The letter was so so so great. Thank you so much. First thank you for sending some more books out for me. You really are the best! Ah im so happy today.
In answer to some of your questions:
So if you look at a map of Gridley you will see Live Oak and Biggs right by it. so we have Biggs in our ward and third ward has like some of Gridley too and then Liberty ward has also some of Biggs and Live Oak. So six elders in towns of like 1,400(Biggs) 5,000 (Gridley) 6,000 (Live Oak). The Liberty elders actually live in our area but they have a car too. Leone is our district leader and i just called him and told him about the missionary mom thing. we are pretty good friends. so it goes without saying that our moms need to be friends. I love him so much he is like so nice. There really should only be two elders in Gridley.
Any color of ties works! (the ones you sent me i will for sure wear i like old ties a ton) and things that i need, well here are a couple things i can always use a fresh supply of anytime; white shirts, clear page protectors or whatever for my talks and cool things, books, ties, and talks. so yeah thanks mom!
That is really cool about Grandmas ice cream thing. i bet she loves that! i hope you had a good time at the reunion.
And what a blessing for Dad, that he gets to be able to have Fast Sundays like that. how much more will he be able to gain understanding and blessings from his Fast Sundays and fast subjects. At least thats how i feel, i thought it would be a chore to have Fast Sundays while we are doing work but it really brings the spirit in, in a way that you can't get it other wise.
I can't wait for the weather to get cooler. It will be sweet! there is always sweat on you no matter what. you will see in like two years mom when we come back. :) but it will be nice to get some new white shirts!
And dinner mom? what did you make? Just let me imagine it. there are a ton of onions and mushrooms here. i swear people just throw them in there just because i don't like them, just kidding but things would be so good without onions!
Scripture time, i want to just give a little thought i had that can help anyone Helaman 10:3-5 First this is about Nephi and he is preaching to some not so great people. In v. 3 he was super down cause of their wickedness and in life sometimes we are super low. There are so many things that get us down. and what i have realized is that sometimes we are meant to have 'down time' so (like in the end at v. 3) a voice comes unto us (to me a voice can be anything that helps us do good, we all know this is the Lord but sometimes the scriptures are the voice that helps us or the prophets or church... Heavenly Father wants us to realize this so sometimes he humbles us so we see need for all those things). The Lord then says "blessed art thou Nephi". blessed art thou! everyone how blessed art thou. We need to remember this always, we are so blessed, yes times are tough and stuff happens but how blessed art thou. its so sweet. in v. 4 it says thou..hast sought my will. how can we seek His will? we all know the answers reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, how simple those answers are but how powerful the results are. verse 5 may be my favorite, it says because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness behold i will bless thee forever. wait wait wait wait wait wait what? He will bless us forever? are you kidding me? if all i have to do is face my trials with my chin up and try to seek the will of the Lord i will be blessed forever? umm deal! you can't say no to being blessed forever. i think we don't really see or understand as much as we should about our trials. we need to see that they are short, and we need to understand that God puts us through the trials for a reason. He knows. I have had too many realizations that he put me in places for a reason to not know that God has a plan for us. Its literally so amazing. But it goes on and says that we will be made mighty in, word, deed, faith, and in works. We are so blessed to be part of this gospel at this time. I hope we all can see and thank Heavenly Father for our trials. Try it. Sorry i just like to talk about the scriptures even though i have such a little view. Right now we don't have an investigator to study for but right now i will study so i can bring a thought in every p-day. Dont expect much but expect something.
So in the area our investigator Bill basically said he doesn't believe all of the Book of Mormon and not all of the church. He has been an investigator for years so we dropped him cause he is unteachable. Which is sad but i have faith that its the right thing to do. Our investigator named Matt who said he wanted to get baptized, we talked to him Wednesday and he said yes in a few months after i get questions answered. I was like "you could ask us", and he was like..."no not yet". So we have no idea where he is or what he wants but he will come unto Christ i know it. I told the zone leaders i want to stay here this next transfer. The area is harder but the fact that there are so many people here that are hiding from us that need this gospel that are not getting it is harder on me. I feel like the blessings of my efforts are about to shine upon this Gridley first ward. Next email be expecting 30 new investigators!
-much better week eh?
Love you mom! and dad!!
Have a great monday and remember how blessed art thou
Elder Simons
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