Letters from Kelsey - 6

Hey all!

So this last week started out totally awesome! So on Tuesday for our Devotional Elder Holland came! Since I got here my companion and I have become friends with the Executive Secretary and his wife, Brother & Sister Beeson. They are great people! On Tuesday- 2 minutes before the devotional was supposed to start Brother Beeson came and got Sister Pack and I, from our usual spot on the 2nd row of the bleachers, and took us and 4 other sisters from our zone that were sitting with us and moved us to the 3rd row on the floor!! We were on the soft chairs, among the newly called MTC and Visitor Center Presidents and their wives! It was amazing to be about 10 ft away from an amazing apostle of the Lord. I can honestly say that this devotional changed my life! He said that the missionaries need to get it before the investigators have any chance of getting it. He said that we (missionaries now and the youth of the church) are the HOPE OF ISRAEL!! He said that there is no way that any missionary should fall away from the church after spending 18-24 months of their life studying and teaching the gospel. It was an amazing devotional and I will never be the same. I can never go back to the way things were before, I will never be the same. I will be bold and courageous and stand up for what I know in my heart is true. I can say I have already had a convert on my mission and it is myself. I knew the gospel was true before I came on a mission or I never would've come; but the things I have learned and the desire for knowledge that is burning inside me is something I will never lose.

Its been kind of hard becuase I want to be the most diligent missionary I can be and part of me feels like I should know more spanish than I do. I testify of the reality of the gift of tongues. We taught the 1st lesson in spanish this week and did okay. I know I know more spanish now than I think I know but sometimes I can't get rid of the feeling that I don't study as hard as I should or understand things as much as I can. I know that the Lord will bless me and that I will learn spanish and be fluent by the time I get home. Its hard because I am coming to realize my short comings and they bother me. My weaknesses and faults are showing up more and more everyday. Every night I ask my Heavenly Father to help me over come them and I know He will. I have days were I get a bit down because I have this feeling that I should do better, yet I know I work as hard as I can and am trying to be completely obedient. Even with all the ups and downs of the mission I can almost completely say that I am happy. I am excited to be so close to leaving to Texas. I hope everything is going fantastic with all of you! I love you all and love your support. Keep the letters coming- they really are a pick-me-up at the end of the day! May our Heavenly Father bless you all!

Love,
Sister Kelsey Berg!