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

5-2-16

Sooo I got kind of got tired of the voice recording and I really wanted to just send a weekly message this week so here we go.

This week was honestly a roller coaster. A roller coaster that flies of the rail and crashes. Kind of. So Monday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday I was on divisions with an Elder Jauregui from Urugauy. It was actually really fun we ate out in restaurants a couple of times. We also found some sweet people and they are even married soo that is a blessing. We had a fabulous lesson with D and C. They are still progressing very well and D is going to be baptized next week :) and C is going to talk to her boyfriend about what type of future she wants. After we have been teaching the regulars who are all Progressing well too, like A. The B family and just little by little helping them get over a life time of obstacles. So this Thursday we found N.... we had heard that she had moved to Provincia San Luis but when in reality had only moved to The neighborhood San Luis (the same place as the church) so we got to talk to her and she expressed to us her experience and how God had helped her overcome the death of G, we invited her to be baptized this same week because she already had all the teaching and the baptismal interview all she needed was the water. And she said yes that's exactly what she needed.... So Saturday some less active people helped us out by picking us all up and taking us out to the River and doing the baptism. And back story it was cold this week. End of back story. So me and N got in the chilly water ready for the baptism dressed all in white (I changed in the bushes hahahaha) and I said the prayer and went to dunk her under and the coldness of the water surprised her and her arm didn't go under and part of her head. So as she came up I explained we would have to do it again..... But she started freaking out and crying, I tried to calm her and help her to do it again but she wasn't in a normal state of mind so I told her to do what she thought she needed to, so she got out of the water.. It was pretty sad but once again I have learned that I cannot convince anyone of the truth... But yesterday she came to church and shared her testimony and said she actually enjoyed and would love to try to be baptized again. We actually ended up calling President Franco to ask him what to do and if the baptism counted and he called up Salt Lake City and the answer came back to baptize her again.. so we are going to take a bus to Ibarreta so she can be baptized in the warm baptismal font there in a few weeks............... I was beating myself about it all Sunday but now I'm over it :)

That's was the interesting part of my week, also a drunk guy gave a soup that had Cow intestines in it and me and Elder Carrizales choked it down last night and I still don't have much of an appetite....... But ya.. That's about it, I learned sooooo much this week hahaha and I really do just love the heaven of the mission. And I'll see you guys on Sunday. Love you!!!!

4-25-16

Hello! Here I am in Eberetta Argentina.  I'm currently sitting on top of an air conditioner outside and it's nice and.....oh no I just got bird poop on my pants.  I'm sitting outside and it's nice and cold.  There's a big storm and it's cooled down.  3 days ago I was walking down the main road, preaching the gospel and then I saw this white stuff right in front of my face and then I looked down on my tie and it was bird poop.  Crappy hahaha.  Another good week, I didn't even step foot in my area until Thursday, we had a division.  Some Elders here in Iberetta were having baptisms and I'm district leader so I had to interview them.  That was really fun, we walked a ton.  The 2 people that got baptized were actually Indians.  There's Indian tribes in this part of Argentina and they live 45 minutes from the city.  It would be walking the road from our house past the hospital to Salem, nice and long on a dirt road.  They have a little church there so that was fun. 

Wednesday we received some bad news that G passed away.  He'd been sick for 2-3 weeks and he had an appendicitis and he couldn't recover from it.  He was only 22.  The week he got sick was the same week that he was going to get married which is really sad but I guess that's how it was supposed to be.  N (his girlfriend) disappeared, we heard that she went to a different providence called San Luis.  That was really sad but we know that Jesus Christ overcame death.  

We did some service this week, we went over to a less active member and we painted her daughter's room.  We put the first coat on and we'll put the next coat on this week.  It's cold here 55 degrees.  We were talking with some other Elders from Utah and when it's 55 degrees outside people are outside in shorts and sun tanning but here it feels cold.

We had a really good week.  This week we worked a lot.  We are working hard with Alfredo.  We found some new people name Sand V, they are sweet, they always give us food.  We went to some member and taught them.  Dora and Catalina are doing good,  Dora is going to get baptized in 3 weeks.  She wants to get baptized the same week as her birthday so we can't tell her no.  We're also working with this guy name Arion, he had us over for a BBQ yesterday.  The work is good, I really do love it and I love you guys too.

4-18-16

Just so you guys know I've been trying to record this for 20 minutes and having technical difficulties so you guys are lucky that I love you because this is the fourth time I've recorded and my patience is being tried.  Just kidding anyway here we are again, Monday was my birthday, 20 years old.  The grey hairs are coming in and I'm starting to bald a little bit.  Not really, just kidding! 

For my birthday we wrote home and some members gave us lunch, we had empanadas.  In the afternoon was a short nap.  Elder Carrizales gave me a jersey, I bought myself a corbota and some other members gave me a shirt so it was actually a sweet birthday.  Last year  I had a baptism on my birthday so that's hard to compare.  Tuesday was Eli's birthday so happy birthday Eli I hope you had a great birthday.  I hope you love being 11.  Eli probably has gray hair and balding.  Probably has chest hair, gross!  Just kidding Eli.  Really I hope you had a great birthday.

Tuesday was  my companions birthday so we partied hard and taught the gospel.  Wednesday we had interview with President Franco so we went clear to Formosa capital.  We went in this van that hardly had room for my knees and we left at 5AM.  But that's OK it's all good and it was fun.  Saturday our group leader called us because his wife had to get her gall bladder taken out and he thought she'd be out of the hospital but she is still in the hospital in another town for 2 weeks.    He called because he wasn't going to be home and we couldn't have church at his house.  We had to ask some other members to let us borrow their yard for church.  We had church under a tree in their yard in the shade.  It was actually really fun.  We had to find all the chairs possible and made benches out of some old tires and some wood.  We had 19 people come to church and 3 investigators.  It was actually very successful  even though it was very impromptu it turned out very well.  While I was giving my talk a guy pulled out a chain saw and started cutting down a tree.  What are you going to do?  I just spoke really loud.  Luckily he didn't cut too much.

This week we found a lot of great people, some very prepared people.  We found a girl named E and also found a guy named S and his girlfriend.  I'm really excited  that we get to teach them and hopefully baptize them.  I've been thinking I need to baptize these people before I go home.  I really hope I finish my mission here in Los Lomitas.  I just like it so much, even though it's really hot here, I just love it.

That's it for the work.  This last 3 weeks has been a little rough, random things have happened that are out of our control but my companion and I are just learning to trust in the Lord's timing.  We realize that it's all in his hands.  We work hard every week so these people can get baptized but it's up to them and it's up to the Lord.  I've learned to trust Him a little more because sometimes there's nothing else you can do but wait patiently.

I love you guys tons, I hope you have a great week, bye!

4-11-16 Tanner's 20th Birthday

So yup I'm 20.... I guess...... i don't feel like I'm 20 at all.  I got myself a birthday present.   I asked this guy that works with crocodile leather to make dad  and I  some matching crocodile belts. I figure it should really help with the intimidation factor when dad is interviewing  prospective missionaries ;)  People say that there are lots of crocodiles here but I honestly haven't seen any.. we met another guy that works with snake and crocodile leather and he just gets all his leather from the road kill he finds.

I'm doing good. I'm not going to lie the end is harder than I thought it was going to be. I just don't like being idle... because that's when i start thinking about how... I just like being out in the street working because there is trouble free... But I'm doing good. The investigators are all doing great, although we are not having tons of baptism we have been able to help a lot of people get to know the church and with time they will be baptized...

I'm just happy as can be.  Tomorrow is my companions birthday and we are going to go up to Ibarreta and we might go to a restaurant or have a barbecue or something like that.. But today like 6 people invited us over to eat food for my birthday sooooo we are just going to stuff ourselves with food.

Love you and talk to you next week.

4-4-16

Hello, how is it going?  I hope Puerto Rico is as fun as the pictures look and I hope Utah is fun I hope that spring break is fun for everyone.  I'll be here enjoying the Las Lomitas sun and the investigators.  It's much better that Utah or Puerto Rico!  We had some divisions this week.  I went on divisions with Elder Henderson from Provo Utah.  We did a baptismal interview for Norma.  It went good, she passed the interview.  What happened is we didn't have the baptism because she didn't get married.  We had messed up on the papers.  The civil register told us to come back on Friday to get married but it turned out we had to come back on Friday for an appointment for them to get married.  Hopefully the marriage will be Wednesday or Thursday this week and the baptism this week.  No drama here.

My companion got sick but he's better now.  We stayed in the pension Friday.  An Elder had a book called the Infinite Atonement by Elder Callister.  It's really good so I stayed in the pension all day and read about the atonement of Jesus Christ which is always sweet.  Saturday we were pumped for conference.  About a month ago we had called a member to come and fix our satellite in Las Lomitas so we could watch general conference.  As everyone does, even I am guilty the member procrastinated until Saturday morning at 1AM and he couldn't find the signal.  He left without telling us that he couldn't find the signal.  So we got to the house about 12:45 and I'd bought some candy and had my notebook ready for conference.  We show up and tried setting it up and it didn't work so we called the Hermano to see if there was a secret to get it to work.  And he told us it didn't work.  So we sadly walked back to our pension.  It was really sad to know conference was going on and we couldn't even watch it.  Plus this whole time we have problems with our phone.  For some reason for 2 or 3 days at a time we don't have signal.  So we have no communication at times with anyone.  We used a member phone to call our zone leaders and let them know and they told us to come to Iberetta so we got on a bus to Iberetta and we got there in time for the priesthood session.  We stayed overnight and watched all the sessions Sunday which were really good.  We're just going to download the sessions from Saturday so we can watch and also all the members can watch.

That was the adventure this week.  In Las Lomitas even though they couldn't watch conference they had a normal sacrament meeting and we had 5 investigators show up even though we weren't there.  Alfredo went to church for the first time and is progressing good.  Another lady we don't really know showed up.  She's a family member of a member so we are going to teach her.  The work is going really good.  We found another possibility for a church, we just have to go take some pictures of it.

Today is really hot again, nothing new there.  I cut my hair.  Anyway that it is about it from Iberetta Argentina on this fourth of April.  My birthday is next week and Eli's birthday is next week.  I hope you have a big cake for me.  Love you guys, have a great week in Puerto Rico and Utah.

3-29-16

Easter was fabulous, definitely centered on Jesus Christ.   It was a very special Easter and was soooo easy to testify of Jesus Christ and it was always powerful, definately an Easter to remember.  I'm still in Las Lomitas with Elder Carrizales and we're going to watch conference in the house of a member family in Spanish so that should be a party.

Small world that you got to meet Elder Heaton.

 I'm just chillin here in the secretary office writing home.   Lessons are going good here. N, if everything goes as planned will be baptized this Saturday, pray lots cause everything has to go well with the marriage.

The weather has been pretty nice but it's starting to heat up again.  I have to admit that it is a relief that I won't have to spend another summer here in Argentina.  It was a good experience while it's lasted but soooo hot.  Fall officially started here about 2 weeks ago.  I'm so glad that nothing changed this transfer, I'm hoping to finish her, I really like Las Lomitas.    I'm just going to do my best while I'm here,  I really like this last home stretch because I just feel so excited for the future.

3-21-16

Hello family how is it going?  What's up, another week, it's very rainy here in Iberetta.  Last p-day the Elders called and said President Franco is going to come to church in your area next Sunday.  We don't have very many chairs at church so we decided we'd take 9 chairs from Iberetta to Las Lomitas.  We strapped 3 sets of 3 chairs with tape and we carried them back to the pension.  We walked about a half a mile with chairs on our head, and it was hot!  We spent the night at district meeting and then after the meetings, about 2:30 in the afternoon, we took the chairs up to the terminal.  We are already weird enough being white missionaries in Argentina and now we are walking around with chairs on our heads because that's the only way we had to carry them.  We get to the bus stop and they'd blocked the highway.  What happens when people get mad here and they want the government to take action the people will close down the main highways so no one can get by until they get what they want.  Last week they'd done this so the highway was shut down so we couldn't get back to Las Lomitas.  So we stayed Tuesday and worked here and then Wednesday morning we went back to Las Lomitas and took the chairs with us. 

You probably saw the pictures of the cow.  There was a girl having her Quinceanera party when she turns 15.  Her family had bought a whole cow and they were cutting it up for a BBQ.  

Saturday it rained so President Franco couldn't come to the meetings on Sunday.  So sadly he didn't come but hopefully he'll come next month.

The church building that we found has been rented to someone else.  We told President and he wasn't very happy but we'll start looking for another one and we'll see what happens.

This week we found a new couple named M and A.  M is a member and A is the son of some less active people.  A is gold, the first lesson he accepted a baptismal date and he's solid.  We are still teaching G and N.  They gave us their ID and tomorrow when we go to Formosa, because of my ingrown toenail, we'll take their IDs and get their birth certificates so they can get married, maybe in a couple of weeks.  D and C are doing good, D accepted a baptismal date for the beginning of May, kind of far but that's what she wanted.  C still needs to get married.  After that we are talking to R who also accepted a baptismal date.

That's about it, love you guys.  Have a great week, Ciao.