The Best Week Yet!

I love you all, and here we go!

1. I experienced miracles this week! there is a family, with two daughters who were listening to our lessons, but the mom was kinda iffy about it. On Thursday we went and they said that they couldn't take more lessons, because their mom didn't like it. We were sad, bore our testimonies, and promised to take them all of the pamphlets the next day. So the next day, when we returned with the pamphlets, they were all smiles. We were confused, but they said that they talked to there mom, and she had changed her mind. WE invited the two girls to an activity at the Church on Friday, and they came with there sister. Then on Saturday, when we invited them to Church, the mom said of course! The three came to church and loved it! Then after Church, we went and taught a lesson, when the mom came and asked "what is necessary for my daughters to be baptized? they really want to, and i want it for them" hahahahahaha we are going to try for Saturday!! I know the lord answered prayers with this family!

2. Sad story- The family that came to Church last week, came again this week. BUT... only one of them wants to be baptized.. they say they aren't ready. I dont really understand that, who isn't ready to accept the savior? haha they insist, but we think that if we can get the one girl baptized, the rest of the family will follow!

3. There is a soccer team here in Paraguay, Olimpia, that is like the Yankees of America. Rich, and everyone either loves them, or hates them. They were in a final, and as long as they only lost by one point, they won the tourney. The game ended 2-0, so it was PKs. They lost the game! haha it was really funny because we were expecting a fiesta, and to not sleep, but it was dead silent! SO funny!!!!

4. I didn't visit Norma much this week, but one of the times I did, she tried to kiss me!!! I was all like... no!!!! haha it was really funny!

5. I had zone confere3nce this last week, and it was so awesome! We learned about finding, teaching, and baptizing. With finding, president agazzani talked about how everyone needs the gospel. Everyone is a child of god, and the message we have is for everyone! I love that! Hermana agazzani talked about how we need to teach with the spirit, and how with the spirit on our side, we have all we need. The assistants talked about baptism. Elder lund, whose only flaw in this life is that he hates BYU, shared a poem, that was really spiritual! He talked about how before this life, we all knew the plan, and we all accepted it. <then, we came to the earth, and millions and billions of us werent born into the Church. The moral of the story is that we need to teach everyone, and baptize everyone! We need to "find our friends". I believe that i have friends from before, brothers and sister, here in the beautiful country of Paraguay! I am here to teach them, and to baptize them, bringing them to the hope of Christ!

6. I was reading today, for personal study, Mosiah 27 and 28. IT is one of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon, and I invite you all to read it this week. I love the transformation in the sons of mosiah and ALma the younger. They were wicked. Through the atonement, they were made clean, and pure. With this purity, and this knowledge, they desired to teach everyone about it! They wanted the same feeling for all of the people in the land. They taught about the knowledge of the truth, or the knowledge of the Savior. They taught the atonement. I love that!! My favorite thing to teach is the atonement. It is so complex, but really simple. I know that the atonement has changed my life! Please, all of you, don't forget that the savior loves you. You can always change, everyday we need to accept the atonement, and perfe3ct ourselves!

7. The end of the month is here, and that means no money, and no food. WHYYYY!!!!! hahaha jk, the membe3rs here are planning on killing us and selling us for money. They are fattening us up!

I don't know what more to write! I love this place. Paraguay is so simple and beautiful! The moon is so bright here, more bright than I have ever seen. I love it.

ELder Chelson!!!

Rohayhu!

Long cold week!

I am sorry forthis letter. i got the worst keyboard  today! I hope you all like my letters. haha probably really scatter brained, but o well!

1. It was really cold this week! i used my coat, long johns, and long sleeve shirts everyday! so.. mom, the search was worth it! The people here are always concerned about our health, so i stay pretty warm!

2. I had investigators at church this week! it is a family named DOmingez. There are 4 members, the mom salustiania, son paulo 18, daugher fatima 15, and daughter ruth 12. HTey are so funny! haha they make fun of me alot, because of my spanish, but they are really suportive. they always laugh at me because my hair is golden  in the light, and apparently i look celestial! hurray! haha they are so accepting of our message it is crazy! they are an answer to prayers. because...

3. my comp was really down this week. he has worked here in this area for 5 months, with hardly any success. he wants to do good, but no one wants to be baptized. i prayed this week for him, and then we found this family! I love it!

4. I have been trying to listen to investigators more, instead of worrying about what i am going to say next. Elder holland said in a talk that if we will do that, the holy ghost will fill our mouths with words. It is true. It is a miricle, but sometimes we say the perfect things, without planning on it. So sweet!

5. I taught a lesson in english this last week! THere is a less active menber, who taught himself english, and wont go to church because he cant use his english there. Haha so the branch presidency asked us to go to his ho8us, and for me to teach a lesson in english. It was amazing! haha i think i could preach the gospel in english everyday, all day. BUT!!! i was asked to serve in spanish, so i am going to learn spanish to teach the people here. I love a quote that is on my bathroom wall... (dont know why)... but it says the gift of tongues is useless if we dont have a translater (the holy ghost) thyere as well. SO profound!

6. My card works, so that is good.

7. We have a zone conference this week, and president agazzani is coming! it should be really good! He is amazing! I love the man, and i have only seen him for two days, but I know he is called of god!

8. today is two months. I was looking back in my journal at the things I have learned, and i want to say that i have been tremendously blessed! I am forever closer to my savior! He is so loving, and the world needs to know taht! I am going to work 100% everyday for the poeple in paraguay to know Jesus Christ like I know him. IT is a goal!

9.I got dear elders from porter and sister loertscher today! Dear elder is awesome, you should all use it!

10. my address is...

ELder Chelson

2881 Del Maestro c/ Caballero

Barrio Herrera

Asuncion Paraguay

I love you all! Rohayhu!

Semana Dos

Hola familia! SOrry if this letter is short... agh no time!

1. NOrma! Norma is this crazy lady that ran after me into the street right? well she came to church yesterday! my comp made me sit by here, and the whole time she was touching me! haha and the only time I could get her to stop was when I was singing, when she would jsut stare at me like I am josh groban! haha

2.Everyone here breast feeds! I have seen more of some of the ladies here than I have of my self. not really, but close! haha I was teaching a lady the first lesson, and right when it was "i saw a piller of light" plop. breast. hahahah i couldnt speak! 

3. 2 Nephi 33:1 says taht if a man speaks with the spirit, the holy ghost can take it to the hearts of men. James 1:5 says that if a man lacks wisdom, ask of god. Well, i lack wisdom of spanish, and am afraid to talk to poeple in spahish. I learned this week that it doesnt matter. I ask everyday that I will be able to communicate. I cant speak perfectly, but during lessons  I can usually say what I want to . It is a blessing from god. Honestly, so indescribable!

4.I used the scripture emily gave me last week! It was 8 hours after I read it that I used it! Thanks em!

5. We taught about eternal families this week, in a wierd follow the spirit lesson! I am glad that i am sealed to you all! It is a blessing that many dont have. Porter told me that when I am homesick, think of those who will be homesick aftr the judgemetn. 2 years is nothing compared to eternity!

6.Everything is really cheap here. an invicta watch is only 20 dollers, compared to 500 in the states.. i dont know why, probably fake, but still.. Wow!

7.I am getting frustrated with some of our investigators! I hate the saying, we just want to listen, not join. Peopple! this is salvation we are teaching! it is action. Faith without works is dead! ahh!! I want to baptize poeple, so they can konw that they are loved by god, and that they have a perpose! they need the love of god! Why wont they take it!!! in other words, they dont act. poop. (haha sorry about my rant!)

8.I am the only trainee in my zone, so alot of effort is being placed on me. I live in the same building with the zone leaders, and they often ask me how I am doing, and how they can help. I love them for it!

9. I had a great experience they other day, teaching a family about the first lesson. THis family was so accepting of the message, but in the end, when we were inviting them to be baptized and read the book of mormon, the mom said no. She has a church,and didnt want to change. We then bore testimony of the truthfulness of the book of mormon and of the chruch. She went into tears. The spirit was there. I know that it is true, abosolutely true. I am here to bring others to a knowledge of the atonement, so they can better their lives. I love the pattern in the scriptures of wicked men, becoming good, then preaching. I feel the same. I, like Nephi said in 2 nephi 4, am a wretched man (miserable in spanish scriptures), but I know, like alma, of the joy of forgiveness. I love when the scriptures say remember the captivity of our fathers. I was once in captivity, and I will preach the way out of that captiviy to everyone of gods children that will listen! Every one!!! 

I love you all. The church is true in the whole world, even in paraguay. Invite a friend to come to chruch, their life will change forever!

Giv´n the people heaven!! 

Elder Chelson

mbae´laporte

Guarani baby! haha hola mi familia! mbae´laporte means how are you! haha it is useful! i am doing good everyone! I want you all to know that. I feel the lords love and support for me everyday. I see people here that need the savior, it is amazing to me. I guess i will just keep with my pattern!

1. Paraguay is beautiful! I wake up everyday to wonderful sunrises, and work during the sunset. I love it!

2. Modesty.. the ladies here do not know that word. haha im serious when I say that. That and pornography all over, are the only issues.

3. The mail system here is crazy! It costs three dollars to send a letter, but only 2.50 for 20 liters of purified water. haha 

4. My dad (trainer) is awesome! I am his first son, so he is lost at what to do with me, but he helps me a bunch. He is really patient with me, which is a blessing. I know that your prayers, as well as mine, were answered. President Igazzani, in my interview, asked me if I wanted a latino elder... I almost said no. haha but I faced my fear and said yes. I am glad I did. 

5. Snakes. Mucho mucho mucho. all over. ew ew ew ew. My trainer, elder arredondo, my first day here was telling me about a snake he found in our apartment. he said it was 5 feel long, black, and three inches thick. he said he lost it, and didnt know where it was at. I was afraid for three days, until he finally told me it was a joke.... I was so mad! haha but it is ok!

6. I only have an hour every week, so my letters will probably not be good, sorry.

7. I am actually grateful for the lack of hours of writing. I think it shows our willingness to work with the poele. I want to baptize, and by sitting on the computer, it wont happen.

8. During sacrement yesterday, the branch president said "we invite the new elder to bare his testimony, but we understand if he doesnt want to." oh, thanks president. haha I went up, and bore my testimony. I can do it fluently in spanish, which is muy bien. I love the feeling I get when I do. I told everyone that I want to teach their friends, and that I hope they can trust me with there names. 

9. Give the missionaries your friends names! THey want them!

10. Morgan Mings and Emily Chelson... you want to help the world, come to paraguay and work at clean water, or better houses. I lvoe it here, but it is really unhealthy in some areas.

11. I shou8ld say... i am in the campo, one of the farthest areas away from asuncion, so it is kinda crazy! I met a lady named Norma that only speaks guarani, and is literally crazy. She was running after me, and I was like... whaaa... and she was trying to grab the Book of Mormon from me, but my comp said no no no! I was so lost and confused, and then her boyfriend of sorts came and took her inside. Haha it was crazy! 

12. Everyone asks for pictures of our family. I always show them, and immediatly they say "que bonita" or how beautiful! They love us. haha one family wants to marry all of my sisters, so watch out! haha also, when I say i am from idaho, they all say, close to  mexico? miami? LA? NY? SLC? haha it is the honest pattern. All the members ask about President Monson, "have you seen him. what about elder holland?" I forget how blessed I am to be an american! I love it.

13. speaking of good old america... I missed the 4th! I was thinking about our family, bbq, the huge firework from last 4th, and joey chestnut all day! haha 69 in 10 minutes. Literally my hero!

14. I found one of the prettiest names the other day... Cielo. In spanish it means heaven. I dont konw why I loved it so much, but I did. It is the name of a girl who lives with a family of members, that is alot like Daniela. haha makes me miss my two amigos alot! (Shoutout)

15. A spiritual thought. Throughout history, many of the great prophets (Moses, abraham, nephi, enos, alma the younger, joesph smith) have had experiences that are marvalous. I have not, and probably never will, have an experience like them. SO what makes them so relatable to us? Action. I have noticed that all of them had to read, pray, ponder, all the primary answers, to have these experiences. SO why do we complain about the same things? if I want someone to know the book of Mormon is true, i invite them to take Moroni´s challenge. It is all about actions.

16. I love you all! Pray for me and my spanish. Pray for the people of paraguay. Pray for those that are struggling. God loves everyone, remember that!

Tranquilo Pa (todobien (all good))

Elder Chelson

I am here in Paraguay!

Hey there everyone! me again! I got to my mission safe, with all of my luggage. I landed and could tell right off that this is where I am supposed to be. I get my trainer tomorrow, so i will write about taht on monday. We were supposed to tell you that we are safe, and that we love you, I am looking forward to finding all those who have been prepared for me. I want to baptize tons! my mission had close to 200 baptisms last month! I am going to work hard! 

Love you all! 

Nathan

Hola!

Hey everyone! I am just writing to tell you that my flight leaves from Argentina tomorrow morning at 7:05. It is flight AR2260 if you wanted to track it. haha it will be early for all of you, so i dont expect you to! I am looking forward to landing in Paraguay!!! ah!!! My P-days are now on Mondays, so I will write you all in a week!

Elder Chelson