I'll never forget how my
setting apart closed with the words "We now send you off on your
adventure." If the adventure didn't start in Tarapoto with dengue fever
and hospitals and baptisms and vine swinging, it sure started this Tuesday
at 3:05pm when my plane landed in Iquitos!
I got out waiting to see who
was going to be my companion, but I saw 33 Elders and not a single sister. I
was confused. I was put with two Elders and sent to the Mission Offices where I
waited patiently to be told what on earth was going on.
The Assistants finally saw me
and told me to come meet my companion. Funny choice of words, I thought,
because I had already met all the sisters in the mission. Then, he put me in
front of two young, white, American girls.
I just remember thinking okay
Elder, ya they're cute, but what do you want me to do with them? Then one of
them read my nametag and screamed and hugged me and yelled "My
Compañera!" With all the intelligence I had in this moment, I only
managed to look up at the Assetants and say "¿Que PUMAS???" They sure
had a good laugh.
So
ya, its true. I am training an AMERICAN. And opening up an area in Iquitos
without Elders, without a Bishop, and without a Mission Leader. Has it been
hard? Yes, oh yes it has!
We
didn't know where to start, they just kind of dumped us off at a house and
left. So, we walked around and found a house with a Mormon Picture and knocked
on the door and the nice lady started introducing us to some members. From
there we just started working!
My
Companion is really great! We've had fun getting to know each other. We're
making the best of a hard situation and really trying to focus on the positive
things. For Example:
Elder
Cruz, my AWESOME Zone Leader from Tarapoto came here with me and is my Zone
Leader here and is helping us a ton. We also have some really cool members here
an have found people to teach and 3 of them came to church on Sunday!
We're learning a ton and growing a lot, etc.
That
first night, our District Leader called me to get to know us and I asked who
his companion was and he said it was someone new in the mission...only 7 months
of service. I had to laugh. He asked me if I was stuck with a new one too and I
explained there were kind of two of us. Me, with 6 months, and my companion
with 1 day.
He
asked where she was from and then said something to the extent of "Let me
get this straight. You're the Senior Companion and Trainer, but you've only
been out 6 months. You're American, and your companion is American as well? The
two of you are opening a new area without a Bishop or a ward mission
leader...and you're not kidding with any of these details?" No, Elder,
it's all true!
It
was weird for me to see that there were some Latina Companionships that were
put in established areas and they all have been out longer than me. I didn't
understand how it worked out that way, until a leader reminded me of an
important word: Revelation. We have a purpose here.
My
Companion, Sister Dickey, is getting used to things pretty well. It was funny
when the Bishop welcomed us to Sacrament Meeting and told us to sit on the
stand and she asked me if we always sit up there and I told her only when we
give talks. She looked a little scared but she did a great job. She was only
able to get out about 3 or 4 minutes of the best Spanish possible, but it was
powerful.
I
was left to try to take up the rest of the meeting, but it was a lot easier
than I thought and I got the people laughing a bit and a few crying, so it must
have been an okay last minute talk. After church, Hermana Dickey got really
sick and we ended up going to the Hospital for about 5 hours. We ran into two
Elders there....everyone gets sick when they start out. She was able to find
someone to give her a blessing in English and it was cool. It was powerful for
me because he said some of the exact same words in her blessing that I received
in mine when I was in the same place: Brand new, sick, tired, not understanding
a thing, going to the Hospital, etc. It made me reflect on how much I've grown
in this time.
It’s
amazing how God strengthens us to do the things we're called to do, even when
they seem impossible. Even though we started with nothing, we pulled it out and
actually exceeding some of the Mission Standards of Excellence with some of our
numbers this week, which was really cool. I was able to translate for
Hermana DIckey in the Hospital, even though I didn't even know that I knew
Spanish medical terms!
Some
people have kind of just come to us and it looks like we might even still be
able to have a Baptism this month. We also had one less active come to church
for the first time in 11 years because we visited him this week. Talking on the
phone was always hard for me but I’ve somehow managed to understand everything.
I am
discovering lots of talents that I didn't know I have! I was feeling a little
down last night (somehow exceeding the Mission Standards didn't keep me from
getting yelled at by a well meaning District Leader), when an Elder from a
different District called me (he had sat in on a lesson with us the night
before) and asked how my companion was, and then he said "Hey, I just want
you to know that you two are so special. I started crying last night after the
lesson because the Spirit was just so strong. You're amazing
missionaries." There are not words to describe how much I needed to hear
those words.
Leaving
Tarapoto was hard. I was okay until I started saying goodbye to my converts. It
really is a special experience to watch how they cry as they say goodbye. But,
you know what is even better than tears and them saying how much they love you?
Hearing their testimonies. Hearing them quote some of your exact words, but
doing it with a power and conviction that you, being their
"missionary" don't quite have. I loved how each of them said
"It's okay, we'll see you in the Celestial Kingdom!" It was so nice
to see how the Lord had made me an Instrument in helping these people.
I
tried not to look back as we headed toward the airport, but I did just say a
short prayer to ask if my work there was pleasing to the Lord. I received the
firmest conviction that said Yes, yes it sure was. With that knowledge, I could
leave without regrets.
I
love you all! You keep me pushing
forward everyday.
Until
Next Time,
Hermana
Simonson
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