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."

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!

This church is pure and real

Hey mom!!

Well this week has been interesting!! So first ZLC last week. We have all the zone leaders in the mission and the assistants there. And we talk about policies and then we hear from President and Sister Weston. We got an email from Salt Lake (well President did) that says after every ZLC the zone leaders have to give a three hour training meeting, on what we have learned at ZLC. So I might have mentioned this last week but we were so underprepared!! But the Lord made all the difference and totally took control of our meeting and taught very well through us. I hope all the missionaries in the Zone got edified and enlightened. There are 8 elders 4 sisters and 1 senior couple. I love this zone so much. They are all such great examples to me.

Life is so much like a blur its crazy. I feel like it was yesterday that I hit my year mark, and I feel like it was like a week ago that I left the MTC to fly out here. Its crazy.

So this week we had stake correlation. That is where Elder Ellsworth, Me, the stake presidency, President Weston all come together and talk about the work in the stake. I have learned so much about priesthood leadership from this meeting. I love that I get this wonderful humbling opportunity to work so close with these leaders. They are teaching me so much just from their good examples. We are really trying our hardest to train the ward councils to just focus on the ward mission process and help them be more missionary minded. I got to sit next to President, and I just know that he is called of God. Everything that he says I feel the spirit confirm to me that it is true. I love that man. I look up to him so much. He is such a man!!

So I don't know if I told you much about Alicia (YSA girl). She accepted a baptismal date the first real lesson we had with her. She is so sharp and totally picks up the doctrine and runs with it. But she doesn't live in our mission :( So we have to pass her on. But I think we still can go to it. But we were asking President if we could teach her and baptize her but he totally explained and taught us about stewardship and how we can't receive revelation for her and the bishop can't either because she isn't under our stewardship and all this cool stuff. He doesn't miss a chance to teach us. He is amazing.

The Lord is real. He lives. He is amazing. I know that this church is pure and real and has the priesthood which is essential for anyone's salvation. I love you all!!

I love this work

This week felt really long and short at the same time. It was weird. It was good not to have as much drama in the zone as last week. We had a ton of lessons fall through though. It was extremely frustrating. But I know that we are working our hardest, and I know we will be blessed for that. Some of our investigators are progressing very well and some are not. I wish I could do the commitments we leave with them, for them. But I can't. That is in complete opposition to God's plan. They need to do it for themselves. As I learn more about God's plan for His other children I realize more about my own. When I get frustrated with my investigators for not doing the things they commited to do, I think more about how my Heavenly Father feels when I don't do what I know I should be doing. It is interesting how God works. 

We were going to have a baptism this Satruday, but he is not ready. which is so sad. I hope we can baptize him before I get transferred. We are teaching so many great people. 

We had ZLC on Friday. It was great to see all my buddies. We learned so much from President. I love that man, and I know that he is called of God. I truly have a testimony that he receives revelation for us and the mission. I love it. 

Speaking of revelation, I was asked to give a talk on Revelation, on Saturday for a talk like 12 hours later in the YSA ward. It went well I thought. I kept telling the girl before me to talk for like 18 minutes so I could just bear my testimony for like three minutes and leave, but she ended up taking 9 minutes and I also remembered that the YSA beginning part including the sacrament takes 10 minutes. So I was left with...25 minutes. I was not too excited because I only prepared a talk for 15 minutes. But somehow it worked out. Hopefully it sounded not too scatterbrained. But I learned a lot from preparing. 

Anyway I love this work. I'm so thankful I'm on a misson!! I love it!!

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!