Autumn Weather!

Good afternoon!

Last week we went down to Posadas for consejo. Tuesday morning we were sitting in the chapel waiting for the consejo to start when Pres. LaPierre and the asistentes walked in. President informed us that he had had the strong impression that we needed to go and have consejo somewhere else for the day. So we all traveled the hour over to La Cruz in Santa Ana, Argentina. We had our consejo in the conference room, and when we ended we had about an hour to walk around and see everything. It was BEAUTIFUL. There was a strong spirit of peace there. The Cruz is a huge cross, and it is set in the middle of a lot of wooded area. So it is kind of like a nature reserve.

Well, I guess it`s about time that something else crazy and wacky happens here. After consejo we all boarded the colectivo to travel back to Ciudad del Este. As we got on the bus, I heard a man saying "norteamericano! mis amigos los norteamericanos!" ("north americans! My friends the north americans!"). An older gentleman had gotten himself miserably drunk and then decided to travel in the public colectivo. Awesome. haha. Apparently he had done this before and he recognized some of the Elders from when he traveled Sunday night on colectivo.

Anyway, he talked to Elder Roberts and Elder Thomas a LOT. I can`t remember about what, I just remember that he could hardly get a comprehensible sentence out of his mouth, and he couldn`t stand still. When he saw me sitting in the back of the colectivo he shouted out "Rubias!" ("blonde girls!"). And then he started trying to invite me to sit with him and share his beer. Yep. So the Elders told him that I didn`t speak Spanish. But that didn`t stop him. He squared his shoulders and shouted out "MADAM! Madam!" Apparently someone had taught him a little English. I tried not to burst out laughing, but I couldn`t hold in the giggles. The poor man thought he had said it wrong so he asked the Elders "Did I say it alright?" They told him that sorry, but she doesn`t speak spanish either. They told him I speak German.

That quieted him down for about a minute as he gazed in intense thought at the floor. Then he got that "lightbulb moment" look on his face, turned to me and said "Buen da!" Just so you know, that is not actually German. When I didn`t respond, he defeatedly walked back to his seat. Later, when the man got up to go to the bathroom, the conductor locked him in the bathroom, threw all his beer cans out the window, and then let him back out. The rest of the trip was pretty routine.

I love this scripture!

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:22

Jesus Christ is our Savior. He alone can save us. Not money, not friends, not our ancestors, not any other idol or anything else. Only Jesus Christ. He is our Mediator with our Heavenly Father. Through baptism we accept Christ as our Savior and can access His divine grace.

I love you all!

Hermana Simmons

I got to see some of the Elders and Sisters from my old zone!

Me, Hermana Garcia, Elder Collins, Elder Prince, and Elder Graves

We went to the Cruz in Santa Ana, Argentina. It is a huge cross, tourist attraction, nature park area. There were lots of pretty walkways and even a butterfly exhibit.

The cross in Santa Ana

On the 9th floor (there are a lot, but that's the highest we could go without paying anything)

hey hey hey

We are at the first of the month again, so that means consejo (counsel/training?). And that means not much time to write. Thanks for all the letters, I`ll try to respond to y'all next week. 

This week we met a 14 year old named Maria. She has had a rough past. And when I say rough I'm not talking about "Mean Girls" bullying status, I'm talking about full on Les Mis tragedy. In the past year of her life she has kind of passed through a living hell. I admire her courage and her hope for the future. She wants to learn about Christ, and she came to church on Sunday. She could feel the love of the members and the peaceful spirit there, and she told us that she would like to be invited to every single activity that there is. We are going to keep visiting her :)

I'm so glad for the opportunity we have every month to fast as a church! I feel that God blesses me so much when I fast with a strong purpose and a willing heart. He can soften hearts, answer prayers, and bless us even more.

I love this scripture talking about the second coming!

"The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel." (Joel 3:16)

God is mighty! He is the source of all hope and strength.

I love you all! Have a great week.

Hermana Simmons

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P.S.  Yeah, the longer I`m out here, the more grateful I am for the family that God gave me... The family is so important and central to individual and societal well-being.

This Sunday I was sitting in the Fast and Testimony meeting. One of the young women got up and began to bear her testimony. I recognized her and know that she has been passing through some really tough times lately. I was super glad that she was bearing her testimony because I thought "This is great, this will help our investigator who arrived at church today. She is passing through similar trials."

Then I looked behind the girl bearing her testimony and saw the bishop. Last year he and his wife lost their two year old son to cancer and also the bishop`s father died pretty soon after. It came to me that this testimony could probably help him too. I also remembered two people that had also passed to the front to share their testimonies. An older lady with lots of health problems, and a man who was shot in the spine while working as security (he now has to fix shoes for a living and can't walk- he has a wheelchair).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is so full of brokenness. Broken people, broken families, people from a broken past. Some people have their problems more apparent than others, but everyone has in some way or another been deeply hurt by injustices in life. The people at church are not there because they think they are perfect. They keep going to church because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the only thing that keeps them going at all. In the Church of Jesus Christ we have all found healing. Christ completes and mends us.

Sometimes we think that the only people who need help are the ones we can see need help. But we all depend on Christ. We are all completely helpless and broken without the healing grace of Jesus Christ.

It`s easy to compare our sufferings or weaknesses with others, but in the end it does no good. We all need the strengthening that can come from a testimony, from a helping hand. The atonement is not just reserved for some; it is given to all.

Little Victories!

Last week we got to see some of the fruits of all our work here! woohoo :)

One of our investigator's, Miguel, has started coming to church regularly. He feels that this is the right path for him, but his obstacle is his grandmother. She is very Catholic and doesn't allow him to go to our ward in the morning. So what he has been doing is attend the Minga Guazu Branch later in the afternoon. We have been working with him pretty slowly because we want him to not feel pressure from us at all, we just want him to feel like he has a personal relationship with God and that Heavenly Father will answer his prayer. We're hoping that he can find a job soon so he can move out of his grandmother's house. That way he'd be able to go to church and still maintain a good relationship with her.

Also, working with the less actives can be a little interesting. We always need to remember that everyone is unique and has their own story. Lots of times they still have very strong testimonies, but they have lost their motivation to endure to the end. Last week we got to see one family we visit come to sacrament meeting, and one young man we work with went to stake conference! Heavenly Father loves all of His children and He is mindful of where they all are and the challenges they are going through.

Elder Viñas from the Area Presidency came down to visit the mission this past Friday. He spoke about the importance of the Holy Ghost. He also reminded us to take the sacrament very seriously and to teach our investigators the same. If we are not making time either Saturday night or Sunday morning to reflect on the week and repent (specifically confessing our sins to God), then we are not taking advantage of the sacrament the way God intends us to do so. The sacrament is a sacred renewal where we witness to God that we want to be obedient.

"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Doctrine and Covenants 6:36

I know that when we remember Jesus Christ, we will remember His love and His power. He can do all, He can help us be all that we are destined to be. By relying upon Him, He can lift us higher. I testify of this and of His infinite love. When we have Christ as the center of our lives we do not need to be afraid or discouraged. And if we do feel like that at times, we can always turn to Him and ask for Him to take those feelings away. That is what the atonement can do for us.

I love you all and have a great week!

Hermana Simmons

Here is a photo of a multi-zone conference we had with Elder Viñas last Friday. I played an arrangement of Come Follow Me. This was with the zones Pora, Ciudad del Este, and La Paloma.  (Elise is front row, 5th from the left)

It's a Beautiful Day

Hello!

Last week was a little interesting. Okay, that's a strange way to start, considering every week is "interesting" out here. Anyway, lots of the new Elders and Sisters arrived in the mission so we have been kind of busy trying to help everyone adjust and learn the rules and feel comfortable and happy. I´m not training, but in my zone we have three new sisters. I feel like we are all on edge trying to make sure everyone is all right and adjusting well.

I don't know why, but last week we had a lot of appointments fall through and a lot of investigadors we had to drop- people are not progressing, nobody was ever home, etc... It was a little discouraging. On Friday I really felt upset and was frustrated with myself, my companion, the area, everything. What was even more frustrating was knowing that it's not my fault or my companion´s fault, or anyone's fault for that matter. We can do our best to invite the Spirit, we can have powerful lessons, but in the end, our investigator's have their own moral agency. They can choose whether or not to accept this Gospel. Or maybe now just isn't their time.

Anyway, I was feeling pretty discouraged, so I started reading one of the old General Conference Liahona's. I absolutely loved the talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthling called "The Abundant Life." I can't summarize it very well, but I hope you all go read it. It talks about our potential, and the potential of all God's children. It also mentioned that Jesus Christ is the source of all energy, hope, happiness, etc... When I finished the talk, it came to my mind that I needed to say a prayer and ask for help. So I kneeled down and asked Father to strengthen me both physically and spiritually so that I could make it through the day. I can´t describe it very well, but the second I stood up from saying the prayer I felt ENERGIZED. I felt so happy! It was a 180 degree change from how I had felt before saying the prayer. This has happened before in my mission, but not to such a quick and drastic degree.

John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

I know that Jesus Christ is the source of the water that "springs" up to everlasting life. He is the source of all light and energy- literally! If we turn to Him, He can help us change! He can strengthen us in whichever way we need strengthening! I love Him and my Heavenly Father so much!

I´ll try to have some cool stories or pictures next week.

Love you all!

Hermana Simmons

ps- congratulations to Alair! Woohoo! My little sister is a high school grad!

A Little Stir Crazy

The inevitable finally happened. The members have been talking about it forever, and lots of contacts we make eventually come back to this- DENGUE. Hermana Moreno had had a fever and headache for about three days when we finally convinced her to go to the nearby clinic and get her blood tested. Yep, she has dengue. There’s no cure, you just have to rest and drink tons of water for about a week and then it will go away. We have been in the pension since Thursday. We have all been going a little crazy with so much free time. There’s only so much studying and sleeping a person can do. Thankfully with three Sisters in the apartment it is a little more fun. Tomorrow we will visit the doctor again, and hopefully the results will be good.

The upside to all this is that Hermana Moreno couldn’t have chosen a better time to be sick. Thursday was Paraguay’s independence day, Friday was their Mother’s Day, Saturday and Sunday are always slow anyways, and Monday is P-day. It’s one of God’s many tender mercies. If we are inside for a week, at least we were inside on days when most people don’t want to listen to us. Maybe we don’t understand why my companion got sick, but God won’t let it interrupt this work. Doctrine and Covenants 3:3 "Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men."

I love you all!

Hermana Simmons

ps- we found out about transfers today. Hermana Moreno and I are staying together here, and Hermana Murphy (our companion for the past week and a half) will be training a brand new missionary in her same area. So all four of us will be together in this ward still!

Happy Mom`s Day!

Short email this week.

It was fun to be able to see the family on Skype yesterday; I’m glad that that technology exists!

We are now working in a trio, because one of the sisters working here finished her mission two weeks before transfers. So Hna Murphy is just going to stay with Hna Moreno and I until the transfers come and she can get a new companion.

your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God

1 Corinthians 2:5

I know God calls on imperfect people to carry out His plans. But as we depend on Him and trust in His judgment, we will recognize that He helps us fulfill His purposes. And we will also be patient as we recognize that other people are just doing the best they can with the talents and weaknesses that they have as well. I love my weaknesses because they make me depend more upon my Savior and recognize His love and mercy in my life. They might not be all that fun, but in the end they help us come closer to Christ.

Love you all! Have a great week.

Sister Simmons

Letting the Spirit guide...

Miracle of the Week: Another sister missionary asked us if we had ever visited a man named Alcides who had stopped coming to church for a while. We said now, and asked where he lived. She didn't know how to explain it exactly, but she told us that a family we visit often should know. We went to this family and asked them, but only the wife was home and she said she didn't know where he lived. All she knew was that "He lives over THERE, way way back at the end of the street. I think." Great. 

So we started down the street, and after 4 or 5 blocks we started clapping at doors, asking people if they knew this man. Nobody had even heard of him. We kept walking. We didn't know if he lived on this street or on a smaller street that connected to this main road. We were out looking for about half an hour without any luck, but we really felt like we shouldn't give up. Finally we decided to stop trying to ask directions from the neighbors and just walk for a bit. 

We walked all the way to where the road ended, and then we took a turnoff. Then we walked all the way to the end of THAT street and we saw three paths in front of us, all leading to different neighborhoods. We decided to talk the smallest street first and so we walked all the way to the end of that street. The last house we found we asked the lady outside if she knew a man named Alicdes. She looked at us for a second and then said, "Well, yes. He's my neighbor. He lives right across the street!" Without any other help than God's gentle guidance, we had walked for about 15 minutes and ended up right at his house! When we started talking with Alcides, he informed us that that morning he had felt to pull out his scriptures and prepare the house because the sister missionaries were going to come over. And there we were! This man thought that God had forgotten about him, but we were able to share with him that God loves all His children.

As a mission we are working on finding people who are ready to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even though I love working with less actives and members, this week my companion and I are really going to walk and talk and work with everyone we can to try to find the people that God has prepared to accept the gospel now. Lots of people we teach feel the Spirit and say that they know they should ask God if our message is true. Their obstacle? They are too afraid to change religions. I have literally had people tell me that they know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, but they don't feel prepared to leave their own congregation. Argh! It's so sad! They don't understand that the restored gospel of Jesus Christ offers lasting happiness, peace, comfort, support, joy, and purpose! God`s invitation for us to repent and be baptized isn't an invitation to leave behind happiness and start a life of drudgery and sadness. It's an invitation to healing! An invitation to living with Him eternally!

"13 will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?  14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.  22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved." 3 Nephi 9:13, 14, 21, 22

I know Christ lives! He is the Son of God and our Savior! I know Heavenly Father lives! His plan is that we can repent and return to Him through Jesus Christ! They know and love us individually. All we have to do is choose to follow them.

Have a great week!

Hermana Simmons

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HLC- hermana lider capacitadora, or sister training leader

Yeah, even as a mission we are trying to think of ways we can better sanctify Sunday. Out here, teaching the Sabbath Day lesson so many times, it kind of hit me how dumb it was that before the mission I considered sitting in bed watching Netflix an appropriate Sunday activity haha. Good thing there is the repentance process :)

love you!