This Week I Sent Pictures!

Nothing I love more than Monday mornings. No, seriously.

Man, this week was crazy! So much stuff happened. Our investigators are still, you know, investigating, i.e. not showing up for church, but the ward is really coming along. Yesterday a less active family we had visited showed up at church for the first time in months, and a less active lady , too. We were sooo excited and touched and happy to see them. Church is the best. The more I learn about the gospel, the more I realize I don't know how it works. I can't explain WHY we are so richly blessed by things like going to church or reading our scriptures or saying our prayers. I don't know HOW the Holy Ghost works or how the Atonement works. (Like, I do, but I don't, you know?) Bottom line, I just know that they work. So be good guys, 4reallz. Go to church.

MISSION STATS RECAP!

WORKING REFRIGERATORS WE HAVE: 0.

All our milk and stuff has been bad all week. Haha we don't know how we're going to make it, but the Lord really does take care of us. Whenever I'm hungry and I pray that someone will give us food, it ALWAYS happens. And what's more, it's always exactly what I'm in the mood for. Blessings/Miracles/Bliricles all the time.

BIKE WRECKS: 1

Yeah, pretty much what I have learned out here is that I should have majored in nursing. This experience has also taught me that aloe vera is not an acceptable alterative to neosporin. I think my foot has a deep bruise, so I'm just taking Ibuprofen.

BANDAID COUNT: 32.

(That is actually a hard number; I counted.)

TIMES I DIDN'T WRECK BUT "GRAZED" SOME BUSHES INSTEAD: 1

Okay, the sidewalks here are a joke. And if you ride in the street sometimes it's okay but sometimes you could die hahaha.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE FUN OF MY SPANISH: 1

It was the Young Women's president of another ward. I took the higher road and kept a straight face as she spoke English and referred twice to her "arts and crap" projects.

CDs WE OWN: 3

One is the Young Victoria soundtrack. The other two are by the Nashville Tribute Band, which means we have one CD full of country songs about pioneers and another full of country songs about missionary work. I'll let you guess which is my favorite.

Something fun was we had exchanges this week! Hna Mulliner and I went out with Hna Vila,  a "sister training leader" in our district. She's super fun and we had a good sleepover. :) She is also in a car, which was a blessing as I had hurt my foot the night before. We blasted this Jenny Phillips song called "be strong with me" which you can apply to missionary work but is ACTUALLY about keeping the law of chastity, so I loved it. I still have the line "I won't act in ways that might tempt you" stuck in my head hahaha

KAILEE! Social media is real!!! When we came back from exchanges Hna Allred was like Do you have a friend named Kailee B? LIke a best friend? And I was like Yes that is weird how do you know that. And she was like Jake showed us his phone because she tweeted him about you! And then I screamed and bounced up and down on my bed because it doesn't take much, you know? (Lauren lives next door to Jake Kodish, professional dancer...has been on Disney Channel)

No but seriously, that is the coolest.

ALSO PACKAGES!!! Another example of specific prayer- I was having a bad morning and before my scripture study I was like, Heavenly Father, I just need a letter today. AND THEN I got a whole package from Grandma AND the best letter ever from Dad. winwinwin.

Shoutout to Grandma- you sound like a bomb member missionary! Keep letting your light so shine, because the gospel is fun and normal and full of blesssings!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT BUT NOT REALLY:

I am not sharing a scripture, I am just really really grateful. It's so crazy to me that now I am going to law school, even though I had decided against it 5 times before and didn't even think about it when I filled out my availability date on the mission papers. I'm so glad Heavenly Father knows what's up. What will make me the happiest and what I should be doing. Something my dad shared this week that I LOVED is that the Lord blesses us in spite of ourselves. And that's how I feel. I don't have a clue what I'm doing but he's blessing me like he has my whole life. Just really, really grateful.

LOVE YOU <333

HNA SIMPSON

P.S. We get to go to Goodwill today!!!

P.P.S. THANK YOU EVERYONE for updating me about the bachelorette. I'm embarrassed that you know how I would care about that, but also proud. Best fam/friends/ EVER. xoxoxxo

Lauren's letter part 2

Okay Annie's email is hilarious. Hahahaha I am glad she is having such a good time!! hahahaha our missions are only a few hours away but they are TOTALLY different places. Sounds like she's doing well!!

haha modesty is also an issue here... but like it's not. Hahaha when modesty is an issue, you know a ward is doing really well because it means everyone is coming to church consistently and that they get it. When you are a the point where modesty matters, it means everyone is doing so WELL at all the other stuff that now you can bring it uP! That is great. Our ward is not near that point yet, but maybe in a few years they'll get there. It's hard when people don't have money to buy stuff, and when no one has really been to the temple. But we have some members preparing to go!!

Other funny things:

All the men here ride little bikes. Hahahaha I don't know how they do it. Those bikes are tiny.

You know you are in North Hollywood if on the street you see 3+ shopping carts, a matress or couch, one other piece of home furniture, and a magnolia tree.

Everyone pronounces my name "sin-son" or "sin-so" like with a Chinese accent. Haha that's how it sounds. Hahahaha but there's a street here called Simpson Ave- I'll get a pic with it soon.

LOVE YOU!!!