Letter from a member in Elder Simons' area

I love getting emails from people who live in Wilson's mission and who have gotten to know him. I have received a few emails from Rosalie, who lives in the ward he is assigned in. In fact, apparently she owns the place that the elders are living in at this time. I thought I'd share part of her emails...

Dear Sister Simons,

My name is Rosalie. I own the "shack" that your son Elder Simons is living in right now. What a great young man! I am so glad to have him next door. Sadly, I just found out a few days ago that this is his last transfer. I got to know him a little when he live in LOP. He and Elder Solomon are so fun to have next door. We have been housing elders for almost two years now. And your son even though he will only be here one transfer will be remembered as one of the best.

I have a story for you. I don't know if it is funny or sad. I will let you decide. Last night was our annual Spaghetti dinner fund raiser for the girls in our ward going to camp.  The girls each get the money they earn by selling tickets but there is also a dessert auction. The ward really supports this auction by bidding very high for a plate of cookies etc. The highest item sold was a basket that contained an instant breakfast including eggs, bacon, biscuits, jam, butter and I don't know what else, but it went for $160.00.  Any way your son made the first 5.00 bid on almost every item. He was really trying to get something for 5.00. Sadly nothing stayed that low, he was always out bid.

We had taken a nonmember couple with us and afterward instead of them going right home and since we didn't win any of the desserts, (they always went out of my price range also), we had them come in for ice cream. The Elders got home the same time we did, so I invited them in to join us and have ice cream and socialize with us for a few minutes.  

It was funny how Elder Simons said that even if he had won one of the bids he would have had to borrow the 5.00, because he didn't even have that. (HaHa) Any way we had a good visit, but they soon decided they needed to get home. Right after they went out the door we heard them scream and they were soon knocking on our door.  As soon as a answered the door, I could smell skunk.

Apparently there was a skunk eating our cat food by the front door.  The Elders thought it was a raccoon and they made a motion to it.  It sprayed them! Good! I told them to go over take those clothes off and bring them right over to wash them.  So I don't know if this is a funny story or a sad one. We decided it was definitely one for the journal. Their clothes did come clean and the smell was gone. But our yard smelled like skunk for a few hours.

I'll keep you up on anymore fun stories if they come up.

Have a great day!

Rosalie

Familiar faces from Draper

Some friends from our ward here in Draper were in California and "bumped" into Wilson in Antelope just before his transfer to Redding. He SO loved seeing familiar faces from the old home ward.... and we SO love seeing him in photos with those familiar faces! Makes it seem like he's closer, somehow.

Photos from Antelope

I received a text and then an email from one of the families in Antelope. (Elder Simons just left the Antelope area to go up to Redding, the northernmost part of the mission). The family emailed these photos to us tonight... nice to see he's still having some fun!  I know its hard for him to leave Antelope, just like it was hard to leave each of the other areas. But I also know his personality and ability to adapt and warm up to people. He will be fine, and he will love his new area after no time at all!

An "Elder Simons sighting" in Sacramento

[Editor's note: We received an email from a sister in our ward who is serving in the Sacramento Mission. She  wrote the following in her blog about seeing Elder Simons at a baptism...]

Sister Farr and Elder Simons

"I was invited to a baptism today of a young woman who had began investigating the Church with a friend in the Roseville mission.  She decided to be baptized and to attend in her own Young Singles branch in our mission, so she finished her lessons with our office elders.


When I arrived at the baptism I discovered, to my delight, that she was being baptized by Elder Wilson Simons, of the Roseville Mission, and formerly of Corner Canyon 5th Ward!  I can report firsthand that he looks great, performed without a hitch, and is thoroughly enjoying his mission.

His companion is from Orem, Utah, and the Bishop of the Young Singles Ward is related to the Smiths in Draper.  I tell you, the Church is a close-knit family."