10th email

Well, I can't believe I have already been in the mission field for TWO TRANSFERS!!! Time flies by here! Well, Here is the news you are all waiting for. You are probably anxious to know what is going on with me.Drum roll please ../././././././././././././. I am being transfered to WATERTOWN!!!!! I will be in a tri-panionship. It will be me, Sister Purdy (Tyler Purdy from Macey's sister), and Sister Ream. President Bulloch said it is an unusual transfer. He said usually the one who has been here the longest gets transferred but he felt like he needed to send me to Watertown and keep Sister Despain here. I am sad to leave so soon, but excited to see what is in store for me in Watertown. One exciting thing is that we get to do service at the Zoo! That will definitely be fun! I am excited to experience something different. They also have a ward instead of a branch. That will be refreshing I think. It will be nice to have the support of the members! I think that is the only exciting news from up here in the Northcountry! Nothing else new I guess. How is the weather in Utah. It is getting cold here. I have been wearing sweaters and jackets for a couple of weeks now. But you know me, I'm always cold!

9th email

I am doing good this week. There are so many ups and downs in missionary work. It really is like a roller-coaster! Someone told me a mission is a microcosm of life squeezed into 18 months. So just like life is a roller-coaster, so is a mission and I am seeing that. Sister Johnson said that being on a mission you see your highest highs and also your lowest lows. I have definitely seen some of my lowest lows already, now we are going up to my highest highs...hopefully! I just wish everyone could know what I know (Which isn't much but is enough) and Feel how I feel. This Gospel can bless the lives of everyone! But very few are willing to accept it. It is really sad to be rejected when you know that what you bring to them can change their lives and bring incomprehensible blessings. I know that there are people out there... somewhere... that have been prepared to hear and accept the Gospel. We just need to find them. We are searching!

Well, the other day we were going to visit one of our investigators who we hadn't seen for 3 weeks because she kept on cancelling on us. We decided that if she cancelled again or if she didn't seem to motivated that we were going to drop her. Well, she didn't cancel. But during our visiting about random stuff before we even started the lesson she said, "I want to get baptized!" It blew us both away. I am sure we had very shocking looks on our faces. So, we didn't drop her :c) She has to get married to her "other half" first though which is going to be a struggle for them I think money wise. And she is going to have to give up her "Precious Coffee" We assured her she can do it though! She is a little overwhelmed but She still wants to get baptized after us telling her all the requirements.

It is freezing cold here!!! Okay, maybe not freezing, but it has been in the 50's and we have been getting wind from the hurricane on the east coast which makes it feel colder. We turned our heat on today :c) and I have been snuggling with blankets. I even studied this morning with my coat on :c) I CAN"T WAIT FOR WINTER!!!! (do you hear the sarcasm? )

I can't wait for fall! The colors are starting to change and I know it is going to be beautiful out here with all the trees everywhere. The forests and the long country roads that we tract! It is going to be AMAZING!!!!

Am I doing anything Labor Day you ask? Hmmm... Laboring? We have been going crazy with de-junking our apartment so we can move in a couple of weeks. We found an Ensign from 1986!!!! It is older than me!!! CRAZY! When did Brother Rutherford serve in this area? Did he serve up in Ogdensburg area at all. Maybe some of the Ensign's he read from :c) JK. All the junk from when Elders lived here is insane. We don't even know what they used it for. Like nerf guns, noodles (floaties), Golf clubs, bouncy balls, bubbles, tons of clothes that have been left by other Sisters and Elders. We have 5 big boxes of junk and clothes that we are going to either throw away or donate to some thrift store. We also have 3 big garbage bags of church magazines. It's been crazy! I guess we are doing something fun today besides laboring. Today is one of our Recent converts anniversary. We are having a party for them tonight.We are sacrificing an hour of our P-day just for them!!! They owe us big time! jk... It should be fun!

Transfers are next week so yes, you won't hear from me until Tuesday. Well, I miss you and love you all!

8th email

Hello Everyone!

Well, there isn't much to report on. A lot of our investigators that were really progressing are all dropping us like flies! It is really sad! It is sad to see this when you know they have felt the spirit testify to them of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. But we can't take anyones agency away from them.

We had one investigator named Deborah DeLuca. She was a golden investigator! She was truly searching for truth and for answers. 5 years ago she had cancer and was told she was going to die. Well, she lived! She is now free of cancer! She kept all of her commitments except for one. She wouldn't pray about the Book of Mormon. I think she was afraid of the answer she would get. I think she knew she would get answered that the Book of Mormon is a true book and she knew that if the Book of Mormon is true she would have to act upon that answer and join the one and only true church on the earth. Well, when we got to church on Sunday, there was a bag with our names on it. In the bag was all the stuff we gave her (The Book of Mormon, pamphlets, a DVD etc.). She left a note with it saying that no further visits would be necessary. So that was a sad day. She was Golden, but wasn't ready to make that commitment.

We have one investigator with a baptismal date, but it keeps getting moved back. Her name is Nikki. She is trying to quit smoking which is slowing things down. Her Baptismal date is now October 2, 2010. She also needs to start coming to church. She is doing everything else she needs to do. It is just the Word of Wisdom, and Church attendance that is holding her back!

We are working really hard at trying to find those that have been prepared. We are still searching. I know they are out there somewhere, the question is where? There really isn't more to update on. It is all just the same. Colors are changing more up here and I can't wait for fall! Fall is my favorite season and I am surrounded by trees which will soon be magnificent colors!

We are getting kicked out of our apartment and are going to have to move by September 25th. That will be fun! (do you sense the sarcasm?) Hopefullly we can find a place to live!

The dumb blonde moment,(What do you get with two blondes driving in a car on a long country road to a village you have never driven to before?) : So, we were driving to a little village the other day going the back way. We had never gone this way before so we were using a map. We turned on to a street that we thought would take us to this village. Well, 20 miles down the road, we realized we were on the wrong road! I still need to learn to read a map. But now I am a pro at U-Turns :c)

Well, I love you all!

Sister Ashleigh Simmons

p.s. I want updates on everyone else please! So please write me :c) thanks!

7th email

Why hello everyone!!!!

Sorry I have been a slacker with writing about my experiences! I have no good excuses! :c) well, Weather up here in the North Country is crazy! I am actually cold right now with a jacket on. It has been raining for the past 3 days and it is a cold rain. The colors are starting to change and I can't wait to see what fall brings!

We have one investigator with a Baptismal date for September 18th! Her name is Nikki. She is wonderful! We are excited about that. We also have one lady named Valerie who we extended the baptismal commitment to and she said she would have to think about it. Her only concern is her commitment she has made in her church. She is Presbyterian and called as a Deacon. I guess she is assigned to certain people. She doesn't want to let those people down. But she knows the Book of Mormon is True, she knows Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, and she says she has been waiting all her life to be apart of Gods true church! She is Golden! I know the Lord will continue to prepare her for baptism. That is pretty much all the exciting news here up in Ogdensburg. We are working hard and hopefully planting a lot of seeds.

Here is your randomness of Ashleigh part of the weekly e-mail. You will all probably freak out from this next sentence.... Are you ready for this... Since being here in New York, I have eaten 2 Hamburgers!!! Bleh! Now most of you know that I cannot stand hamburger! But I have been able to eat them and keep them down. They still are not my favorite thing and still gross me out, but this shows how I have been blessed out here in the mission field :c) I know it sounds crazy, but it is true!

That is pretty much all the exciting news for this week. I wish I had more to share, but things are moving really slow up here. Hopefully I'll have something to share next week.

Love you all!

Sister Ashleigh Simmons

p.s. Write me whenever Ya'll want. I won't get offended :c) jk

A short note

You want to hear about my branch experiences? well, the branch is teeny tiny. Our branch president just moved away and now Elder Johnson, the senior missionaries, is the Branch President until they go home at the beginning of October. The branch has about 12 or so active members (Including kids) and all of them are converts. Let's just say the branch is run a little bit differently than the wards in Utah. I'm still trying to get used to it all. We sometimes worry when investigators come because we don't know if it is going to run smoothly. There is no Young Men or Young Womens program, there is one kid in nursery and 2 in primary. The branch has about 100 members in it, but the majority are inactive. We are working on strengthening and building the branch up.

Well, we have an investigator with a baptismal date, and 3 or so that are deeply thinking about baptism. All of our investigators have Word Of Wisdom problems so they have to fix that first. But our one investigators baptismal date is for September 18!!! She has to quit smoking and give up coffee first though. But she is AWESOME! we love her! We are just praying really REALLY hard for her since it is a while away.

6th email

Hello Everyone!!!

This E-mail is going to be short because I only have like 5 minutes left. Well, we got transfer calls! I am staying here in Ogdensburg with Sister Despain. I am glad I don't have to change yet! This sunday we had 4 investigators come to church! They were the first investigators that have come to church since I have been here. Now I know why missionaries say sundays are stressful :c) I think they enjoyed it. We have some really good solid investigators right now and are hoping to commit 3 of them to baptism here shortly. The weather up here is perfect! 75-80 degree weather! Some of the leaves are already starting to change colors! I can't wait for fall and for all the beautiful colors! Yesterday, we helped at one of our investigators place. They are restoring an old farm house. It is over 200 years old. We weeded their Huge garden for about 3 hours. But it was fun. I kept thinking Dad would love to have a garden this big! They have a little girl named Brittney who is 6 and she reminds me so much of Brooklyn and Savannah. We have a lot of fun together! Well, My time is already up! I will write a longer e-mail next week... Hopefully.

Love,
Sister Ashleigh Simmons

5th Email from NY

Hello Everyone!

I don't have much to say this week. It's been kind of a slow week. I guess one exciting thing happened. We had what they call, "Return and Report" for all the missionaries who came out with me. After a month of being in the mission, we all went back to the Mission office. I got to see Sister Cox! We had a long meeting and training, with lunch and more meetings. It was so good to see my MTC district. It was also fun to see how much each of them had changed in just being out in the mission field for a month, and hearing all of their different experiences and successes. It was especially fun seeing all of the Elders. They are no longer immature boys, but now immature "men" :c) jk. But they were all more confident, and responsible than before. It was GREAT!

Life here in Ogdensburg seems to be at kind of a stand still. We are working with 18 different investigators, but none of them want to move forward. We have a couple of "Eternal Investigators" One guy said I am the 20th Missionary who he was been taught by. I think he has been meeting with missionaries now for 4 years or so. It is CRAZY! We do have some good new investigators though, so we are praying they will keep commitments and be truly converted. We are hopefully planting many seeds. We'll just have to wait and see. I am definitely learning a lot out here and am definitely in the "refiners fire." The mission is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but I know I won't regret it! I'm just grateful the Lord trusts me to serve Him and to bring others unto Him. I know this church is true and just wish everyone could feel the way I feel about the Gospel. I love you all!

Love, Sister Simmons

Photos from New York

* Captions provided by the missionary herself :)

At the MTC

At the MTC


District at the MTC


Sunset and view from our backyard


My Companion: Sister Despain


Zone Conference, All the sisters:
Sister Johnson, Me, Sister Livermore, Sister Rasmussen, Sister Bullouch, Sister Despain, Sister Stewart


Beautiful view while tracting :) No horses in sight!

4th Email from New York

Hello Everyone!

So I heard about the heat in Utah! I laugh at you. It isn't hot at all here! Right now it is about 65 or 70 degrees out and I hear summer is almost over. Maybe 2 more weeks :c) The rain here is CRAZY though!!! I have never seen so much rain in my life. I actually had to pull over to the side of the road the other day because it was raining so hard you couldn't see anything. And lightning struck like 50 feet in front of us. It was INSANE!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!

This week we had the Exchange Sisters. I now have a new love for exchanges. I was way nervous for them at first because that would be getting me out of my comfort zone even more than I am right now, and I also had to drive and know the area. I was way nervous, but it turned out great. Sister Stewart and Sister Livermore came up to Ogdensburg and did exchanges with us. I had the chance to work with both of them for half a day each. It was fun getting to know more sisters and seeing how they do things differently and then learning from them.

We also had zone conference this week. This was fun too! We met with all the missionaries in our zone and had a bunch of training. It is always fun getting together with other missionaries. It was one day full of learning!

New York doesn't celebrate the 24th of July, but.... Mormons do! We are having a big pioneer day cookout for the branch. So yes, we will be celebrating along with all ya'll in Utah :c) Sadly as missionaries, we can only stay for an hour. But that's okay, we gotta' get to work!

Missionary work out here is rough. People don't keep their commitments. We have been trying to get investigators to church since I got here and we haven't had one investigator come yet. All of our investigators who seem pretty solid randomly drop us and tell us not to come back. It's really rough. But we are doing our best. Everyone has their agency.

Ratz! Time is running out. Sorry the e-mail is short. I Don't have anymore time to write sadly. Hope all is well with everyone!

Love you,
Sister Ashleigh Simmons

3rd Email from NY

Hello Everyone,

Mondays are just as exciting for me as they are for you because I get to read email, and write letters. That's so exciting to know that I am part of the "Missionary Minute" now. I always enjoyed listening to the updates of the other missionaries in the ward, and now I am one of them. Sounds like your week was pretty busy. We had a couple of celebrations too. On July 1st, that is Canada day (or something like that) so Canada was doing a big firework show and since we are right by Canada, we could see it. It was awesome. Then on the 3rd of July, we had a BBQ with a bunch of people and ward members in someones backyard. It was way fun! I was surprised though. They don't do fireworks here in the North Country. They don't even sell them in the stores. That was a little weird to me. It is a good thing though since we go to bed so early. We didn't have try to go to sleep with fireworks in the background.

So, the members here are awesome. There is one family, The Gaines Family, who are recent converts. They just moved to Ohio! It was a sad day. They were like our family. We would go over for dinner every Saturday. Then on Sunday, we would have dinner with them at the Johnson's, and then on Tuesdays, we would go over for dinner to the Williams, but they would also be there. We would also eat lunch at their house on Thursday's usually. So we saw them a lot. They are an amazing family and we miss them already.

The Williams family is also amazing! They are also recent converts and were Baptized on Valentines Day! They are in the Mormon Times today. You should look it up. It has a little bit of their conversion story in it. Look up Mormon Times+Due West+Dave and Heather Williams. Or something like that. They are so good to us also. Every Tuesday night we go over to their place for dinner. They are moving too though. But hopefully they will be able to stay in our branch because our branch is tiny. The Branch President is also thinking about moving. We can't have any more people move because our branch is already small. We need it to grow not shrink. We are hoping that once everyone moves, we will still be able to have a branch. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

First story. So one of the members has a pitbull for a pet dog. I bet you wouldn't believe me, but her pitbull fell asleep in my lap. Yup. It was a little weird. She said that means she trusts me. I was just afraid that if I moved my body wrong, I might get attacked. But I was okay thank goodness.Even though that is a nice dog, I officially hate dogs. They bark too much and I fear for my life sometimes :c) Yesterday when we were tracting we almost got eaten like 5 times. One of the times it was a screen door. I knocked on the door and two dogs came flying at the door and the door flew open. They came out of the house and were just growling at us. It scared me half to death. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. At another house there were also two dogs. They were pitbulls. The slammed into the door and were barking and growling like crazy. The lady yelled, " I would back away from the door if I were you!" I am glad I am still alive :c) yup. I hate dogs. I haven't been eaten yet. But I hate barking, angry dogs now and they are everywhere! I have been eaten by something else though... Are you ready for this. MOSQUITOES! They are everywhere! I think I get like 5 more bites everyday. Especially when we have to walk through weeds and long grass to get to someones door. Thank goodness for anti-itch cream.

So last week, when I said it doesn't get too hot here, I spoke too soon! It got up to 101 with a high percentage of humidity. It was insane. I have never sweat so much in my entire life. I have lost 10 whole pounds from sweating so much and walking so much! it is insane. Luckily we don't have to wear nylons :c)

Well, Goodluck to Brianna and Shelby in their Try-outs for HAIRSPRAY!!!!! I have a feeling you will both make it, especially since I won't be able to see it :c) jk. I hope you both make it and someone will have to record it for me for later!

I have not gotten your letters yet. But I am glad to hear you got mine :c) It takes a little bit longer to get to me since it has to be forwarded from the Mission Office. Hopefully they will get here soon! I am anxious to read them. Pictures may be coming soon. We just have to go get them developed. You know, you could send me pictures too. I want to see all your great adventures.

Being on a mission, I think I have a little more of a taste of being like Christ. First, the rejection. Rejection is hard and painful sometimes. Second the sorrow you feel for people that you learn to love who drop themselves as investigators. People who are so close to baptism that just ask you not to come back again. It is hard getting to know people and love them, and then being asked to never come back again. We respect their wishes. Now I have a small taste of what Christ had to deal with being rejected, and people turning away from what they knew was right. (I don't even know if I am making sense right now). But I know that there is no better place for me to be right now and no better thing for me to be doing. I look at it like this, even though I miss you all LOADS, I am away from my family for 18 MONTHS so that I can help bring families together for ETERNITY. Being away from my family for 18 months is nothing compared to eternity!

Well, my time is up :c(

I love you all,
Sister Simmons

p.s. I wouldn't mind more letters :c) jk

Hello!

Dear Family and Friends-

How's it going in Utah? What's the weather like there? It hasn't been too bad up here at the top of the United States :o) The hottest it has gotten is 80 degrees and it hasn't felt too humid. Today is a little bit more humid, but it is still bearable. I got my first sunburn yesterday. I need to start wearing sunscreen now :o) I have a sweet farmers tan too! (or we can call it a modesty tan). Anyways, yesterday was the first day I didn't have to wear nylons. We have to wear nylons if the temperature is under 75 degrees. I think when the mission is over, nylons will be the one thing I will be happy to get rid of :o) not that I'm thinking about coming home, but I got the date I will be coming home. it is December 20, 2011. Right before Christmas! I will be the best Christmas present anyone ever got! jk. Just thought I'd let you know just in case you wanted to make a countdown or something. :o)

Okay, funny story. Yesterday we were tracting and ran into a lady and 2 men that were sitting out in the woods having a little BBQ. They had us sit down because they wanted to hear more about our church. We were excited to teach them. We noticed they were drinking beer and asked them if they were drunk. They said no, so we moved on. As we were talking to them trying to get to know them better, they would laugh like every 10 seconds at things we said. We didn't say anything funny. Well, we started to teach them a little bit, but would only get a sentence in before they would laugh more, or change the subject. Well, while my companion was talking, I started counting how many empty beer cans there were just around them. From where I was sitting, I counted 20 between the 3 of them. Is that a lot? I don't know much about beer. Well, anyways, we weren't getting very far with teaching them, so we said we would come back when they weren't drunk. Yup, we said that to them. The one guy agreed that would be better... I don't think we're going back there. We said if we do come back, that we would bring our friends, the Johnson's. (The senior couple in our area of the mission). so yeah. I don't know if that is funny to you, but it is funny to My companion and I. You may have just needed to be there for it to be funny.

Anyways, the area out here is really struggling. We get really good investigators, but no one is willing to keep commitments. There are a couple of investigators who KNOW all of this is true, and they know what they need to do, but they aren't willing to do it. Like coming to church is one of those commitments. Church is so hard for people sometimes because they have to drive so far to get there. I think the furthest someone has to drive in our branch is like an hour and a half. Talk about commitment there! But we are working with them.

So, I told you all that our branch is really small right? well, it is shrinking. We have two families moving soon. That's like 25% of our branch gone. We are working hard to build the branch up. If all of the inactives came to church, we could have a ward! So we are working with a lot of the less actives, and then trying to get more investigators.

Well, I am working on becoming a better missionary and learning a lot. I think I will be working on it my whole mission. There is always room for improvement right? and I have a lot of improvement to do!!! I think the one thing I have learned the most is that I can't do this on my own. I need the Lord. This is the Lord's work.

well, my hour is almost up and I have to write my letter to my Mission President still. But write me back!!!

Love you,

Sister Ashleigh Simmons

Mission Presidents Picture

First Email from New York

Dear Family,

Well, This is the first E-mail from New York. I miss you all like crazy and think about you all everyday. You should all write me letters :c)

Here is the scoop of all the great news since I haven't talked with you for like two weeks! CRAZY! Anyways, We flew from Utah to Chicago on June 22, 2010 and had to leave from the MTC at 4:00 am. Sorry Dad that I couldn't get a hold of you to call. I tried 4 times and ran out of money. Hopefully the messages were enough for you. I wish I could have talked but oh well. :( So, we flew to Chicago and then had a one and a half hour layover in Chicago where we ate lunch and got to where we needed to be. Then we flew from Chicago to Syracus where we were greeted by the Mission President and his wife. President and Sister Bulloch. They are two of the nicest and funniest people I have met. Once we got our luggage, we went straight for Pizza! But not just any pizza. Really NY Style Pizza. MMMMM it was DELICIOUS! Loaded with CHEEZZZE :c) After this we went to the Mission home, which is amazing, and started our training right then and there. They just through us right into it. After that we ate dessert which everyone knows is my favorite meal, and then just relaxed, talked, and had fun. 4 elders and I made music. One elder played the piano magnificentally and the 4 of us sang Hymns. I LOVE HARMONIZING! it was way fun getting a chance to just sing for fun. After that we got ready for bed.

When we woke up, we got ready and had AMAZING breakfast just waiting for us. Sister Bulloch is an amazing cook! We had Scrambled eggs, French Toast and Bacon. But with her eggs she puts butter in them!!! YUP BUTTER. MMMMMMM. We also had REAL MAPLE SYRUP. Oh my goodness. Real maple syrup is so SO SOOO Delicious.

After breakfast we went to the church to do more training and.... wait for it :c) Meet our companions and find out where we were going to be sent. So, here is the news you have all been waiting for. My companion is Sister Despain and I am up in the Ogdensburg area. All the way at the top of New York. Where we live, we can see CANADA! my backyard is the Saint Lawrence River. Cool huh?!? I can see the bridge to Canada too. It's pretty cool. So this is where I am. Up here, it is completely opposite of Utah. Completely! First of all, it is totally green, and trees everywhere. Utah really is a dessert! it has rained every other day here. I really like it actually. It's not too hot up here since we are so far north. What's the temperature like in Utah? Next part of how it is completely opposite is there are only about 20 active members in the branch! That's including all the kids. It is tiny. I think there were only 7 Ladies plus the 2 of us sisters in relief society. So it is way different! There are so many different churches up here. There are like 5 on every street. It's insane.

Anyways. our area is pretty big. I think the furthest part away from where we live is about an hour and 15 minutes. So we have a car and definitely do a lot of driving. We drive on long country roads with nothing in sight. It is so pretty out here just driving. Yesterday, we decided we were going to tract a road. We thought there some houses on it. It turned out that for the hour we were walking, we only tracted 4 houses. I think I figured out we walked down about a mile and a quarter of road and only went to 4 houses. At least we got our exercise right?

Okay, my favorite part of north country are the Amish people :c) There are so many Amish up here riding around in their horse drawn buggies! It's fun! And they are so friendly. We are going to meet with one amish family this week somtime. They have 10 kids. Wouldn't that be awesome if we converted their whole family?!?! My companion said the percent chance of us converting this is about the same percent chance of us becoming amish. it could happen though! Other than that, this place needs a lot of help. People are so confused up here. Also, we will definitely be teaching the Word of Wisdom to a lot of people. Almost every house we have gone to, someone is smoking or drinking a beer.

The Mission President told my companion that this is one of the hardest areas in New York to work, so I don't know why they put a newbie here, but it is WAY hard up here. People don't even give us a chance to share our message. I need to remember not to turn disappointment into discouragement. Which is definitely one of my weak points. But I am working on it.

I am trying my best to do the things I need to do to be a good missionary, but this is hard work. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I am still trying to come out of my shell and just accept people for who they are, Children of God. It is hard to love everyone, when no one loves you because they think we are just trying to get them into our church for numbers. I just need to remember that this is the Lord's work and we are possibly planting seeds. We will not see the fruit of our labors completely. I am working on putting my full trust in the Lord that everything will work out for the better. I just need to work on my confidence in what I know I can do, and then rely on the Lord for what I can't do. I am learning a lot, but have a lot more learning to do. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Simmons

p.s. thank you for the prayers. I need all the prayers I can get!

2nd Email from the MTC

Dear Everyone,

Wow! This week flew by! okay, so funny story for the day.So, I am sick for the first time on my mission. Don't worry, nothing too big. Just a head cold. So, because of this head cold, I have had many... I'll call them, "Blonde Missionary Moments." I will tell you just one of them. We were in a Large Group Meeting and I was so out of it! I was taking notes to try to stay awake, but I was still dozing off. I kept falling asleep. It was probably funny watching me bob my head up and down. Anyways, like I said, I was taking notes. I read my notes later and they were really sloppy, and didn't make any sense. Here is the last sentence of my notes. Let me know if you know what it means. "Every minute member less 1 minute time teaching spent is is." there you go! There is "Blonde Missionary Moment" For the week. so, could you send my my pink lemonade emergen-c please? I don't want to get sick again :c)

Okay, so exciting news. We are allowed to call home while we are at the airports! (If we have time) so, here are my travel plans. We leave on June 22. We leave from the SLC Airport at 7:10 AM. so you may get a call around 6:00am, if that's okay with you. Then we fly to chicago and have a layover. We arrive at 11:10 chicago time and leave from the airport at 12:40 chicago time. So, you may also get a call between 9:00 and 10:30ish your time... maybe. Calling home all depends on if we have time. so don't expect the phone calls, but they are a possibility. I sure hope we have time to call!

Since we are leaving on the 22nd, can you tell people not to send a letters to the MTC after the 18th. Have them send it to my Mission Home Address.

well, the MTC really is a roller coaster. There are so many ups and downs! This week has been hard, just as last week. But there have also been some very rewarding experiences.It is kinda hard being with a companion 24/7. I miss riding my bike on long bike rides by myself. I miss my alone time. The only time I get alone is in the shower or in the bathroom just like Sister Weber said. I cherish my shower time :c) but I will get used to it I think. It is nice when we are lost being lost together though. I love my companion. She is amazing!
Last tuesday Robert D. Hales came and spoke at the Devotional. It was a wonderful devotional and the spirit was so strong. He talked about the light of Christ. My favorite line he said was, "Jesus came to bring light to those who sit in darkness." then I was thinking, us as missionaries are doing the same thing.

Keep Sending letters!!!!
Love,
Sister Simmons

P.S. Thank you for the 5lbs of Gummie Bears. They have been put to good use. They are good bribery for the elders. :c) I am now sister gummie bear. My watch broke the other day and I told the elders whoever could fix it would get a whole bag of gummie bears. I didn't think it would be possible to fix, but guess what? they fixed it! It is as good as new! The miss Vickies Chips are gone too! Thanks for those. They were delicious!

First email from the MTC!

Dear everyone,

you probably weren't expecting this email, but here is my first one from the MTC!!! First, I want to thank those of you who have written me. Letters really do make the day so much better. This first week has been really REALLY HARD!!! this is the hardest thing i have ever done in my life! I feel like I don't know anything. there is a lot to learn! This past week has been really overwhelming! I have felt very incapable of doing this and kept wondering what I got myself into. but I do know that this church is true. i have learned that testimony is the biggest part of teaching. If I don't know what to say, i just testify. I know that i am not perfect, and that with the Lords help, i can learn alot. and i am learning a lot here. It is amazing how strong the spirit is and how much a person can learn in one day. I have also learned that I need to put myself in my Heavenly Father's Hands. I cannot do this on my own. I NEED Him every step of the way! I found a really good scripture that has helped me a lot while being here when i get discouraged about everything. The scripture is Alma 17:11... yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and i will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the savation of many souls. It is amazing how the scriptures can tell you exactly what you need to hear and when.

anyways, my companion is Sister Cox. yup that's right! Sister Cox and I knew eachother in Jr. high school. it has been kind of nice being here with a familiar face. Sister cox is so strong in the gospel and knows a lot! I am grateful she knows a lot about the doctrine and how to teach it because that is one of my weaknesses. but, i am learning A LOT and improving on my teaching. (I still have a really long ways to go though :D ).

Tomorrow will be the one week mark! woot woot!!! Everyday, it gets better here. I am excited to see how much more I learn.

I have met so many AMAZING people here. Especially the sisters. I am in a room with 5 other sisters who are all amazing. We clicked right away. one of the sisters is going to Cambodia in mid July( her name is Sister Robertson), and the other three are going to Thailand today!!!(Sister Harris, Sister Chambers, and Sister Jensen) I am going to miss them so much even though we only knew eachother for a week.

We are really busy here and everything is so organized! (Which is also one of my weaknesses.) We plan out every minute of everyday and use our time very wisely. It is amazing how much you can get done when you use your time wisely. SO, I am very busy here. and by very I mean VERY!!! When i go to bed, and pretty much hit my pillow and I am out for the rest of the night. We have gym everyday which is so SO NICE!!! I love it. and to let you all know, I have not gained weight yet :c) I will be in the 1% of sisters that do not gain weight on my mission :c)

The food is so good here!!! They have dessert with every single meal pretty much. Ice cream sundae Sunday's are amazing also. And i am eating quite healthy. I have made sure to eat a fruit or vegetable with every single meal :c) are you proud of me mom?

Well, I gotta go, my time is ticking a way and it will close out and delete the message if i don't send it now. But send me letters and I can reply to those :c)

Well, I hope all is well at home!

luv you,

Sister Simmons

p.s. Send Me Letters!!!! PLEASE!!!!

MTC

Sister Simmons entered the MTC today at 1:30!

Missionary Talk: The Blessings of Missionary Work

Good Afternoon everyone. It is so good to be here with you all even though I am scared to death to be standing up here. And because I am standing up here today, that means there are only 3 days until I enter the MTC. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ashleigh Simmons. I will be serving in the New York Utica mission, and like I said, I am reporting on Wednesday! I am so excited, but yet nervous too. So, the bishop gave me the topic of, “The blessings of missionary work.” which works perfect for me since I am going on a mission. We can all participate in missionary work. This is the Lord’s work, and He will help us do it.

Imagine with me for a minute what your life would be like if you didn’t have the blessings of the Gospel…… Have you ever felt a sense of gratitude for the blessings you enjoy each day?…… Have you ever experienced the warmth that floods your heart when you have shared your feelings with others and could sense their receptiveness?…… That warmth is the love of Christ burning within your soul and needing to be shared. I have for sure felt this love in my heart. We really are so blessed to have the Gospel!

Before now, I never saw myself going on a mission. When people would ask me as a child and young woman if I wanted to serve a mission, I would always say No way!!! Not me!!! I had my many reasons why. But once I graduated High School, started college, and was a little more independent, I started searching for myself and who I really was. As I was searching, a question came to my head. The question was, “Do I want to serve a mission? Do I really want to go on a mission? I could go on a mission.”

Right then, a mission became a possibility for me. For about a year and a half, this thought was constantly on my mind. I continued to pray, and ask my Heavenly Father if I was supposed to go on a mission. As I did this, I continued to prepare, and learn more. I figured whether I went on a mission or not, preparing for one wouldn’t hurt. It would definitely be beneficial. I still didn’t see myself going on a mission, but the option was there. Deciding on going on a mission wasn’t easy. But now that I have made the decision, and am about to embark on this wonderful adventure, I couldn’t be a happier person and know for sure that what I am about to do is a part of Heavenly Father’s plan for me and that He will help me every step of the way!

In Preach My Gospel it says, “As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase.” I have seen this in my own life! As I have learned more about Jesus Christ, and grown closer to Him, my desire to share the Gospel with others has increased. I want everyone to feel the joy I feel knowing the truth. Knowing who I am, and having a relationship with Jesus Christ has been a major blessing in my life.

The Lord’s Church has the responsibility to preach the gospel in the world. This is the foundation of missionary work. In Preach My Gospel, the first chapter is titled “My Purpose.” My purpose as a missionary is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”

When we experience the blessings of gospel living, we naturally want to share those blessings with others. The Lord spoke of the joy that comes into our lives when we share His gospel: in (D&C 18:15-16) it says “If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my father!” “And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!”

The Lord has declared that missionary work is the responsibility of all Latter-day Saints (see D&C 88:81) says “Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” As a member of the Lord’s Church, you can, by goodness of your life and strength of your testimony, help prepare your family members, friends, neighbors, and other acquaintances to meet with the full-time missionaries.

The most powerful missionary message you can send is your own example of living a happy Latter-day Saint life. Remember that people do not join the church only because of gospel principles they learn. They join because they feel something that begins to satisfy their spiritual needs. If you are sincere in your friendship with them, they will be able to feel the spirit of your testimony and happiness.

After His resurrection, the Lord commanded His disciples in (Matthew 28:19) to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. In fulfillment of this command, able young men in the Church have a duty to prepare spiritually, physically, and emotionally to serve as full-time missionaries. Single women and mature couples also have the opportunity to serve full-time missions. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity I have to serve a full-time mission. Many of the general authorities have said many times that their missions are the foundation of their lifetime of service. I am sure this is true for all who have served missions, and I know it will be a part of me for the rest of my life.

President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “We are commanded by God to take the gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family.”

President Kimball once called missionary work the lifeblood of the Church, and indeed it is. It’s not only because new converts give the Church vitality and strength, but the missionaries themselves gain a new measure of vitality and strength as they participate in the convert’s commitment to Christ. This vitality and strength is a mighty force, an instrument in God’s hands to cause the gospel to roll forth and fill the whole earth.

The message of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families. Because of the Restoration we understand God’s purpose for families: “The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.” I love this! As I missionary, I am not just helping families towards baptism. I am also helping them work towards entering the temple and receiving all the blessings held within.

On earth, family associations can be the source of some of our greatest joy. Satan is attacking the family on many fronts, and too many families are being destroyed by his efforts. The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ makes it possible for families to be united now and in eternity. By living the principles of the gospel, families can experience peace, joy, and a sense of belonging and identity in this life. Through the light of the gospel, families can resolve misunderstandings, contentions, and challenges. Families torn by discord can be healed through repentance, forgiveness, and faith in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. “Happiness in family life most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained in principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, and work.

I am so grateful for my Family, so to know that with the sacred ordinances and covenants available in the Temples I can now be with my family eternally is so wonderful to me. It gives me comfort in every aspect of my life.

I would like to end my talk with a scripture passage. It is kind of long, so bear with me. I love Alma chapter 26. In (Alma 26:11-16) it says, “But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many might miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

Behold, how many thousands of our brethren has he loosed from the pains of hell; and they are brought to sing redeeming love, and this because of the power of his word which is in us, therefore have we not great reason to rejoice?

Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his longsuffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part of which I feel.”

I just love verse 12. I will read it again. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many might miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. I am definitely nothing. I know that I can only do this work with the Lord. This is the Lord’s work and He will help me, and every single one of us do it.

I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. Without him, where would I be today? Only faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement can bring us peace, hope, and understanding, which I have found to be true many times in my life. I am grateful for my testimony that has grown tremendously, I am grateful for the opportunities in my life to look for and see the hand of the Lord in my life. I am grateful for Trials and for all the lessons I have learned from them and for how much they have strengthened me. I am so grateful for this gospel and the joy and happiness it has brought into my life. I have grown so much!

I know this church is the one and only true church! I know it with all of my heart! I know that we are all divine children of a Heavenly Father. And I know my Heavenly Father Loves me, and every single one of you. I feel His love every single day, Whether through other people, through His tender mercies. I know that if we follow Heavenly Fathers plan for us, we will one day be able to live with him again. I know that the lord works through other people to help us return to Him. I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have a Heavenly Father that will never leave us alone. To know that I can pray to him whenever and wherever I am, and he will listen. I know when we pray we will always receive an answer. It may not be the answer we wanted, or when we wanted it, but we will receive one. We just need to be ready for it. I know that the Atonement is a reality and that Christ suffered for our sins so we could live with him again. He is the ultimate example. I know that Jesus Christ did come, He did live and he will come again. My testimony I leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Missionary Talk: Love One Another

Love One Another

Good morning Brothers and Sisters. It is so good to be back here in this ward where I grew up. I never saw this day coming where I would actually be going on a mission, but now that it is here, I am so excited, and so grateful, that I get to serve the Lord. As you have heard from Gracie and Brother Okamura, our topic for today is “Love One Another”. To show my love to some of my friends, I have to say a couple of things. For my friends from Babies R us I have to say, “Purple Mangoes” and to my friends at Macey’s, I have to say “Pretty Pink Princess Shoes.” there, now that I got that over with, I can move on. I feel like whenever I speak in church, or give a lesson, I am taught so much more than any of you will be taught. So I feel this is mostly for me :D but I hope that the spirit will touch you and teach you all as it has taught me.

I will start off today with a scripture. In Matthew 22:36-39 a man asked Jesus “Which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

I found this quote by Gordon B. Hinckley which I love so much. It says, “Love is the very essence of life. It is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is not found only at the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day.” I just love the picture that this paints for me, that love is at the beginning and end of the rainbow, and it also arches across a stormy sky.

I looked up the definition of Love on the churches website. It was defined as “a deep devotion and affection. Love for God includes devotion, adoration, reverence, tenderness, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, grace, service, gratitude, and kindness.” After reading this definition I noticed that each one of these words are action words. True love requires action. In True To The Faith, it says that “We manifest our love for Heavenly Father by keeping His commandments and serving His children…Our love for those around us increases when we remember that we are all children of God-that we are spirit brothers and sisters.” It is as we serve, as we take time to express interest and concern in someone other than ourselves, that we are more likely to gain a glimpse of who we really are and what we can ultimately become.

As I was thinking about what I wanted to talk about, my mind kept going back to President Uchtdorf’s talk in this most recent General Conference called, “You Are My Hands.” This was one of my favorite talks in this last Conference. In his talk he says, “When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation”… “That is what He did during His mortal life; it is what He would be doing if He were living among us today; and it is what we should be doing as His disciples and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”… “As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes His eyes; our heart, His heart.”

“Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “Succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” “Christ knew how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.” If we are His hands, then we can do the same.

When Bishop Jenkins gave me this topic, I thought of how perfectly the lyrics to the song we just sang goes with this topic. The lyrics of this song are so beautiful and exactly what I want to become. I will read them for you again.

I want to be a window to His love,

So when you look through me you will see him.

I want to be so pure and clear, that you won’t even know I’m here

‘cause His love will shine brightly through me.

I want to be a doorway to the truth,

So when you walk beyond you will find Him

I want to stand so straight and tall, that you won’t notice me at all,

But through my open door He will be seen.

I want to be a window to His love,

So you can look through me and you’ll see Him.

And someday shining through my face, you’ll see His loving countenance,

‘cause I will have become like He is

A window to His love, A doorway to the truth,

A bearer of the message, He’d have me bring to you.

And with each passing day, I want to fade away.

Till only he, can be seen, and I become,

A window to His love.

The life of the Savior reflects His pure love for all people. He even gave His life for all of us. Charity is that pure love which our Savior Jesus Christ has. He has commanded us to love one another as He loves us. The scriptures tell us that charity is felt within the heart. We have pure love when, from the heart, we show genuine concern and compassion for all our brothers and sisters.

The Prophet Moroni says in Moroni 7:46-47, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail- but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

Charity includes God’s eternal love for all His children. We are to seek to develop that kind of love. When you are filled with charity, you obey God’s commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel.

The Savior gave us the example of His life to follow. He was a perfect man. He had perfect love, and He showed us how we must love. He showed us that the spiritual and physical needs of our fellowmen are just as important as our own. We need to love one another, just as the simple primary song “Love One Another” puts it.

As I have loved you, love one another.

This new commandment, love one another.

By this shall man know, Ye are my disciples.

If you have love, one to another.

Charity and love are both gifts from God. The prophet Mormon says in Moroni 7:48 “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that we may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”

As you follow this counsel and strive to do righteous works, your love for all people will increase, especially those among whom you labor. You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are struggling or discouraged. Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself.

I have read the book “Standing for Something” by President Gordon B. Hinckley multiple times because it has so much juicy stuff in it. There is one chapter called “Love: The Lodestar of Life” in this chapter Gordon B. Hinckley writes this: “One of the greatest challenges we face in our hurried, self-centered lives is to follow the counsel of the Master, to take the time and make the effort to care for others, to develop and exercise the one quality that would enable us to change the lives of others-- what the scriptures call charity… We tend to think of charity as donations to a homeless shelter or a check written to a favorite institution that dispenses funds to those in need. But best defined, charity is that pure love exemplified by Jesus Christ. It embraces kindness, a reaching out to lift and help.”

Charity isn’t something you can just acquire in one day. It is something you have to constantly work on your whole life. I love the scripture Moroni 7:45. It reads “And charity suffered long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, and seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, nad rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

Charity is so much more than just a simple act of kindness as we see in this verse. In my institute class this last semester, my Institute teacher challenged us to take this scripture apart and try to become each of these attributes. What I have done is written each of these on a piece of paper and put them in a little bowl on my side table. Every now and then I draw one of the slips of paper from the bowl and work on that one attribute. I search the attribute out in the scriptures and try my hardest let that attribute become a part of me. I also Ask my Heavenly Father for His help because I know that charity is a gift from God, and that I need His help to acquire it. As I have done this, it has drawn me closer to Christ. I want to be a better person, and I know that every day, I can be a little better, and stand a little taller. Like I said, Charity isn’t something you can acquire right away. It is something that needs to be nourished and worked on every single day.

“If you want to love God, you have to learn to love and serve the people. That is the way to show your love for God.” Through acts of service, large or small, we can learn to love more deeply.

Mosiah 18:8-9 is where we find our baptismal covenants. We have covenanted to “Bear one another’s burdens; mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” We have the responsibility to help them, without being urged or commanded. We have covenanted to serve those who are in need, just as Christ served His fellowmen. Christlike service may not be requested. It may be needed by someone who is a stranger to us who can never repay us. It may be unpleasant and require much effort on our part. It maybe needed at a time when it is difficult for us to give. We may receive no praise or recognition. But we serve others because we love our Heavenly Father and His children and want to help them out of the pure desire of our hearts.

Matthew 25:40, a very familiar scripture, says “Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, he have done it unto me.”

So as we go back to the scripture Matthew 22:36-39 where it says “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” As we serve and love others, we will be showing our love to God, and to show our love to God, he has asked us to serve and love others.

I just want to end by saying how much I appreciate all the love that has been shown to me. I love my family so much and appreciate the sacrifice they will be making to help support me on my mission. I have the best friends in the world. I couldn’t be a luckier girl and can’t thank them enough for putting up with me and always being there for me :D I am so grateful for this gospel and the joy and happiness it has brought into my life. I have grown so much! I know this church is the one and only true church! I know it with all of my heart! I know that we are all divine children of a Heavenly Father. And I know my Heavenly Father Loves me, and every single one of you. I feel His love every single day, Whether through other people, through His tender mercies, and just through everything I have. I am so grateful for this gospel, and I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.