'Tis the season...

For Christmas lights at temple

Brett and I went with his good friends Steve and Jenna and took in the beautiful twinkling lights which set the perfect tone for this upcoming Christmas season! Carols were being sung, families were spending time together, the spirit was felt-- what a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening!

Looking forward to caroling, making gingerbread houses, enjoying the merriness of this season, and always remembering out wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.

Only 27 days 'till Christmas!

'till we meet at Jesus' feet

Dearest wonderful, amazing, superb, family,

Wow, what a whirlwind of a week it has been here in The Great Ohio Columbus Mission! Tuesday we began teaching a young man, George. He's 18 and lives in the very tip top of our area-- he was tracted into and accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. He invited us back and we had a wonderful lesson about how the gospel of Jesus Christ can give him exactly what he wants-- things like a happy family, peace, and understanding. There is so much potential with him and his family!

On Wednesday, with everything in line, we were able to commit and begin working towards Kim Valdez and her son David getting baptized this Saturday the 16th of July-- Brother Valdez, Kim's husband, will be able to baptize them both and I couldn't be any more thrilled for this family. They have all been working so hard to get to where they were ready for this amazing life-altering step.

On Saturday, I was privileged to attend the temple as Pat and Greg Smith, from my first area, went through to receive their own endowments and then were sealed together for time and all eternity. This couple has quite a remarkable story-- when I was in Moundbuilders, they weren't coming to church due to work and health-related issues... They had just lost their way a bit and needed someone to reach out and rescue them. Sister (Jenn) Parry (Seiter) and I began working with them and reteaching the lessons and such with them and they began coming to church again. They have continued to grow leaps and bounds this last year and a half and it was one of the most joyous moments of my mission to be able to witness their family becoming a forever family. The Lord's plan is so amazing. In the temple I was blessed to be there with members from all three of the wards I have served in-- Many were there from the Moundbuilders ward in support of the Smith family, Sister Woods from Springboro was in the dressing room and we had the opportunity to catch up on all the good things happening there, and Brother Despain was the ordinance worker in the endowment session. I know that the temple is a glimpse of what the Celestial kingdom will be like when we re-meet all those who were so dear to us in this life!

Sunday was quite a day-- it was the perfect last Sabbath day on my mission. When the sacrament was blessed by Rob Baker (baptized in June), Passed by Jakob Mason (baptized in April), and partaken of by Kim Valdez (will be baptized 16 July), I experienced this moment of peace and satisfaction. All these people were exactly where they needed to be and I was privileged enough to help them get there. At the end of Sacrament meeting, we sang hymn number 152, 'God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again' and the chorister called me up to the stand as we sang the hymn. As I looked into the faces of the people I have loved and served with for the last nine months, I realized how much my heart and my life has been molded by them. There were several with tears in their eyes and I felt like my work here has really blessed more people than I know-- the thing is though, they have also effected me more than they will know. Isn't it amazing how the Lord brings people into our lives to help us become better and many times, they never know how much they touched our hearts? Our Gospel Principles class was on sacrifice and I realized that my perception and understanding of this eternal principle has changed over the last year and a half as I have realized that the Lord really asks so little of us in comparison to what He is willing to give us. Relief Society was about Family Responsibilities and I silently told Heavenly Father, "Ok, I get it... it's time to find a husband now!" and then after church we had a linger longer where the bishopric gave me a heartfelt thank you for my service in behalf of all the members of the ward-- they said I was now in the 'Missionary Hall of Fame' for the time I spent here and the work that has happened. It was too much, but I was really touched by their love. This ward is Zion.

With all this being said-- know this: I am happy and loving life. I love being a missionary, and I am looking forward with faith to the next phase of my life. My 'family' has grown so much while I've been here in The Ohio, and my experiences here will be forever treasured. Ohio has become a part of me, and I know that The Lord, in His infinite wisdom, knew I needed this in my life to become who he needs me to be. I am so very grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and letters and packages offered in my behalf-- I am so very blessed! Above everything, I want to witness to you that I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. The Atonement is real and it is what will enable us to return to live with our Father in Heaven again. The Lord's kingdom is being established on the earth in these Latter Days and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's true and restored church. Joseph Smith is a prophet. He saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and was given the authority and revelations restore the fullness of the gospel with all the ordinances necessary for salvation. Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today. God hears and answers prayers. Families are eternal in nature. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both true books of scripture and they contain the guidelines to happiness. Keeping the commandments brings us joy.

I love you. See you Friday. It's been a privilege.

Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

Things i love about the ohio continued...

i forgot these things in last week's list...

lawnmowers and tractors and combines driving down the road
all the shirtless men and boys-- they teach 'em young here in ohio!
sayings like ''couple three'', ''knee high by the fourth of july'', calling vacuums ''sweepers''
all the wildflowers growing everywhere
yard art-- cement geese and such

And this be our motto: " In God is our trust!"

Dear Family,

I hope your 4th of July weekend has been as spectacular as mine! How grateful I am for this free country in which we live. The Lord has blessed this land for the purposes of bringing about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because we have that gospel in our lives, we have the obligation to live it and share it. We read time and time again throughout all books of scripture that when God's people keep His commandments, they prosper in the land-- but when they don't, they are left to their own strength, and inevitable they become a fallen people. We must live the truth that God has given us and then we can have trust in Him that we will be ok, that He will guide us and protect us, that the things we do every day can and will bring us closer to Him if we do those things that He has commanded us. If there is one thing I've learned in the last eighteen months, it is that in God is MY trust. I am so grateful for this knowledge!

This last week has been really excellent! We had a wonderful lesson with Troy Collins. He's the husband of an active sister in the ward-- The Lord has been preparing him his whole life to accept the gospel, and the last nine months I've been in the area, we've been trying to help him and Sister Collins get closer to her deepest desire which is to be sealed to the man she loves for time and all eternity in the House of the Lord. We watched the movie the Restoration and after the film was over, he told us that he knows that it is true-- that Joseph Smith really did see our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, as two separate and distinct beings in the grove of trees; that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth now. It was a very spiritual lesson-- Troy's son died when he was only 18, and it has really effected Troy. During the lesson, we all felt, very strongly, Troy Jr's presence. I know he is instrumental in preparing his dad to receive this gospel... Oftentimes the veil is a lot thinner than we recognize. God's plan is great, if we only trust Him!

In working with Angell, we have had some neat experiences too. She's a single mom in her 30s, and she has been talking to this man who she was really feeling a connection with. When we heard about this, we were excited for her, but a little apprehensive, because this man isn't a member of the church yet-- we know what she wants and we were worried that she would give up her dream of being sealed in the temple to a wonderful man for the one who is great and in front of her, but not yet at a place in his life where he can take her there. We were talking about this man though, and Angell, unprompted from us, told us that even if he is 'the one' she will not settle for anything less than a temple marriage. She recognizes the importance of the temple to her eternal happiness, and that is what she's set her sights on. We are so proud of her and the changes she's making in her life-- she's trusting God!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. Living it and keeping the commandments is the way to be happy. I love life!

Have a phenomenal week, and go spread the gospel!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
xoxox

Things I love About The Ohio

What are your top 10 favorite "Ohio" foods?
1. Squirrel... seriously, people eat it here!
2. mashed potatoes with chicken noodle soup over it
3. Amish donuts
4. Amish cheese
5. fresh garden veggies
6. fresh berries
7. Mi Fiesta restaurant in Newark
8. homemade pickles
9. sauerkraut and pork
10. apple butter

What are your top 10 favorite "Ohio" activities? (Not in order)
1. Corn hole
2. Being a Buckeye fanatic
3. Talking to people who sit on their porches all day
4. Driving in cornfields
5. Dodgeball at the Diamond Dome
6. Barbecues
7. Eating outside
8. Antique shoppes
9. Trying not to hit the Amish buggies who drive at dusk with no reflectors
10. Making copies at the church library

What are your top 10 favorite things about Ohio?
1. The people
2. The hills
3. The weather
4. The wards with ginormous geographical boundaries
5. The Ohio State University
6. German Village in Columbus
7. Clearfork
8. Springboro
9. Moundbuilders
10. The Amish
11. The trees
12. The seasons
13. The Zoo
14. The history
15. The architecture
16. The people who say words Newark like Nerk, or belafontaine like bell fountain.

In league with truth

Dear Stupendous Family,

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true-- it is the thing that drives us to bless others, act in faith, and consecrate our lives. In the new testament, Matthew 7:20, we are told, "By their fruits, ye shall know them"-- what sort of fruits are we producing for all to see?

This week has been wonderful. We had Family Home Evening with an investigator, Angell, and her daughter Kirsten on Monday evening. We talked about self-worth and the importance of recognizing our spiritual gifts and using them to bless others. Tuesday we spent the morning with Kim and Eric Valdez and her son David and Sister Drake cleaning the Boyd's home. The Boyd family had to move to an apartment on one level due to Renee's cancer. Renee was supposed to be there to help, but when we were all there and she wasn't, we found an unlocked window, I climbed in, and let everyone else in! In a matter of three hours, we had the place spotless. We got a tearful phone call thanking us the next day. The chemo had made her sick and she had forgotten about our appointment to help clean. It was nice for them to have one less thing to worry about. That evening, we had a very spirit-filled lesson with Brandon and Amber Niccoletti about Joseph Smith. We watched the movie 'The Restoration' and she knows he's a true prophet. She and Brandon have been praying nightly both individually and as a couple and Amber has been reading and enjoying the Book of Mormon and the gospel principles book. They're doing very well! Wednesday we had dinner and Family Home Evening with Kim, Eric, and David. We had a lesson on David and Goliath and then went to the Book of Mormon class after-- the whole evening was spiritual, and the Book of Mormon-- we read Mosiah 8-- class was probably one of the greatest we've had in the nine months I've been here! Friday was President's last Specialized training (he and Sister Jensen will leave on the 30th) and it was spectacular. Very impacting. Saturday we spent helping at the wedding of a member who has been less active to another member who has been less active. When they got together, they just strengthened each other and came back to church and they will be sealed in the temple in one year. Sunday, Rob prepared and passed the sacrament, then after church, the Bishop's wife had us over for dinner, after which we went to see the temple and on to the mission home fireside. The Valdez family and Angell and Kiersten also came to the fireside. It was amazing. Everyone is just doing so well-- they are the fruits of this true gospel!

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Atonement is real. The Book of Mormon is true. Families can be together forever.

Have an amazing week-- go share the gospel!

I love you!

Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

Fill our hearts with joy and peace

My dear, wonderful, superb, excellent, amazing family,

What a week it has been here in the Ohio... a good week with lots of emotion--- I'm still exhausted!

It seems like Satan's pattern is this: right before and/or right after something amazing happens he likes to throw a wrench in our lives. Well, with the amazingness that happened last invitation Sunday and all the good work we have happening here in the Clearfork ward, this last week was evidence of his sneaky slimy ways. Things were ok until Wednesday, then-- for whatever reason-- me, Sister Oliverson, Brother Brandt (our ward mission leader), and Rob Baker (our recent convert) just all had our own terrible emotional days! Now that doesn't mean we succumbed. We all took it in stride, and continued working to build the kingdom, but man, it was tough! Friday was probably the worst for me. It is our weekly planning day, I wasn't feeling well, and i was in a grumpy mood and we had an appointment with a sweet sister in the afternoon and because of everything going on, I wanted to be anywhere but that appointment. Sister Oliverson and I pleaded with the Lord before we left the apartment for his spirit to be with us-- we acknowledged our faults, expressed our desires to overcome them, and asked for the negative feelings to leave. When we pulled up to Angell's house in Shelby, we didn't feel miraculously different, but when we went in and began talking about the gospel and encouraging her in the things she is doing to bless her life and her daughter's live-- i was overwhelmed by a feeling of peace and joy. As she said a few things, just in conversation, I knew that my Heavenly Father was using her to answer my prayers and questions I had been having-- Angell really was an angel that day. We are each others angels, and so it is imperative that we listen to the promptings from the spirit to help our brothers and sisters out... even if we don't realize were doing anything! As emotional as it was, we taught a lot of lessons last week and got a lot done. I love being a missionary, because even the 'bad' weeks really aren't THAT bad! I tell you this not to evoke sympathy or what have you, but rather to showcase the Atonement and how aware our Heavenly Father is of each of us. No matter what feelings you're having-- good or bad-- He knows and is either rejoicing with or sorrowful for you. He wants us to be happy and receive His help, we just have to be willing to grab His hand.

Kim Valdez had us over Thursday night for their family home evening, which they planned and executed all by themselves! It was on Noah's ark and for dessert we had rainbow sherbet and animal cookies. I was so proud of them for doing such a great FHE-- It was kind of nice just to be a participant and not the teacher, but to recognize the changes they are making in their lives as a result of them learning about the gospel principles we've been able to teach! They are learning an applying and THAT is the Atonement in action!

Wow, how truly amazing the gospel of Jesus Christ is. I've seen it change lives and heal hearts in the almost 18 months I've had the privilege of being a full-time teacher of it. It's changed my life and healed my heart. How amazing that if we just give things over to the Lord we come out with more than we ever imagined-- we truly do have to loose our life in order to find it.

Jesus is the Christ and He is our Savior. He loves us and through His stripes we are healed. The gospel is true.

Happy Fathers day daddy-- you are an amazing man and the woman I am becoming is because of the daddy you are. Thanks!

Oh, and Congrats Ashley and Spencer on baby #3! I can't wait to meet her :)

I love y'all so much! Have a phenomenal week <3

Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

Oh what songs of the heart

Dear wonderful and amazing family,

Life is good and I adore being a missionary. I cannot even describe the feelings I receive as I put on the name-tag that bears the name of my family and the name of my Savior. When I get to represent Him all day, every day as I preach His gospel and help Him change the lives of my brothers and sisters, i receive joy unmatched by any other moment of my life. My purpose, as a representative of Jesus Christ, is to invite others to come unto Him by showing them that they deserve better than anything the world can give them. The good news of the gospel is that families can be together forever, and I get to help people learn this wonderful truth each and every day-- how great is my calling?! Preaching the gospel as a full time missionary and helping others the way Christ would if He were here has become the song of my heart :)

Yesterday our ward had an 'Invitation Sunday' where all the talks and lessons were focused on the Plan of Salvation. We made up invitations for the members to hand out to those they have wanted to invite to church for a long time but haven't for whatever reason so make the invitation as unawkward as possible-- it was a great day and we had several people accept invitations to attend church! The two I was most excited about was Troy Collins and Brandon & Amber Nicoletti who all came to church yesterday for the first time. Joy was brought to my heart when I saw them enter the church and then as I was able to watch the fellowship happen with the members, i wanted to sing! Everyone there truly felt welcomed and the spirit was felt so strong. We have our first 'official' lesson with Brandon and Amber tomorrow evening and we will be teaching Troy again on Saturday. These people are so precious to our Heavenly Father and I am so grateful to our merciful God for preparing them to receive the gospel the way He has!

The gospel is true. Living it brings happiness. Families can be together forever. Life is beautiful. I love you all more than life-- keep the commandments and be prosperous!

Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

I have work enough to do.

Dear family,

My attention this week has been brought to recognize and understand the dire effect our choices can have on us. Life is made up of choices-- and the fact that we have the ability to choose is evidence of God's love for us. I am so grateful for His love and His mercy and His forgiveness. The fact that we can either choose to follow God or not is a huge deal-- it breaks His heart when we choose to be disobedient, but when we choose to then become His disciples, it makes the latter choice all the more powerful. This is why agency is an essential part of His plan and an eternal principle. God's power has a lot to do with our agency. I love the Plan of Salvation and my Savior Jesus Christ. Repentance is real-- the Lord doesn't care so much about where you've been as he cares about where you're going.

Robert Baker was baptized of Friday evening and it was one of the most spiritual baptisms I have ever had the privilege of attending. Sister Oliverson and I sang Sweet Hour of Prayer because it is Rob's favorite song, after which he stood and bore powerful testimony of the Atonement and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that I am the missionary, but I have learned so much from Rob. He truly is a student of scripture and a seeker of truth. He is preparing to serve a mission and wherever he goes, he will be the key to thousands of peoples' conversions. He's phenomenal.

Kim and Eric Valdez have made numerous changes in their lives so they can live more in accordance with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is working on himself so he can baptize his wife and step-son-- and that may be happening sooner than we thought... like, this weekend. After learning about the Word of Wisdom, Kim emptied all her wine bottles and other drink mixers. She has such strong faith. It's another instance of the future being more important than the past.

Wow. Time is flying so quickly. Sometimes I just want to press pause, but that isn't in the Lord's plan, and so we just must make each moment matter. How grateful I am for this time to learn and grow in The Ohio. It is the greatest decision I have ever made to be here. Thanks family for helping me get here.

I know this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon contains the information we need to be happy. I know we can be together as a family forever as we live worthily of the blessings. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that we can change and become better as we live His gospel and allow Him to enter into our hearts. Of these things I am sure.

I love you more than life!

Love,

Sister Chelsea LeSueur

Sweet is the work

Hello wonderful family,

Heavenly Father loves me-- and one of the many evidences of this is my new companion-- Sister Angela Oliverson from Shelley, Idaho. She has been out about eight months and she's fantastic. She dresses so cute and has such a non-shy dynamic personality that the ward has really just fallen in love with her in the few short days she's been here. Ahh-- Heavenly Father is so good to me, and I know she's exactly the one who needs to be here in the Clearfork ward! :)

It has been an exhaustingly wonderful week-- The following are a couple of the highlights:

Rob Baker was interviewed for baptism on Saturday and he couldn't be more excited to become a member of the church. His fall plans include coming to Provo and attending BYU in the fall in preparation for his mission. He's going to convert entire nations when he serves his mission! His baptism will be this Friday evening at 6:00 and we are so ecstatic for him! He's a phenomenal kid who has overcome a lot and who is sacrificing a lot in his quest for truth.

Kim and Eric Valdez came to church on Sunday and we had a lesson with them after church was over. Last Tuesday we had taught them the Restoration and the spirit was felt so strongly by everyone. We committed her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and to know that Joseph Smith is a prophet-- she agreed and so our apt with her yesterday was to follow up on that. She has been reading it and is gaining a testimony of it. We invited her to prepare herself for baptism on June 18th, and she said yes and is very excited about it. Oh my goodness-- this family is going to be a powerhouse in the Clearfork ward. Eric quit his job of 20 years last week because it required him to work Sundays and took him away from his family. Huge leap of faith for which he was immediately blessed. The next day, he got an interview with a competing company who was flying here from Chicago today to interview him. The Lord asks so little of us and gives back so much. I'm so excited for this family!

Good luck to Kevin week with his tests. I've seen Grey's Anatomy, so I know how taxing those tests can be ;) You're in my prayers, and I know that if you do the best you can and fast and pray for help, the Lord will take care of the rest... You're in my prayers this week!

Happy Graduation Trev... You've made me a very proud sister. Keep up the good work!

I know this is Christ's true church. The work of proclaiming the gospel is indeed sweet, and I am so grateful for the tools and resources we've been given so that we can know the things we need to in order to return to live with Heavenly Father and help our brothers and sisters get there as well. Families can be together forever!

I love you-- have an amazing week... live your life and enjoy it <3

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

Our Savior's love shines like the sun with perfect light

Hello wonderful, magnificent, beautiful, amazing, faithful family!

I hope the sunshine is radiating in your lives today, no matter what the weather is like outside. We have a loving Heavenly Father, our Savior, Jesus Christ, lives, and the gospel is on the earth once more-- with knowledge like this, how could anyone be glum?! It is a beautiful day here in The Ohio, which is great because 1) it's my half birthday 2) we went to the zoo today and 3) the day began with thunderstorms! Hah, when we pulled up to the zoo, the sun simultaneously came out. It was wonderful-- the Lord had 15 missionaries praying for sunshine and He answered our prayers... We are so spoiled.

I had a conversation with Rob Baker, one of our investigators and he asked me how I could be so optimistic and endlessly happy... my response? When you know the gospel is true and understand the Plan of Salvation, everything else seems so insignificant-- besides that, you understand that as long as you do your part, the Lord will take care of the rest. Everything will work out in the end so long as we try our hardest to keep the commandments and follow the promptings of the spirit. I think one of Satan's biggest tools is getting us wrapped up and caught up in the bad news of the world, the mistakes we've made, and the things we have no control over...Pessimism. But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all that is unfair about life, can be made right, all the mistakes we've made can be overcome, and all the hurt can be healed-- Satan would have us loose sight of this, but if we fall prey to this tactic of his, we will destroy ourselves because Gods create, devils destroy. We must cling to the gospel, keep the commandments, and live up to our covenants with unwavering faithfulness, and then we can be optimistic knowing that all our shortcomings will be overcome by the Atonement of Christ. This is the 'good news' of the gospel.

It has been a wonderful week. I love being a missionary!

Rob is progressing nicely and is excited for his baptism on 4 June... Conversely, we're excited for him. He has been so prepared by the Lord and has received a lot of answers to prayers this week. Ironically, he was offered two different job positions this week at two different Baptist churches, writing for them. It is his dream to be a writer. He was talking about how he would have to turn them down because he no longer shares their beliefs and explain to them that after two years of Baptist Bible College, that he's becoming a 'Mormon'-- but even as he was trying to sound pessimistic about all of it, he pointed out that he will have the opportunity to share the gospel with these men on a level that no missionary knocking on their doors ever would simply because he's a respected colleague of theirs. His ability to sort through scriptures and truth and understand how he must live and apply it is amazing.

Kim, Eric, and David came to church yesterday and loved it-- They stayed for all three hours and David really enjoyed Primary. We taught them the Plan of Salvation earlier this week and it brought a lot of clarity to them-- Kim especially-- on the questions she's always had. It feels so good to bring light into people's lives. They're doing really well and it won't be too long before Kim and David are baptized and Kim and Eric can be sealed for time and all eternity in the House of the Lord. I love being a missionary.

With transfers this week, things are kind of up in the air, but I know the Lord is in charge and whatever needs to happen for me, for Sister Vaasili, for the area, and for the other areas in the mission will happen. I know that with perfect certainty.

The gospel has been restored and it is true. Life is beautiful.

Have a superb week!!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
xoxox

Put your shoulder to the wheel...

Dear most excellent family,

Hello from The Ohio-- it has been another rainy, happy, wonderful, miracle filled week here in Clearfork. I just love being a missionary, and I am so grateful for this time I have to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. He is so good to allow me to have these amazing faith-promoting experiences. I know that I am laying the groundwork for the rest of my life-- this is the turning point for me, and I am grateful for His love, mercy, faith, and trust in me!

Supposedly, the allergies this year in this area are the worst they've been in years (it seems like they say that every year, in every area though), and people are having a really hard time with them-- I am no exception. What started out as allergies in the beginning of last week turned into a full blown cold towards the end of the week. It's been a bit of a struggle, and the cold rainy weather isn't helping matters much-- Saturday evening, we were supposed to go to the adult session of stake conference with the Saunders, a recently baptized family in our area. Well, tornadoes were threatening, and Marla didn't feel comfortable leaving her kiddos with a babysitter under such conditions. When she called to cancel with us, we were a little bummed out. We figured maybe it was the Lord's way of making me rest my body, so we went home around 7:00. When we got home, I felt this overwhelming impression that we needed to go see the Amicks, a part member family in our ward who lives here in Galion. When we knocked on their door, no one was home. Puzzled, we walked back to the car, and just as I was about to sit down, I just knew that we needed to knock on doors on that street. Well, everyone we talked to was, shall we say, less than receptive-- everyone until we got to the last house on the street. There, we met Pam Lorris and her 4-year-old son Garrett. We had a wonderful conversation with her which lead into a lesson about how Christ's one true church has been restored to the earth after centuries of it being distorted. She talked about how she believes in God and Christ, but doesn't go to church because they all disagree with and contradict each other. It was an amazing lesson, mostly because I knew the words coming out of my mouth weren't my own. I knew that the Lord lead us directly to her because he knows and loves her and her family. We have another appointment with them tomorrow afternoon! How great it is to recognize and be able to see the specific ways that the Lord is using you as a tool in His hands!

Yesterday, another missionary miracle happened-- when we got to church, we were introduced to a 21-year-old man who had come to church for several weeks when he was 16, then his family, who thought it was the end of the world, put a stop to it. Rob baker came back to church yesterday, and we were able to teach him after church. We had a wonderful lesson-- he isn't going to be your 'average investigator'... he probably knows more about Mormon doctrine than many members of the church. He is a philosophy major, and so he likes to philosophize -- and he stated yesterday in our lesson, that if there is ANY truth, there has to be ONE truth that is right for ALL. He has studied all different faiths and has determined that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has something that no one else has, and he wants to find out what that something is. At the end of the lesson, we felt impressed to give him a copy of the Family Proclamation, and set up an appointment for Wednesday. About two hours after we parted ways, he called us, said that he read the Proclamation, and told us that he wants the things for his family that are outlined in the Family Proclamation, and he didn't want to wait until this Wednesday to meet with us. We'll be having another lesson with him today at 4:00. The Lord has definitely prepared him to receive the word with joy (Alma 16:16-17). This is His work!

I love you all. I know this gospel is true. The Book of Mormon teaches us how to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Families can be together forever-- Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Sister Chelsea-a-Lynn LeSueur

I want to share my life with them through all eternity!

Dear family,

It was so excellent to be able to have the privilege to talk with y'all yesterday! It reminded me just how wonderful you are, and my resolve to do everything necessary to be able to qualify for the blessing to spend eternity in your presence was strengthened! Thank you for always being so supportive and loving. Thank you for always setting such great examples of living the gospel and striving to become like our Savior. Actions speak louder than words, and I am grateful for your actions :)

Well, as I mentioned on the phone yesterday, Eric and Kim Valdez and her son David came to church yesterday, and while they could only stay for sacrament, they were beaming with happiness the whole time! Eric is a less active member who married Kim and moved here about three years ago. He grew up in an active family who lives out in California-- but due to some personal struggles, and his job travel, he hasn't come more than a couple of times since he's lived here in Galion. About two weeks ago, we received some papers from the Bishop of people to look up in our ward who have relatives SLC cannot find... Eric was one of them. Sister Vaasili and I tried a couple of times to see him that week, but he wasn't ever home. The next week we were talking to our former bishop, asking him for his thoughts about whom we should go see, and Bishop Goodwin brought up Eric's name. When we got back in the car, we both laughed because we KNEW the Lord was directing us back to his home. When we got back into our neighborhood, it was about 845 at night, and we were just going to head home... But we knew we needed to stop back by Eric's home-- so feeling a little awkward knocking on this man's door whom we haven't met before so late in the evening, we followed the spirit and had a lovely conversation with him on is front porch. He explained his situation, and we asked him if we could come back and meet with his wife and stepson another day, earlier in the evening. Last week, we went back for that meeting and talked about the family proclamation. They told us how they want to re-prioritize their lives and committed themselves to nightly family prayer. We felt the spirit, fell in love with this sweet little family, and left. About 30 minutes after we left, we received a phone call from Eric who was on his way to get a haircut, thanking us for bringing the spirit into his home. He said it had been so long since he had felt it... Then he began to tear up as he told us that when he left his house, Kim was on the computer looking up Mormon.org. He told us they had talked and would definitely be at church on Sunday even though he had to come home early from a business trip to do so, and then he told us that he feels that Kim is the most prepared she's ever been to receive the gospel. When they were at church on Sunday, beaming with happiness, so was I-- This family is on their way to becoming a forever family :)

Also, Jakob Mason passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday-- it was a really great day!

Please know how much I love you... The gospel is true-- Jesus is the Christ-- Families can be forever.

Have a phenomenal week and look for the joy in life!

Love,
Sister Chelsea-a-Lynn LeSueur

Teach me, Lord, to be a shepherd; Father, help me feed thy sheep

Hello, dear family, from The Ohio!

Happy May! I cannot believe we've begun the 5th month of the year. I cannot believe we've begun the 16th month out of 18. I cannot believe time flies so quickly-- one might even say it "flies on wings of lightening"! Hah, I love the hymns of Zion :)

It has been another great week here in Clearfork, and even though 90% of our appointments were canceled, or we had to cancel them due to Sister Vaasili and a terrible toothache which we're going to the dentist for today, we had some wonderful lessons, met some great people, and had a phenomenal day at zone conference on Thursday.

We had a wonderful new member lesson with Gene and his boys, at Brother Hawk's home, about the priesthood. This was especially appropriate because Gene and Jakob received the priesthood the previous Sunday, and yesterday Gene passed the sacrament-- Jakob will next week... Gene told us that he wanted to show his son 'how it was done'. I thought that was cute! We are working to transition their lessons from us teaching and members supporting to members teaching and us supporting. It worked really well Thursday-- Brother Hawk put a lot of effort into his lesson and the spirit was very strong. This Thursday, we will have another lesson with them and it will be a review of sorts in the from of Jeopardy. It should be fun, and hopefully it peeks these adolescent boys' attention and memories!

Yesterday, my testimony about prayers being answered and fasting was strengthened. It being fast Sunday, I fasted to receive personal revelation as to how we can best help a recent convert family remain strong in the gospel and become more solidly converted, and for this family to recognize where their priorities ought to be. When I was reading my scriptures before and during the sacrament yesterday, I came across Alma 23, which talks about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies' conversion, and received the distinct impression to share this scriptural account of this group of people burying their weapons of rebellion because of their true conversion. Then last night, we received a phone call from our ward mission leader who had stopped by their home and she had quit her job because it was interfering with church and family. What an amazing and very tangible example of prayers being answered and fasting being a means of strength and knowledge! I love the Lord-- He is so very good to us!

I know that the Book of Mormon is true, Jesus is the Christ, and families can be forever. The Lord wants us to feed His sheep, and if we truly love Him, that is exactly what we will do-- even (and especially) if it means, as it did for Peter in the New Testament, leaving our nets and our old life behind. We must rescue and feed His sheep.

I love you guys so very much-- Go preach His gospel!

Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

He is risen!

Dear wonderful family,

Happy Easter-- Christ the Lord lives and what an amazing thing that is! Because He overcame the bands of spiritual death on the cross, and the bands of physical death when He was resurrected, we can all live with our Father in Heaven again, and we WILL all be resurrected after death. The gospel of Jesus Christ really is good news and it is so true.

The Lord helped us find a sweet woman when we were knocking on doors named Sarah Fox. She is in her early 20s and has two little guys (ages 2 and 1). We had a return appointment with her this last week and taught her about the restoration. She has been quite prepared by the Lord and we know we were lead to their home. We will be having a lesson with her and her husband this week, and I am excited to continue teaching them! She was really excited when we told her about the Book of Mormon, and before we could even invite her to read and pray about it, she asked us if she could have a copy. She was unable to make it to church yesterday, because she was already scheduled to work, but, I'm hopeful about the future. I just know we were sent to this family for the two darling little boys. They will be excellent missionaries one day-- they're part of the Lord's priesthood army!

Yesterday after church, we had an amazing lesson with Jeff Boyd. We haven't really been teaching him since before Christmas. If you will remember, he was progressing towards baptism, got scared, and backed way way off. Because of the circumstances, we had no other choice but to back way way off too. We had dinner with their family Friday evening (where I had liver and onions for the first time... If you've never had it, you're not missing much!), and we felt impressed to talk about the Book of Enos with him, which really focuses on prayer and the effort we must put into our prayers being answered. Well, after dinner, we ended up talking about how the Book of Mormon was translated and Joseph Smith and such, and we ran out of time to talk about Enos. We asked him to read it and set up an appointment to discuss it after Church on Sunday. He surprised us and showed up to church, and he had even read his assignment! When we talked after church, we had a lesson where the spirit was the strongest I had ever felt in a lesson with him. He told us how he really related to Enos, and how he felt like he was reading about who he could be. We talked about the relationship between desires, faith, and work. We talked about how converts are the key to their ancestor's salvation in the spirit world, and about how they are also the key to their progenitor's salvation, and then we asked him what he was willing to do to receive an answer to his prayers. He said, "well, I should probably come to church every week. Maybe I should dust off this book (motioning to the Book of Mormon in his hands), and I really need to pray." Oh man, I was so excited to hear him say these things, because he's finally starting to connect the dots-- but the real excitement came when we asked him if he would do them. In times past, whenever we would leave a commitment with him, he would always say, "I don't want to make any promises" or "I'll try" but this time, he said, "Yes. I will. " We then asked him if he would work towards being baptized, and he said, "Go big or go home, right? Yes." Now, "Go big or go home" is a phrase I always use... and he's catching the vision-- Truly, it was an Easter miracle, and I know the Lord has been softening his heart!

I have really been studying the Atonement this week. I am so grateful for my Savior, the Atonement, and the perfect love both He and our Father in Heaven has for us. I feel like I have grown so much in my understanding of this central aspect of the gospel, and I know that I will continue to learn more as I study it throughout my life. How fortunate we are to have the scriptures!

Life is great. Being a missionary is great. The gospel is phenomenally true.

Have a wonderful week, and share the good news of the gospel!

Love, Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

Give our love and pledge our all...

Dear family,

Easter week is here already. Mother's day is in 20 days. Forsythia and magnolia trees are blooming. Rain is falling. Spring is officially here! With passover week, I am feeling very fortunate as I was passed over from the dreaded transfer call telling me that the time had come to leave my dear little Clearfork ward. I get to enjoy another blessed six weeks here, and I am thrilled because I just wasn't ready to leave yet! There's still so much work to do!

It has been a wonderful week as we have sought out less active members and looked up potential investigators and tracted around them all. We have a few promising return appointments for this next week, and I'm really excited to hear about all the ways the Lord has been preparing these people to receive the gospel! At this one less active member's home, we found out that the family had moved to Michigan-- but in talking to the sweet woman who answered the door, Rebecca, we found out that her best friend is a member of the church, she has read parts of the Book of Mormon, and she and her husband are active in the youth ministry of their church. They have 3 kids and one on the way, and she said we could stop back by in a few weeks. I really feel like the Lord lead us directly to her... Missionary work is wonderful!

Brother Hansford Minner, whom I have written about before, was an elderly man here in the Clearfork ward. He was baptized a few years ago, and we had been working with him to get to the temple-- he has been sick since January and in and out of the hospital. The last month he has been in the hospital in failing health due to heart and gallbladder complications, and on Friday morning, he passed away-- quietly in his sleep. It made me really grateful for the Plan of Salvation... Knowing our Father in Heaven's plan for us takes some of the sting out of death. I know it is a blessing that he was released from his lonely circumstances and frail body. I know that he can now progress in a way that was nearly impossible for him to do here in the conditions under which he was living. We will miss visiting with and teaching him, but now he can teach the gospel to others who have also passed on. How merciful, amazing, and perfect the plan of our God is!

With Easter this Sunday, let our thoughts this week be centered on our Savior and the Atonement. No matter what Wal Mart would have you believe, Easter is not about plastic eggs, candy, and cute bunny decorations-- Easter is about the miracle that occurred three days after Jesus the Christ chose to experience death. It is about His resurrection. Because he was resurrected, we all will be able to have out physical bodies and spirits reunited, perfected, and glorified for eternity. Is a stream of several merciful acts of love, Christ overcame the effects of the fall of Adam-- he made it possible for us to overcome spiritual death (our separation from God), and physical death (our spirit's separation from our body) . Because of His love, we can return to live with God and our families can be together forever. Think about your relationship with Christ, and choose one thing you will work on to become more like Him this week. I know that if you do this, it will make this Easter Sunday more meaningful and special to you, and you will grow closer to Christ.

Jesus is the Christ, and he loves!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

We are all enlisted 'till the conflict is o'er

Dear family,

Spring has spring, flowers are beginning to pop up all over the city, and we had an 80* day yesterday for the first time this season-- and except for seeing all the half-naked people who have been waiting all winter to walk around wearing just about nothing, it was delightful! I told Sister Vaasili to watch out for summer, because that's when just about everyone wears their underwear just about everywhere they go! I love The Ohio! :)

It was a great week, culminating at the baptism and confirmation of the Mason family this weekend. We had the amazing opportunity to go on companion exchanges this Wednesday to Thursday. Sister Vaasili went to Powell and Sister Pettigrew came from Powell to Clearfork. Ever since I arrived in the field, Sister Pettigrew and I have wanted to be companions... she unfortunately is making the transition from full-time missionary to full-time member missionary this week at transfers, so things were looking like they weren't going to happen for our desired companionship until we received the phone call last week from Sister Jensen with the good news! Shoot, 24 hours is better than nothing! We had an excellent time together, and did a lot of good work in the short time she was here. It was such a tender mercy of the Lord, because it was exactly the pick-me-up that I needed!

The baptism for the Masons went well... they were a few minutes late because they forgot their all-important towels and undies-- so they had to turn around and get them. The spirit was very strongly felt, there were several members in attendance to show their love and support for this family, and they each received the first of the saving ordinances necessary to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Gene was glowing, Zack, the 10 year old, said he felt 'refreshed', and even Jakob, the 13 year old, cracked a smile! I am so grateful to have been able to witness this family's transformation as they were taught by the Holy Ghost the gospel of Jesus Christ and began to implement its teachings into their lives! Truly a life-changing transformation has taken place-- member missionary work is the BEST!

Marjorie and her Son Aaron BOTH came to church yesterday. She's come to church a couple times since we began focusing on her, but her 32 year old son who struggles with alcoholism hasn't ever been. We got the Elder's Quorum to get in on the fellowshipping and they picked him up and brought him to the priesthood session of conference two weeks ago, then he came to sacrament meeting yesterday. It was wonderful to see him there. In talking to him last week, he told us that he feels like he missed the starting bell... we told him that because the Lord loves us, through repentance and the Atonement, there are many starting bells. It's so true. If he is committed to turning his life around, he can do it, and the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Atonement, and fellowshipping from the members is how it is going to happen! Also, as we talked with Marjorie last week, she expressed her desire to attend the temple. We're getting her started on genealogical work and will get her in a temple preparation class as she firms her resolve to meet this excellent and very worthy goal. Everyone deserves a chance to turn their life around!

Transfers are this week, so we'll see what happens... I wouldn't be surprised if I leave, I have been in Clearfork/Zion for 6 blessed months! Still, I would love to die here! I'll report on the results of transfers next week! Any mail this week should be sent to PO Box 939 Powell, Ohio 43065 to make sure I receive it!

This gospel is true. I love it with all my heart. Jesus is the Christ. He is our Savior, older brother, and friend. We must study the scriptures so we can know him and so he can become our BEST friend. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration. Thomas S. Monson is his successor, and leads the church as the Lord's prophet today. Families can be together forever!

I love you so so so much!

Love,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur
xoxox

Come listen to a prophet's voice

Dear wonderful family,

What an amazing weekend we've had, being able to listen to the living, modern day prophet, his apostles, and other members of the seventy and auxiliary leaders during General Conference. Truly the words we heard are the words of the Lord-- we must study them, and apply them to our lives and within our families. I know that the things said in the last two days are the things the Lord would have us know for these Latter-day times in which we live. I know that as the words came out of the prophet's mouth, it is the same as if they were coming from the lips of the Lord, for President Thomas S. Monson truly is his mouthpiece. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to return to live with Him, and that is why we have a prophet on the earth today-- to give us the instructions we need for our time as we study and live the principles taught in the scriptures and work our hardest to become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. The fact that the gospel has been restored with a living prophet to guide it under the direction of the Lord is evidence of God's love and mercy.

I particularly enjoyed the council given by Lynn G. Robbins of the seventy on the act of being and not just doing. He commented on the fact that so many people have "to do" lists, but very few make "to be" lists. Well, last night in my journal, I took his comment to heart and made my own "to be" list, and I have to say, in the half a day since I made that list, I have been much more conscientious of the things I do. As I laid in my warm bed last night, exhausted from the spiritual high I've been on for the last two days, and realized that I had forgot to floss my teeth before I brushed. I was tempted just to ce'st la vie, but then I remembered that just an hour earlier, I had written on my "to be" list the word diligent. Well, I got myself out of bed, flossed my teeth, and returned with the satisfaction of knowing I was working on who I want to become one small choice at a time. I highly recommend that you come up with your own list of who you want to be!

Gene, Jakob, and Zak Mason are ready and excited for their baptism this weekend on Saturday, 9 April at 6:30. They have made such excellent changes in their lives and it is really showing in their family! They are saying family prayers and reading and discussing the things they've read in the Book of Mormon. We had a wonderful lesson last week on the commandments we've been asked to do by our Father in Heaven and the boys were so excited and they came to realize that keeping the commandments is a tool to keep us happy! We talked about who Christ is and what His Atonement covers. They are beginning to feel a small amount of the love that their Father in Heaven feels for them, and they are becoming happier as a result. I am so SO excited for this family!!

Well, I want you to know that I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He lives and he loves us. I loved what was said on Saturday during conference-- "Adam chose to experience spiritual death so that the rest of us could have physical life, and Christ chose to experience physical death so that all of us could experience spiritual life." What a wonderful thought full of truth. I am grateful for our loving Father in Heaven. He also lives and has a body of flesh and bone. We were created in His image and when we keep his commandments, we can be happy and through sacred restored covenants, we have the potential to be able to live with our families forever in His presence. Truly, THIS is the "good news" of the gospel, and it's true.

I love you all so much. Have a good week and live what you've learned! Go spread the gospel and help others to be happy!

Love,

Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

Today seek for goodness, virtue, and truth

Dear mi familia,

What a beautiful day today is. I can't believer we're to the end of March already, and that another season has passed. Time just flies much, much too quickly! With General Conference this weekend, and the knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and is our Savior, what is there to worry about-- nothing else matters!

I told you about Gene and his two boys, Zack and Jacob, last week-- the new family we're teaching who was brought to church by a sister in the ward three weeks ago. We have had some really wonderful lessons with them this last week, and they readily accepted the commitment to prepare for baptism on the 9th of April, in two weeks! Gene has quit smoking and committed yesterday to quit drinking coffee. He already is noticing the blessings in his life and in his family since focusing more directly on living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, as we spoke to Jacob, the 13-year-old, about his reading in the Book of Mormon, he commented on how amazing Nephi is to be so obedient and faithful despite his wayward brothers. I was so proud of him for catching onto that key detail. They are both bright boys who want to do better, and I know there is a void being filled as they come to church every week, and read and pray daily. Their family is happier, and Jacob looked a little less like an angsty teenager yesterday than in the previous weeks we've seen him!

In the Book of Mormon Class that we teach at the church every week, we were teaching Jacob 5-- the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees. In the allegory, the tame olive tree represents the House of Israel and the wild olive tree represents the gentiles; there is the master of the vineyard and he has a servant-- the Master represents our Father in Heaven and the servant represents anyone laboring in the Kingdom of God-- for this email, the servant will be representative of Christ-- It really struck me, as we were teaching, the numerous chances the Lord gives the trees (us) to produce good fruit. When the master is ready to burn his vineyard because of the no good trees (justice), the servant pleads with the master to allow him to work a little longer and a little harder to make the trees bring forth good fruit (mercy). We are given so many opportunities to bring forth good fruit-- whether through trials or blessings, we have the opportunity to change-- nevertheless, at the end, if those trees still were no good, they had to be burned for the good of the vineyard, and so it is with us. If time after time we refuse to change, the hand of the servant can only stay the master's inevitable plan so long. I am grateful for the mercy and justice of the Lord's kingdom, for we are blessed by both. One cannot exist without the other-- and I am eternally indebted to my savior who made it possible for mercy to be exercised in my behalf.

The gospel is so true-- we have the opportunity to watch conference this weekend and pray to know without a doubt that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today-- don't miss this opportunity for spiritual growth and testimony strengthening!

I love you tons and tons,
Sister Chelsea Lynn LeSueur

My heart shall triumph in my Lord

Dear family,

Happy Spring!! Oh, I just love this time of year! Spring is just one more evidence of our Father in Heaven's love for us!

It has been a wonderful week of member missionary work up here in the great Clearfork ward... Last Sunday, Iris Jiminez in the ward brought a new friend and his two sons to church. They loved it, and they left right after church, before we could set up a return apt with them. So, Thursday, we called Sister Jiminez and she told us that Gene really wants to take the lessons, and yesterday after church we taught him about the restoration of the gospel. He said that in the last week, he has already recognized bits and pieces of truth that were left out of his Pentecostal upbringing. We explained that the light of Christ, which we're all born with, lights up around truth as the Holy Ghost bears witness about things of God. He is a good man who sincerely wants to raise his 11 and 13 year old boys up to be good men-- we talked a lot about how the gospel blesses families and how the Book of Mormon is the best parenting manual ever written. He is reading and praying every day and we will be teaching them again Thursday night. Iris was just glowing as her new-found friend was learning the gospel. Member missionary work, the act of sharing the gospel with our family and friends, is so rewarding for both the giver and the receiver!

A recent convert, Abby Ritchey, also brought a friend, Mona, to church yesterday. The lesson in gospel principles class was on the Atonement, and so were the talks in Sacrament meeting-- it was perfect for her, and it really seemed to fill a need that she had. We have an appointment to go and teach her more this Friday. I'm go excited! She seems like a wonderful woman who sincerely wants to draw nearer to the Lord. As we talked about the resurrection in Sunday School, she wasn't understanding everything, so she raised her hand and asked! I was so glad that she felt comfortable enough, and desired to understand enough, that she did that!

Also, last night, we were able to meet with Brandon, the less active member, and his fiance Amber, that I emailed about a few weeks ago. Her little girl got her tonsils out a week ago so it was hard to get together with them! It was our first time meeting him, and so when we knocked on his door and he opened it looking less than friendly, I thought "oh no!" but he invited us in and we talked to him and Amber and he softened. It turns out that he works right down the street from where the church is-- he passes it every day! They said they would try to come this week, and we set up an appointment with them for next Sunday to begin teaching them after church. This family needs the gospel, and I know the Lord has been preparing them!

One of my zone leaders, Elder Upton, has taken to calling me 'Ringleader' because he says that whenever there is a gathering of missionaries, I'm always the one heading it up-- I thought that was a much nicer title than the one my sister gave me a few years ago: "Little Mao" (as in the communist China dictator...) I just like making things happen! Today we're getting together for a spring festival to play sports outside... I'm excited!

I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ. It is amazing and it blesses individuals and life. I am so grateful for the Atonement and what it means for each of us-- it means that we are able to return to live with our Father in Heaven again if we try our best to overcome our weaknesses and work to be forgiven of our sins. The Atonement is the most important thing to happen in the whole world. Ever! It is wonderful!

I love you so so so much-- be happy. The gospel is true!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

They are seeking to be great and good and wise.

Dearest family,

What a wonderful time to be alive. Spring is just around the corner, it stays light 'till about 8:00 now, and the gospel is true. We are a wonderfully blessed people with so many tender mercies around us-- we must take time to notice them and thank our Father in Heaven for all His love!

It's been a great week-- we spent quite a bit of time looking up former investigators and less active members here in Galion and in Shelby. There was a woman we looked up, Nikki, in Galion and we knew from the teaching record that she had only been taught once. She has a little girl and the elders wrote on the record that she was currently going through a separation from her husband. We knocked on her door and when she answered it, she had two little girls right at her feet. We explained who we are and told her that we are the new missionaries in the area and that we would love to just get to know her a little better. She told us how she has no time because she runs a daycare out of her home and has kids there all the time, both during the day and during the night. With great enthusiasm, I told her how much I admired her for that. I explained that I am going to school to become a preschool teacher and told her how much I love little ones! She softened, and invited us in. When we got inside, she told us that she was going through a rough divorce, and mentioned a few of the other difficult things going on in her life. We talked for about ten minutes and asked if there was another time when we could come back to talk more-- she told us Wednesdays are her least busy days and that between noon and 2:00 is when quiet time is... Well, this is where we really see the hand of the Lord come into play-- Usually we have district/zone meetings Wednesday mornings and we don't usually return to our area until 2:00/2:30... BUT this week, we have our mission tour where Elder C. Scott Grow of the seventy (who I saw at a devotional in the MTC) is coming to speak to us this Saturday-- so our Wednesday this week was free for Nikki! We will be going to her home again at 12:30 on Wednesday to get to know her better and have the opportunity to teach her about how the gospel can bless her life. I'm really excited for this, I know she needs it, and I know the Lord was present in helping is get to her at this specific time! He is so wonderful!

Our Relief Society lesson yesterday was on the Word of Wisdom, and I'm so grateful for this wonderful Law of Health the Lord has given us for our bodies. Truly, living this law will help us be whom the Lord knows we are capable of becoming. It keeps us free from things which will limit our abilities to serve and bless the lives of others (by refraining from drinking alcohol and other addictive substances), it helps us to know the things we must put into our bodies to keep them running right (fruits, veggies, and whole grains), and it shows the love and concern the Lord has for us. Just as parents won't let their kids eat all their Halloween candy the night they bring it home because the parents understand that too much candy brings tummy aches and cavities, out loving Heavenly father wants us to feel healthy and happy, so he advises us as to the things we should and should not take into ourselves! What a wonderful blessing!

I know our Father in Heaven lives. I know He loves us. I know Christ is our Savior and that He knows each of us personally and intimately. He wants us to come to him so he might relieve us from our struggles and pains... but we must CHOOSE faith. The gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it supports the Bible in testifying of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Families can be together forever :)

I love you all bunches! Go spread the gospel!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

Let Thy enduring love guide me to Heaven above

Dear family,

Well, we were experiencing lovely blue skies and temperatures in the 40s last week then Saturday it dropped back down to freezing and Sunday, we awoke to see snow on the ground again! Everyone here says, "you can't count on no more snow 'till June!" Man, oh, man, I miss March in Texas! But it was nice to have a week of reprove though-- It was kind of like Heavenly Father was smiling at us to get us through the end of the winter... Something to look forward to!

We visited an older less active sister last week, and had one of the best visits about being active in the church we've ever had. We have visited Sister Payne pretty regularly since I got here, and it isn't that she doesn't have a testimony- she just suffers from depression and is really good at coming up with excuses... well, last week we were talking about how the Lord blesses us with personal revelation through three main ways-- 1.) revelation through prayer, 2.) revelation through scripture study, and 3.) revelation though church attendance. As we discussed the importance of personal revelation and her need in particular for it, she really opened up to us and told us how she feels about different things she's struggled with-- feeling accepted by the ward in particular. Well, we told her how the friendships that we form at church are just an added bonus, but they should never be why we do or do not go. We told her how the sisters of the ward really do love her and would do anything for her (and have on several occasions) and then we talked about the love the Savior has for her, and it's His love that matters most. She talked about her love of the gospel and committed to do better. Imagine my joy, when on Sunday morning, she walked into sacrament meeting and sat by us in the seat we promised we would save for her. It was a wonderful moment, and I was so proud of her for making the first step!

Also at church yesterday, Lee blessed the sacrament. Abby Ritchey (a recent convert from Marion who moved into our area in Bucyrus on Saturday) was there with all three of her kids who had a hard time going to church in Marion, and they loved church and their primary classes! I am so grateful the Lord is blessing people with the things they need to progress spiritually. He is so mindful of us and the things we need.

This is the Lord's church. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith is the prophet called by God to restore the fullness of the gospel in these latter days. When we keep the commandments and are true to our covenants, we are blessed and happy. Our Father in Heaven loves us, Jesus Christ is our Savior, families can be together forever.

Have a really good week-- go share this wonderful gospel with those around you!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

On we go to vanquish the foe...

Hello amazing family!!

Ahh, what a great week... The snow is melting, it's 40* today, it's been downpouring for the last 12 hours and so the Olentangy river is flooding parts of our little town of Galion. No doubt this will produce some good service opportunities for Sister Vaasili and myself. The flooding river is actually quite appropriate for how I'm feeling right now. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the good work that is going on here, the wonderful people we have the opportunity to work with in this great Clearfork ward, and for the exciting news I just received about my acceptance into BYU as a transfer student for this fall. Truly I am so blessed. I know that the Lord is in charge and he has given me the means to bless others and return to live with him eventually-- I know I am having experiences now so that I can serve and strengthen those around me for the rest of my life; I'm grateful for them... The good ones and the "refiner's fire" ones too :)

So we had a few interesting experiences this week beginning Monday when we went to Brother and Sister Rondon's home for dinner... It was snowing quite heavily so they came and picked us up from our apartment. Well fast-forward three hours and it was STILL snowing heavily and since they live out in the country a bit, are an elderly couple, and there was 8 inches of unplowed snow on the roads, it wasn't a great idea to attempt the 20 minute drive home. They said we would just have to spend the night, and after informing our mission president and receiving permission from him, we had a 'slumber party' at the Rondon's home... It was like a mini vacation at a bread and breakfast. Kind of fun!

Thursday we went to check on a member referral we had been trying to contact for a month. They live in a small town that we only make it out to about once a week, and they never seemed to be home when we were in town! Brandon is a less active member whose records we don't have in our ward and his girlfriend, Amber isn't a member. She has two darling daughters (6 and 4) and they are so dang cute! Anywho, we knocked on their door Thursday night and Amber answered the door! She invited us right in after we told her who we were and that the Anderson's from the Mansfield ward said we should come and get to know them. We sat down and spoke with her for about 30 minutes. Brandon was out of town for the weekend, but she says he faithfully reads his book of Mormon. She also told us that they are engaged to be married in May and that they are looking for a church where they will learn things as opposed to the church they are currently attending only because Brandon was volunteered by her grandpa to play the base guitar in the church band. We have an appointment with them this Thursday and I just feel like the Lord has been preparing this cute couple to join (and become active in) His church! This is evidence of the great power that exists in member missionary work! Pray about who the Lord is preparing to receive the gospel in your life and the invite them to be taught by the full-time missionaries in your home! If you want to make a friend for life, share your time-- If you want to make a friend for this life and the next, share your time and the gospel!

This gospel is so true. Jesus is the Christ; He is our savior, and it is only through Him that we will be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father. This is the true and restored gospel of Jesus Christ. The priesthood is on the earth again. We have a living prophet, even Thomas S. Monson who is the mouthpiece of the Lord today. The Book of Mormon is true. Life is good. We are to be happy and have joy.

I love you so so much.

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur
Go Cougars!

Tune them with the key of love

Hello all you wonderful people whom I love so much!

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the wonderful Valentines day paper crane notes... It made me feel so loved and reminded me how blessed I am that our family can be together forever! This was the best Valentines Day I've ever had. Truly it was a day of LOVE!

It has been an excellent week, peaking this last Saturday when Regina Parsons entered into the waters of baptism! It was a beautiful 50*, blue sky day (the highest it's been since October) and I told Regina that God gave her a beautiful day for her baptism... She said, "I know, I was praying for it!" The power of faith is real because yesterday it was back to the freezing rain, snow, and 30* weather more typical of Ohio in February-- Daddy, you said it was 80* in Dallas last week? Enjoy it! :)

Regina's baptismal service was excellent... She is moving to Mansfield in the next two weeks, so unfortunately the Clearfork ward doesn't get to keep her-- but Mansfield is just the next town over, so there are lots of ties in between the two wards, and I know she'll be well taken care of over there! Anywho, for the service we had one of the two talks and one of the two prayers be given by a member from Mansfield; there were several members there, and Regina felt well loved! She was glowing the whole weekend!

We had a neat experience earlier in the week-- Marla and Carla's mom had a heart attack and was in the hospital down in Columbus. She really loved us the three times we've met before, and asked if we would be able to come and see her. Normally we wouldn't have been able to because of how far away we are from EVERYTHING, but because of the ice storms we had the first week of this month, our new missionary/trainer meeting was rescheduled for last Tuesday and it was only about 15 minutes away from the hospital Delilah was at. We received permission to go and went to the hospital and told her how much we love her. We were only able to stay about half an hour and when we left, I 'forgot' the copy of the Book of Mormon I was carrying on the chair in her room. After we left, Marla said her mom saw it and said, "Oh no, that girl left her book here!" to which Marla replied, "Well, there must be a reason for it... are you going to read it?" and Delilah said, "Probably..." Well, I didn't really think anything else about that until Sunday when, in Relief Society, our lesson was on service and the instructor asked what service we had received in the previous week and Marla talked about how we went out of our way to see her mom and it really meant a lot, not only to Delilah, but to Marla as well. Marla also said that her mom's heart has been softened significantly towards the church because of this... so when I was complaining about all the ice earlier in the month and all the meetings that were canceled and all the days we couldn't leave the apartment.... I take it all back! Heavenly Father knows what is best and I need to trust in Him more. Because the meeting was rescheduled we were able to go to the hospital and see Delilah last week and she is being prepared to receive the gospel. Heavenly Father's plan is always the best!

We were reading the Book of Mormon last night as a companionship and we were reading 2 Nephi 4-- 'Nephi's Psalm'... I feel so much like Nephi. Why should I ever be discouraged? Why should I ever give into temptation ' that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul'? Why should I be angry or slacken my strength? I echo Nephi when I say, " Awake my soul, no longer droop in sin! Rejoice, o my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul... O lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!" As I work to increase in my Christ-like attributes, I know I can become more like Nephi. He wasn't perfect over night and neither will any of us be... We must make it a constant process to become like Christ and as we work on things like patience, charity, and diligence, we too can have the faith and zeal of Nephi, Moses, and Samuel the Lamanite-- but it's a process! Let us work every day to have the faith they have!

I love this gospel-- It's true and I am so grateful for my savior, Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that we can return to live with our Father in Heaven. Families are forever, and for this knowledge I am eternally grateful! Have an excellent week <3

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

If there's sunshine in your heart...

Dear family,

Happy Valentines day!

It's 38* outside and it is DELIGHTFUL! I never thought I would be so excited about temperatures in the high 30s, but here we are-- by the end of this week, we should be up to the 50s and I can't wait... I'm breaking out the short sleeve shirts and sunscreen already! Hah, just kidding, but we are very excited! Bring on the sun!

After the discouraging week last week, I went to zone conference completely drained and deflated Tuesday morning. By the end of the six hours of being fed spiritually by President Jensen, the assistants, and the zone leaders, I left feeling happy and ready to convert the world. It was a reminder to me that we must allow ourselves to be spiritually fed in order to keep going-- Increasing our testimonies is a vital part of 'enduring to the end' and sometimes that gets put on the back-burner as we spend our days feeding and increasing others' testimonies. Now, I'm not saying we should lessen how much of our time and energies we give, BUT I am saying that we need to make sure we're providing ourselves with enough oil in our own lamps so we have something to give. When I went to zone conference, It refilled my lamp with the oil I needed to continue fueling others' lamps, and it made me realize that I need to figure out a better way to study in my personal studies which will prepare me for the lessons we have coming up AND give me the spiritual strength I need. Any thoughts would be so greatly appreciated!

Regina has been taught all the lessons and been interviewer in preparation for her upcoming baptism this Saturday! She and her husband are moving to Mansfield right after the baptism, so after this week, she'll be attending that ward, but I know the ward will do a great job of fellow-shipping her. Because of this sudden transition, we are having 0ne of the talks and one of the prayers and the pianist come from Mansfield-- the other things will be done by members she already knows from the Clearfork ward. Hopefully she will understand how much she is loved in both places and will feel double the support! She's wonderful and we're praying that her husband's heart might be softened and that he will be open to receiving the gospel in his life so they can become a forever family. Please keep Regina and James Parsons in your prayers :)

By the way-- Carla will be speaking on the holy ghost, and Lee will be baptizing Regina. I love seeing recent converts progress and serve! Ooh, and Marla was just sustained and set apart as the new visiting teaching supervisor-- They're doing well :)

I love this gospel. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I love the chance we can bring about in our lives through repentance. I love that the love of a family can last forever and be deepened and increased through the plan of salvation and temple covenants. I love the temple. I love missionary work, and I love you! Have a wonderful week <3

Love, Sister Chelsea LeSueur

Teach me, Lord, to be a shepherd; Father, help me feed thy sheep

Hello sweet family,

Well, it's been quite the week here in the Ohio Columbus Mission-- one that I'm quite glad is over! Between being snowed in, sick, finding a GREY hair, and driving (or rather, sliding) on ice... I am learning (and experiencing) first hand that "there must needs be opposition in all things". We must be snowed in to appreciate going out, we need sickness every so often to help us realize how blessed we are to have good health. I guess a grey hair is the Lord's way of helping me focus on... well, I'm still trying to figure out the lesson behind that one. And as far as the ice goes, I guess it was a very humbling experience to have to call our ward mission leader while standing in the middle of an iced over Ohio cornfield as our car was lodged into three inches of ice. Yes, lessons are being learned, attitudes are being shaped, and tender mercies are found in abundance. The Lord is so aware of us and our needs, and for that I am completely grateful.
Last week, I spoke of Regina Parsons, a friend of Marla and Carla's who we were beginning to teach. This week we invited her to be baptized on February 19th, and she is so so excited. She was brought to church yesterday be some members who live not too far from her, and I hope they will be able to develop a friendship.

It was fast and testimony meeting yesterday, and about half way through the meeting, Carla stood and bore her testimony-- she spoke from the heart and talked of the great change that came about in her life when she began learning about the gospel. She said, "before I was found, I was hopeless, I had given up on so many things. But I am so grateful that I have found a church and that I know I can have a forever family." Umm... I definitely felt the overwhelming joy that is spoken of in the scriptures when you help another come unto a knowledge of the gospel. Carla has had so many terrible experiences and she is overcoming them through her knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She is glowing! Later on in the meeting Marla stood to bear her testimony and spoke of how the ward has helped her feel at home and how the gospel has changed and saved her family. She spoke to the happiness and peace that comes from the Book of Mormon, and how prayer has become such a huge priority in her life. I said a silent prayer, thanking Heavenly Father for allowing me to hear these wonderful testimonies borne by women whom I love so much.

I love this gospel. I love the change it brings about in peoples' lives. I love the Book of Mormon-- we need it as much as we need oxygen. We need to study it daily as individuals, as families, and as couples. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ-- he truly is our Redeemer, and I am eternally humbled by and grateful for His sacrifice and death on my behalf. God is love. Families are forever. Missionary work is joy.

Have a happy week :)

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so. All is right...

Dearest family,

What a wonderful time to be alive and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our friends and neighbors. Indeed we are privileged to be on the earth at this time! I was having a discouraging moment earlier last week and out of nowhere the words above in the subject as penned by William Clayton in the great hymn 'Come, Come Ye Saints" entered my thoughts and I had the thought, "what do I have to complain about? If the pioneers could bear and bury children on the plains in the middle of winter and sing these great words in the second verse, surely my lot is anything but hard. yes, 'all is right'... so get over it!" Haha, after I had this little pep talk with myself, the rest of the week went more smoothly and I was able to recognize the discouraging and unproductive feelings I had been having as an attack from the adversary to tear me down and discourage me from engaging in the work of the Lord. He does this to all of us and we need to be aware of his tactics so we can see him for the deceiver he is. Regardless of what he will tell us, we ARE good enough, we CAN do it, and we ARE worth it. We are children of a king who has promised he will ALWAYS make us strong enough to bear our burdens and who will ALWAYS make us equal to our callings. HIS is the voice we MUST listen to.

In other news-- Carla Willoughby entered the waters of baptism last week on Saturday, received the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday, and is just walking on sunshine. She described the feeling on Sunday when she was being confirmed as "a tingly feeling all over and it was just like being baptized all over again!" I am so happy for her and excited for her future!

Lee Saunders was ordained into the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday in the third hour too-- he went to good will and found a white collared shirt and a black tie just for the occasion. Before church he came into the foyer with the tie undone because he realized that he didn't know hwo to tie a tie, so our ward clerk, Brother Racey, showed him how. It was great to see him in that white shirt! I know that if they will let it, this new change in their family will change them. I just love the Saunders-- We're having FHE with them tonight about the temple :)

Regina is one of the new investigators we are teaching-- she is a friend from high school of Carla and Marla's. She came to Nathan's 4th birthday party at the Saunders' home Friday night and then to the baptism on Saturday and then to church on Sunday and told us she wants to become Mormon. Hah-- wow. We taught her after church yesterday and she loves everything she hears. Her husband is very Baptist and so we'll see how the Lord works to soften his heart-- but we're excited to work with Regina!

Anywho. The gospel is true. God loves us so so much. Jesus is the Christ. Families are forever. Go be a missionary-- February Ensign First Presidency message is inspired and so so true. Read it!

Love,
Sister Chelsea LeSueur