped off the face off the earth and we couldn't get in contact with her. That was like my first couple weeks here. So anyway, yesterday she just randomly showed up to church and stayed the whole 3 hours, and then asked us to come teach her on Tuesday. Like seriously wow. It was awesome. I love her a lot. She is a really kind person and she always just gave us bags of food (sometimes we donated it). Her name is Ligia she is the one that said she had a vision about Joseph Smith and knew it was true. Don't know I told you about that. But yeah it was super awesome.
I love this work. It is changing my heart, my nature, it is stretching me, and making me grow, it is turning me into the person God wanted me to become. This church is true. The only true church. This church is the same church Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth. Restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. Because of this prophet of God, we have the authority to preform saving ordinances that enable us to return to live with God again, and be with our families forever, after death. If you really love your family how could you not want that? I could never be okay with until death. Then what? It seems so hopeless. I was there in the temple sealed to my mom and dad and it was inexplicable. There is nothing so beautiful. The blessing of the temple are real.
That is why I am here. That is why I 'sacrificed' a year and a half of my life, school, work, being away from the people most important to me, my family. This is why even when things are hard and I want to give up, I don't. Because this is literally eternal salvation. This cause is great, there is none more important. There is no sacrifice too great. This message is true, and it changes lives. It blesses your lives eternally. Those of you who aren't members I encourage you to
ponder and pray about my words. Even if you already have your opinions. What if what I'm saying is true. What if this is right, wouldn't you want to know. God will tell you, if you ask with a sincere desire to know. No one obligating you. Just a desire to know why a 20yr old (almost 21...March 18th) would give up her life to come to this freezing place and knock on doors of people she doesn't know. It's not because I had to. In fact, I already came home. I could have
just stayed home. It would have been a lot easier. I could have gone to school. I didn't. I choose to come, because this is true. I more than believe it, I know it. It has changed who I am, changed my heart. Many of you have known me through my darkest of days. I am different BECAUSE of this gospel. Ask yourselves why? Ask God why? Those of you who are members, I encourage you to share the gospel, that is how we show how grateful we are for these blessings in our lives. It is the responsibility of all of us to share.
I was reading a talk this week, I would like to share it with you, it's called 'The Atonement and the value of one soul' by Elder M. Russell Ballard. In it he says, "Brothers and sisters, I believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others. If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel....We do not want God to weep because we did not do all we could to share with His children the revealed truths of the gospel." I know this is true. I encourage you all to read this talk it's awesome!
Anyway, sorry this ended up being so long. I start writing and I realize I have a lot to say. But side note I ate cow stomach this week....wanted to cut out my own stomach. Haha
I love you a lot. Your prayers are much appreciated. I am praying for you all. You're the best. Stay awesome. Fight the good fight.
Hermana Simmons
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