They really do come home!

Tuesday was the big day! We decorated the house and yard with yellow ribbons on any surface that we could tie a ribbon to!

This is Elder Simons coming down the escalator at the airport...

What a sweet, tender moment.

He met his nephew for the first time!

I loved seeing both of our boys walking side by side, catching up with each other as we walked through Temple Square after leaving the airport.

What a delight to watch Elder Simons as he interacted with the other missionaries on Temple Square. He was so confident and interested in meeting them and hearing their stories.

It was an amazing, tender, emotional, sweet, wonderful day. I will miss having a missionary out, and will miss the emails, but I can't express how grateful I am to have him home and to feel of his extraordinary spirit. He accomplished great things, but as our stake president so wisely said, "Likely the greatest conversion of the past two years happened within Wilson". We are so proud of all that he has done to faithfully serve the Lord to his very best. He is a great example for each one of us and we love him!

Disciples Forever

When we were able to Skype with Wilson yesterday, I broached the subject of receiving no email last week, and he quickly checked and apparently on his end, it went out, and ended up floating in cyberspace somewhere. But, he re-sent it, and I'm so glad he did. Its a wonderful letter. Keep in mind it was written a week ago, on May 6th.

Hey mom, first of all I will most likely send a short email next week, because I will have some extra time at the mission office. And about Mothers Day...I don't know. I know you have church at 9 right? What will be the best time for you? I could probably do it at like 4 or 5 or at night. I'm going to call though. If that is okay?

But what a week, my emotions have been all over the place and I have no doubt they will be just the same this next week. I really don't want to go home. Everyone always says "your last week you will just go all trunky and want to be home". And as much as I love home and my family and everything that goes with coming back I don't know if I want to come home yet. I feel like my work isn't done. If I was able to extend I would do it in a heartbeat. I feel like I have been out for like 10 months. I wouldn't be surprised if someone said, "you still have over a year". I would be like "okay that makes sense". Because right now, going home in 8 days isn't right. I am going to miss all of these missionaries that I have come to love and grow under their influence. So many missionaries have made life changing differences in my life. I can't thank them enough and I don't how I would get started to even telling them how much they mean. Their love has helped me endure trials and everything else I have gone through. 

I have had the best companions anyone could ask for. I have taught the most wonderful people in the world. I have witnessed miracles that have confirmed my faith that our Savior lives and loves us with a  perfect love. I have learned how to love and show charity. In no way am I saying I am perfect at this... far from it. But I have grown since two years ago when I was just a punk kid who only cared about himself. My mission has changed my life. It has brought me to the depths of humility. I have cried for joy and I have cried because I have been in the depths of sorrow and sadness. But every experience I've been through has strengthened my faith that God lives and that we can do hard things and we can endure if we trust our Heavenly Father. I thank all of you that have ever prayed for me. EVER. Or the missionary force as a whole. We and especially myself have felt that influence. I love you all. I thank you for your support. 

My mission has taught me God needs us, His children, to be disciples forever. Not just missionaries for two years or stake presidents for 9 years or missionary presidents for 3 years or a nursery leader for a couple years but He needs us forever. To constantly striving to be better and doing the things God would do if He were there. I hope and pray we can all be worthy to be called Disciples of Christ until the very end. 

This week has been interesting. We met with a Seventh-Day Adventist. He was a great guy, with amazing faith but his views have been skewed by the wisdom of men. Which is sad. I'm just thankful we have modern revelation with modern prophets and apostles. What a blessing we have! Let us all take advantage of them and that revelation! 

But I have to go! I love you all!

Elder Simons

Letter from missionary couple in Redding

Editor's Note: I received this email yesterday. Its always a nice surprise to get an email or letter from someone in the Roseville Mission. I left out the last name of the missionary couple since I haven't talked to them about putting the letter on the blog. Its nice to know there are so many people watching out for Wilson!

1 December 2012

Hello Missionary Mom:

I am Sister Nancy _______.  My husband, Kent, and I are serving a 23-month CES Mission at the Redding Institute of Religion.  We will be here in Redding until June 2014. 

Elder _______ and I have been asked by President Weston to inspect the apartments of the missionaries living in Redding every six weeks to make sure things are in order.  We also check to see if they need anything that the mission needs to replace.  Several furnace filters, a few batteries and one microwave later, things are looking good.   

We have just completed our November/December inspections and I wanted to let you know your son is healthy and happy; he looks great; he’s enjoying the mission; and he’s doing a great job as a missionary.  And, he’s helping to keep his apartment clean!   

It has been fun to interact with the missionaries in this way and Elder ________ and I look forward to our visits with them. 

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Love from the mission field in Redding, CA.

I love my life!!

Thanks for the email Mom!!

Anyway this week has been so stressful!! We had some missionary problems (getting along). That was really frustrating. We had to be on exchanges all week with the missionaries. It really made me understand being a parent in a way. When I was so frustrated with them I had two choices show them that I'm mad and frustrated or I could be nice and loving and help them know that all I want for them is to have a good mission. It makes all the difference in the world. But we eventually had to have an emergency transfer.  I have never have been able to study less and do less missionary work in a week. And it has killed me! But this next week will be a good one. 

We already have three lessons planned for tonight. We have so many wonderful investigators. I love this work. We have 2 baptismal dates. WE have a lot of potential. I can't wait for the future. I need to live in the now though. We have interviews tomorrow. That will be good. 

What else happened this week...Elder Ellsworth and I are brothers. We got super close this week. That was good. We teach so fluidly together. I never have like morphed so well with a comp before. I love all of my companions very much, but with Ellsworth and I we trade off so well. It has really worked out well. I feel like I'm the bad cop and he is the good cop. Haha I'm so weird. Its really fun working with him though. I love it. It has been so much fun to watch people, even in my two weeks here, grow so much in the gospel. I love my life!! Thanks for the support everyone!

In the eternities...

Hey Mom and Dad!

It was a wonderful week. I went on exchanges with Elder Mansell and Elder Christensen. Both are really great elders. Elder Mansell is a hard worker and his investigators and the other people he is teaching just love him. He truly is a great example of how to be a great missionary and have people love you. Elder Christensen is just as amazing. He is so knowledgable in the gospel. It impresses me with some of the stuff that he says. He is a very capable servant of the Lord. He is going home though. Which has been hard for me! He gave his departing testimony at zone conference (all the missionaries bear their testimonies the last zone conference before they leave) yesterday and I just was crying the whole time through. I feel like I haven't learned more from any another missionary than him while I have been out here. Well maybe Elder Buhler. But Elder Christensen is such a man. I keep telling him I'm not going to let him go home. He wishes he doesn't have to go home either but its his time and his family needs him before they leave to South Korea. We had a long conversation at the end of our exchange about our friendship and we have seen each other grow so much in the past year. And how we hope to hang out after our missions. Man i love that kid. I will miss him so much.

On a happier note, we had zone conference yesterday and i got to see some missionary buddies that i haven't seen in a while, namely Elder Leone and Elder Amataga. Man i love this mission thing and the friends that i have made. I love that i get to serve the Lord and have fun while I'm doing it. I think for my whole youth i figured a mission is just going to be boring and that i wouldn't enjoy it. But I could not have been more wrong. I love it! And I never have a boring moment! My president said something yesterday that has really impressed me, and the Spirit and this thought have been working on me since..it goes along the lines of this..."I'm confident that we know in many instances why we were called to the Roseville Mission, either by the people we meet and teach or the companions you have and learn from, you will know just from seeing that God has reasoning behind this call, but I can promise you there are many other unseen reasons why you are here right now, but they will be revealed to you in the eternities"...How awesome is that? That gives me the desire to want to be out and doing things like tracting where I don't know what the outcome is, and to my natural eye it seems like i just got another slammed door in my face, but in all reality the quick little response we say to a person when they open the door could prick their hearts and affect them in a time down the road. We just need to have faith that one day things will work out for the good of all people. Right now for instance if i didn't understand a certain rule or commandment but if i obey, i know with surety that i will be blessed for it, and that in the future when i die everything will be made known unto me. That promise is wonderful to me.

Elder Rasmussen and I are gelling nicely. Since we have been together so long we are pretty good teachers together. Its sweet. We get along great. We have SOSOSOSO much fun. We always have something to laugh about each day. The ward seems to love us as well. We get the line "you are our favorite missionaries" like once a week. Its crazy but I love it so much, its just a confidence booster. We are doing the mutual thing tonight. And I'm stressing a little bit. Because we are on exchanges right now with the ZL's, and me and Ras aren't 100% prepared. But we will have some time tonight to get prepared. I hope the kids like it. I'm sure they will. We are hoping to to help them realize that yes we are missionaries but we went to high school and we went through stuff as well. We hope to help them out alot.

There is a scripture that i can't find right now that I love! But hopefully i will find it soon, but its a prophet and he testifies that he will be in the rest of his Lord with his converts. I wish i could find it. But that excites me! I want to be in the presence of Savior with my family and my converts. All the people i have taught on my mission. And also the less-actives i have helped come back into the fold of God. I want to rest with them in heaven. I can't imagine my happiness level if and when that happens. I cant wait!

We had a lesson with a less-active single mom last night. And the spirit was so present during the lesson! She felt it, we felt it. She will be in the temple in five months. I can promise you that. I want to be there when she goes to get her endownment out. That would be such a great moment. She has so much potential and she has a huge desire to come back to church. I love that. When people have a desire to learn and get blessings, its easier for us to work with them and easier for the Spirit to testify of the truthfulness of the message. I love this work. This is the Lord's work.

I better go! I'm praying for everyone at home a lot!

Elder Simons

Happy Birthday, Elder Simons!

Elder Simons with other elders
at the indoor baseball field

This week has been pretty good! We set a date with our investigator!!! For June 23rd. Unfortunately transfers are on June 19th. So I'm thinking I probably will be gone from the area. But i will ask permission to come back and most likely will be able to attend it. But i can't wait. I have been waiting for this one for a while. and i know his family has been waiting even longer. In a year they will get sealed and everything will be great! That is so cool!!! I feel so blessed to have just been plopped in this ward and be able to receive so many blessings. 

Other than setting a date our week has been terrible!! Haha not really, but we are having trouble meeting with our investigators. The lesson we had last Monday cancelled. Which was too bad. But we are going to call them today and set something up again. We are having troubles just talking to people who are interested. But we know they are out there! One of my favorite pumping up scriptures is in Alma 13 "For behold, ^aangels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory." There are actual angels helping us. How cool is that??

We are planning on doing mutual with the youth here next Wednesday and we are going to do the whole thing. We are making a sweet video with the Busch's and we are going to discuss the parable of the sower and also Alma the younger. I can't wait!! We will have the Busch's put the video on Youtube so you can find it after we are finished.

So we burned one of my torn white shirts and it was sweet. We had a lot of fun with that. And we took some cool pictures. I still can't believe i hit my year mark three days ago. It hasn't hit i guess.

Burning his shirt at his one year mark

My birthday was amazing! First i was able to go to church then we came home and my door was decorated!! By the Pratts from Gridley. They are super nice. Then we went over to the Buschs and had salmon!! And also funeral potatoes!!!! And this way good salad! One of the best dinners I have had in a long time. The members here are so awesome. They have such big hearts. They are way too nice to us. But I'm not complaining! I had a lot of missionaries buddies call me and wish me a happy birthday so it was sweet to be able to talk to a lot of them.

Happy Birthday from the Pratt's in Gridley!

We will keep working and i know the hard work will pay off. I hope and know that i will have some good news for you next week. Like 45 new investigators and 15 new baptism dates!! Sorry this email is kinda short! I love you guys!!

Elder Simons' challenge

{Editor's note: We receive letters in regular mail from Elder Simons every couple of weeks or so.  This is one he wanted us to share part of with you.  Read on, and you'll see why}

...I want to challenge you guys to do something for me.  First, think of the Plan of Salvation.  From start to end.  Second, think of what blessings you get from it.  Third, think of someone who could use specifically the Plan of Salvation in their life, and share it with them.  Pray for someone to share it with.  Someone needs it.  I expect a full report on your little challenge.  And after you guys do it, put the challenge up on my blog and say "Elder Simons fully expects anyone who sees this to do it".  The plan is so amazing.  It makes me emotional every time I think about it.  Its too much for me to comprehend.  I love it.  I want to share it with lots of people.  Everyone deserves it.

Photos of Elder Simons arriving at the mission home

We received a letter from Elder Simons' mission president along with these photos.  We hope to hear from our missionary tomorrow, which is his new p-day.

The arriving elders and sisters along with President and Sister Pendleton

Elder Simons with President and Sister Pendleton

He can only receive and send emails to and from his parents and siblings.  The address to send letters and/or packages is the mission home address, which you can find at the top right-hand corner of the blog.  Thanks for all of your love and support for Elder Simons... it truly means the world to him and to us!

The MTC Drop-off

What an amazing day!  We all (Bob, Dayna, Robbie, Lindsay, Whitney, Mike, & Wilson) climbed into the car and went to The Training Table for lunch.  We had so much fun just eating together and laughing about funny memories through the years. 

After lunch, we drove down to Provo, and parked across the street from the MTC so that we could take a few last photos.  It was pouring rain, so we did the photos pretty quickly.  We also met up with Bob's brother, Scott, and his family.  Their son, Dallin, was going into the MTC at the same time Wilson was, so we took photos with them, hugged Dallin, and drove over to the MTC.

It is all such a quick process now (much easier than it used to be, I think).  We pulled up to the curb where some darling missionaries gave us umbrellas to stand under as we gave our last hugs and sent Wilson off.  It took all of about 3 minutes, but I'm glad.  No time to get too emotional and sad!  He was smiling about as big as he could, and went off with the missionary.  I KNOW he'll be okay.  Better than okay.  He'll be amazing!

When I think about sending a son on a mission, and why we do it, I remind myself of a quote by Harold G. Hillam, of the Seventy.  It is from the October 1995 General Conference.  He said, ""Why have these great missionaries and others like them been willing to sacrifice the comforts of home, family, loved ones, and sweethearts to answer the call to serve? It's because they have a testimony of Jesus Christ. And when they know Him there is no bed too short or too hard, no climate too hot or too cold, no food too different or language so strange that they are unwilling to serve Him. No sacrifice is too great to serve the Master, who sacrificed His all to provide the way for His brothers and sisters to return home to their Heavenly Father. And because they are faithful to their callings, thousands will revere their names throughout the eternities."