Hello Everyone!
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So, I didn't write an email last week sorry guys but me da flojera. It's ok though because I'm here this week! It's been pretty cray these last couple of weeks I'll be quite honest with you. We have had to stay here in the offices so freaking late everyday because there have been zone conferences and we need to help with all that! Needless to say I ate pizza, McDonalds, Tacos, and Tortas this week hahaha! It's a rough life down here but I can suffer through it! lol jk We live it up here in the offices! I actually really like being in here, Elder Rasmussen and I are just chillin and the asistentes and other secretarios are super cool too! Everyone thinks that Rasmussen and I are crazy but what can you do? I can't change my personality. Right!?

Last week we didn't have much but the coolest thing was that we got to help out with the EFY! It was here in the stake center by the mission oficinas. I got to see all of the jovenes that I have ever met here in the mish and one of my converts Irving (from Frontera) was there and it was freaking dope!!! So cool to see all of them. In EFY we taught some classes on sharing the gospel with your friends and how to teach about the restauracion. We taught classes of like 40 kids and they all thought the 2 big white guys were the shiz hahaha! It also made me feel super old for some reason! I turn 20 this year, soon enough I'm gonna be going bald and wearing adult diapers. EFY was way cool though! 

This week we had conference and it was super awesome as always. President Haws really knows how to get the crowd going. I always love hearing him teach. He talked about how we need to be intrumentos in the manos de Dios and how we need to forever be working to fulfill that roll. It's so true though. Out here in the mission field you can see the hand of God in all things that you do. Elder Rasband said in the October 2017 conference that "He does not do things by coincidence but by divine design." We always see things happen and don't know why they happen and we think "man that was such a coincidence" but that is the hand of the Lord placing things in our path. It happens all the time! For example this last week we were yelling at this one house because we had a cita with them, but their vecino came out and said they weren't there. So we started talking to this guy names Carlos (classic mex name) and he said that his brother was a missionary but that he had never heard about the church. We were like what the heck, what a coincidence! But honestly, that's just Dios putting him in our path. We are instruments in the hands of the Lord and he puts us where we need to be. Crazy stuff happens all the time I love it! 

We have some pretty good people to teach right now but there are some little barriers blocking them from getting baptized hahah! We are teaching this family of like 7 teenage girls (lol) and they all want to go to church and get baptized but their dad is a worthless drunk so it's pretty tough to make things happen! We're working with it though so hopefully it will turn out good. Mexico had so many problems. I have really learned to appreciate the  Land of the Free up north. It's ok though, Mexico is alright hahaha. 

Well thats all I've got. I love you all!!!

Y FELICIDADES to Cole and Sarah for having a girl! You guys are awesome! I'm gonna be Uncle Drew now heck ya!

Adioooo

Hey dudes!

It was a freaking busy week here in Villa because we had all of the new people come in, the oldies go out and then we had the leadership consejo! So needless to say we weren't able to work that much in our area but we had a good time! On Monday we went to the house of Presidente Haws to eat dinner with all of the people and it was insane honestly. They have a nice Yamaha piano too and Hermana Haws made me play for everyone while they were getting stuff ready lol They all thought it was dope. I felt so sick hahaha. Man it's such a burden being me...playing piano, eating good food and brownies and ice cream!hahaha It was soooo weird to send off all the people this week because I went to the airport to pay for all of their stuff and everything and it was like holy balls what's happening hahaha. It was a super cool experience though!

This week we found a family of like 6 or 7 and the first question that the mom asked us was "I just don't understand why there are so many religions here, how did religion even get here to this part of the world anyway?" and Rasmussen and I were like, oh boy do we have some answers for you hahaha. So hoping we can get them baptized soon but we just need to get them to church! That was probably the most straight up "I need the gospel" question that I have heard in my entire mission. hahaha She was just asking for the Book of Mormon and we were hyped!!! Another thing was just before that this random guy contacted us and said that he needs a god and wants us to come teach him hahah.  Then when we were on the way back to the house right after that this random guy gave us free churros from his puesto!  When we have days that just everything goes right that's what we call "the zone" and we have entered into the zone everyday this week. Esas son las bendiciones de obediencia hahaha!

Today for p day we went and played soccer with a bunch of beans in the deportiva and I got pounded again hahaha! I suck so bad so they just stick me in as portero cause my arms are so freaking long! It's always nice to play though because we sit here in the offices so much during the week. There are a bunch of cool guys in there though so it's always fun. Always good to have some people to mess around with am I right? Well, I love you all and hope you have a week full of joy!

Adioooo
Elder Simon

Hello my friends,

It has been a freaking awesome week and I have been busy as balls. Last Sunday I had the coolest thing happen. Remember those people who I was teaching in Macuspana? It's the couple named Fernando e Irene y. Last week they were able to finally get married! Elder Sandoval, my last comp called me last Saturday night and told me that they were going to get baptized on Sunday and that they wanted me to go back to Macuspana to do the ordenanza!! So, on Sunday after church here in Villa, Elder Olive and I hauled out to Macuspana and I had the opportunity to baptize and confirm both of them!!! It was honestly one of the coolest things that has happened to me so far on my mission.  Just knowing that I had made such an impact that they wanted to me travel back and preform their baptisms. I was so happy and so grateful for the opportunity to help them take that paso in their lives! 

This week has been super busy here in the offices. I finally got my comp that is going to be here with me for like 6 months in the offices. hahaha His name is Elder Rasmussen from Las Vegas. He is a super cool guy so it will be fun here in the offices with him! He plays volleyball and world of warcraft so it'll be a good time. (He knows Michael Simister for you people who know who that is) It was the first week I've been a solo financiero so it has been interesting for sure! It's kind of annoying that everyone just calls me and complains that they don't have any money. hahaha  It's ok though, that's what I'm here for! It is pretty hard to do missionary work in our area though, we only work about 25ish hours a week when normally we're working like 50+. We have 30ish hours in the office. We have some good people in teaching though, hopefully we can pull out a few baptisms soon! 

The first day of general conference today was awesome! It is definitely not the same in Spanish but still it's always something special. It was so dope la Hermana Haws brought us cinnamon rolls between sessions and I almost cried! hahaha It was like I was at home! They give us so much dang food here I just hope that I don't get fat! 

Another cool thing happened this week.  We were walking past an elementary school and started talking to this guy.  He looked at my name tag and said " Elder Simonsen, Coleton?"  I was like, he's my older brother.  He told me that he was Coletons trainer in Costa Rica!  It is sure a small world!  Well that's all I have for the week. Hope you kids are having fun.

Love ya! 
Elder Chelo