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

RESISTENCIA Week 2

Well another week has come and gone and it only goes by faster and faster...... I really cannot believe that this week I will complete 6 months in the mission. I feel like I just started. I also feel like I’ve hardly done anything hahaha I gotta get working. But I love every minute of it although my patience in being stretched like Laffy Taffy.

There are like 100 to 150 different churches in my area.... so that’s a little different than before. The people are more closed to our message you just have to work smarter. There are 10 in my district and 2 are the assistants to the president.  I  haven’t heard anything about the split of the mission but I know we are lacking missionaries right now.... in our zone there is like 18 or so.

I’m a lot busier now being the district and zone leader. I have like 5 minutes of free time. Mostly it’s just talking on the phone with other missionary’s answering questions and problems and also I give more talks for district meetings...

One of the lessons we taught this week was to a kid named Matias and after we explained he told us that wow that makes sense.  We shared the Book of Mormon and he said that he really does want to read it. We seta baptismal date and everything the only hard part is he is almost never home.

We still walk a ton hahahaha. But luckily there are buses here in Argentina that we use. I might have to get some shoes fixed hahaha. Our area right now (in comparison) is like from the hospital in Payson to Payson market and all the surrounding neighborhoods.... pretty big.

This week was really good.... We had counsel of leaders... a big meeting of all the Zone and District leaders in the mission where president talked to us. We are really focusing on Baptize, reactivate, and retain. There was a huge change in the numbers we use as missionaries. Well to me it’s big but to you.............. any ways. This morning I was buying stuff in the store and some random guy took a picture of me then said. My sister likes rubios.... then walked away hahaha so that new.  Shout out to my parents and their fantastic genes. We have been teaching our bums off here in Resistencia. You have to work intelligently here because the people are a little more rough and closed, but I love a good challenge. We got a few people to come out to church. One is going to get a divorce this week so he can get married so he can get baptized :) so we are working with him and his wife.... We have a good teaching pool but we have been literally talking with everyone. We have been trusting in the promise from our mission president when he told us there are people out there that are ready to accept our message and not just listen to it........ I think faith plays a bigger part in our lives than we think. The stripling warriors for example, they had so much faith that none of them died, even when the odds were greatly against them.. and none of them died.  I’m going to have lots of faith so I don’t die.... ;) really I have faith we will find the people that are prepared. Anyways love you all :)

Elder Simmons

RESISTENCIA

Well I got transferred from Clorinda to Resistencia. I had to say goodbye to Clorinda... I’ll admit it was pretty hard. But I’ll go where the Lord tells me. I’m going to miss some of the families there buuuuuttt I’ll see them in the celestial kingdom instead. 

Resistencia is on the opposite side of the mission and the opposite in size. Resistencia is a little smaller than Salt Lake but much hotter of course, and a lot more people to teach. Lots of things are different. I’m in a ward of like 100 people now with a bishop and everything. I’m also 2 blocks away from a super market and not 20 minutes and it’s a lot more people in our area...... but lots of them and Evangelists... and Catholics.... and they don’t want to change. But there are prepared people out there. I basically went from working in comparison to  Salem to right outside of Salt Lake City downtown.    We got white washed in with basically nothing. So we literally have been talking with everyone we see. I also have a new companion Elder Heaton. He’s a great guy and super humble. I’m learning lots. Sooo this week was pretty interesting because we got to our Apartment on Wednesday night, which was huge. And we were told we had to move Thursday morning.... But Thursday morning was the new year and there was absolutely no one in the streets....... until we found a guy with his horse and wagon.... So ya we moved everything from a random guy with his horse and wagon.... hahaha oh Argentina.

But at least it was pretty cheap :) and fun fact... this is the only year of my life 2015 where I’ll be a missionary for the whole year. So wish me luck........... Life is good, the sun is hot, and the gospel is true and I miss you. Wow shout out to my poetry. I’ve got to run because well I’m a missionary and I have a schedule.   I hope all of you have the greatest of days :)

Elder Simmons

yaaaaaaaaaaaaa christmassssssssssssss

Well the Christmas has come and gone with another great week of my mission. This week was really interesting because well we had to go back to the apartments early because of all the partying that goes on during the night.  We gathered up a bunch of fruit from the trees in the streets, limes and mangoes and we made smoothies until late into the night (or at least until we had to go to bed..... And I also bought a bunch of ice cream :) than other than that on Christmas we Skyped home which is always a good time and an emotional roller coaster... 

And then we also walked.............. a lot.

Christmas morning we walked my skype camera to the church for all the missionaries to use through the day and then headed out to a tiny neighborhood outside of our area, like a hour away from all civilization, to visit a less active and wow I have never been soooooo sweaty in my life.... Merry Christmas. No but really the feeling I had on Christmas was like none other. Serving the Lord felt soooo good and I wouldn’t have replaced it for anything. As for the work we are on a quest to find new investigators. They are out there... just like Martians.... but we just got to look hard and find them, and pray  a lot. This week is transfers and I have a funny feeling I’m going to leave this area.   We will see and that means that the trio is breaking up.... hahaha I learned lots from the trio.  Mostly how to share and patience.  I’m only a little way into my mission and the amount of things I have learned is more than I ever thought. 

 Love you. Read your scriptures. Count your blessings......

Elder Simmons

Christmas

Well here we are the week before Christmas. I don’t feel like it’s Christmas at all...... But hey I get to talk to my family this week sooooo woot woot. Anyways this week has been really interesting. I’m in a trio of missionaries. One missionary finished his mission a little early so Elder Vergara needed a companion for 2 weeks so here we are rocking the trio like candy. My other companion is Elder Vergara he is super chill and he has been helping me tons with my Spanish..... Because well he speaks it perfectly.  He’s from Spain so that’s cool. 

And a side note I was thinking that maybe some of you think that imp super super fat and it’s not true I’m just....... well filled in the empty spaces with cookies and stuff :) Anyways this week was really interesting because we have 2 areas.   We work 2 days in one Area and then switch. I am loving it!  It’s like a party all the time, never a dull moment. 

The work is good. We have been looking lots lately and trying to find new people to teach. And I have got to know a lot of new people from the other area too. Its interesting to see all of them in their quest for the salvation. We also had a Christmas choir yesterday and ya I sang. You have a problem with that??? and a drunk guy showed up and would yell after every song 'Amen' and ' How beautiful your voice' it was sad but also kind of funny. It really kept things lively. Other than that it’s been the usual. And I absolutely love it. Transfers are next week and that will really be interesting because I have quite a bit of time here in Clorinda sooooo we will see what happens.

Well it’s Christmas and that means lots of things. But if I could give a suggestion it would be hug someone you love. And also be thankful for Jesus Christ. With these two things will go a long way.  I’m going to hug my companions and Pray hard this Christmas.  Merry Christmas!!

ELDER SIMMONS

P.S.  This is a picture of a paper temple my old district leader gave to me

Dreaming of a White Christmas—

Wow this week was a dream. Also very very very hot but wow a dream :)

It was also the fastest week of my life. We had a baptism of the two

coolest kids in the world.

 Except for my brothers and sister they might be a little cooler. Elian and Luciana. I had the opportunity to baptize them.

Luciana bought a lil skirt for here baptism and Elian found a white shirt and tie to wear :´)

Everything went perfect. And the Branch was very helpful so what more can you ask for.  Yesterday they received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and became official members of the church... And wow I think I have been smiling for the last two days straight. The two kids are more converted to the church than me. They both want to be missionaries too.

On top of the baptism this week was also really good.

We worked our bum bums off. Actually that’s a lie, I’m gaining weight...... Well I’m gaining an extra layer of Spiritual protection I like to say :) Satan can’t get through my Testimony and a nice layer of cushion ;) I’m also getting a little more chest hair. Anyways that’s way of tract sorry.

I just love to work every single day gets better. This next week we are going to search like no ones else’s business to find more people that are ready to hear the gospel because I know they are out there.

This Christmas season we have to great opportunity to think about what Jesus did for us. And we can also reflect one what we did for Jesus this year.

And then the great thing is after Christmas we have New

Years and we have the great opportunity to set new goals and do better :) I’m pumped for this Christmas I think it will be the best on yet ............ read your scriptures because it’s good for you!

Love you all

Elder Simmons