I have never worked harder...

Well this week has been soooooo tiring. Wow, I never have worked harder on my mission. And I never have felt more blessed on my mission. The first night that Elder Ellsworth and I got together, we bound each other to help each other work the hardest that we have on our mission. And we are helping each other do that.

We have met some prepared people. I'm so excited for them. Working in two wards is really weird. That means 6 hours of church, 3 hours of ward council, and 2 hours of MCM. So many meetings!!! I'm always so hungry during the regular 3 hour block but now my stomach will have to adjust. I am so tired!!!! That's all I can think about.

Antelope is great, though getting transferred is not my favorite. But I will get used to it. I'm learning to slowly love it here. My emails from here on out will probably be shorter, which I'm sorry about, and they will most likely be on Wednesdays or Tuesdays.

I just can't believe how busy we are. My companion is Elder Ellsworth. He is amazing. He is such a good missionary, he makes me feel like a greenie all over again! But we are doing some great work. We get along great and he is from Orem! He is from the Heatherridge Stake. So maybe Grandma is in that one?

So we live in a huge house. Its crazy, I get lost alot. But we house the departing and incoming missionaries. Its so much fun seeing the greenies.

Well, I love my mission so much. It has changed my life. My testimony has grown so much. I can't believe I have grown this much. I feel so blessed that I was able to come on my mission and serve around so many great missionaries and also serve the Lord.

Our zone is doing good. We have some room for improvement, though. We are trying to help get everyone's numbers up so we can reach the mission standard. Anyway, I love this work!

I love you all!!!!!

Elder Simons

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!

His angels are with me

That is too bad about Sam [editor's note: our 13-year-old dog, Sam, died this past weekend], I was basically in tears until i read Dad's comment. Typical dad, always trying to bring his sense of humor into serious matters. I love that man though. Speaking of which, Happy Fathers Day,, Dad and all of you other dads out there.

This week has been another good and fast one. I got invited to another meeting this Friday. I swear my mission is like 50% meetings. Its crazy. I do like meetings though, because i get to see my mission buddies.

Anyway Sela, our recent convert, got called to be a ward missionary. I'm pretty excited for that because she has no fear. She will be a really good help in lessons and fellowshipping. But I have a good feeling that I am being transferred. We will get the call Sunday night. I'm so nervous. I really don't want to get transferred! I absolutely love Roseville. I have become obsessed with it. Its getting close to how much I loved Gridley. But I don't think it has topped it yet. But I'm hoping for another six weeks here but who knows what will happen? I feel like i may get transferred to Chico or Auburn. I wouldn't mind Auburn. I guess we will just have to wait and see. 

So all of our lessons with the people we teach this week have fallen through. It was frustrating to say the least. And this next week most of those same people will either be out of town or too busy. I want to leave this area in full swing but it will be hard to if i can't teach anyone! I will put my trust in God though, and know that whatever happens, his hand is in it. I will hopefully be able to come back for our investigator's baptism. I would never miss that one. His family left to go on a cruise yesterday so we had to say early good byes in case I do get transferred. It was pretty sad. My mission has really helped me in hating good byes. They are the worst!! Another reason why i don't want to get transferred. I have built so many good relationships that i don't want to lose. Time doesn't really help either because then the relationships start to fade in my mind. But that's okay its all part of the game. I wish i could tell you that we picked up a new investigator this week. Or set another baptism date. But it was a tough week. It happens though. Again like i said, its all part of the game. You win some weeks and some weeks you lose. As i gain a more eternal prespective on why i'm out here I find it easier to deal with those losing weeks. I know God is with me. By my side. I love this scripture in D&C 88 "...for I will go ^bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my ^cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine ^dangels round about you, to bear you up." He is with me. I know that. His angels are with me. Life is not easy. But with the knowledge we have and having modern prophets we can do it. The easiest way i get through tough times in my life is to have fun. Have fun while working. Have fun while tracting. Have fun while suffering! Its possible. I guess I learned that from my parents. Anyway i love this work. Thank you for your prayers of support and love. I feel them daily. I love you all! 

An added portion of the spirit

This week was really good. So fast. Again. Time is really weird. But that's life. 

We picked up a husband in a part-member family this past week. He is a good guy. With a few interesting concerns that we will work on. They are concerns I haven't ever heard of before but I have had some crazy ones before. I know that as we teach him the importance of having a testimony on Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon he will forget those concerns and come unto Christ and know His church has been restored in these the latter days. I'm excited about the progress that can be made. 

You guys are getting really busy. Keep up the good work. What else happened...oh so like two weeks ago I got spit on by a man we were trying to street contact. It was sort of a neat feeling to be able to be spit on for the sake of Jesus Christ. I was proud to be a Mormon. I was proud to wear my name tag. He said a couple words i hadn't heard in a while which were interesting. Which reminds me I have really been trying to clean up my language. Of course i don't swear or get anywhere near it but still I could use some work. The words which I say can have a powerful impact on how much the spirit is present in my life and especially as I teach. I have been cutting out words and I have felt an added portion of the spirit and I love it! 

The mutual thing with the kids went alright. The deacons got crazy. But other than that i think it went well. The video is really sweet though. You will have to see it. It will be on Youtube i think. Maybe it is on now i don't know. (Sister Busch's son is putting it up so i will have her email you when its up)

Life is good on a mission. I feel so blessed to be able to be out here. Its so much fun. We are doing good. Transfers are coming up on the 19th. I wonder if I will be transferred. That will be nuts. Ah! 

Anyway I love you all! 

Elder Simons