The New Spanish Holiday 10/19/2015

Dear Family and Friends,

"Once upon-a-time a young girl named Hermana Kelemen was serving with another young girl named Hermana Graff. They were serving a mission in Spain. Once day, they were doing their morning weekly planning, and they discovered that their birthdays were two days apart, and in the same week. Later on, they soon discovered that their district leader too had
his birthday in the same week, and they then decided to have a birthday week. The hermanas decided that each day of that week, they were going to do something fun. Weeks later, this small but simple idea then exploded, and the whole world found out."

Okay, like it's getting weird. We were walking with a member and she said, "So what are you guys doing on p-day for birthday week?" My comp and I looked at each other shocked. We hadn't told this member anything. Then, we were once walking with someone else, and he said, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I have a really good recipe to make for birthday week..." What?!! So now...I can't figure out how, but our birthdays have become a Spain Holiday for the people in the hood. Don't ask me how this came to be...it just did.

Also, during a lesson with a recent convert, my stomach growled and he asked if I had gas. I said no, and explained I was hungry. But, he wouldn't believe me. He told me he too once had the same problem, so now he watches what he eats. Also, another tip he gave me, was to drink water. It was really annoying because it was clearly a growl, but he wouldn't believe me. In the meantime, my comp didn't even back me up; she just laughed, and agreed with the water tip.  That's no way to treat your trainer.

This week was such a good week. Lately, I have been having the same dream. In the dream, I'm in my last interview with the President to go home, and every time, I start crying, asking him if I can stay a little bit longer. And then after the interview I wake up. It scares me. Mainly, because if you didn't know, I have ten months in the mission, and only eight left. And really, I love it. The thought of it ending is scary. I just don't know why I keep having that dream.

Something I've really been thinking about, is the Sabbath day. It's the people who keep this commandment that are the strongest in the Church. Keeping it holy isn't done in three hours of church attendance. This is a day we renew our convents with God; it is a day we become clean again. With the sacredness of it, there is a reason for why we must keep it holy. How do we keep it holy? I want you to think about it.

Hand of God: this week in district meeting I felt the spirit really strong. We talked about the importance of faith, and I don't what it was, but it seemed to be an answer to my prayer. My faith is something I always need to be strengthening.

Love,
Hermana Kelemen

District photos Below:

The Baby White Face Giant 10/12/2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Today I had to do something I hate doing...sing in public.  Hermana Graff and I had to sing a song for a baptism...just the two of us. We failed. If you don't believe me, ask Aaron. When he and I tried to sing, ''Home, yes I am home, home is where ever I'm with you.' (hand to the face). I don't mind speaking in public or dancing in public...not one bit. But me singing = .  It's because it really is just an ear bleeding experience. But that's all over, so menos mal.

This week Daniel and Dennis were supposed to be baptized but Daniel broke/fractured (I don't really know what) his foot during his soccer game and now has a cast. So, we have to wait. They are so awesome though and we are just waiting for them to get baptized now when his foot heals.

This week, also our whole building's water went out for 24 hours. That was hard. Mainly because we couldn't go to the bathroom at our piso. So after studies (which was longer than ever) we booked it to the church. That was kind of an adventure. 

The other day we were in a comida, and the family told me I had a baby face. Then when we were visiting a menos activo, she told me I had the perfect skin to be in the 50's because I am so white. ? That doesn't really make any sense...but whatever. I am the baby white face giant.

This week we had two really cool 'hand of God moments.' The first, we contacted a really cool guy that's from Honduras. He told us when we met him, he had been to the LDS church in Honduras two times. So we met with him, and he is so awesome. After the lesson, we
invited him to read the Book of Mormon, and he said "I am really hungry to know God better, so of course. I want to read. I want to come tomorrow to Church." These are the moments when you want to jump up and high five him, and yell. . .where have you been all my mission? But I'm sane. So I kept my cool. But he came to church, and he loved it.

The other is with an old investigator we had, and couldn't meet for like a month because he had sugary. Before we had taught him 3 times and invited him to be baptized and he said 'never'. But he is cool and has a ton of faith so we kept trying. And finally (por fin) we had a lesson with him and it was a quick 20 min. lesson because we had to go teach English class. But then that night he texted us and said, "Please I want to be baptized in your Church. I know I said 'no' before, but today's lesson really touched me." ?! ?!? I was shocked. For our lesson----we just invited him to Church and explained what went on and bore our testimonies. So in other words, thank you spirit.

I love it. Missions aren't sacrifices. I found a quote I love:
Despite all the challenges that President Brigham Young faced, for him, “there [was] no such thing” as sacrifice,  because everything belongs to God already and what we give up only blesses us and prepares us for exaltation. He viewed what we would call sacrifices as opportunities to exchange “a worse condition for a better one”. 
-President Young

Love, Hermana Kelemen

Conference & the Mad Music Conducting Skills 10/5/2015

Family and Friends,

Just like all of you, I too got to listen to conference---well, all but the last session. Well, wait, we did listen to the 4th session...but I didn't really listen myself.

Antonia, Daniel and Dennis came. And Antonia and Daniel loved it!! They were taking notes the whole time, and Antonia loved the last song, 'The Spirit of God'. (That was really powerful, no?) I on the other hand, I  attempted to write notes and listen...but it was a lost cause. I was wrestling with Dennis the whole time, the 5 year old boy.  I learned a lot I guess from that.
1. Mothers who try to get their kids to listen to conference don't really listen themselves.
2. It's been a long time since I've worked at Adventure Time.

But it was good, because I can re-read the talks later. After the conference, we asked them all what their favorite part or speaker was. Dennis said he loved the conductor, the way he moved his arms and hands. Wait, the man who leads the music? I didn't pay too much attention to him...maybe I will have to re-watch that too.

We got to watch two sessions live, and it was really cool to think "around the world my family just finished hiking the Y, and they too are watching conference right now."

I really liked the story about Pablo and his dad in conference. How his father told him about things he might be feeling or passing through at different ages---because he once was there too. I don't know if you remember me asking you several times to tell me your mission stories, now that I am serving...this is what I was referring too. But unlike Pablo, I don't just have a dad to tell me what I might expect in the field. I have a mom, a sister, a brother, another brother, a sister, a sister, sister in law, brother in law, another sister in law, aunts, uncles, a cousin, another cousin, and times cousin by a lot. So if you trained once, or you were halfway through your mission once... What should I look out for?

Although, I would love to hear more stories, I too have heard a lot. One of the cousins wrote me a letter the other day about when he was on his mission, that really was just what I needed to hear. I have gotten letters from a bunch of the cousins, and my siblings that have helped me so much.

If Pablo was quite blessed with a good father to show him the way---then I'm down right spoiled rotten to have a huge family to show me the way.

Other really quick thing I loved from conference was in the Women's Conference. Elder Uchtorf shared a story about a positive, happy lady and her influence on an 11 year old girl. The story was good, but the ending was my favorite. He said, the little girl then went back home, but, however, she was never quite the same again. I hope, we too...walk away from this conference, never quite the same again. If not then it didn't fulfill it purpose.

I love you! This week was really good in the hood. 
Love, Hermana Kelemen

P.S. I guessed Ronald A Rasband! Me and Hermana Graff made guesses for
the next apostles. The others I was so off---but I was glad I got one.

Humility 9/28/2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Our lesson appointment failed us Saturday night, and I was a little...fed up. But, my goal is, when people fail, or things don't work out the way I think they ought, to "put my shoulder to the wheel, (and) push a long, (because) we all have work, let(s) not shirk, (and) put our shoulder to the wheel." We either can sit and whine or keep-a-goin'.

When I don't feel like contacting, I have to say a prayer in my heart to have the attitude to work. Because even if you fake a smile...people can see past it. It's easier to find people when you're happy. Because people like happy people.

Anyways, I said a pray like 'Heavenly Father, I know there are people who are kept from the truth only because they don't know where to find it. I know there are people ready, so please help us find them tonight.'  We then went contacting, and met a lot of cool people. But
none of them where willing to listen to our message. We then were heading home, I saw a guy with his headphones in, listening to music and reading something on his phone. Normally, it's awkward to contact someone listening to music...So good thing I'm awkward. I just shouted "hola" extra loud. He took out his head phones and we began talking. He asked a lot of questions about who we were----and then he started crying----and he told us he was just wandering tonight, not knowing what to do. He told us a lot about the past couple years
in his life, and long story short, he is lost. He said he knows God is there, and is trusting in him to help him. I then told him that we, as missionaries, are Gods servants, and we know! We have something that will bless your life! We then told him about how before, I was praying for someone who was looking for the truth. He really liked that and thanked us over and over again. We will be seeing him tomorrow. It was a really cool experience.

Really, there have been a lot, a lot, a lot of tears shed this week. Not mine. Not my companions. But everyone we have found in the street and our investigators too. It's sad, because really we have found a lot of people who are going through some really ruff stuff. But these are the people who listen.

We can either choose to be humble, or God will compel us to be humble. I have been thinking a lot about humility. It is only the humble who listen to us. And why? In order to feel the spirit, we have to be humble.

One of our zone leaders is Hermana Graf's and my favorite person in all the world. Every time he talks, or is with you, you feel the spirit. Although, you would never expect it. He is really shy and quiet. But the reason we feel the spirit so much around him is because he is so humble. It doesn't matter if you give an amazing talk with great insight if you don't have the spirit. And you can't have it unless you are humble.

Although I feel so badly for all these people and the afflictions they have...I am so grateful we found them. Because we can help them!

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

It's been a really good week. And I have learned a lot about humility. I love you so much. And I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. So my invitation for you is to, 'put your shoulder to the wheel and push along'.

Love, Hermana Kelemen

P.S. I am growing so much everyday. And not just in the gospel. The food just never stops. I can't figure out if the members feeding us isa blessing or a curse.