So I don't have very much time at all because we have a big P-Day planned. The Bishop is picking us up and we are going on a hike somewhere amazing I guess with a few families from the ward. I am really excited however we have to leave pretty soon so I will try to be quick.
Let me say that this week has had its up's and its downs. First of all late Tuesday night we got a call from one of the assistants saying that Sister Vea was getting transferred because there was a new sister arriving from Tonga who needed a trainer so they took her away from us. We were all devastated and we just cried as we packed her stuff. Wednesday morning I drove us to Hamilton which is about two hours away for Sisters' Conference and that was when Sister Vea met her new companion. She is now serving in the Tongan program in South Auckland. We really miss her but Sister Gunnell and I are still having a lot of fun.
Like I said Wednesday we had Sisters' Conference in Hamilton at the VC and it was so much fun. All the sisters in the mission were there apart from four because they are serving to really remote areas and they couldn't make it in. Anyways I loved being surrounded by so many sisters. The spirit was so strong and I was just overwhelmed with excitement as I thought of all of these sisters serving in the mission and all the miracles they were having. It was a day that I will always remember.
Another hard moment happened when we were teaching our seventeen year old investigator Dominique who was scheduled to be baptized on Friday. We knew something was up because she had been avoiding us. We finally go her to meet with us and she insisted that she still wanted to be baptized. She said that she had just faced so much temptation the past few days and she was really struggling. She said that it had to do with smoking but I felt like there was something more. I felt the spirit and I was just saying the spirit was putting into my heart and the message was one of encouragement telling her that she could do this. I read her a scripture that came to mind but in the middle of it she got up and ran out of the room and my heart dropped. I didn't know what I had done or said that would up set her so much. I told my companions to just wait and I went into her room and she was sitting on the floor crying so I sat by her and hugged her and told her to just cry. We both sat there and cried for a good five minutes. Finally she looked up and started to tell me what had really been bothering her. She said that she had a boy-friend that she knew she couldn't keep if she were to get baptized. She was struggling within herself to find the courage to end things with him and that is why she broke down. After this my companions came in the room and joined me and we talked her through it and by the end of the night we told her to pray and ask God when she needed to be baptized. Later that night we got a text that read "FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!" So she broke up with her boyfriend and was baptized on Friday. Her baptism was beautiful the change that she has gone through this week alone is remarkable. She also told us that when she turns nineteen she is planning on serving a mission. Now because she was baptized on Friday we had to wait until Sunday to confirm her and Sister Gunnell and I were really worried about the adversary tempting her so we invited her to spend the day with us and she did. She walked with us and went to all of our appointments with us and she loved it. It was so cool because she had just been baptized the night before and then she was right out doing missionary work. When we took her home she said that she loved the day and that she is so excited now for her mission. I was so happy I couldn't even stand it. This is what true happiness is and I am so blessed to be a part of it.
Well I guess I don't really have time for anything else this week. I love and miss all of you! I will try to send some pictures before I have to leave. Have a good week!!
Love,
Sister Simkins
This is us with Dominique the night of her baptism. I love her so much!!!!!
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