Monday October 27th, 2014

SOOOOOOOOO this week we had emergency transfers...........because there were two new americans that were coming in from the states. So my companion was transfered, monday night at about 4 on p-day. SO tuesday we had to go to Vitória and first of all we almost missed the bus, but then we were about 2 hours into the trip when the traffic stops....about one hour north of the rio border in Espirito Santo. And the traffic didnt move again for 6 more hours..............literally 6 hours the bus was stopped in traffic and did not move. Turns out that about 2km in front of us two 18 wheeelers had collided and a small car got caught in the mix, I think 3 people died and the trucks were completely destroyed. It took about 8 hours for them to clean up the road and open the lanes again. We got there after the first 2 hours. It was an interesting experience. Being on a bus from 9 in the morning until 6:30 at night...we got to know our neighbors really well. We got almost everyones address and we taught 3 lessons. We saw a sloth in the forest next to the bus. They are super huge and I tried to take a picture but I couldnt get the zoom to focus so....I don't have a picture. Also when we were there we ate Goiyaba, which is a fruit super common here. ONe of the people on the bus go hungry and went looking for food and found a goiyaba tree. SO we tried a little bit but they had goiyaba bugs so we didn't eat too much ;) 

Anyways I got to vitoria and my new companion is Elder McKnight from virginia/utah(USU) he has 1 year and 5 months in the mission, and my compnion got a new american from Kansas Elder Spain. Who doesnt speak any portuguese and elder gonzalez doesnt speak any english and has a heavy spanish accent....should be fun for them :) but they live with a couple other americans so its all good. Elder Spain will learn quick but he was super nervous. We slept in Cariacica that night and then got the bus around 7 to come back to campos. Anyways we have 4 americans in the house now....so of course that means trouble or fun depending how you want to look at it ;) So thursday lunch fell for us and they had money, so we made navoo tacos. And Elder Reinhardt has a hot sauce, that is super hot. Like you put one drop on the food mix and you are still crying....sooo of course we had a hot sauce competition...need less to say no one really won but everyone "cried" but we are having a ton of fun and working harder. We didn't  have too much time to work in our area this week because we were traveling to do interviews for baptisms on the other side of the city. 

And we had a baptism this week. Her name is Larissa and she is 17. SHe lives exactly in front of the church. She got invited by a friend to go to abaptist church sunday night and she invited us to go with her. SO yesterday night we went to the 2nd baptist church of Campos. Its a little different than the baptist churches in florida or the states but it was an interesting experience. They like to sing a lot more than we do. 

Anyways the lessons learned this week: obedience to the mission rules. We have been having a super hard time going to bed at 10:30. USually we are passing the things of the district to the ZOne leaders about 10:20 and then we have to get ready to go to bed. Our district is us, the zone leaders, 2 compnaionships of sisters and 2 companionships of elders. SO we are brainstorming better ways to follow up. BUt these last 4 weeks its been super hard to get to bed at the right time and its taking its toll, I havent been able to write in my journal and its super hard to get up and excercise in the morning. Almost impossible. And if you arent fully awake, personal study isnt as spiritual and the day is harder to start. You also cant really pray very well in the morning when you are super tired.... SO My goal this week is to be in bed at 10:30. I remember in the beginning of the mission it was so much easier to be obedient and you have a greater power in teaching when you are obedient. The Spirit is so much easier to hear and testifies. SO what I'm going to try and do is slow things down this week. Work more on being obedient and on the christ like attributes. I'm still reading the bible and the book of Mormon and its still going good. 

I'm so grateful to be here in the mission and I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life. The knowledge that I have about my Reedemer and His plan for each one of us. There is a decision that we all have to make in our lives we have to .."choose this day whom we will serve" and like Joshua every day I'm doing my best to choose the Lord. It really is that simple. You choose to be obedient, you choose to follow the Lords counsel, you choose to do whats right. You can choose to be a man of God or you can choose to follow the natural man. It really is as simple as the light and the day. I love you all and i hope you all choose to do whats right and that you all do the small things so that the big things take care of themselves. Read the scriptures, say your prayers, go to church, and help another. Remember who you are and what you stand for and that excellence is not an act but a habit.I love you all and miss you tons and cant wait to see you all again. Until then for ZIon!

Love, Elder SImonsen

"Tudo vai dar Certo!" -Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley