Hot! Hot! Hot!

Hola Todos!

What a week! It has been HOT HOT HOT! And we have WALKED WALKED WALKED but also have seen so many miracles.

My testimony is stronger than ever in regards to fasting. It was Saturday and we were already exhausted when we woke up. And this Sunday was fast Sunday and we need so desperately of new investigators. So we pray to find people who are prepared to receive message of the restoration. We walked pretty much all day until it is 9 oclock at night (our mission proselytes until 9:30) and we decided to pass by for a street contact for the other day. Her name is Daniela and is 16. She lets us in and we teach her the restoration. THAT LESSON WAS INCREDIBLE! It is unreal how receptive this girl is and everything we explained she was like [are you serious! That is so cool!] Like about profetas or apostles. And at the end we pray and she says after the prayer [I have never felt like this before. Its like there is lots of peace and hope inside of me]. I thought I was going to cry. I literally felt so strongly the Spirit testifying of our message. And then we ask if next time we can share our message with her whole family. She says YES and we hear her go into the kitchen to ask her ´parents when we can come back and she says no really, mom and dad, you HAVE to hear this! Its the coolest thing I have ever heard! Like really, you HAVE to! Its really important! So we have a lesson this Tuesday! THATS WHAT IM TALKIN ABOUT!

Due to the hotness maybe some of you have heard about the fires in Valpo. They aren't close to us but they are in the neighboring stake and hundreds of houses have burned to the ground with all the new Christmas gifts inside. They have nothing. You know, sometimes Satan is like a fire. He starts a little flame in a weak spot and the fire spreads until we cant control it. I am learning to work on my weak spots.

I love you all. His love is real. I have felt it like never before.

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

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Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

FELIZ ANO

Hola todos!

FELIZ AÑO NUEVO! Hope you all enjoyed your new years festivities. We did! We had dinner with a family in the ward and ate a ton and it was a blast! We had non alcoholic drinks and typically Chilean new years food. We have eaten so much left over pollo relleno that we want to cry. But everyone is so kind to share with us and that makes us so happy.

MY COMPANION IS STILL HERMANA STAUFFER! We had a big surprise this week when they called to say that she is staying. I am super happy because she is just the best. But that means 7 and a half months in one area for her. WOW.

This week I got sick and it was ugly. But we are all good now. :) It was a tough week, not gonna lie. After the family got baptized we were left with nothing. So we have been looking lots. On New Years Eve were were especially bummed because no one would listen to us and our feet hurt and it was just one of those tough missionary moments. When out of no where a 16 year old kid we had contacted the other day comes over and shakes our hands like we are the bestest friends ever. We were kinda confused because we couldnt even remember his name or where we had contacted him. He asks us what we are doing and we explain that we are trying to share about Jesus Christ. So he sits on the ground and says, {tell me about Jesus}. So we start talking about the Restoration and about baptizm and he was SO into it and had so many questions. We talked for about an hour and a half. It was a tender mercy. We are going to stop by this week for him.

Our stake presidency gave the class the third hour of church this week and the stake president said something that I loved and that also like cut me hard core. He said there is no room for the irresponsible, the lazy, the one who justifies, nor the one who is afraid in the celestial kingdom]. Take that in for a second. If we truly want to get to the reino celestial we have gotta live the celestial law. And not just in 10 years from now but NOW. Our little habits make a bigger difference than any one big event. May we all make goals this 2017 to be a little better, serve a little more, and live the celestial law.

I love you all! Happy new year!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

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Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

Christmas in Chile 2

Hola Todos!

I hope you all enjoyed a very Merry Christmas yesterday. It was a WONDERFUL Christmas here in Chile with lots of little miracles and food. :) 

This week we helped make like 2 million Christmas cookies, sang a ton of Christmas carols (even though no one does that in Chile), performed in the ward Christmas party, sang a musical number in church, had Christmas Eve with the family we baptized, and skyped our families. 

Caroling was especially special because music softens hearts. There is a sector of Mansions in our sector (and Im talking MANSIONS! THEY ARE HUGE!) right next to the Lagoon (and I mean a body of water not the amusement park). While many laughed in our faces because we wanted to sing many listened to us and thanked us and were willing to have a come back. THAT NEVER HAPPENS! Its a Christmas Miracle!

One member of the bishopric in our ward gave a talk this Sunday and explained the difference between the fans and the players of professional sports teams. For example the fan may watch football (soccer) every single day, wear clothing that represents the team, is constantly talking and searching things about said team, and goings ritually to every game. But the player is on the field playing. He must have a specific diet and physical exams. He eats, sleeps, and breaths football (soccer). We as memebers of the church cannot just be FANS but we must be PLAYERS. We are players because we have made covenants and thus we are on the field. SO LETS GO PLAY FOOTBALL!

I love you all and testify that His love is real. And we dont just feel His love but we see it. Every day if we truly look for it. 

Olay! Chao!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

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Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

Cantan Santos Angeles

Hola Todos!

What a different and wonderful week! We left our area on Wednesday and didnt really get back until Sunday night. We were in Viña so much and actually stayed in my companions first area which was fun to get to know her converts and stuff.

The Christmas concert was amazing! On the beach. Singin Christmas Songs. In Spanish. As a misisonary. What could be better? Plus it was really fun. It has been stressful, yes. And we havent gotten home until 11:30 or later every single night so we are exhausted but it was SO fun. SOOO many people came! It was so full the last night! We are talking Les Mis on closing night at the Scera Shell status. There wasnt room for everyone. There were thousands of people. It was SO fun! And the Spirit was so strong. I loved every second of it and felt so blessed. So many people that I love from all my different wards were there. It was awesome to see some past investigators too that will soon be getting baptized! I am so happy! It filled me.

This week my studies have just been great and my companion and I have had some great discussions. One thing I have learned is about the name of Christ. In Bible times names had great significance. Just look at Saul who changed to Paul. Names are important. But a name back then meant more than just what we call someone. It means all that that person is. So Jesus Christ referes to his glory, character, attributes, all of it. As we take upon us HIs name we take on all of those things too. This week I played the piano for the primary program (SO CUTE! There are like 40 kids and even Josefa spoke!) and they almost skipped me in the sacrament because all the kids were on the stand too. I almost had a panic attack thinking I wouldnt get the sacrament. What a divine and wonderful blessing the sacrament is. I always want to take upon His name with this ordinance.

FELIZ NAVIDAD a todos! I love you all and hope you remember your Savior and why He came.

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

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Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

White Christmas

Dearest Todos

This week another family entered into the waters of baptism and we got to be a part of it. Katty, Edwin, and Josefa got baptised! It was the most amazing thing! The spirit was so strong. It was so cool to see them all dressed in white and get that little glimse into eternity. My companion and I sang ¨El Bautismo¨ (the baptism about Christ´s baptism) and So many members were there to support them. They were so happy and a little nervous too. They just glowed. This is why I am here. For people like them. They are so converted and such good people. 

Apart from the baptisms we have been in Viña every single day this week at choir rehearsal because the preformance is this weekend! With an hour bus ride there and back and 3 or 4 or 5 hour rehearsals it makes our days pretty short. But the music fills our souls. And our feet. We are gettin the moves on a little bit in some of these upbeat latin christmas toons. I think there will be a recording on youtube afterward for yáll to see. We are projected to have 300 investigators asist. WHAT THE AWESOME SAUCE! Actually we had to write you all later today because of rehearsals. Its crazy. But I love that music fills my soul. I am more convinced every day that music is a cousin of the Spirit. 

I have a testimony of the Plan of Salvation. Not just that it exists but that God is helping us fulfill that plan. Its not like most of our plans that we lay them out and they never happen as planned. God´s plan is perfect. And maybe its not how WE planned but its how HE planned. 

I love you all. My white Christmas is better than yours. ;)

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

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Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Hola todos!

This email comes a day late thanks to a great Christmas activity we had yesterday! It truly is the most wonderful and BUSY time of year. For missionaries too. 

This week was pretty low key because we have gone to Viña so many times for choir practice. Almost every day except 2. And this week will be similar. so we shall see.

The members are so great here! We had a lesson with a freind of one of the members and shared the Restoration. I just love the first vision. It has changed my life.

Katty, Edwin, and Josefa will be getting baptized this Saturday! Your prayers are needed so that everything goes well! We are so excited to baptize a family! This is truly the work of God! I love being a missionary So much!

This week I have realized just how much Heavenly Father knows our individual circumstances. And so much so that He will humble us even when we dont wnat to be humbled. I realize every day just how imperfect I am. But He is perfect. And His plan is perfect. And I, an imperfect person, am part of this perfect plan. He loves you. He loves me. 

I love you all!

Hermana Kelson!

PS GO watch the Christmas Devotional!

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

WRITE LEAH!

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 
Viña del Mar, Chile