Monday January 27th, 2014

Okay so I'm not going to write a huge letter today because I'm hoping you'll be on but thank you for the pictures! I really appreciate it. Brook has changed so much and emmy is so big. Speaking of her. I'm sending her birthday card today....I forgot last week so It will be late but I'll do what I can for a picture for her. Tell Elder Petersen that I'm going to write him a letter today to send. And that I miss him a ton!!!!!! Seriously a ton. 

That's tough about everyone being sick. and I really appreciate the quotes this week. I really enjoyed them and appreciate them. So I have so much to write and when I got here today I had 34 emails....I think that might be a record. 10 from the mission and 10 that I won't read and then 10 that I need to reply but have no idea when....we are really getting slammmed with the 1 hour limit because it includes now the time emailing the president. But the temple sounds awesome! I was looking at my temple magazine the other day and was thinking about it. HAd no idea that there wouldbe another new video. I got all of grandma simonsens letters this week. and I got yours and I got Grandma stakers and I got aunt linda's. Tell them all thank you so much and I will work on replies. But it will take forever. So don't expect them soon. 

Okay so 3 major funny things happened this week outside of transfers. (WHich btw no one from our house was transfered :) ) So Elder Gerald was writing in his planner after we did a contact and I was walking likemaybe 2 feet infront of him and all the sudden I hear BAM! and I turn around and was like what just happened? He smacked straight into a stop sign pole.... :) perfectly. It was hilarious. He wasn't paying attention at all. Then we were teaching a lesson and I was talking about breaking the word of wisdom but I was trying to hurry and move on to the next thing I wanted to talk about and so I said " well if you become addicted to anything like coke, you are breaking the law of chastity...." yeah so that was hilarious and then yesterday. This house had a dog and like normally dogs are like all fine with me right? SO elder park sticks his hand in the fence to pet the dog and everything was fine, and I was like no, I don'thave a good feeling about this but elder park did it so, so can I...........it was all good until my hand went behind the dogs head. Then the dog went nuts. It's all good though, he bit me but it's nothing really. A little blood and it just feels like I slamed my hand in the car door. But it was funny becuase they were walking away and then next thing you hear the dog starts barking like crazy and me jumping up and down a little.Anyways thats the funy stories for this week.

Alright so It's all good though, seriously. We are all fine so don't worry about anything.

I love you all and love reading your letters and Imiss you all so much. 

Love Elder Simonsen

Monday January 20, 2014

Alright so this week will have to be super quick but not much has happened again. Rained some, so I had to buy a new umberella because the last one got destroyed in the storm in december. It's super hot here though, idk how hot but it feels way hotter then normal. But other then that we taught a lot last week, worked a lot, and walked a lot. We had a baptism last week in our district and that day was tough. One hour before the baptism he calls me andsays he (the missionary) needs a car to take the investigator to church....I was in the middle of a lesson. So I had to run out and call every one I knew that had a car. Eventually we got her there but it was just one of those times that you'll look back one day and laugh. My phone literally blew up that day becasue every one was calling me and so this week I don't have any minutes to call any one. But It's all going well still. Learning tons and working hard. I have been in the mission for 5 months now. Time is going by so fast but at the same time, I still have a ton of time left. It's weird to think that some of my friends now have less than a year in the mission left, all the sisters I Know from college will go home this year. Time is flying fast. We have transfers next week. But I think I'll be staying here for one more transfer. I'll find out sunday but we have interviews with the President tomorrow so that will be exciting, the last one we had was when I was 3 weeks into the misson. I feel like the thing that will be funny is that he will say to me "I can't read your emails" I write him in english because I heard he prefers english but I also heard from some other people that my letters are the hardest for him to read. But that's all right, One day, I'll be able to write porugtuese and them there won't be problem.

We found out about the new president last week. He comes in june or july and he is from salt lake city. Other then that I don't know much else. It will be different having a new president but I honestly don't think much will change. We will still talk to him in portuguese. Well other then that not much has happened. It's hot. I'm eating a ton. I got boots, a member gave them to me. They actually are a little big but they will last a while so I still have a ton of time to look for shoes. Scripture of the week is...2 nephi 5. Idk why but 2 nephi 5.

I love you all and miss you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Elder Simonsen

Monday January 13th, 2014

Haha don't worry about the letter being short, I've had a crazy morning and I explained it in the other email. So we are late today anyways. So fan, dont worry about it, mission bought a new one. Shoes, I'm looking, I'm realy torn because everyone here wears a type of boot and I don't want to wear the boot because I don't think missionaries should. And all the other shoes are super expensive and will be destroyed super quick, so I'm still looking. I'll get there someday. As for the music thing. Thanks for the music I'm super excited so get it. So Ihaven't bought it yet because I keep testing it and it wasn't working so part of running around today was that but I know what's wrong now...my 32 gb pendrive has a virus..........but my little one that I bought forever ago is still good. And the 32 gb one is still good for holding photo's (i think) just not for playing the talks I had on it :( but the pendrive you send will work so don't worry. I'm just waiting to buy anything before I test it. (its brazil) 

Thats rough about everyone being sick. Just keep swimming! It will all pass. That letter that you sent me about chapter 6 of preach my gospel, I'm super excited to see what it says. who knows when I'll get it though. We have transfers in 2 weeks, so probably after that. I just got grandma Simonsen's thanksgiving package. It was AWESOME. I had candy corn :) And I got more letters from the stake presidency and from grandma simonsen and from people I have never met before...and heather. Speaking of which I forgot to tell jared happy Birthday. Please tell him for me. That story about the king I've heard before so I know which one your talking about but I had forgotten about it so thank you for reminding me. it's a really cool story. 

As for reading assingments, not really. Just read, maybe jesus the christ. But definitely the book of mormon. I still haven't finished it. I just finished 3 nephi today. I haven't been reading much to finish, more to answer questions and stuff. But one day I'll finish it and then I want to read doctrine and covenants. I've read most of it but not a lot of the first 20 chapters. The weather here is hot, I'm browning and I need to use sunblock more. But the only part that is really burning is my nose. Every thing else is fine. I sent you letters like 2 weeks ago and forgot to mention it. they are in 2 envelopes. one says 1/2 and the other 2/2 so just be looking for them.

Not to much has happened last week. It's really hard to thing about the week behind because I'm always looking a head. But food, as always was good, worked a ton, more then usual actually but we are doing really good. one of the things that we focused on last week was the first vision. Elder quiroz (past zone leader and now he's assistant to the president but more friend than anything) has been trying to change the mission and have people teach more from their hearts the first vision. Because it's the part of all of our messages that invites the Spirit more than anything. That when we talk about the first vision and the words of joseph as if the words were our own words and that they were coming from our heart that the Spirit is like crazy. So we had a practice of this during district meeting, and in all reality did the same practice he did with me, but you can truly feel a huge difference and see it in the missionaries and how they talk about the first vision. IT's super imortand and should be becuase it is what changed the world and changes lives. So we have focused on that a lot this week and the Spirit is testifying like all the time, doing miracles. but that was the huge thing this week and that is what I wanted to share.

I'm doing good and I love all the letters I'm getting and I'm so grateful for everything And I love you all so much .

Elder Simonsen

From Brexton's First Companion

• 

  1/8, 11:11am

  Kyle Dash Petersen

  Hello Becki! Not sure if you knew who I was before you accepted my request. But I was your son's first companion (trainer)! I will have to say that your son is absolutely amazing! He helped me out in so many ways. Heavenly Father blessed me so much with Elder Simonsen as my companion. I just wanted to say thanks (and maybe give you a little reassurance ) for sending off such a great kid. He will do many miracles for that mission. I always admired his burning testimony of the gospel and his willingness to put himself out there, even though nobody understood him. But I hope to keep in contact with him and all of you! Thank you so much. Heavenly Father is watching over him and over your family.

Monday January 6th, 2014

So Happy New Year!!!!!! I wont go home this year but I will the next! 

BUT that's not what I'm focused on so don't worry and the time is flying by. So this week, honestly not too much happened. We did a lot of walking and we met with a lot of less actives this week. Jus happened to be how it worked out. But it was really cool and all in all was a good week but I don't remember much of what happened. We are teaching this family and they are so cool. It's a mom and 3 daughters and they are so receptive to the gospel. Yesterday we taught her about the \word of Wisdom and she had 4 bottles of wine in the fridge. (I knew because we had lunch there yesterday and went in the fridge to get soda) and so we invited her to live th word of wisdom and to give her wine away. She was like " okay, no problem." It was just super nice and cool how easily she accepted it. THe gospel is changing her life and her kids life too. THey are an incredible family. Her fiance is from bulgaria and he knows 7 languages. It's crazy and we still haven't met him because he is living in bulgaria until march but a lot of people here know more than one language but also a lot don't.

So that's pretty much all I remember about the last week...yeah I know I should remember more but I don't. But I do remember the things I learned this week.

Patience

I have had to learn a lot about patience and I'm definitely still learning. I have had so many trials this week and I could have done better but I still think It went pretty well. So the first is a member that I told you about last monday. So things got worse and we had to visit her again monday night and then spent all day with her tuesday and then she was taken to the crazy hospital and got back yesterday and things were still spiralling out of control and she keeps coming to us as missionaries which is okay but she is using us for everything and those first 2 days we got nothing done and we lost an investigator. Last night wasn't as bad because first she called a member of the ward and he took us there because actually I don't know why but I'm hoping everything works out for her. The other is an Elder in our district who clearly doesn't like me because he has 1.5 years and I have 5 months and I'm distrct leader. Soooo yeah that is a ton of fun but its going. But that is all about patience and what I'm trying to work on.

Okay}

Priesthood

We have blessed so many people this last week, it has truely been a testimony builder and an honor to use the priesthood to bless so many children of God. We have been able to help so many people and a majority of them are members but it is incredible. When you use the priesthood you have the spirit with you in more abundance. Something that everyone know but not everyone does. It's like listening to the promptings of the spirit and you recieve more.

Look forward and believe

This talk is amazing and I don't know if that is what it is called in english. its "Olhar para frente e acreditar" in portuguese and its by Elder Dube (I think that's his name) but it's a super great talk and you should read it. (I know you already did because you sent me a quote once but I'm talking about everyone else who reads this) I really love the quote that its not as important the things you've already done but more important where you are willing to go in the eyes of the Lord. Because you could have done some huge miracle but if you start breaking the commandments you will lose everything you gained. It's like if your winning in a sport and you think you can take it easy because you are winning. That is when the tide turns. I used to have a quote about this but I don't remember what it is. But don't forget to read conference because it is scripture as well for us in our day. Today. So try to read like one a week or something.

Enos

Prayer. My soul hungered. (I think that is what is says in english) but prayer is so important. I know you already know it but I learned it this week because I keep letting my prayers slip. I've had those prayers guided by the spirit and they are amazing but it is something we should always do and not do a couple times and forget to strive for it. That is what I have been doing forgetting to strive for it. Prayer is a sacred moment between you and Our Heavenly Father. It's as if you are literally there in fron of Him talking. Trust me He is listening and He hears our prayers.

Anyways that's a little summary of some of the things I have learned this week. But the last thing Is in Preach my Gospel chapter 6. Mom you have to read this chapter and study it and do the little test at the end. This is something that isn't just for missionaries but for every one. Literally everyone. Christ-like attributes. I'm really trying to focus on the character of Christ more. Elder Bednar quoted Elder MAxwell one time and he said " There could have been no atonement without the character of Christ." This is a quote that I really, really like because it makes you think.


N all reality Elder Maxwell reminds me of dad and I think he would really like reading some of the things elder Maxwell wrote.I think he would really like Jesus the Christ too. It is a book that I really think he would like.

But all is well and I love and miss you all and can't wait for the day I can hug you all again!

Love,
 Elder Simonsen