I'll Try To Make It Out Alive 5/16/2016

My people, 

Well, I don't have a lot of time. We are going to go listen to Elder Bednar today. So if I don't write you next week that means I didn't make it out alive. JK JK lol. I'm really excited, but it's just going to be two hours of open questions. I mean if you were with only 29 other people and an apostle what would you ask? I mean, I have a lot of questions, but I already know that I just need to do the primary answers to find the answers. Pray, read the scriptures, fast and listen the the Holy Ghost.  One question I have been thinking about—and I'll ask you to see what you think, and then I will ask David A Bednar and see what he thinks. 

So we had to read a couple talks from Bednar to prepare, and one was called Ask In Faith. I'll send it to you. 

Ask In FAITH 

Not my will, but thine be done. 

"In desperation and for the first time in many years, the father was found on his knees in prayer, asking that the life of his daughter be spared. Yet her condition worsened. Gradually, this father sensed that his little girl would not live, and slowly his prayers changed; he no longer prayed for healing but rather for understanding. “Let Thy will be done” was now the manner of his pleadings. " (a part from the talk) 

My question: 

We often pray for help and blessings, like shown in the story you shared, about the father and his four year old little girl. First, he was praying for her health and then when he realized she was dying and his prayers weren't being answered he changed his prayer to, "not my will, but thine be done." This is something I have thought a lot about, and still don't quite understand. How do we know when we need to accept Gods will, or when we lack in faith or patience? At times we just need to be patient, or trust in the Lords timing, or accept his will. But also, at times, we don't get the answers because we don't have enough faith, or we are not doing enough on our part. So how do we know if we lack the faith or if it's Gods will, how do we draw that line? 

Well, maybe it's a silly question for you, but I still am trying to figure it out. So tell me what you think. 

This week was really good. I love my comp. 

Life is good here in Telde. 

Love, Hermana Kelemen 

Binter--My Favorite Plane In All The World 5/9/2016

My people, 

This week was crazy. Monday at seven we caught a three hour flight to Madrid. ️We then had a meeting there, for all the leaders and then we flew back to gran Caneras, and got back Wednesday night. Then early Thursday morning we had a meeting. Then Friday morning we caught another flight️ to Tenerife (the little island next to ours) and that morning did another conference. Then we did exchanges with the Hermanas there and came home Saturday afternoon. 

But In-between the islands, you take this cute little plane, like super little and cute. To start up the plane it sound a lot like when you start up a lawn mower. And I felt like my ears were going to pop off. But I loved it. Because the flight is super short, like 20 min and they came out gave us free water and a little chocolate bar and a mint. I'm easy to win over. Then because the flight was so short we didn't go very high, so we where right above the clouds. So when you looked out the window it honestly just looked like you were looking out a car window looking at a field of snow. I think I freaked out my comp, because after she said, "put Hermana Kelemen on a Binter (that's the name of the company of the cutest planes) plane and she will turn into a four year old." 

Anyways if you want to travel the world I would suggest traveling here to just use this little plane company. 

A cool thing happened yesterday. 

Last week we went and stopped by a menos activo, he's been inactive for a long time and people have tried stopping by a million times. But we felt like we need to do it so we did, and said we could come back Sunday. Then Saturday night when we where walking in the street we heard someone yell out, "Hermanas!" Shocked...(that someone wanted to talk to us) we turned around and saw this lady running down the street. Turns out she's from Utah and she came back with her son that served seven years ago. We got to talk to them for a bit and he asked about Patricio the menos activo we set up a lesson with and told us he was the one who taught and baptized him. He then said we was going to go stop by and visit him. 

Then this week at church this ex missionary and Patricio came in together! The branch was so happy to seem them both there. Then we taught Patricio after church and he told us he was so happy to see his missionary again. He said, "all the missionaries that come by say they will come back and they never do, but he did he came back!" We got him recommitted to reading the Book of Mormon again. It was so so cool! So grateful for that ex missionary who came back after these seven years. It was he lords way of showing this kid, God hadn't forgotten him. 

So for all you ex missionaries, if you said you would go back, you better. It means a lot more than you would know. 

I love the mission. And each day it keeps getting better. 

Love, Hermana Kelemen 

Mother's Day 5/2/2016

My people, 

This week was a great week to be alive. 

My new comp is Hermana 

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reestone and is from 

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andy Utah. And guess who trained her? Hermana 

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oone! My trainer! Hoots. She is so cool. I don't know if it's because we had the same mom (trainer), but we teach super well together and think so alike in lessons. It's so much fun working with her. She also reminds me so much of Phines. She is super duper funny like Jo. I told her when she gets home she has to get to know my sister Josephine because their humor is the same (plus the

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y are

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 the same age). I love working with her, and honestly the whole time I've been thinking, "why haven't we been put together sooner?" I'm juiced for the transfer. 

It's funny because my comp keeps saying "did we change missions? 

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his is NOTHING like Madrid." Its weird because we don't teach people from all around the world like in Madrid. In Madrid there are people from all over and even you teach Spaniards, but in the islands... You teach Canerians. The people here even say, "I'm not Spaniard, I'm Canerian." It's a whole new world in 

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lde. Feels like a different mission.  This week we had to do another intercambio which was a little tricky considering the fact my comp only had three full days in our area, but I think in the end it turned out okay... 

We are also teaching (I can't remember if I have told you) the stake presidents friends. He has a friend named Oscar who is the piano teacher of his three girls. We have been trying to get the families in the branch excited about missionary work and helping them know how to invite their friends. Anyway, a couple weeks ago we started teaching this guy named Oscar and his girl friend the lessons. They are golden. We taught them lesson one and two and yesterday we taught them lesson three. Every time we teach them we teach them in the house of this family and every time it's AMAZING. Yesterday when we were teaching the step about receiving the the gift of the Holy Ghost, Oscar said, "I want it. I want that spirit to be with me always, I keep feeling it when I am here, I feel it around this family when I teach them piano and I want it." I almost gave him a double knuckle bump

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ut I thought that might be inappropriate, especially in front of the stake president. My comp told me after that when 

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scar said that she wanted to yell out, "where are the cameras we need to put this on the district!" Glad we both feel the urge to celebrate good times when happy things happen. Ha ha ha. But really it was super cool.

 

I've been thinking about this guy Oscar, for seven years he has been teaching their girls and for seven years the spirit has been working in him. Before this family had tried inviting him many of times, and could have easily said, "we have tried and he doesn't want it." But they didn't and they asked another time, inviting him to a noche de hogar and now he and his soon to be wife said yes yesterday to being baptized. I love this example. I think it takes a lot of courage to invite someone who has already r

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ejected you once. But I want to invite you all to think of someone you once tried to share the gospel with who said no, and I encourage you to do it again! And maybe you might need to go about it differently, think of a new game plan, like 

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ephi did when we was trying to get the plates. And if you don't have anyone in mind, o

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 someone you have tried to share the gospel with, that's okay because thanks to our older brother you can repent and start now, inviting someone. Do it and and as a representative of Jesus Christ I promise you will see blessings, you will see success. 

Sorry for the preaching, it's kinda what I do though. 

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for all of you. 

Love, Hermana Kelemen

P.S. yesterday in Spain was Mother's Day. So after relief society the primary came in and sang and gave flowers and chocolates to all the woman...and the two sister missionaries. They kept telling me I would be a mother in just a year and a half and that made me sick to my stomach.  they don't know us Kelemen girls. 

Fretting 4/25/2016

My people, 

Hermana Stephenson left yesterday.  

I'll be getting my new comp sometime tonight. And I will have to show her the ropes of Telde. I will have to introduce her to Zero, the giant off of the Princess Bride, and Lego man—that's Cosme.  Juan is doing really well, we are starting to teach him all the commandments and he has been keeping all the ones we teach which is great. Hoots. 

We also started teaching this really cool couple, Patricia and Nestor. Patricia is the twin of Aunt Katherine! Every time I talk to her, I think I'm talking to Aunt Katherine. She is super friendly and super nice. They really are looking for the truth, but need to find out for themselves. Pray for them to recognize the answer. They have so much potential. But rad news...Elder Bednar is coming the 16 of May to this little island!!! Yeeekkk!!! And the little group of missionaries (thats me!) get to have a little meeting with him, and then we will do a big meeting with a ton of people. But cool....no!?!?!?!?!  

I don't have a ton of time and I am starting to fret because I have to go get this new compy of mine. So I will write more next week. 

I love you so much! 

Love, Hermana Kelemen 

Kate + Soccer 4/18/2016

My People,

This Saturday the Elders set up soccer with ward members. It was a good activity that the ward members could invite their friends and we could invite our investigators. At first, Hermana Stephenson and I weren't planning on going, but the elders called us the night before and told us we would be playing other games and not just soccer. I mean, I don't mind playing soccer, it's just that I feel like I'm doing a dis-service when I play, and it's more of a service just not showing up at all. But the Elders insisted, and we felt like it would be good to go support their activity.

So of course, when we get there, it's the young men, other men in the ward, and the Elders. And then there was my comp and me. We went and played with them. At some point shirtless 15 year olds who were just skateboarding around joined. My comp is not a fan of sports, and for me, well, if I'm going to play—I'm going to play. So yes, red face, squirrel hair, long limbs Kate and a a bunch of men ran around Saturday morning. It must have been a sight. Me playing soccer is a funny thought, and a scary sight. I hit the ball with my head three times, I mean I'm no good with my feet but I sure can tower over people and get my head to the ball faster than they can their feet. And every now and then I would fling a leg limb and sometimes hit the ball. So, I mean it seemed to turn out fine...well until the next day. Yesterday, I could barley lift my legs, I was SO sore!!! I mean mom you know how I get after one morning of tennis...I get sore way too fast, but it's just I have not moved my body like that in a LONG time. You name the body part, and yes, it's sore.

We are still teaching Juan and I just LOVE the kid. I feel like a little mother. I just want the best for him! The other day we were teaching him about repentance, and he got real serious and told us the other week he found a baby bird with a broken wing. So he took it home
put it in a box, gave it food and water to try to save it, and then told us it had passed alway the other day. He then, with a serious face, told us he had killed it. And asked if he could receive forgiveness.️ I wanted to laugh and tell him, "dude you didn't kill; it it's fine!" But he was so serious and really choked up about it. We told him he could of course. But the thing is, and he really wants to change, and he told us that. I mean you see the kid and you would never believe it. He goes out and will hangout with his punk friends and then tell them he needs to leave for his meeting with the hermanas. He takes his Book of Mormon to school with him, and he even told his step dad he was meeting with us, and he said his step dad just laughed and said, "Really, your studying with the Mormons? Okay." I mean I wouldn't believe it myself if I wasn't teaching him.

Also, anther quick thing, for those of you who are still reading this... mom, Jo and my grandparents. We did an activity this week with the mutual kids. Where we presented
ourselves and talked about what we did to prepare to serve a mission and why. It was really good to try to help the other kids. But some of their questions were hard. Like they asked me what I did to get in shape for my mission? Yes, I played sports, but too, I was born with
mama Kel as a mother. So hiking and long walks are what we do daily. I mean, I don't ever feel like walking a ton on my mission has been hard, but then I again I walked to the bread store with mom when I was 12. Hiked on every holliday and vacation, and every Sunday night Julia or Claire and I would go "lerping" (as Aaron would say) around the neighborhood for two hours. So thanks mama Kel for teaching us to lerp, it's made me strong for the mission.

Ugh there is SO mucho more I could tell you. We starting teaching a couple named Pilar and Oscar, and they are super prepared! Oscar is the piano teacher of the stake presidents daughters so he has known about the church for quite some time now and at last has accepted citas! Hoots all around.

Okay I'm sorry I will end this to spare you...but it was a great week to be alive. I love you all soooo much!!!!!

Love, Hermana Kelemen

Hand of the Lord: member gave us a tub of vanilla ice cream this week....

Smile. Don't You Know God Love You 4/11/2016

My people, 

I'm sorry I've got like zero time. It's been a crazy p-day. We went hiking. I'll send you pictures next time. It was so cooool!!!! Remind me next time you all come with me to Telde to take you there. I just kept thinking, this is such a perfect Kelemen hike!! Because it wasn't really a hike, just a big spot with a ton of caves and rocks and you could just jump around and explore...I loved it!!! 

So many things happened this week, I don't even know where to start! Like I told you last week we were in Madrid for two days for a conference, and then we had zone training, and then intercambios. Crazy week. 

Keep praying for Juan. 

Love you all

Hermana Kelemen 

So sorry this is short, I'm a busy woman 

TELDE

Madrid Again & General Conference 4/4/2016

My people,

 

This week was super good. Right now I'm on another plane heading back to Madrid. Yeah I know, it seems as if every other week I fly back. But tomorrow we have a big meeting with all the zone leaders and sister training leaders. And some how they think I make a good leader...the confusion seems to continue on. Guess they are into Tarzan grunts. 

Saturday morning we taught Juan, the 15 year old kid and when we were in the church he overheard us talking to someone about the General Conference, and asked what it was. We explained and told him that we were going to another city to watch it in 2 hours and told him he could come if he wanted. With no hesitation, he said, 'YES'. My companion then laughed and said, 'let us first explain what it is before you commit.' So we explained a little, and how it would be 2 hours of men talking. And he still said yes...? And he not only came and listened, but then came on Sunday too! That was a shocker. I mean you just have to know the kid, but it surprised me. 

Actually we had a little crew come with us to the conference.  First Juan...little guy who at times reminds me of Zero off the movie Holes. Second, the giant off the Princess Bride. Third, Marcos, a recent convert who is exactly like the elf man on Ella enchanted. (Like perfect match) Forth, another recent convert named lali who is as quite as a mouse. 

Fifth, Cosme a 40 year old guy we are teaching. Sixth, another 14 year old girl we are teaching. To keep a long story short, it was the weirdest bunch of people together. And we realized that the people we are teaching are all VERY different kinds of people—like super different. I think the only thing they have in common is they know us. Ha ha ha, but it was a party and a half. 

Anyways, Juan got to listen to Neil L. Anderson's talk. And the whole time I thought about him. It was perfect for him. 

I too really enjoyed conference. I didn't really enjoy Uchtdorfs talk too much because I was not a big fan of his translator—I mean whoever he was, get that guy fired. JK JK. But I need to reread his talk, because normally his are my favorite. 

I loved, loved, loved Jeffery R Hollands talk. I loved it. There was so many things I learned from conference. So, so much. I know what he said is true about the thing of trying. We are rewarded for trying...even when we don't make it all the way. I feel that way with my journey of Spanish. I try and try and try. Most of my comps make comments about how much I study my Spanish all the time. And my Spanish is not the best, that is known, but I can speak! And I know it wasn't my own efforts, because I just tried. I didn't make it all the way, but that's when the grace of God came in and he recused me and I can understand and I can speak. I didn't learn Spanish. I just tried and God made up the giant gap I couldn't fill-in for myself. 

Sometimes you feel like you are bringing five fishes and two loafs to feed the five hundred and you think, I just don't have enough to give, but God takes what you give him and then he does wonders. I did that. I brought my five words, queso, uno, dos, tres, fiesta, and two sentences, soy hermana kelemen, mucho gracias, and God has done wonders. 

I didn't have enough to give, but my Heavenly Father didn't care, because He loves His Kate. He really does. And I know he feels he same about all his children, all he asks of us is to bring to him what we can, and try. Do your duty, do your best, and the Lord will do the rest. 

Love Hermana Kelemen