Godliness is Manifest in the Ordinances Thereof

Hola Todos!

SAMMY, ROMINA, and VALENTINA got baptized!!!!!!! We are SO happy! But lets just say it has been a crazy week. Satan knows when we are about to make good decisions and tries to stop us. This is true for missionaries and investigators alike. So Valentina is the cousin of Sammy and Romina is Sammy´s mom. In Valentina´s family there were some trials that all came in this week right before the baptizm. We have prayed so much for this family this week. And you know what? Everything worked out and they were baptized this weekend. I even sang a musical number and they all cried. Romina shared her thoughts afterward and it was so powerful. Godliness is truly manifest in the ordinances thereof. (DYC)

I have also been studying the New Testament. Thanks to President Diaz our whole mission is studying the New Testament and loving it. I was reading right before Christ goes to the garden of Gethsemane. I learned that shortly before, I believe the day before or a few days before, the details are unclear, Christ goes to the temple. And then that very night he institutes the sacrament. These two covenants: the temple and the sacrament, were necessary to give Him the strength he needed to perform the atonement. As I thought about this all week I realized the necesity we have to partake of the sacrament and go to the temple. Renewing these covenants gives us the strength to live our lives. 

We had a zone activity today and went to the Botanic Gardens. It was a blast. Photos attatched. 

What a blessing it is to be a missionary!

Love you all!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

WRITE LEAH!

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

1 Year

Dearest Everyone

1 year. I have been in Chile for 1 year. It has been SO wonderful and I have grown SO much. Truly. I feel so blessed. 

This week I had intercambios with the one and only HERMANA WALKER from my group from the MTC. We had so much fun and saw miracles. And we even went running in the morning for exercise which was so good for my body!! I LOVED IT!

We found a new investigator: IGNACIO this week. He is 20 and has some very severe physical handicaps. He sits at home with no one to talk to all day every day. We found him through his dad that didnt want anything to do with us but wanted us to teach his son. Ignacio was so without hope and was angry with God. But through the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation he has found hope and peace. Actually, I have found more hope in the Book of Mormon and Plan of Salvation too. It is truly amazing how loving our Father in Heaven is to give us a plan perfecto with an instruction book right along with it. The atonement is real folks. 

Also Sammy, Valentina, and Romina are still doing awesome! They will be baptized this Saturday!

We also had interviews with the mission President and he is literally perfect. 

Love you all!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Series of unfortunate and VERY FORTUNATE events

Hola Todos!

I am so sorry for the quick email last week. We were cut on our time to email because the internet cafe was closing and I freaked out. But thats chill. :) 

This week has been LOCO and FUN and GREAT and all the things. 

Unfortunate events:

As you all heard we flooded the apartment last Monday but it is just a leak in the kitchen which our District Leader and Zone leaders fixed. All in well en Sion. 

It has rained a ton this week. LIke more than ever. ANd we were super wet. BUT it made for a funny experience. We bought chocolate for a yw in the ward for her birthday. We were trying to put in in my bag to keep it from getting wet and it fell into a little river made my the rain and fell through the front gate of someone to their front door. In Chile everyone has gates and you cant go through them. So we frantically yelled for the owner to come out and were laughing so hard when she came out that we didnt even give her a pass along card. But it made for a great story.

We lost the cellphone for a few hours only to find it in the hood of my jacket. .. how it got there I will never know.

Very Fortunate events¨

Sammy, Romina, and Valentina are all progressing toward baptism really well. They all came to church on Sunday and Romina even gave her testimony! She said that before taking the missionary lessons her life was dark and lonely and since taking the lessons she feels so much light and life. She and her husband were without work before the missionaries met them and now they both have jobs. She says it is because she is following the light. MIRACLES!

Pamela didnt come to church because it was raining. But we passed by to see how she was doing. We are helping her to stop smoking. I came up with a great idea to have a competition thing with her. I have promised to stop biting my fingernails if she stops smoking. There you have it folks, the only way I will every stop biting my fingernails.

I love my companion Hermana Flor. She is from Ecuador. I have the record for latina companions I think. I LOVE IT! She thanked me for being crazy the other day. Jaja.

Due to General Conference and Stake Conference the last 2 weeks we hadnt taken the sacrament in a  LONG time. I finally had the opportunity to take it this week and the spiritual relief was amazing. The sacrament really truly gives us the strength to move foward. It is like charging our battery. LIke it says in 3 Nephi when Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament: And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled.. 

I testify that the sacrament fills us.

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

WRITE LEAH!

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

Choa Quilpue Hola Belloto!

Hola todos!

So sorry. Really fast. I have been transferred to Belloto! IT is part of Quilpue. I love my companion. 

Our apartment flooded this morning.

We have 4 dates for baptizm.

LOVE YOU ALL!
Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Blessed

Hola Queridas personas!

 

 

This week was real great. Really truly. I have had my eyes opened a little bit this week. 

Monday night we celebrated Matias´s birthday with a surprise cake and a NDH. (fhe) 

Bernardo is doing really well. He is truly so prepared of the Lord. This week we was explaining to us that he feels less loved by the Lord than we are. We looked at him like, ¨What are you smoking?¨ and he explained that he never had the chance to read the Book of Mormon with his family growing up, he never had the chance to talk about what they learned at church over dinner, he never had the chance to be raised in the gospel. We explained the parable where the boss hires his workers at 9 am, 12pm, 3pm and at the last hour and that all were payed the same. He seemed to be calmed a little by this and we testified of God´s love. But as we left I was left thinking about what he had said. I have been so incredibly blessed and yet I took it for granted so many times growing up. I am grateful for parents who love me and that taught me the gospel. I am grateful for friends who supported me and helped me keep my standards and for the countless leaders that have helped me be where I am today. General Conference only reenforced these feelings for me. We should never take for granted what we have because we truly have the best thing in the world: the knowledge of the plan of salvation.

Hermana Andrea, Ruben, Macarena, Simonne, and Melissa all came to visit me at conference. I felt even more blessed! I miss my Valpo Fam!!!

We also set another baptismal date with another investigator: Ester. She prayed about José Smith and got a very powerful answer and now we are working with her even though her evangelico familia makes it a little difficult. 

I testify that His plan is real. His plan is sure. He loves us. 

All my love,

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile