something clever

Well another week and a really wet week.... Lots of rain which means lots of humidity, which means lots of sweat. It was a great week. Unfortunately no one made it out to church this week.  We had some really spiritual lessons. One was one morning I read the talk that Elder Ballard gave last spring about following up. It really hit home with me and I am dedicated to follow up better. We were talking with one of our investigators and he read 3 Nephi 11. We followed up  with him and he actually had some really great questions that obviously came from the spirit. And he opened up and accepted the invitation to be baptized. Also with G and E we are continuing to read the Book of Mormon with them and it really is working small changes and miracles in their lives..... E we had taught how to fast. She fasted for a 8 hours and told us that she could really feel the spirit stronger in her life. You know I learned a lot this week about how this really is the work of the Lord and that He has so much to do with it.  Sometimes we are too hardhearted to see it.   I have learned so much about patience in the last few transfers I've  gone from road ranger to someone that likes to watch Nascar. I hope that made sense. It did to me at least. This week we had divisions and I went with Elder Condori from Lima Peru... We found a less active person randomly just knocking doors. We read the Book of Mormon and then she came to church this week. I don't completely understand it but the Book of Mormon has the power to change lives. This week we also had our zone activity. We got together as a zone and we played a little basketball and ping pong. and I'm not afraid to say it that I've still got it. A few random facts for the fun of it...... Yesterday I found a kid in the street that had a Utah Jazz hat....... ya Utah jazz. After I picked up my jaw from the dirt road I told the kid I was from that state and we had a great little conversation about the gospel later. I also saw some old grown men getting drunk to the soundtrack of high school musical too. hahah I had to chuckle a little bit.  I thank everyone for their prayers and thank you for whoever fasted for me I could feel it so strong yesterday. The work marches on like a marching band. The church is true I really do not have any doubts of that and I'm so blessed to be serving here in Argentina. Love you all!

Elder Simmons

The Carnival

So this week we had to stay in the pench a lot because of the Carnival..... and then on Wednesday there was a giant riot in Resistencia.... so we were in the apartment a lot. It was the pits to tell you the truth. You know how in the summer the days were you don’t do anything and then after you realize you have been watching the TV or sleeping all day and you feel like the scum of the earth, that’s exactly how it feels when you have to stay in the apartment all day. I watched every church movie on earth.. But after Wednesday it was back to full days of work. We really focused of using the Book of Mormon this week and wow it works miracles.. I know it’s true. Elder Heaton and I decided with a few of our investigators to read the Book of Mormon with them every single day and see what happens... And we did that with two of our investigators G and E... and well it worked and then showed up to church. 

Those two are super funny and full of energy and will make great members of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints :) It’s their bird that pooped on me last week. And two more times this week.  Anyway we have been working hard with lots of people to come out to church but as soon as Sunday morning comes around everyone just wants to sleep.

 I was reading Jacob 5 I realized that the Lord really does work with us every single day and just wants us to come unto him and enjoy the blessing of eternal life. But we are just too stubborn to listen. You know I’ve only been on the mission for a short time but I’m eternally grateful for this opportunity to serve. It has opened my eyes to a whole new perspective. I’m so grateful to represent Jesus Christ and learn and live from his example and sacrifice. 

Love you all!

Elder Simmons

A Tucan pooped on my white shirt

Ladies and gentleman boys and girls.... Another week has come and gone.... This week was action pack to tell you the truth.. and it flew by. First off as you can tell by the subject of my Email a bird pooped on me. Wait a second now that I'm thinking about it.... two birds pooped on me this week. But as Spencer W Kimball once said.... ´No unhallowed hand (bird) can stop the work´ oh and there are these things here called Carpinchos (in thelargest rodent family--these  are the rodents of unusual size as seen in the movie Princess Bride). And they are the world's biggest rat. And I got to hold a baby one this week. And its sucked on my finger. So that was my encounters with mother nature this past week.

The second interesting thing that happend was I got robbed! We were walking down a street and there was still plenty of light when a guy came toward us and then pulled out like a 6 or 7 inch little knife dagger thingy. Then he came straight for me and told  me to give him my bag. So I willingly tossed it to him and we went our way. I didn't loose much. A book of Mormon and a bunch of pamphlets. the dudes going to be disappointed with what he found.... which is ironic because he found  salvation. I think the last time my heart beat that fast is when I had my first kiss.  When asked how scared he was his response was The same type of scenario has happened to me a thousand  times in video games.. so I was prepared.... No the truth is I just tossed him the bag without a second thought and then after my heart was beating out of my chest. It all happened so fast. It was like 3 seconds. A good story to tell my kids someday.    I do have to say that I really do know that the Lord protects us. I feel it very constantly in my mission.

 We also had Division this week with the Assistants to the president and the truth is they inspired me to be better. I realized I really can become such a better missionary and person. This week I finished reading the book of Mormon is Spanish again and no surprise it's still true. This time reading it through was a little more fun because well I actually understood it haha.   Unfortunately no one came to church again this week. It's sad and it's hard because we know what they are missing out on but we will continue to help them. Some people that we met this week are named Gxxx and Exxxx a couple that we met. They are super good people and really do have desires to change their lives they are just a little far from the church and just a tad bit busy. We have been contacting tons of people and trying to find the people that are prepared to hear our message.  I heard this last week that the two kids I baptized in my last area, their older brother was baptized and their mom is going to get baptized. I sure hope that she does because the kids need support and they want to be missionaries.  O wow if they go on a mission I'll cry :)  It reminds me that this really is the work of the Lord.

I am learning tons in this part of my mission especially how I can be a better missionary. You know something I really learned this week is that to secure our own salvation the best way to do it is to help people with there's. I mean look at the prophet, that man does not sleep but even just looking at him radiates a light and the spirit. Another example is Jesus Christ. All he did was serve and in doing that he was perfect. I am very grateful for this time in my life and I am so excited for the time I have here on this earth. I love you all and I hope you all have a great day. 

Love You

Elder Simmons

Week 30

Well here we are again, and once again I cannot believe another week has come and gone. I know I’ve said that a lot but it’s true. The time here isn’t real. I’m telling you it’s not. This was the last week of the transfer and well we worked hard. We also had consejo which is like a meeting of all the Zone leaders with the mission president. 

And we  watched Meet the Mormons, and ya I did cry, just a little bit..... 

http://meetthemormons.com/#/filter-all/page-1

This week we also had some more service. We went to one of the houses of our investigator Dani. Who lives on a river basically.

And we got our weed eaters (machete) out and mowed the weeds. 

After Vilma, the wife,... Made 72 empanadas :)  It was pretty fun.

  Yesterday was transfers and president changed transfers to Monday, so most likely every new transfer I won’t write you till Tuesday. I’m still in the same place with the same companion :)  Today is the second day of this new transfer and  Elder Heaton and I are ready to get back to work. I’m not going to lie it’s a little bit hard sometimes... don’t get me wrong I absolutely love it. But without struggle there would not be growth. For example the Salem hills soccer team.  We lost for 2 straight years. The third year we broke records. The same goes for the mission. We just have to trust the promises of the Lord because he always comes through. Today my trainer, Elder Harris, goes home.  Ladies he’s single and a returned missionary. But really a few of my heroes in this mission went home today after two years. They are such an example to me :)

(Elder Harris on the left)

One cool lesson we had this week was with a lady named Hope. She has been reading the Book of Mormon and she prayed to know if it’s true. She then opened up here bible to a random page and it said.. ´Be a Christian´ she took this as here answer.  I love what I do and I’m so blessed to be able to do it. I love you all.  You are in my prayers :)

Elder Simmons

Happy Birthday Dad!

I would like to start out by giving a shout out to my one and only earthly father.... Todd. Happy Birthday big man. You made it to fifty.  (In the following weeks email
 To Tanner: Dad turned 46.  I thought you were joking last week when you said 50.  He really turned 46  From Tanner:  hahahahahaha for some reason i thought he turned 50....... woops. But if dad still thinks it a joke we will run with that.)  And good luck with you midlife crisis.... No I’m kidding stay safe. :) Anyways another week that absolutely flew by. And another week with lots of work and lots of sun. 

This week started out really well, because well I cooked up some tacos...... oh ya. We had a baptismal interview in a little town outside of Resistencia.

So we went and stayed in the Apartment of the elders there. Its super fun to get to know all these new places that I have never seen before, and mostly likely won’t ever see again. We also had some divisions this week with some elders that work more in the Center of the city. And wow it’s soo interesting how the money engulfs people. We walked a ton and really didn’t find a lot of people to teach except a few less actives... In our own area the work is great. Although no one came to know the only true church in the entire world this Sunday. :( but it’s all good because I have the next few Sundays for the next 18 months. We met a girl named Hope. And she is the best. It’s like this lady that’s 60. She is really interested in the Book of Mormon and she told us she wants to be our grandma in the mission.... hahahaha. She washed all of our white shirts made us a cake and gave us a bunch of food. I have also met a few other people that really are super good people. Unfortunately they don’t always accept the gospel...... :( it breaks my heart... But you just keep working. Like it says it says in John 3:16 Jesus Christ didn’t come to condemn the world but help the one sinner repent. And that why I’m here doing just that. Anyways I love what I do and I’m learning sooooooooooooo much.

Love you all

Elder Simmons

Yo Sup Dude

Well another week has come and gone and the speed that they are coming and going really scares me. At this point Christmas is going to be in 3 hours. They say times fly’s when you’re having fun. So I guess you can say I’m having fun. This week was super well obviously fun. We had a few services. One of them I sat there and broke up bricks for like an hour.

Then the member gave us like 20 hamburgers and I swelled up like I was on Creatin. And for the other service we helped another member set up a pool and a little bit of shade for their pool. haha.

I also went on division again this week with an elder Fraiser... Super super fun. I met a guy that literally worships the United States..... he told me I’m a higher race because I was born in the united states of America. Gooo bald eagle.  Elder Heaton and I have been working our booties of trying to find people that are prepared. We continue to search. We have found a lot of great people it’s just that are a tad bit lazy and don’t want to come to church. You know I’ve learned a ton about patience out here. We are just going to keep working because well that’s what we do. And it’s ok with me if we are baptizing loads and loads of people because I know we are doing what the Lord asks. I’ve always thought that we are just tools in the Lords hands.... and tools don’t have eyes. And sometimes they don’t get to see the finished product of their work and you know I’m ok with that...... Ive accepted I’m a tool without eyeballs.

Anyways love you all :)

<3 Elder Simmons

6 Months

Well well well I’ve been out here in the big field of the mission for 6 moths this last Friday :) and you can bet your bippy I bought ice cream. And you can also bet your bippy that I was sick on that day. And you can still bet your bippy that I ate the whole gallon of ice cream while I was sick :) and I don’t even know what a bippy is. 

This week was also one of the fastest weeks of my mission... I’m not sure how or why it’s getting faster and faster every day but it kind of freaking me out... I really can believe that 6 months has already come and gone. Wow it’s been a great 6 months. 

 We have divisions every week one or two times a week super fun. I love getting to know the other areas and elders. My companion and I are both zone leaders and it is a zone of 3 districts. 

This week was pretty interesting. We had an emergency transfer in our zone because a few of the missionaries were sick and another tore his mcl so had to go home to get surgery.  Half of our zone is new hahaha.   Elder Heaton and I were running around making sure everything was ok. One of the elders in our zone is a mini missionary, and he only serves for 1 transfer. The dude is a convert of 7 moths and he’s a champion. It’s one of my favorite thing is to hear about the conversions stories of people so I always ask. I also had the chance to do my first baptismal interview for a kid named Wakin.... It was super fun. The kids is 8 years old and full of energy and light. I also went to his baptism :) Other than that we having been working lots with the less active people and we have literally been talking with everyone to find the people that are prepared to be taught the restored gospel, because we know they are out there :) 

Gotta  go clean the apartment but love you all :)

Elder Simmons