YUP

Well a stellar week. Wednesday and Thursday  Elder Vergara and I worked our bums off looking for new people to teach. And so we contacted a ton but we met a few great people that have some serious potential. Friday there was a baptismal interview in La Leonesa and so we traveled down there and I had the baptismal interview with a man named O. He told me his story of how he has changed and how one rainy day when he was having marriage problems he saw to kids in white shirt and tie and he called out to them for help... but since it was raining so hard that the missionaries didn't hear him. The very next day the missionaries just so happened to come straight to his door. He said  'it's as if they were sent from God´. This really is the Lords work and every single person that looks for the help from God in their lives will find it. I've seen this way to many times in my mission for it not to be true.  And on Saturday we ran a away from a few drunk people and had some stellar lessons with Brother D and we visited a man named Walter. And wow the members help soooooooooo much in the Mission work. So if the missionaries ask for your help... please help them :) And then Sunday.............. no one came to church.... It was hard and it honestly hurts me a little bit.. But the work goes on. 

So here we have another week to work and invite everyone to come unto Christ.. and we might have to move Apartments again because the one we have is getting overrun with mold.... And yup that's the life.

Shout out to Thacker... HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK.

Love Elder Simmons <3

6-16

Welp I’m still here in Rio Negro Resistencia.... Which I’m pretty happy about... and I have a new companion too! Elder Vergara from Spain.  Which I am also very happy about because he’s super smooth and we were kind of already companions like 6 months ago when I was in that trio for

2 weeks.. and you already know we are carry the Restored Gospel to thousands this transfer.... I’m exited.

As for this week it was nice.... We had basically a full week to work.  We found a guy named ----....
well actually he found us and asked us to go by his house... and since that doesn’t happen lots..  we

went by his house but he lives in one of the most dangerous parts of our mission... and we went with nothing but shirt tie pants and a Book of Mormon in our hands.  He was super happy and accepted to be Baptized.  Now we just have to help him overcome some problems.  S is still progressing. She is honestly an example of faith even though she has a boyfriend that is a  little more hard hearted.  When she prays she honestly talks with God.   Her prayers are so sincere. And also N accepted to be baptized.. but she doesn’t feel ready and also she needs to get married. So we have some good things

going on and my goal this transfer is to have even more faith than I’ve had in the past so that we really do see miracles. :) I’m excited for this transfer with Elder Vergara and I love being a missionary.

Buuuuut.... I got robbed again this week. Nothing valuable.... except the word of God that is sharper than a two edged sword. A dude came up behind me on his little scooter while I was walking in the

road and snatched my hand bag out of my hand and then drove off.... I was annoyed more than worried but I hope he reads the stuff that was in there it could help him out a little. I have officially lost

all of my scripture bags... so I’m rocking a first aid kit I found in our apartment. I dumped out the band aid and latex gloves and put my pamphlets and Book of Mormon in there which fits like a latex

glove......

Also.. while Elder Vergara was settling down he flipped over an extra mattress we found a toooonnnn of mold... so  we’re going to head back to the apartment this afternoon and just bleach down everything.

Well I’m healthy (I think) and happy and the mission is the best. Love you all and  S\O to my dad for being the best the world has ever seen.

Elder Simmons

What Up

Well this week was super fast just like every other week. 

Tuesday: we had consejo which is a huge meeting with like half the mission and we learned how to be better missionaries.

Wednesday: then we had another big meeting with everyone in our zone and we talked about the things we learned in consejo

Thursday: Divisions again.. in Las Palmas with and Elder Trotter... He's kind of a tool.... No just kidding he's a super cool kid... he's just watching me write this.

Friday: We had more divisions with Elder Bess... 

Saturday: The only day we were in the area, but we are looking new investigators like always and we talked with S. and we found a new investigator named N that is a girlfriend of a member and she loves the church so we have high hopes for her.

Saturday: Some of the other elders in the zone had a baptism after church and both S and N were there to see it...

And today all the elders in the zone got together and we ate some sausage... and ya well that's the life here in the mission field.

Transfer this week so we'll see what happens.

Lots of love

Elder Simmons

Yay Summer

Well this week was... fresh... It got down to be like 15 degrees Celsius which I just converted on the computer and equals about 60 degrees...... hahaha  ya well everyone this week was wrapped up in full on winter clothes and no one dared go outside. Except the two white kids that always wear a shirt and tie.... and they went out with a short sleeve shirt and enjoyed the nice weather... but it was a fun week.

One thing that happened that was just fabulous is we had a meeting with a mission leader here for the first time in over a year in our ward... YAY. that was solid. also we ate subway... again :) We also had a service project with some less actives in our ward. We moved about 3 tons of sand from the front yard to the back yard in less than an hour and a half with 5 little buckets. Pretty sure we broke some sort of high score with that acheivment. And then we headed to the little town like an hour away called La Leonesa because we had to bring to pass a few baptismal interviews.. we found some new people... some a little more receptive than the others... We kinda got told off on a believes by this one dude and he prayed for us that we could find the truth and not be confused.... but even with lessons like that I'm even more convinced that the restoration of the gospel in these latter days really did happen... we also met some stellar teenagers and a lady named M.

left to right

Elder Heaton, Elder Skouson, Elder Simmons, Elder LeBaron (all current or previous companions)

peeps from Utah

I've been thinking lately in what I can do to be a better missionary.  I'm set on improving my personal prayers every day and night. and that i really seek to obtain the spirit..... because that really is the trick to this missionary work. The spirit, and I figure it might be a trick for life.

Love to all and to all a good night.

Elder Simmons

Aca andamos

Well Hello there. This week was solid. With a little bit of rain. And

well we have been searching night a day in our area to find new people
to teach. Seems to be a common theme here in the Mission. We met a ton
of new less actives and all of them with the own specials obstacles
keeping them from going to church. Fun fact it's easier to never part
away than to go back. But we had one miracle this week we found a man
who is the son of a less active and is homeless and living with his
cousin and told us he more god in his life and luckily that is our
specialty.

Oh and don't worry my toe surgery #3 turned out great. and I'm on a fast
track to full recovery.

And I'm not going to lie I think my favorite part of the day might be
personal study. I absolutely love the scriptures. I'm feasting upon the
words of Christ and I'm getting spiritually chunky. But I like
spiritual chunkiness :)

We had a super stellar Family home evening this week were we blindfold
a person and they had to look for a candy that we hid in the house. and
the others in the room had to guide the person to that candy and we
watched the church video finding faith in Christ and we related the
two together.

And so we live in a little apartment complex and yesterday as we were
coming back at night from a long days work. we heard someone yell
`elders` and it turns out an elderly couple that are sealed in the
temple moved in right next door. Way to many Mormons in on apartment
complex if you ask me..... ;) we are preparing a baptism of E who
is the brother of E for the first week of June and so we are
excited about that.

But ya its all good down here and the work is going forward... little
by little :)

Love you all and happy summer :)

Temples

I want to start out by saying that temples are cool. This week down here in the Argentina the Cordoba temple was dedicated. The dedication was yesterday and was done by President Uchtdorf. I forgot about how much I miss the temple until yesterday. But the dedication really made me glad that we have temples.. And another fun fact... I have my 3rd in grown toenail of my mission. So I'm limping around until Wednesday when they will do all the dirty work. An ingrown toenail is just the side effects of working too dang hard.. also the side effect of being too dang humble..

Tanner with President and Sister Franco

As for the work this week, we had a giant meeting. Multi-Zone conference with president... and his son came from the United States and they brought a bunch of US goodies.. So that was fun. Then I had divisions in  a little city called La Leonesa with Elder Regelado.. And it was fun to work in a little town like that and get to meet some of the people there... This week we were looking lots for new people to teach. Well I guess I've been doing that my whole mission but especially this week. And we have been trying to get to know new less actives in our area to see if we can find any part member families and see if we can make them whole member families... we met a few and are teaching some of their kids. We also met a lady named M and she is super nice. We taught here about the Book of Mormon and she is going to pray to see if it's true... which it is.. and so we hope the best for her. We are still working hard with S so she can get baptized. We just need a little more cooperation from her boyfriend. One thing I've really learned on the mission is the importance of the family.. After being far far away from mine so long I've realized how much they have really helped me and a huge part of this life is finding and having your own family. that's one of the reasons that I'm so grateful for the temple that helps us make that family forever. I love representing Jesus Christ. It's a big responsibility. But it sure is fun

<3

Elder Simmons

The pillowcase in Tanner's birthday package that was mailed by his family in March.  It only took 2 months for him to receive.

Dother's May

Well happy Mother's day and another shout out to my mom cause well she the best and she's mine. So that brings us to the highlight of the week... Getting to skype home!!

 I'm not lying when I say that it was the fastest hour in my life.... I could talk to my family for hours but o well I have important things to do here in Argentina.

Another highlight of my week is that I totally got a belt made out of Iguana hahahahah. I'm planning on wearing it on all my first dates.... :) But ya we have been looking a lot still for new investigators... A little miracle happened this week as that we were in the Bus Terminal... and some random dude yelled ´Elder´  and you know if someone says the secret word elder you have to stop and talk to them... His name is L and he had talked to missionaries like 2 years ago and never got baptized and so he asked us to stop by his house.. We taught him and his wife and we shared mostly about the Book of Mormon.... Well because its suuuuppppperrr important in the missionary work.... If you didn't know, and they are going to pray for it... sooo it rained a lot this week too... which is nice because it's nice and cool but then again it's all muddy and soggy..... But that's just the way it goes.. I think that S is getting super close to her baptism and if everything goes good she will be baptized the end of this month.. So pray for her... We are also working with some less actives in the ward whose children aren't members yet... The work is good here in Argentina.

This week I had divisions with a new elder in our zone... but only has 2 transfers left.. The dude knows his stuff. We had a great talk about the Plan of Salvation and I'm just soooo glad that we have a knowledge of what we have to do to return and live with our heavenly father again. The plan is sooooo deep and so simple at the same time. I've realized the importance and the fragileness of the choices we make here on earth. I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful for the mission. I remember before the mission I didn't want to be that cliché missionary that always said  the mission goes by so fast  but I'm turning into that dude :(

Anyways peace

Elder Simmons