Batman and Cyclops 4/13/2015

Dear Family and Friends, 

This week it feels like someone ripped out my heart and stomped on it. It's the beginning of Transfer #3. Hermana Toone, my old companion, has left to the north. I am really sad about it. I honestly look back and my mind is so confused...where did the time go? I have four months already done in the mission...it's getting faster and faster. I love Hermana Toone, it's going to be so weird without her. Really, I feel like I did when I had to leave the MTC, you look back and wish you could relive it all over again. 

But new adventures are awaiting. I need to remember that.

My new companion is Hermana Irigoyen. She has been out 8 months and she is from Agentina...(Hulia!) She is really cool...well from what I know, I have only been with her for a couple hours. Luckily she speaks English...but this is a great opportunity for me to learn! I am going to speak with her in Spanish, and she's a native so I know this is really going to help me. God knows what we need. 

This last week with Hermana Toone has been a good one. I lost my voice for two days and Hermana Toone's contacts were bugging her eyes. So for the week she had bloodshot, red, scary eyeballs and I had this raspy, deep, creepy whisper. One of the Elders in our district called us Cyclops and Batman. Because she had scary eyes and I had a scary voice. I called him one day to ask him about something and said "Holla, soy Hermana Kelemen..." and in reply he said "Oh gosh! sorry I thought you were Darth Vador!" Okay so my voice was really weird. Any time I tried talking to anyone, they just laughed at me. And in lessons, no one really understood me. Having bad Spanish and a raspy, deep, creepy whisper are not good mixes if you guys were wondering. BUT my voice is back! So all is well! Well when I try singing my scary whisper kind of comes back...but I don't know if that's because my voice is still healing or I always sounded that bad and I just never realized. I'm starting to worry it's the latter. 

This week we found three families!! Three new families to teach! What a blessing. One family none of them are members. We were just walking to do some pass-bys and I saw this lady and she had some really cool pants on. (Okay so they were a Kate kind of cool, like one of the treasures I would buy at DI and LOVE and wear and then mom and Casidy would shake their heads in shame). So I turned to her and told her I loved her pants and asked where she got them. She then told us New York...USA! So we got talking and we sneakily invited ourselves over to her house and walked home with her and taught her and her family the first lesson. It was really cool! I cant wait to see where that goes. Then the others are part member families. And the family members in the family are not active. But I have a good feeling about them. I think we can help them! 

I have loved this week. I love the people here. I know God has a plan for all of us to become what he wants us to become. I needed Hermana Toone and the strange people in Barrio 8 and the weird Elders in my district to become what I need to be. I am so grateful for them. I love the people here so much. They are blessing and changing my life. Look around and notice the people God has placed in your path to help you. NOTICE them and thank them. They may be your brother or that random man who picks up your wallet you dropped. I know God has given us many things in life to help us become what he wants us to become, like scriptures, prophets, commandments. But also one the biggest things he gave us is EACH OTHER. We were not sent here to become what he wants us to be alone. We need each other. So let us help each other and learn from each other.

Life in Spain is good for this one.

I love life; it's fun.

Love, Hermana Kelemen

Thank you for your prayers! I love you all!

Kate and Easter 4/6/2015

Dear Family and Friends, or whoever reads this, 

First, I didn't have time to read all the emails...so sorry to all. 

Mom, yes I listened to conference. I listened to the women's session and the first session in Spanish and the rest in English. It's so much better hearing the real speakers voice. Be grateful most speak our native tongue; it's a HUGE blessing we take for granted. 

This week has been amazing. Why? CHRIST LIVES. I love the scripture in John16:33 that says, "BE OF GOOD CHEER I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD". Conference was amazing and I learned SOOOOOOOOOOO much. But one thing I really learned this week is God wants us to be happy in this life...even in the hard times. (I loved Aunt Katherine's letter, she talked about this.) And it is possible, why? Because He lives, and really we have no reason to fear. Dance hard to the music even when no one else can hear it, because it is so sweet. Honestly, it is great news. Everyday is a good day...because of that Easter day so many years ago. We just need to believe it. 

Family, I also loved that talk that talked about knowing what time it is at home. I want you to know with a powerful YES, I know what time it is at home. His talk...is everything I have felt in the mission. I often think of you...and I know what you are doing. For example, I pictured you all hiking the 'Y' and eating bread this week. I pictured you all gathered around the TV in Heber listening to conference with your notes, bingo charts and candy. I often, in the early mornings, picture my family awake reading scriptures as a family and Mondays I picture you having family home evening. Durning his talk I began to cry. I pictured you all kneeling in prayer for me and this work. I am so happy to "know what time it is at home". I love you so much. Mom, Dad, Casidy, Garrett, Mark, Jess, Tom, Jess, Jo, Julia, Aaron, Claire, Poe, I love you guys. I love you so much. I think about you often...we have got it so good. Thank you for your examples, and know that I truly know "what time it is at home". Also it seemed every talk, talked about FAMILY. It's under attack. Thank you all for doing the little things. We are protected greatly by these little things. :) 

I love you all. Thank you for being you. 

I often kneel in prayer and say, "Father you keep spoiling me". He truly likes to do that to His Kate. 

Love, Hermana Kelemen

P.S. This week we taught this lady and it was such a good lesson...or so I thought and then at the end I began bearing my testimony and I looked up to the lady, and her eyes were closed, and she was asleep. She fell asleep during my testimony...another Kate moment of the week.