Not just any spider can make you Spiderman

Hola Familia!

It sounds like you've had a pretty good week. I just realized the other day that it's basically the end of May and that soon everyone will be out of school and that Cameron will be a high school graduate! Wowzee! All I have to say is I hope I get an announcement! I kind of feel like a lamester missing all these events. I realized last week that I haven't been home for Mother's Day for the past three years and that when Brady graduated I was in Mexico. But the most important part is that at least you know I love you. Mom! You are almost finished with Nursing School! How awesome is that! Push through this last little part and you win! I can't believe you've made it this far. I know it's been a battle, and I am so proud of your dedication and determination. You've been such a good example to me the past few years.

Mom, thank you so much for your email this week. It was really what I needed to hear. I think the hardest part is that I just miss feeling like I'm being loved. That's probably selfish, but I just don't feel that in this companionship. I don't know why it's so hard for us to connect, but our relationship is just so superficial. I'm trying to share more of myself and express love, but I don't know how to get through. But I keep praying everyday for the charity to do it. Obviously there's still something that I'm not doing right. It's kind of funny what you told me to do, because I kind of came to that conclusion myself this week too. Really the only person that can be in charge of the way I feel is me. And sometimes I'm just not strong enough to be happy on my own, so that's when I need Heavenly Father's help. I don't think I've ever pleaded so much in my life for the power of the Atonement to lift me up. I find myself taking bathroom breaks or something just to take a minute to pray because I feel like I can't go an extra minute on my own anymore. On top of the companion stress comes the stress of this area. I'm constantly trying to find ways to work smarter and more effectively so we can share the gospel with as many people as possible and find those that are ready to accept it. The only thing I want is for the next missionaries to come in to a beautiful, strong area that is organized and is going somewhere. I think of so many hermanas here that could do this job better than me, but for some reason or another President Riggs received the revelation to send me. I have no idea why, but I trust that. There was something I was sent here to do that only I could do. Maybe I'll never know what it is. Maybe it's something that I needed to learn, or maybe it's someone that I needed to talk to. I am doing my best and I'm learning that that's really all that I can do. But when it's truly everything, that's acceptable to the Lord. In my studies this week I've noticed a group of phrases that keep popping up. At least once every single day it talks about either a person or a group of people pouring out their souls to the Lord. When they did that the Lord comforted them in their afflictions and they saw miracles. So I'm trying to do that too. And we are seeing miracles. Little by little this area is growing. When we had our planning session I realized that we had almost 40 names on our whiteboard. Not all of them are investigators, but they will be soon. Then I realized that four and a half weeks ago we had nothing on our whiteboard. We didn't even have a whiteboard! So I know this area is progressing. I just need to keep an eternal perspective. And be patient.

We did have some pretty amazing things happen this week though. Like I said, the Lord is working miracles. First, we had exchanges. And I got to go to Woodbridge. I was so happy because after the mission splits Woodbridge is not going to be in our mission anymore so I'll probably never have the chance to serve there. Unless I get transferred this next time and end up going to the new mission. Not likely, but it could happen. This exchange was like heaven. It was so nice not to be in charge for a day. I finally felt like I could breathe. I still had to drive though because Hermana Whitaker is waiting for a visa so she's not insured. That was an adventure. I'm coming to learn more and more just how bad I am at following directions. We got lost more than a few times. But Hna Whitaker is great! We became instant friends and that's something I really needed. We got a lot of work done and I really felt like we were a power companionship for a day. She's also having a hard time in her companionship and she helped me see the perspective from the other side (she's being trained). Her struggles are completely different than what mine and my companion's are, but we were really able to talk and bounce around ideas about what we can do to strengthen our companionships. It was really good for me. We also got to go and see Hna Matute who is a member that lives in Woodbridge that is one of my favorite people ever. She is a really good friend of the Castaneda family and so she was in Old Town all the time. I told her at Reyna's baptism that I was coming on exchanges to Woodbridge and she was so excited. She fed us dinner that night and told me that she called Lourdes to find out if she knew anything about me coming and then decided she would stay home all night just in case we came by because she didn't want to miss us. It was so good to see her. I love her! I also met the funniest little kid. His name is Jarbin but he tells everyone it's Peter Parker. He's five and doesn't speak a word of English. Anyway, he's obsessed with Spiderman. His mom was telling us that the other day he found a spider and was doing everything he could to get it to bite him because he wanted to become Spiderman. She just about died. So we told him that not just any spider can make you Spiderman and that the special spiders don't live here. That kid is crazy!

On Friday we had a half mission conference and Elder Echo Hawk came and spoke. They were kind of keeping it hushed, but I figured it out because he was coming for our stake conference this weekend too. It was such a good mission conference. Elder Echo Hawk spoke when I was in the MTC and a lot of what he said was very similar, but this time, it was exactly what I needed to hear. It touched me so much. He talked about how he is a convert. That when he was baptized when he was a teenager but he wasn't really converted. Until he had a Young Men's leader that really helped him out. He had a horrible football injury in which they though he was going to loose his eyesight but he promised Heavenly Father that he would read at least ten pages every day if he could only see again. It happened and as he read the Book of Mormon he was changed. And this all started because a member one day asked his father if he could send the missionaries to his house. What touched me the most was that here was this young boy with no hope of a future who turned into a man who had a four year football scholarship at BYU, graduated from law school, and eventually ended up working as the Head of Indian Affairs in the Department of Internal Affairs. Why? Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because of the Book of Mormon, and because of people that cared about him enough to come to the rescue. And I thought, how many of those people do we pass on the street every single day? Those people who have so much potential to do so many great things and they don't even realize it. It's our job to help them realize that potential. And it's not really us that doesn't anything, we just teach them where to find it--in the Savior.

So yesterday was stake conference and Jhoana came. And so did her sister Esperanza. Jhoana is really progressing and Esperanza is starting to too. They really liked it and are already talking about coming again next week. We're going to put Esperanza on date this week and we're hoping that her and Jhoana can get baptized together. Jhoana has progressed leaps and bounds since we first met her and it's been so amazing to be a part of it and to become her friend. For someone who is only 19, I'm amazed at her desire to do what is right and to find the answers to her questions.

So that's about it this week. Sorry it's kind of been a novel. Oh yeah, and I got a wedding announcement for Mari this week! So Maricita, if you ever read this, congratulations! I'm so excited for you!

Thanks family for being the best in the whole wide world. I love you so much.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson

 

Yep, thats Elder Echo Hawk

 

 

 

EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD AND MAKES ME WANT TO PULL MY HAIR OUT

Hola Familia!

I just love you so much! Talking to you yesterday was so fun! I wish it could have lasted longer, but the work must go on! And my companion was getting super antsy about leaving, even though she started way before I did because her computer didn't have any technical difficulties. Oh well. You all look and sound great. And I'm so happy about Baby Alex's new shirt! I need more details! Have Brett and Elise found out if they're moving yet or any details about that?

Anyway, we made it to our dinner appointment and had Peruvian chicken and it was so yummy! And then we made it to our miracle lesson. Wow. We got there and he wasn't home but his sister said that he just ran to the store so to come back in half an hour. So we did. The sister and her son are being taught by the English missionaries and so they sat in on the lesson too. And really liked it. But basically we sit down and Geraldo says, "I have two questions that I would really like to be answered: First, what is the Book of Mormon and where did it come from? Second, how do I become a member of your church?" Wowzee. So we taught him and he was just so into the lesson and we would teach the apostasy and he would just say how much sense that made. And then we taught the Restoration and he loved it. And we taught about Priesthood authority and he just saw that that made so much sense too. When we invited him to get baptized he was like sure, not tomorrow, but sure. So we gave him a date for June 15th. It was a really cool lesson.

Like I was telling you yesterday, Jhoana also came to church and that was a miracle. Elder Young and Elder Macias had been teaching her, but she takes care of all of her siblings kids and there was never a man in the house so it was super hard to teach her. So they passed her to us and told us good luck getting her to church. But we've been teaching her for the past few weeks and she's just absorbing things like a sponge. She has so many questions and has really wanted to see what church is like. Friday we had a lesson with her and we took a member and they just clicked. They member offered to give her a ride to church and she was so excited. She also didn't have to work taking care of all the kiddos so it was super easy to get her there. And she loved it. She kept saying how different it was from the other churches she had been to, but that she really liked it. She is on date for June 8th and she's really progressing.

So that's about the update for things here. Every day is a struggle, but Heavenly Father is blessing us. Going back to Old Town for Reyna's baptism this week made me remember that I didn't love Old Town when I first got there either. Or even after my first transfer there. That it took a lot of work and that there were a lot of tears, but that it became a place that I love more than I can say. That can happen here too. It's requiring a lot of work and there have been more than a few tears, but that's okay. Heavenly Father knows why He put me here in this area with this companion. I pray every day that I can be teachable and learn from her and learn from this area. Maybe we'll never be the best of friends like Hna Stewart and I are or like Hna Wallis and I have come to be, but we can accomplish what we were sent here to do and we can love doing the work. That's the most important thing.

I love the Lord and I love this work, even when it's so hard that it makes me want to pull my hair out. It was so good to see you all yesterday. Thanks for being the best family in the world.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson

I think I'll just stick to a mission‏

Hola Familia!

I just love you so much! And Mom, I did go to high school, of course I know what Star Wars day is. And way to go, Cam for giving out a Book of Mormon and wearing leopard print! You win! It sounds like all is going well with you. Can you believe it's May already? I can't. It's almost time for everyone to be getting out of school and then summer will be here! It's been pretty chilly here the last few days and it hasn't felt very much like spring. Oh well. I'm sure as soon as summer gets here I'll be wishing it was like this again.

Let's see, what can I tell you about Sudley? The ward loves us. That's really good. Way different than when I started out in Old Town. They're so excited to have hermanas here again. We also have a good calendar. So we should be getting fed a little bit more. It might kill our miles, but we'll get to know the members a lot better so hopefully it will be a good way to help get them excited for missionary work. We really need their help. It's a lot more diverse down here. As in not every one you meet is from El Salvador. We met a Chilean last night, and now I think the only country in South America that I have left is Paraguay. Then I will have met or taught someone from every South and Central American Country. Sweet!

This week has been yet another hard one. Remember Pedro, the sweet little Domincan man? His wife got home this week. We're were super excited to go and teach them together. It turns out that Pedro's wife is not quite as sweet as he is. She told wouldn't let us talk to him and she told us that she told him that he was wasting his time with us. That she studied the Bible and that if he wanted to study the Bible he could do it with her and her church. That he was the only member of her family that didn't go to her church and so if he wanted to find God, he could do it in her church. We tried to explain and clear things up, but she wouldn't have it. We tried to ask her to just give us 20 minutes of her time, but she said she was busy. When we asked if we could come back, she didn't say no, so maybe in a few weeks we'll try it again. I know that Pedro felt something. So that was the lovely start to our day and it just went downhill from there. Typical Saturday.

But, it finally did turn around. About 4:00 in the afternoon, I told Hna Sorensen that I felt like we needed to change our plans and go down to Manassas. I had had that thought the night before, that we needed to go see a family, but it just didn't make sense for us to go all the way down there and we were going to see them at church on Sunday. But we changed our plans and after dinner headed down to Manassas. The first person we had decided to see wasn't home. After the day we had had up to this point I was pretty discouraged and I thought, wow, we came all the way down here for nothing. But we headed to our back up and I just prayed the entire way that we could just teach someone something. At this point I wouldn't have even minded if I had to do it in English (teaching in English is way harder). So we park on the street by the next apartment complex and we start heading to see the Martinez family. There was no one even out on the street to talk to. Until we rounded the corner and there's this little boy that's trying to run and play in the street. And then we see his mom, sitting on the steps. So I started kind of playing with him, asking him what he was doing playing in the street. And then we started talking to his mom. We told her who we were and what we did and she said she would love to hear our message and invited us in. We started teaching and got to the point of the apostasy and I paused and asked her if she had ever lost something and not been able to find it. She hesitated for a moment, and then got really emotional and told us that when she was about two her dad had died and she had never had the opportunity to know him. And that she hoped that someday she would have that chance. We stopped right there and I testified with all my heart that I knew that she would. And that she could know too. That that's why we were teaching the Restoration, because through the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ she can see her dad again. She doesn't have to wonder. if she'll ever have that chance. The message of the Restoration changes lives. She wants us to come back, because she wants to know. After that, we continued walking to see the Martinez family, which was our original purpose. We got there and they weren't home. But the family that they live with were just pulling up. They're familiar with missionaries, but have never really listened to them. They invited us in and we asked if we could share a quick though with them. We were able to give them a copy of the Book of Mormon and testify of it's truthfulness. They told us that want to come to church to see what it's like and that they had wanted to for a while. Hopefully we can start teaching them soon. They are so nice. It turns out that we really did need to go to Manassas, and it wasn't ever to see the Martinez family after all. Heavenly Father wanted us there to teach Maria and to introduce Fernando and Nelly to the Book of Mormon. He answered our prayers.

It's hard, and it's discouraging, but it's still the Lord's work, and He knows what he's doing. I know that someday this area is going to flourish. I don't know if it's going to happen while I'm here, or how long I'll be here and I'm not even really sure why Heavenly Father has me here, to be honest. I know a lot of missionaries that could probably do a much better job than me. But I know that Heavenly Father has His own plan and His own purposes, and it's just my job to do my best, regardless of how hard it is and how long I'm here, even if I never figure out why. But I'm here to do His will.

I'm tyring to learn patience. Training is so hard. I don't know what to do to help my companion progress. I feel like I'm having to reteach her everything. Things that are just common sense to me make no sense to her. And sometimes I just feel like saying, did you learn anything for the six weeks you were in the MTC? Don't worry, I don't actually say that, so it will probably forever be a mystery. And the Spanish is just not sticking. I'm trying everything. So if anyone has any ideas, I would love them. We'll spend 15 minutes working on something and then five minutes later it's back to saying it wrong. She's frustrated because she isn't getting it and I'm frustrated because I don't know what else to do to help her. And I hate correcting her because I feel like the biggest jerk in the world. I do it nicely, but still. We're working on it. I'm doing the best I can and I'm really trying to teach by example. I think that's the most important thing.

So family, that's about it. I love you tons. I'm learning a lot. I've heard so many times that the things you learn on a mission will just prepare you for dealing with marriage. If that's the case, I think I'll just stick to a mission. It's hard enough.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson