Swaggs Bangbang

It has been an interesting week to say the least. It's been really up and down with our investigators and everything. And the bed bugs have returned with vengeance and we still can't find a place to live within our mission and we had investigators fall through and people that were planning on coming to church didn't show up. But this is truly the Lord's work and all is well. Just as mom says when I used to clean my room- it's got to get worse before it gets better. Alexzandria's baptism date was last Saturday but some things didn't go as planned and so it looks like she will be baptized this coming Saturday. The work was really slow this week but that's how it goes sometimes. We met lots of new people the week prior to teach last week and we were really excited but those fell through as well. I went on exchanges on Saturday with a sister that was in the MTC with me so her trainer companion could be with mine to train mine because she is a new trainer. So Sister Chambers and I were companions for the day- two brand new sisters that have only been out for about two weeks. I went to her area, Roland Heights. I really enjoyed it. I learned that you can have all the experience in the world and do just about as much good if you're brand new. Being a missionary is about helping others feel Christ's love and learn of and want to live the atonement. It's about inviting the spirit and loving them. You can do that if you've been out two weeks or a year. We did a church tour that morning which neither her nor I had done before but it went really well. It was for one of their investigators a Chinese man named Walther (that's his American name) and his wife and daughter were there too but don't speak English. We had a Chinese sister in the ward, Sister Grant come too to help translate. They speak both Cantonese and Mandarin but it sounded like it was more mandarin for the both of them. It was a great experience. We show them things like the chapel and sacrament table, the baptismal font, pictures of Christ and explain their significance in our church and in our lives. My new life goal is to learn Chinese. Seriously, it's the coolest sounding language in the world. I wish I could be speaking Chinese here. The sisters that teach them are English sisters but they said that they would rather go to the English ward here. They just moved here a couple weeks ago. They probably want to be immersed in English. We have given them resources in both English and Chinese. One of my favorite parts was at the end we watched the restoration- in Chinese! That way the wife could understand and it's not for us as missionaries it's for them. It was so cool to watch the movie in Chinese. I've never heard Joseph Smith speak Chinese before! It was really cool. And the little girl was really into it. You can't not feel the spirit when talking about Christ and the restoration. It was wonderful.

Another cool thing that happened this week is probably one of my favorite stories so far from the mission. We get referrals from church headquarters sent to our cell phones but sometimes we don't get the whole message and it doesn't work the best. These are people that go on mormon.org and ask for a visit/ a Book of Mormon or people that are referred by others. But we don't always get all the details. So this week we were driving and I get a text message that's a referral for Swags Bangbang. Yes, you heard that right. I started reading it to sister Baum as she was driving but I couldn't get the whole name out because I was laughing too hard. We figured it was a joke or a gang- a really lame gang to be honest. Then we weren't sure what to do about it. How do we call this number without laughing if Swaggs Bangbang is there? And what about if we visit. Which sounds better- excuse me is Swaggs here? or Is Mr. Bangbang home? Neither sound like good options to me. We tried calling the number but it was fake. Then we decided to just go over and see if anyone was even home and just say that we had a referral. We knocked and told the woman who answered the door just that. She said well it's not for me, I'm a devout Catholic. Then she said, wait, I think I know. She got her son and we found out that he requested a Book of Mormon on mormon.org but we didn't get any of those details from the text referral we received. So at this point we know he just put in that name and that he's the real "Swags Bangbang" and he must know that we know but his mom has no clue. How funny is that. The son's real name is Donavon. He is looking into different religions and his mom was actually really supportive of it even though she's very much catholic and sends all her boys to catholic schools. She really liked us though and asked us lots of questions. We were able to share with them part of the first discussion and the spirit was there. We are going back to teach them tonight. It was so cool to talk to him because this boy is 14 the same age as Joseph Smith and he and Joseph Smith at that age were both trying to figure out what church to join. I'm excited to continue teaching him.

The Lord works miracles in our lives every single day. Swaggs Bangbang is just one example. We cannot have these miracles so much though if we are not obedient and walking in the ways of the Lord. The Lord loves and knows each of us. I am so grateful to be a part of His work and telling others about His gospel that is restored on the earth again today and that we all have a loving Heavenly Father that loves us.

Thanks to everyone who has been a support to me. I'm grateful for all the prayers and letters sent my way. Love you all.

Love,

Sister Fjeldsted

Lots of Pictures

                                          P-day at the MTC

                                         MTC companion

                                          Current companion

                                          Someone's pet squirrel

                                          This one's for Miranda

                                          Peacock!

4/15/13

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry it's been a while since I've written. It's been so busy around here. I can't quite remember everything I have said so far so I'm sorry if it's a bit repetitive. Also, once again if you are reading this and not a member of the LDS faith, please do not get offended when I may say things like I know this gospel is true, this is just my story of my experiences here and I know that what you believe is just as true to you. I love you all!
So it has been a crazy first two weeks. I have the coolest cat around as a companion she is so funny. She reminds me so much of McCall. We take the work very seriously as we should be we know how to have fun. This message we have to share with others- that God lives and the gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth today- is a glorious message. We should be smiling when we speak of it and there's no reason to be absolutely happy. We do however see hard things everyday, difficult things going around everywhere wherever we go we see poverty and crime but we carry a message of hope so we don't allow ourselves to get discouraged. Christ has said that everyone will get a chance to hear of the gospel and to accept or reject it. Time to humans is a funny thing. Just because they haven't heard or accepted it today or even tomorrow all is well. In due time they will and no one will be deprived of that chance to hear about it. So all we can do is try to share this message with everyone we meet and someday all will know. Missions are wonderful. I've been thinking that to people that are not LDS and maybe even to some who are a year and a half to two years to be doing this may seem like a long time. And yes, it is a fraction of "the time of our lives" our prime or what have you. This is the exact time to be going to school, deciding what we want to do with our lives and everything like that. So why "so long"? (It really isn't THAT long). Well here's the thing, we're not just "going" on a mission or "serving" a mission. We are set apart as disciples of Christ for a period of our lives to be his disciples full time. What good would it do us to do it for a day or a week or even a couple months. We'd just come and go and it'd be over. But this a serious cause. The greatest cause in the whole universe to be a part of- sharing that message I mentioned above. To be that voice of hope and to change lives. So here's why it has to be 18 or 24 months. It takes time to change lives. People don't just go to bed as one person and wake up a new one. It takes the atonement (faith, repentance, baptism & sacrament, and enduring to the end) and enduring to the end doesn't mean just for now, this is a life long thing! The people that we meet and teach need time to learn and to grow in faith as do we. And that's really the whole point I am trying to make here is that last sentence- it takes time to change, heal, grow in faith. Really, it takes our whole lives. But this time now a mission is the catylist. It's where growth takes place the fastest to change who we are and to become who we will be for the rest of our lives. I see this each day in myself and others. I get frustrated with myself because I know the Sister Fjeldsted I should be isn't the one I am today. I am no where near that. I'm bad at listening, talking, expressing myself, being confident, being charitable. I'm human and I'm bad at these things. But I know that I have a year and a half as well as the rest of my life to get there so in the mean time I just have to focus on the thing I need to do each day to get there and it will come with time. I know the Lord trusts me though. I'm the only one out of everyone who came who got a trainer that's been out for 6 weeks. That does not happen. We have no clue what we're doing most of the time to be honest haha. We are babies in things pertaining to the mission. I have seen though that our reliance on the Lord and on the Holy Ghost is very strong which has been a blessing. We also have a wonderful district, district leader, ward mission leader, and mission president and we couldn't do things if it wasn't for them. sister Baum's last companion/ trainer is also amazing so sometimes we bug her and call her up if we have questions. After all, she is her "mom" and my "grandma" haha. (since she trained sister Baum and sister Baum is training me). Her name is Sister Flemming and she is also from Minnesota and also went to BYU-Idaho. How funny is that!
Okay now missionary work. We have a baptism! As of right now it should be this Saturday! Her name is Alexzandria and she is amazing. She is 22 and grew up in fostercare and homeless at times too. She has such great faith and a sweet spirit. It hasn't been easy but life isn't easy. I taught her starting my first full day in the mission field and loved her the day I met her. I'm so proud of her and so excited for what her future now holds. We also had an interesting episode teaching people in a mental institution. Let's just say we love them dearly as we love everyone but things didn't go over so well and we won't be able to teach them any more. People in those places have the sweetest spirits and I'm so excited for them to learn about the gospel in the next life if they have limitations now in fully comprehending and accepting it now. We see miracles each and every day and are so very blessed. Sister Baum and I pray all the time through out the day and it has been such a blessing. I feel so guilty of not praying as much before going on my mission. I was proud of myself before if I remembered both morning and night but that isn't how it's supposed to be. We're supposed to pray all the time through out the day thanking our Heavenly Father and asking him for guidance every step of the way throughout all the day. Routine prayers just aren't enough.
Sister Baum and I have had some disappointments and gone through some hard times since we've been here but remembering what it is we are out here for gets us through it all. East L.A. is a ROUGH place to be. When I got my call I admittedly was a bit disappointed that I wasn't sent foreign because I wanted a huge trial. I wanted something tough. I wanted to be stuck in a jungle not knowing how to speak the language. But then I realized that's an adventurous trial. Not one of struggling with helping people receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is so much more difficult. Hard is telling someone they have to do things they never could imagine to chance their lives around to follow Christ. Hard is telling them these things when I have a roof over my head and I don't deserve this. Hard means telling them these things when I'm younger than them and inexperienced in the eyes of the world. Hard is telling them things that you don't want to but the Holy Ghost is telling you they need to hear these things if they are ever going to change. Hard is telling this all to someone out side their home on a busy sidewalk in the dark in East L.A. because everyone else they live with is smoking pot inside. That's rough. Going to a jungle wouldn't be as hard for me. It would be more like an adventure and a vacation. And we still do deal with some things like that. We got bed bugs but all is well. When we say at night sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite we actually mean it haha. But amist all this this is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Living the Doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism & taking the sacrament & renewing/ keeping our covenants, and enduring to the end)  and sharing this with others and serving them is the ONLY way to find joy and happiness. So even when things are absolutely rough and it seems like things are difficult somehow you're happy and it doesn't feel so hard because Christ is there with you every step of the way.
One more thing I thought of today. I think I am the first Sister Fjeldsted of this generation. We have a sister Rackleff and have had a sister McKinley but I think I'm the first sister Fjeldsted and if madison doesn't serve a mission I will also be the first the last and the only haha. Kind of funny. I guess that makes me the first one since Aunt Christa. It's a blessing to be more than just Chelsey but Sister Fjeldsted, a disciple of God. I also know I couldn't have served a mission because almost NO ONE here can even say my name. Imagine being in Africa or Korea with the name like Fjeldsted. Yeah right. Americans can't even do it. I had a teacher though in the MTC that served in Norway and she knew how to say my name and even knew what it meant! How awesome! It made my day. I tell people here I'm either Sister Fjeldsted the way we grew up saying it- like "Fell-sted" or sometimes I try to say it the "right way" like "Fee-yell-sted". So half of the people I meet hear me say my name one way and the other I say it differently. It's probably really annoying and they probably think I have an identity crisis  I try to always say it the way I think it is more correct but since I grew up saying it differently, out of habit I don't always remember. Oh well. Maybe I'll get it down by the time I come home. And then hopefully I'll get married and I'll never have to worry about it ever again. Haha. Just kidding I do love our last name.
Well my time is very much up but I will write again next week. I love and miss you all. Christ loves you and he lives so smile today and help someone else smile. Love you,

Sister Fjeldsted

Pictures!

Here are some exerts from her letter. It's green and warm and sunny. It looks like a whole different place here. Some parts almost look like Mexico. It's very diverse here. There's I believe six languages spoken here how crazy is that! There's Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Armenian, English, and some  Pilipino/Tongan languages. So I get diversity even though I haven't left the country. There's even a China town in my mission. The mission geographically isn't very big at all but there's 3 million people that live in this mission- how crazy is that! That's a lot of people! The mission president's wife drove some of us to the mission home and she told us that there's lots of peacocks here. I didn't see one yet today but before I come home I'll try to get my picture with one. I'm so excited to teach, learn, talk to people, and get to work. Hard work can be fun and rewarding. Hard work with a purpose is the best kind. The Lord loves and knows me and all of us. It is an absolutely beautiful place here and I am so blessed. There's also amazing people I can't wit to meet and teach. 

These are from Chelsey's first day in California. The middle one is with her mission president.