Make every minute count

Hey mom!

So first about transfers! Elder Vaitai is getting transferred to actually be with Elder Bowerman. So that is kinda sweet. I will be getting Elder Solomon from Idaho. I went street contacting with him on his first day on the mission when I was a ZL down in Antelope. Good stuff. I'm excited for it. We are going to work our tails off but I will miss my crazy Tongan companion. He will have a good time up north though. 

So I have 6 more weeks. That is just unreal to me, it is just scary but makes me realize the time I have left is so precious. I need to make every minute count. I do not want any regrets! None at all. Last week I was defining the word "regret" to Elder Vaitai because his English isn't perfect yet so he still doesn't know a couple words. It is always fun explaining stuff to him. Like last night I explained "red neck" to him. Good times. But anyway I was defining regret to him and while I was defining and thinking about it I was like "wow I do not want to have any regrets from my mission". If I do I will think about them for the rest of my life. I don't want that! 

Anyway another slow week but things are going to be changing around here, I can smell it in the wind. Can't you? It is just so hard to find the people to teach. We got a little more area to cover though, we are taking some of the Alta Sierra ward and half covering it with sisters which will be...weird. They are so many sisters that they double cover wards now. Luckily we get all of Lake Of the Pines to ourselves. 

Wasn't Easter nice? What a special time we have to reflect on the Savior and His life. It was amazing to partake of the Sacrament and realize that our Savior has done so much for us and through His resurrection we can be saved in the Kingdom of God. We are so blessed! 

This week is going to be crazy. It will probably fly by but oh well! Our new district has 12 missionaries in it. That is crazy. It will be good though. Thank you for everything you do! I have to go but remember the Church is true and don't forget to listen to conference. It can change your life, only if you let it though. I love you!

Elder Simons

The Road to Damascus

The week has been good, not too much to report. Haven't been able to meet with our investigator for about two weeks. I want to teach him again so bad. He is close to baptism, I know it. They went out of town for a bit.

We are still having great success in the less-active lesson area. I enjoy teaching them so much. In my first area I felt bad because I didn't think I was truly fulfilling my purpose by just teaching so many less-actives but something that our president said really hit me hard: "I don't think the Lord sees someone getting baptized and someone returning into full activity really any different". It is the work of the Lord. We are building up His Kingdom. I'm amazed I have been called to this mighty work. In such an amazing time as well. The Lord truly is hastening His work. I have never seen so much focus on missionary work ever. Seems like a lot of the general conference stuff and Ensign things are discussing missionary work. Must be important I guess!

This week has been a humbling week for sure. I have been pondering some more things that I would like to put on here so again hopefully you are okay with another random tangent. I have been reading in Acts for the past couple weeks. Really trying to picture all of these events that happened in my head. And I came to Saul. He was a part of the killing of Stephen. He was a bad dude, he received permission to put Christians in prison for believing in Christ. Then of course on the road to Damascus he was visited by the Savior himself. An evil vessel was visited by the Lord and his life was changed forever. He was a completely changed person. That was because of Jesus Christ. He had a completely different view on the world and then, from then on preached the word of God. I also think of Alma the younger and his conversion and other people as well that have had a change of heart. I know that this gospel has the power to change everyone in the world's life. It is through the Atonement that we receive this change. We must accept it and apply it in our life. God will never force us to use His Son's sacrifice because He respects our agency so much. But when we follow the words of the Savior we come unto Him and accept His life and Atonement. This gospel and changed my heart and my desires to wanting more of what God wants for me. I'm not perfect yet and I still need to do some major work in changing my complete will to His. 

We are teaching this less-active lady and it has been one of the most inspiring experiences on my missions. When we first were teaching her she was pretty so-so about things but after she started to exercise faith everything started working for her. She slowly had that change of heart. She now is repenting and doing things to build her testimony everyday. Just by talking to her you can tell that she gave her heart to the Savior so He could change it. And He did as He always will. This lady's change of heart wasn't like Saul/Pauls, she never went blind but I still consider it a miracle. Because it is nothing short of one. I just love talking to her and listening to her talk about her road to the Savior. She is now doing her own missionary work and doing great things. It is just so exciting. 

Well I better go! I love you all

Quick Christmas Eve message

Hey mom it is good to hear from you. I'm so excited to talk to you all. It will be at ten or eleven tomorrow morning. So be ready. 

I'm going to make this email fairly short but I finished the Book of Mormon. It was so amazing. It really has changed me. I have such a different view and testimony on the Book. I'm so thankful for President Weston and the revelation he received to implement this in our mission. I love the Book of Mormon and I'm so grateful that I get the chance everyday to spread it and teach others of it. And to help others come to true knowledge of their and my Savior. I feel that this will be my favorite calling throughout my life. 

I'm thankful we have this sacred time to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him we would all be lost because of the Fall. I know that we cannot return to God's presence except by and through the redeeming blood of the Son. I'm eternally grateful that I have the blessing of being able to share this wonderful saving news. 

Well I better get running. 

I love you!

Snow in Redding

Hey Mom,

So its funny that you talked about opening presents early. And yes I did but this year I won't. I remember when I was kid I would always go and find the presents and very carefully pull the tape back and look at my presents. I did that for a couple years. I got pretty good at it actually. Yeah I was a bad kid I know but I feel like I should confess now as opposed to when I'm home. I think I did that because I wanted to be able to focus on Christmas on the most important things, not presents. [ya, right!....] I was such a bad kid.

So our YSA investigator got baptized on Saturday. Such an amazing experience. After she said to us that should wouldn't have been here if it weren't for us. I thought about that for a bit and replied that no, I think that if any missionaries were there she would have been baptized. Which is so true and so humbling. The Lord needed her in His church so He called her and she responded and then in turn was baptized by the Priesthood of God. It is so wonderful to see God's hand work His mighty miracles. She is truly a miracle. She is such a light to everyone that knows her and I'm excited to see her grow and progress in the Gospel. 

On another note, an investigator from my old area got baptized as well. I heard it took him three times to get under. I wasn't able to go, which was too bad, but that is how life goes. 

Life other than that is amazing. I'm loving life right now. It snowed up here on Saturday. It was so awesome it reminded me of good old Utah. 

snow in Redding

I'm excited for Christmas. It will be a good day to just relax and take it easy. I love Christmas time. It is frustrating though because this time has been given to us to take it easy and reflect and ponder on the blessing that Christ is in our life but yet we still make it the busiest time of the year. Why is that? I don't even think there really is an answer but that's okay. 

I love life though. I have to go but thanks for all the prayers!

Mushrooms the size of California

So this week was a good one. We had some weird things happen but that is okay. So first we got a text from one of our legit investigators in our family ward that was going to be baptized soon. And he said he was going to have suspend his Mormon studies. That was bad. It was really hard for us to hear that and deal with it, because he is so ready and willing to do what the Lord wants. We just boiled it down to the fact that maybe we just are not "his" missionaries. That's okay, just as long as eventually he is baptized into the true church. 

Also the YSA girl is doing good. She wanted to postpone her baptism so we are pushing it back and still working on a date. We will let you know when the date is. But she is still happy and doing good. 

So something crazy happened. we were driving to the church on Wednesday I think it was (it was really windy, 50 mph wind gusts, and it was also pretty rainy) and all of a sudden we hear this motorcycle revving its engine and we look ahead and this genius of a man was doing a wheelie and was doing it for a couple seconds and he starts getting really shaky and eventually falls and crashes and it was just crazy. His shoe was thrown like 80 feet and his motorcycle got beat up pretty bad. He was going like 50 or 60 down this road. So we are like "wow we better go and help him." It was just crazy so i figured I'd tell you. I never have seen someone crash like that. It reminded me how precious life really is and that we are so close to the other side every single day. Just interesting. 

So we had transfers this week. I'm staying along with my companion. So we are excited about that and are really expecting to see some good things happen this next transfer. 

I love Christmas. Its so interesting to think about Jesus Christ and how He is the only Begotten of the Father, the Prince of Peace and all these other amazing names that describe Him. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and yet He descended below everything. He descended below how I, myself, was born. I just marvel on how he could have born anywhere. He could have been born in an awesome kingdom with all of these amazing amenities but yet he let himself be born in a little barn of sorts. Christ's example is amazing. I fully believe that as we follow His perfect humble example we will be blessed and we will eventually return to live with Him once again. 

Another random story that is kinda funny. So we were over at this cool family's home and we had this good looking salad and I was pretty excited until I looked closely at it. It had mushrooms the size of California in them. They were huge. So I skillfully sifted what I grabbed with the tongs in hopes of not grabbing an extra large and nasty mushroom. So I put the salad on my plate and I sift thru it a bit and find that I have this huge mushroom. I was like "how did that happen?". So the whole time I was stressing on how I could hide this mushroom so the family wouldn't see it. So I continued to eat the rest of my food and the next thing I know the mushroom is gone from off my plate. I'm like "wow did I eat that thing, where did it go...oh no?"...but at the same time I was like "Sweet! I don't have to eat the dang mushroom anymore". So I just kind of shrugged it off and considered it a miracle. So yesterday I was telling my companion about my miracle and how I was so blessed and he just started laughing. I was like" yeah yeah what?" And he continued to tell me how he ate my mushroom while I was not looking. It was pretty funny. No matter how the mushroom left my plate I'm happy and blessed. 

Life is great! I love having these amazing experiences and having a smile on my face at the same time. I love my Savior and I know that He is with me every second of the day. This is His work, not mine. I'm just trying to be a tool and trying to sharpen myself through prayer and study so I can be better prepared to serve His Children. I love you all

Elder Simons

Am I still fishing?

Hey mom,
 

Zone conference was amazing. President Weston is such a man, he is so good about inspiring us and helping us find the desire in our own hearts and working for that. He is very smart. So he gave all of us a challenge. By the time we have zone conference again, sometime is Feb, that we finish the Book of Mormon and we highlight like four different things. And every time we study we have to have a prayer before and after and ask our Heavenly Father if the book is true. He said doing this will change our lives. I love being invited to change my life! 

Life is wonderful. We are being so blessed here its almost unbelievable. I love it. We are teaching these two YSA girls and they both now have dates for Dec 1 and Dec 8th.  They are both doing great things in their lives. I want to talk about one of them in particular. She understands the gospel so much. We taught her the Plan of Salvation (with the wood things Dad gave me) and then I picked up all the pieces and gave it to her and said now you do it and also explain it to us. She gave probably the most beautiful testimony on the Plan of Salvation that I ever had heard. She did all of that while correctly placing the wooden shapes in order and she told us what each of them meant to her. And after she was like "I understand why you guys focus so much on missionary work. This needs to be spread." She has expressed a desire to serve a mission. Man that would be....amazing to say the least. 

I have been pondering a lot on a couple things. First testimony and conversion and also the talk which Elder Holland gave which talked about Peter and why he was still fishing. I have come to realize that when someone has been converted they change. They have a complete 180 on what they say, think, and do. They have no more desire to do evil, yes they still fall but they have a drive to follow and keep the commandments. They are focused on Christ and His Atonement. I have been looking a lot for things like that in myself and others around me and it is really interesting. 

Now to my other subject which goes hand and hand... I have been thinking a lot about my own conversion and what I used to do before my mission. There were a lot of interesting things that I did but I will just say fishing because that works well. But I was thinking more deeply about my conversion and a couple questions came to my mind. First of all where am I and where am I going? Am I ever still fishing? Am I making decisions and choices that lead me to the Savior or to satan? Whenever I think about fishing I say to myself and sometimes out loud "Stop fishing Elder Simons". (I have got my companion into the habit too) It really helps us focus on where we are on missions and to focus on our conversions. A true conversion would be where someone has no desire to re-do the evils and maybe not just the evils but also the things I was doing well enough. A true conversion is when someone has turned their back on that promising and striving to never go back. So are we  converted? I hope so. 

This is such a wonderful time of the year. I hope we all can focus on Christ and what He has so willingly done for us. It is easier for me because I teach of Christ and I testify of Christ all day long so He is always in my head. I'm lucky I do not have to deal with all of the many distractions we as humans have put in our own lives. I love my Savior and I'm grateful for the many things He personally has blessed me with. I love my family. I would do anything for any one of them and I hope they know that. I love how much they support me and bless me. I love anyone who is reading this email. I'm thankful for the support you give me in any way. I love you all!

Plugging up a hole in my heart

Well we now have 4 baptisms scheduled. One this weekend, which will be one of the best moments on my mission. This is a woman who is truly amazing, and she is so willing to follow the example of Jesus Christ no matter what the cost is. She has taught me so much. I have loved teaching her. 

I have never had this much work on my mission before. It seems like everything is just falling into place. It truly is such an amazing and humbling thing to be a part of. Because when I back up and look at it, i feel like i have nothing to do with it, I'm just kind of there watching God's hand influence a person's life to do good. Its awesome. I love this work with all my heart. 

So the lady that will gladly get married still wants to, but her [less-active] boyfriend is holding back a bit. She is so willing to follow Christ. God and Jesus Christ come first for her in her life, and I think that is starting to bug him. It is amazing to watch her growth though. When we first came over i had to like force her to say hi to me while we were teaching him. Now she is growing and she wants this gospel and is willing to give her life for it. What dedication! When we first starting actually teaching her she always said "there is a God-shaped hole in my heart" and on Saturday as we were teaching her she almost randomly said "i feel like the things you elders are teaching are plugging up that hole in my heart" That was one of the best things anyone has ever said to me. 

I love having this privilege to be able to preach this everlasting gospel. I can't tell you how many times i have broken down and cried because of how humbling of an experience this for me. I am so grateful for the blessing of being able to meet these wonderful people that i find, that i have an immediate love for. 

Another story for you is about another lady with a baptismal date who is really smart and knowledgeable about the New Testament. We had a lesson with her on the Plan of Salvation and she had so many deep doctrine questions about Adam and Eve and was really troubled by some of the stuff we were teaching aka God giving Adam and Eve a commandment he knew they would have to break. She just could not get over that. So we left feeling very discouraged. But the next time we went over (we expected her to still have trouble with all of it) she was amazing and had no questions or concerns about the Plan of Salvation. All of her concerns were met because i feel like she got her witness from God that the Book of Mormon was true. Such a neat experience. Another one where we did nothing, but God did everything. Like I have said before, I'm just here watching God's hand. And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

I love you all.

Elder Simons

An honor to teach him

Well this week has been another good one. I can not believe its the 7th of August. Time runs through my hands like sand. It is crazy. Elder Coburn and I are having such a good time. We joke around a lot and just have fun. We are trying to teach everyone we see and we will see success from it, I know that. The investigator that is having trouble with coming to church didn't come on Sunday. It was really heart breaking. I called her and she took a spill and was really sore. I felt really bad and was down on life but it was okay. Everything happens for a reason. We didn't have any other investigators come to church. It was a bit frustrating, but again everything does happen for a reason. I hope and know that as we involve the Lord more in our life we will see an abundance of blessings.

We had ZLC on Friday. It was a good one. I learned so much. Something that the spirit really was whispering to me was that we need to be more grateful for the commandments we have been blessed with. Often we look at commandments as just something we are supposed to do, but as we do it with a willing heart and with a grateful attitude we will receive so many more blessings from our loving Heavenly Father.

So "Mike's" [name change] story is a really interesting one. I love this guy so much. We were actually supposed to meet with him this morning but he wasn't home. His wife was baptized about five years ago and he wasn't interested in joining until about three months ago. And he has very little Christian background so it has been really interesting helping him build his faith in Jesus Christ. Most of the people I have taught have had that solid testimony that Jesus Christ is their Savior and Redeemer but "Mike" knew very little about it. It has been such an honor to teach him. I love that man.

I have been pondering the 3 disciples out of the 12 in the Book Of Mormon that decided to stay on the earth and help build up the Kingdom of God. What a decision that must have been. They probably had a good knowledge of what heaven would be like and how it would feel but they decided to forego that and stay on the earth and help bring others to Christ. What a sacrifice. I feel humbled to see their example and it often makes me ask, "Do I have that dedication to the Gospel and building God's Kingdom?" I hope I have that faith and determination to serve and follow Christ.

We have half mission conference on the 23rd with Elder Cardon from the Quorum of the Seventy. I can't wait to see all my buddies and a servant of the Lord. It will be such a revelatory experience. I will make sure to let you know how it goes.

So I love you all very much. Thank you for you prayers and everything you do for me.

Elder Simons

 

This is a little message from Sister Jackson ( the one who gives your son candy when he visits the office)  Your son is great!  He is a hard working missionary who is loved by all.  Thank you for sharing him with the California Roseville Mission.  We are extremely proud of our fine missionaries and your son is one of the best.  Sister Jackson

Someone somewhere whispers a prayer for me

I appreciate that email mom. Thank you for your love and your prayers. I feel them strengthen me when I feel like I have no energy to endure. I feel sometimes that when I have no power or motivation to get up and do the Lord's work that someone somewhere whispers a prayer for me and our Heavenly Father gives me the desire needed and I get up and can go do my work. I would not be able to serve this mission without the people back home standing behind me. I love you all and thank you.

This week has humbled me to the depths of my heart. We had to "pass off" the young adult girl on Saturday and that was one of the hardest moments on my mission. But the Lord never leaves us feeling like we didn't get the best out of a situation, and she asked if I would baptize her. I felt so honored. I'm so excited. 

We found another golden investigator on Sunday. I really feel like it was the Lord blessing us for giving up our other one willingly. I'm excited about this new investigator and the potential he has. 

We taught these two foreign Exchanges students from China and I had the chance to teach them about Jesus Christ whom they had heard of before. We gave them Book Of Mormons. Man it made me really sad that there are people in the world who don't know Christ. And who probably never will. But I ponder on the Plan Of Salvation and I realize they will have a chance to hear and accept this Gospel. I love that Plan and know its true.

So we have Zone Leader Council the very first Friday of the month. And then we train our individual zones the Tuesday after. We have stake coorelation the third Sunday of every month. I love these meetings because I feel the spirit teaching me new things about how I can become a better missionary and maginify my calling better. I love this work. Its not my work though, its the Lord's. I feel honored to be able to help him in such a wonderful way. So many blessings I have received where I felt undeserving. I love the Lord. I love my mission. Again thank you for your prayers. I love you all!

OH and a mini missionary stays with us for about 3 days and lives with us and sleeps in our home. We had a lot of fun with this one this time. When he came he wasn't sure if he was going to go, but the last thing he said to me was that he was going to go. What a neat experience! I love you!

Moving on to Antelope...

Elder Simons with other elders
in front of the Sacramento Temple

That's sweet that you met the Buschs!! They are such a great family. So, do you think you could put my other pictures on that hard drive? I would appreciate it very much. Thanks!!


So, I did find out if I was getting transferred! I'm going to the Antelope YSA ward as a zone leader. I can't really believe it, and don't really understand why. But I will go where the Lord wants me to. I feel really humbled. In a lot of ways I feel like I shouldn't be a zone leader. I feel like I still have so much to improve on. So many Christlike attributes that I can and will work on. I know the Lord will bless me for my effort. I'm excited to get in this zone and watch miracles happen.


So, we will live in a house. Like a big house (or so I hear), because the greenies and the departing missionaries stay the night there. So that will be so cool to say goodbye to the departing missionaries and say hi to the new greenies!!! My new comp (Elder Ellsworth) and I have already talked and we are both pretty pumped and are going to set some lofty goals for ourselves and the zone. I have always worked harder when I know my leaders are working hard as well, so I hope to work the hardest I can. I feel like I have so much to improve on when it comes to leadership! But lickily I know the best leader and where I can learn more about how He led. And that is Jesus Christ. There are also many other amazing leaders in the scriptures. I love Nephi for one. He was always strong. Always. Even when everyone around him faltered. Even his dad!!! (Luckily I don't have that problem) How hard would it be to keep the faith and the trust in the Lord when even your dad is doubting. I always have been impressed by him. I love his last words in the Book of Mormon, too. "I must obey". Talk about powerful last words. He was at a point in his life where he knew the Lord so perfectly and knew the doctrine because he has lived it, that he could not disobey. What an amazing person. I can't wait to meet him and shake his huge hands.

This week was a great one. We had a sweet meeting on Friday. We talked about the doctrine of Christ. And some other things. I loved seeing President and some of my other buddies. It was nice. 

Saturday was an interesting day. I was on exchanges with Elder Frank (I will miss him so much) and they had a baptism that we had to prepare for. We had to do so much stuff and had to run around Roseville like six times. It was crazy. We went to Costa Vida and a member paid for us. Man it was good. I will miss Roseville so much. It has been so good to me. I almost love this place as much as Gridley. I bet if i would have stayed 1 more transfer i would have grown to love it just as much. I have met some amazing people here that have changed my life. Literally, their testimonies have changed me. I loved serving here with Elder Rasmussen and Elder Shock. Two missionaries that have taught me a lot. that have changed me a lot too. I will be grateful for both of them. I think that i will be able to come back for Bro Zerilli's baptism. I can't wait for that. That will be one of the best moments on my mission. And in a year when I come back for the sealing, that will be unbelievable. I love this work!!! I love my life. I love you all.

Thats great to hear about the wedding and i want to see some pictures!!! I love you!

Miracles literally everyday

Hey mom and dad!
It was so great to talk to you yesterday!  I loved seeing your beautiful shining faces. And im so excited for you to go on that trip! When do you leave and when do you come back? I want pictures ya hear?? 
On to the next year. My baptized and confirmed goal for next year is at least five. I'm hoping to get more. Our upcoming baptism counts for this year. I can't believe i get to baptize him. I'm so excited. I will send you pictures for sure!
Gees i dont even know what to say! We had a great week! I'm sad this is our last week together (Elder Buhler and I) But it has been so great to work with him. we have seen countless miracles. Miracles literally everyday. I have loved serving with him, but I'm glad we are both young on the mission so we will be able to see each other quite a bit later on. Maybe we will serve around each other later on.
Today for p-day we are going to play some basketball i think.  I'm super excited. I need to get out there and just run and run till i drop.
This last week in Gridley is going to be like that. Work until i can't work anymore. I'm pumped. I gotta make this last week count!
I wonder where i will go. I will let you guys know next week. Hopefully i know by then.
I still can't believe i have a baptism this week. It is so unreal. I'm just not used to it i guess. Also we picked up a new investigator two weeks ago and this past Friday we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and commited him to baptism for January 21st. It was crazy! I'm used to it taking seven months! But the Lord prepares people in different ways and on a entirely different time table. 
I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for every person i teach. I love that i get to help Him fufill His plan. I love being God's instrument. The same God who created our spirits. I love that I'm working side by side with Jesus Christ, the Creator of the world. The only person who could perform that Atonement. With Him all things are possible. Who wouldn't want Jesus Christ on their side? I do. I need him. I can't do anything without His help. Together They give us power to do all things that we must do. I know with surety that we can't access these powers from on high unless we pray and not just simply praying, but fervently and pleading with our Maker. If we want to use the Atonement, we have to prove to our Heavenly Father we deserve its healing powers and to Jesus Christ that we were worth the suffering. I love Them both in ways I can't really describe. They live. They love us. And i love them.
Have a wonderful week.
Remember that just because Christmas is over doesn't mean that Jesus Christ wasn't born :) Still think and ponder about what He has done for us. It still amazes me the circumstances He came down to. What a true testament of His humility.
Love you all!

I know without a doubt that He lives

So we got transfer calls on Saturday night. Which is weird, but it was really cool. I am staying in good old Gridley and i am getting an 18 month old Elder Peterson! He is six inches taller than me so that will be interesting!  I will be the one driving and stuff. I need to get some Mo Tab.  
Ah! Alot of my elder friends in the zone are leaving which kinda stinks but Elder Barron is staying so it will be okay. Same with Leone. Osejo is going to Forest Hill in the Auburn zone so I'm sure he will enjoy that. I am trying my hardest to get him to be excited about his last six weeks.  I think he will do fine.
The temple policy is if you are south of Yuba zone you can go every three months and if you are in the Yuba City zone you can go every six months. Everyone north can't go at all. Which stinks but one day I will get my turn!
I did get my package that was so cool! Mom thank you so much!!! I can't thank you enough! Those ties are so nice! AHHH! Thank you again!! I love you.
Sounds like you guys are having a very busy time. Just know that you have a temple five minutes away from you where you can get away from everything. Go there for me! I miss it! I think about the temple alot. Alot alot.
The cold is gone! It was a hard diet thing to stick too but i am good now which is wonderful. Counting my blessings. So we still are working on finding people. I am sorry i don't have anyone really to talk about! Next week i know i will have a new investigator to talk about. Just wait and see. (don't forget to pray though :))
Scripture thought for today:
2 Nephi 9. What a beautiful chapter. Read it. It is Jacob testifying of Christ.
I am just going to go over some good things that stood out to me but i want everyone to read it and really take time and think about it.
It talks about satan in v. 9 and then in v. 10, i love it cause it says "escape from the grasp of this awful monster" because of God's plan. How great that we can escape satan and go to God! God wants us, every one of us to be with Him and away from the devil. How lucky we are to have a Heavenly Father that wants ONLY the best for us. Let us not take this for granted. ever.
Also in v. 21 it talks about our brother Jesus Christ and how He suffered for our pains. I love that because we forget that Jesus died for us and all of our feelings and pains. Not only physical or pains for sin but pain for not so great stuff in life. Life is never easy. And sometimes things just hurt or situations are tough but through the infinite Atonement we can have peace in a world which breeds unpeaceful ideas, actions, and people. How great and how blessed are we?
Verses 31-37 i think are powerful because it is just saying the 'do nots', basically. I love v. 38. it gives me the chills. How many of us want to return to God and look Him in His face and have Him see our sins? None of us hopefully. The verse makes me want to be better, so i can make Jesus Christ and God proud. So the day that i get to physically meet them i can stand blameless before Him and i can say that i did my best. If we got to meet Jesus and God right now would we be ready? I know i am not. I would say my life is very far from being in total harmony with a Christlike life. But through that Atonement and through the scriptures and studying i know that one day i will be perfect as He is. I know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me. For my everyday feelings. For my happiness, for my sadness, for my sins, for my accomplishments, for every pain, sickness or affliction, for salvation. He died for me. I know that Christ lives. I know that we will see him again. We will get to converse with Jesus and God. We will be perfected as they are. How great shall be our joy! I need everyone in the world to know that i know without a doubt in my head that He lives.
I will let you guys finish that chapter on your own. It is wonderful. It really is.
Have a wonderful day.

Don't worry about me

Thanks for the email mom!
We had a huge celebration for pioneer day in our stake. We tried to get a ton of less actives there but i think only one showed up! But look at that success.
I am learning so much about myself! Something big i have learned today is the importance of getting married in the temple! I hope my wife wants to get married in the temple cause she isn't marrying me anywhere else than in the temple. I need someone who we can be active together and help each other be better.  ANYWAY, this week has sorta been slow. So we only got 9 lessons this week and the mission standard is 16, so that doesn't make me happy at all. So during weekly planning i have a goal to get 18 lessons this next week. We are trying to meet with active members, so we can build their testimonies and that will help them want to do missionary work. So its been nice. But its really hard to get into anyone's home, Non-member or member. Which is weird. Really no one is home.

Elder Simons and zone just before transfers

Anyway...i need some ties by the way. I will be happy with anything i'm just like super low on them. 
I have to give a talk on getting spiritually ready for missionary work next week. We will see how that goes.
We are really working hard to find people to teach. I hope you guys are having a great week. I love you all so dang much. I'm so proud of you all and everything you are doing. Don't worry about me --- the Lord and i are pretty tight. He has got my back so there is no need to worry. I love Jesus Christ and i learn more about the Atonement each and every day. How could someone die for a 19 year old child so that when he does something wrong he can have that wiped away. So amazing.
One last story, so last night we had dinner at this members house and she is like "okay desert time" and she said we are going to have pie. In my head i was like sweet just as long as it isn't lemon pie, but no one ever has lemon pie. But of course for complaining i got lemon pie. i had to gag that down with a smile on. That was the hardest thing i had to do that day. So it was a good day!
Love you all

Can't even comprehend

whats up?
So this week has been good but kinda long. I have learned alot about the Atonement and I will touch on that more later.  But first....after p-day on Monday, we were going to meet the Stake President and it was all good and fun, then we leave and I look down and I'm like "no...no...no....I forgot my nametag!"  That was the only time ever! Gosh!
If you guys remember Tim, the guy we tracted into, we came to visit him on Saturday hoping to ask him to go to church and give him a Book of Mormon. So we did and he is like "I need your number".  So I wrote down on this piece of paper our number, our church time, and a message that I needed him at church. So we left and at church the next day he totally just walks in with basketball shorts and sunglasses! I loved it. We sat by him and he said "your note told me to come to church so here i am." I was so happy! I have never been so happy during sacrament meeting! But during testimony meeting this woman was talking about a car and was trying to say a dashboard but forgot the word and Tim totally yells it out.  Man I was laughing so hard! It was so great. We are going to meet up with him later this week.

Elder Simons on p-day
Note: I love that he was so particular about the clothes he packed for
his mission,and after just a few short weeks of being out, 
he's sporting some good old farmer overalls. 

So another story.  In our area book there is this investigator who has been investigating the church forever and no one could seem to get anywhere with him. So we finally get a chance to meet him, and we get out of the car and I'm like "Elder Osejo, what if he totally wants to be baptized?" and he is like "yeah that won't happen". I was like "Whatever man you never know!" So we go in and start talking and then he was like..."well we sorta discussed it and I think its time for me to be baptized."  I was like...."wait what?"  I had the biggest smile on my face. I was so happy, and they could tell it surprised us so we were all laughing. He felt like all the other elders were in a race to see who could baptize him and stuff.  We are meeting with him this weekend to talk details. I'm excited.
We are trying to visit every less active in the area. We tract some everyday too. We have actually had a fair amount of success, which has been nice. Its been hot though. Very hot. Today we have a full p-day for the fourth and we are having a zone barbeque. It will be fun. The zone is pretty cool.
So it was Tuesday and it was raining so hard (it never rains in the summer in Northern California, i heard that six hundred times) and we were tracting and I was like "seriously what am i doing out here? What could i be doing back home?" I started getting really negative, and all of a sudden I thought about Jesus Christ. I was slapped so hard in the face. He died for me. He really put down his own life for every one of my sins and pains in life. He has felt everything I have felt but ten times worse.  He died so I could be happy and He laid down his life so I could be comforted in my times of need.  I just started praying and just thanking Heavenly Father for His plan and Jesus Christ being the center piece. I felt very selfish but that's another reason to be grateful for the Atonement. Every gulity feeling I have ever had about a sin can be erased.  How amazing is that? Can't even comprehend it really. Is it crazy that a little nineteen year old can go teach that?.. It shows how much trust the Lord has in me which in turn means I have so much expected of me, I can't be messing around out here. My purpose is to bring people unto Christ. So its been a learning week for me.
I have been having fun though... I have been smiling and laughing alot which is good. Oh we also went on exchanges again so we went and visited the lady I almost fainted in front of again. She was like "make sure you sit down this time." She was cool and we laughed about it. So it was fun.
Have a great week everyone.