Hello From Versailles

Well hello .. I don't think I am in Belgium anymore.... sad huh. This week has been a crazy one. Sunday was great, Kadio came to church and after we taught him about the law of Chastity, he was very accepting and understanding and he said that he would have to make a choice. It will be interesting and exciting to see what happens with him.. He is awesome. Well then that brings us to Monday... Monday was a crazy day to prepare for the switch and transfers and what not... Tuesday we had Zone Conference in Antwerpen so that was cool! I got to say goodbye to some of the Dutch missionaries. Then that brings us to Wed; in Lille, President and Sister Staheli and the Assistants of the Paris Mission came up. I think that was the day that started freaking me out. It all of a sudden became very real that we were soon not going to be our mission anymore. So they interviewed all the missionaries while we did trainings and what not... then on Thursday we were in Brussels.. The day went good, but I was also dreading the day a little bit because that meant that this change had to happen and that I had to leave my home in Brussels.
I had all my stuff packed and ready to go right after we finished in Brussels and that is what we did. It took us about 3 hours to drive down to Paris and so I got to know President and Sister Staheli and the Assitants Elder Mecham and Elder Mckay. They are all sooooo great: I really like all of them and surprisingly I really just haven't felt out of place or weird yet so that is really good. Elder Mecham is sooo much like Dustin Hubbard it blows my mind. He acts like him, looks like him, and ya it is weird. Also just a little cool thing; Elder Mecham's parents just got called as Mission President in Mongolia.
So the change is made.... I will be honest and say that I am a little sad. Things were finally going SUPER great with President Brubaker.. Everything was awesome. Everyone was finally on the same page and we were baptizing up a storm on the French side. President Staheli is a lot different than President Brubaker, not in a bad or good way, just different...and ya... but it will be interesting... I am excited, but I really hope that the mindset won't change for the missionaries in Belgium and the north of France, because that is the most amazing part of our mission (the BBN), was that everyone had the mindset that the work would go good and that they could baptize anywhere. Here, even in Paris, the mindset is a lot different. I guess you could just say that I am like a parent seeing a kid that is succeeding and then my kid that is doing super well starts hangin out with kids that aren't succeeding as much... But I know that this change was obviously inspired and it will be a good thing.. I hope that it will have the opposite effect, and all the fromer BBN missionaries will help explode the work in France...
So despite the differences, it is good to be here. I am living in le Vesinet, it is supposedly a rich suburb of Paris.. It is in Versailles.. not Paris. Anyway things are well.. It will be cool to serve in France.. I will miss Bruxelles and Belgium.
So that also sounds cool about the Apartment that you found... sounds like it is perfect.. thanks for getting all that in order. I also bought a card last week too.. sorry... I am a little preoccupied, so that is why this letter is all over the place. We did transfers yesterday, ALL DAY.... it was hard. But I will stay here as Assistant for one transfer or maybe more.. we will see.. anyway the address for the Mission Office is: 23 Rue du Onze Novembre 78110 Le Vesinet France

Love Elder Simonson

Paris...this week!

Hey mom, and Fam. Well this is my new email account... jacob.simonson@myldsmail.net...They updated myldsmail... so.. it is better now...

I still got your emails... It transferred everything... and I can still get on the old one for a little while so... but now just write to this new one...

Well... I am feeling pretty weird.. I feel like I am in a limbo state... I'm still here in Brussels and I know that I will be going to Paris this coming Thursday. We went and picked up the new Dutch Assistant this week, Elder Christensen's new companion. His name is Elder Wells.. He is a great guy.

It was cool, this week we have been doing a lot of exchanges because our companionship is closing.. So we have just been working in other people's areas...that way the work we do is more effective. On Monday we had a lot of planning and prep for Zone conference and the switch. Then on Tuesday we went up to the Netherlands! My last time in that beautiful country.. We went and did an exchange with the Zone leaders in Apeldoorn.. I got to try out my Dutch speaking skills... I understood a little, enough to answer back in English... how long I had been in Europe and what not.. It was cool.. It was a great day. We went to this beautiful city called Deventer, just outside of Apeldoorn. We slept there and then we brought Elder Wells back with us (he was in Apeldoorn) and we had a mini transfer in Roosendaal with a few missionaries.. Then the rest of Wednesday we finalized our plans for Zone Conference with our new comp Elder Wells... and that ate up the rest of Wed.

Thursday, Elder Wells and Christensen went to St. Niklaas in Belgium to work with the Zone Leaders and I stayed in Brussels and did an exchange with Elder Benito.. We had a big exchange with the Brussels Zone. It was an awesome day... It was full of miracles.. we stopped by this inactive member of Brussels 2 Ward, who's wife is not a member and they were home... so we got to meet his wife, and by coincedence, her father had just recently died and it was the day that he was burried when we came over...so they were a little sad and somber.. but we taught her about the Plan of Salvation and it was very powerful...

Yesterday we did a lot of stopping by our investigators and telling them that we are leaving and that new missionaries will be coming to teach them...

It will be sad to leave Kadio.. he is still doing great.. it is just taking him time to prepare to be baptized.. I can almost guarentee that he will be baptized... he shows up to church every Sunday and he has a testimony.. Now he just needs to get married or move out so that he can be baptized..

I went to see the Family Johnson one last time last night... It was very special. They were all sad.. but they are doing so amazing that I am not scared to leave them... Mercy has a calling in the Primary.. ans she loves it and she has awesome visiting teachers that visit her... Bro Johnson will be getting a calling.. but he already has home teachers who visit him.. and he is a home teacher and he is doing his visits on Sunday... They are very well integrated.. Elisa is in with all the youth and will be going on a youth trip with them... so I am very thankful for an awesome Ward that is taking such good care of them...

Now I am just ready to go down to Paris and find a new Family Johnson... I am ready to work... and in French especially. I miss teaching and doing missionary work in French... It is better, I promise... that and it is easier to find people who speak French... English is a lot less common... hmmm weird huh?? :)

Well, I will stay here in Brussels until Thursday... We have Zone Conferences on Tuesday (Dutch side) then on Wed. in Lille, France and Pres. and Sis. Staheli and their Assistants will be there for Wed and Thurs and then I will go back down to Paris with them... Weird... I don't know what I will be doing exactly. I don't know if I will stay Assistant or if I will just help Pres. Staheli with transfers and then head out to a new city... I would love that! Anyway.. that is about it..

I love you..

Elder Simonson

Hmmm...so get this....

Well this week has been great... one of the weirdest, but good. I will now narrate my week as it has unrolled. Monday morning everything was good.  We had a great meeting with President and things are going well in the mission.... ha... more on that later... so then afterward we went about our business like normal and we found some cool new people, a lot of Ghanians so that was cool. Also on Monday we taught Godwin. (He also came to church last Sunday so that was cool) Our lesson went well with him.. he really understands, but he is just not ready to join the church... I don't know why... We talked to him about the Book of Mormon and what it meant if it was true and and he said, "I know it is true but..." Then we invited him to be baptized once he knew it was true.. and he was a little reluctant... and said, "I don't know.. I like the church but I don't really want to be baptized.." which was ok... so that was that...
Tuesday... nice little day we had a great District Meeting and then we went out to find so more people... and we had a little member appointment with the sweetest little family from America.  Their names are the Whites.. They are sooooo much like Trish and Dan... and they have two little boys and a little girl... it is cool because both the little boys speak French perfectly and still speak perfect American English... Anyway the Whites were really cool. They lived in Hillsboro for a long time, so I got really excited about that and told them that my sister had lived in Forest Grove and I had been there a few times and LOVED it.
Wednesday... was the day my whole entire universe got flipped upside down.... haha... aren't you just dying of suspense.... I will now have a philosophical pause for everyone to take a guess of what is happening.... HINT... it is HUGE... and it affects the WHOLE mission.............................................drum roll please .............bebebebebebebebebbhpbhpbhpbhpbph....
Well.. ... let's review ironic things from Mom's letter.... 'I just can't believe the wonderful miracles that you all have in the Belgium Mission! You are truly blessed...so many golden people just out there waiting, and dreaming, and finding Christ...it is truly amazing...I just think how very blessed you are to be able to serve there. I really believe it is one of the greatest Missions in the world! You are so lucky! I know that there is a purpose for you being there...I know that you are as special as the Mission you serve in, and I know that is where the Lord wants you to be'... Well good comments mom... haha.. now comes the news... you remember the Belgium Brussels Netherlands Mission?  Well... remember was the key word.... I am no longer in the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission.... in fact that Mission no longer exists. Have you ever heard of Paris? Well... let's just say that I am now in the Paris France Mission... didn't see that one coming did ya?? HAHA and I am not even joking you, I bet you checked the date on your watch to make sure that it wasn't April 1st...
That is the Huge news... On Wednesday President Brubaker called us (in the morning) and said, "Hey, we need to have an emergency meeting this morning."  And I said,  "Ok.. I don't think I will be able to make it because I will be on exchange with Elder Cabrera going to France to my legality appoinment... but Elder Christensen can be there.." then President said,  "Well can you change the appoinment?" and I said.. "No, I have been illegal since November... and I had an appoinment in Dec. which I had to cancel because of Zone Conf. and I haven't been able to fix an appointment until Feb... so I can't miss this one."  And President tells me, "Ok, it's fine.. go get legal in France because you are going to need it, because you are going to Paris."  I started thinking in my mind.. what? why for... hmm that is weird... and then he told me that the night before he had received a phone call from the Area Presidency telling him that the Mission boundaries would be changing and would be effective March 1st... and that all the French speaking missionaries would now be part of the Paris France mission... and the Dutch speaking missionaries would be a new Mission... I don't know if you noticed but... this is a HUGE ordeal and TONS of things to change and do and we have about 2 weeks... haha should be interesting.
Logistics.... Well I am not exactly sure what is happening with me, seeing as how I have a Dutch companion.... President said I will likely be going down to Paris to help my new Mission President, Pres. Staheli (pronounced Stailey) get to know all the former members of the BBN mission... but we will see... might happen, might not... Pres. Staheli will have to begin thinking about transfers really soon, like this next week, and he has no idea about any of our areas in our Mission or any of our missionaries sooooo.. There is a possibility that I might be going down to Paris before March 1st.. but we will see... This is going to be a difficult change for lots... but I am stinking excited.... there are so many areas and opportunities that await me...
I am not going to lie, I was pretty sure that I was done being Assistant and that I would be moved to my last city where I could be a little more calm and just work and not worry about responsibilities... but then the Lord had other plans....... Oh.. man... I have been freaking out since Wednesday, because I have no idea what is going to happen or what it is going to be like.. and I know that no matter what, I will be out of Bruxelles and going somewhere else... and there is a Whole other Mission to get to know and to get used to.. it is going to be crazy...
President Brubaker will be the Pres. of the new Netherlands Mission so... ya.  Anyway.. that is the big NEWS....
Thanks for your letter this week, it was nice to hear from someone.... and yes this is a big guilt trip for everyone to write me... I hate you all... haha :) well, really I love you and I will speak at you later...
Elder Simonson

Great Week!

Hey there Family and friends...... Well this week has been one of the greatest weeks of my mission. I have loved this week. Things have seemed to finally slow down a little... after having the Mission Leadership Conference we haven't had to prepare for anything.. SO that meant a sweet open week to go out and work sharing the gospel... I really miss having all day everyday to be out teaching and finding and teaching...
We have been a little down lately because not much has been going on and things have been stressful and slow... So last week while we were planning, we decided... "Alright, some things need to change." So we decided that we needed to find a bunch of new people... We decided that we would no longer take our car around, but take metros and the tram and buses, because then we have all day to talk to people... So that is what we did... and it has been great.. the first day on Monday we were waiting for like 2 hours to get Elder Christensen a metro pass and we talked to a bunch of people. But it was really cool because we were just sitting their talking.. and this girl that had been in the line about half an hour before came walking back up to us and said... "Hey you speak English right?" and then she said... "Well, I was sitting there looking at you and I thought hmm they look like Mormons.. ya know, I don't really know what Mormons believe..." and she said, "...so I really want to sit down and talk to you more about your church and what you believe.. I don't know if you do that or what.. or if you have time during the week, but I really want to know." So we got her number and address and what not, but she was in the other Ward's area so we told her that some Sisters would call her.. so we will see where that goes. She was awesome, she was from England, 24 years old, and is a head person over this big Non-denominational Christian Organization of West Europe.. and they believe, and try to follow, as closely as the Bible explains.. soooo that should be sweet.. that was cool experience number one.
Then on Monday night we got a referral from a convert named Rachel. She is super solid and is from Burkina Faso. She talks to people about the church all the time. So she gave us a referral of a Ghanian man named Godwin ... We saw him on Thursday and he has three best friends from Ghana, all served missions and are very solid in the church. He told us.. "I know Latter-Day Saints very well.. I went to Latter-Day Saint church all the time in Ghana." He is really cool and will be coming to church ...
Another cool thing was that we really want to help Kadio to be baptized, but he never has time to see us and then he will come to church and love it. So he comes to church, but can never meet with us so that we can teach him. So this week we decided that we would just pray really hard for him and for the chance to see him during the week so we could set up some plans on how to prepare him for baptism.. Well.... let's just say prayers work. On Wednesday we were in Liege to attend some interviews and Kadio texts us and says... and I quote "Hi can we meet 2moro from 11 to 11:30 to talk on baptism".... how sweet is that... unfortunately he had something come up and asked if we could move it to Sunday... so this Sunday we will see what he has to say... He is such a great guy..
Also last week or so we went to just stop by an American family just to say Hi and to get to know them better and ask them about some recent converts that they helped teach that are now inactive and.. long story short, they told us about their neighbor and how the missionaries used to teach him.. so we went over their and found a beautiful little family from Kenya.. they have two little girls and ya... his name is Roy and he is a super intellegent and believing guy. We taught him last night about the Book of Mormon and he had his doubts and then he told us all about how the Bible came to be. He is really smart and knows all his stuff.. but what was great was that he was humble enough to say, "Well, I can't say this isn't the word of God if I have never read it." And he said he was going to read it all and pray about it and then he will be able to say yes or no.. we will see in 2 weeks.. we are meeting with him again and we will talk about his findings..
This week has been really cool.. We did some exchanges. We went on an exchange with Elder Spicer and Elder Canonica... Elder Spicer is a stud, he is doing very well and I love him.. They stayed the night at our apartment and Elder Spicer and I talked forever about Pocatello and what not and then I said, "Man, I would have never guessed that I would be in Belgium laying in bed talking to Daniel Spicer!" It was funny..
Anyway that has been my week. It has been really great and it only continues.. so... Working makes me happy... Anyway I still love you, even though I didn't get any mail... :) : ) haha.. but I think that you got my camera card... As soon as you send me back the one, I have another one almost ready... and today we are going sight seeing in BRUSSELS.. we are going to see like 4 sweet Cathedrals and Castles and cool stuff.. so lots of pictures will follow.. Love you, talk to you later..
Elder Simonson

Oh Glenda!!

"WHAT???????; YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT MY PERSONAL STUFF.... AND LOGGING INTO MY THINGS, Mom...oh... wow.  I feel like you have really over done it this time.. haha! Hey, well that sounds like you had some fun. By the way.. this Glenda lady sounds like she is from Europe.. :) haha

 Alright... enough of this boafy and trunky-ness... let's talk about things that are eternally important... So this week we had a really good Leadership meeting with all the Dl and ZL's of the whole mission, both Dutch and French side.. We have been preparing for this meeting this last week..
Anyway... we all came fasting and ready to council together and set goals and plans for the year 2010 and how many baptisms we would set a goal for.. we came to the point where every Zone had set their goals and we had to make a decision for a Mission goal... and President was directing the discussion and he heard everyone's opinion and then he said... well now I will turn the time over to my Assistants... so we had to decide on a goal with the help of everyone.. I had no idea what to do or what to say.. anyway.. it was good.. Very powerful.. so... the goal for the Belgium Brussels Netherlands Mission is 325.. for 2010.
As for our brother Kadio.. he is doing super well.. he has now been to church something like 5 weeks in a row.. he is a solid guy, but the only time we can teach him is Sundays after church.. so that is what we have been doing.. After church this last Sunday we taught him with a recent convert... and talked to him about baptism.. and he said, "Well, yes of course that is the next step.. but I want to continue learning and make sure I know what I am promising with the Lord.." so he is a stud and I love him.. .. well I know this is kind of a short email but.. I love you and all is well.  We are beginning to find some new people..
- Elder Simonson

Survival of Transfers...

Hey there.... Well I survived transfers week one more time.... It was pretty busy, but all went well and we got THE coolest bunch of missionaries... They will be the future of this great mission... They were really awesome and have the best attitudes.
Monday was pretty cool we had meetings and then we taught this lady named Marga.. we have taught her a few times.. but she is just a really nice lady. She lost faith after one particualar year that was really hard for her in her life. She split from her husband, her son turned gay, her daughter moved out on the streets, etc.. and her other daughter got diagnosed with cancer.. So.. now she doesn't really believe God is there... and she is pretty hard and coullaced... (I don't know how to spell that.. ) Well in that appointment.. her daughter who had cancer was there and she was really anti God.. she told us... "God isn't there.. or else why would he have given me cancer"... and we talked a little and said, "Well just because there is a God doesn't mean that everything in life is going to be perfect etc... then she was like.. well.... "I (capital i ) I OVERCAME CANCER.... GOD DID NOTHING.... IT WAS MY POWER THAT OVERCAME THE CANCER..." .. oh man I wanted to punch her.. I don't think I have ever heard someone that Prideful.. here she is still living and she says God isn't there because 'I got cancer and then I overcame it.. and he did nothing for me...' Hmmmmm... sounds like God is pretty nice and just... BECAUSE HE LET YOU LIVE... haha it was ridiculous.. that was one of the most offensive things I have heard on my whole entire mission.. That gives you a little taste of Belge people... They have pretty good lives, but it is supposedly because of them and their power.. and they all are very bitter towards God... But you gotta love em...
Well then Tuesday we had the new missionaries arrive.. they got in around 8:30 and then we had orientation and what not and went to the Mission Home to eat lunch then later we went to the Dedication Site and then to Grande Place.. It was a fun night... and like I said it was a really cool group.. Super solid..
Trasfers.. well.. I will stay one more... Elder Christensen and I will try to kick some butt this transfer.. so that means I stayed for the departing missionaries also.. It was sad, there were a lot of really sweet missionaries that left... It was kinda weird sending them home because they have been the group that was always there and were still pretty young when we first came in..
So now time for a cool miracle... Last night we were invited to a member's house... the family Whidiger.. He is from Russia and she is from Tahiti.. and they both speak English like Americans... in fact they are pretty much American.... They are both converts and awesome missionaries and they have the most beautiful little family.. Anyway, last night we went over to their house and they had invited a friend named Carlos.. Carlos was from Columbia but has lived here for about 15 years and he has a family of a wife and two kids 14 and 8. He was super interested and really open and wanted to come to church... Sadly he was in the other Ward's area... but.. it was a really special experience having a member give you a referral and teaching him in their house.. That is what it is all about..

Well that is really it.. not too much more than that going on.. that was too bad to hear about Grandpa Hunt.. Last night when I was praying.. I thought.. hmmm.. I feel like I am going to receive some bad news from home.. and viola.. weird huh.. well.. Hope everyone is going well.. I will talk to you later... Oh and I haven't bought anything yet.. we are going later today and we will see if there is anything worth buying.. if not I won't spend money..
Thanks..
love you bye..
Elder Simonson

Zone Conference Week

Hey everybody.... come see how cool I am.... HA! Just kidding. Well the week was pretty crazy. It started crazy on Monday.. we had to plan, prepare and finalize everything for the Zone Confereces so that took up that day and then on Tuesday we had our first Z.C. in Antwerpen. It went pretty well, we had a few kinks but we worked them out for the next day in Amsterdam. Then on Thursday and Friday were spent in Bruxelles and Lille. It was a good week, a little stressful but ok...
We have gotten so many awesome new missionaries. They are great. ummm.. Ya, I can't think about too much else to tell you... You would be bored by all the Zone Conference stuff it was more or less the same everyday. We talked about teaching and President talked about optimism and using goals to stay happy and optimistic... It was cool.. He shared a really funny example. I'll bore you and share it with you... So we all know the white roller coaster at Lagoon.. And how it is really old an rickety.. well one day the cars got stuck at the top of one of the humps...all the people were just stuck up there and they couldn't budge the old wheels.. They tried to rock back and forth to budge it loose but couldn't get it.. so they tried to get a helicopter to come rescue the people but it was too windy and they couldn't, so about 3 hours later a rescue team came and used climbing gear to get all the passengers down.. Well the first people to get down were a middle aged guy with his kids and when he got down he was FREAKING out saying how terrible it was and that he was having a heart attack and he called an ambulance and they took him away... Well the next people to come down were a group of teenagers... and they were all cheering and laughing and loving it.. and were like, "Oh man, that was AWESOME... we could see clear out to Antelope Island.. we were up there for three hours.. you could see the whole valley.. and then we got to repel down... oh.. that was sick!  We should do that every weekend!"
I liked it because it just really portrays the importance of your attitude.. you can make whatever situation awesome.. whether it is really a poopy situation or not... Because in this example it was the same situation and showed how differently the people chose to react... what a crappy life it would be if we all CHOSE to act like the grumpy old man..
Anyway that is something that really hit me in Zone Conference...
So.. I had no idea that Jake and Maddie were pregnant.. but that is really cool... Oh and guess what.. There is a Dutch missionary named Elder Weatherston from Blackfoot Idaho.. but really he is from Snake River.. he came up to me and said, "Hey, did one of your brothers marry the Stander girl?" and I said, "Ya, you know the Standers?" and ya I guess he lives pretty close.. the world is small and I talked to Elder Sanford, the one from Jaron's Ward.. He is awesome.. And also I talked to Elder Adams, Mark and Colleen's neighbor..
Well you asked about the winter and the weather. It has been pretty cold.. not quite as cold as last year.. but then again I am in a car a lot of the time.. so I am not out in it 24/7 like last year.. but it has snowed a little on an off.. it snowed about 5-6 inches at the begining of winter and then it has just snowed skiffs here and there and they all don't stay for very long..
Second thing.. I am pretty pumped about this book thing.. it sounds pretty cool.. What did you use to make it?  Was it that Shutterfly thingy?  Anyway... sorry I don't have too much to say.. we didn't have anytime this week to see our investigators.. But Blessing is doing well and Kadio called us in the middle of the week and wanted to set up an appointment with us.. so that is always a great sign..
Sorry this letter is pretty BORING, but oh well.. love you.. and tell Clint that I would be willing to take the risk of marrying Jeff if he wants to play that game with his class. :) haha.. I love you all and will talk to you later..
Oh P.S... I need Tess's address and also Drew's address and ya, I think that is it.. could you please email me those.. maybe even today so I can get them and send out my letters on Monday.. Thanks, that would be cool..
Also I might take out some personal money.. It is SOLDES time in Europe.. that means cheap awesome stuff.. I have to go shopping.. I have no other choice..
Elder Simonson