PICTURES!

FINAL POST FROM THE MISSION!

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 20124:29 AM
Subject: la fine

Ciao miei cari

This week has been amazing.
Mauricio, Cedella, and Ana were baptized. Each of their families came. Tons ofmembers came. It was super spiritual to have three baptisms in a row. They allbore beautiful heart filled testimonies at the end. And then at the very end ofthe ceremony we had about 10 minutes before the hour so we had a testimonymeeting. All of these youth who had met Mauricio at EFY came to his baptism,and each of them bore their testimonies, and it brought me to tears! To see theseSTRONG YOUTH! Taking on the world! Battling sin, doing all they can to resisttemptations, to live their standards. These kids who know the truth, and relizethe things that really matter in life. Oh wow it was a beautiful experience, Iwas so proud of each and every one of them, they really are God's army. OnSunday Mauricio,Cedella and Ana received the gift of the Holy Ghost from each member of thebranch pres. Each were blessed that they would be missionaries and would marryin the temple. They were BEAUTIFUL blessings, I felt the spirit so strong andwas just amazed at the beautiful of this gospel. Almilcar is a 16 year old fromspainwe have been teaching and yesterday after we talked about Joseph Smith and therestoration again, he prayed and said Heavenly Father I feel deep down in myheart that this is true. I promise I will keep searching this religion when Igo back to Spain(he leaves today). It was soo beautiful and he is such a special kid. I justLOVE MISSIONARY WORK! We are uncovering elect spirits, finding God's chosenyouth, it is exillerating. To see their spirits shine is like their trueidentity is revealed. Ahh I love it and am eternally thankful to have witnessedthese miracles. WALTER! ohh Walter. He cut down soo much on his smoking andyesterday I asked, "how many cigs do you have left?" "I don'tknow, half a pack maybe." "are you ready to stop after thispack?"  "Si" "are you ready to stop now? should wethrow them away?" "Ok!" So I took them, crushed them, andchucked them in the trash. I've always secretly wanted to do that but Iactually haven't taught too many people that smoke. In fact, Heavenly Father isrealizing many of my little goals of the mission, and it makes me happy andlets me know that He really knows me and my desires and that this really is Hiswork. Anyways, Walter called later that night and said "I don't even havethe slightest desire to smoke, the angels are HELPING ME!" HAHA ohh manwhat joy. What a GOOD GOOD GUY!!! I will miss him for sure. Alfa. Anotherlittle goal being realized. I had a few silly goals like, baptize an oldperson, convert a muslem, etc...Well Lulu was my dear elderly lady, and Alfa!!This guy from Senegal,has the sweetest dreds ever, SO HUMBLE and teachable just fell into our armslast week, and he has been to the church to learn from us this week. Well, heis Muslem, but in our lesson yesterday says that he feels these things are realand he believes in Jesus Christ. He believes in Joseph Smith and therestoration. His heart is CHANGING he is being converted to our Lord!! SOOCOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ohh he has the sweetest spirit. Andrea. ANOTHER 16 yearold elect!!! HOLY COW we had our first lesson with him 2 days ago and my jawwas on the ground. He is a student from a brother in the ward and for the last2 years this brother has been helping Andreawarm up to us… teachinga little here, a little advice there, etc just slowly preparing this kid. Andalong with his preparation, the help of the spirit and the Lord, this kid isREADY. Everything we taught he goes HM that makes sense! Yeah! that seemsright! Ohh that definitely could be true! Every little thing. We have anotherlesson with him tonight, a REALLY sharp kid. He will be a missionary in a fewyears for sure.

Really great things have happened all week. I have felt pretty good the wholetime. Except these last few days especially last night was super weird. I justcan't quite wrap my head around what is going on..I am leaving..what? Home?..The real world...? My heart starts racing and my stomach starts feelingreally sick. Then I pray for peace, read the Book of Mormon, then feel goodagain. Tonight we will teach our last lessons together. Tomorrow stuff in Milan. Hello world onFriday.

Love you all so very much. Thank you for your love, support, prayers. I am sothankful for you. I know that this church is true and that the gospel brings usreal happiness and joy. My time in Italy might be ending, but mymission is forever. I love the Lord and want to follow Him.

TANTE BELLE COSE!!! :)
Mucho Amor,
hermana simkins

From: "Laurel Simkins" emo

Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 9:33:12 AM
Subject: BUON FERRAGOSTO!!

Guess what today is? Festa! Ferragosto. That means everything is closed. Ha so I guess I won't be buying any of you any presents, sorry!

Bergamo is beautiful. I am happy. And I feel relatively calm, which is a good thing. And super full of joy because of the miraculous things that are happening.

Walter is amazing. HA he cracks me up because he is just so golden I do not get where he came from!!!!! He came to chuch and LOVED IT. He made such great inspired comments and was just smiling the whole time. He smokes, and ever since we have been teaching him we have been praying for the Lord to prepare him for the word of wisdom. When we taught the word of wisdom yesterday he said so many amazing things, like "ever since I have been meeting with you, I have drastically reduced the amount of cigarettes I smoke." and "a few months ago out of no where I decided to stop drinking caffinated coffee." and "The word of wisdom is correct, I am going to stop smoking and live this commandment." and on and on. My love for him just GREW, my gratitude to the Lord swelled in my heart, He really has been preparing Walter! What a miracle story he is!!! I am so thankful to teach him. He is just so humble, so sincere, so COMPLETELY DETERMINED to follow the Lord.

Mauricio. Another wonder. 17 year old boy that is just AMAZING. Yesterday we asked him, so Mauricio you ready for your BAPTISM!!!?? and He goes seriously, I CAN'T WAIT! He reads the book of mormon for around an hour everyday. He has invited every single person he knows to his baptism. He is best friends with the young men. Man it is just so great to see his progress and his testimony growing!! sooo neat.

Ana. Beautiful little GIRL! She is now obsessed with the Liahona. She reads it everyday, her mom has been receiving the Liahona for a while so ana just reads and reads. She is learning so fast and so much I am so so proud of her. She is so precious. Every prayer she prays that I will be safe and that I won't forget her and her sister says she cries sometimes because I will be leaving :( aww I want to bring her with me. She is so beautiful. When we got her her dress sunday she hugged it and took it home with her haha she is so excited. Her big sister angi is amazing as well, she is what keeps the family together. She takes care of her mom, her sister, her father, she is an amazing young woman.

Cedella. Soo smart. She is only 8 but we have been helping her get ready because her family has been a bit less active but now they are coming regularly. It is amazing how fast kids learn. She tried on her dress and goes, where did this COME FROM, it's ancient! hahahahahaha. I love her!

Amilcar. 16 year old from spain, here on vacation. He is samuels cousin and we have been teaching him. He is like..you guys have so much faith. I want that faith. I want to know like you know! And we are like,.....YOU CAN!!!!!! So he is progressing and it is awesome to see. He is discovering who God really is and what happiness really is. AHHH these youth are elect.

Antonio. We found him while doing finding work at the park. He was sitting on the bench talking on the phone..and usually we don't interrupt..but we felt like it this time so we stood infront of him and started talking to him. He immediately hung up and gave us 100% of his attention and said he talked to missionaries years ago and they left a huge impression on him. We had a lesson with him and sunday he came to church! He REALLY liked it. He smelled heavily of alcohol, so there I was in sacrament, with him on my left, walter on my right who smelled smokey, and I just SMILED I couldn't have been happier to have them. I was thinking the whole time THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE on earth that these two men could be right now. They are changing their LIVES!! MIRACLES!! Antonio is way sweet, he is Bolivian, has super long hair, in his 30s I would say. SOO HUMBLE. And really sensitive to the spirit.

So last week I had a HUGE TENDER MERCY for the Lord. We went to MILANO 2 for our exchange this transfer!!! I got to work in my first city for the day!!!! OHHH it was MARVELOUS ohh man I am SO BLESSED it was such a good experience. We found one of my old investigators!! We taught her and it went really well, she was so happy to see me! Then for lunch...suprise!! We went to Patrizia! Mamma patrizia! SHE LOOKED AMAZING it blew my mind. She was my first baptism in Italy. She has lost over 40 pounds. Her eyes were BRIGHT and shining light. She was happy, her house was soo clean, she smelled so good...I just cannot believe the progress she has made, she is a new person. She made us her famous lasagna that is the best lasagna I have ever had in Italy AHH so good and her egg plant parmigiano SOO GOOD. It was a BEAUTIFUL lunch hour with her, and Federico is the funniest. He was baptized! And on vacation last week patrizia taught this lady in their hotel all about the church and is going to give her a book of mormon. SWEET! Then that evening we went to family home evening and I saw ALL my old family!! ward family.. anyways it was such a great experience, everyone is so great, and I love them all SOOOO SOO SO SO SO MUCH. Lucy!!!! HA she couldn't stop hugging me. Before I left she grabbed my shoulders and said SORELLA. YOU BETTER NOT GO INACTIVE WHEN YOU GET HOME! hahaha WHAT? my new convert was telling ME that. HAHAHAHAH I just died laughing. Guess what is awesome...she was endowed a few weeks ago! I might have already told you all. But I am just so proud of her, what an amazing lady. So! That was really awesome!!

Today was fun. We had a grigliata by the river. I played in the river with the kids and we played lots of soccer and ate good food. No swimming, but I got soaked because there were water fights. Good times. Ana and I made lots of towers with river rocks. Balance.

Well..I don't know what else to tell you. Things are going great. We are getting ready for the baptisms this weekend, teaching great people, finding great people. My companion is awesome, all these missionaries are awesome. I feel like I still have all the time left in the world so I just keep going. I love the GOSPEL. I love the scriptures. I know this church is true!

LOVE YOU ALL!

love
Sorella Simkins

 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 20129:24 AM
Subject: special little email later on because we got interupted with our email time because a miracle happened!

another miracle happened while doing email today! so. wewent to the YSA center to do email and the elders were already here on thecomputers. And we had an appointment for lunch so we decided to go find thenearest internet cafe. We go in, get seated, and the internet was down at thisinternet spot! So we left and rode down the street a little ways and entered inthe next internet cafe we saw. Sit down, get writing our emails, and I was halfway done wrighting my email to the president when I realized we were out oftime and had to get to our appointment. So I saved this email and we shut downthe computers and go to pay and they lady says OOOHh are you mormons? I wasbaptized years ago!! And she comes out from behind her desk, pulls up twochairs, and sits down and just tells us all her story of how much she loved thechurch then was kind of dissappointed with some members and slowly becameinactive. It was so interesting talking to her, in the 15 minutes we talked itwas like I was witnessing her spirit  and the evil spirits battle insideof her. One minute she would be saying I don't want to know anything anymore Ijust want to stay out of the church like this, the next minute ohh I reallyshould come to church and be with you guys, come visit me, yes I will startpraying, then the next minute no I can't pray I don't need God..back and forthlike this, it was really something to behold. Poor lady. But I could just feelher spirit trying to hard to fight off these evil spirits that have entered herheart and mind. WOW! Anyways we had a beautiful lesson in the end, she iscoming to church Sunday, and she agreed to meet with us. Isn't it cool how Godled us to her? He even made the internet go down in the first internet point toget us to the second one. WOW the Lord really does work miracles to call Hischildren. Wow wow wow.

 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 20125:00 AM
Subject: EEEEK

HERMANA RACHEL KIME!!! Welcome HOME!! I love you, you are amazing, andI am expecting a big fatty email or letter from you next week. EEEEEEK!

Family and FRIENDS! I love you all. It is so good to hear the amazing thingshappening in your lives.

We are SOO BUSY I really don't have time to even think about home during thedays, only in the few minutes before I knock out asleep does my mind wander a bit to home but itdoesn't get too far because A) it is too stressful. I mean..I start school 2days after I get home, have no money, don't know where I live, where my classesare, what books I will need, etc so my mind flees from those thoughtsimmediately. B) I am too tired to think much anyways, and C) my thinkingusually comes back around to some investigator or miracle or thing learned thatday. But then I get here to email and see all these emails from you and mystomach starts twisting and turning and ufff scary.

WELL let me tell you an amazing story. Yesterday we went to teach Walter, forthe 3rd time. The guy that came to US last week during email. HE IS SOOAMAZING. Holy smokes you have no idea. HAHA THIS GUY!! he just cracks me upbecause I have no idea where a guy like him came from. He is just this normaldude, 40 years old, pizzaiolo, with the purest heart. When we were teaching therestoration the first lesson before we got to Joseph Smith he  was justsaying all the golden things like "I don't see why God would call prophetsin the past and not in these days.." or while we were teaching him thegospel I was like how do you think the Holy Ghost could be help to you in yourlife and he is like "well it is already working in my life, it lead mehere to you, it gives me desire to search the truth and to learn, and it makesme feel good when I do things that are right." hhahahahahahahaahha ohh my.So yesterday I just looked him in the eyes at the end of the lesson, invitedhim to be baptized the 8th of September, and he said "OK!"hahahahahahaha. Just a bold straightup no hesitation OKAY. Then we got on ourknees and he prayed for the 8th of September to be ready for his baptism. Whata miracle!!!!! I really can't explain with words these miraculous lessons wehave with these people, especially him. I wish it could be on FILM! It would bethe most exciting film ever. (For missionaries at least maybe not many otherpeople). HE IS AWESOME!! WALTER!! ha what an awesome guy. Mauricio is SOO greattoo, progressing like a champion, totally ready for next week. Ana and Cedellaare doing great as well. Silvia I don't know if I told you last p day or whenbut it was weird we had a lesson and just like a switch turned off in her headshe started saying things (again) like..I have already been baptized I don'tneed to again. I was just there with my mouth hanging open like..really?? Idon't think we could explain  the restoration any better than we have amillion times and the priesthood and the book of mormon and everything. Somaybe her time is just not here. The thing is she will talk to her sister ormom and then be full of confusion so we are still seeing her she's just got abit more journey ahead of her before her baptism. Ahh Silvs. We found a new family from Tanzania whoare awesome, just this big african family who has lived here for over 20 years,really educated, united, faithful. We found them at the park Sunday.

Lots of other great things happening but I am outta time.

LOVE YOU

love
sorella simkins
 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 20123:47 AM
Subject: Any last requests?

If would like anything from Italy, now is your chance to speakup! Giorgio Armani? Dolce e Gabbana? Nutella? Pesto?  Maybe a cute littlevespa. I think I will just bring my mattress with me. Anyways let me know and Iwill do my best.

Something amazing and way funny just happened. I had just finishedwriting an email to President about amazing miracles that happened this weekwhen the buzzer rang. We are here in the church, on the second floor. I stickmy head out the window and there is a man at the game. I say buongiorno! And hesays Ciao volevo fissare un appuntamento. (Hi, I just wanted to make anappointment) I say ARRIVO! (coming!) So my comp and I walk on out and he islike hi I am walter, missionaries came to my house years ago and gave me theBook of Mormon and I read it then a thousand problems happened in my life and Ilost the missionaries and the book of mormon. So I was just wondering if wecould make an appointment and maybe you could share some more things with meabout the Book of Mormon? Or I could just come to church on sunday?? HAHAHA ohh MAN. So we got his name number address and will be seeing himtomorrow!!!!!!!! COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love when the electfind us. I have heard stories like that from other missionaries and have hadkinda similar experiences, but not like this before! Ha oh man I am so happy.So there is miracle number one.

Last week we drew the plan of salvation with sidewalk chalk big andbeautifully on the pavement at the park. We taught a TON of people about theplan of salvation and had a wonderful time, a big success. Then we went toanother appointment, and later came back to the park to meet our investigatorSam to teach him. There were still people checking out the plan of salvation,yay! Anyways we see Sam in the distance on a bench next to his girlfriend sonot to intrude right away we just slowly kinda were making our way towardsthem, talking to people here and there, and I look up and see sam is coveringhis face with a magazine... and then as we got closer HAHA it was ridiculous,he got up and "snuck" around the bench behind the bushes to"hide" from us. HAHAHA we started laughing because it was kindahilarious and at the sime time kinda hurt inside. So whatever we just turned toour left, spot a woman on the bench, and go to talk to her. Turns out she isAMAZING and TOTALLY elect. We taught her and her daughter the plan ofsalvation, had a prayer with them, and made an appointment. We have alreadytaught her again this week, she has accepted baptism, her daughter is in LOVEwith us, they were SOO HAPPY to have to book of mormon and to start reading ittogether, and we are seeing her again tonight! HOW COOL!!! So we lost oneinvestigator, and Heavenly Father is so generous and gave us another!

Mauricio, Silvia(FINALLY!), Ana, and Cedella are all getting baptizedthe 11th and the 18th of August, my last Saturday in the mission. I could justcry I am sooo happy. So happy. I can't believe the miracles happening. MauricioLOVED efy he told everyone about his baptism and now wants to go on a mission(he is 17). Silvia was really touched by Lulu's baptism and choose her owndate, which is the 11th, but maybe will be moved to the 18th. Ana's family ispulling themselves together really trying to change their lives. They are in away sticky ugly situation, but this beautiful sweet 10 year old girl is amazingand wants to be baptized so badly. Cedella is the daughter of a reactivatedfamily we teach from Ghanathey are the most beautiful people ever and we have been preparing cedella forbaptism. She is 8 but is so smart and super excited.

GOOD things are happening in Bergamo.I am so happy. My companion is awesome. Last saturday we did a musical firesideconcert thing in Milano and HOLY COW my companion is an INCREDIBLE operasinger. I was completely blown away. We will be having our musical concertthing here in Bergamothis Saturday, you are all invited. I will be singing a few classic rock songsas our branch president plays the guitar and my comp will blow everyone out thewater with her opera voice and several others will be performing as well. Ourbranch president is awesome. He ordered me to pick up a music instrument when Iget home and to sing. I guess I should follow my leaders counsel. Eeeek scary.

 
Well I LOVE YOU GUYS! Love my family so much. Thanks Fife'sfor the updates on Evan, he is a miracle baby!!!

BE GOOD!

love
Sorella Simkins

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 20124:30 AM
Subject: hello

Buongiorno my beautiful family and friends

I feel sooo good right now! Happy, relaxed, peaceful. Beautiful thingsare happening in Bergamoand I am just in the greatest state of being. Mmmmm happy:) Update:

Last thursday we had a zone conference and President pulled aquick one on me and at the end of his presentation had me share my goodbyetestimony. HUH!? I was like President I have 5 more weeks left! But, it beingour only conference of the transfer, tocava me! There were no other dyingmissionaries in the group so it was just me. But it was such a strangeexperience. When he invited me up and he sat down, I couldn't move. I was frozenin my seat and overcome with the spirit and tears just started pooring down mycheeks. After that I don't really remember what happened, at one point I got upin front of everyone, and through tears bore testimony straight from my heart,and after a while was back in my seat. All I remember was the dense spirit inthe room and the complete silence. I still can't really believe I am cominghome so soon, because there is still SO MUCH going on and so much to do.

Friday LuLu was baptized. It was so beautiful, such a sacredexperience. She cried when she saw herself in the mirror in her white dress.Before getting in the font we just hugged and held each other as she cried andcried saying this was the best day of her life. She was so ready. When she cameout of the water the spirit just flooded the room, and when I was helping herin the bathroom she said "I feel NO PAIN! No pain at all!!" (in herback that is messed up) She goes "My sins are all washed away right? I amCLEAN right?? I feel it!" Ahaha. She is soo cute. She gave her testimonyat the end of the ceremonyfor like 10 minutes and it was amazing. Something really cool. After her fatherdied she had a dream of him and he told her that a stone would be lifted andshe would find a treasure. In the little welcome talk from the bishopric, hesaid something like, "Lulu, you have come to Italy and you have found atreasure." She bore her testimony after that, and shared that with us,that when the Brother said those words she felt in her heart that this is thetreasure her father had told her about in her dream. Pretty amazing. It wastruly a beautiful baptism.

Leonardo is an amazing young adult, 21, law student, who we taught a few weeksago then he had exams and we started to teach again this week. He is out ofcontrol, soooo prepared. He came to all three hours of church and loved it, and"NON VEDO L'ORA di leggere tutto il libro di mormon!" He texted us- Ican't wait to read all of the book of mormon!!! hahah he is awesome, at the seathis week, but when he comes back he will be getting ready for baptism. AHH he issooo amazing the things he says blow my mind! A quick example HA in gospelprinciples, I had the lesson, and I decided to ask him a question. So you needto know, Sorella Bush and I taught him the plan of salvation over a month ago,and he only had 10 minutes and wanted to hear it all. So it was the quickestlesson in the world and we didn't go into depth. Anyways I ask Leonardo why doyou think Heavenly Father wants to give us this gift of the Holy Ghost. And hegoes well since we forgot everything from the pre-earth life, I guess HeavenlyFathers gives us this gift to be a guide, to chose the right in this life, andkeep us on the path that leads us back to Him. HAHAH I was just like YES!!!!Haha he is so cool. Might not sound to cool to you, but to a missionary, thoseare golden words we like to hear.

Well we are still teaching back to back lessons, seeing lots ofmiracles, MANY people getting closer to baptism. For example, Silvia! She istaking leaps and bounds it is amazing!!! Rosalia, ana, both have dates and aregoing strong! Blanca and rosemary and their families are all on teachingschedules and making progress. We have two new investigators this week Cristianand Cristian haha..and wow...both amazing. Their story is kinda crazy butreally awesome I will share more as we get to know them better. This weekendand next weekend we are doing musical firesides in Milanthen here in Bergamo.I might or might not sing but my comp is amazing so we can just listen to herthe whole time!!!!

Well that is all I have. Bergamois beautiful, the sky is beautiful and takes me breath away everyday. I amhappy, the mission has nevr been so good. We had interviews Monday and I wasjust talking with President about how wonderful it is to feel such trust in theLord. That I am JUST reaching a point where I feel like I am completely givingHim everything and totally accepting His will in every little thing. I am doingmy part, and whatever happens happens and I am happy. It is something I can'treally explain...His will be done! That is it! I'll keep running, and He willkeep working. I love the gospel, I know it is true. We are Heavenly Father'schildren, we need to trust Him.

I love you!
love
Sorella Simkins
 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 20124:00 AM
Subject: hiiiii

BUONGIORNO!

Hello family and friends.SIGGHH. I can't even write this email. My brain has jammed because it can nolonger comprehend the miracles that are taking place and the work the Lord isdoing through us. Seriously though, I don't even have words to describe what ishappening. Even thinking about all the things that are happing makes my mindtired. When I said I am going to run my fastest and work my hardest, God tookthat seriously, and whether I can do it or not, He has PUT US TO WORK. HOOooolycow. It is pretty amazing though. I just wake up everyday, ready to give it myall, and WOOSH am swept away by the hand of the Lord going a steady 85 milesper hour all day long until I find myself back in bed at 10:20ish, sprawled outon my bed, take a few deep breaths, read a few verses from the BOM, then amout.

Sorella Padula isamazing. The biggest gift from God, the perfect final companion. She is youngin the mission and full of fire, knows what she is doing, has a STRONGtestimony, knows the gospel, all the doctrine of the lessons is stored in herheart and when she opens her mouth it just poors out gracefully. Wow she isamazing, I love her so much already. She is an opera singer and her voice isbeautiful. We already have 2 musical firesides but more like full on concertsplanned one in Milanand one here. She has already lost 4 kilos in the week she has been mycompanion because we don't stop moving all day hahahahaha. I am the one that issupposed to diet, not her! No though, she is incredible and is right there withme pushing me hard too. I can't believe how much I have already learned fromher and how much my teaching has changed in just a few days with her. You neverbecome the perfect teacher or the perfect missionary. Just like everything else,improvment is eternal. Aaaaaiiiaaaa.

Our investigators are allprogressing. It is unbelievable. We seriously have lessons back to back all daylong. Lulu is so special, I love her so much. How God lead her from Mexico, to Canada,back to Mexico, then to Italy on vacation, right to Bergamo to find me, I don't know...but I amthe luckiest and am eternally thankful to have her in my life. She is so readyfor baptism this Friday. Marilyn from the Philippenes is doing so well,Mauricio the 17 year old is going to EFY this week he is awesome, rosemary AHHrosemary and her family (the Bolivian beautiful family) we hadn't seen them fora few weeks and finally got an appointment and saw them Monday and they areamazing and back in the GAME doing awesome. Carlos!! ohh carlos I can't evenexplain he is so awesome. Silvia is even making great progress! She is so closeto a date. We have found some GREAT people doing finding, one guy named Samfrom India who is totally searching the truth, he immediately accepted us andis learning and so happy to have the chance to grow closer to God. On and on Ican go, there are so many amazing people we are teaching. I love them all. I amhappy. Magic is happening. WHELP I am going to be done done.

THE GOSPEL IS TRUE. It issooo so so true.

I love you! Glad to hearyou are enjoying your summer days! I will pray for you Fifes, Steve and Emberand Evan, may the spirit be with you in every moment to comfort and help youfeel peace and understanding.

BE GOOD! Do good.

Love
Sorella simkins

 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 201212:04 PM
Subject: CIAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

HEY GUYS

transfer calls last night! Sorella Bush is going to Vareseand I am staying in Bergamo and Sorella Padullafrom Argentinais my new collega. I am thankful God is giving me another opportunity to (forreals) learn spanish. YAY!

Great things are still happening in Bergamo. Today we went with Lulu to Sirmione,a peninsula on Lake Garda. BEAUTIFUL. Iattached some pictures. She is getting baptized next week. And then in a fewweeks Rosalia and Ana, they are both doing so well. Sunday was miraculous,there were at least 7 investigators in church, Bergamo is being BLESSED. Our baby branchwill be booming in no time. The president of the branch is the coolest, heloves 60s rock and is an editor/translator english french and german and hewants to have a musical fireside where he plays the guitar and we sing along.My new companion has a beautiful voice (I have heard) I'm excited to sing withher. She was with MELISSA MARSHALL in the Madrid MTC, how cool is that? Smallest world. Yesterday tocelebrate transfer calls we ate a halfbaked cookie with ice cream on top(cookie monster) and made a music video to efy music. I AM STARVING and sunburnedso I think I am going to get off the computer now and go teach more lessons.Sorry for the tiny update, but I LOVE YOU! all so very much.

love
sorella simkins.

 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 20124:19 AM
Subject: Italian constructionworkers love wearing the mini-est shorts and their orange vests.

BUONGIORNO

o MAMMA I am so happy today.

Happy 4th of JULY! I love my country, we are blessed to be free and to live onthe promised land. Today we will be celebrating by eating hamburgers androotbeer floats with the missionaries and some investigators. Of course thatseems normal to you, but I am STOKED because I have eaten maybe 1 hamburger mywhole mission and don't even remember the last time I had rootbeer or arootbeer float. Che festa. Then we will be going to aqua splash, the city waterpark. Mhaaa jk I wish.

I HAVE SUCH GOOD NEWS for you from the mission field. Magic is HAPPENING! I amfilled with joy and LOVE. Love for the the Lord, for my companion, and forthese PEOPLE that have become apart of my LIFE! EEEEEk.

Rosalia, a beautiful older Bolivian woman, was taught like one or 2 lessons ayear ago, went back to Bolivia, came back, came to church twice, we beganteaching her, she is sooo amazing has the best spirit and chose to be baptizedthe 28th of July. Sheis the most smily calm person I know. I love this woman. We did a blitz theother week and sorella forbes and I went and taught some awesome people, wewent to visit this member and her inactive sister came and by the end of thelesson we were all in tears. The gospel is so real! We are working with a fewinactive people right now and their progression is incredible, they areinactive for 7+ years but the spirit is working on their hearts and they arehumble. I am so proud of all the little steps they are taking to reactivation,they are such beautiful amazing peole. It is such a satisfaction helping ourbrothers and sisters who have lost the way feel again the love that HeavenlyFather has for them and feeling the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ givethem courage and faith to change their ways and overcome their weaknesses. OhhI am so proud of them. We had a beautiful lesson with our other bolivianfamily, they are in the thick of trials,and again by the end of the lesson we were ALL in tears. It has been a weekfull of tears!! We went to find this other less active family this week, andthe non member son was there! He was totally involved in the lesson, and whenwe invited him to prepare for baptism he nodded his head and said it issomething he needs to do. It was beautiful, the spirit was so strong. THENSUNDAY what in the world, longg (AMAZING) story short, this member whileworking found this older woman at the airport who had just arrived from Mexico and all her connections here in Bergamo just totally fellthrough, so she was just alone praying in the airport after her 14 hour flight.When the member found her, the first question this lady asked is..do you knowof a Christian church in this city? So the member brings her to church, wetaugh her yesterday, and this lady..I don't even have words to describe her.SHE IS INCREDIBLE. ohh my I love her. She has the strongest faith in the world.I just love this woman, and am so excited to see her fall in love with the Bookof Mormon and receive her testimony. She has been through lots, and finally shehas found the truth. We are also teaching this 21 year old boy studying to be alawyer who believes everything we have taught him and has started reading thebook of mormon. He said if he gets his answer that this is all true that maybehe would even be willing to sacrifice a few years of his life and "do whatwe do." HA COOL.

whelp my comp’syelling at me to get off the computer. ha jk but it is time. I LOVE MY MISSION! and sorella bushand bergamo andall these people and especially the gospel and the church and my HeavenlyFather and Jesus Christ for giving me so many blessings.

LOVE YOU!
love
sorella simkins
 
 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 201212:36 AM
Subject: buon dì

Ciao cari

Another week come and gone. Crazy, time is fffflllyyinnngg by. Thisweek was pretty great!

Wed..a fairly normal P day...

Thursday, zone conference in Verona, we got home at 9 but our newinvestigators Deysi and Fatima wanted to have a lesson so we SPED on our bikesover to their apartment and taught them more about the BOM, it was a beautifullesson I LOVE these two!!!! They are both working all this week so we haven'tseen them again :( Work schedules are out of control here. Plus when theseforeigners work as nannys, all these rich Italian families go to the sea forvacation and just take their nannies with them ha so everyone is at the beachpretty much. Except us missionaries, we aren't at the beach thats for sure:)More important things to do.

Friday a new convert made us hamburgers, the first hamburger I haveeaten since the USI think?? But on the 4th of July we are going to have a big bbq with the seniorcouple and all the elders. Hamburgers and rootbeer floats, yayy.  Let'ssee...we taught some other lessons... then we went to teach Daniel, the son ofthe family who is inactive for 10 years that we found last sunday. Anyways wehad a great restoration lesson with him, and then after we stopped by hisparents house and the dad was home and let us in. He is such a great guy,sounds like he was just offended or something years ago. Anyways we had abeautiful lesson and after reading the scriptures together his eyes just lit upand he was like OOH how beautiful these words. It was really cool. God iscalling His children back. There is just so much more waiting for this family,sooo many blessings. I am hopeful.

Saturday taught our beautiful Bolivian family, they are making greatprogress I am sooo happy for them!!!!! AHh I love them. HAHA I just rememberwhat we did Saturday night..so we had english class then family night with theward and TONS OF PEOPLE CAME because some people in our ward are involved withthis Folk Dancing comunity..anyways so this beautiful folk/celtic music wasplaying and everyone was dancing it was beautiful and the bishop INSISTED thatthe missionaries danced as well, literally he was like YOU MUST DANCE they wereall group or line dances and just different steps with your feet, so yeah, weall danced and had the times of our LIVES it was sooooooo fun I love that musicand dancing, we had sooo much fun. Ohh man I am laughing thinking about this oldguy that comes to english class and sometimes stays for FHE and he was tryingto get me to dance with him it was hilarious. It was a fun night that is forsure. Oh yeah we taught them cotton eyed joe hahaha and one of the members tooka video on his phone. So if you see a bunch of missionaries on facebook doingthe cotton eyed joe that might be us. They loved it hhahahah oh man Italiansare so funny.

SundaYY! The branch has been born! Ohh it was so great, there were onlylike 35ish people there counting us and the senior missionary couple. It'sTINY! But great at the same time, some of south americans, Italians,africans..it will be a great branch. The president is an awesome member wholoves rock and guitar and is a spiritual giant. He has some great things he isputting into action, this ward will be bursting in no time. Sunday we had lunchwith another one of our Bolivian investigator families, they are doing awesome,progressing way more than we ever expected. YAY!

This monday and tues were good..just working hard teaching lots in thisbeauitful city with my great companion.

Yay for the mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! out oftime.

love
sorella simkins
 

From: Laurel Simkins[mailto:laurel.simkins@myldsmail.net]

Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 20122:21 AM
Subject: different city, samemiraculous work

HI FAMILY and FRIENDS!

ohh myyy GASH crazy THINGS!! 10 minutes to write. here I GO!

I am in BERGAMO.How is it possible that in my mission the cities just keep getting morebeautiful? Seriously though. Milan..awesomebig city, not that pretty, kinda smelly, Genova really unique cool city, Riminibeautiful on the seaside, then Bergamo, gorgeous city surrounded by minimountains, hilly, soo beautiful. The sky here! IT IS INCREDIBLE! The cloudsthat just pass by all day are breath taking; big fluffy; the mountains green and rolling, the streets small andcolorful and the GREEN GREEN GREEN everywhere and the air...MMMMMM I loveBergamo!!! The church is like a big beautiful chapel, there are 2 amazing wardshere, and the ACCENT IS HILARIOUS! Scotish accent is to English, as Bergamascoaccent is to Italian. It is hilarious I hope I can pick up this accent theremaining months of my mission. HEAVEN.

SORELLA WhitneyBUSH from Wisconsinis my companion..oh my...it is dangerous, she is TOO great. She is reallySORELLA KIME because she looks just like a Kime, she even has beautiful red hair, sweetstyle like rachel kime, and her personality is a mix between Rachel kime andSunny my sister. I have never laughed as hard in my whole mission as I havethis last week. I am so happy my companion is Rachel Kime's 4th sister, I LOVEHER we are best friends already. AND she is only 3 months in the mission, herItalian is amazing, and she teaches sooo well she is just really natural andstrong. She runs, yay! Ahh things are too good.

MIRACLES are out of CONTROL. I am in shock. So it was reallyweird going from knowing everything and everyone in Rimini then coming here, don't know anythingor anyone so I was just working hard along side Sorella Bush and WOW. Longstory short, I will just run you through our first days together. First fullday together: went out to do finding in the park, found Maria and had abeautiful lesson. Then we went and taught a member, then she had to leave andwhen she was leaving her son was getting home who is not a member, so we askedhim if we could stay and have a lesson with him and he said sure! So we taught him therestoration and it was amazing and he said yes to baptism!! What the cool!!!!Then as we were walking down the steps to leave the palazzo a lady was hangingup her clothes so we started to talk to her and she let us in and we havealready taught her 2 more times! She is humble and awesome and has a beautifulfamily. Ha our lesson with her Monday was going amazing until her friend cameover and began proclaiming to us that we are not all children of God and allthis other intense evangeliststuff, but I home Sonia was able to feel the difference as the spirit in theroom totally changed. Speriamo bene. Then we went to the church to have alesson with a new convert and she brought her cousin so we taught her cousinthe restoration and she too said yes to baptism it was soo cool! And they bothstayed for a baptism that was happening in the other ward that evening. Thensaturday just got more incredible, we taught maria again who brought a friend,we taught some ex investigators who have now really been humbled and changed!They really listened and were concentrated and willing to learn!! Then we wentto go visit our ward mission leaders family because we were near by and hewasn't there but hisnon-member mother in law was there so she let us in and we taught her therestoration and she too said yes to a soft baptism invite, which will be thebiggest blessing ever for this family will finally see their mom baptized,eeek! then we went to go visit another lady in our ward and her friend wasthere so we taught her the restoration, and she too will be seeing us now andwas soooo happy to have had that lesson, we called her last night and she justthanked us over and over again, and it so happens that earlier that week thatmember had prayed for a way she could share the gospel with this friend, thenwe just showed up at the right time. Can you believe this? It is out ofcontrol, and that is only two days, the other two days are just as miraculous.For example after a lesson we had some time so made some goals before we didour street contacting and we took like two steps and I just took a short right into this drivewayand walked up the steps and knocked the door, without even thinking TWICE. Thiswomen opened the door, let us in, and we had a beeeaauutttiiifffuuull lesson.This lady is great, around 45, teaches german to middle schoolers, and she wasmaking appointments with us before we could even ask her for a returnappointment! AHHH!!!! So! This is the start to an incredilbe transfer! I praypray PRAY we can just keep working hard and be diligent yet flexible tools forthe Lord to shape and move and use to do His WORK. And I pray we will not laughso hard that we lose focus.

LOVE YOU

love
sorella simkins