About this Blog

This blog is made by Sis. Fjeldsted's family to keep you updated with all her experiences! She reported March 20th and we will see her again a year and a half later. We are so excited she can serve the people of Arcadia and we hope you find enjoyment and upliftment in her letters.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

5/28/13

Dear Family and friends,
First of all family sorry I didn't write yesterday. We had a zone conference with two zones that President Becerra led which was like all day so our p-day got moved to today. I found some connections with people here too which is funny. There's sweet old couple in our ward, the Garrett's and he knows our cousin Paul Fjeldsted from dental school. Also, that nice returned missionary Uncle Neal had me talk to on the phone, sister Davidson, well I'm serving in an area she served in for like 6 months I think right before she left and I live in the same member home she did and am in the same ward and everything so that's pretty funny I'm just picking up where she left off here. She was companions with a sister that Sister Flemming trained so we are only like a couple generations apart. There's also an elder that just left the mission. His name is Elder Cotts. He's Caucasian but his family has lived in japan. I wonder if dad know's his family. There's also a family here moving to Apline, UT, the Blake's so I bet they could run into Paul and Rose's family. They're a nice family we've had dinner with and one of their kids just got home from a mission and their daughter is about to leave on a mission this summer. Then, there's lot's of famous people around here. Kip from napolian dinomite used to live in Pasadena, my last area. Paul Walker's sister lives in our city too, La Crecenta and the other sister's in our district met her, she's LDS. Mitt Romney's son Tag used to live in this ward and he's friends with people here still. Also something cool- go to mormon.org and look up Tom Ngo's video/ profile. He was in my ward in Pasadena and I know his family and they are wonderful and know them quite well and he has a mormon.org video- how cool is that! Lastly, in the conference Ensign on page like 64 or there abouts or maybe I'm totally off but somewhere in the Ensign there's a picture of people outside a church building and under it it says L.A. California. That's actually the Arcadia mission (but I guess it could technically be L.A. because we have a little within our mission). Anyway, I know all of those Elders they used to be in my zone and I had them all sign my Ensign because I'm a goof. Oh, and there's apparently famous people that have lived in La Canada which I totally believe- it is super ritzy. It's been said that Miley Cyrus used to live here. But that's not what's important, here's what's important- THE GOSPEL!
I have been so incredibly blessed to have sister Fleming as my companion. She is very wise and very humble. We have very similar personalities and a lot of the same strengths so it's great working together. We both want to work as hard as we can which is something I really look up to her for. Lots of people get to their last transfer and quit caring but we're going all out until her last day. And I am so excited for our last four weeks together.
People often talk about missionary work being "hard" in Europe and other areas because they all have their basic needs met and are happy with where they are and don't want anything more. Technically speaking, La Canada is a "hard" area. We taught like a total of 3 lessons all of last week, no investigators at church, no new investigators, and it was just rough, but we worked has hard as we could. We prayed harder than ever, we worked harder than ever, and nothing yet. But I don't like this attitude of an area being "hard". It's a trap I want to be careful of not falling into. If I go in thinking that this area is hard then I won't try to work as hard and think that there's no point. The other ward in this city the other sister's are in haven't had a baptism in 2 years. But that doesn't mean anything. There are people who are prepared to receive the gospel so we need to change the way we do missionary work. Sister Fleming and I are going to get our ward going on a 30 day fast. We will have families in the ward sign up to fast one day during the month so there will always be a family in the ward fasting and praying for missionary work. We can't get to people by tracting anymore. We've tried. They don't care, they're happy with where they are and what they do now, or they go on and tell us how weird we are, or they don't open the door, or they slam it in our face. There's got to be a better way- and that's through the members. There are SO many LDS people in this area. It's like a mini utah. Everyone knows the mormons here and all the people in the city that are LDS are all related. So everyone has mormon friends and neighbors and loves them so we need to work with the members of the ward to find people that are ready to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. We aren't out here to simple convert as people see it, and that's why they get scared off. We are here to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. That is our goal. To bring people to Christ. This fast should help us become unified as a ward to have that vision and goal of bringing our friends with us to the gospel of Christ and becoming part of our ward family. We are also using this to ask them to fast and pray about specific people and families so we can receive referrals. Without referrals here we have no one to teach and no direction. I know that the work is hastening. It is prophecy that has been fulfilled in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 88:73 "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." I like just looking at the last two words of that and reading- it's time! Now's the time! There wouldn't be a call for all these extra missionaries now if there wasn't work to do or more people that were prepared to accept the gospel. I'm excited for the work to move forward and to find people to teach.
Remember that true happiness comes from obeying the commandments and repentance. Repentance brings joy and aligns our will with our Father in Heaven's will. The gospel of Jesus Christ is really so much more simple than we make it out to be. I hope you all have a great week I love you all!
Love, Sister Chelsey Fjeldsted
D&C 23-24

Monday, May 20, 2013

5/20/13

Dear Family and Friends,
This was my first week in my new area with my new companion. It's beautiful here and I love it. I LOVE my companion. We get along so well and she is amazing! I can't believe she is leaving at the end of this transfer. It seems like so far away until that's me. I've learned a lot from her. She's very wise and always has great insight. I've got to learn the area and the ward quickly because once she's gone it's up to me to hold down the fort as far as missionary work goes in this area unless they whitewash (bring brand new missionaries in the area) which I doubt they will do. We live with a member a single widow so only sister's can live here for now so I don't see that they would bring two new sisters in the area when I'm already here. Not that I know everything but that's as far as I've gathered. Anyways, I love it here. There are SO many members here I cannot believe it. It's like a mini Utah or something, it's crazy! The members have been helpful and involved in the missionary work here which has been such a blessing. It is a very very affluent area. We're talking upscale from Beverly Hills. It's been a struggle to find people to teach but I have great faith that we will.
We have been teaching a hand full of people (about 7 investigators which for around here is a lot) but they're kind of up and down. We invited 6 of them last week to be baptized but they said they want to but aren't ready. So there is still work to do. I've been blessed to be here teaching these people with Sister Fleming. 
This week I've learned a lot- about life and about myself. I don't think I was a bad person before or very immature or anything like that but after what I have learned even so far I wouldn't want to go on with my life with only what I knew before. ( sorry the syntax of that message was terrible). It's been such a blessing to be here. I've learned so much and have gained greater knowledge and have a change of heart. Being here for 18 months is hardly even a sacrifice. I've been out 2 months today so I guess just 16 to go! When things do get hard though I remember that it's all worth it and this is the best way I could be using my time- helping people, serving people, loving people, and teaching them about Christ. I've really learned how to grow and improve through the atonement. We cannot become greater on our own without the help of a greater divine being. We need Heavenly Father's help and guidance and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ to get anywhere.
A funny thing happened this week. Sister Fleming and I had dinner with a family (the Palmer's) and the mom asked what my dad's name is and she says she knows you dad! How funny! I don't have with me where I wrote it down but I asked her her first name and maiden name. She sad she went to BYU with you. I keep running into people that know people in our family it's pretty funny.
Also thank you for everyone who has been writing me letters. Thank you Abby Booth and family. Sorry I haven't had time to write home at all lately, it's just been so busy being in a new area. I love you all.
Lastly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I LOVE YOU! How was  your birthday? What did you do? I hope you saved me some cake! I love you all. Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Chelsey Fjeldsted
p.s. I had dinner with another family and they went to that random petting zoo in utah next to the gas station and gift shop in the middle of no where we passed by on a road trip where the goat bit my finger.

I(Maddy) think it was a donkey. Oh and the last letter was wrong. It is Sister Fleming with one m not two. I fixed it though. Just thought I would let you know. 

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

5/13/13


Dear Family and friends,
This last Friday was transfer calls and I knew for the past week that I was getting transferred even before I got the call. My first companion was only out on the mission for six weeks so I was like there's no way they could send me out to train yet or anything with such a new trainer even though Sister Baum was awesome and we were great and worked hard together. But I just didn't know enough yet about being on a mission or anything. So when we got the call I totally knew I was going already. Sister Baum also felt that one of us was getting transferred. So my new companion is.... (drumroll please). Sister Fleming! Sister Fleming and I are the only Sister missionaries in the whole mission from Minnesota. How funny is that! And we both went to BYU-I and we both have the same middle name and have all these random things in common. It's her very last transfer and then she will go home. She will finish my training  She's also a sister trainer for the first time which is like a zone leader for the sisters. I'm really excited to be with her her last transfer to work hard with her and learn a lot from her. I really want to work hard and do all that I can. If it isn't a sacrifice and it isn't hard I won't grow and other's won't benefit from me either. I'm sure between us both having gone to BYU-I and both being from MN we probably know a lot of the same people. Our family probably even knows families they do. Her family is from Rochester and her dad is the bishop.
This week, the last week I was in Pasadena we didn't have too much success. We had to get treated again for bed bugs which is a like 5 hour prep process and really takes a hit on our missionary work for that entire day. I'm sad to be leaving Alexandria but she should be baptized here in this next transfer and sister Flemming had also taught her so she and I can hopefully come to her baptism. I am so excited for her. It will help her for the rest of her life, this is exactly what she needs. There's also a lot of potential where we left off together so I'm excited to hear about what happens with sister Baum and Sister Ward (the one who is now in my spot).
The area I'm in now is called La Canada (not like the country Canada but rather a Mexican word that rhymes with pinada). It's a very nice and extremely affluent area (we're talking like upscale from Beverly Hills and such) that's beautiful and kind of up in the mountains. Sister Flemming told me that there's potential right now with some investigators so I'm really excited. Unfortunately most every person I taught in my last area either dropped us or we had to drop them due to mental instability which has been really too bad. I'm not discouraged though because even if they can't now or didn't choose to accept our message at this time they will be all the more prepared later on.
I've been trying very hard lately to really get into the work. To have my whole heart in it. If you go on the mission for the culture, the good times, having fun new companions, learning a new language, or any of that stuff you will fail. That sounds harsh, but it just won't work out. I think that's one reason I got sent to the U.S. English speaking is because of pride. I didn't realize it until I got here but I have a problem with that. Not that I think I'm better than everyone else or anything like that but pride in a sense that I want to get things out of what I do and I want to pick my way in life. Humility is the opposite and saying I will go wherever you need me Heavenly Father and build up the kingdom wherever I am and if that means not having this great adventure I was hoping for or getting to learn a new language than that's the way it must be. I know I have a long ways to go and I hate to think that I am not humble but at least I know where to start and what I need to work on. It has been a blessing though to know some Spanish. It has helped me on several occasions.
Well family, it was so fun skyping on mother's day and I love you all so much. I hope you have a great birthday mom. I love you and I hope your day is wonderful! Work hard and stay true. Pray always. Heavenly Father listens and answers prayers when we listen and have the faith and trust to pray to him often with the sincerity of our hearts.
Love, Sister Chelsey Fjeldsted

Monday, May 6, 2013

5/6/13


Dear family and friends,
First off, I'm sorry I don't have much time to write today. We came by the library earlier and they are filming a movie around here so we couldn't go in and had to come back later. Apparently they shoot lots of movies around here. It's not the first time I've seen camera crews around here. Word has it that cheaper by the dozen was filmed in my area. I also found out that Beverly Hills annual income is only $5,000 greater per household than the city of Pasadena where I serve. I didn't realize this area was so incredibly affluent. This is probably because the people that we've been teaching that receive our message are not wealthy. In fact the only investigator we have with a baptismal date is currently homeless. We eat in members homes who are very wealthy but I still don't always realize the wealth of the area because we spend most of our days with the more humble less wealthy side of Pasadena/ Altadina.
Not much has happened since I last wrote on Wednesday. Transfers are coming up this week so we'll see what happens. Our district will at least be different though. One Elder went home during this transfer so we only had a trio of three Elders then Sister Baum and I which is quite small for a district. Also, our district leader, Elder Cooper, will be going home this transfer. I'll miss our district a lot but I'm here for the people I serve rather than I serve with and it has just been a wonderful extra blessing to have had such an amazing district. And who knows, I may see them again after my mission. I really hope Sister Baum and I are still together. I'll miss her a lot if not but the Lord is in charge so what ever happens is for the best and I know without a doubt President Becerra (our mission President) is inspired of the Lord.
This week I had dinner with a family, the Demmings. Both the mother and father served in Tokyo on their missions! The dad was actually there in 1996 when we were. Funny huh? There was also a couple in my ward that knew Paul and Courtney Fjeldsted but I can't recall their names anymore...
On a sad note. Alexzandria is without a home still. She sleeps in the park bless her heart. We have done everything to find her a home but we don't really have the time to devote all to her nor the resources seeing as we can't even access the internet besides email. We have been praying and fasting though and I know something will work out in due time. The Lord often steps in after we think we can't take another step and we see what we're really made of and learn important things we couldn't any other way. Alexzandria is truly amazing and I have learned so much from her great faith and amazing attitude. I loved her the day I met her and have continued to love her more and more all the time.
I've also learned and seen applied in my life more the keys to happiness. There are many but here are two big ones: service/ thinking of others before yourself and hard work. Think about it. That's what missionaries do all the time. All day everyday they work hard at serving others and are the happiest people you've ever met. That's what Christ did His whole life. He turned outward to others rather than turning in. He served and loved everyone. We should follow his example and when things get hard for us we need to turn outward in acts of love and quite service rather than turning inward in frustration, self-pity, etc. If you truly love others and give to them your attention, time, love, help, everything, than you have no time to be sad or upset. Hard work also brings joy. We get up every day at 6:30 to exercise and from that moment on we are working all day. We don't sleep in on the weekends or take vacations or even get holidays off. We don't go to movies or surf the internet or take work breaks. We don't quit. Ever. And it's not always easy. Hard work will still be hard work, but it's rewarding. How can people hear about Christ and His church restored to the earth today if we aren't out serving them and finding them? It just won't work!
Oh, here's my crazy story for the week. We actually have lots but I can't exactly tell them all until I come back. Don't worry though, I'm not in danger, I just encounter many strange people. This week we went to visit a family from the ward but we had the wrong address. We ended up in a sober living center... We knock on this woman's door and she's a recovering addict from crack cocaine. She was nice and loved God and made that known. She was still a little off her kilter though. As we were talking to her she began to "speak in tongues". My first thought as she is doing this is- what if she doesn't stop?! Haha. I'm not quite sure what we would have done. It was interesting to say the least. Bless her heart. I don't think she was completely all there yet. I hope not to offend anyone reading this that believes in speaking of tongues or is recovering from any kind of drug. I am not trying to bash. It was just a specific experience I had this week that was a little out of the ordinary.
Also this week Sister Baum got a tick and freaked out and thought she was going to die in the night. I told her not to worry that only like 1% of people actually get Lyme's disease and that's she's on a mission so she's fine. Well, her last companion's dad got it and almost died from it so my argument didn't stand very well against her. We called a nurse for the mission, said some prayers, went to a member's home to do some research, said some more prayers and as I thought she is just fine. No Lyme disease. Also the bed bugs came back, or rather won't die off so it looks like we'll be fumigating again. It's a little frustrating because the preparation it requires takes away from missionary work but in all things there are lessons to be learned and in the end I'm grateful to have a bed to have bed bugs!
I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week. The Lord lives and loves us all. Work hard, pray hard, play hard.
Love Sister Fjeldsted

Thursday, May 2, 2013

5/1/13


Dear Family, Friends and whoever reads this,
First of all family, sorry you didn't hear from me on Monday, my usual P-day. We went to the temple this week, today actually and so our P-day became today but I'm very much well and alive. Mother's day is coming up which means I get to skype home! I'll skype at 1pm my time if that works but maybe it won't... Let me know by next Monday what time church is there and what time here I should skype. I get one hour by the way.
This week was interesting. It went by really fast I don't even remember everything that we did. It was actually a bit of a bummer but all is well.
We dropped Swaggs Bangbang :( He didn't come to church so we stopped by his home that night and his dad said sorry we're just going to focus on our own religion for now. It was pretty sad though because I know that the gospel would bless his life so much as well as his family but we said okay here's our number let us know if you change your mind and ever are interested. We also had a few appointments that people didn't show up and someone for a church tour that didn't show. We also got a new investigator this week, but that didn't work out... His name is Steve. And we lost him at church. Oops. He came to church on Sunday and stayed all three hours but then when it was time for him to go home with the ride we got him, we couldn't find him! We looked and looked and finally told his ride to just go home and if we found him we'd find someone else to take him home. So Sister Baum are looking all over the church, outside in the bushes, looked in every room and no Steve. We stayed until the hour after church got out then finally gave up and went home. We felt like the worst missionaries in the world. I mean, who looses their investigators! We felt a little bit better when we mentioned this at correlation meeting and our ward mission leader brought up the fact that he's an adult and responsible for himself. Well, as it turns out he's in a mental home of sorts so maybe some what responsible..? Oops. We stopped by his place to see what happen and he didn't even tell us but just that he wasn't interested anymore. I guess we'll never know what happened to good old Steve. Oh well. Then we had to also drop Steve.
In other bad news our investigator that was going to be baptized a few weeks ago has officially ran out of money to stay at the motel she'd been at so she's officially homeless. As of last night she will be sleeping in the park. It just breaks my heart. I want so much to fix everything but as missionaries we just can't. We've spent hours though looking in penny savers, making calls, looking at departments (when really as missionaries we should be spending our time elsewhere but we just don't want her to have to live on the streets and she has no car or means to do much of that kind of thing on her own). And what's worse is that she hasn't been progressing too much. She hasn't been reading the scriptures and doesn't really seem to care. Life is so hard. I wish so badly she had a family and a home. And she's young too! She's only 22. I am so blessed. Actually compared to her I'm a spoiled brat. The Lord has blessed me so richly in my life. Missions are hard but worth every minute. We'll find someone. I have faith.
This morning was wonderful. We got the opportunity to go to the L.A. temple. Apparently it's one of the biggest in the world. If you've never heard of it google L.A. LDS or Mormon temple. It's so pretty! It was a wonderful experience and I'm so excited to get back to missionary work with a fresh view and perspective and rededicate my self to the work. I love the Lord and his children and I'm so blessed to be here. Never forget that even if you have a rough day you will always have countless blessings. The Lord will never forget you.
Work hard. Serve others. Love much. Have a great week and I'll write again soon!
Love,
sister Fjeldsted
Pictures:
the flowers were from an older couple in the ward. they cut roses from their garden and gave them to us. The Jugants. They have lived in Korea and Hong Kong and know Eliene Bradford's family!
On the way back from the temple (which is in L.A.) we drove through Hollywood. We drove on Sunset Blvd and Hollywood Blvd