Monday July 28th, 2014

Wow sounds like a ton of fun. I defintely want to visit the lake you all visitited. It's so beautiful. I defintely miss the moutians. So I'll start first off explaining the title...so sunday morning I went to take a shower to get ready for church and the thing here is that the shower heads are elctrified. (Yes I've already been electricuted by one of them, I was playing around trying to get hot water, it wasn't bad just a good shock to let you know don't play around with it a ton.) anyways I noticed that some of the wires where the electric tape was was glowing when I turned on the shower. Like as if it was an ember and thought "that's not good..." so turned it off and on until it stopped glowing. Then took a shower and about halfway through the shower it starts glowing...and glowing...and GLOWING and then has little flames coming up and starts popping like popcorn. So I gave up and the shower and figured it had just over heated......so today, I went back to see if it had fixed, turned on the shower and BAM starts bopping and electricity starts flying through the air. yeah I turned it off pretty quick. Anyways I went back and that wire isnt connected anymore, broke in 2. :) So yeah fun stuff down here. I really miss real showers. But don't worry we have another shower that works mostly and I'll talk to the member that knows how to fix them today after p-day or tomorrow...this week sometime when I make it to his house or get tired of cold showers.

But this week was super cool, found a huge family that we hve taught everyday since monday. 10 people at least everytime we are there. The one who is really progressing is the 15 yearold daughter. She went to church yesterday with her cousin and her brother and we were coming back asking about church and what she thought and she said she felt good. So I told her that's because the "felt the Spirit and that he was tesfying the church was true. Do you believe that?" And she replied that she did and that she knew the church was true and that joseph was a prophet and theat the book of mormon is true.......yeah me and my companion were shocked just like, wait what did she say. So we visited them least night with the yw president and invited her to be baptized but she said no, she wants to know more. So We'll keep working. but it was pretty amazing.

Other amaizng story we have a young man (16) that his brother is serving a  mission now about 1 month and decided that he wanted to serve too. So he came to church by himself twice, and sunday night last week went and visited him, tuesday invited him to be baptized, thursday he left with us and was testifying for our other investigators that it's true. He has a super powerful testimony and he's getting baptized saturday. His brother doesnt know yet that he's getting baptized. We are teaching their sister too and her son who loves the missionaries. A ton. So all around we have a ton of blessings we are recieving and the Lord is truly opening up the way before us. We just have to follow the Spirit and He will show us where we need to go. And Every one is giving us food. A ton of food. I eat almost the entire day...............literally almost every house we enter we get food. But It's better than not having so I'm not complaning. Anyways I love you and miss you all and hope that you all can see the hand of our Heavenly Father in your day to day and that you really talk with Him through prayer. He answers and love us all, equally.

Love,
Elder Simonsen

Monday July 21, 2014

I'm glad you all got my letters already, I paid a ton for them. Haha I wasnt paying attention and he sent them priority and yeah... he charged me a ton. I was hoping they would get there before you left for utah. Also while your there, I sent grandma butcher a letter and in her letter is grandma and grandpa nelson's letters too. So if you could make sure it gets to them I would really apprieciate it. Sounds like you all are having a ton of fun and going to the baseball game would be awesome! Especially after going to the beach and just relaxing in the sun would be nice :p 

Yeah I thought it might be heading that way, you can usually tell when they start canceling the appointments but it will all be good because you planted a seed. What happened with the Latassa's? 

This week was pretty normal, we worked a ton, taught a ton, and then no one went to church. BUt we did have one man who went to church, he just can't be baptized because he's not married and they have a while before they can get married....but he's pretty cool. It was even better when we showed up at church and we had 2 investigators there that one a member brought out of no where and the other was a brother of a member who we hadn't been able to contact this last week. We actually went and taught him last night and the spirit was super strong, he's a super cool kid and his brother just left on a mission a month ago. He's super excited and is thinking about serving a mission.... so we are just going to help him a long :) Other than that we are working with some other refrences that we have gotten from members. Trust me they are the best people to work with. There is no better person than someone who knows a member. But you have to help the missionaries follow-up with the investigator. It makes their life so much easier and they have a support system. SO yes I have been studying the importance of members in PMG chapter 9. And it is super important but so difficult to teach the members. BUt it will work with time.

Yeah life is back to normal, it's a lot easier to work with people because we can visit them every day. The streets are still painted, just fading, but its all good. Yeah brazilians are fine with americans, just some times they think your german. Which seeing as germany beat brazil 7-1 sometimes isnt a good thing. A couple of people in the street the day after asked if I was german even before I had a chance to say hi....so grateful to be american :) as for packages, I'm not too sure but generally now no one knows when we will get anything. Every 6 weeks is transfers but idk. Haha we don't even have planners, I'm reusing old ones. but it's all getting worked out. and it's all good.

But yeah not too much is happening, I hope you all have fun in idaho and good luck finding stuff there. MAybe you should take grandma SImonsens GPS or you could use your awesome phone i guess........that might work 

But I love you and miss you so much!

Love Elder Simonsen

P-Day Hiking and Pictures!!!! July 14, 2014

Monday July 14, 2014

Wow sounds like you all are having a ton of fun. thank you so much for the pictures they really mean a lot to me and I'm so grateful you sent them. That's so sweet that talon caught a fish!!!!! I miss fishing... we will have to go when we get back and he can show me how it's done. Congrats kiara on your blessing!!!!! That will be so sweet when you get it and can read it. Make sure to study it and treasure it because its special for you!!!!!!! That's super sweet about their testimony meeting sunday in young womens. It's always super cool to have an opportunity to bear your testimony. It's one of the most powerful tools we have, because the Spirit can testify so clearly and strongly.

Yeah so the games haven't been that good, this week was a little tough for us because they had 2 games this week, tuesday and saturday and we last friday because the zone leaders decided to do a division and yeah so we worked only wednesday and thursday and sunday this week. Monday right when p-day ended the skies opened and out fell rain, like if someone had taken a fire house and just dummped everything on you. Fun stuff, i did get new shoes that day. A member when we got to his house (soaking wet) gave me his old pair of shoes, so I'm good on the shoes part and as for socks....I'm waiting for president to call me back to know if I can go to the shopping and get some. Idk how it will go. SO as for what we do those days we were inside...usually it's about the equivalent of sitting there and staring at the ceiling and wondering what time it is... and then realize you still have 6 hours before you can go to bed. So usually I sleep for an hour, read for a little, try to write letters (usually takes about one hour to actually finish a letter) listen to some music, ponder my life and its meaning.It's not super bad but sometimes you get really bored. 

So I decided (was prompted) to start memorizing scriptures. At least one a day, I think I've memorized maybe 9 now. Maybe, and just repeat them during the day. It actually is a super cool idea and is sweet because you can really ponder on the meaning of the scripture and then the Spirit can open your understanding. It's something that is something you always hear about but until you do it, you don't realize the power of it. I'm trying to focus too and writing in my journal a little each night but that honestly isn't going to well. I'm writing but not as frequently as I should...but it was cool because I looked back this week on when I was in the mtc and some of the journal entries that I had and things I learned and how close I was to the Spirit and how he truly helped me learn portuguese. It really is a huge gift I've been given. As for these lessons I had a couple others that were really cool, like one i wrote in a letter for courtney because I finally got a letter from her!!!!!! :)))) But one of the greatest is patience. Patience and patience and more patience. Because if you are patient and calm and tranquil you have the Spirit. Sometimes (most of the time) your patience is tried and you just have to be obedient and smile and move on. but the thing is that if you always keep an eternal perspective you have no problem being patient. President Hinckley, when he was a newly ordained Apostle, gave a talk at byu in 1958 tittled the 7 Pillars of Wisdom and had a couple quotes that I liked. One was "Live each day as if you shall live forever, for you shall." 

But all is well in this part of the Vineyard and the work is always progressing "like a stone cut without hands." I love you all and miss you so much and thank you so much for the pictures.

Love Elder Simonsen

26 And now, behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord? Who can deny his sayings? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise the children of Christ? Behold, all ye who are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish.

 27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

 28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.

Mormon 9

Monday July 7th, 2014

Alrighty so this week was interesting and at the same time nothing really happened. First off we had a meeting with the new President, President Young. He's really cool and awesome and a ton of things in the mission are going to change. He spent the last 18 years in the stake presidency...so basically my entire life. 9 years as first counselor and 9 as the stake president. But he is a man that really walks with the Spirit and leaves everyone feeling good about themsleves after he talks  to them. Sister Young is amazing. She gave her talk in english and Pres. Young translated for her but her testimony is so powerful and she is one of the women that just loves every one. She just has such a huge love. She rememinds me of Misses Clause. She is really cool but she is super nervous too. So all of us American Missionaries went over there and talke with her in english a bunch and she is really a super cool lady. We all had time to have a little quick interview with pres. Young and it was interesting because of the reactions of the missionaries to the interview. One sister she came up to me afterwards just beaming saying it was one of the best interviews she has had on the mission and felt the Spirit so strong. Another missionary was super dissapointed and was complaining a little about the interview and just left a bad feeling hearing him talk. My interview was really good. Like really good. I enjoyed it a ton.He asked me questions that made me think. He asked me what the highlight of my mission was and i had to sit there and think because I had never ever thought about that. Then he asked why and some other stuff but it was a super good interview.

Anyways that really was the highlight of the week. Other than that, rain and more rain and I'm super grateful for my jacket because umbrellas just don't work with missionaries (you always lose them) The work here is tough but we are all right, doing good and being dilligent. 

Sounds like you all are having a ton of fun and doing lots of fun stuff. Paintballing, coanoeing, 4th of july. Must be a tough life. the 4th of july here I sang national anthems and we spent the whole day inside because of the Brazil game. I did eat 6 hamburgers though...yeah I thought I was going to die afterwards. Good luck with that date, i don't think she's told him she's going to byu-i....just wait until college because it will only be better and more fun and way colder. Way way colder. But yeah she needs to get her licensce.It will be weird with all 3 of us driving when we get back. Should be fun, we can totally race ;) 

So as for us in our apartment. Yeah we cook me and elder park do the dished because no one else does them. I clean the apratment, by myself but it's all good. Today we are actually going to eat at a restuarent really quick because we are going to go hike the mountian today if weather permits. But it's allwell and all good and going. We will be here another 6 weeks so it's all good.

And as for psalms I was thinking about looking a little more into it but I don't like reading the bible in portuguese. Like at all, and if i get the english bible out I have the triplice and next thing I now i've been reading in english for like 2 hours..........but sometimes it's worth it.

Sorry this week isn't a huge long letter but I'm all good and its all fine. Love you all and miss you tons]

Love Elder Simonsen