Preaching in Peru: Lost in the Work

December 9, 2013

Well, it’s official, I’m a grandma! Okay, in the mission sense of the word. I had the amazing experience of watching on of my converts Baptize someone else on Saturday. I was lucky enough to get permission to swing by my last area to watch Juan baptize his little sister. So amazing! This work just keeps going forward.

I am actually starting to really like my leadership calling. When I entered the MTC, I thought I understood what it is like to really lose yourself in the work. When I entered the field, I started to understand more about what it means to lose yourself in the work. When I opened my first area and started to train, I was sure I knew what it is like to lose myself in the work. Now that I am opening an area again, training again, and being over the sisters in several zones, I am really figuring out what it means to be completely lost in the work.

Before, my day started at 6:30 and ended at 9:30 after the daily planning session.

Then, I started being in charge of a few other things when I started training. Now, the second I close my planner, finish updating the Area Book and start to clean a little bit, the phone rings. Without fail. I have seven sisters to keep track of…just imagine the drama and problems that come from 7 sisters trying to save souls in the Amazon Jungle! But it’s okay, I love helping them. I see them as the sisters I never had. One night this week, I was finally ready to get showered and get to bed when, of course, the phone rang. This time, it wasn’t the sisters so I thought it would be a short conversation, but it ended up being Zone Leaders from one of the zones I’m over with a list of questions about 2 of the companionships in their zone. The conversation lasted forever and next thing I know, I woke up the next morning, still in my dress and shoes.

Another thing I have to do are “Ammonitas” which are basically the random obedience checks that I used to hate getting, but I hate giving them even more! But, I’ve learned that if you go into it with the right Spirit, it can actually be a good experience for everyone and we’ve all ended up laughing every time and the sisters always end up thanking me for coming in the end. It’s a lot better to just serve with love than to try to be the big, scary leader!

I also went to my first Mission Leadership Council this week. That was a really neat experience. It gave me a new vision of the work. It was a really formal setting, so it was a little weird at first, but I really liked it. Me and my Zone Leaders had to stand up together several times and present our results from the last month, our goals for the next month, how we’re helping our missionaries, our focus points, and things like that to the Council and to the Mission President and his wife. It was really cool, I was really thankful for Elder Cruz to be there to help me figure out what on earth I had to do!

I remember how dad told me that you guys will always love Hermana Vasquez for keeping me safe in the jungle, you should do the same with Elder Cruz! He’s been my Zone Leader since I started out, to when I got my second companion, to when I first started training, to sit with me in the Leadership Council. He’s definitely been one of the many “angels and protectors” that I was promised when I was set apart!

I know I’ve said it a thousand times, but I really, really love this work. I’m so happy to be here and am a little bit happier everyday!

Love you tons!

Hermana Simonson