Hey! I have news.

Of most interest to you would probably be the fact that I am being transferred! Car area. Haha I'll email you where next week.

 

I'm so grateful. I'm grateful for changes that help us to grow. I'm grateful that storms don't last forever. I'm grateful that I live in a country that produces peanut butter. I'm grateful that I have a lot of people back home who love me. That has been very sustaining to me these past few months. I am grateful that I have a nice, clean place to live and that I don't wake up cold in the middle of the night. I'm grateful that for Christmas I got tights and a scarf and handwarmers, and I have not had to use any of them yet. (haha I'm almost scared to say that because the rest of America might hate me for it. I just found out this week about the "deep freeze" and saw a pic of some lighthouse on the East Coast that looked straight of out the Day After Tomorrow. #lastdays)

 

So, what's actually happening is the bike hnas are moving in with Hna Watts- they are going to be in a trio and our area will absorb theirs. I don't know when all this packing and cleaning and moving is going to happen, but sometime before Tues morning haha.

 

Missionary work is going well. I don't know what's happening with miracle Christmas Eve Family, except the dad moved to Guatemala all of a sudden (if you think it sounds sketchy, you're right) and on Sunday morning, one minute I was thinking about them in the shower and the next I was belting Someone Like You. So we'll see. Still finding lots of good people, just don't know who's for real yet, you know?

 

BUT THE BEST PART IS----

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON MARTA ALVARADO WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!

I decided I really like baptizing women because then you can be there, holding their towel when the get out of the font. That was one of my most precious moments. These months in Reseda have been worth it, for her. She came out of the water and we helped her up the stairs (she's 73 years old) and all she could say was "que lindo, que gracias" and we just sobbed and hugged and laughed all soaking wet. That scripture- how great shall be your joy if you bring save one soul unto me, I felt that.

 

Haven't even had a chance to journal about it because yesterday was so emotionally exhausting- happy for Marta, sad to leave this ward, excited for transfers, sentimental over packing away/cleaning out all the notes and pictures from my desk. haven't even had the mental capactity to be scared for transfers yet.

 

I recognize that this is the part where I should attach some pics, because I don't think I've sent any since before Christmas, but my cord is somewhere at home. My bad.

 

I've been thinking this week about how I will explain to people what a mission is and why I served one, when I'm home. It sounds kind of crazy:

 

"I went to Southern California and learned Spanish so I could teach a bunch of Latinos, most of whom already had strong faith in Jesus Christ, about Jesus Christ. Sharing the gospel is important to me because it's what gives me the most happiness in life, AKA I literally believe every single person in this world should be Mormon. Because being Mormon is just that good."

 

Isn't that nuts?!? And it's TRUE! That's the best part.

 

So yes. I love you all. Thank you for being so good and always so nice to me. I'm continually being humbled, continually being strengthened, and learning so much.

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

Hna Simpson