Monday May 26th, 2014

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Wow so this is a super long letter but I'm super happy it was super detailed and lots of details. I really appreciate that. I'm super happy that the packae got there. Really fast. I hope nothin was broken. But I really like those glass animals. I hope I can get more. I'm kinda missing them already. I've actually had them since elder Peterson left. But yeah that's awesome you got to spend so much time in the temple. I thought about that a couple of days ago. How cool it's going to be to be able to go to the temple again and how sweet it's going to be to be able to sit somewhere and just stay there for as long as you want. I actually had a random memory come one day when i was walkin about the last time I went to the temple in the states. It was the one where we went to the burger place afterwards and it was expensive. But I really enjoyed that memory, it was really sweet for me. But afterwards I really wanted a hamburger.

(Haha just realized that you put today was memorial day, completely forgot)

So just to put the big thing on my mind out of the way. We have transfers tomorrow. Me and my companion were transfered. So...who knows what will happen next week. Where I'll be what I'll be doing and all that fun stuff. My suit cases are so full and so heavy. I keep getting more books and I feel like I can't leave them because they are important. my socks on the other hand.....I'm leaving a lot of those ;) I'm super excited for the package and I'm actually kind of glad you haven't sent it yet. I'm going to ask that you put an ipod in it. Perferably an old one that isn't super important. All the music you put on is awesome and I'm so grateful for the pendrive but....only the actual hymns of the church work. On everything that I try....yeah. so if you feel like It i would really appreciate it. Ipod, charger, and tons of music of the church and conference if you want. Portuguese, english doesnt matter. but it's up to you and dad. If you don't want to send it it's all good.

As for the girl that want's to be baptized. Keep doing what you told her. It will come with time. President Monson's talk about courage would be good too because it will help her feel comforted and the only other thing that she could do is just talk to her parents. If she doesnt tell them how she feels and what she knows to be true. They will never know or understand.

Crazy that courtney will graduate. that will be so much fun. Take tons of pictures!. I love getting pictures. (I know you do too)

As for scripture study I finished the doctrine and covenants this week. It was really good and I learned so much. There is so much in there that you just will not know until you read it. It's cool bcause it also takes you through the church history and you can feel the experiences they had. Yes I ponder and apply. You have no choice your life is the gospel every day. It's natural. I really like thinking about the temple though. Andbtw that's a really nice dryer and washer.

Alright, I love you all and miss you so much

Love Elder Simonsen

Here figured you'd want this :p

 (second email today, yay!!!! I love these type of letters!!!) 

We have transfers tomorrow, should be a ton of fun. I was transfered so who knows where I will go or what I will be doing next week. I finished the doctrine and covenants last week. Took a while but it was really cool to read. I learned so much about the church, and the doctrines and have such a better understanding of them. The principle thing I learned this transfer is that knoweldge is only a means. It is really our desire that gets us there and our faith. Basically the most important thing we have is our testimony and faith. Both of which are given to us by the Holy Ghost. Studying the doctrine and Covenants and the book of mormon in depth shows that all those who have great knowledge where shown or given or adquired it was in accordance to their faith. That was inaccordance to their desire. Faith and desire are super interrelated but it leads me to understand better the scripture. Aks and ye shall recieve. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. It is our testimony and faith that lead us to action, that give us our drive. And it is because of their faith that men become great. I like learning about the Apostles and their lives and those of the prophets in the scriptures. The Apostles has super faith and if you look at their lives they have done great things. Are great men and have studied amazing things. It is our desire to learn that comes from our faith that is amplified throuht the Holy Ghost, that only dwells with us based on our worthiness for his companionship. The Spirit really opens our minds and leads us to greater insights. One of the ways through which we recieve revelation is like a light that turns on , the other like the sun rise.(I learned that from a talk by Elder bendar about revelation) Its really cool because how we recieve revelation is how we recieve knowledge. Anyways thats one of the things I learned this transfer, I just wanted to share it because it actualy has to do with the book Jesus the Christ and can be seen in the life of the author Elder James E Talmage. Love you dad and miss you tons.
Elder Simonsen

Monday May 19, 2014

Yeah another fun week, Lots of things that are happening here. Lots of disobedience but it's all good. We had to be a little more firm and clear but we now that we will have a lot more success. Yeah my companion talked to his parents and the problem is that here not every one has a computer let alone a computer with a camera and then there is the whole internet connection and if it's fast or slow and yeah. But everyone talked to their family so its all good.

As for the sisters they could do a fireside or teach during that third hour during church and have everyone together. YES it has a ton to do with trust and it's very clear sometimes when their is none. Just try to be friendly to everyone. Because we know who does not like us. SOmetimes it's not even our fault. They didn't like other missionaries and because of that they don't trust the new ones. We have one lady, her husband loves me and loves the missionaries but its always always a little more difficult to talk with her. BUt it the responsibility or the member and the missionary to rebuild the bridge that was destroyed by the other missionaries. It really is all about that trust and who is the missionary and how the missionary acts. They have to learn for themselves the importance of members in the work. A lot of missionaries don't understand this and they don't use members and don't treat the members well. Thus their work is hindered. The best investigsators are refrences. Also some missionaries don't like to be told they are doing something wrong let alone by a member. And everyone always loves the sisters more. They have an easyness with the Spirit sometimes. The thing i think is important is that we as missionaries have the same responsibility to call out the members to work more with the missionaries to go give visits, refrences, and to help more. The members have this responsibility as well. The prophet has made the call and we now have to act.

yeah I'm writing in my journal about every 3 days because some days i don't have time at night, forget and end up writing the next day before personal study. And yes I remembered that it was about one year ago that I entered the temple and that I am so very grateful for that opportunity that I had and how much I have grown and learned since that day. Oh and by the way I found if you could hie to kolob in portuguese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Sister made a copy and gave it to me yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its really hard to sing in portuguese.....

That's crazy that court graduated and still hasnt written me a letter! But that will be so much fun for her to stay at home with the 2 little ones. Is she going to work during this time? Is she still working at the pre-school? Also I was pondering on how skinny I've gotten and I finally did the math...I've lost about 23-26 pounds.....yeah that's a lot. I gained maybe 1 back this transfer but yeah, so I'm eating a ton now. Haha lots of fun. But its all good. HAving lots of fun, reading the doctrine and covenants. ALmost finished. Finally working more in our area, and having tons of success there. The Spirit is truly guiding us in every part of the work. Oh yeah I sent you all a package, I will never ever do that again. I sent you all my pendrive, and some other little cool things I bought. The Bear is for talon, the dolphin for emmy, the armadillo is mine :p and the plate is yours. I didn't feel safe sending the pendrive with all my photos in only a letter so I sent the smallest package I could buy. It was 42 reals to send.....and had practically nothing in it.Also has 3 letters, one for dad, court and grandma simonsen. The rest of the letters will come later after I write them.

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

Love Elder Simonsen

Elder Simonsen and other Elders- Elder Miller (on the couch was going home) 

 Elder  Simonsen's shoes - Old ones on the bottom, new ones on top

Elder Miller & Elder Simonsen 

Monday May 12th, 2014

Alrighty, I don't have much time again...long letter to president but it's all good just relating the fun events of the week. But first of all i haven't done anything with family history sooooooo idk who is using my account or if they just went in and changed something but the only time we really use the computer is on monday so.  idk what's happening there. Thats way cool about sharing the gospel with that lady at the soccer game, if you realy want to help the missionaries get her address or maybe just her phone number and pass it to them. Just be like i have some wonderful friends that can really explain better than me and they will be oer at my house (whatever day you want) for a family night. Woud you like to come too? Do some fun fhe or something and everybody wins. EVERBODY. Because missionaries get a reference from a member, get to go to fhe and if their lucky there is food there :D oh yeah and the family gets blessed and the other family gets the gospel...those last two are probably more important ;) 

That's cool about the waters of mormon, I'l have to think about that a little more.

Haha Elder Ellis! Why was he in orlando? So yep that's my email this week I love you a nd miss you and y'all are rich spoiled peoples with your smartphones so that's it. Love you

Elder Simonsen :)

Mother's Day Skype (that's why todays letter is so short)

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Monday May 5th, 2014

Alrighty so After reading mom's novel :p of which I am grateful for. I will now write a response...

So the lesson of this week: COURAGE

So I've been working really hard on courage because I realized that I was having trouble feeling the spirit not this week but last week because I was doing things in which I did not fully believe nor agreed. I did them because, I was trying to be obedient to my leaders and to President. Which is very very important and essential to having the Spirit. Being obedient to our leaders. Also you have to be obedient to the Spirit because when you are obedient to the Spirit you are never wrong! SO, yes putting those two together gets a little messy sometimes and is very difficult. But I have learned, that you have to do what  you believe is right, confirm it with the Spirit and speak up when you don't agree. Basically that talk that President Monson gave in conference. Hence this is why last week, I spent most of the time writing the president and not writing you all. President is truly and inspired man but he doesnt know what's happening if no one tells him.


Sometimes it doesn't always work out like you think it will but the important thing is the peace of mind that comes from the Spirit. If you follow the Holy Ghost, he will always lead you to where you need to go and to do what you need to do. That is why, it's so important to do what's right and always be worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Study the Scriptures and pray fervently and always seek the Lord in every thought, and every moment and never, ever doubt or fear. It is in sin that we fear, but it is in faith and righteousness that we have courage. We read about it all the time with the prophets in the book of Mormon. The courage they had to do what is right regardless of what would happen. To follow the Spirit with exactness and to stand for truth in every moment. SOmetimes you have to defend the truth from people who you never would think you would have to. For example, I was in the mtc and I had to defend what I believed, a doctrine principle that I know to be true from my companion. It was no easy fight and lasted 4-5 weeks but it was one that had to be done. When we follow the Spirit we are never confounded by the doctrines of Men. 

I had an experience this last week to teach during a party. We were invited by the member to teach but when we got there we knew there would be no way to teach. So we just started talking with the people there getting to know them. And about 40 minutes into the party one o the men sat down in front of me and started asking questions about the states. What are things like, how are the people, the money. The basic things but then it started to turn to gospel topics. What do you think about this and that. What about the Pope. And the entire time, I was praying that I could answer his questions in accordance with what the Lord wanted. Every one was listening and my companion was in the other room not knowing what was happening. I had one member there with me and every once in a while he would say something. The best way to explain what happened is that I felt the Spirit slowly in the begining and then the feeling grew stronger and stronger and the words filled my mouth. The Spirit was so strong that I was just smiling the entire time. I was just filled with such a joy. A peace impossible to describe. The man even commented on how firmly he felt my conviction  and  could see it in my eyes. What he was filling was the Spirit, what he saw was the power of God working through his servant. He wasn't the only one, there were 5-6 other people there. And no drink, nothing can block the force of the Spirit. The only thing left to do is to decide to follow or to reject what he felt. 

It's for moments like that that I live every day trying to keep the commandments with exactness, obeying all the mission rules. Doing everything, I can to be worty of that influence of the Spirit. Because it is really the Spirit that does the work, that converts, that heals. Me, I'm just a simple messanger. A boy of 19 years who still has trouble speaking the language. But of all the things I've learned so far on the mission is that it is the Spirit of God and the Atonement of Christ that make boys men and men of God. As in the example of Enoch and the power of the word that he had. This is my testimony, that I leave with you in the name of our Savior and redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Simonsen