Monday September 8th, 2014

This week was an interesting week. Not too much happened, the weeks are starting to fly by too fast and time is really starting to run together. I cant imagine how it will be next year as I close the mission. SO first of all sounds like you all had a ton of fun at wild adventures. Looks like everyone is so much bigger and older and its a little weird to see how every one has changed so much. Courtney didn't go? Treasure every moment because you never know when you will have another again. Family is so important and it's something that I've realized this week. We have been working with a half member family, the dad isnt baptized but the mom and the daughter are and they aren't active in the church because they were discouraged and stopped going by themself. They have such a desire to do whats right and love having the missionaries over and the dad when he prays he prays with such sincerety its difficult to believe that he isnt a member. We met with some other families and i just got to thinking, Do they really understand what they are missing? Do they really understand the blessings of the temple? WHat they can gain or what they can lose? SO I've been thinking about the temple alot and the blessings that we have and the things that we can do.And trying to understand why they don't understand. Why they don't want the blessings of an eternal family, the peace and joy that comes from being obedient to the gospel. I don't have a definite answer but I understand that I really want those things and that my job as a missionary is to help people understand their potential but ultimately they make a decision. I've just been super grateful that I have that chance, that I have that opportunity.

This last week we had interviews with President and I got to talk to sister for quite a while. It was hard talking in english and translating for the brazilians but It was a really cool discusion and she is super spiritual. She reminds me of MIss Clause and she has a huge love for the missionaries. Her and President. They are completely different then President and Sister before. Sister was sharing with me the stories and lessons she had learned from her life, her mission and being prepared in the mtc as a Presidents wife and just a ton of really cool discusions.

Sorry I don't have much to write this week. JUst didn't have anything out of the ordinary. We have a baptism scheudled for saturday and if all goes well  the other missionaries in the district will have one too.

I'm trying to focus more on my character lately, on who I am, how I act and think and what I do and say. I'm trying to watch myself and get a lot closer to our Father in heaven. So I'm doing a lot of thinking and pondering and self anaylsis. But yesterday we had an opportunity to go to the hospital. The Relief society president's mom is there because she is suffereing a lot of pain. I really like that family a lot and we had been there saturday to talk with her (The President) and we had talked with her mom a little while we were there and then I guess two hours after we left she went to the hospital and I think she is still there today. BUt we went there yesterday and it was an interesting experience. The Spirit was really strong around her and she isnt a member but I think this experience might help her a lot. We participated in the blessing and then just talking to her a little brightening her day and helping her to laugh was an experience that I wont forget. I'm studying alot a talk by President Eyring about magnifying your calling and ministering with the Spirit and there is a realy good example of President KImball in his talk but its so important to walk with the Spirit and to minister rather than to lead or do. It's like a higher level. I'm not sure how to explain it but I had the opportunity to experience a little of it yesterday. ANyways we are all good and alive and well and the work is progressing forward and will ever do so.

Love you all and miss you tons

Elder Simonsen

Monday September 1st, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TALON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¨YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE SO OLD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you get my letter yet? I hope so! If not it should be getting there soon. Sounds like your going to have an amazing birthday. Heard they have a new TMNT movie now, did you go see it? Shoulds be tons of fun. I Hope  you have a wonderful birthday and that you have an amazing year.

As for things i've done this week......I honestly cant remember. The weeks are starting to pass by so fast and I'm starting to loose tract. Things are going, we were able to have a lady go to church this week who has trouble leaving her house. SHe has parkinsons and its causing her a ton of pain but we have been helping her a lot and visiting her almost every day. She is the mom of a member of the ward and the Lord has prepared her so completely to accept the gospel. We originally were going to the house to teach one of her children but then the spirit called us to go visit her. When we got there she was asking all of the key questions. WHy are there so many different churches, where do we come from, how do I know which church is right. So yeah we about died the moment we got there and started teaching her about the restoration on the spot. She had the book of mormon and read about baptism the first night and wants to be baptized, just the fact she has a hard time going to church gives her some fear of not staying active. But she was completely prepared.

I guess another lesson I've learned is about not being prideful and instead being humble and learning to control yourself. SO yesterday Ana Paula, our recent convert didnt go to church. So of course we were dissapointed and so when we went to visit her yesterday in the afternoon, I let it show that we were dissapoint and sad and right  when we were leaving i felt that maybe we had gone to far. SO we made it to the end of the the street and the SPirit said go back and apologize and then take her to visit this person. So we then had to swallow our pride and go back, apologize and then ask her to go and visit someone with us.........pride is tough. But the visit we had with her was probably one of the best member lessons that we have had yet. We visited a less active incomplete family and she bore a powerful testimony about the holy Ghost and recieving responses to prayers. So the man of the family isnt a member and his wife is.. But at the end he was the one who wanted to pray and his prayer was one as if he had been a member of the bishopric for many years. Truely was a good experience.

Other than that I've been studying faith. Alot. I've given 3 of the last 4 district meeting trainings about faith. So I've been filling up a study journal about it and last week I printed the first chapter of lectures on faith and it was really cool to see how the Prohpet Joseph explained faith and how it should be taught. What is faith? What is it centered on? And the results of our faith. I really enjoy the second point because I've been studying a lot about the atonement and what our faith should be centered on and how everything revolves around the 2 key point s of the atonement. The fact that one day all of us will be ressurrected and that we can be forgiven of our sins through the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is so much more about the Atonement but I've been studying these two things and trying to lose myself in the work. Trying to be more obedient, trying to rise up and be better. IT's not easy but its worth every effort. I am trying to achieve excellence, and since it's a habit not an action I have to exert myself in every effort. So I'm usually pretty tired at night.I'm trying to go back to the basics and been more obedient to the Lord and Follow the things he has said for me that I still havent done and that I may have done only half way. There is a scripture that I like alot in Hebrews  11:7 that talks about Noah and his faith and it reminds me how we can show ours. Being obedient to the whisperings of the Spirit.

I actually had an experience recently with this. I followed a prompting that didn't make any sense for me and about 4 months after figured out why. I was so grateful for having followed the prompting and it really strenghtened my testimony to remember that the Lord always fullfuls His words.

I love you all so much and miss you tons.

Love Elder Simonsen

Monday August 25th, 2014

Thank YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PICTURES AND THE VIDEOS

I loved them. I hope that I can actually get this email off. I'm using a computer I don't normally use and the keyboard is kiling me. None of these keyboards ever work...Anyways sounds like you are all having a ton of fun. Congrats for court on geting your liscence. Should be tons of fun now. You will be able to drive where ever now. JUst keep practicing and always working to get better and better and stay safe. That's crazy that every one is in school now. SHould be tons of fun and lots of learning. Its crazy how fast the time is flying by. Seems like just a little while ago I was leaving and now everyone is in a grade higher. Will be even more tense when I get back. Everyoe will be goig into school again. Oh tell grandma Simonsen I got her birthday card. I got it on tuesday. or actually it was satrday. Anyways, As for the package don't send a lot of stuff just the basics, I'll be good for a while.

As for what i did for my birthday, It was honestly just a normal day. We woke up went to church, afterwards had lunch, went and visited our recent convert that lives super far away. BY time we got back we were late for our other meeting, and it actually worked out good because our other recent convert was at home and we taught her scripture mastery and gave her a blessing. we are teaching her cousin and he seems like he will progress just as quickly as she did. SO things are going good. She gave us each ties yesterday so I got a present on my birthday. But other than that The only person who knew about my birthday was the stake presidents wife, and our recent converts. Because of facebook...........but I really enjoyed yesterday, just thinking back on all the changes that have happened and realizing that next year I'll be able to take a hot shower on my birthday (shower broke again,...) but things are going great, reading a ton, sometimes in english, working a ton and trying to lose myself in the work. I'm studying a ton about faith and really wishing that I had read lectures on faith more times. Its tought you want to read to so much but the only books you can touch are the scriptures, pmg, the missionary library and the liahona. Not even the presidents of the church or the church manuals. but I'll see if i can find something on the church website today.

As for the church lessons, we only went to sacrament yesterday because we were out getting investigators. But we had at least one there so that was sweet. But things are good, I've started to gain back a little weight but Iv still lost so much. I have like 4 different journals now, oh and we taught some spanish last week. Or in reality I spoke portuguese and they replied to us in spanish. So that was super fun and exciting and an interesting experience. Spanish just sounds really weird. ANywasy I love you all and miss you so much and hope you all have a great week!

Love elder simonsen

it's ana paula's great grandma, she is 96 years old. The sun glasses, i found on the couch and we decided to take a picture

August 18th 2014 PICTURES!!!!

Monday, August 18th 2014

Alirght so I sent you some pictures of the baptism that we had this week. finally got Ana Paula to be baptized. It was worth every effort. We forgot to take pictures in the baptismal clothing though, I was trying to get everyone there in time because the bishop wanted to start the baptism without half the people, so we forgot. And also because she didn't tell us who was going to baptize her until we got there... but it was totally worth it. This transfer we baptized two amazing people. Yuri and Ana Paula. They are both super special people and will many amazing things in the Lord's church. And the good news is that we will have one more transfer to work with them! We both stayed :) I am so excited to stay one more transfer. I love this ward and the members. And we have so much unfinished work to do. Like complete these two families. Ana Paula's mom and brother and Yuri's sister and nephew. We will have to work a ton but there is nothing better. On the day on the one year mark, We really didn't do anything. The Zone leaders came because they had to do Ana Paula's interview and showed up one hour early. and we got to our area late because we had lunch in the other area. So I just taught english for one of the members for one hour and then ran to Ana Paula's house to take back the Stake President's daughter to her house and make sure they did all the paper work right. But I honestly wouldn't have had done anything better. The feeling at that house during the interview was incredible.

The fun part of this last week though was going around and telling all the members about the baptism because we don't have any minutes on our phone any more. So we spent one whole day just visiting members. Which is a little difficult because every always gives you food. Yesterday we visited a couple members because we didn't know if we were going to stay or go. And what surprised me is that Melissa's grandma (the girl we baptiezed when we first got here) cried. And melissa's mom almost cried too. But now we have one more transfer here and way more time to work and use the memebers and help this ward grow.

The lesson of this week is as always follow the Spirit, He will guide you and lead you in where ever it is you need to go. Trust in Him and always be ready to do what he asks. Live a higher pattern of Life and if you always remember HIm you will have His spirit with you all the time. Remember the Ressurrection and the importance it has in your life. I love you all and miss you all so much.

Love Elder Simonsen

 Elder Simonsen & Companion ~ Go visit the kids in seminary

Monday, August 11th 2014

Alrighty so thank you so much for the pictures. I'm so very grateful and they mean a lot for me. Sorry I'm late today, we had to go to vitoria and just got back. Had to go pick up a package :P in person because it was so heavy! So yes I have your package, no I havent opened it yet. I wont get to until a little later today. We have to go and "fix" my hair......because I let our recent convert cut it and.....it is mostly fine :) But it was a fun day today. I was able to witness two miracles. So when we were coming back from vitoria this morning, we got on this bus. And I promise you we honestly believe that this bus driver was trying to race and see if he could get from one bus station to the other in the fastest time possible. I literally thought the bus was going to flip. So did everyone else on the bus. Like that ride puts rollercoasters to shame.  So first miracle I didn't die :) Second miracle there was a young lady, honestly maybe about my age who was in front of us with a baby that was maybe 3-4 months old. This baby fell asleep on the bus....i dont know how but  me and my companion could not believe that the baby fell asleep. So that was the second miracle. So today has been pretty good. Got two packages, yours and grandma simonsens from the 4th of july. And I got letters from grandma simonsen and Grandma Nelson and a couple other people. Lifes going pretty good. I just decided that I will never ever ride city bus again when I get home from brazil. :) 

Anyways this is the last week of the transfer. Next tuesday we have transfers so next week I will know if I'm going or staying. I think I'll stay but the rest of the zone will porbably go. I actually would like to stay. The ward has a new relief society president and yw's president and they help a ton with the missionary work and they are really cool people. Also we are working a lot with the young men (they don't have very many here actually) so I would like to stay and keep working with all the great people here. Also this is a story that you'll probably like. So sunday our recent convert was getting sustained to the office of priest and to recieve the Aaronic priesthood and a thing I had learned from another missionary about a bishop in the states is that when any one is sustained he raised his hand as high as he could and still stay in his seat and had a huge smile on his face (because he was the bishop right and he knew the Lord was calling them to do something and he had been an instrument in that process) Anyways I was super excited that our recent convert was getting the priesthood. He is such an amazing kid and he is going to be an even better missionary in about 2 years. So I was sitting in the front because they don't have deacons to pass and my companion was up in the Priests  place to bless, and when they asked the people to "please manifest" My hand shot straight up and I almost jumped out of my chair.....only a couple people noticed but my companion almost died laughing. The point of the story was that we were really happy he got the Priesthood.

The other girl we are working with is doing really good, and is still amaizng she just has to actually take the step and get baptized. So she brought her mom to church sunday and I guess during the young adult class she bore testimony about marriage in the temple and everyone was super impressed. Everyone. So yeah we are working with her and hopefully this week will be the week. 

Alright so thats about my week and I'm doing good. I've got a nasty cough because this truck went by spraying a bunch of smoke in the air to kill the bugs but other than that we are all doing good. It's crazy that it's already been one year and that its gone by so fast. I'm sure my comapanion is probably tired of it but I keep talking about things when i got in the mission and thinking about how things were and who I was and about Elder Petersen. But it all passes by really quickly but I still have a long way to go. 

The most important thing that I've probably learned is to walk in the Spirit. To listen to everything he says, to have spiritually uplifiting thoughts, to ponder the doctrine and the stories in the scriptures, to Remember Him continually. You literally can have the Spirit with you always. its A huge gift the Lord has given us and one we should cherish always.  Study the scriptures, talk with our Father in Heaven, listen to His answers. He will always guide you if you let Him. He will help in everysingle thing and that we are never, ever alone. Walk in the Spirit of the Lord and you will find a power, and a strength that is not your own. 

I Love you all and miss you so much. Thank you for all you all do for me and have taught me and have helped me do. I am who I am because of you. 

Love Elder Simonsen

ps. Good luck with brook driving :P

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Monday August 4th, 2014

Wow that sounds like a pretty fun week. I really enjoyed the pictures. It was super cool to see the mountians and I'm impressed courtney can move like that. Sounds like you all are hiking a ton of mountians. Did you take pictures of court's dorm? That's sweet she has a super nice dorm. DId she get her liscence yet? That might be important in a little bit.

So as for this week I don't really remember much of what happened. We have 3 families that we are teaching and basically they are the only people we visited this week. We spent a lot of time visiting the boy that was baptized saturday. He doesnt technically live in the ward boundries but he lives closer to our chapel so we got permission from every one to go teach him and all that. We usually loose 2 hours of our day going there and coming back and about 10 reais per day to visit him but it was totally worth it. SO his brother is in the mission about 2 months and when his brother left he gave him a book of mormon. He read it every once in a while and decided one day to go to church. We talked to him and got his number but tried to call him during the week to visit him and couldnt get ahold of him so the miracle was that he showed up on sunday again and we got better information about where he lived and when and visited him that night. Taught him about the restoration and invited him to pray. Tuesday challenged him to be baptized and gave him the book of mormon. Wednesday he had prayed and recieved a response and wanted to be baptized saturday. Talked to his mom and she wanted him to wait more. So we moved the baptism to the 2nd and arranged the details so that his mom could be there too. (she works every day all day until about 9 at night) Anyways so we sent an email to his brother in the mission asking him to make a video to be passed at the baptism....so here is the better part, his president gave him permission to watch the baptism! So we set up a skype link at the church and after working it all out he had to stay in the roon where the baptism would happen and we took Yuri (the boy who was baptized) (when it was time to go to the font) to that room and he walked in and say that his brother was on the computer, he just started crying like crazy, then his mom enters that room and sees her son on the skype. The brother missionary then bore testimony about the church and everything and it was a super spritual experience. The Spirit filled the room and was slowly flooding out into the hallway. It was a baptism that I will never forget. It was truly a wonderful experience.

Yuri truely has a testimony super strong and the first thursday we were with him he left with us on that day to go bear testimony to other people. He bore such a powerful testimony in the house of one of our investigators and he is helping so much with another that we are trying to mark a date with her for this week. She has a testimony just as strong as him but for some reason she feels she isn't ready. These tqo young adults are such strong witnesses of praying and recieveing an answer in response to your prayers. These two are so special and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have met them and helped them along. There is no better feeling than helping people come to the gospel. No better joy, no better relief. You have nothing more powerful than that. It says so in D&C 19 in the scripture mastery. it is true. I hope next week that we can say that Ana Paula was baptized and that everything went well. I'm so very grateful for this opportunity to be here and to help so many people come to the gospel and to share this grat gift with them.

Yesterday Yuri prepared a lesson that he wanted to share with Ana Paula and its the following:

And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

(! nephi 8:12) and he then told her that, that is what he felt and he knows thats what she feels. This is a principle for everyone and there is a moment in all of our lives we feel this. And it should be more often. At least every sunday when we take the sacrament. No man is content with having the gospel to himself, he wants to run and share it with the whole world. Above all our greatest calling our greatest responsibility is to share the Gosepl (Joseph Smith PMG Chapter 1)

I Love you all and miss you all so much and hope that this story inspires you and gives you a greater desire to share the gospel.

Love,

Elder Simonsen

Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man. D&C 84:85