Howdy partners!

I haven't written an email in a few weeks so I reckon it's about time I throw one together. These last few weeks have been busy considering that I have been training my nuevo hijo de las oficinas! His name is Elder Call he's a super awesome guy. We have been in a trio for the last couple weeks and it's been going great. The work is going well and my young padawan is learning everything at a decently fast rate and then soon enough I'll finally be out of the offices! It's weird to think that I have been here for 9 freaking months! hahah I got here with 7 months and I'm gonna leave with 7 months left. I'm honestly gonna miss it though, not so much dealing with all the stupid missionaries and their inability to save money but the ward is gonna be tough to leave. It's honestly like part of my family! This week they threw a going away party for me and I just about cried. hahaha They made me a cake and everything!!! It is gonna be sad but I mean that is just part of the experience. Im hoping we can get one last baptism here this week with Chucho but we're gonna see if it can all go smoothly. That family is the best hahah If we can get him into the waters I'm going to go crazy! 

Last week we got to go to this dope place called Tapijulapa!! It's one of the Pueblo Magicos de Mexico and it was amazing. It's like this super mexican town, like a resort. We went and touristed around a bit and went looking for these awesome waterfalls! We did not find them though. hahaha We took the wrong trail for like an hour and then another wrong trail for another hour and then we were tired and mad and then went back hahaha but it was still super fun!!! There was a parade and everything it was great hahaha. 

Today we went bowling and I threw a 182 so that's pretty cool. The best I've ever played hahaha but then I followed it with a 91 so I'm pretty sure it was a fluke. As Michael Scott says "a fluke is the most common fish in the sea." 

Well, I love all of you and hope you're all doing good.
Merry Chirstmas weyes!

Adiuuu
Elder Simons

*MOM's Note - Well, what Andrew didn't mention in his email was that he was having a fun week and this past Wednesday, playing basketball in the morning, he did quite a number on his ankle as you can see in the pictures.

Whats up compas?

It's been a rollercoaster of a week if I do say so myself. A lot of hearing "no I'm busy" and walking around aimlessly but that's ok right? Those days make the success so much better! We have been looking for some new people and we have a few good ones. I found out that my replacement is coming in on Monday. Yeehaw, so I'm not gonna finish my mission in the offices! I'll still be in here for a few more weeks though to train the newbie but we'll see how long, I already have over 8 months so what's a little bit more time? lol La neta I'm gonna miss this place but more than anything the ward here. They're all so cool. It's legit like another family!! But I mean that's part of the mish, just gotta keep it moving and hope that the next area is as good as this one. 

Today we went and did a little bit of service! We helped my converts paint their house which doesn't happen very often but I mean it turned out good! It took so freaking long but they were so happy so I don't even care. They were not worried about how well it's done either so it doesn't matter if we sucked at painting hahaha. It was fun though! 

I would like to be the first to congratulate Parker and Ari on the engagement. So felicidades! I would've loved to be there but at this point I'm alright with it hahaha. Hope you guys are doing good and having fun! But not too much fun...

Love you all hope you have a good week!

Adiuuu
Elder Simons

Ps Thanks for the early Christmas package mom
Pps Sorry for opening the presents already
Ppps rawr XD

Que dicen a todos?

It has been raining everyday here in Villa, i don't know if I can take much more of these dang mosquitoes. I finish everyday with about 40 picaduras because there are so many, but I guess that's what happens when it's so humid all the time. You know it's really humid when you leave your room in the morning and your glasses fog up in the hallway hahaha. Well, that's what I'm living with right now,  How are you all doing? It was cambios week here in the mish so it was pretty busy. All the new booty got here on Monday, the old people went out on Tuesday, Then we had the conejo of the zone leaders here on Wednesday! We worked like 13 hours in our area total but you know we're doing what we can! 

Right now we are working a lot with the family of our converts. It has been super cool because before they didn't want anything but now they are starting to open up a little! Por ejemplo the mom of Lupita, Maria Cruz, got sick this week and the first thing she did was call us up and ask her for a blessing! She has told us many times about how she is catholic and doesn't want to listen or anything, but asking for a blessing is showing a little fe am i right? Also the brother of Lupita and Che, Chucho, never wanted to listen and would just play fifa the whole time we were there but now he's reading el libro de mormon and everything and is gonna go to church tomorrow! Little miracles happening, let's see if we can find a few more!

Also, I met a guy this week that his actual name is Elder hahaha and his brother is Moroni! We got into his taxi and that was the first thing he said to us lol. Elder de Jesus Hernandez Lopez. Great man.

Well wish me luck this week! i hope you are all living the pachanga as the great Brick Tamland once said "I love lamp." Stay sweet.

Elder Simon

​It's time to say hoooowwwdy to all you goofy goobers!

Happy Halloween to all my people in the great US of A. and to my people here happy dia de muertos! Nothing really crazy goes on with the holidays just a lot of drinking and parties, so I guess you could say we're having a good time. hahaha. Great week here in Mexico. Chambeando macizo and looking for some new people to teach! Today we got to do something super awesome! So early this morning all of the jovenes in the ward went to the temple to do baptisms at like 6 am, AND like 4 of my converts went!!! Emelyn, Darlyn, Lupita, y Maria Jose went to the temple and we got to go watch them do the baptisms!! I am so freaking pumped hahaha I love everyone here!! They were all so excited I'm so happy!!! Lupita told me before that she was super nerviosa and didn't really know what to expect but after she was so excited! It really is something super admirable. hahaha She got baptized like a month ago and Maria Jose last week! They went to the temple already!!!! Ahhhh so cool hahaha. We took a dope pic and everyone there doesn't even make it to my shoulder. I felt like I dressed up as Willie Wonka for Halloween and they were all my oompa loompas. But la neta I am so happy right now, That is like the ultimate goal to get people to go to the temple and they did it!!! Makes all the garbage days when no one wants to talk to us pay off. hahaha. 

We also started teaching the brother of Lupita y Maria Jose!! His names Jesus but everyone calls him Chucho, 17 years old and super cool kid. He has always been there when we have gone to visit and teach them but just out of nowhere he wanted to listen! We went yesterday and was like "Hey can I go to the temple with them?" I told him that he had to be a member which means getting baptized and he was like "Well if I want to get baptized when can I do it?"  hahaha So we're hoping that everything goes well with that! Looks pretty promising right now so let's see what we can do lol Try to get one more before they move me out of here. 

Fun fact: I have almost been here in this ward for 8 months. Also, I only have like 8 months left. Que pedo no? jajaja

Well I love you all, good luck this week and don't do anything too dumb.

​ Adiuuuu

Good morning USA!

The sun is shining and the dogs are barking. A marvelous week it was here in the slums of Villahermosa. To start off, Maria Jose(Che) got baptized today!!!! Holy I was so freaking happy honestly hahaha She is so dang awesome it was great! The service today was quite the roller coaster though not gonna lie. It all started this morning when I got a text from Lupita, our other recent convert/sister de Maria Jose, asking if we could change the hour of the baptism from 5 to 3. So I had to change all of our plans and call everything to let them know it was going to get moved up.  So that all got worked out and then we were on our way to the baptism like an hour early to get everything ready and this idiot taxista dropped off a bunch of people before us so we got there like 30 minutes to the baptism and we still had to fill up the font! So we go in the church and I went to turn off the alarm but because I'm an imbecile I messed up on the code and the alarm went off and I couldn't get it to turn off! Hahaha Then the bishop wouldn't answer his phone for like 10 minutes so I was pooping myself thinking the cops were gonna show up or something hahaha. AND THEN, we were getting the font all ready with like 15 minutes to go, putting this toilet cleaner that makes the water turn blue because the water is straight brown it's disgusting hahaha. I was stirring the water around with a big stick and was leaning over the railing to the baptismal font and all of the stuff in my shirt pocket fell in the water!!! My phone, mission manual, plaque, pen, mission cards, everything!  I was so mad la neta hahaha I had to roll up my pants and get in to fish for my stuff but the water was so dirty I couldn't see the bottom. was in like 5 minutes looking for all of my stuff! I finally got it all out and everything was ready for the baptism. Everything was going good and then Maria Jose and I were getting into the font and she tells me "Ala I'm scared of water" and I'm thinking well shaz this is gonna be interesting hahaha. So we got in and everything was good and then I got to baptize her and she comes up out of the water super scared! Then they told me that her hair had come out of the water so I had to do it again! The second time her foot shoots out of the water! At this point she was like "Ya no I'm done that's good enough" hahaha I was just like no don't worry it will be super quick!!! So I grab her, stepped on her feet and then third times the charm. She kept everything under hahah. Super funny experience but I'm so happy I was there to be a part of it! That family is honestly amazing. I love them so much. So excited that we could help Maria Jose into the waters!!! 

That pretty much explains my whole week right there hahaha It rains a ton and then changes to straight 105 and sweating ace but I mean we are keeping the work moving! Hoping this week can be just as good as the last. I love you all and would give you all a big hug if I could. Have a good week my dudes.

​Adiooo

Como andamos compas? Al cien? Eso es todo.

Well, it's been a wild ride out in the wilderness but what can you expect when you are wandering around the streets of Tabasco. Pero la neta it was a pretty decent week! Just been trying to work like my fellow people down here but we´re keepin it rollin! This week it started to rain a ton so it was a little tough to work but we're doing what we can even though we barely had time to be in our area because of conferences and stuff. First off, the conference was awesome!! We learned about what we need to do as missionaries personally in order to help the lives of others and made goals of what we're going to do and how we're going to do it. Super good conference honestly it was a good time.

This week we had some awesome experiences with the people that we are teaching! One of them, Che, who is the sister of our recien conversa Lupita was honestly so cool! Last Sunday we went with them just to visit and we got one the topic of Lupita´s baptism while we were talking to the family. I didn't really expect anything but kind of jokingly I asked Che "So are you gonna get baptized too?" And she just was like well I mean sure why not. hahaha So we went throughout the week a couple times and got the entrevista done and everything! Now we are going to have her baptism this Saturday que viene hahaha. Those my friends are las bendiciones de la obediencia! I was so shocked hahaha but we talked to her a little more and she really wants to do it! It was kind of the same thing as Lupita if my real fans can remember, Just one day she changed her mind and got baptized that week! Super awesome experience honestly and just hoping that they keep coming. That family is amazing. I'm gonna miss them so much when I leave here. It's like I found long lost relatives but they're a little bit shorter, speak Spanish, and make really good tacos hahaha. 

I'm really surprised that I haven't been putting on a ton of weight in these last few weeks. I mean, ya I work out and stuff but I have been eating straight tacos, tortas, and tamales hahaha The classic mexi food but I mean it's like food from the gods so Im gonna eat it while I can. It's going good though. Just snappin necks and cashin checks.

Well I love you all and hope you kids have a good week.

​Simon afuera.

Good day from around the world!

It was a pretty dang good week if you know what I'm talking about! It has been a little rough with the work lately because no one wants to talk to us and the people that we have are like never there hahaha but alli vamos! Just an excuse to work harder and keep on movin. We're hoping that we can find some more people this week and that it can go a little better! All the members here are freaking awesome though!

So this week a guy in our ward got back from his mission in Argentina and on Thursday they threw him a party for his bienvenida and they surprised me with a birthday party at the same time!!! Lol so the whole ward was there singing Happy Birthday and eating cake. hahaha It was so cool, I almost cried. Then Friday I officially became a man when I completed 20 years. I don't really know how to feel about it but all I know is that I'm probably gonna have a midlife crisis soon. Maybe i'll get a tattoo or shave my head or something. It's so weird, what the heck 20 years old!!! I left when I was 18! hahaha Time is passing so dang fast. So on Friday for my birthday we bought a nice and tasty ice cream cake from DQ in the morning hahahaha and then we went to visit! We ate with this super dope family who also gave me a cake and then we went with our converts who made us pigs in a blanket type thing. The crazy part is they made fry sauce for it!!!! I was amazed! hahahaha Craziest thing but it was dope! Then we went with our other convert who painted me this dope turtle shell for my birthday!!!! (I ate the turtle lol). It was a pretty awesome birthday if I say so myself. Not quite like back home but I think it was about the closet thing you can get! 

Today we pretty much just chilled and watched conferencia all day which was super fun. Just listening to the greats spreading the good word! Other than that nothing much going on, just sweating and walking around like normal.  We're killin it here so that's alright! Just trying not to get chubby.  Don't worry though all the spicy food helps with that.

Well I love you all!
Adiuuuuuu

CHey Dudes!

It was a pretty good week here in Villa!  Just trying to have a good time and enjoying the blazing heat sweating my huevos off. I don't think I've ever been as sweaty as I was this week. hahaha We had to walk like 45 minutes at 2pm in the afternoon to our food cita and oh my gosh, I was dying. My whole body was soaked. It was disgusting! That's just part of the experience, am I right? 

We have been trying to teach some new people and I think the best prospect right now is Lupitas family! They really are super cool people . This week we were going to eat with Lupitas Aunt Antonia, who is a member but she wasn't able to so her mom volunteered to feed us and it was dope! We were sitting there after eating just talking for a little bit and then we were just about to leave and she says, "Hey do you guys want cheesecake? Dad go get cheesecake from Sams!" hahaha so we "had" to wait there for like an hour talking to them while we waited for the cheesecake lol They are awesome! Then we convinced them all to come to the ward activity we had for the Mexican Independence day. I really am excited to see what we can do with them because they are some great people. Then they actually showed up at the activity!! The activity was so dang fun, all the different groups prepared dances and there was a ton of food and all that jazz. It was extra cool because Reina and her whole family danced in the activity! That wasn't the star act though... we pulled up big with a barbershop quartet of the most classic Mexican song ever... Cielito Lindo and the crowd went crazy! hahaha It was dope! 

Today we got to go to the temple in the morning and it was bonito as ever! That was the second time that I've gone here and it really is something else. Love the temple!

Well, sorry folks thats all I've got for the week. Hope you all disfruten your week.

​I love you all.

Albus Dumbledore 

PS Congrats to Cole and Sarah on baby London! I'm officially a tio!!! lol

Yeehaw!!!!

Ala bestia! It was a good freaking week for sure. To start off, Reyna and Lupita got baptized today!!! Oh my gosh, it was a miracle to be honest. To explain a little bit, this last week my comp Elder Rasmussen was supposed to get moved and then out of the nada this missionary from Peru got sent home for doing something stupid and Rasmussen stayed for another week! We were like well, now what are we gonna do? hahaha He had said goodbye to all the members and all of the people we are visiting but there were blessings that came with it! Monday night he told me, "I don't know why but we need to call Reyna and Lupita tomorrow and invite them to be baptized this week". So I was like, what the heck why not! 

So Tuesday morning we called Reyna and told her that Rasmussen had been left here for a reason and it was to baptize her.  Then she told us that she had been praying and looking for her answer and needed a sign. She told us that she was praying and said that if Rasmussen and I stayed together for one more week then she would get baptized. So it was the answer to her prayers! She was sooo excited I can't believe it. We baptized her 3 kids a couple months ago and she finally was able to take the step! 

Then with Lupita, we found out that the reason she decided not to be baptized was because of her parents. SO, we did the one thing that we could do and ate tacos at her dads taco place hahah (he gave us free tacos) and we talked to him about Lupita. He thought that she wasn't ready because she wasn't as well studied in the scriptures as us and we were like what the heck that's the only thing?? Hahaha So we cleared everything up and then he told us that he would talk to her about it and asked us when the baptism would be! So the next day we went to Lupita's house and it was a complete change! The week before we had gone and talked about her baptism and she was like "No, I'm catolica so I can't change religion" and then she just pulls out on us the "Oh sure i'll get baptized on Saturday, what time?" Holy Cow!!! I don't know what the heck changed but it was amazing!

We had been working with both of them for a while so that really meant a lot helping them into the waters! Such a good week oh my gosh!!! hahaha  Presidente and Hermana Whitworth came to the baptism and Presidente spoke! They said it was the first baptism that they had been to since they entered the mission. It was awesome! Ah, I love this feeling! It gives me so many ganas to just trabajar macizo!! Great week!!!!

Well, I mean that was our whole week and it was probably one of the most satisfying one in my whole mission. Love the work love the people! 

​Love you all!!!
Elmer afuera!!!

Hey dudes!

Well, there goes another week as fast as ever! Just been hangin out and working as hard as week can this week. There were a couple conferences so it was pretty dang busy but we are having a good time. This week we found out that my good man Elder Rasmussen is gonna be heading out soon so his replacement came in and he'll be my new comp here! His name is Elder Berg from Utah igual. Good guy so let's see what we can do here. 

This week we went searching honestly.  We have been trying to find a ton of inactives and with that people to teach so we keep busy for sure! The thing is, in our ward there are like 400-500 members on the lists but like none of them show up. hahaha We're lucky to get 60-70 people at church on Sunday. So we've been looking for as many people as we can. Through that we'll find some good people to teach! We found a super cool kid this last week named Angel through this inactiva familia that we found and he is a super good guy. 18 years and just looking to make people proud and finding the way in his life! So the gospel is exactly what he needs. hahaha He was so accepting of it. It's crazy how people, within 45 minutes of meeting them, begin to trust you so much and look to you for answers. That's my favorite part of being out here. I mean ya it's cool that I've been living in Mexico for the last 13 months and talking to a bunch of people, speaking some weird language, but finding people who are willing and ready to accept the gospel is something amazing! Just gotta try and help as many as we can!

Today we didn't really do much because I had to wake up at 4 am to take some a missionary to the airport so I was just tired as freak. Relaxation was just what I needed today! Also an Hermana in the ward gave us that weird fish called Pejelagarto and we ate that for lunch so it was quite the adventure. hahaha It looks like it sucks but it's actually pretty good! Just hope I don't get sick because apparently she bought it from a guy who was selling it from his cart in the street. lol 

Well, I wish you luck to all of my fans out there across the world and I love you all.

Cuídense Adiuuu
Elder Langosta