Tranquilidad Total...

I love you all, and I love this chance to share experiences with you. Forgive me if my letters are bad, and really disorganized... I just have SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS WORK!! (As is evident with the caps lock.)

1. I have a new companion!! Elder Godoy is from Buenos Aires, and he is so awesome! He was in a band before, and loves music! He is 21, and has a little over 9 months in his mission. He is district leader, and loves to eat. He eats more than me, and faster than me. Something I didn't think I would find here in Paraguay!!

2. I have to admit, before with elder Arredondo, I was a terrible missionary. I had fears of talking with people, and lots of times I just let him talk. He liked to talk. This is something that has changed a lot this week. I had been praying for more confidence, and really wanted to change... well I did. I think that this transfer was an answer from god. Truly an answer to prayers. I, the other day, had a discussion with a 66 year old missionary from a different church... we talked for a really long time about scriptures, and the need for a restoration, and all of this jazz... well she ended up getting mad, and said I don’t want to hear it, I have a party to attend, and just walked away. I thought it was funny. I hope I taught with love, I think I did, but I realized that one day, she will thank me. I need to have this confidence always with me, because I am the arm of Christ in Coronel Oviedo right now. (That sounds really stuck up, but it is scriptural! Doctrine and Covenants section 35!)

3. I ate cow head this week. It was... so good! I am telling you guys, you need to try this! Just take a cow head, cut it in pieces, and cook it like a roast! It was amazing! Haha we are trying to eat more with investigators and members, because 1, we don’t have tons of money, and 2, it is a great way to build friendships.

4. I had a really crazy experience with a girl this week. Don’t worry, I am still worthy. We found a partial family, and we were talking about baptism, and how everyone needs it, well... one of the daughters grabbed my arm and said "please, baptize me" in a really scary voice!! I was rather scared, and my companion and I practically ran! Haha but we are going to teach them again this week. I am planning on sitting really far away from her!

5. We were contacting the other day, and we passed a house that looked good to me. But I didn't stop. I just kept going. Then, 5 minutes later, I couldn't handle the guilt anymore and we went back. A 20 year old came out to talk to us, he practically begged me to teach him. Haha he was so ready to listen to the message, but we only had 10 minutes until our next lesson, so we just kind of introduced ourselves. Right after I thought about how in preach my gospel it says to always connect lessons to lesson 1, and how we didn't. My comp had the same thought. Sadly, we still haven’t found him again. We pass by every day, or call him, and no answer. I really wish I would have taught lesson 1, and I hope I will find another opportunity to teach him.

6. I read today in 2 Nephi 2! It is so awesome this chapter! So much doctrine. I don’t really know why, but it just really inspired me! We have the choice as humans to choose good or evil, right or wrong, and Christ of Satan. We have this choice. Every one of us is prepared to make the choice, whether we know it or not. We are choosing every day to follow Christ or to follow the savior!! I sure hope I am following Christ! Something I really liked about this chapter, that was new, is found in the last verse! It talks about how lei are teaching these things for the good of his sons. It is the same with prophets today! They are teaching us things of god, and with their messages, we are learning what god wants us to learn! And with this idea...

7. General Conference!!! I am so stoked for this Saturday and Sunday!! It is going to be so awesome!! I am a little bit torn though... watch it in Spanish, or in English. I have the choice. Haha I think that both are good, but it is something that is on my mind really hard right now. I will probably just go with my feelings on Saturday and Sunday... but still... uoaipef

8. I read something really interesting in the conference addition of the ensign from April! It is in the talk of elder cook about peace! He talks about how the missionaries in the world right now are helping bring peace to the world. Because peace is only found in Christ. I believe that to true. I am a worker of peace, hurray!! But really, you all should read this talk! It is really great, and really applies to everyone!!

9. I am so blank in my mind right now... but I think that I have covered it all! I love you all, and will write you is o is next week with tons of exciting/joyful/great/interesting/happy news!  I love you all!

Elder Chelson, giv´n um heaven...

Oh, and Emily.. good luck this week with DYW!! i love you and you are going to do great!! scream really loud for me everyone!!

I am Free!!! (from my training!)

I am officially done being trained! hahaha i am so happyª with training, there is an extra hour of studies, and it has been a really hard hour for me these last few weeks! hjaha i just want to serve! i realize studies are important, but two hours is a little bit long! i guess that was just bad attitude!! Anyways...

1. i had 3 baptisms this week!! hurray!! Marta and Cecy montiel, and a man named ONofre! they are literally goldenª! they were prepared for us before we talked to theme! they are proof that the lord works on our hearts all the time!! so great!! I felt the spirit so strongly on Saturday during the service, and i am really happy for them!

2. Marta fed us lunch yesterday, and before we started eating, she gave a little speech.. it was a little awkward to start with, but so very spiritual! she thanked us for giving her the gospel, and giving her and her daughter hope and joy. with tears, she finished. i am so glad i can wear the name of the savior over my heart, and i can talk with people about he thing that gives us the most joy possible!! I Love the lord!!

3. Our sacrament meeting was really awesome on Sunday! we had the three confirmations, and we had two elders speak! the  first was elder call! he is the zone leader, and this is his last transfer, he goes home Wednesday. he is from Idaho Falls, so you should try to find him! he spoke about the simple things in the gospel, prayer, scriptures, church., so powerful! i was so grateful for him!! the other was my companion. he has been here from 5 cambios, or 7 and a half months, and the people love him. he is going to be transferred, we think, which means i will have more time in this area! i like that idea! i love the area and the people here! HE talked about the love of god for us. he said "god is always with us, no matter what we do, he is with us." i believe that god wants to be with us, and based on our decisions, he can be with us forever! that is why we have baptism, to take the name of Christ upon ourselves! i love that!

4. I finished the book of Mormon in Spanish this last week!! so awesome!! i can not explain how happy i am with that!! I said a prayer afterwards, following the words of Moroni, and i received an answer! the book of Mormon is true in English, and it is true in Spanish. i know that without  a doubt!! i Love the book of Mormon! i love the teachings of the prophets in the book! they all talk of the truth! i can turn to the book of Mormon everyday, and learn something that i needed to learn. i invite you all to read the book of Mormon, everyday, and if you already are doing so, keep it up! the lord will bless you for it!!

5. how are the sports going?? boskies football, em and her soccer, and nat and her cross country, is she doing cross country, wow i am disconnected! haha

6. we had interviews with president agazzani this week, and it was awesome! he has very little questions, but his go to question is " are there any commandments, rules, or laws that you are struggling with?" that pretty much covers it all. haha he is really funny, and he gave me great advice about my work! he gave me a way to use my questions to build confidence in me and the gospel! i have applied it, and it is looking good! i know that he is called of god, to help us here as missionaries!

7. Saturday night was one of the scariest nights of my life. at about 10:34, yes i should have been sleeping, but there was a storm, that literally shook the building, the power went out instantly, and we looked out the window, and saw lightning almost every second! cars were swerving in the wind, and the rain was parallel with the ground! then, it started hailing! signs for businesses were torn apart! it was crazy! the wind was so bad that three members of the branch had there roofs blown off! and a lot of roofs were torn apart with the hail! i prayed so hard for our safety. then my comp said something interesting " i am worried for all of the people who don't have strong houses, i think i will pray for them." i felt like a jerk! i really applied heleman 5:12 with this storm! God has so much power, and can help us in these storms. but Satan has power too, and he will try to destroy us! i am glad i have this chance to serve here, and to help peoplebuild there lives upon Christ!!

8. I had a really bad cold this last week, and am still struggling with the after shocks, can you pray for my health?

9. I love the lord so much! i am blessed beyond belief to be here in Paraguay!! he watches over me and protects me, and i know he protects all of you! there is so much safety in the gospel, and i hope you all are staying in the gospel! there is no other option. only one truth. 4-2=2, not 3, and the gospel is the same. wickedness never was happiness, and never will be.

10. Filipians 4:13 is an awesome verse! it says, in spanish "todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece." I love it so much! and i am going to apply it!

I love you all, be strong, safe, and healthy! Keep praying for me, and for yourselves! the lord invites us to do so! read everyday in the scriptures, and always watch  your thoughts! I love you all!

Given them heaven, Elder Chelson

Hola Familia!

This week was so awesome!! i hope i can remember all the things i want to write... i don't know if i can! one thing i want to make sure to write... the lord loves us all!

1. Confidence!! Asa missionary, i think this is my biggest weakness. i have close to 0 confidence! I don't know what it is, but sometimes i just feel like i am terrible at my job. I am here to tell you that i learned a lot this week about it. I was reading in the scriptures about this exact thing, because i want to change it. I read in Proverbs 3;5-6, and in  2 nefi 4, and in so many other parts of the scriptures, and i learned so much about this idea. the lord wants us to have confidence in him. He wants us to know that in him, all things are possible! i know that for sure! i was talking with my district leader this Friday at a branch activity, and he said the only thing holding me back from being like ammon is this confidence. My zone leader told me on Thursday night that i don't need to fear, because i am a missionary. he said "forget it, and work." how great is that. we can apply that to our lives really well,. forget everything else, and serve the lord.

2. this is an idea really great! forget the world and serve the lord. sometimes that is hard. this world is a crazy place, and really it is hard to be apart from it. but that is one of the greatest blessing s of being a missionary! i don't have to worry about the world, i can just serve the lord. This week during divisions, i was in the area of the district leader. his companion and me taught lots of people.. but they all had one question for me. "what does this song say?" they proceeded to play songs like sexy and i know it, or sexy back, or lady gaga... and i always said that 1. i cant listen to this and 2. i will not use these words. it was really a surprise to hear the lyrics of these songs.. i am not saying they are bad, but they are not exactly part of the lords work. i think it is good to remember that we are part of this world, but not in the world. May we try harder everyday to come close to Christ.

3. WE had a goal this week to work with less actives, one of which is the ex president of the branch. he has been inactive for almost 8 months, and we are starting to see the effects. he has lost hope. the light in his eyes is gone. he doesn't want to go to Church, and doesn't want to recognize his testimony. it is really sad, and i am not going to lie it is something that i am worried about. i Hope i never become inactive. we see in the book of Mormon the fall of a great people! i think it is Mormon 6:19 that really explains my feelings about this... ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!...  this verse really just explains so well how i feel about this situation. May be strengthen our testimonies in the gospel everyday through prayer, reading the scriptures, and focusing on the savior!

4. I have been teaching a family this last week, and they are so great! one of the families prepared of the lord for this message! we have taught all of the lessons, and are now just waiting for there baptism. Anyways, we were talking about prophets with them, and i read the "see ya later" from President Monson in the last conference! holy cow i cannot explain the spirit that i felt when i read it! he is a prophet, called of god, to help us all! he has great advice for all of us when he invites us to have love for everyone, not just members, but all of our friends of different religions. I reminds me of 2 nephi 31:20, where it says we need to press forward in faith, with love for god and love for all men. this love is the love we all need. it is part of the endure to the end. May we have this love for all of our friends, and with this love, share the Gospel! i love the people here in Paraguay, and with this love, i want to give them my knowledge of the savior!! SO great!!

5. I am going to finish the BOOK OF MORMON IN SPANISH!! this week.. i am so excited! i love the words of the prophets, and really love the words of the savior! his visit to the nephites in 3 nephi is something i want to apply to my life. we can teach so much with this part of the book, it is literally the center piece of the book! so interesting how everything works in the book, and in turn in our religion, because of this story!

6. this gospel changes lives people!! i am seeing right now with an investigator! there is this man, of 70 years of age. he has drank his whole life, from the time he was 12 or 13, and when i say drank, he is like a pass out in the lawn type of drunk! he accepted us for lessons, and after we taught the word of wisdom, he said simply.. "i am going to change." he, from that time on, has not touched alcohol. not one time. he changes his life with just two or three lessons, and FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. he is showing us the doctrine of Christ. he had faith, changed his life (repentance is a simple change to be more like Christ or follow his teachings), and he is going to be baptized this next week! he wants to follow the example of the savior, and is really just doing awesome!

7. I love this work, I finish my journal everyday with a phrase similar to.. "i love the Lord/mission/Gospel/church. haha everyday! i really am just amazed by the blessing this mission is! I cannot tell you how many times i have felt the love of the savior in my life, and seen it in the lives of others! Someone said something in their email kinda interesting, that i hadn't changed. i hope that is wrong. i hope i have changed to become more loving of others, and more strong in my faith. i hope i have changed to where when someone sees me in the street, they can know that i am special, i am a witness, a believer, and that i love the lord!

I ran out of time. so much i learned this week. Keep up the prayers, i need them all! haha i am in the lords hands, and he is working his miracles through me!! love you all! Given them heaven!! Elder Chelson

Hey there Everyone!!

The sun is shining, the people are the streets, and i am here writing you all! haha i don't have much time today, so i apologize already for this terrible letter! I will have so many stories to tell someday!!

1. I love the Lord. This week he really helped us alot with the work! we had over 20 lessons this last week, which is just crazy! TO show how the lord really helped us, i am going to talk about Thursday! Thursday, we went out to work, and wanted to visit a really great investigating family, but it is all women in this house, and we didn't have a male to help us. we had a feeling to pass by anyways.. and in there house was a friend, who is a guy! we taught about obedience, and they all said they want to be baptized! then we went to visit a less active family, but they weren't in their house, but as we were leaving, they pulled up in there car! we talked, and invited them to Church! then we went to visit a recent convert, selustiana! she said to her daughter `why don't those missionaries come anymore`, and literally twenty seconds later we were in her house! she came to Church and helped us with an investigator yesterday!! then, we went to visit other families, but no one was home, it was about 9, so we started walking home. we walked really fast, and didn't know why, but when we were about 20 steps from our house, we saw another investigator, and had a conversation bout his reading of the Book of Mormon!! he knows it is trueªª so crazy! haha the lord guided us like that all week! I know this is his work!!

2. I was a little bit sick, ok, really sick, on Saturday, but it was a really important day! we needed to invite lots of people to church, and there was a baptism service! I said a prayer before we left the house for health.. i don't know how, but i worked all day, without weakness! the lord answers prayers people, this is just another example of that! O and just so you all know, it is empanadas that make me sick here! and it just so happens that empanadas is the main food source here in Paraguay! haha looks like i will have a fun tow years!! :)

3. I am in 3 Nephi right now, and i love the book of Mormon! i am looking forward to the chance to say... i have read this grand book in English, and in Spanish, and in both languages, i know it is true!! so wonderful!

4. I have realized this week, even more than before, that there are people here just begging for the gospel! one example is a lady and her daughter, who have a fruit store named after the virgin! haha we passed by this house for almost three months, and never stopped because it looked un promising! We stopped to ask a question, and the lady begged us to teach her and her daughter!! we were all like... well if you want us to... i guess we can... haha and we taught lesson 1 with lots of energy! i love it!

5. this week in the training process, i have to be the senior comp!! i am not ready for that! haha but i think the lord can help me!

6. We had a zone training meeting this week!! it was awesome! we talked about a successful missionary! I have a secret for you all, it isn't numbers!! the lord doesn't call me every week and ask about my new investigators, but he does require that i work with diligence and all my heart! that was what i learned! an awesome quote of Presidente Agazzani!! he said, there is a difference between a successful missionary and a missionary with success. powerful i think!! I loved it! I love this mission! i cannot think of a better place for me to be right now! the lord is using me, and i am so lucky to have this chance! i am so undeserving of this, but thelord has put his trust in me, and i will not let him down! I AM A SERVANT OF THE LORD!! I HAVE BEEN CALLED OF HIM, AND I WILL SERVE HIM WITH ALL OF MY HEART, MIND AND STRENGTH! I WILL NOT LET HIM DOWN.

7. i may have gone a little extreme with number 6. sorry.

I really am sorry for this terrible letter! i will try to be better with my next ones!!

I love you all!!

Given them heaven!!

Elder Chelson

The Lord´s Work!

Hello everyone! I am alive and well, and i love you all!

1. I have a little bit of a story to share. This last week, we had a great week of lessons, so many people were accepting us, and the new investigators from the week before were progressing! I was thinking in my head a little, yeah... we are doing good... then Saturday came... We had 11 people preparing for baptism for the 14th of this month, and on Saturday, we had 2 say... never mind.. then on sun day, the other 9 all said the same. We went from having so many people, more than everyone else in our district, to having none. Literally nothing. I was really quite sad, and really was in need of a lift. Usually food does it for me, but i was fasting so that wasn't an option. The zone leaders were an answer to my need. They came in our room during our study, and with alot of excitement told us to read the first chapter of Preach my Gospel! What a great chapter! IT talks about all things mission, and one part that really stuck out to me was the power and authority of our calls!

2. I was reading today in Heleman 5;18, and this verse talks about power and authority! It was so great to connect the two! I love the example of the missionaries of the book of Mormon! i want to be more like them! This verse is incredible! The power and authority of m y mission call is so great! President Eyring reminds us that "our hands are the lords hands, and our voice is the lords voice." This really shows the need for us to go out and serve, and teach, and bare testimony!Ç

3. Speaking of testimonies... yesterday in fast and testimony meeting i bore my testimony about prayer without any errors in my Spanish! Prayer is great, and you all know that, but i had an interesting thought. Our Church was founded and restored because of a prayer of a young man. Also, our testimony of the book of Mormon is found through prayer! Prayer is so great! we have a father in heaven who is....GRAND!!! AND POWERFUL!!! yet he still finds each and everyone of us important enough to listen to every word of our prayers! I love that, and i am really grateful for it! What love he has for each and everyone of us!

4. IT was really hot here this week. I am pretty sure i have never felt this kind of heat before in my life! IT is crazy! And today, the streets are literally flooding! haha it is raining pretty hard here, and well, it is really fun! With the heat, the streets of the city were really full of people the last two nights, and all of them were drinking and smoking, with loud music and dancing, really crazy! I was reminded that i am not of the world. the world is really crazy, i am glad for this chance to serve outside of the world. It is interesting though, that with the rain, everyone has changed there attitude. It is more tranquilo y calm now. The lord can do that, in our lives, with something with water... (baptism) haha just a missionary thought!

5. How is school going for everyone? I want to know this!

6. oh emmy.. be careful! I will pray for you lots this week, but be careful! You are busy right now, but i can promise you that if you will pray and read your scriptures everyday, the lord will give you time! always have the lord first!

7. SO... BYU... :( next time!

8. AN interesting fact about Paraguay that is connected to the Three amigos. In Paraguay the word guapo means worker. SO, everyday i am called "guapo!" Haha it is really funny, and i laugh every time!

9. My companion said one of the funniest things htis last week! We were walking down the street and this little boy yelled "hola mormones!" like everyone does here in the streets, and Elder Arredondo just turned to him and said "que tal.. catholico.." and the kid was shocked! it was really funny. But a lesson with this.. we don't need to categorize others by religion. We have a lot of people say that they would love to listen, but thru are catholic, or evangelico, or testigos de jevoha.. who cares! they are children of god! i love telling them that we can share with everyone, because we know it will bless everyone!

10. I love you all, and want you to know that i know that Jesus Christ is our Savior! I love him, so much. Mom, you wrote me a letter and put it in my scriptures the day before i left. in this letter you told me teach people about the love of Christ for them. How beautiful that is. I am doing just that! I love you all!

¡les doy cielo! ELder Chelson