Hello Family!
We're anxious for this week. Things will probably pick up this week. And things are probably going to pick up a lot in the coming months! Our mission is going to have many, many more missionaries. And many of them will be Sister missionaries, and I think they'll see tons of success. It's a very exciting time to be serving the Lord. Charles didn't get baptized yet, so we're a little worried about him. He was away most of the weekend, but we've stayed in contact and hopefully we'll be able to dig a little deeper and see what we need to help him with. I believe he is someone who will make a great contribution to the Lord's kingdom, and that's probably why he's facing so much opposition. The Lord needs us on His team. He needs you, any of you who have strayed.
We had an awesome testimony meeting yesterday here in the St. Davids ward. A couple of guys who I really admire got up and said some really thought-provoking things. One man said "Becoming a member of the Church is my greatest accomplishment in life. And what did I accomplish?? Nothing [in a worldly sense]." And the other man spoke about his thoughts about New Years resolutions, and he shared a couple of his goals. One was to focus more on eternal things rather than on temporal things, and the other was to pay more attention to the promptings of the Spirit. He said "the clock just keeps on ticking, and I don't want a whole year to go by with me doing nothing."
I was inspired by these testimonies. The truth is, if I were to have all the pleasures that the world can offer, but fail to live the Gospel... I would have nothing. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is real. It is the reality we must be living in. If we are not living the Gospel, then we are living contrary to the nature of happiness. So, many of my current personal goals and plans are to ensure that I consistently and diligently live the Gospel. Because I know it is living the Gospel that brings me the most joy. This is the joy that missionaries all over the world are inviting people to receive.
I love you all so much! Make this week a great week, and strive to make 2013 the best yet!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Niagara, 1/2/2013
Hello Family!
We had our first big snowfall last week just after Christmas. I think Elder Welch was a little bit scared since I'm the driver! But I've been doing pretty good driving in it. People have given me some good driving-in-the-snow tips. And the roads are cleared pretty fast, anyways. I attached some photos from the Falls, now icy and snowy!
The past couple of weeks have been different, with the weird holiday schedules we've had and stuff like that. So its been a little slower than it has usually been. We were planning on having Charles' baptism this past Sunday, but he wanted to move it to this week instead. So hopefully all will go well and he'll enter into the waters of baptism this Sunday, the 6th. Baptism is so sacred. I wish I understood it better earlier in my life. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior. And because He did those things, we can overcome death- both physical death and spiritual death. We will all live forever- that is a free gift to all. But, to overcome spiritual death and live with eternal joy we must live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accept and apply the Atonement. I know things are confusing in this world, and I know we get many mixed messages. The only things I am sure of are these: my love for my family, and the truthfulness of the Gospel. These things get attacked too, but they are the only things I can hold fast to and always rely on to bring me peace and comfort. They cut through the darkness of the confusing messages around us. The only way we can find out if the Gospel is true, and really is the one sure way to peace and comfort... is to live it.
I love you all very much. And I wish you all the best for the New Year ahead!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
We had our first big snowfall last week just after Christmas. I think Elder Welch was a little bit scared since I'm the driver! But I've been doing pretty good driving in it. People have given me some good driving-in-the-snow tips. And the roads are cleared pretty fast, anyways. I attached some photos from the Falls, now icy and snowy!
The past couple of weeks have been different, with the weird holiday schedules we've had and stuff like that. So its been a little slower than it has usually been. We were planning on having Charles' baptism this past Sunday, but he wanted to move it to this week instead. So hopefully all will go well and he'll enter into the waters of baptism this Sunday, the 6th. Baptism is so sacred. I wish I understood it better earlier in my life. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior. And because He did those things, we can overcome death- both physical death and spiritual death. We will all live forever- that is a free gift to all. But, to overcome spiritual death and live with eternal joy we must live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accept and apply the Atonement. I know things are confusing in this world, and I know we get many mixed messages. The only things I am sure of are these: my love for my family, and the truthfulness of the Gospel. These things get attacked too, but they are the only things I can hold fast to and always rely on to bring me peace and comfort. They cut through the darkness of the confusing messages around us. The only way we can find out if the Gospel is true, and really is the one sure way to peace and comfort... is to live it.
I love you all very much. And I wish you all the best for the New Year ahead!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Niagara, 12/27/12
Hello Family!
Next preparation day is Wednesday 1/2/13 instead of Monday 12/31/12.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! It was a great day for me. I enjoyed being able to Skype home and I'm grateful for all the love I felt from you and from the people here. As I've been thinking about the arrival of a new year, I thought about things I want and need to do better. Something I've done on my mission a couple of times and have had success with is writing down goals of "Who I want to become" and also writing down some plans on how I can become just that. Its a continual work in progress, and I am no where close to the person I want to become. But it is helpful to write down these goals- they can be anything! And remember to be patient and work at it one day at a time.
There is so much depressing stuff going on in the world. We all know that. We all get a little hopeless about it and maybe we choose to ignore it sometimes. But I know that we can make a difference in the world by starting small. Start with yourself- evaluate and improve yourself, then see what needs to happen to improve the relationships with your family and loved ones. This is something I'm still working on. We need to work at this the same way we should with our goals- be patient and work at it one day at a time. But the important thing is, is that we actually do it! Evaluate, set goals, and make plans to improve. If you can see something way down at the end of the tunnel and seems like a long way away-- don't give up, because I know from experience that if you just keep on going towards that goal, even if you fall... you will make it.
I know that in some cases, it is necessary to cut off certain relationships that are harmful. But I think if we cut off relationships based on assumptions, then we are making a big mistake. "When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf) We're all human and we all struggle with these things. But we need to be careful with the way we treat each other. If we're not careful, and we burn all our bridges, then the coming years are going to be absolutely miserable.
I love you all very much. The Church is true, and God lives. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and are always calling us home.
Happy New Year!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Next preparation day is Wednesday 1/2/13 instead of Monday 12/31/12.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! It was a great day for me. I enjoyed being able to Skype home and I'm grateful for all the love I felt from you and from the people here. As I've been thinking about the arrival of a new year, I thought about things I want and need to do better. Something I've done on my mission a couple of times and have had success with is writing down goals of "Who I want to become" and also writing down some plans on how I can become just that. Its a continual work in progress, and I am no where close to the person I want to become. But it is helpful to write down these goals- they can be anything! And remember to be patient and work at it one day at a time.
There is so much depressing stuff going on in the world. We all know that. We all get a little hopeless about it and maybe we choose to ignore it sometimes. But I know that we can make a difference in the world by starting small. Start with yourself- evaluate and improve yourself, then see what needs to happen to improve the relationships with your family and loved ones. This is something I'm still working on. We need to work at this the same way we should with our goals- be patient and work at it one day at a time. But the important thing is, is that we actually do it! Evaluate, set goals, and make plans to improve. If you can see something way down at the end of the tunnel and seems like a long way away-- don't give up, because I know from experience that if you just keep on going towards that goal, even if you fall... you will make it.
I know that in some cases, it is necessary to cut off certain relationships that are harmful. But I think if we cut off relationships based on assumptions, then we are making a big mistake. "When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf) We're all human and we all struggle with these things. But we need to be careful with the way we treat each other. If we're not careful, and we burn all our bridges, then the coming years are going to be absolutely miserable.
I love you all very much. The Church is true, and God lives. Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us and are always calling us home.
Happy New Year!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Niagara, 12/17/12
Hello Family!
Here are some dates really quick: Next transfer date is 1/20/13, Next Preparation Day is Thursday 12/27/12 because of Christmas next week.
I heard about the tragedy in Connecticut, and I couldn't believe it. That is awful. I was thinking how hard it must be for these families who were affected by it. And I can't even imagine the pain they must feel. But I do know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, "All that is unfair about life will be made fair" (Preach My Gospel). We always ask the question, "Why does God allow such horrible things to happen?" I don't know the wording exactly, but in the Book of Mormon there is a story about people killing children in horrible ways, and someone asks a prophet "Why does God allow such horrible things to happen?" He then says something like "God allows these things to happen so that the blood of the innocent will stand as a witness against the murderers on Judgement Day." God, our loving Heavenly Father, hates it when things like this happen. He is a God of love, and a God of peace. He is a God of Justice, and a God of Mercy. Because God is perfect and He loves us perfectly, He knows how to comfort us. Let us be His hands and comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and mourn with those that mourn, and stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all places. I know this Gospel is true and I know it helps us with any challenge. It gives us the sure knowledge that there IS life after death.
.....
I hope each of you has a Merry Christmas! I want to share something from one of my favorite books (The Christmas Sweater). It's a prayer:
"God, thank you for everything you've given us. For the time we have together. And for the miracle of Christmas. Thank you for the Atonement, the chance to start all over again. Help us to always remember who we are and to trust that we are worthy to make it through our storms. Amen."
That describes what I feel each Christmas since the time I read that. I love this chance to remember all that God has done for me, and to know I am loved by God and by my family. With God, we can make it through anything!
I love you all so much, and I hope you have a great and memorable Christmas.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Here are some dates really quick: Next transfer date is 1/20/13, Next Preparation Day is Thursday 12/27/12 because of Christmas next week.
I heard about the tragedy in Connecticut, and I couldn't believe it. That is awful. I was thinking how hard it must be for these families who were affected by it. And I can't even imagine the pain they must feel. But I do know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, "All that is unfair about life will be made fair" (Preach My Gospel). We always ask the question, "Why does God allow such horrible things to happen?" I don't know the wording exactly, but in the Book of Mormon there is a story about people killing children in horrible ways, and someone asks a prophet "Why does God allow such horrible things to happen?" He then says something like "God allows these things to happen so that the blood of the innocent will stand as a witness against the murderers on Judgement Day." God, our loving Heavenly Father, hates it when things like this happen. He is a God of love, and a God of peace. He is a God of Justice, and a God of Mercy. Because God is perfect and He loves us perfectly, He knows how to comfort us. Let us be His hands and comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and mourn with those that mourn, and stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all places. I know this Gospel is true and I know it helps us with any challenge. It gives us the sure knowledge that there IS life after death.
.....
I hope each of you has a Merry Christmas! I want to share something from one of my favorite books (The Christmas Sweater). It's a prayer:
"God, thank you for everything you've given us. For the time we have together. And for the miracle of Christmas. Thank you for the Atonement, the chance to start all over again. Help us to always remember who we are and to trust that we are worthy to make it through our storms. Amen."
That describes what I feel each Christmas since the time I read that. I love this chance to remember all that God has done for me, and to know I am loved by God and by my family. With God, we can make it through anything!
I love you all so much, and I hope you have a great and memorable Christmas.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Niagara, 12/10/12
Hello Family!
Elder Welch and I did not get a transfer call last night. So, we're both here in the Falls until the middle of January!
I attached a picture so I don't get rebuked by you guys anymore! :) It's kind of a funny picture. I ended up being in the front and center of everything. Which is kind of awkward, but Nan wanted Elder Welch on one side and me on the other. Nan is the lady right next to me, then Elder Welch and the Woodruffs (ward missionaries) on the left. Then our two Spanish missionary friends who serve in the St. Davids Spanish branch are on the right.
Nan is still doing awesome and she will be baptized this Saturday in Salt Lake City. We had another investigator named Charles come to church yesterday, and that was awesome. He's someone I didn't really expect to enjoy it and fit in as much as he did. We'll see him again this week and do all that we can to help him progress. He's someone who I think has the potential to influence many people for good. He's down to earth and always cheerful.
I've been thinking about The Gospel of Jesus Christ a lot this week. The Gospel is a 5-step pattern of living for sinners. Faith, repentance, baptism (or making/renewing covenants), receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end... this is not a one time deal. It is a pattern of living. And its the path to true, lasting happiness. I'm so grateful for the Gospel in my life. I can feel the difference between actually living the Gospel pattern and just going through the motions. Going through the motions might keep you feeling secure, but you won't really progress and grow into the person you are capable of becoming. We are all worth so much. We are all capable of so much more than we often allow ourselves to believe. Become what you are meant to become! That's one of the many things living the Gospel will do.
I love you all so much, and I hope you are enjoying this special time of year! Each of you has influenced me so much, and I'm so grateful.
Laus deo.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Elder Welch and I did not get a transfer call last night. So, we're both here in the Falls until the middle of January!
I attached a picture so I don't get rebuked by you guys anymore! :) It's kind of a funny picture. I ended up being in the front and center of everything. Which is kind of awkward, but Nan wanted Elder Welch on one side and me on the other. Nan is the lady right next to me, then Elder Welch and the Woodruffs (ward missionaries) on the left. Then our two Spanish missionary friends who serve in the St. Davids Spanish branch are on the right.
Nan is still doing awesome and she will be baptized this Saturday in Salt Lake City. We had another investigator named Charles come to church yesterday, and that was awesome. He's someone I didn't really expect to enjoy it and fit in as much as he did. We'll see him again this week and do all that we can to help him progress. He's someone who I think has the potential to influence many people for good. He's down to earth and always cheerful.
I've been thinking about The Gospel of Jesus Christ a lot this week. The Gospel is a 5-step pattern of living for sinners. Faith, repentance, baptism (or making/renewing covenants), receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end... this is not a one time deal. It is a pattern of living. And its the path to true, lasting happiness. I'm so grateful for the Gospel in my life. I can feel the difference between actually living the Gospel pattern and just going through the motions. Going through the motions might keep you feeling secure, but you won't really progress and grow into the person you are capable of becoming. We are all worth so much. We are all capable of so much more than we often allow ourselves to believe. Become what you are meant to become! That's one of the many things living the Gospel will do.
I love you all so much, and I hope you are enjoying this special time of year! Each of you has influenced me so much, and I'm so grateful.
Laus deo.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Niagara, 12/3/12
Hello Family!
Real quick, y'all should check out my profile on Mormon.org: mormon.org/me/8V6K ...I was excited to finally finish mine. So, there it is!
Well, this week has been another awesome week in Niagara Falls. Nan is still well on her way to being baptized in a couple of weeks in SLC. She loves to ask questions. Which is awesome! Because we don't believe in blind faith. We believe in intelligent obedience. Like it says on mormon.org/commandments, commandments are not "arbitrary rules from a detached God" but they are "divine guidance that helps us navigate the confusion of life on earth." And one thing I love about God, our Heavenly Father, is that He LOVES questions. Just like James 1:5 says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not..." That means that God does not get mad at you for asking questions. And he is willing to give us the answers, if we sincerely ask Him. Our Heavenly Father loves to give us gifts.
The Christmas Spirit is amazing. It is a Spirit of Giving. I'm just going to throw this out there: if there is one gift any of you could give me this year, a gift that would mean more to me than almost anything else, it is this: Have the local missionaries over for a visit. Whether it is just for a chat to say hi to them, get to know them, or let them know "Hey! Somebody I know is on a mission in Toronto Canada!" Or whether you have them over for a snack, or a meal, or to share a Christmas message with you... that would make my Christmas! Of course any letters or yummy treats would, too. But more than anything else, I would love for you to have a nice visit with your local missionaries. Then you could have a little glimpse at what it is that I'll be doing this Christmas season. I promise opportunities will arise in the coming weeks. Say hi to them when you see them! And have them over. We don't bite! :)
I love you all so much. Thank you for your love, support, and your encouragement.
Love,
Elder Simper
Real quick, y'all should check out my profile on Mormon.org: mormon.org/me/8V6K ...I was excited to finally finish mine. So, there it is!
Well, this week has been another awesome week in Niagara Falls. Nan is still well on her way to being baptized in a couple of weeks in SLC. She loves to ask questions. Which is awesome! Because we don't believe in blind faith. We believe in intelligent obedience. Like it says on mormon.org/commandments, commandments are not "arbitrary rules from a detached God" but they are "divine guidance that helps us navigate the confusion of life on earth." And one thing I love about God, our Heavenly Father, is that He LOVES questions. Just like James 1:5 says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not..." That means that God does not get mad at you for asking questions. And he is willing to give us the answers, if we sincerely ask Him. Our Heavenly Father loves to give us gifts.
The Christmas Spirit is amazing. It is a Spirit of Giving. I'm just going to throw this out there: if there is one gift any of you could give me this year, a gift that would mean more to me than almost anything else, it is this: Have the local missionaries over for a visit. Whether it is just for a chat to say hi to them, get to know them, or let them know "Hey! Somebody I know is on a mission in Toronto Canada!" Or whether you have them over for a snack, or a meal, or to share a Christmas message with you... that would make my Christmas! Of course any letters or yummy treats would, too. But more than anything else, I would love for you to have a nice visit with your local missionaries. Then you could have a little glimpse at what it is that I'll be doing this Christmas season. I promise opportunities will arise in the coming weeks. Say hi to them when you see them! And have them over. We don't bite! :)
I love you all so much. Thank you for your love, support, and your encouragement.
Love,
Elder Simper
Niagara, 11/26/12
Hello Family!
From what I've read from you, it sounds like it was a great Thanksgiving! I'm glad it was. It was a good Thanksgiving for us here too. The people here are extremely nice and feed us like crazy. So, we had a couple of thanksgiving dinners this week that made us feel right at home.
I've talked about this before, but I'll share it again. I've seen how seemingly small choices can lead to huge consequences. There are so many messed up family situations that could have been avoided. One person deep in a drug addiction, or any kind of addiction, can end up destroying his or her family down the road... Now, we don't just stop here. I've seen and heard too many people, both within the Church and outside of it, who just mope about the problems of the world, as if just moping about it is going to solve it. I've been that kind of person before. But I think I've learned... moping doesn't solve anything. How do we fix the problem? I think first and foremost, everyone should know that any messed up situation or "destroyed" family can be reversed or repaired. It won't come easy. It will take work. But the beautiful thing about life, when you apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ, is that circumstances and people can be changed from something awful into something beautiful. Missionaries can tell you all day how we know this works. But the bottom line is that everyone needs to find out for themselves. So, turn back to God and ask Him. He loves questions. And He loves to help His children. He is much more willing to give, than we are to receive.
I wrote down a quote I heard yesterday at church: "Wisdom comes from good judgment. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement." Read that and think about it... its true!
Well, I love you all so much. And I'm glad that it was a happy Thanksgiving. I hope you make it a great week!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
From what I've read from you, it sounds like it was a great Thanksgiving! I'm glad it was. It was a good Thanksgiving for us here too. The people here are extremely nice and feed us like crazy. So, we had a couple of thanksgiving dinners this week that made us feel right at home.
I've talked about this before, but I'll share it again. I've seen how seemingly small choices can lead to huge consequences. There are so many messed up family situations that could have been avoided. One person deep in a drug addiction, or any kind of addiction, can end up destroying his or her family down the road... Now, we don't just stop here. I've seen and heard too many people, both within the Church and outside of it, who just mope about the problems of the world, as if just moping about it is going to solve it. I've been that kind of person before. But I think I've learned... moping doesn't solve anything. How do we fix the problem? I think first and foremost, everyone should know that any messed up situation or "destroyed" family can be reversed or repaired. It won't come easy. It will take work. But the beautiful thing about life, when you apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ, is that circumstances and people can be changed from something awful into something beautiful. Missionaries can tell you all day how we know this works. But the bottom line is that everyone needs to find out for themselves. So, turn back to God and ask Him. He loves questions. And He loves to help His children. He is much more willing to give, than we are to receive.
I wrote down a quote I heard yesterday at church: "Wisdom comes from good judgment. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement." Read that and think about it... its true!
Well, I love you all so much. And I'm glad that it was a happy Thanksgiving. I hope you make it a great week!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
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