Monday May 25, 2015

Well, alrighty then. I dont know where to begin or what to say or even what to do. I dont have any final plans for my life decisions and have no money at all. Literally. I have 120 dollars from the money you all sent over the 2 years but yeah. Its all good. All works out well. I dont know what i'm going to do. The only thing that i know with all certainy is what i need to study and where i need to go. As for the Air Force, i dont know with all certainty. I was talking with the assistants this week and it was an interesting experience. I just know that I need to study the middle East and that in the end I want to be a BYU Professor. So.......it should be good. I would like to go back and spend time with you all. It would be perfect for me. Especially because that jus something I want to do. But we'll just have to see how it all goes. Focus on the mission and maybe at night after prayer I'll try to figure the stuff out. But should be fine, the Lord always provides a way. Just sometimes isnt the one we want or the easiest in the short term but the long term is the best (eternity).

Haha as for morgan she sent me an email today, I havent read it but its all good. I really dont need updates on the people there with you all. I trust the Lord. As for dad, that not good that he's not getting better. Has he asked for a blessing? I'm fine though, I  have a cough and its been really cold here at night but its all good. I got my temple recommend renewed and I'll have to renew it again before i go home, He could only give me a 3 month recomend, so this month, next month and in july has to be renewed. So It feels really good to have a temple recommend again, passed 25 day without and it is just better to have one and to not worry. But things are really good here. We are working a ton, and trying to help the missionaries. We had a zone conference where President gave a training, and he showed part of that film the church made about the Mormons. It was really good. The confference was super spiritual and i think one of the best (if not the best in my mission) I really enjoyed it. Alrighty I don't have too  much time but i'll send pictures today. I 've been studying not as much this week, We did a ton of divisions and because of this we had to travel a bit and prepare for the conference and we didnt have as much time to study but I'm still working on christ like attributes and I studied President Eyring's talk and chapter 10 of PMG. The Spirit has been really good this week and I've learned a lot. I love you all and miss you tons. Mom its all good, just relax, breathe, pray and let the Lord take control. I'm working on these things but I'll get the answer when He is ready to give it to me and when I'm finaly ready to do His will. I'm happy courtney has all these things working out for her and that it will be in a beautiful house of our Father. It will be an amazing experience and will help her a ton. He seems like an amazing guy and that he will really take care of her. Send me pictures when he proposes. I love you all and I miss you all so much. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and he will guide you for good.

Love Elder Simonsen

Monday May 18th, 2015

Sounds like it was a pretty crazy week. I can only imagine how it would be to be at the beach. Its been super cold here and for the last 2 day I used a long sleeve shirt. I'm sleeping with 2 sheets and a blanket.....Its pretty cold.....and rainy but its been really good. So as for investigators and people we are teaching....so we really only 2 investigators. And they arent married...BUT we had a super funny lesson with them the other day about marriage ;) They are an amazing couple, well advanced in their age and already divorced. They are together for about a year now but we were there responding the wifes questions on saterday, and we taught the 3rd lesson about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we got to the part about enduring to the end. And the Though came to talk about the temple, which usually we dont do because we spend so much time talking about baptism and helping them understand how it needs to be done the right way with the right authority and what not. So I pulled out the pictures of the temple I keep in my bible (haha i only have 2 now, my fort lauderdale picture....well an investigator asked for it....it was either give her one or lose all 3. I still have the new ogden temple and the orlando)) but we were talking about the temple and how there you are married for all time and eternity and all that fun stuff and she looks at me and asks: So in your church how does it work when there are 2 people divorced....and so I replied, "Well, there is a commandment called the Law of Chastity.....and began to explain how we must be married and she looks right at her "husband" and he is there with big eyes haha they are an older couple but they were joking around. We think they will get married....they havent took the decision exactly but are truly a special couple and have decided that they will continue attending the church meetings and want to fullfill the church standards. So Its a lot of fun.

Other than that we are trying to work in our area, find new investigators but no one is going to church and those who were are managing to more or less teach, arent married (other couples....) so maybe we will have some marriages.....maybe but we walked but the catholic catherdral the other day and they had a super rich marriage going on. It was pretty impressive, butttttttt.........i think the temple is still pretty good. Oh I dont think I ever told you but here in Brazil you have to get married leagaly before you can marry in the temple. They dont recognize marriage in the temple as a legal binding contract...or something. So here everyone marries first and then goes to the temple. But I really love this area and the members and the missionaries. Its a really good area and really special. Now we only need to work on having time to work in our area......but this week should be fine.

As for talking with courtney and trevor, he seems really good. She was really excited to show me him. She said that I would really like him. Sounds like he's doing all the good stuff and seems really honarable, so who knows. But Court said that she wont be there when I get home, they will still be in school because of the semester terms....oh well I'll just have to go up and visit her. Haha I will proabably have to go hitch hiking. BUt eventually I'd get there and make it back. Its funny i miss her a ton. And I can tell she is missing me as well. Maybe she wont say it but I can see it. But I'm super happy its all going well at byu-i for her. Sounds like the perfect life, working for the church, studying, hopefully getting good grades and all that fun stuff.

Thanks for the pictures and you managed to get a fin of a dolphin. But the pictures are amazing. I really enjoyed them. 

Alrighty dont have much to say this week but oh thanks for the pictures of Grandma and dixi and dana graduating. It was nice to see pictures of them. If you could send me some more of everyone it would be nice. Maybe I'll ask char too, I havent talked to her for a very long time... But I love you all and miss you tons!

Love,

Elder Simonsen

Monday May 11, 2015

Thanks And the pictures look really good. I really enjoyed talking to you all and seeing how everyone has changed so much. So that picture of dad with the gas can.....did you run out of gas? Hahaha but dad looks good, his hair was really long...... but the blue looked good. Haha I miss the zoo.

But yeah not too much to write about this week. Should be lots of fun this week. We have had a lot of problems with mission rules this week....so.....I'm getting kinda nervous. I think we might be getting some calls. For example, yesterday...you can only talk for 30-40 mins and yes I went over to about an hour in total but the other missionaries here with me in colatina....they spent at least 2 hours and the sisters talked for at least 4 or 5....with everyone.........they know and their families..................so............no one worked yesterday and I even asked them to get off and only use one hour.......should be fun. Almost there, just a little bit longer. They are all really good people though, I love them a lot. But the things I've studied this week are the Book of Mormon, and I've been thinking a lot about those 2 talks from conference by President Uctdorf and President Eyring. SO this week we are encouraging everyone to read these talks and to study them and to really focus on the book of mormon becuase we need a really big change of heart. We all really need to remember why we are here and what is our purpose and walk in the Spirit and find those whom the Lord indicates is ready to recieve  the gospel. So we need to work on following the Spirit and challenging the people to baptism. So..........we are going to have to work really hard this week and really focus our hearts on Christ. I know it will make a huge difference and that we will be able to focus on Christ and really center HIm in our lives. There is such a purity and a love that fills you when you do this. When you really focus on the Savior and HIs teaching and try to become like Him. I know it will all work out and that we must do our best. I feel that it will all be fine.

As for the people I'm talking to....in all reality most everyone stopped talking to me or I stopped talking to them. Right, so  emily, sent me a letter close to the end of her mission, and it was good just missionary stuff (thats all its ever been mom, nothing more :p I went on the mission with no one, just friends) but I knew she would be going home soon so I basically told her to forget herself and enjoy the end of her mission, haha never got another letter or word. Anne, havent talked to her since I left BYU. Tasha, she sent me an email when she got home and I basically kind of told her the same thing, study hard, work hard and dont worry about me. Morgan, wrote her a letter she said she was writing one back, but....Its been almost 6 months now....so I'm not too worried( I sent it in december) Other than that, I got a few emails from some sisters from my group but I dont really respond that often, I always write you, dad, and kiki, or courtney. (Still WAITING for brook's letter or email.....just saying ya know) I havent heard from my friend from BYU for a while they are finishing their missions in like 3 weeks and are super busy. NIck I have an email i need to read and David sent me one as well but their emails are generally every once in 2-3 months. I sent emails to Eric but he hasnt responded....i think something happened with his parents.....Idk i just heard they moved, like a year ago. And other than that , there really isnt anything. Of those 31 emails from the beginning I uasually receive 12-14 now of which about 5-6 are yours, 3-4 from the mission, and a couple updates or weekly updates from John and other people. Haha its all good though. It works out well.

But yeah church yesterday was really good, we learned about the Book of Mormon and a member bore his testimony about the missionaries going to his house and sharing it with him and how it changed his life 14 years ago. It was really powerfull and came at the right time. Anways I love you all and miss you so much I hope you all get better and that you read the book of Mormon.

Love,

Elder Simonsen

Monday May 4th, 2015 ~Colatina (new area)

Well sounds like you all had a super fun week. Going to disney, being sick, and swimming in a pool. I cant imagine how life is, haha only thing I can think is work work work. I try not to think about anything else. It actually got a lot easier now. So as you know i was transfered and so now I'm in Colatina! I've heard a lot about this area. Everyone says a lot of good things about this city. ITs a really small city in comparison with the others that I've passed through but its way bigger then Anchieta. I'm compaions with Elder Barreto again! we were companions almost a year ago in cobilandia. So its nice to be back together again. We have changed a lot though so it should be interesting. We are living with two other missionaries. So it just happens that I trained Elder Barreto, then afterwards he trained an elder named Elder Verçoza who happened to train an Elder From Texas named Elder McDown and we all live in the same house....so right there is 4 generations. They are all great missionaries. ITs just weird being the oldest missionary now. Its weird because i'm starting to realize that the mission is ending. I have a ton of time and i need to serve my mission the best I can. I need to give everything in these last 2 months.....Which is not a lot of time............................sigh. but its a lot of fun and I can only be excited trying to imagine how the rest of my life will be even better. The joy i've felt in the mission is amazing and I know that the next step in my life will be even more exciting and more fun. But I'm super excited to go to the temple again. I cannot wait. 

So as for things I've been studying I'm working this transfer on......Christlike attributes. I'm focusing on really studying and pondering them and having them become a part of my life. So I managed to put all of the attributes in these next 4-5 weeks where I will study two attributes during the week. This week is faith and humility. I learned a lot about faith this morning reading about it in Preach my Gospel and the Bible Dictionary. And thinking about it. I read some real interesting facts about true faith and how its centered on Christ. I never had really thought about it that way. True faith. What makes our faith true and what makes it not true. And there are just a lot you can pull from the Bible Dictionary. I think this section was writtem by Elder McConkie because it sounds like something he would say in a talk during conference. Anyways things are good. Life is well. There is a park near our house that has pull up bars and so we have gone there twice to try and work out...haha it hasnt gone too well yet but we just have to get used to it. But as for using skype......i believe that it should be right around 3-4 in the afternoon. So should be around 2-3 your time because you all are an hour behind us. But as for utah. I dont know......Anyways that all the important stuff thats happened this week. I love you all and hope all is well. Love Elder Simonsen