6-22-16

6-13-16 My very last weekly email....

2 John 1:12

3 John 1:13-14

6-6-16

I'm good, just enduring to the end.... I've got two weeks left so I'm just trying to finish strong.... although it still doesn't seem real. I don't think it ever really will.  The members here are fundraising to do a trip to the temple in June.  I made a Locro, which is a huge soup that has cow intestines, cow stomach, cow foot, vegetables and meat..... and they ended making over 130 dollars (but obviously in pesos) they will need about 500 dollars to go to the temple and so they are going to do another fundraiser.... so we were able to help them get this whole process going.........

Love to you all Tanner

5-30-16

Hello family..... So another week and it flew by.... This week I had probably one of the most action packed days of my entire life... Let me tell you about it. It t started out that we woke up at 1 in the morning to take a bus for a special meeting we had in Resistencia... We got on the bus and right as I was dozing off I realized the bus wasn't moving.... And turns out the bus had broken down in the middle of no where and the bus driver informed us that rescue would come in like 4 hours.... But luckily another bus came from behind and let us get on...... So we were all good....... until at about 6 in the morning there was a riot on the main high way so we had to take an hour detour on a back road of dirt...... Then we got on another bus at 7 in the morning and headed to Resistencia, but there was only one problem.. There were a group of People trying to smuggle clothes, in the bus.. But as expected they got caught by the border patrol which consisted of us sitting on the side of the road for an hour and half while the smugglers acted like they had no idea that they could bring thousands and thousand of pesos of cloths in a bus.............. But finally at 10:05 we got to the meeting. (which started at 10:00) and that night we went to a foot doctor and i got my 9th ingrown toenail taken out :) Other than the at the week was pretty normal. Just inviting people to come unto Christ.... .. Love you take care..

Tanner <3

oh and my comp broke his bed so this is some pics of us fixing it... Shout out to dad for teaching me something about carpentry ;)

5-23-16

Here's a picture of my companion soaking my feet, oh how this takes me back to the beginning.  I like my companion he's really funny.  The work is good. we have a few people that could still be baptized before I go..... just in the grind of things trying to stay focused.  We are still waiting patiently to get a church building..... I don't really now whats is going on... they are handling the paper work still.

5-16-16

Well a fabulous week.... It started out with a midnight trip from Ibarreta to Resistencia with Elder Tapia.... Then we received our new missionaries. My new companions name is Elder Gallegos. He is from Buenos Aires Argentina.... So thankfully I don't have to teach him Spanish because I barely know it myself..... We didn't have a ton of time in the area but what we did have was pretty  efficient.  On Sunday we had District Conference in Ibarreta.  The church rented a mini bus for us to go, but there was only one problem, that the bus they rented has 15 chairs, but we were 24 that wanted to go..... So it was crazy in there but somehow we all fit. Although there were two that vomited ahahaha.

District conference was fun, the first time in months that I have seen so many members of the church in the same place at once.  Right after we had the baptism of D.... She was pretty nervous but it turned out fairly perfect...Only the water was colder then the water in the river two weeks ago and I messed up the wording a few times. But the Third time it turned out perfect... I was so happy. One thing I've learned on the mission is the more work you put into something the more joyful it is when it finally works out, and that exactly what happened with D's Baptism.   Last  night we had a lesson with A and M, we also took the Familia R. And basically Sister R told them to get married :) which is exactly what they needed and she did it in such a loving manner. Then I just bore my testimony that I have  been born into a choice family with parents that have given me  self securty knowing that they will always be together (forever) and they will also always be there for me too.  I think they will get married.  That was about it for this week. We are going to take a big nap today cause my comp is whipped out and has a bunch of blisters hahahah. Oh how it takes me back to the beginning.

My sombrero has been sitting in the same spot for 3 weeks and is growing mold on it.

Love you all 

Elder Simmons

The beginning of the end 5-10-16

So another week flew by................... We basically didn't spend any time in the area this week and I'll tell you why. So Monday was Pday. Then Tuesday we worked in the morning but then in the afternoon we were supposed to take a bus to a meeting that we had with a Seventy Elder Salas in Resistencia.... and long story short, the bus broke and came almost 6 hours late.... So we just sat on a bench in the cold for 6 hours :) Then I slept all night on the bus and got to Resistencia Wednesday morning. Elder Salas was sweet. He talked about what it really means to be of the House of the Covenant and how nothing in the work of salvation is casual.  It really got me excited to start my last transfer... (This one)  and just do everything possible to help others come unto Christ. It's such a privilege I have in this moment in my life. Then we had another meeting Thursday with Elder Salas but this time in Formosa Capital. So we took another bus over there and the night before the meeting we had to go do a baptismal interview, but not just any interview, an interview in Gautani (the native language in Paraguay) obviously I don't speak that language but the Elder I was with Elder Gonzalez did. But the man who was going to be baptized was the Dad of Hno C, a baptism me and Elder Johnson had some 9 months ago... The Dads name is M, and he is 80 and he lived in Paraguay because he got really sick so his son is taking care of him and the Elders taught him and really wanted to be forgive and baptized :) so that was special for me. Then Thursday was another meeting. Then we took the bus back to Lomitas and worked all Friday and Saturday.  

Sunday church was great. we had an all time high attendance of 27 :) and 4 investigators came :) D (who is going to be baptized this week :) C, A, and N the sister of A. And then we headed back to Ibarreta to Skype...... so President Franco called me and told me that for my last 6 weeks I will be training a new elder :) I still have no idea who it is but we are going tonight to go and get him. so ya I'm pumped to just party it up this last transfer and just make the most of the time I have left. I love you all.

Elder Simmons