Half Way Theeere. . .OH OH! LIving on a prayer!

Hello all!!!!

What a week! I have grown and learned a lot! AND I hit the 9 month mark! I am half way there! Cant believe it! It makes me so sad because I love the mission so much!

My companion, Hermana Castillo is great. She is growing a lot as a new missionary. It is AWESOME to have a native Chilean as a companion even if she is from the south. She teaches me all the Chilean phrases (THERE ARE SO MANY!) and the members all think it is cool to have a CHilean Hermana. She also taught me the Quaca, the national dance of Chile. Dont worry, it was one night when we were in our pjs in our room, not in public. :)

I have been really greatful for great leaders this week. We are all here to help one another. That includes members, missionaries, and whatever other person that lives on the earth. This week our President talked about Jesus Christ and his last few days before He died. He truly has experienced everything that we will experience. He was perfect. And through Him, we can become perfect.

This week we were teaching Javier. An investigator that is really amazing and really wants to be baptized but just doesnt come to church. We taught him the plan of salvation. As we explained that families can be together forever he got tears in his eyes and got really quiet (that is weird for Javier) and told us he really wanted that. I realized in that moment as I testified to Him of the truthfulness of God´s plan for us that He truly does have a plan for every single one of us. I know the Plan of Salvation is real.

I also learned that God is merciful. Many times we wonder why life isnt fair. But I am stinking glad that life isnt fair! If life was fair we would never recieve blessing because we are imperfect and dont deserve the. But we have a merciful Heavenly Father who is there for us every single day and blesses us constantly. I know it.

I love you all SO much! Prayer is real. The church is true. God has a plan for you!

Love,

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Training Take 2

Hola Todos!

I am training again! I am super sad to see Hermana Piraquive go. She is like a sister to me. But I know it is what Heavealy Father wants.

At cambios Dita and her family as well as a few of the dear members from Almendral came to visit me. It was the best surpise ever. And then this Sunday Simmonne and Melissa came to visit me at church! I bawled and bawled. These people are my family! My family has gotten a lot bigger here in Chile. I love more than I ever have!

My new companion is super great! She is a Chilena! That means my Spanish will be stinking amazing at the end of her training. She is 22 years old, a convert of 2 years and 8 months. She is a peramedic, a firefighter, and has a strong personality and a strong testimony. It is really amazing to hear her testimony and training proves to be another oportunity to grow. 

I love the mission. I love being a servant of the Lord. He is so good to me. I love this gospel and testify that this is His church on the earth. 

LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Umbrellas, Youth, and Bread

Dearest Peoples

What a great week. It has been a roller coaster. But I have enjoyed it lots. 

This week I had a little bit of a hard time at one point. I was just tired and without a lot of desire to work. But as we are obedient the Lord blesses us. True story.

This week we did a wonderful activity for the youth. My companion and I had been thinking of doing an activity for quite some time and then I remembered some great activities that we used to do with SP2 and SP6 when we asked questions and the bishopbric or a pannel answered them. We invited all the youth and had them all write quesitons and just had a discussion. It was amazing and we had a great turnout thanks to our mamita who made pizza and offered her home. (she is in the yw presidency). The youth are so important for a ward.

We also found some great nuevos this week. One of which is a family! We are so blessed! Eliseo is still reading SO much and loving the Book of Mormon. But he feels like he needs to know everything before he can be baptized and thinks it will take him about  2 more years. . . uh oh. Prayers. Julio came to church on Sunday thanks to a member that helped us pick him up in the morning! We are excited! Members are so important in this work!

One thing I have learned is that there truly are no coincedences. Literally every single day there are little miracles that leave me floored. I feel like the most spoiled person ever. Or as Chileans say  a ¨regalona de Padre Celestial.` 

It was super rainy yesterday. Like TONS. But we make the best of it. I actually like the rain. The mission is great! 

Congrats to all who are getting mission calls! My companion and I say every day that the mission is the best decision that a human being can make.

LOVE YOU ALL! OLAY!

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Happy Independance Day Columbia!

HOLA TODOS!

(Note From Kate: Sorry for getting this letter out like a week late. The Kelson Klan was on Vacation and I couldn't do it until tonight. Thanks)

Happy Independence Day Columbia! And the United States of America! WOOOOT! It is cool that my companion and I have the same national holiday today! WOO HOO! While you are all super warm in los estados I am freezing my tail off. It doesnt say that it is that cold but the cold is humid and it is cold to the bone. 

This week was kinda tough. There were many times that I just wanted a nap. But it was also super great. I have a huge testimony of fasting. If you have not fasted for 24 hours and have the capacity to do so, DO IT. It changes are deepest desires and helps us become more like Christ.

This week we set a baptismal date with Javier. It was an incredible lesson about the atonement. He is a 30 year old student that wants happiness. Lessons with him are straight up Preach My Gospel material because we teach to his need. It is incredible. But the next day he didnt show up for church. I was a little bit miffed. 

I am so certain that there are no coicidences. There have been so many times that we run into someone on the street that we havent seen for a long time. Or that we pass a house just when they needed comfort. I testify that there are no coicedences. 

We helped someone pack up their house to move this week. We also had priesthood holders give blessings to a few invesitgators. We are trying to shake things up and get people progressing! :) When something isnt working, CHANGE something. If you dont like how things are turning out, CHANGE IT.

Today we had an activity for the 4th of July. It was a blast. We played sports, had a BBQ, and had a show of music. I improve played the Star Spangled Banner for an elder and it went well. Using the talents. :)

There there were 3 of us from OHS! Elder Dickerson, Hermana Hamilton and I!

I testify that Heavenly Father loves us all and hears our prayers. I also know that LOVE is what motivates people. I have seen that a lot this week.

I love you all. You are all in my prayers. OLAY!

Love,

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile