Like Unto Job

April 28, 2014

Sometimes, I really just like to take things completely out of context and think of exactly what is happening. I never tire of reminding myself that I am living on some strange little island in the Amazon River.

There I was in a ghetto ambulance speeding through the island passing by Motokars. This little Mexican girl that I have come to love a lot was laying down and looked up at my pale face and shaking hands (the ambulance sent me straight into a Panic Attack, maybe I should have been the one laying down!) and a light clicked in her face. She looked like she was going to cry. "I am SO sorry!" she whispered. I asked what she meant and she said "I didn't mean to call you crazy."

It had been a long, hard five days. We had been in the hospital for almost a week and the Doctors could not find out what was wrong with my companion. The Doctor finally gave up and called it "anxiety." She instantly started protesting and claiming that she wasn't crazy and she was too strong to have anxiety.

When members and other missionaries came by to see her they all said the same thing. Every time someone asked what's wrong she just said that they think she is crazy. I just sat there quietly listening feeling myself being labeled as crazy and weak. Of course, no one had any idea that I have that problem, but the words still hurt.

My poor companion felt horrible for what she had said, but honestly I was fine. I just wanted her to get better. The doctors realized it wasn´t anxiety when she started having seizures and, long story short, my favorite companion boarded a plane Friday night, after one week in the Hospital, and was sent home to Mexico for better care.

 Hermana Allphin, the one that lives down the street from me, looked over at me in the airport and said, "Well Job, how is it going over there?" I got a good laugh out of it. She said I reminded her of Job because, over the space of three weeks, I literally lost everything.

 It started out with my health and then the anxiety got really bad. Shortly after that, my area started falling apart. We couldn't find anyone to teach, and the fact that, between my companion and I, we have been in the hospital for a total of 13 days in 3 weeks. Then, when my Zone leaders saw that my baptisms have gone down, they told me I can't just stop working my hardest just because I feel sorry for myself and are talking to President to tell him that I shouldn't be Sister Leader anymore because I can't handle it. The Zone leader said I should stop training, stop opening new areas, and step down from my spot on the Leadership Council and end my mission being Junior Companion to someone with less time than me. I really started feeling like everything was getting taken away from me.

Saturday night, the power went out and I just remember sitting in the dark, by myself, planning by candlelight for an area that is falling apart. I wanted to just be done. I was ready to just give up and go to bed, when a word came into my mind and pierced my heart. "Diligencia." I realized that, even with everything that has happened, I need to do my best to be a Diligent and Obedient missionary. There is a strong force (Satan) that really, really wants me to get discouraged and go home. So, I have my choices. I can give up and just pack my bags, I can stay in the mission and make excuses and not work as hard as I should, or I can just press forward and stay on it.

My new goal is to find out WHY Satan wants me to give up. I need to find the people that he doesn't want me to find. I need to help the people he is trying to keep me from helping. I need to marry and baptize the families he doesn't want me to marry and baptize and, more than anything, strive to become the person he doesn't want me to be. Right before my companion left, Elder Mejia and Elder Scott came over to give her a blessing, and no one wanted to leave or say goodbye, so we just kind of awkwardly sat there, avoiding the unavoidable.

Elder Mejia saw my journal, which I have sadly left untouched for about six months, and started reading it. I didn't care 1. Because it's in English and he wouldn't understand all of it, and 2. Because there are no great secrets, just a bunch of stories. Anyway, he read all of what I had written when I was new. Honestly, I don't even remember being this way, but every single day I had written something like "I am scared." "I just want to go home so bad." "I hate this place." "I will never learn Spanish." "The food makes me sick." "I just want to give up."

I couldn't help but think. What would have happened if I would have just gone home my first transfer when I really, really wanted to? Look at all of the people I have Baptized, who would have taught and found them? What would I be doing with my life if I weren't here? What would have happened to all these poor people I have helped??? Maybe someone else would have helped them eventually, but how sad it would be for me to have lost the amazing privilege of being there.

All of the sisters I have trained and the areas I have opened...what would have happened with all that? I am SO grateful that I stuck with it. Anyway, long story short, but in that candlelit moment I decided to not just stay, but to rise to a sense of new commitment and be the most diligent and obedient missionary that I can. And, can I just say that the Lord is already blessing me for my decision? Sunday morning, when I wanted to just sit and feel sorry for myself, I got up and started studying and the phone rang. The President´s Assistants called me and said that someone from my area had been going to their ward and they wanted me to visit them that same day. I was able to find a member to work with me (since I can't do it alone) and when we got to the house I knocked on the door and someone that I taught a long time ago opened the door, and quickly shut it in my face saying that the new person I was looking for wasn't there.

I was ready to give up, but remembered that I had her phone number, so I turned the corner and called the lady, Shirley, and she answered and said that she was in the house, so she sent her daughter out to meet us and let us inside (the lady that shut the door in my face was in a corner, pouting that we had found a way into the house) and we started teaching this single mother and her two teenage kids.

I noticed that Shirley was shaking a lot and couldn't look anyone in the eye. As I got to know her a bit, she admitted that she suffers from very serious anxiety. She explained that she was living in Lima and was being taught by the Elders, and then came to Iquitos and her anxiety got worse. One day, she was out walking (and having a very serious panic attack) and looked up and saw a church and felt peace and has been going there every Sunday for a month. I explained to her that there is a church a lot closer to her house and we got talking and, after a very Spiritual lesson, the whole family committed to baptism. It was amazing.

The lady almost cried as I talked about receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and said that that could help her cope with her anxiety. It was...well...just amazing. Amazing. The Lord loves me and is taking care of me. I am so thankful for Him and the blessings that he gives me for trying to be diligent and obedient even when it is so hard. I love him and love His work and SO grateful to be a part of it.

So incredibly grateful.

Yet If Thou Wilt, I'll Drink it Up

Okay, let me just start off by saying one thing I AM OKAY. I promise.  Okay, just thought I would get that out there before I get into explaining my week. Well, it was a long one. A REALLY long one.  It started off Monday when I plunged into a horrible panic attack in the middle of a relaxing P-Day. I was just so done with everything that I had been feeling. I remember just praying for help that I could get some answers and get these things figured out. Luckily, that morning I had FINALLY written a very honest letter to my mission President explaining that I really was not okay. I was shaking all the time. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I had come to the point that I was feeling so dizzy and stressed that I would just randomly fall in the street at times. I was SO sick of feeling that way.

Tuesday night, the phone rang. I looked at the Caller ID and didn’t understand why the Zone Leaders were calling me so late, and they told me that Hermana Gomez needed to talk to me right away. I gave her a call and she explained that President had just read my letter and that they were very concerned. They asked me a lot of details of things that have been happening and I was finally honest and explained everything. They asked me to buy some weird fish oil syrup type thing to take for now while they looked into other things.  The Anxiety just kept getting worse and worse. I drank the syrupon Thursday morning and it just about killed me. The WORST thing I had EVER tasted in my life. I choked the cup down with the faith that maybe, just maybe it would help me start feeling better. My companion asked me how I felt and I quoted Jeffrey R. Holland “If the bitter cup won’t pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in better days to come.” We got a good laugh out of that.

Thursday dragged on and I was so anxious that I, yet again, just about passed out. I was laying on my bed and my companion started saying that she was going to call the Zone Leaders. I forbid her to do it. Well, it didn’t matter, because, sure enough, just a few minutes later they called us.

“Hermana Simonson! We have good news! You’re not going to have language study today. Instead, you are going to go to the corner of Quiñones and Guardía Civil, and in that corner you are going to see a car. And you are going to get in that car. That car will be driven by President and Hermana Gomez….and they are going to take you to the hospital.”

I freaked out. I wanted to refuse to go, but I knew that I couldn’t. We got there, and it turned out that it was just President, with a very concerned look on his face.  He took me to the Hospital and when the Doctor attended us he asked me why I was here. I responded “Because they made me come.” He got a good laugh. I don’t think President thought it was as funny as I did. He started explained that they “obligated” me to be there because I was fainting in the street, shaking all the time, incredibly stressed out, not sleeping, not eating, etc. They wanted to see if it was Anxiety for sure, or maybe just some Parasite.

He ran a few tests for physical things and there was no problem. Then, he did a few Anxiety tests and looked at my President and said “Ya..she definitely has a problem. There is a reason she can’t sleep.” He told President that I need a Psychiatrist and President whipped out his IPhone trying to find the best one and get an appointment for as soon as possible.

The next day, my companion and I went to the Psychiatrist and we talked a little bit and figured a few things out. I was diagnosed not only with Anxiety, but also with Major Depressive Disorder. I almost didn’t believe it. I was really upset, I felt like everything was spinning. We went to go buy the pills and they informed us that our insurance wasn’t going to cover it, so we had to call the Zone Leaders to call the Insurance. 

Side story, the Zone Leaders hadn’t known anything about any of this until President had called them and they were pretty hurt that I had never told them. Anyway, as I talked to them and explained them what was going on, and then explained the Diagnosis Elder Avila, one of my best friends in the Mission, just cut me off and said “Hermana, just tell me one thing, How are YOU?” I answered “Fine” and he asked for details and I ended up doing what I had avoided doing for the longest time. I burst into tears. He listened intently and said “Don’t worry about the Insurance thing for now, we are going to get that taken care of. Just know something, okay? You are my hero. I admire you so much. I know that everything sucks right now but just know that this all means that you can start getting better at last. So many people would have quit and you kept going for SO long. While training, opening areas, being a leader, and facing these big problems, you’ve also been setting Baptism records and helping a lot of people. Just know that you’re amazing.”

So there I was, crying like a baby in the middle of a Hospital in the middle of the Amazon Jungle. Who would have EVER thought that my life would have come to this? My companion walked me outside and smiled and said “Well, I can cross that off my list.” I asked what she was talking about and she said “I never, ever thought that I would see you cry. I’ve lived with you for the longest time and have never seen anything less than a smile. I certainly don’t believe that you’re depressed!” We sat outside laughing and crying together and turned around to see President Gomez showing up. The Zone Leaders had called him and he wanted to see if I was okay, and talk to the Insurance people. The pills were bought and President explained that he was in the middle of some interviews and had to get back. I felt so special that he had left the interviews just to see if I was okay.

My companion forced the pills down my throat, but here comes the funny story. They were REALLY strong, instant pills and I started feeling a little TOO good. Long story short, I had been overdosed by the Peruvian Doctor. I spent the whole Saturday Conference laughing and sleeping and falling and fainting and saying crazy things. After the afternoon session, we were sitting outside of the Church and President and Hermana Gomez came over and saw me and said “There’s the drunk missionary!” and everyone laughed. “I am not stressed anymore!” I yelled and laughed. Oh, it was just hilarious.

It’s been hard, but you wouldn’t believe the support I have. Obviously it’s not something that I am telling everyone, but my District Leader and Zone Leaders and companion and Mission President (the people that I am forced to tell) make a great team to keep me going. One of the suggestions that the doctor gave was to get more exercise. My new District Leader, Elder Mejia, promised we wouldn’t be alone in that. Now, he and his companion have also committed to waking up half an hour early everyday just to go run with us. Such a sweet gesture.

After everything, I don’t take back what I have always said. Happiness IS a choice. Sometimes it is a choice to just think positive and take some vitamins. Sometimes it is a choice to move on with life. Sometimes, it is a choice to take the pill, be honest, ask for blessings, trust in God, and move forward. I don’t care if some Peruvian Doctor has declared me as depressed, I am just going to keep being happy. And, wanna know the best part? I still have five more months to wake up everyday and preach the Gospel of Happiness to these amazing people. I will honestly say that my life could not get any better.

Love- 

Hermana Simonson

Miracles!

March 31, 2014

It was a week of miracles! Actually, this last month has been a whole process of miracles as we worked with the family that got Baptized on Saturday. We rarely get references from our ward, but a while back the Young Men´s President informed us that he went looking for some inactive young men, and showed up at the wrong house. He apologized for bugging them and said “Well, maybe I am here for a reason. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I want to invite you to my church.” The wife of the family was in church the following Sunday. 

We started visiting them and she accepted Baptism in the first lesson, but her husband (that is not technically her husband because they are not married but they all just say husband and wife anyway) was really hard hearted and would not accept marriage or Baptism and said that he wouldn’t change his life just because two little girls were visiting them. In one lesson, the wife, Aided, just burst into tears and said “Hermana, I FEEL it. I feel it and he doesn’t. He doesn’t feel anything.” It broke my heart. We couldn’t do anything for her if the husband wouldn’t budge.

One day, we showed up at the house and he said “Hermanas, I did what you said. I prayed. I know it’s true. You can Baptize me.” It was amazing. So amazing.  But, we did not realize how hard it was going to be. He didn’t have an ID Card, which makes getting the marriage papers EXTREMELY difficult. And, he doesn’t have ANY money, so paying for their marriage rights was going to be really hard.

 A few weeks ago, when we tried to talk to the Ward Council for help, they told us they were too busy to help us. I wanted to die. Elder Muñoz looked at me and started speaking in English “APRIL Five, just you Baptize them on April five. Don’t push it for this month just to meet you goal.” As we left the church he looked at me and said “Why are you so sure about this day, it will be impossible.” I got a little frustrated and promised him that the date we had chosen had NOTHING to do with meeting a goal and that we wanted to move the date back but the Spirit was really strong telling us that they needed to be Baptized on this day. “I NEVER set dates just for the numbers” I promised him, and he decided to believe me.

The Zone Leaders got really excited and started saying that if we pull it off we will be setting a record for baptisms. I tried to tell them we don’t care about the record and we don’t want to hear more about it. Then, they got suspicious and thought that they didn’t believe that we could be Baptizing so many people and thought the people weren’t actually dedicated. So, they set up a test. 

They told the family that they needed to be at the Chapel that was furtherest away from there house at a certain time to sign papers. This sweet little family with absolutely nothing got permission to leave the job they just got, borrow money to pay for the Motokar, and showed up at the Church, completely by themselves. Was I super mad when I found out about the “test”? Yes. Extremely. But, they passed. And the Zone Leaders just looked at us at said “Okay, we believe you. We get it. You can Baptize them.”

In their Baptismal Interview, the wife cried and told the Zone Leaders that when she wanted to know if this was what she was supposed to do, she dreamed that she was standing by a river, and that I came up to her in a canoe and stepped out and was sparkling with light and a voice told her that this was the angel God had sent her….just a funny side note. These people and their dreams.

It was SO hard to get things done. We put together an activity to raise the money and the day of the activity, the skies were completely black. Peruvians DO NOT leave their houses when there is rain. I was ready to break. We sat in the plaza waiting and I just lost it and looked up and the skies and broke into English. “Why???” I shouted. “Why today why now???” I remember just staring at the sky and trying to command the clouds to move (worth a shot). 

I just remembered Aided’s crying face when she thought they weren’t going to be able to get married and I thought of all of my love for her and for the family and I was completely broken down. I kid you not, in that moment, sun started to shine on the Plaza, it got brighter and brighter within a matter of minutes and it NEVER rained. 

The Spirit spoke so firmly “I TOLD you that this family was to be Baptized this week. Why couldn’t you just trust me? I did the miracle with the husband’s heart. I did the miracle with the ID Card. I did the miracle with the papers. I did the miracle with the “test”. Why couldn’t you trust me for one miracle more?”

We needed to get 120 soles for the wedding, wanna know how many we got? 121. No joke. When we showed up to the activity, we came down the hill and saw a whole group of white shirts sitting there. I wanted to cry. The WHOLE zone came (other than they zone leaders.). Their love and support was amazing. 

Then, on Saturday, Aided and Angel were Married and Baptized, and yesterday they were confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ. I couldn’t believe it. When the Lord tells us we need to do something and when we need to do it, it seems impossible. But He will always help us. He will touch the hearts, find the papers, and even stop the rain.

I love this Gospel. I love my Heavenly Father. I love serving His children in this amazing place that, for me, is sacred ground.

Hermana Simonson

White Night and Mile Two

March 24, 2014

What a crazy week! Remember how I hate weddings? Let me just stress
the fact again that I HATE weddings. And want to know the worst part?
Planning weddings that aren't my weddings! But, when your District
Leader is in the Hospital for three days and he calls you begging for
help, what else are you going to do? So we were running around like
crazy trying to get his wedding together, and also working on our
wedding that we have this Saturday. Oh, so fun. On top of all that, I
had to "Babysit" this week since one sister had her companion in Lima,
so she stayed with us and we worked the two areas while doing Elder
Muñoz´s dirty work. LOVE IT!
Saturday was one of the best nights of my life. We called it a "White
Night" as we had the opportunity to have seven Baptisms in our ward,
and our Mission President was there to see it! I'll send you the
picture next week. We call it Hermana Simonson, Hermana Ventura, Elder
Muñoz and Elder Scott Doing Work. It was so beautiful. Yesterday,
Nelly, one of the women that was Baptized, was set apart as the new
Young Women's president just one hour after being confirmed a member
of the church. AMAZING. Also, we didn't even have talks in Sacrament
meeting last week. Why? The whole hour was confirmations. I love,
Love, LOVE this work.
It seems impossible to believe that I am hitting the one year mark on
Thursday. Or, better than call it one year, I call it the "Two Mile
Mark." It's a long, hard, great race.  Just less than five and a half
months left, so instead of slowing down and getting tired and lazy,
I'm choosing to get ready for my "Sprint Finish." I don't care that
I'm exhausted I don't care that the panic attacks have been strong I
don't care that my shoes are completely warn out or that my skirts
have holes in them or that there are a ton of sisters to take care of
or that I hate weddings or anything.  When you're the most tired, you
just have to tell yourself you're not and just keep running strong.
Afterall, the best kinds of races are the endurance one. Strong and
fast for the last mile!!!!!!
Love you!
Hermana Simonson

48 Hours

March 17, 2014

Another one of those weeks that went by so fast that I don’t even know what to write about it. Well, it’s official. I have been in Iquitos for more time than I was ever in Tarapoto! Crazy how fast time has gone by. I had three and a half transfers in Tarapoto, in one more week I will have had four transfers in Iquitos, and also in one more week I will only have four transfers left. WHAT?? Time is insane.

I had to buckle down this week and do the thing that I hate most: Work Visits. I HATE them. I have to leave my area for 24 hours to go visit another Hermana and try to magically solve all the problems in her area. Leaving my area behind for that long stresses me out, even though I know that my companion is there doing a good job, it’s weird not being there myself.  After procrastinating the visits for so long, I had to do two and a half this week. They’re rough, but kind of fun.  It’s funny, I noticed that I really was able to help them out in a lot of ways. Hermana Allphin looked up at me during a lesson during her work visit and said “How do you DO that? I wish I could be you!” It made me laugh, but then at the same time made me feel bad as I thought “Why can’t I magically solve all the problems in my own area?” Then I realized it had nothing to do with me or my experience, but it’s just always nice to have an outside opinion to look at things in a different way. BOY, do I sure wish someone could come do a Work Visit to me in my area!

The cool thing was that I was able to see the blessings of being obedient and doing what I need to do. Even though I left for two days, we were able to work really hard the days that I was there and, by some miracle, we were able to find more new people, have more lessons, and have more people progressing than we have had this whole transfer. Even though it doesn’t make sense sometimes, it’s amazing what happens when we just trust in the Lord.

I was reflecting a lot this week about how I’ve personally been able to change and grow in the last year and I was going to write a little bit about that right now, and then I looked down at myself wearing my old running shoes and Batman shirt, drinking Chocolate Milk in a Thor box, and writing my parents and complaining about fulfilling my duties….so maybe I haven’t changed that much, right? ;)

Love you! Have a great week!!

Play By Play

March 10, 2014 

I don't even know how to explain my week, so I'll just have to give
you the day by day.
Monday: Still upset from a long, hard week. Internet getting cut short
didn't help. We went to work at night and I thought things were good
until Elder Muñoz called us wanting me to thank him for saving my
life. I asked why and he explained that the Zone Leaders were really
mad at me because they thought that I wasn't working hard enough and
that I was bored of my area and wanted to interview me, but he
convinced them not to and they said they probably wouldn´t. I didn't
care about the interview, the thing that killed me was that they
thought my Indicators were THAT bad and that they thought I just
wasn't working. It was true that we had had two really bad weeks, but
they were things out of our control. While my companion was sleeping,
I knelt down in prayer repenting for not working good enough and
asking what else I could do. The answer was clear, but unwanted "the
only think you need to do is have pacience." Oh, I hate that word!
Tuesday: They didn't interview me...they found a better way to get after
me. Every week, we have a leadership meeting with me, The District
leaders, and the Zone Leaders. It's always weird being alone in a room
full of 5 Elders! Anyway, during the meeting, the ZLs pointed out that
there was a concern in the zone, then went on to say that that concern
was Hermana Simonson´s area.  I wanted to day. Everyone turned to look
at me and I know I went bright red. One ZL looked at me and said
"Frankly, Hermana Simonson, we know there is a problem and we want an
honest answer, are you bored of your area? Do you think that since you
Baptized so much before you can just stop now?"  I wanted to die.
Then, they started burning me because the other sisters in the Zone
had people fall through and wanted to know why I didn't save them, as
if I was Superman or something. When we left and I found my companion
waiting outside, she knew something was wrong, but I just tried to be
positive. Elder Muñoz called me at night to make sure I was okay after
the burning, and I really was fine, but his words helped a lot.
Wednesday: So much better! A wonderful family that I love finally
accepted a Baptismal date! Walking on clouds.
Thursday: I had asked Elder Muñoz to go with us to visit the family
because it's always nice to have a little reinforcement in a delicate
situacion. Of course, to be able to do it he had to ask permission
from the Zone Leaders because technically only the Sister Leaders can
do visits with the sisters' investigators to reinforce, but I don't
exactly have a Sister Leader. We were sitting in the lesson waiting
for him to show up, and he walked inside. I expected his companion to
follow him, but the next Elder that entered was that same Zone Leader
that burned me the day before. I wanted to scream. "I don't need HIS
help!" I thought. "I'm better off on my own he doesn't need to come
just because he thinks I'm uncapable!" I was angry. He plopped down
next to me and I was ready to explode, until I remembered the words to
the Musical Number we had been practicing in the zone "Savior may I
love my brother, as I know thou lovest me." And "Who am I to judge
another, when I walk imperfectly?" I knew that if I sat there in
anger, the Spirit wouldn't be able to help us help the family. I
prayed with everything in my heart that the Lord would help me forgive
and love this Elder. Afterall, the 12 Elders in my zone are my
brothers for this time (and I thought that having four was bad!).  The
lesson went great. When I didn't know what else to say, I swallowed my
pride and gave time to the Elders. We ended up going back and forth
teaching the principles and verifying her Baptism, and found we have
very similar teaching styles, and were able to help this family a lot.
That afternoon, me, and all the Zone Leaders from Iquitos were called
into a special meeting with Elder C. Scott grow from the Quorom of the
Seventy. We were a group of 8, along with our President and Elder
Grow. He asked us a lot of things, and then went around and asked
every companionship how many Less Active Families they had rescued
this year. I wanted to run and hide. At least the ZLs were all there
with their companions to take the heat in two, but I was all alone.
Each companionship only had had 2 or 3 and I could tell that Elder
Grow was disappointed. I was dreading my turn. How was I going to
stand up in front of a General Authority, by myself, and tell him that
I hadn't rescued a single family? How was I to explain that I had
never given it importance because I was too focused on Baptizing
because, in my mind, it's more fun? I felt awful. The last
companionship before me reported one rescue, and that was enough for
Elder Grow. He looked at us all and said "many people don't rescue
because they would rather Baptize, but I promise you in the name of
the Lord that if you rescue, you will also start to Baptize even more
than before." Yes, that was enough for me to get on the ball with the
rescue thing! I was lucky that I never had to give my number, but all
the same, I had seen that I was in the wrong.
Friday: An all-day conference with Elder Grow and his wife. The
message was powerful and beautiful. I was able to share a few comments
as well and the Spirit was so strong. It was interesting, he talked a
lot about marriage and how we should make sure we choose a good
spouse...not a typical Mission Conference, but I loved it. He also
talked more about rescuing and I loved it. He told us about how the
Prophet had talked about wanting to send the missionaries out to
rescue Less Actives, and how Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stood up and
told President Monson a story that he had kept sacred for a long time.
He talked of how when he was ten years old, his father was inactive.
One night, while his father was outside smoking and drinking coffee,
the Bishop, another leader, and the Sunday School president came over
and extended his father a calling as a teacher. They told him the Lord
needed him. Soon enough, he stopped smoking and brought the family to
church. Elder Holland explained that he himself, being an Apostle, was
nothing more than the ten year old son of a rescued family. He said
that, in the Milenium, while everyone is in line to meet Joseph Smith
and Moroni and Nephi, he will be out searching for that Bishop, that
leader, and that Sunday School President, and thank them with all of
his heart. It was so powerful.
After the meeting, I thought I heard Elder Grow whisper my name from
behind the pulpit. Then, President Gómez stood up and asked if I would
go to the Stake Offices right away. I wasn't sure why, but I did it
anyway, and ended up having the amazing opportunity of having a
personal Interview with Elder C. Scott Grow. He asked me to tell my
story of how I got to the mission. He listened to every detail from
the Bishop that told me to prepare when I was just 16 years old,  to
the run I went on but was impressed to turn back and got just in time
to hear the announcement, to the moment when I sat in silence with my
parents, avoiding the subject knowing that none of us understood what
was happening, until dad finally just asked when and I looked up him
through the brim of my Lin's Meet Hat and sad that I would be meeting
with the Bishop the next day, and my parents gave me stressed, but
humble and accepting, looks.  He teared up as I talked about the night
I went through the Temple and how it just happened to be the answer a
young future Bishop was looking for when he saw my dad there with me,
and how my dad conducted my last Sunday at home.  It was such an
amazing opportunity for my simple, but powerful, little story to be
heard and I was amazed at how genuinely interested he was. I was
flattered that, of all the missionaries in that room, he felt inspired
to talk to me.
"Sister Simonson, will you do a favor for me? Will you write your
family on Monday and tell them that this week, you had a personal
Interview with a General Authority and that he looked into the eyes of
their daughter and saw deep into her soul and saw that she is a
beautiful, righteous young woman that has dedicated her life to the
Lord, and that will work miracles for him throughout Eternity through
her righteousness."
Elder C. Scott Grow, First Quorom of the Seventy
Sunday: We saw the fruits of our labors and our patience. We had three
families come to Church and two that are now preparing for Baptism.
Things were even better than they had been in a long time. The Lord
truly blesses us when we work diligentely, even when we work a long
time without seeing results.
This work is amazing. I love it. Go out and find less actives and
bring them back to the fold, it's a commandment from the Prophet and
it bring blessings!!! Love you.
Hermana Simonson

Pressing Forward

March 3, 2014 

"Well," I thought as I stared a way too dry Baptismal font. "I bet this is what getting left at the Altar feels like. " One of the hardest feelings I've faced during my mission is when, at the very last minute, someone decides not to get baptized. But, that was just the icing on the cake after a really, really long week.  Probably the hardest in my whole mission.

It started out with my companion going to Lima for three days, a crazy lady on the street yelling at me and threatening to call the police because apparently she lent my old companion an umbrella last month while I was in meetings and she never
brought it back, my Zone Leaders deciding to randomly change my area limits and take out the part where all but one of my Investigators with a baptismal date live, my District Leader missing my one other Investigator's Baptismal Interview, sending my Investigator late to work and then getting in trouble at work and then making him question baptism and the date falling through, and then my Zone Leaders turning around and burning me because I don't have any Baptismal dates right now, crying in the middle of church, then being on Lock Down all Sunday afternoon. Just great.

Sometimes it is just SO hard to be positive. After the whole problem with my Investigator, my District Leader saw me and knew I was mad, he swears I have the worlds most obvious angry face, and asked what had happened. I tried to kindly remind him of an Interview that he forgot about and at first the kind part worked, then he started laughing and my kindness went away.

The next day, he brought a coconut to me to try to make up for it, then threw a water balloon in my face. What a smart kid. Anyone that knows me well, knows that when I am angry or sad or stressed out, apologies or encouraging words don't do a whole lot, but after a good laugh, everything seems to be okay.

In the end, lock down was kind of fun! Sunday was a really crazy Peruvian holiday where they get really drunk, dance with Machetes, and throw water balloons, paint, alcohol, and pee at people in the street. Oh, Peru.  So, our President decided we shouldn't be out in the streets in the middle of that.

After church and lunch, we spent all day Sunday watching Church movies, writing letters, eating, and laughing. It was actually a nice little break from such a hard week.

Sometimes, you just have to remind yourself that it was never meant to be easy.  I know that we are only weak at times so that God can make us strong.

Well, I should have forty more minutes of Internet time, but the Zone Leaders are yelling at all of us saying that we have to leave right now because we have to go to the bank or something...I think this mission has turned into a Monarchy! Haha.

I had a lot of good things to tell you about as well, but looks like they'll have to wait!

Talk to you next week!

Love ya! Hermana Simonson