July 16, 2012
Hello Family!
The people of Brantford are great. There is one element to the work here that I did not expect... the church is very young and "immature" here in Ontario. Wards are fairly small, there are many smaller branches (I believe), and in general the church is very immature. I guess young would not be the right word, and I don't mean immature in a negative way. But its a funny attitude you get here. Communities in Southern California have a lot of respect for the church, and here the church has not branched out and reached out as much, so there are not many relationships or ties with the city, at least here in Brantford. We are hoping to change that. We hope the ward will do some service for the city of Brantford soon. Whether its picking up litter along the roads, repairing and fixing up parks or other public facilities, or whatever else could be of benefit. Jesus Christ lived an entire life in the service of others. From the day-to-day "going about doing good," to His infinite and eternal sacrifice for each of us. Everything He did, was for others.
That's a lesson I would do good to learn from, I know that for sure! Its one we can all learn from. I know that when I do things for MY own benefit, it is never truly fulfilling. But when I do things with other people in mind, the joy I feel lasts much longer and is truly fulfilling.
Reema, who was baptized about one month ago, is doing really well. We had some people who doubted her sincerity, but if you just heard her prayers and were able to look her in the eyes, she is one of the most sincere people you'll ever meet. Her good friend, who brought her to church was Lydia. I talked about Lydia several weeks ago. Her favorite thing to say is "God is great, all the time!" And you can definitely see that attitude in Reema. She is so grateful for the goodness that God has shown her. She is so grateful to be a part of the big extended family of the Brantford Ward.
Well... again, I want to focus in more on personal emails.
You are all in my prayers. I love you all so much. Look to God, and live.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Friday, July 20, 2012
Brantford, Week 8
July 9, 2012
Hey family!
I hope everyone had a good 4th of July and a good week! It has sure been hot up here. I didn't know how hot and humid it gets here. A few of the days were about 40 degrees C, which you double and add 30 and get approximately what it is in F. So thats about 110 degrees. But it just felt like 110 with the "humidex" which is like a wind chill, but the opposite... and with humidity, not wind... obviously. So yeah, for some reason I was expecting more mild summers. But that's not the case! I've never sweat more in my life. But that's okay. Its been a pretty good week. Most of our teaching appointments cancelled, so we spent most of our time trying to find new people to teach through street-contacting. But its been good for me. I'm pretty sure I've lost a few pounds just this week alone. I've been eating a lot of salads too, which, I know-- is not like me. But its been helpful. I was also glad to get out and talk to people more this week. We did not do as much finding in the weeks before, partly because we had lots of appointments, which is good... but it was still good to see that my talking-to-people skills were not as rusty as they, for some reason, felt.
I think I said I would try to take pictures this week. I failed... sorry! I will try again.
I've been thinking a lot this past week about unity, and happiness. And I think part of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" says it best: "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." These principles can be applied to individuals, marriages, entire families, single parents, any and all relationships. It takes work to achieve unity. Sometimes it feels like we will never be able to reach our goals, or it feels like we are stuck in situations that we cannot get out of. But living these principles will always make you free. But you have to want it, you have to work for it. All things of value require that you work for it.
I want to spend a little more time with personal emails this week... so I'm ending this shorter than usual.
I love you all. You're all in my prayers.
Love,
Elder Simper
Hey family!
I hope everyone had a good 4th of July and a good week! It has sure been hot up here. I didn't know how hot and humid it gets here. A few of the days were about 40 degrees C, which you double and add 30 and get approximately what it is in F. So thats about 110 degrees. But it just felt like 110 with the "humidex" which is like a wind chill, but the opposite... and with humidity, not wind... obviously. So yeah, for some reason I was expecting more mild summers. But that's not the case! I've never sweat more in my life. But that's okay. Its been a pretty good week. Most of our teaching appointments cancelled, so we spent most of our time trying to find new people to teach through street-contacting. But its been good for me. I'm pretty sure I've lost a few pounds just this week alone. I've been eating a lot of salads too, which, I know-- is not like me. But its been helpful. I was also glad to get out and talk to people more this week. We did not do as much finding in the weeks before, partly because we had lots of appointments, which is good... but it was still good to see that my talking-to-people skills were not as rusty as they, for some reason, felt.
I think I said I would try to take pictures this week. I failed... sorry! I will try again.
I've been thinking a lot this past week about unity, and happiness. And I think part of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" says it best: "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." These principles can be applied to individuals, marriages, entire families, single parents, any and all relationships. It takes work to achieve unity. Sometimes it feels like we will never be able to reach our goals, or it feels like we are stuck in situations that we cannot get out of. But living these principles will always make you free. But you have to want it, you have to work for it. All things of value require that you work for it.
I want to spend a little more time with personal emails this week... so I'm ending this shorter than usual.
I love you all. You're all in my prayers.
Love,
Elder Simper
Brantford- Week 7
July 2, 2012
Dear Family,
I need to apologize for last week's email. It wasn't consuming me, but
it at least bothered and nagged at me all week! It was not a very good
day last Monday, but its no excuse for me to be so negative. No one
wants or needs to read things that are as bitter as it was. I am weak,
but I'm glad the Spirit was nagging at me and reminding me of my
weakness, and I hope you can forgive me for my weaknesses.
Transfers are the time periods we go by on a mission, and they are
periods of 6 weeks. I say that because I had no idea how transfers
worked before I got out here. Anyways- I am one week into my second
transfer. I am more than half way through my training. The church has
a new program where new missionaries are to be trained and ready to be
a trainer by the end of their first 12 weeks. My first 7 weeks have
been full of experiences. Many positive and happy ones, as well as
some negative and bitter ones. As I have thought a lot about these
experiences over the past couple of weeks, I have realized that I'm
learning so much. I'm learning about how choices we make affect the
people around us. I've learned what to do, and what not to do. I think
one of the most important things I've learned regarding these things
is the idea that experiences we have, are 10% what happens to us, and
90% is how we react to things. And much of our experience depends on
our ATTITUDE. For example... last week, I made the choice to be
offended, to be bitter, to be hurt by someone. I didn't hate them, I
didn't have any feelings of malice towards them, but I was angry and I
wanted to prove them wrong. (I didn't in person, but I did in my mind
and in my email). But I should've reacted in a completely different
way. I should've just let it go. Sure, the things could've still
bothered me at the time, but after it passed I should have just let it
go. Learn from it, and move forward!
As I've been reflecting on the past couple of weeks as I've typed this
email, I've thought about the name I wear on my name tag. I am
supposed to represent the Lord Jesus Christ. And I must live in a way
and act in a way, and have the appropriate attitude, so that I can be
recognized as such. And another huge lesson I'm learning is that every
thing we do as missionaries must be done to glorify God, not self. I'm
learning that's a complicated thing to do. Its not like I go about
every day seeking to glorify myself, but at the same time- with an
email like last week's it was very much about me, myself, and I.
Nevertheless, I need to remember, as we all do, to be patient. To be
patient with our experiences, with other people, and with ourselves.
Each day is a new day, a day to decide to be better than yesterday. We
all are trying to have a good day every day. And much of that depends
on our attitude.
-----
Brantford is a beautiful place. The eastern part of the continent is
so old, and rich with history. Most of the buildings and houses here
are over a hundred years old. All old brick homes. Our house is not
though... its probably old, but its not brick. It is so green, and so
pretty in the country areas. I will have to take some pictures of some
of the places we have traveled. The scenery is nothing like the south
western U.S.--- On the Indian Reserve and country areas between
cities, there is a ton of green rolling hills. Big corn fields. And
some cities look like old Europe. It's really neat. I figured I should
say some things like this, since I haven't done much explaining of
those little things that make me smile. There are tons of squirrels
here too. Even different colors! Not just the reddish-brown we are
used to, but there are gray and black squirrels. They climb on all the
trees, and power lines, and all that stuff I've never really seen them
do before. Except the tree part, I've seen them do that. But most the
time it seems like they are on the ground all the time in California.
I will take some pictures today, and maybe send them next week.
I love being on my mission, and I am so grateful everyday to be here
in Brantford. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ, and His prophet Joseph
Smith, who taught that "The worth of every soul is great in the eyes
of God." And when asked, "How do we 'endure it well?" He said, "We
trust in God... and go on." I know these principles are true. God
knows each of us personally and loves us. Each experience we have is
for our good.
I love you all so much. I hope you have a good week!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Dear Family,
I need to apologize for last week's email. It wasn't consuming me, but
it at least bothered and nagged at me all week! It was not a very good
day last Monday, but its no excuse for me to be so negative. No one
wants or needs to read things that are as bitter as it was. I am weak,
but I'm glad the Spirit was nagging at me and reminding me of my
weakness, and I hope you can forgive me for my weaknesses.
Transfers are the time periods we go by on a mission, and they are
periods of 6 weeks. I say that because I had no idea how transfers
worked before I got out here. Anyways- I am one week into my second
transfer. I am more than half way through my training. The church has
a new program where new missionaries are to be trained and ready to be
a trainer by the end of their first 12 weeks. My first 7 weeks have
been full of experiences. Many positive and happy ones, as well as
some negative and bitter ones. As I have thought a lot about these
experiences over the past couple of weeks, I have realized that I'm
learning so much. I'm learning about how choices we make affect the
people around us. I've learned what to do, and what not to do. I think
one of the most important things I've learned regarding these things
is the idea that experiences we have, are 10% what happens to us, and
90% is how we react to things. And much of our experience depends on
our ATTITUDE. For example... last week, I made the choice to be
offended, to be bitter, to be hurt by someone. I didn't hate them, I
didn't have any feelings of malice towards them, but I was angry and I
wanted to prove them wrong. (I didn't in person, but I did in my mind
and in my email). But I should've reacted in a completely different
way. I should've just let it go. Sure, the things could've still
bothered me at the time, but after it passed I should have just let it
go. Learn from it, and move forward!
As I've been reflecting on the past couple of weeks as I've typed this
email, I've thought about the name I wear on my name tag. I am
supposed to represent the Lord Jesus Christ. And I must live in a way
and act in a way, and have the appropriate attitude, so that I can be
recognized as such. And another huge lesson I'm learning is that every
thing we do as missionaries must be done to glorify God, not self. I'm
learning that's a complicated thing to do. Its not like I go about
every day seeking to glorify myself, but at the same time- with an
email like last week's it was very much about me, myself, and I.
Nevertheless, I need to remember, as we all do, to be patient. To be
patient with our experiences, with other people, and with ourselves.
Each day is a new day, a day to decide to be better than yesterday. We
all are trying to have a good day every day. And much of that depends
on our attitude.
-----
Brantford is a beautiful place. The eastern part of the continent is
so old, and rich with history. Most of the buildings and houses here
are over a hundred years old. All old brick homes. Our house is not
though... its probably old, but its not brick. It is so green, and so
pretty in the country areas. I will have to take some pictures of some
of the places we have traveled. The scenery is nothing like the south
western U.S.--- On the Indian Reserve and country areas between
cities, there is a ton of green rolling hills. Big corn fields. And
some cities look like old Europe. It's really neat. I figured I should
say some things like this, since I haven't done much explaining of
those little things that make me smile. There are tons of squirrels
here too. Even different colors! Not just the reddish-brown we are
used to, but there are gray and black squirrels. They climb on all the
trees, and power lines, and all that stuff I've never really seen them
do before. Except the tree part, I've seen them do that. But most the
time it seems like they are on the ground all the time in California.
I will take some pictures today, and maybe send them next week.
I love being on my mission, and I am so grateful everyday to be here
in Brantford. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ, and His prophet Joseph
Smith, who taught that "The worth of every soul is great in the eyes
of God." And when asked, "How do we 'endure it well?" He said, "We
trust in God... and go on." I know these principles are true. God
knows each of us personally and loves us. Each experience we have is
for our good.
I love you all so much. I hope you have a good week!
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Prisoners
6/25/12
Hello Family!
It is great to be able to email you. One quick note, if anyone
receives or has received an email from me at a weird time, like 1:30
AM, its just a delay in the email. Its not me! FYI, for everyone... so
don't worry. :) The "myldsmail" is filtered and probably monitored to
some extent, so that probably explains the delays when they happen.
I had someone tell me today that we (missionaries) are "prisoners" to
our religion" and that we are only trying to "work our way to heaven."
Well... that would be a sad life. If it were true, I would've stopped
being a Mormon a long time ago. First of all... there is nothing in me
that is saying "Oh, you need to go on a mission because that will get
you into heaven." Nor is there anything that the church says that says
that we go on missions only to get into heaven. We don't do any work
in the church strictly to work our way to heaven. That is a sad and
void motivation. If we do "works" with the intent of "working our way
to heaven," that is selfish. There are a lot of motivations I can name
that were influential in me coming on a mission. But the main one came
when I was pleading with God one day, for direction in my life. I felt
like my life was on hold. I felt like I was not progressing. I felt
like I would never be able to make it on my mission. I felt like, "why
not just stay home, go to school, work, get married, and continue on
with life? I can do that now, and I will be happy!" But then something
struck me with more force than ever before...I thought to myself: "I
need to go on a mission. Because somewhere in the world... whether its
in a home in North America or a hut in Africa somewhere, someone needs
to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ... specifically from YOU." There
was no thought that said "You need to go on a mission so you can work
your way to heaven."
About 99 percent of people I've met in the church do "works" because
we know are all on this crazy lost planet, and we are all searching
for a couple of things. We are searching for belonging, we are
searching for LOVE. We do "works" because it is through callings,
missions, so-called "works" that we help each other out and help each
other find our way back HOME. If it wasn't for this motivation... if
it wasn't for this gospel... I would be sitting around like a sloth,
with no purpose in life. (Brown Clown has accused me of being that
before--when it was true)... I have felt like that before!! And it is
this Gospel that picked me up out of the slums of my natural man, that
continues to pick me up out of the slums every day. It inspires me to
be better- to myself, and to the people around me. It helps me see the
path that I must take to be with my family forever. It helps me see
what I can do NOW to have happiness NOW, and what I can do to feel
happiness after death.
Because of Jesus Christ... we can have LIFE. Life after death, and a
new life at any moment we choose. We can choose to start over any
time. Failure only happens when we choose to stay down in the slums of
life. Success happens when we choose to get back up after we fall. Day
after day, moment after moment. The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows us
to improve each day, each moment. As long as we CHOOSE to do so. This
person who told me I was a prisoner also told me all the "rules" are
just made up by religions to... I don't know, keep us captive or
something. I know the "rules" are there to keep us safe. Safe from
emotional turmoil. God wants us to be happy. I know because I have
broken many rules. I have felt the emotional turmoil. And I have felt
encircled by the arms of God's love. He hears me every day, and He
heals me every day. I am so grateful.
I'm sorry I go on crazy psycho rants. I love this work, I know this
work is true. Otherwise, I WOULD NOT be on a mission. I would not
spend 2 years for something that I didn't believe in with all of my
heart. And I guess it bothers me when people accuse me of doing
otherwise.
My family... I love you. I miss you. I'm grateful for you.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Hello Family!
It is great to be able to email you. One quick note, if anyone
receives or has received an email from me at a weird time, like 1:30
AM, its just a delay in the email. Its not me! FYI, for everyone... so
don't worry. :) The "myldsmail" is filtered and probably monitored to
some extent, so that probably explains the delays when they happen.
I had someone tell me today that we (missionaries) are "prisoners" to
our religion" and that we are only trying to "work our way to heaven."
Well... that would be a sad life. If it were true, I would've stopped
being a Mormon a long time ago. First of all... there is nothing in me
that is saying "Oh, you need to go on a mission because that will get
you into heaven." Nor is there anything that the church says that says
that we go on missions only to get into heaven. We don't do any work
in the church strictly to work our way to heaven. That is a sad and
void motivation. If we do "works" with the intent of "working our way
to heaven," that is selfish. There are a lot of motivations I can name
that were influential in me coming on a mission. But the main one came
when I was pleading with God one day, for direction in my life. I felt
like my life was on hold. I felt like I was not progressing. I felt
like I would never be able to make it on my mission. I felt like, "why
not just stay home, go to school, work, get married, and continue on
with life? I can do that now, and I will be happy!" But then something
struck me with more force than ever before...I thought to myself: "I
need to go on a mission. Because somewhere in the world... whether its
in a home in North America or a hut in Africa somewhere, someone needs
to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ... specifically from YOU." There
was no thought that said "You need to go on a mission so you can work
your way to heaven."
About 99 percent of people I've met in the church do "works" because
we know are all on this crazy lost planet, and we are all searching
for a couple of things. We are searching for belonging, we are
searching for LOVE. We do "works" because it is through callings,
missions, so-called "works" that we help each other out and help each
other find our way back HOME. If it wasn't for this motivation... if
it wasn't for this gospel... I would be sitting around like a sloth,
with no purpose in life. (Brown Clown has accused me of being that
before--when it was true)... I have felt like that before!! And it is
this Gospel that picked me up out of the slums of my natural man, that
continues to pick me up out of the slums every day. It inspires me to
be better- to myself, and to the people around me. It helps me see the
path that I must take to be with my family forever. It helps me see
what I can do NOW to have happiness NOW, and what I can do to feel
happiness after death.
Because of Jesus Christ... we can have LIFE. Life after death, and a
new life at any moment we choose. We can choose to start over any
time. Failure only happens when we choose to stay down in the slums of
life. Success happens when we choose to get back up after we fall. Day
after day, moment after moment. The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows us
to improve each day, each moment. As long as we CHOOSE to do so. This
person who told me I was a prisoner also told me all the "rules" are
just made up by religions to... I don't know, keep us captive or
something. I know the "rules" are there to keep us safe. Safe from
emotional turmoil. God wants us to be happy. I know because I have
broken many rules. I have felt the emotional turmoil. And I have felt
encircled by the arms of God's love. He hears me every day, and He
heals me every day. I am so grateful.
I'm sorry I go on crazy psycho rants. I love this work, I know this
work is true. Otherwise, I WOULD NOT be on a mission. I would not
spend 2 years for something that I didn't believe in with all of my
heart. And I guess it bothers me when people accuse me of doing
otherwise.
My family... I love you. I miss you. I'm grateful for you.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Laus Deo
6/18/12
Hi Family!
It's great to have this opportunity every week to write you. There is
at least one more name I think I forgot to include last week. The
Sillars. I'm not sure what her name would have been when she knew
Grandma and Grandpa Oles, she was a teenager at the time. Her name is
Carol Sillars now. She says she remembers seeing a drawing one time
and she asked her dad "Wow, Dad! who drew that picture?" And he told
her that Brother Oles did. She and her husband had us over for dinner
last night, and she brought that up again and she also said to me "I
see your Grandpa everytime I see you." Which I thought was neat. A
compliment, too! Grandpa was a handsome guy! I have a photocopy of a
page from the Brantford Ward history book thing that Brother Hampshire
made. It has a picture of you, Mom, and some of your siblings, and
also Grandma and Grandpa as a fairly young couple with two kids (not
sure who the kids are in that one). Also, this next thing is pretty
exciting if I can contact him. Did Grandpa Oles have a brother named
Donald? I think I remember hearing his name before. I was looking in
the Brantford phone book and there is only one Oles in there, and it
is Donald Oles. I think I am going to call him and see if we can visit
him! I'll let you know next week how it goes if I'm able to meet with
him before then.
There is a lady in the ward here named Lydia, who is an amazing woman!
She is from Kenya. She has a super cool accent, and when she prays or
speaks it is electrifying! Well, maybe not that intense, but I
couldn't think of a cool word besides that. Everytime someone else
prays she always nods and says aloud "Mmm hmm, yes!" and stuff like
that. I kind of wish I could pull that off, but I think people would
look at me funny. I do nod during prayers though... but usually no one
sees that. So I guess I was spying on Lydia while someone was praying
because I know she nods. I have never met someone so grateful and so
full of Charity as Lydia. She has been away from her family in Kenya
for quite some time, and she is dealing with many challenges at the
present time, yet she is always so happy, so willing to help, and she
always says "God is good... all the time!" What an attitude! I want to
have an attitude like Lydia. When I feel down, when I feel alone, when
I feel angry, when I feel weak, when I feel anything that is negative
or bitter... I want to be able to think of all of my blessings and all
that God has done for me, I want to be able to put a smile on my face
and say "God is good... all the time!" I never hear a word of malice
come from Lydia. She truly lives the principle "With malice toward
none, with charity for all" that Abraham Lincoln said in one of his
speeches. I am grateful for Lydia's example. Lydia's friendship
brought someone into the waters of baptism yesterday. Elder Johnson
was able to baptize Reema, whom we have been teaching for the past
month or so. Lydia has been a best friend to Reema, and really,
because of her, Reema chose a path that makes her happy.
"With malice toward NONE, and charity for ALL" is the only thing that
will unite us as a human family. If we recognize the one simple truth
that everything we have comes from God, and if we look to fill our
lives with truth, light, and love... we will be happy. We will be able
to remember, even after times of weakness and darkness, that "God is
good... all the time!" and we can help brighten someone's day because
of the smile on our face. God is the source of truth, light, and love.
We are God's children, and we have that light within us... we just
have to uncover it, and let it shine! One small act of love, followed
by another... and another... will change the world.
I love all of you. I'm grateful for all of you and each experience
I've had with each of you, because that's how we grow. Through
experiences, good and bad. I'm mindful of you in my prayers, and again
I hope I can be in yours as well.
Laus Deo is latin for "praise be to God."
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
-PS- I attached a picture of us and Reema. Warning, the picture is
botched. Almost as botched as Brown Clown's face.
Hi Family!
It's great to have this opportunity every week to write you. There is
at least one more name I think I forgot to include last week. The
Sillars. I'm not sure what her name would have been when she knew
Grandma and Grandpa Oles, she was a teenager at the time. Her name is
Carol Sillars now. She says she remembers seeing a drawing one time
and she asked her dad "Wow, Dad! who drew that picture?" And he told
her that Brother Oles did. She and her husband had us over for dinner
last night, and she brought that up again and she also said to me "I
see your Grandpa everytime I see you." Which I thought was neat. A
compliment, too! Grandpa was a handsome guy! I have a photocopy of a
page from the Brantford Ward history book thing that Brother Hampshire
made. It has a picture of you, Mom, and some of your siblings, and
also Grandma and Grandpa as a fairly young couple with two kids (not
sure who the kids are in that one). Also, this next thing is pretty
exciting if I can contact him. Did Grandpa Oles have a brother named
Donald? I think I remember hearing his name before. I was looking in
the Brantford phone book and there is only one Oles in there, and it
is Donald Oles. I think I am going to call him and see if we can visit
him! I'll let you know next week how it goes if I'm able to meet with
him before then.
There is a lady in the ward here named Lydia, who is an amazing woman!
She is from Kenya. She has a super cool accent, and when she prays or
speaks it is electrifying! Well, maybe not that intense, but I
couldn't think of a cool word besides that. Everytime someone else
prays she always nods and says aloud "Mmm hmm, yes!" and stuff like
that. I kind of wish I could pull that off, but I think people would
look at me funny. I do nod during prayers though... but usually no one
sees that. So I guess I was spying on Lydia while someone was praying
because I know she nods. I have never met someone so grateful and so
full of Charity as Lydia. She has been away from her family in Kenya
for quite some time, and she is dealing with many challenges at the
present time, yet she is always so happy, so willing to help, and she
always says "God is good... all the time!" What an attitude! I want to
have an attitude like Lydia. When I feel down, when I feel alone, when
I feel angry, when I feel weak, when I feel anything that is negative
or bitter... I want to be able to think of all of my blessings and all
that God has done for me, I want to be able to put a smile on my face
and say "God is good... all the time!" I never hear a word of malice
come from Lydia. She truly lives the principle "With malice toward
none, with charity for all" that Abraham Lincoln said in one of his
speeches. I am grateful for Lydia's example. Lydia's friendship
brought someone into the waters of baptism yesterday. Elder Johnson
was able to baptize Reema, whom we have been teaching for the past
month or so. Lydia has been a best friend to Reema, and really,
because of her, Reema chose a path that makes her happy.
"With malice toward NONE, and charity for ALL" is the only thing that
will unite us as a human family. If we recognize the one simple truth
that everything we have comes from God, and if we look to fill our
lives with truth, light, and love... we will be happy. We will be able
to remember, even after times of weakness and darkness, that "God is
good... all the time!" and we can help brighten someone's day because
of the smile on our face. God is the source of truth, light, and love.
We are God's children, and we have that light within us... we just
have to uncover it, and let it shine! One small act of love, followed
by another... and another... will change the world.
I love all of you. I'm grateful for all of you and each experience
I've had with each of you, because that's how we grow. Through
experiences, good and bad. I'm mindful of you in my prayers, and again
I hope I can be in yours as well.
Laus Deo is latin for "praise be to God."
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
-PS- I attached a picture of us and Reema. Warning, the picture is
botched. Almost as botched as Brown Clown's face.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Bread Crumbs
6/11/12
Hey Family!
This week has been a very busy week here in Brantford. It has been a
week full of opposition and a week full of good things as well. Before
I forget again- the only people who I know we are related to somehow
is the Taylor family. Judy Taylor is a Davis, and is somehow related
to Welby Davis. But I have lots of names of people who knew Grandma
and Grandpa Oles, and lots of people have told me I look a little bit
like Grandpa. Here are the names: Jean Sheldon (or Shelton), Linda and
Dale Crandall, Sister Berkley (I'm told was your primary teacher,
Mom), and the Hampshire family, Brother Hampshire was a Branch
President here in Brantford way back in the day, and Grandpa Oles was
one of his counselors before they moved to Salt Lake City. So that's
really cool! I find out new things every week. I'm anxious to learn
more about our roots, and to find out the reasons why I'm here in
Brantford. Because I know it is not just a coincidence.
I'm a huge believer in bread crumbs. I like to define bread crumbs as
a trail of events leading to something that is meant to happen. I've
had lots of those events in my life, and we had one just on Saturday
night with a potential investigator. It was 9:00 pm, so we were
finished for the day. But before we headed home, we were going to stop
for a "Sunday Eve Treat," which is what my companion likes to call
getting a McFlurry. But this time he was undecided/leaving it up to me
to decide, and we were by a McDonalds, a Wendys, an A&W, and a Fast
Eddies (kind of like Rallys or Checkers). We were going to drive to
the other side of town, but then we realized we were by all of these
places already, so we stayed.
I suck at telling stories... but I will continue anyways. We first
stopped at A&W to see if they had milkshakes, because apparently some
do and some don't. We drove through and asked, and the girl said no.
So then we asked her if she thought we should go to McDonalds or Fast
Eddies, and she recommended Fast Eddies. So off we went across the
street to Fast Eddies!! Then came the next dilemma. Walk up, or drive
thru? I wanted to walk up, so we did. I was the driver so I was kind
of in control that night. (My companion later on said he was just
being nice, he wanted to drive thru-- that little detail is important
as you will see) We were walking up and some guy yelled from his pick
up truck "Hey! You guys have walked quite a long distance today, huh?"
We went and talked to him as he was parked for a minute. He went on to
say that he saw us earlier as we were walking, then saw us again just
then walking up to Fast Eddies. And he said something like "I don't
know, I just felt like I should come talk to you guys. This is the
second time I've seen you, so maybe its a coincidence but I don't
really think it is." The guy's name is Brandon, he is 22 years old,
and we met with him on our porch yesterday afternoon for about 45
minutes or so. We're meeting with him again tonight at 8:00. The most
exciting thing about him is that he is SO open. He is WAY into
positive energy kind of stuff. And he tells us constantly that he
thinks he is talking to us for a reason. He also mentioned that he saw
missionaries like us a year ago, but never had the time to call us or
anything.
Alright... so I feel like that story is very anti-climatic in an
email. But its way more exciting in my head, just so you know. The
point was, there were so many silly little things that led to us
meeting him. Things that if hadn't happened, we wouldn't have seen him
as he was driving through that very parking lot at that very time...
just sayin'... And I know there is a reason why we met him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows people to be diverse. It might not
seem like it from the outside, or even on the inside sometimes. But I
know that God has created us all to be unique. We all have our own,
specific and unique "piece of the puzzle." A lot of Mormons would
automatically think "Oh, positive energy... that's weird." and feel
like someone into that doesn't fit into the imaginary cultural bubble
of mormonism. Or some would even say that my bread crumbs theory,
which I stole from Glenn Beck's book "The 7", is a weird theory and
that not everything happens for a reason. Take GB for an example. He
is hated, he is loved, both by mormons and non mormons. Not all
mormons have to have the same political views, or the same opinions
about government or any other silly political thing. Or views about
fate, or psychology, or science... we all are different. We are all
unique. We are all individuals in a huge human family.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a way to constantly improve
ourselves, and teaches us how we should treat each other. That is why
I believe the only thing that will ever unite us as a human family is
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There isnothing to lose. Test it for
yourself if you haven't already done so, and I promise you will find
answers you are looking for, or you will find the void inside of you-
that you didn't know existed- being filled.
I love you all. I love hearing from you. You're in my thoughts and
prayers, and I hope I can be in yours as I do need them every day.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Hey Family!
This week has been a very busy week here in Brantford. It has been a
week full of opposition and a week full of good things as well. Before
I forget again- the only people who I know we are related to somehow
is the Taylor family. Judy Taylor is a Davis, and is somehow related
to Welby Davis. But I have lots of names of people who knew Grandma
and Grandpa Oles, and lots of people have told me I look a little bit
like Grandpa. Here are the names: Jean Sheldon (or Shelton), Linda and
Dale Crandall, Sister Berkley (I'm told was your primary teacher,
Mom), and the Hampshire family, Brother Hampshire was a Branch
President here in Brantford way back in the day, and Grandpa Oles was
one of his counselors before they moved to Salt Lake City. So that's
really cool! I find out new things every week. I'm anxious to learn
more about our roots, and to find out the reasons why I'm here in
Brantford. Because I know it is not just a coincidence.
I'm a huge believer in bread crumbs. I like to define bread crumbs as
a trail of events leading to something that is meant to happen. I've
had lots of those events in my life, and we had one just on Saturday
night with a potential investigator. It was 9:00 pm, so we were
finished for the day. But before we headed home, we were going to stop
for a "Sunday Eve Treat," which is what my companion likes to call
getting a McFlurry. But this time he was undecided/leaving it up to me
to decide, and we were by a McDonalds, a Wendys, an A&W, and a Fast
Eddies (kind of like Rallys or Checkers). We were going to drive to
the other side of town, but then we realized we were by all of these
places already, so we stayed.
I suck at telling stories... but I will continue anyways. We first
stopped at A&W to see if they had milkshakes, because apparently some
do and some don't. We drove through and asked, and the girl said no.
So then we asked her if she thought we should go to McDonalds or Fast
Eddies, and she recommended Fast Eddies. So off we went across the
street to Fast Eddies!! Then came the next dilemma. Walk up, or drive
thru? I wanted to walk up, so we did. I was the driver so I was kind
of in control that night. (My companion later on said he was just
being nice, he wanted to drive thru-- that little detail is important
as you will see) We were walking up and some guy yelled from his pick
up truck "Hey! You guys have walked quite a long distance today, huh?"
We went and talked to him as he was parked for a minute. He went on to
say that he saw us earlier as we were walking, then saw us again just
then walking up to Fast Eddies. And he said something like "I don't
know, I just felt like I should come talk to you guys. This is the
second time I've seen you, so maybe its a coincidence but I don't
really think it is." The guy's name is Brandon, he is 22 years old,
and we met with him on our porch yesterday afternoon for about 45
minutes or so. We're meeting with him again tonight at 8:00. The most
exciting thing about him is that he is SO open. He is WAY into
positive energy kind of stuff. And he tells us constantly that he
thinks he is talking to us for a reason. He also mentioned that he saw
missionaries like us a year ago, but never had the time to call us or
anything.
Alright... so I feel like that story is very anti-climatic in an
email. But its way more exciting in my head, just so you know. The
point was, there were so many silly little things that led to us
meeting him. Things that if hadn't happened, we wouldn't have seen him
as he was driving through that very parking lot at that very time...
just sayin'... And I know there is a reason why we met him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows people to be diverse. It might not
seem like it from the outside, or even on the inside sometimes. But I
know that God has created us all to be unique. We all have our own,
specific and unique "piece of the puzzle." A lot of Mormons would
automatically think "Oh, positive energy... that's weird." and feel
like someone into that doesn't fit into the imaginary cultural bubble
of mormonism. Or some would even say that my bread crumbs theory,
which I stole from Glenn Beck's book "The 7", is a weird theory and
that not everything happens for a reason. Take GB for an example. He
is hated, he is loved, both by mormons and non mormons. Not all
mormons have to have the same political views, or the same opinions
about government or any other silly political thing. Or views about
fate, or psychology, or science... we all are different. We are all
unique. We are all individuals in a huge human family.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a way to constantly improve
ourselves, and teaches us how we should treat each other. That is why
I believe the only thing that will ever unite us as a human family is
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There isnothing to lose. Test it for
yourself if you haven't already done so, and I promise you will find
answers you are looking for, or you will find the void inside of you-
that you didn't know existed- being filled.
I love you all. I love hearing from you. You're in my thoughts and
prayers, and I hope I can be in yours as I do need them every day.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Bread Crumbs
6/11/12
Hey Family!
This week has been a very busy week here in Brantford. It has been a
week full of opposition and a week full of good things as well. Before
I forget again- the only people who I know we are related to somehow
is the Taylor family. Judy Taylor is a Davis, and is somehow related
to Welby Davis. But I have lots of names of people who knew Grandma
and Grandpa Oles, and lots of people have told me I look a little bit
like Grandpa. Here are the names: Jean Sheldon (or Shelton), Linda and
Dale Crandall, Sister Berkley (I'm told was your primary teacher,
Mom), and the Hampshire family, Brother Hampshire was a Branch
President here in Brantford way back in the day, and Grandpa Oles was
one of his counselors before they moved to Salt Lake City. So that's
really cool! I find out new things every week. I'm anxious to learn
more about our roots, and to find out the reasons why I'm here in
Brantford. Because I know it is not just a coincidence.
I'm a huge believer in bread crumbs. I like to define bread crumbs as
a trail of events leading to something that is meant to happen. I've
had lots of those events in my life, and we had one just on Saturday
night with a potential investigator. It was 9:00 pm, so we were
finished for the day. But before we headed home, we were going to stop
for a "Sunday Eve Treat," which is what my companion likes to call
getting a McFlurry. But this time he was undecided/leaving it up to me
to decide, and we were by a McDonalds, a Wendys, an A&W, and a Fast
Eddies (kind of like Rallys or Checkers). We were going to drive to
the other side of town, but then we realized we were by all of these
places already, so we stayed.
I suck at telling stories... but I will continue anyways. We first
stopped at A&W to see if they had milkshakes, because apparently some
do and some don't. We drove through and asked, and the girl said no.
So then we asked her if she thought we should go to McDonalds or Fast
Eddies, and she recommended Fast Eddies. So off we went across the
street to Fast Eddies!! Then came the next dilemma. Walk up, or drive
thru? I wanted to walk up, so we did. I was the driver so I was kind
of in control that night. (My companion later on said he was just
being nice, he wanted to drive thru-- that little detail is important
as you will see) We were walking up and some guy yelled from his pick
up truck "Hey! You guys have walked quite a long distance today, huh?"
We went and talked to him as he was parked for a minute. He went on to
say that he saw us earlier as we were walking, then saw us again just
then walking up to Fast Eddies. And he said something like "I don't
know, I just felt like I should come talk to you guys. This is the
second time I've seen you, so maybe its a coincidence but I don't
really think it is." The guy's name is Brandon, he is 22 years old,
and we met with him on our porch yesterday afternoon for about 45
minutes or so. We're meeting with him again tonight at 8:00. The most
exciting thing about him is that he is SO open. He is WAY into
positive energy kind of stuff. And he tells us constantly that he
thinks he is talking to us for a reason. He also mentioned that he saw
missionaries like us a year ago, but never had the time to call us or
anything.
Alright... so I feel like that story is very anti-climatic in an
email. But its way more exciting in my head, just so you know. The
point was, there were so many silly little things that led to us
meeting him. Things that if hadn't happened, we wouldn't have seen him
as he was driving through that very parking lot at that very time...
just sayin'... And I know there is a reason why we met him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows people to be diverse. It might not
seem like it from the outside, or even on the inside sometimes. But I
know that God has created us all to be unique. We all have our own,
specific and unique "piece of the puzzle." A lot of Mormons would
automatically think "Oh, positive energy... that's weird." and feel
like someone into that doesn't fit into the imaginary cultural bubble
of mormonism. Or some would even say that my bread crumbs theory,
which I stole from Glenn Beck's book "The 7", is a weird theory and
that not everything happens for a reason. Take GB for an example. He
is hated, he is loved, both by mormons and non mormons. Not all
mormons have to have the same political views, or the same opinions
about government or any other silly political thing. Or views about
fate, or psychology, or science... we all are different. We are all
unique. We are all individuals in a huge human family.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a way to constantly improve
ourselves, and teaches us how we should treat each other. That is why
I believe the only thing that will ever unite us as a human family is
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There isnothing to lose. Test it for
yourself if you haven't already done so, and I promise you will find
answers you are looking for, or you will find the void inside of you-
that you didn't know existed- being filled.
I love you all. I love hearing from you. You're in my thoughts and
prayers, and I hope I can be in yours as I do need them every day.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
Hey Family!
This week has been a very busy week here in Brantford. It has been a
week full of opposition and a week full of good things as well. Before
I forget again- the only people who I know we are related to somehow
is the Taylor family. Judy Taylor is a Davis, and is somehow related
to Welby Davis. But I have lots of names of people who knew Grandma
and Grandpa Oles, and lots of people have told me I look a little bit
like Grandpa. Here are the names: Jean Sheldon (or Shelton), Linda and
Dale Crandall, Sister Berkley (I'm told was your primary teacher,
Mom), and the Hampshire family, Brother Hampshire was a Branch
President here in Brantford way back in the day, and Grandpa Oles was
one of his counselors before they moved to Salt Lake City. So that's
really cool! I find out new things every week. I'm anxious to learn
more about our roots, and to find out the reasons why I'm here in
Brantford. Because I know it is not just a coincidence.
I'm a huge believer in bread crumbs. I like to define bread crumbs as
a trail of events leading to something that is meant to happen. I've
had lots of those events in my life, and we had one just on Saturday
night with a potential investigator. It was 9:00 pm, so we were
finished for the day. But before we headed home, we were going to stop
for a "Sunday Eve Treat," which is what my companion likes to call
getting a McFlurry. But this time he was undecided/leaving it up to me
to decide, and we were by a McDonalds, a Wendys, an A&W, and a Fast
Eddies (kind of like Rallys or Checkers). We were going to drive to
the other side of town, but then we realized we were by all of these
places already, so we stayed.
I suck at telling stories... but I will continue anyways. We first
stopped at A&W to see if they had milkshakes, because apparently some
do and some don't. We drove through and asked, and the girl said no.
So then we asked her if she thought we should go to McDonalds or Fast
Eddies, and she recommended Fast Eddies. So off we went across the
street to Fast Eddies!! Then came the next dilemma. Walk up, or drive
thru? I wanted to walk up, so we did. I was the driver so I was kind
of in control that night. (My companion later on said he was just
being nice, he wanted to drive thru-- that little detail is important
as you will see) We were walking up and some guy yelled from his pick
up truck "Hey! You guys have walked quite a long distance today, huh?"
We went and talked to him as he was parked for a minute. He went on to
say that he saw us earlier as we were walking, then saw us again just
then walking up to Fast Eddies. And he said something like "I don't
know, I just felt like I should come talk to you guys. This is the
second time I've seen you, so maybe its a coincidence but I don't
really think it is." The guy's name is Brandon, he is 22 years old,
and we met with him on our porch yesterday afternoon for about 45
minutes or so. We're meeting with him again tonight at 8:00. The most
exciting thing about him is that he is SO open. He is WAY into
positive energy kind of stuff. And he tells us constantly that he
thinks he is talking to us for a reason. He also mentioned that he saw
missionaries like us a year ago, but never had the time to call us or
anything.
Alright... so I feel like that story is very anti-climatic in an
email. But its way more exciting in my head, just so you know. The
point was, there were so many silly little things that led to us
meeting him. Things that if hadn't happened, we wouldn't have seen him
as he was driving through that very parking lot at that very time...
just sayin'... And I know there is a reason why we met him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows people to be diverse. It might not
seem like it from the outside, or even on the inside sometimes. But I
know that God has created us all to be unique. We all have our own,
specific and unique "piece of the puzzle." A lot of Mormons would
automatically think "Oh, positive energy... that's weird." and feel
like someone into that doesn't fit into the imaginary cultural bubble
of mormonism. Or some would even say that my bread crumbs theory,
which I stole from Glenn Beck's book "The 7", is a weird theory and
that not everything happens for a reason. Take GB for an example. He
is hated, he is loved, both by mormons and non mormons. Not all
mormons have to have the same political views, or the same opinions
about government or any other silly political thing. Or views about
fate, or psychology, or science... we all are different. We are all
unique. We are all individuals in a huge human family.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a way to constantly improve
ourselves, and teaches us how we should treat each other. That is why
I believe the only thing that will ever unite us as a human family is
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There isnothing to lose. Test it for
yourself if you haven't already done so, and I promise you will find
answers you are looking for, or you will find the void inside of you-
that you didn't know existed- being filled.
I love you all. I love hearing from you. You're in my thoughts and
prayers, and I hope I can be in yours as I do need them every day.
Love,
Elder Brett Simper
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