Violins in the Jungle

November 11, 2013

Hola Familia!

We had such a beautiful experience this week as Juan (the young man from the story last week when we had to work hard to get his dad's permission) was baptized Saturday night in one of the most beautiful Baptismal Services I've ever seen.

Musical talent is really, really hard to find here as the majority of people have only ever seen a guitar, but there is one family in our ward that sings and plays piano and guitar, and I just happened to open my mouth and say that I played the violin when I was younger and in that very second the Brother whipped out a phone and called a friend asking for him to lend him a violin and next thing we know the Baptismal number featured Hermana Dickey on the piano, this family on guitar and singing, and me playing the violin. I was really nervous about how it would turn out but it was just like getting back on a bike! My fingers seemed to move so naturally it was like they were coming back to their original home. The people loved it and were asking me how I found a guitar so small that I could put it on my shoulder...so funny!

The message of the song was the most important part. I don't know if you've ever heard the story about two friends in the pre-mortal life and one finds out his parents will be members and the other wouldn't be born into the church and as they left their Heavenly Father's presence, the friend promised to find him and bring him the Gospel in his life. It makes me cry every time! This song was made from this story and it brought such a special Spirit about the Work of Salvation.

Juan was thrilled and was so ready to get into that font. It's been such an amazing experience with him. Almost a month ago, we knocked on his door and explained who we were, and he told us he thought we were never going to come and instantly accepted the message of the Restored Gospel. He has one year until he will turn 18, and he is already taking mission prep classes and talks about how he wants to be an Elder. It is amazing.

When he was confirmed, he was told he would become a grand leader in the Church. The Spirit was amazing. It also turned out that someone that was supposed to speak that day didn't show so they asked Juan to do it even though he had only been a member for about 5 minutes, and he threw together a last minute talk and it was amazing.

He talked about the importance of the commandments, the Plan of Salvation, and Baptism and Repentance. Another miracle of this experience is that Juan's whole family, including his dad, showed up and the Baptism and told us they felt the Spirit and invited us to come back another night to be with their whole family....WHAT?? Miracles. Pure Miracles.

Also, remember that other family from last week that we lost contact with but then got it again? Well...then we lost it again...and then the husband randomly showed up in Sacrament Meeting yesterday completely on his own! I had almost given up hope with them. As he left the Church I asked him if he had any questions and he said "Yeah. For my Baptism do I need to find my own white clothes or do you guys have some to lend me'" I really, REALLY liked that question.

I asked him what made him so sure of Baptism all the sudden and he said that he felt good hearing Juan's talk and that he knows that this is the true church. There's some sort of convert domino effect happening here and I love it!

Well, I thought we'd make it a week without the Hospital but..guess what? We were there AGAIN this week. Turns out Hermana Dickey had E-Coli so that's fun. It kind of weirded me out that she had it and I didn't because we eat the same stuff and they said, "Well you probably do, too, you're just more used to it. That's nice. There's probably E-Coli living in my body and I'm "just used to it." Oh...the Jungle! I love it.

We also had a really special experience this week as we met with an inactive family that left the church for some things they had heard about the Temple. It was JUST like my experience with "Fabian" in the MTC, but that there wasn't a Temple to show him. I didn't want to respond his questions directly because I felt like it wasn't right. We just waited and heard his doubts, and then, remembering it out of nowhere, I shared the Dad's Story from the day I was born and how the Temple was the thing that brought him back to the church.

Long story short, the family ended telling us they believe that the Temple is the house of God and that they want to go there one day and committed to come back to church. So, Brady has a convert and Dad saved a family! I love the missionary work my family is doing here in Peru. :)

Love you all so much and miss you tons. Have a great week!

Hermana Simonson

This is Diana's family! She is the one that was baptized a couple weeks ago. We didn't get a picture of her in the Baptismal clothing, but this is right after. She's the cute girl in the white shirt.

Where did we take our first companionship picture? In the hospital.

Ice Cream and Studying. That's the life.

Juan's Baptism...with ALL of his family present!!

THERE IS A TRACK IN THE JUNGLE!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it when we got there on Pday. But, wanna know something sad? It was the week that I had been in the Hospital, so I wasn't allowed to run on it.
My heart broke.

PDay in the Motokar!!!