20 and Blessed

Hola Queridas Personas!

First of all, thank you all so much for the birthday wishes. I felt so special and loved all this week! Thank you thank you thank you! Birthdays on the mission are the best! What the awesome! Also, this week was probably the best of my entire mission. Let me explain:

Monday: Zone activity for the 18th of September. I taught the zone to play blow pong. 

Tuesday: I finished the Book of Mormon again! As a mission we focus on certain topics and this time around we focused on things like family, covenants, profets, and the Priesthood. It was truly amazing. I KNOW THIS BOOK IS TRUE WITH ALL MY HEART! Truly!

Wednesday: I completed 11 meses and had intercambios with my companion from the MTC: Hermana Huntsman! It was so fun and she made me brownies and we slept in a tent to celebrate.

Thursday: My 20th birthday. We had Zone Conference and they sang to me. I have recieved like 7 cakes for my birthday. Our cita in the night time fell through but we had faith to see miracles. We ended up finding Jazin, Ester, and Belen: 3 new investigators that told us God had sent us!

Friday: We taught a lot and it was just a great day.

Saturday: The Womens Conference. I LOVED the talks and realized the need to know the basics! We are so blessed to have leaders who love and lead us. 

Sunday: BERNARDO IS GETTING BAPTIZED! We talked with him and Ana and realized they are married! He read in 2 Nephi 31 and had lots of questions about baptism. HE WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED AND HE IS SO PREPARED! He is truly chosen. We are so excited!

This week was great and I appreciate all your prayers and thoughts. Yáll are in mine tambien.

ALL MY LOVE! Olay!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

18 de Septiembre

Hola Todos!

First of all, I have learned that we should never pray for humility because He will always answer our prayers. Haha. I have felt quite weak and imperfect this week but I am growing, even if it isnt very fun. 

This week we found a new investigator: Maria Jose. A 10 year old who is the granddaughter of an investigator. THERE ARE MIRACLES EVERY DAY!

Also, I we talked with the nonmember husband this week and it made me so sad to hear what he believed. How is it that people dont believe in the atonement! Wha t a world without hope that must be! HOW SAD! Believe in the atonement. It is better and happier. 

The 18 happened. That independence day here for those of you who dont know. I have eaten SO many empanadas I have almost died. But empaneadas are my fav thing! Also, TONS of meat. That is that. It was also my comps birthday. She is 20 now! Woot!

I know we have weaknesses because Heavenly Father loves us. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! VIVE CHILE! Olay!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Argentina VS Chile

Hola Todos!

My sister is going to Argentina!!! We are going to be neighbors! Super psyched! Congrats Ann! We´re gonna speak Spanish together!

We were sad to see one of our cards dropped on the ground.

This week has been great! This week we found a part member family. HIs name is Conrado (like Konrad, the Kelson family name) and his polola, the member is Nicole. They are awesome! We taught about the Book of Mormon this week and the Spirit was SO strong! They have met with many missionaries and I think we touched their hearts. Or rather, the Spirit did. :) He came to church on Sunday even though Nicole and the kids were sick.

The ward is in love with Matias. He is just awesome! We are progressing toward baptism with him.

This week we also taught Bernardo. He was really skeptic about the church at first and had LOTS of questions: About the Priesthood, Jose Smith, etc. . . But we met with him a second time this week and asked if he had prayed about what we had taught. He said ¨There is a reason you are here again. If I didnt believe it was true, you wouldnt be here.` So that was awesome! Its so cool to see the Spirit working in other people´s lives. 

This week I realized that the Plan of Salvation really truly is all about FAMILIES! That is why we live and breath and keep going. Is for the FAMILY! To be with them forever. Both spiritual and physical families. Go spend time with your family!

I love you all!

Hermana Kelson

Hermana Leah Kelson
4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631
Vina del Mar,


leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

How Do You Know He's Not a False Prophet

HOLA TODOS! How I miss and love you all! I feel your love and prayers and support. Thank you!

This week was great! Heavenly Father is soo good!

This week with Jacqueline she let us into her home for the first time. (we have been teaching outside or at the park) She lives with her 16 year old daughter, husband, and mother. As we taught she told us she was sad because she didnt think her husband would let her come to church. My heart fell a little and we testified about prayer and that it would all work out with time. In that same instant her husband invited us for once. (um like mini dinner? How do I explain once to gringos?) We shared with the whole family and they thanked us for saying the prayer. Jacqueline was so excited afterward because her husband recieved us so well she walked us out and jumped for joy. Yesterday we went back to see her and her husband began asking us questions. I started chatting A LONG time with him about lots of things in the gospel. (I know more than I thought I did) He just kept talking and talking. At one point he asked me Ând how do you know that Joseph Smith wasnt a false prophet? At this point I bore my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. He went silent. In fact the whole family went silent. And the Spirit testified of my words. He accepted a Book of Mormon and would pray about it. YEAH FOR TESTIMONIES!

Familia Araya Oryan came to church!!! AAAHH!! And Javiera really liked it. And she is going to young womens this week! I am so happy! We just need to invite her to be baptized is all. I am psyched!

This week we had exchanges and while we have had so many miralces all week long this day EVERY appointment fell. It was one of the hardest days of my mission. Heavenly Father has a big sense of humor. Haha.

I testify that Jesus Christ truly came to the Americas and taught the people here. I know that He lives and knows me. He knows you. And wants the best for you all. 

SHOUT OUT TO MY LITTLE SIS WHO GETS HER MISSION CALL THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All my love,

Hermana Leah Kelson

 

Email and Write Leah!

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Miracles of Miracles

Hola Todos!

This week has been such a blessing! I feel so blessed to be a misisonary and to be a small part of this great work! I have given so many prayers of gratitude this week.

First of all I have a new companion! Her name is Hermana Gòmez from Peru and is so sweet. Actually we are in a trio right now. Until Hermana Ovalle leaves today. I am actually in tears to have her leave. She has become a dear dear friend and helped me so much. It is probably a good thing that we only have 4 weeks together because we´re basically sisters. She flies to the United States today. 

This week we had a beautiful miracle of Matias. The other day we found a few ward members from Valpo out in the street and I freaked out. We were talking and they were visiting their daughter here. Their daughter has a 9 year old son who hasnt been baptized. That is Matias. He is a literal angel and reminds me SO much of my brother Seth when he was that age. It is actually creepy how much he is like Seth. And he is just great! We put a baptismal date for the 11 of September and he came to church! The ward was great with him and it has just been miraculous.

Also, remember Jacqueline from last week? This week we invited her to be baptised and she said that that was a great responsibility and that if she makes the decision it will be forever. She is praying about it. She is literal gold and I feel so priviledged to be her missionary. She tells us we seem like perfect people and she can never be like us. Um. . .I AM NOT PERFECT! It becomes more and more evident daily.

Also Family Araya Oryan has been great. Javiera, the 13 year old didnt want anything to do with us the last time. But the 2nd time watched the Jospeh Smith movie with us and she was like ¨Hey! Just like you guys said!¨And we looked at her like, ¨When were you listening?¨So she really does have interest and really wants to pray to know that this is true. I love their family so much!

The mission is just basically the best. And I fell so priviledged to be a missionary. Yes, it is hard. And I am tired. But it is wonderful! I know that Heavenly Father puts EVERY person in our path that needs to be there. That has been very evident this week. 

I love you all dearly! Thank you for your prayers! Yáll are in mine. 

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Blustery Week

Hola queridas personas!

What a windy week! And I mean that spiritually and physically! :) This week we saw many miracles and were discouraged at many moments as well. :)

Monday we were frustrated after no one came to church last Sunday and set a goal to just work real hard. And we found a miracle! Sometimes miracles come in the form of bodily functions. I had to go REAAALLY bad and we were far from any members of trust. But on the mission I have lost any ability to be embarrassed about anything. So we were knocking apartments and there was a door open. I poked my head in and asked if I could use their bathroom. The lady, Karen, was very nice and let me in. While doing my business she talked with my companion and her husband came home from work. We foudn that he is a less active member and she isnt a member and we taught about the atonement and he, Hector, cried. It was AMAZING! 

Tuesday we did service. He is the best friend of the Relief society presidents husband. (yeah, confusing) But we  offered our help one day and he said yes. As we were helping him out in his field he´s like ¨So tell me how your church started!¨ And so we taught the restoration while working in the field. He invited us for once and we taught his wife as well. THankfully all our appointments had fallen through so we had time to be with them.

Wednesday we were contacting some Evangelicos. (pesados!) And they didnt want anything to do with us so I asked if they knew someone who wanted to hear our message. They said maybe their neighbor. So we knocked the door and found Jacqueline. As we asked her if she was happy she told us no and we shared the Book of Mormon with her. She told me that when I spoke she felt peace. She told me I had light inside.

Yeah, we had many miracles. The end of the week we walked a lot. :)

Also, I have been out for 10 months now! What the crazy!

 

My Comp and I have been playing this game in the street. Like human darts. Only with Plants. hehe

I love you all SO much! Olay!

10 Months down!

Hermana Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile

Chilean Flare

Dearest Gente

I love you all. Really truly I do. Thank you for your prayers and support. I can feel it. And thank you for not forgetting that I exist even though I have passed the halfway mark. Jaja.

This week we had a few adventures and a few miracles and a few disappointments.

First of all, we had a ward activity this week that was a cultural activity and I saw the National Dance of Chile (Cueca) for the first time live. Also, there were a few brothers who sang typical chilean songs that dedicated one to me! The gringa missionary. It was a song about leaving your heart in Chile and they changed some of the words. So sweet!

We also had a roadtrip this week, Hermana Ovalle and I, for a few hours. My companion had a baptism from her last ward that we had permission to go see.So we went and it was super fun!

This week we put 3 baptismal dates. We had one with Maryte who went with us to the ward activity. She has met with missionaries many times but doesnt want to be baptized in our ward. As we were at the activity she turned to us and said, ¨YOu know what? I want to be baptized here.¨ We were extatic!

We also haev been meeting a lot with Laura and put a baptismal date. She has a really tough life and is wiling to change but isnt always willing to make the necessary changes. I think we are all like that a little bit.

But the disappointment was that none of our investigators came to church even though we went looking for them before church and everything. I was a little bit bummed. . . or a lotta bit.

One thing I have realized more than ever this week is that when Jesus Christ came to the earth He didnt say ¨Come to me all you healthy, normal, capable people without problems who dont need help.¨ NOT AT ALL! He said Come Unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. He asked all the afflicted, hurt, broken, sick people in need of help to come to Him. Sometimes we are like, ¨Oh no, I am not worthy to go to Him, I am too broken or too sick or I need too much help.¨But THAT is the exact reason why He came! Sometimes I am like, ¨Why arent there normal people who are interested in the gospel?¨ But then I realize that is not why I am here. I am HIS representative and He asked for those who need His help. The gospel isnt for the perfect people. Its for the imperfect.

I love you all dearly! Love your guts! Say your prayers!

Hermana Leah Kelson

leah.kjeldsen@myldsmail.net

Hermana Leah Kelson

4 Norte 1112 Casilla 631 

Viña del Mar, Chile