"Wow, I'm sitting here watching this....

Hola Familia!

I'm so glad you got to go to the Broadcast last night! Wasn't it wonderful?! I was sitting there and thinking, "Wow, I'm sitting here watching this and Brady's sitting here watching this, and the whole family is sitting here watching this. All at the same time. So I just pretended like we were all watching it together in the same place. I loved it though. It was so inspired! Missionary work is so important! I felt like I received a lot of revelation while watching it, for our investigators and also for myself. It was exactly what I needed. And know I just feel so inspired. It was definitely a spiritual recharge that I needed after these past few weeks to help put things back in perspective. I hope we can all remember what we felt and use it to help further the Lord's work.

Thank you for your email, Mom. It really helped me. Especially when you said not to lose myself in my quest to be righteous. Sometimes that's so hard as a missionary. Preach My Gospel tells us not to compare ourselves to other missionaries, but it's hard sometimes. Especially when some of them are so righteous and sister wifey and I'm not like that. And sometimes I feel bad because I'm not. But you helped me remember that the Lord called me and he needs me to be me. With some growth and change, of course, but still me. So I'm going to focus on being the best version of me this week and not a mediocre version of someone else.

This week has been better. The work has gone better and I feel like I've been a bit happier. And we've definitely seen the Lord's hand this week. Last week we were talking to Esperanza--some day we're going to get her married--and she really wants Jose to come to church and to listen to us and she wants to get married in the temple. But Jose has a bit of a hard head. So we were talking a lot about faith and about prayers and I felt like I needed to tell her that she could pray that Jose's heart would be softened. And then I felt to promise her that as she did so, that Heavenly Father would answer her prayers and that he would take care of her and her family. And I told her that we would pray with her. So we've been praying a lot for Jose and for a miracle. And this week, we had a miracle! On Tuesday we stopped by and he came home while we were there and he usually runs and hides in the bedroom or something, but this time he sat with Ryan and listened a little. And when we left, he was surprised that we were already leaving. And then we went back on Thursday and he was so welcoming and he stayed! And we taught him the first lesson! It was amazing! He had a ton of questions about church and baptism and what it's like to be a missionary and it was so good. The Spirit, and Esperanza are working on him. His heart is being softened and we are going to do everything we can to keep moving forward. He's really shy though and he's worried that if he comes to church that people are going to judge him if he doesn't know the answers. Silly. We'll get him to church next week. Sunday is the only day that he doesn't work, and Esperanza keeps telling him that it's for a reason. Jose also told us that before, when they were living with Jhoana that one time we came and he didn't answer the door. He was getting ready to leave and he was waiting for us to leave and we didn't leave, so he went and hid inside but really wanted us to leave because he was going to be late. He told us that he would never do that again, and that now we're welcome whenever we want. That is a change of heart!

We also had exchanges this week. It was so nice. I stayed here this time, and I got to have a visa waiter with me. We have a ton of them here. Waiting for a visa must be torture! All our plans for the evening fell through and we had knocked a street and not found anyone that spoke Spanish, and then I felt like we needed to go and see an investigator, Miriam, that we haven't seen for a while because she's never home. So we did and she was home! And so was her husband! We were able to share a short quick message with them and they even turned off the TV without being asked! That in itself was a miracle. We were able to set up a return appointment and everything. Right in the middle of the lesson, her daughter Cessy, who is five, let out the biggest loudest toot I have ever heard from a five year old. Right on her dad's lap. We all just busted up laughing. Her poor parents were so embarrassed. After living with so many boys, I felt right at home.

After Hna Sorensen got back from the exchanges she told me how glad she was that I was her trainer. I was shocked. Especially because she's gone on exchanges with some really amazing missionaries. But she told me that I was the nicest person she's met her on the mission and that she's really glad that I'm her companion. And this was all unsolicited from me! It felt good to know that maybe I'm not completely failing at this. Because I have been working so hard to teach her and to love her and to help her. This past transfer and a half has been oh so hard. I just hope that I'm learning what the Lord wants me to learn.

Zone Conference was so so good! President Riggs is so inspired. And every time he teaches us, I feel like he's talking directly to me. I learned so much. And we got fed lunch! Here's the funny thing about zone conference. Every time that I'm craving something, they seem to feed us that for zone conference lunch. Last time it was Cafe Rio, this time, pulled pork. The Relief Society has been inspired. If that's not a tender mercy, I don't know what is. I ended up playing I Need Thee Every Hour and it went pretty well. I was so nervous though. Like always.

So like I said before, at the broadcast last night I had a really neat experience with revelation. While Elder Holland was talking, a part from my patriarchal blessing and some of it's promises came to mind. And then I had this thought come to me that said, "Learn how to do it right, because you're going to be a missionary for the rest of your life." In Elder Holland's talk from October's General Conference he says that the mission is supposed to change you forever. And I really felt so strongly right then that that's what the Lord wants for me. It was a very powerful experience that compares only to receiving the answer that serving a mission was the right thing to do. I don't really know how to describe it, but I felt at that moment that the Lord has such a distinct purpose for me, and that he is molding me now so that I can forever be who He needs me to be. So I hope I'm doing it right.

Well family, that's about it. Thanks for taking such good care of me! I love you all so much. Be good, don't die on the Trek, don't let the water truck get lost, I hope you go to Ensign and not to desert in the middle of nowhere. But if you do, I hope you don't complain as much as I did. And still do.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson

Apparently Pants isn't a Priority‏

Hola Familia!

I just love you oh so much! And you did it, Mom! Woohoo! I was thinking about you a lot on Saturday. I'm so proud of you! And I loved the pictures! Especially Grandpa's face in the one of the three of you. Mom, you're beautiful! And Nate looks like a little grown up. And my Baby Alex isn't a baby anymore. I can't believe it! Everyone's growing up so fast! And Kelley, you're super cute...I've taught you well! Now that you've figured out how to send pictures I expect to get them on a more frequent basis. Can you believe it's already the middle of June? It feels like it was just February and Hna Wallis and I were walking the Route One and freezing. We're definitely not freezing now. And I've found the one redeeming quality of winter: No mosquitos. I don't know what I did, but those things are after me with a vengeance. I look like I have some crazy skin disease all over my legs because they are just covered with bites. Oh well.

So this week has been interesting. We went on exchanges on Wednesday and it kind of threw me off for the whole rest of the week. Hna Sorensen stayed here and I went to Fredricksburg. And this might be bad to say, but I really don't mind that Fredricksburg is going to be in the new mission and I'll never get to serve there, because I did not like it one bit (I guess there's always the chance that I could get emergency transferred there and end up in the new mission). It's all forest and mosquitos and cicadas (Have you ever seen one of those? They are the most horrid creature I have ever seen. Like a big evil fly that makes the sound of a lawnmower. They are everywhere and they make me want to die.). Hardly any people. Especially of the Spanish speaking variety. I did meet a mean old Mexican man though. I was with Hna Sevilla, who is a native speaker and he assumed that I couldn't speak Spanish so he was talking to her about me. Then I told him that I could speak Spanish too. He was surprised, but not any nicer.

We've been continuing to work with Jhoana and she's great. We started reading the Book of Mormon from the beginning with her, because the last time she did it she didn't understand it so she didn't really like it. Mostly she prefers that we give her chapters to read according to different principles that will help her. But we explained the background and everything and she's been on fire. She loves it. And we got her a triple and she was so excited. She's been asking about how to get a copy of the Doctrina y Convenios and she was so excited that she would finally be able to read it and find the cross references. We've also started teaching her sister Adela and we met her sister Mary and gave her a Book of Mormon too. Adela is going to be a bit harder than Jhoana because she always works and I think she's scared. She knows that it's good and she feels the Spirit, but she also knows that it's going to be hard. And we're still working with Esperanza. She's so good and she feels the Spirit and she wants to get baptized, but she's not married. She also has this idea that after she gets baptized that if she ever makes a mistake then it's going to be even worse than commiting a sin before baptism and that it's going to be even harder to repent. So we're trying to help her understand repentance and the atonement and why it is we get baptized in the first place. We really can't be forgiven completely if we don't get baptized. So we're working on it. That whole family is great though. We love them. And they're basically our entire teaching pool right now. Which is hard because they live in Manassas, which is about ten miles away and our miles just got cut big time so we're not going to be able to make it over to see them as frequently. But the elders can't see them either because there's never a man in the house and it's basically impossible to get anyone to go on exchanges with you. So if the missionaries ever need you to go out with them, Go! Because it stinks when you don't have help from the members. But anyway, we're going to have to figure out some way to get creative about seeing them and helping them progress.

Here's the funny for the week: Last night we went to teach one of our investigators, Patricia, and she's great! I love her, but her kids are crazy. There's three of them ages 8-10. They had gone to Ocean City for the weekend and had gotten home about two hours before we came. We got there and the kids were sitting on the floor playing gameboy or something and we sit down and realize that the boy had no pants on. Nothing! And the one of the girls had this big t-shirt on which was fine, until she sat down and hiked it up around her waist. And their mom just said, "oh don't mind them, they just didn't want to wear pants." So we spent that lesson trying to avoid a bunch of naked little bumskies. Apparently pants aren't a priority in that house.

Personally for me this has been a bit of a rough week. I feel like after Jhoana's baptism we just hit a wall. None of our other investigators are really progressing and we're working so hard to find new ones and to help the ones that we already have and I just feel like nothing is working. I'm trying to constantly be better than I am and to do my best to help our investigators and my companion and I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. Hna Sorensen kind of shut down on me this week, especially in teaching lessons. She's letting herself be convinced that she can't do this and so I've been trying to battle that and she hasn't been participating as much in lessons, so I feel like I've had to pick up a lot. It's almost like we're back where we started. I feel like Satan's just working really hard on pretty much every single person that I know and I don't know what do to. I feel like I'm trying everything, but I just haven't felt that inspired this week. And I can't figure out what it is I'm doing wrong. I'm worried that our area isn't progressing and I'm stressed about how we're going to stay within our miles allotment for the month and I'm more exhausted than I've ever been. I finally felt like we were making progress here on all fronts and now I just feel overwhelmed. But I'm doing my best to stay positive and to be obedient and to have faith. The Lord has His plan, and I just have to trust it.

So that's about it for this week, nothing too exciting. We have zone conference tomorrow though, so we're looking forward to that. And then we have exchanges again on Wednesday. So it's going to be a busy week. I said that I would do the musical number at zone conference. What was I thinking?! Not the best plan I've ever had, because I have no idea what I'm going to play. I guess I'll scramble to put something together. It's going to be great!

I love you all so much and I miss you and I think you're the best family in the whole wide world. And probably the best looking too! Hope you have a great week!

xoxo,

Hermana Simpson

The water was freezing!!

Hola Familia,

I love you all so much! It sounds like it's going to be an exciting month for you! It's always good to be busy, but it makes it feel like summer just flies by. I'm so excited for you to be finished with school, Mom! You are awesome! It sounds like you've had some really neat experiences doing clinicals, I'm kind of jealous.

We've had quite the week this week. The best part: Jhoana got baptized! We got there plenty of time early and filled up the font and thought everything was going to go perfectly. Turns out that Hna. Sorensen turned on the cold water instead of the hot water, so the water was freezing. And then both speakers were late and we were worried that they weren't going to show up. And there was a quince so almost no one from the branch came. But all of that stress aside it was the most beautiful experience. I wish my heart could speak because the words that I have don't adequately describe what I want to say. As soon as it started the Spirit was so strong. I felt like the room was just radiating goodness and light. And after she got baptized, Jhoana was just glowing. She just kept saying, "I'm so happy, I'm so happy," and "I never thought I would make it this far." It was as if a literal load had been taken off her shoulders. And really, it had. Six weeks ago when we first met her, she felt that she wasn't ready and really wasn't worthy to progress and experience the kinds of blessings Heavenly Father wants his children to have. She felt like she had made too many mistakes. But the Atonement is real, and I've never seen it work so strongly as I have in her. It's been a beautiful experience. She has changed completely and has a firm testimony in Jesus Christ and in the Restoration. She knows it, and she's let it change her. And she's not afraid to share it. I just love her so much and I'm so proud of her. I know that this is going to bless her for the rest of her life. We turned on the Restoration video while she was changing and she came back just in time to watch the First Vision. She got so emotional and the Spirit was so strong. Her sister Adela was there too and she loved it. She was so sad that she wouldn't be able to come to church to see her receive the Holy Ghost. We told her next time it could be her. I think she was a little shocked by that, but she has the desire to learn and I know that the Spirit is working on her and softening her heart too.

Yesterday was a bit stressful. Jhoana's phone doesn't work and so we had to stop by and see if she needed a ride. She did, so we called the member that usually takes her. The member got lost and they were way late--like after the Sacrament late. We were so worried because we had absolutely no idea where she was and we were worried that she was going to have to wait another week to do it. But she finally got there and in between talks the second counselor stood up and said that Jhoana was going to get the Holy Ghost. A little unconventional, but it worked. And it was lovely. She told us after that she was so nervous to go up in front of everyone, but as soon as they put their hands on her head that she didn't feel like that anymore. It was beautiful.

So we've really focused on Jhoana the past week to make sure that she was doing okay and that she was really prepared for her baptism and it has just been a really lovely week. Esperanza (Jhoana's sister) moved out, so we got to go and teach her too. And we are seeing miracles with her as well! She has been taught almost everything, but she hasn't been able to get baptized because she's not living the law of chastity. She's been working on trying to figure out how to get married and to find a balance between affording some sort of celebration and just signing papers. We talked to her more about it this week and she's completely changed her mind. She said that she just wants to get married and that if she just has to sign papers that that's fine. And now her boyfriend wants to be able to get her a ring and stuff, so they've kind of switched sides. She told him he could just buy her a 25 cent cheepy thing for all she cared. But we talked to her about it some more and gave her a new baptism date for next month. We told her that she could definitely do it and she was asking us about what she needed to do to get a marriage license and everything. So we are seeing miracles with her. Now if only we could get her boyfriend on board too. This family, though, is amazing. They've been through so much and they've experienced a lot of trials and seen the consequences that come from not living the commandments, and they want the gospel. Seeing them progress has been the most beautiful thing. And even though I've had such a hard time here, teaching them and seeing them progress makes it all worth it. As much as I love and miss Old Town and the friendships I had with my other companions, if I could go back there right now, I don't think I would. All the trials and disappointment have been worth it, just to see Jhoana's face as she came up out of the water, just to hear Esperanza's testimony of the Book of Mormon. I'm so thankful to the Lord for allowing me to be a part of this work and for blessing me with the opportunity of teaching them. Because of them I'm learning to put things into perspective and I'm learning to savor the beautiful moments and to deal with the hard ones because I know that it's all worth it. I feel like the past eight weeks I've been going through the refiner's fire. I probably shouldn't speak too soon, because it's probably not over yet, but I'm thankful for what the Lord has blessed me with. I know how imperfect I am and that I still have a lot of changes to make, but He's so good and he blesses us anyway, and day by day (hopefully) I'm becoming better. He's working on me to teach me what I need to know.

We have exchanges this week and I'm so excited. I get to go down to Fredricksburg, which is not going to be part of the mission much longer. I'm excited to go there because that's where both Hna Stewart and Hna Wallis started out, and I've heard some great stories.

So that's about it for this week. Oh except for the mosquitos. They are bad here. I just have big welts all over my legs and I'm so itchy! I think I'm even more allergic to east coast mosquitos than I am to west coast mosquitos. Saturday night we were outside for almost three hours straight and I got eaten alive. That's okay though because we made a couple of contacts and got fed carne asada by a potential investigator who we are going to start teaching tomorrow. So I'd say it's worth it. Opposition in all things, I guess.

Anyway, I love you so much, I hope you're doing great and that you have the best week ever! I love you. I could just say that all day, because I just love you so much! I feel silly saying it so much--like every other sentence--but I just want you to know that you're my favorite and maybe the more times I say it, the more you will feel it. So. I love you.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson


     

 

 

 

 

Me, Hna Sorensen, Adela, Jhoana, Kevin, Jordan, and Cindy. Kevin and Cindy are Adela's kids and they are so stinking cute. They asked us to move in with them yesterday.

All of us with Elder Macias too. He got to baptize and confirm Jhoana which was neat, because it was him and Elder Young that found her.

Jhoana and the missionaries. She's so tiny!

"Are you fasting too? Because I'm not enjoying it too much."

Hola Familia!

I just love you all so much! It sounds like you've had quite the week! I'm glad to hear Cam actually graduated. Woohoo! You're done with that for a few more years. And you're so close to graduating too! I hope you go for the RN to BSN thing. I'm pretty sure that's what Jenny Taylor did, so you should talk to her about it. And I'm so glad that you're liking the ER so much. I think you would be great at that. After raising us, it should be a piece of cake. I can't believe that it's basically summer. We've had some hot days. In the mid 90's. My companion is dying of the humidity. I don't think it's too bad. It still not as bad as Mexico was, so I don't have too much to complain about. I actually kind of like it.

This past week was transfers and it was the determining transfer on who ends up in what mission. So here's the news. Hermana Sorensen and I are staying here in Centreville. So we'll be together for another transfer and we'll both still be in this mission. I was pretty sure that was going to happen, so it wasn't that big of a surprise. Hermana Wallis, though, got sent to Woodbridge, so she'll be in the new mission. I'm kind of sad abut that. I'll miss her. She's training and opening up an area. Elder Rivera got switched too and that was Elder Phillips last transfer so he's home. Elder Creager is now our district leader (We finally get a Spanish district!) And Hermana Stewart is training and opening up an area too. But Hermana Stewart is staying. Maybe we'll get lucky and be companions again sometime! But half of the Old Town district is gone. I miss that district. We learned a lot together. But this transfer is going to be a great one!

This week has been kind of rough. We had a crazy lesson with a less active who had decided that he had outgrown the church. His problem is with the Word of Wisdom and coffee because he just doesn't feel like that can be scientifically supported. I think there's a bigger underlying issue though. We talked for a long time about the issue not really being about coffee, but being about obedience and faith. At one point the Spirit was so strong and we could see it working on him. He changed his mind and decided to try it out until he understood and he told us he would come to church on Sunday (he's recently moved into the area) if we would be there. We left the lesson feeling really good because of that. And then the next day we got a text message from him saying, "I've thought about it some more, and I'm out." It was horrible. I don't think there's anything more heartbreaking than seeing someone who has felt the Spirit testify of truth and felt the beginnings of something growing and then use their agency to completely shut it down. Later in the week we also got dropped by a family that we found the week before. We were so excited to find them, too. It was a grandma and grandpa and two teenage girls. We taught them the first lesson and it went really well. And then when we went back one of the girls finally answered the door and told us that they decided that they didn't want to listen to the lessons anymore. It broke my heart again. But at that point there's not much you can do except bear testimony and love them. So we told them that everything we taught them was true and promised that it could change them for the better and we told them that we would be here if they changed their mind or ever needed any help. It stinks to have that happen after you feel like you've done all you can to help them. And we found out that another of our investigators in moving back to El Salvador. We've seen our fair share of trials this week. And we've seen agency in action. It's such a two edged sword.

Jhoana, though, is doing so well. She came to church again on Sunday and is getting ready to be baptized this Saturday. I am constantly amazed by her and her faith and her receptiveness to the Spirit. And her love of the gospel. Even after we had the absolute WORST law of chastity lesson in Gospel Principles. It was nothing according to the manual and all according to the opinion of the teacher. All of us missionaries were dying. Even Hermana Sorensen leaned over to me and asked if the teacher just said what she thought he said. We definitely had to do some damage control after that. Thankfully we had already taught and retaught her that lesson and she already understood it. That was a tender mercy.

We also taught her and Esperanza about fasting this week and they both fasted. And even though Esperanza wasn't able to come to church, she still fasted. Jhoana was telling us how Esperanza's boyfried was going to pick up breakfast and asked her if she wanted anything and Esperanza just told him she wasn't hungry. Apparently it was really funny because they were both starving. During Relief Society Jhoana leaned over to me and said, "Are you fasting too? Because I'm not enjoying it too much." It was so cute. We're seeing miracles occur in that family. The older sister, Adela, is pretty Pentecostal and she was not interested in listening to us when we first started coming over. But slowly she's become more and more interested. All week she's been joining us in our lessons and she's been asking questions and she hugs us when we leave. And then on Saturday we took the movie Special Witnesses of Christ over so Jhoana could listen to President Monson's testimony. Before we started it she was explaining the prophet to Adela and she said, "This is our prophet." And then she explained the Apostasy and the Restoration to her sister perfectly. Right after we started the movie though, Jhoana got a phone call and had to leave. But Adela told us to stay because she wanted to watch it. Afterwards she told us how much she liked it. We really are seeing the Lord work on this family. They are so special and I love them so much.

That's about been our week. We've had a lot of downs, but we've had some pretty wonderful ups as well. The companion situation is still not ideal, but I think I just have to let that vision of ideal or the way that things were or the way that I wish things were go. There's a lot of things that I've been having to just let go and accept that things aren't going to be like that, and that it will be okay. And it's not easy. But the only person I can really change is me. Every single day (multiple times) I plead for patience and for charity and for understanding. Because I need to love my companion. For her, but also for me. This week has been a little bit better. Not any easier, but better. And I'm really proud of how much Hermana Sorensen has progressed this week. She's started taking initiative in teaching portions of the lesson and I can tell how hard she's trying. And I respect that a lot. It's been a challenge for me to understand that a lot of the things that come naturally for me are really difficult for her, but as I've tried to understand where she's coming from, it's helped me be more patient. Every day I'm trying to look for the good and sometimes it's hard, but it's so much better that way. I'm really learning a lot from her, and they're not easy lessons to learn, but like I said last week, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to learn them because I know that it's helping me to become more Christlike. I still have so far to go, but like every experience I've had on the mission, this one is changing me too. For the better.

So that's about it for this week. I love you so much and I hope you have the best week ever! I know we will!

xoxo

Hermana Simpson

 

 

 

I'm not quite sure what order these are in, but there's us with Adela and Jhoana in their matching dresses, ice cream truck that will NOT make your event special because it's so annoying, with Elder Makwenkwe (going home to South Africa) and Hermana Williams (going to new mission), Hermana Wallis (she used to always make fun of me for wearing keys around my neck...I taught her well), and our last district. Also, I've never seen a car with a purple mustache. Weird. It made me think of Todd.

 

. . . And brought seven children with them

Hola Familia!

I love you so much! Thanks for all your love and support and prayers. They are making a difference. I've felt an extra measure of something this week and I know it's because Heavenly Father answers prayers. I can't believe graduation is so soon. Don't mess it up, Cam. I'm not worried about you though, Mom. You're going to be fine in your boards. And then you're going to be everyone's favorite nurse. I bet people will be lining up to have you take care of them. Just do your best and then rely on the Lord. He'll help you remember everything you need to know. I can't believe Tyler is going to be playing high school football. I am so old! And Woohoo for Kelley and getting a job! If you ever come to the pool, STAY WITH YOUR BUDDY! It will make the lifeguards way less stressed out. Speaking of lifeguards, all the pools opened this weekend. This summer is going to be hard. I already miss the pool. Good thing I'll only be here for one summer. And good thing I have super important things to be doing that will keep me from missing the pool too much. Good thing Elder Thomas challenged the family to find a harder working Elder and not a harder working Hermana, because that would be easy. Me. I'm really glad though that it sounds like they're having a lot of success.

Speaking of working hard, you would not believe the time we had at church yesterday. Jhoana and Esperanza came. And brought seven children with them. Too bad they're all under the age of five or we could have had nine investigators at church! It was great though! And super hard to keep them all quiet. I was playing the piano in sacrament meeting and then between songs I would run down from the stand to try and keep all the kids entertained (thank goodness for coloring books and crayons) and then run back up for the next song. Jhoana was so excited when she realized that she could drop them off at Primary and not worry about them for two hours. Then I got asked to play the piano in Primary too because the regular pianist had to take care of some other things and we were trying to get kids to nursery and Jhoana and Esperanza to Sunday School and play the piano and I felt like we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. It was great though. I'd much rather it be like that than have no investigators at all. And we did have a miracle because Jhoana was really worried that her son, Jordan, who is two, and her niece Amy, who is one, wouldn't let her leave them alone in nursery. But we were able to sneak out and the teachers told her if they started crying then they would come and get her. They never came to get her and we found out after that they didn't even cry at all! I was praying so hard that that would happen and Jhoana and Esperanza were able to enjoy Sunday School and Relief Society. I love those girls so much! I cannot believe how they've progressed since we first met them. When they Elders gave them to us, they were just a stop by if you have time sort of thing (they didn't think they'd ever come to church), and now look where they are. Every day when we ask them when we can come back, they say tomorrow. They are golden! And we were talking about the Book of Mormon the other day and they were telling us about how their brother-in-law was giving them a hard time about it and they just said, we know it's true. Nothing he can say is going to change that. And the other day the dad of Jhoana's son was there and we invited him to sit in on the lesson with us and he was a little apprehensive at first, but he did. And Jhoana basically bore her testimony to him. She told him that all he had to do was read the Book of Mormon, that she believes in it and that she feels good when she reads it. I am so proud of her. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without her and Esperanza. I feel like they've been such a blessing for me this transfer because I see that there's hope. And I see that we can do this work, even when it's hard. And I feel like they're just an extension of family. They are wonderful.

I also want to tell you about another miracle that happened this week. So on Thursday we had Return and Report. Basically all the trainers and all the babies get together with President Riggs and the Assistants and we have a nice meeting. It was so nice to be with other trainers and to realize that this is hard for everyone. It was a little bit hard though because I felt like everyone else really had a pretty good relationship with their companion. And that's been one of the hardest things for me this transfer. But on Friday during companionship inventory I think Heavenly Father turned my charity button on for just a minute. I'm talking like real, see people as they can become, Christ-like love. It was almost surreal. Because I just felt how much Heavenly Father wants my companion to succeed. That he put her and I together, just the way she is and just the way I am for a reason. And as I thought about that I felt so strongly that the reason I am here right now is for her. That it's not easy for me to be her companion, but that Heavenly Father needed me to be here to help her become the missionary she needs to be. That maybe that's a job that no one else could do right now. That maybe she needed me to be able to help her believe in herself (she has a really hard time with that) and to help her come out of her shell, and to help her realize what missionary work is all about. That might sound a little prideful, because I know that I'm not the greatest missionary and that I have a lot of weaknesses that I still need to fix, but Heavenly Father needs us to be together. And it's the hardest thing I've ever done. No doubt about it. I've had to work so hard to be patient, to not say things when I shouldn't and to say other things when I should. I've had to do my best to be the missionary that I need to be so that she can become the missionary that she needs to be. I realized on Friday that that might be the last companionship inventory we have (probably not, but maybe) because the transfer ends this Thursday. I can't believe it's already been six weeks. It's been the longest of my life. I've never cried so much or felt so alone, and I've never had to work so hard to develop love for another person. But I am grateful to Heavenly Father for these past few weeks because I've never had to work so hard or rely on Him so much. He's taught me so much that I couldn't learn any other way. He knows us so perfectly and He is orchestrating every last detail. The question is if we are going to accept His will and be happy about following it. I'm not saying that I'm perfect at loving my companion (I wish I was), because I'm not. But now when I want to pull my hair out or say something sassy or when I get impatient, I have a new perspective and I can see her in a new light. So if it makes sense, even though I wish she wasn't so difficult, I'm grateful that she is. Nope, that didn't make any sense at all.

We've seen so many other miracle this week as well, I wish I had time to tell them all. But one quick one: The other night all of our plans fell through and we were trying our last resort. So we knocked on his door and of course, no answer. But, out of the corner of my eye I saw his neighbor sitting on the porch drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette. And I just knew we had to go talk to him. So we did, and I couldn't tell if he was Filipino or Hispanic at first so I didn't know what language to speak to him in, so I stuck with English. But then he said his name was Jose. So we switched to Spanish. He was super excited when he found out we were missionaries and he said, "My wife is so religious! (I just thought, don't you want to be religious too?) Go talk to her, she'll love you!" He threw open the front door and yelled at her to come and listen to us. It was pretty funny because he was more than a little drunk. But we got to teach this family the first lesson and it was wonderful. We're going back to see them on Tuesday. I love it when those last minute miracles happen.

So that's about it this week. Except for that we got to go to the temple this morning and it was wonderful. As always. Thank you for everything family. You're the best and I love you more than anything.

xoxo

Hermana Simpson