Baton Rouge- Week 5

Sent: Monday, April 4, 2011
Subject: The Gospel comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.

Hey yall!

I realize my updates are usually very long and maybe don't make a whole lot of sense, so I am sorry. But this one will probably be long too so...oh well.

Last week Monday we went to the French Market in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was crazzzyy. Tons of things you can buy. We had a really good time. We went with two families from our ward, both from Utah! The Browns and the Loaders. We saw some live bands playing down town, kinda like jazz bands, I didn't see any saxophone players though so..I don't know if they count as jazz or not ha. It was really fun though.
This week was awesome. It was so long but so fast. We are teaching truly incredible people right now. They are all so strong and faithful. Smart and prepared. Accepting and desirous to follow our Savior Jesus Christ. It is amazing to see how their lives change from being chaotic messes, scattered, and un-prioritized, to being smooth, peaceful, and full of love, just by making small acts of faith like reading the scriptures everyday and praying. It is interesting to see how Satan works in trying to pry apart the peace by trying to distract and desensitize people from the Holy Spirit. But our investigators are going strong and are really committed to learning and progressing. It is a blessing to have this opportunity to teach such incredible people. They have all touched my LIFE!

Conference this weekend was out of this WORLD. I have never experience conference like this before. "Conference is like the Superbowl of the mission." That is how I heard it described. But seriously. Did you guys LISTEN to those talks? They were phenomenal. The leaders of the church are INSPIRED no doubt about it. I don't think I have ever been as in tune as I was this conference weekend with every word coming out of the speakers mouths. I could feel the spirit so strong, talking right to me. I pray that all of you who didn't have the opportunity to watch or listen will go to lds.org right now and watch a least a few talks!! They were so good, and exactly the counsel the world needs now! I am so thankful I was able to watch conference in English one last time before I head out to Italy. I didn't want to miss a word! One of our investigators attended ALL 5 SESSIONS OF CONFERENCE (Priesthood included) at the church. He is amazing. He loved it! He is so smart. He took so many notes and was just listening so intently. I was so impressed. He had a little list of questions after that we were able to discuss with him. He is golden. I can't wait until he gets baptized! Too bad I will miss it. We also had another investigator come to a few sessions! I was so happy!!!!!!! I love when people act on their faith. YAY.

Whelp, this is my last day here in Kenner, LA. I have very strong mixed feelings, just like I had back in October driving home from Logan to open my mission call. In my head I kept debating..."Ahh do I want to get called to Italy? Or do I want a new adventure?" I was torn. The thoughts of going to Italy were exhilarating. Yet the thoughts of traveling and serving somewhere else new were just as appealing. Oh, how well the Lord knows me! I got both my desires! He has blessed me so much. I have been able to serve these last 5 weeks with an incredible companion, in an incredible area, surrounded by superb missionaries, under an excellent mission President, and above all..I have been able to serve and teach, and be served and taught by, the amazing people in this area. I love them. I love every person I have met. The crazy, the colorful, the toothless, the smelly. I LOVE them all. I will never forget them, they have changed my life. I will miss them. Tomorrow I leave to Italy for a whole new adventure, companion, missionaries, President, and people. I am sure I will love them too. My prayer is that I will remember the precious lessons I have learned here, and apply them to the rest of my mission, and really, to the rest of my life.

If you are thinking about going on a mission, GO. Do NOT let anything stop you. It is the greatest thing you will ever do. I once heard the mission described as the "Church's best hidden secret" referring to how hard a mission really is an how it isn't anything like you expected. The mission is the church's best hidden secret, but not for that reason. It is the best hidden blessing and experience ANYONE could ever have. I hate how Satan has clouded young men and women minds to think "Oh, a mission just really isn't for me. I am too busy, my testimony isn't strong enough, I can't miss out on life, I am going to resist the pressure, ect." Serving a mission is an HONOR, a PRIVILEGE, a BLESSING. It is the very best decision I have made in my life. I would not want ANYONE to miss out on one. It is too great. GO!

Well, that is enough. Down below are fun things that happened this week, more sensory descriptions... but if you are sick of reading, here is a good place to stop. I love you all. Thank you for the love and prayers!

Arrivederci Kenner, Ciao Italia!

Love
Sister/Sorella Simkins



So Friday our investigator and dear friend Matt brought a bag of crawfish to our lesson!! We layed out a blanket, put down newspaper, and then just dumped out all the crawfish onto the newspaper. Matt demonstrated how to correctly rip it apart, peal off the shell and the guts, then eat it. EEEEEk I was so nervous it looked nasty. But I did it. And it was tastey! Yummy enough to eat 2 or 3. But then I was done. I just don't llooovvee sea food, sorry. As hard as I try. It just isn't AWESOME to me. It really did taste alright. He also brought us deep fried soft shelled crabs, and really spicy corn and potatoes. It was really fun! It was something like a Louisiana picnic. Matt just didn't want me to leave without first trying some local favorites! So that was extremely nice of him. While talking about food, our recently baptized amazing friends Ire and Tia also invited us for a little meal the next day, Saturday, after conference! She made sea food pasta and rolls. That...was VERY good. Very cheesy and flavorful. And not too spicy thank goodness. My spice tolerance is going up but very slowly. It will plummet when I go to Italy since the food there is not spicy at all :).

Everyone has told me over and over again how I came to Louisiana at the perfect time. And I believe them. It has been the most amazing weather here. We have had HUGE STORMS that flood the streets and come up to your doors! Lightening like CRAZY almost like a big photo-shoot is going on behind the clouds, flash after flash. When it stops though, it is peaceful and clear. The best mornings to run are mornings after the storm. The sky is clear, and the sun rises as a fiery red ball. Beautiful. The days are 70-85, sunny, and slightly humid. People keep telling us, "Watch Sister Dupaix, right when Sister Simkins leaves the summer weather will set right in and it will be 95 degrees with 100% humidity!" That's how it is all summer, I heard it is just horrible. So hot and humid. So I really was here the perfect time of year!

Time is up :) BYE