January 11, 2016

To answer your question (mom).....On a scale of 1 to 10 how do I feel today. 10! I feel great! Seriously. The doctor told me that I should be up and walking (with out a back pack of course) but walking everyday. The same day I got out of the hospital we were already out and teaching that afternoon. I was hurting, and really sore, but although my body hurt, my radiant smile was still working. :) haha it was tough going in the buses an stuff but I was able to trust in the Lord and I know he has been strengthening me. There are people going through worse and Im grateful for the blessing to brighten up their days. We had an amazing week! Although we lost some working time due to the hospital, interviews with president, and stake conference, we were still able to contact 79 people, teach 24 lessons, and find 10 new investigators this week!

Picture is of my last day there in Moyopampa. 

We had a little family night there in the church to say goodbye. What we did in the week was all that I had told you the week before that we were going to do. Christmas party as a mission, we went to a buffet, and had a talent show, then watched a new movie Big Heros. Then we had dinner with a family Christmas Eve and Christmas night (because the pension left haha) it all turned out awesome and beautiful. We had the lunch as a zone and we had the baptisms! Then christmas night we watched the fire works go off at midnight (they light fire works here on christmas and new years) and after that we opened some presents. We got the transfers on Monday morning, we printed off some pictures to give out to families and packed, and yeah it all went great.

With my trainer E Balderrama, the new Assistant, Me new zone leader, and new district leader

--

Love,


Elder Lambson :)

January 5, 2016

Preface to Elder Lambson's letter by his mom:
Elder Lambson's Mission President called me, just after 7pm Sunday 1/3/16, to let me know that due to severe abdomen pain Elder Lambson was being transported to a hospital.  He reassured me that he would keep me informed as to the diagnosis and that he and his wife were headed to the hospital right then. Several hours later we found out he was being prepped for an Appendectomy.  We phoned Elder Lambson at the hospital and were able to talk to him for a few minutes.  When he answered he said "mom, I'm only supposed to talk to you on Christmas and Mothers Day!" I replied "and before you go into surgery".  I love that he is being so obedient to the Mission rules and the Lord.  President Boswell was amazing in keeping us up to date with his progress via email.
  
Family & Friends -
Hey so this is probably going to be the craziest email I've sent you my whole mission haha. So this week I completed 18 months!! A year and a half!! And you wont believe who my new companion is... Elder Golden, from American Fork! He is the son of Adam Miller`s oldest brother. We actually met each other before the mission and we talked about how cool it would be if we were comps but never thought it would actually happen! And here we are haha. 

My new zone is called Vitarte! And I'm working here with Elder Golden as Zone Leaders! Haha I'm pretty stoked, we are doing great so far, we have had a great week working together already, the only thing that has been able to set us back a little bit is that I got appendicitis! I was in the Hospital for 3 days and ended up getting my appendix taken out!!! 

The area is great we have tons of investigators! Vitarte is where everyone wants to come because they say its the promise land! We actually have a baptism scheduled for this weekend, and for here in two weeks :) It was so sad to leave my last area though!!! Moyopampa was amazing, I'm going to miss them all soo much :,( they were all soo sad to see me go, I felt so bad! I love them so so much and it has definitely been one of my most successful, and enjoyable times of the mission. I had an entire bag full of gifts that the members and some investigators had given me for Christmas and for going away haha. It wasn't the easiest thing to say good bye, but I know that there are people who need me in Vitarte as well and I am already getting a hang of it here! Its a HUGE change but the people are so great here and so receptive! 

Our zone is awesome too, I already know the chapels of the other wards, I was able to do an interview this week for a little boy who got baptized on Saturday. There is literally no down time, but I love it! Anxiously engaged in a good cause!! 

Love you so much! Have a great week! :)
--
Love,
Elder Lambson :)

Christmas 2015

"On this Christmas I send my love to every missionary, every man or woman in the military, every student, or employee, or traveller who "won't be home for Christmas," as the carol says. Keep your faith. Look for the good in your situation. Do something kind for someone. Seek Christ devoid of wrapping and tinsel. You will find that despite your external circumstances, Christmas, like the Kingdom of God, is...within you. -Jeffrey R Holland

I love what Elder Holland said, it made me think that we (Missionaries) aren't the only ones away from home. Instead of turning into ourselves, we can turn out to others and comfort them in this time.

We had 2 baptisms scheduled for this week that fell through, one is a sweet old lady who we found contacting and she received a testimony of the book of mormon and priesthood authority, what stops her from being baptized already is her very catholic husband who refuses to sign because "she doesn't need a second baptism."

The other is a sweet old lady who has had contact with the church for many years now and recently opened up her old Book of Mormon that she has had forever and received a strong testimony. She came to the chapel and said "after many years I have finally decided, heat up the water, I want to get baptized" so we were so excited, she had her assistances, we were teaching all the lessons, but then she told us "Elders, I want to get baptized, but I don't want to pay tithing, and there is no way you can convince me to." 

With these both great challenges we have been able to recognize that it is by the grace of God that these people are saved, after everything possible that we can do. We taught her husband and explained to him with many scriptures, but his traditions and beliefs don't allow him, he said maybe with more time. So that is a great hope that here in a few weeks or months his heart will be softened. And with the other sister, we have testified of the Book of Mormon and in another lesson dedicated to sincere prayer, her heart has opened up as well and this Sunday we saw her pick up a tithing slip and study it. I know God has a plan for these two sisters, and I trust in him when he says that everything has its proper time and place.

It was a great week though, I've never had so much fun before in the mission. I love my companions. This whole week we have gone with out water in our house! The pipes from the hills broke and got filled with mud, and our whole street has been w/out water all week. I finally got sick of the bathroom smell so I went down to the river with a few buckets to bring to at least flush the toilet haha. We have been going about 4 blocks up to where the pension lives to shower in a members house, the house that I used to live in haha. (how I told you changed houses with Tio).

We went up to that same place for pday last week where we had gone the week before, but this time with the whole zone, of 18, 8 got half way up the hike, another 6 to the top, but only me and 3 others to the top top. You get to the top, and then there is another little way to go to get to this really beautiful garden up in the cliff side a little above. I'm so grateful for all of the endurance training from rugby and football and I'm not worried at all for when I get back to start right up again playing sports. I might have a better heart rate now that what I did before (tell that to Rocky and Rachelle) haha.

It was awesome talking to you for a minute on the phone to set up our Christmas call! So yeah Christmas I'm going to call home!! Plans for Christmas, Today we are going to a buffet as a whole mission and then we are going to a stake there in Lima to play games, make treats, and have a talent show and have a good time, then on Christmas day we are doing almost the same thing but just lunch as a zone, and then we are having a massive baptism, everyone who has investigators who wants to get baptized, we put their date for the same day... Christmas! It may not snow here, but it will still be a white Christmas :)

Life is amazing!! You wouldn't believe the progress and amazing things I am learning. This is a time of joy! I gave a talk in sacrament and I started out saying really loud "Rejoice, a savior was born! If you're sleeping right now, Rejoice, a savior was born! If you're on your phone instead of listening, Rejoice, a savior was born!" It was the best. MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love you so much!
--
Love,
Elder Lambson :)

May 11, 2015 Mothers Day

This is Kaleen, Elder Lambson's mom. We got to talk to Kiel!!!!

I am so grateful we got to Video Chat him on Mothers day. We were all so excited to talk to him.

Kiel called me on Monday to set up our Call, when my phone rang I was at work talking to my boss, I looked at my phone and it said Unknown. So I didn't answer it. It went to VM and popped up that I had a message then it started ringing again, once again with an Unknown number. I said to my boss, I better answer this.... WOW!! am I glad I answered it....a cute voice (with a spanish accent) said "mom, its Kiel".....Ahhhhh it was so awesome!

We got to visit with him via Facebook messenger for 40 minutes on Mothers Day. The internet connection was very slow and the 40 minutes went by fast. He told us all about his new area and the love he has for the people of Peru. We wanted him to speak to us in Spanish but he leaned into the computer and said "if I do they will all know what I am saying" then he moved the camera around and there was about 15 Peruvians sitting there watching him (and us). We got to wave to everyone and say our "Hola and Gracias's" to them. How grateful I am for them and the love they give to him every day. Kiel then bore his testimony to us in Spanish, he is so fluent, he truly has the gift of tongues. It's amazing to think that 10 months ago he hardly spoke Spanish and now he is teaching the Gospel in Spanish.

I thought we would get to talk for an hour, but he said "no I only get 40 minutes". He could tell I was disappointed at cutting our call short and said "don't worry mom I'll get to talk to you at Christmas". I love this boy, he is always the optimist.  He seems so happy and radiates with his big smile, you can feel his love and enthusiasm for all those in Peru.  He loves being a Missionary.

After we said our Goodbye's, he knew I wouldn't end the call so he said "ok I have to go" then held up 3 fingers and said "three, two, one" showing 2 fingers then 1 then made a heart shape with his hands and then pushed the Disconnect button.

Someone posted the below on a Missionary Moms Facebook page. I thought it was great.

This was written by a counselors in an Idaho Bishopric.....

One of my new favorite Mothers Day things on FB is the pictures of all the mothers who are skyping with their sons and daughters while serving the Lord around the world.
For those who wonder why LDS missionaries only are allowed to call home on Christmas and Mothers Day, I say this: There are probably no two people more important to a young child's development than Christ, and that child's mother. No one loves a child like Christ, and that child's mother.
It's only logical then, that a child who is able to commune with a loving Father in Heaven and His Son whenever, is provided additional--special--opportunities to similarly stay in touch with his or her mother.
In the words of Helaman, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, who was relating the account of 2000 brave sons--children--who fought on behalf of their homes, their liberty, their lives--and were protected by God against all enemies (Alma 56:47-48):"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them."And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

To all the mothers who have sons and daughters serving God around the world, I say "thank you for raising strong, righteous children." There is likely no better gift they can give you, and no better testament to your motherly abilities than to know they are following God and doing what He wants them to do at this time.

January 5, 2015

Wow 2015, crazy how good of a year 2014 was with all the stuff that happened all of the amazing things, it was definitely an awesome year, probably the best one I've ever had. But I'm also looking forward for this year 2015, I'll be here in Peru the whole year!! A different type of amazing things are going to come to pass here. 

This first week of the year has already been amazing. I got to perform a Baptism for one of the investigators of the Hermanas in the Ward (Sister Missionaries) and the little lady was soo nervous, timid and shy. It was the cutest thing. When I baptized her she grabbed her nose with the wrong hand and just fell back, so I didnt have time to change it and so I just pushed her all the way under and held her tight so she wouldnt fall haha it was great. She had wanted the Bishop to do the Baptism but he couldn't so they asked me if I would do it and I was like what if she doesn't like me??  But they said she was happy to have a gringo do it because they are handsome and have pretty eyes haha. She was also happy after because she said she was scared of the water but "he held me strong and saved me from drowning" haha.

I have also had the oprotunity to give some blessings and it just an amazing feeling to use the Priesthood to help people in so many different ways that you cant find any where else in the world accept for in the restored true church of Jesus Christ. Pretty amazing stuff. We are visiting A LOT of less actives here in this Ward and we also have some cool investigators like this one guy who is 18, he can speak English, and is investigating 3 churches right now and he has some super deep questions and he is really happy with us because we have been able to answer all of them and also we are inviting him to pray to know for himself and feel that these things are true.

So cool to hear about all of the great things that are happening back at home I am really happy for you guys! Keep choosing the right and always trust in the lord!

Scripture for the week! D&C 50:24 that talks about the light that we recieve from God, and I like to compare it to our testimonies and to a fire. What happens to a fire if we dont continue to feed it? It dies out, same with our testimonies, this scripture shares how when we recieve the gospel we receive the light of God and if we use it to our advantage doing the right things we recieve more and more light until the day we die. The wood that we add to our fire are the small and simple things that we do everyday, our prayers every morning and night, personal and in family, really studying the scriptures, fasting, service, going to the Temple. By doing these things we mantain our flame and mantain this light from God, and this light won't only guide and bless our lives, but also the lives of those who surround us.

I love you guys so much! Have an amazing week!

Christmas Party

President and Sister Boswell

Kiels new digs

New Years Eve Peru Style

Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas from Elder Lambson - Here is his Testimony of Jesus Christ

Click on this link to watch his Video.


Email from Monday 12/29/14

My Christmas was great! We had a cool party on pday with the mission so I got to see lots of friends, we decorated sugar cookies, made Christmas cards, and watched the cartoon Grinch while we had pizza. Then we had a really cool devotional with President and one of the counselors from the Temple Presidency. Don't know what happened but the next day I was in bed and the bathroom all day throwing up. 

Christmas eve was good, after a cool visit that we had Paneton and Inca cola with some cool return Missionaries in the Ward we went to the room like normal to plan and I opened up my Christmas Jamies that my mom sent haha. 

For the actual day of Christmas we woke up normal time 6:30 had breakfast, and then we had a Zone meeting together and we played some games as a zone and ate a nice Christmas lunch together and watched Disney's a Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey as Scrooge haha that is one of the best Christmas movies. So it was a super fun morning then we went and taught some super cool lessons and we had dinner with a cool family of recent converts.   We ate turkey and shared fun Christmas stories. It was an awesome week! 

My area is soo cool!! There are soo many stairs and hills that we go up and down everyday and I'm really loving everyday and the people are so amazing!!

Love you guys and have an amazing New Years!!! Really think about your year and and put great goals that you will work hard to reach! Love you so much!

Love,


Elder Lambson :)

December 15, 2014

I still don't know how all of this works (calling Home on Christmas) either! But there is a pre call that is for 5 minutes to let you guys know I'm going to get on Skype so I guess you guys need to get a Skype and we will go from there. Next week I will know for sure. 

Our investigator, 70 yrs old, was going to be baptized last Saturday but we decided it would be better if he goes to church one more time. So we went yesterday and he said he feels so good and is more sure about the Church now. In the class he was answering questions, sharing his testimony, and making jokes too haha. He is the best. There are transfers tomorrow, I'm pretty sure I'm going to a different area! We will know tonight. All I can say Is I am soo happy to be a Missionary, the world is getting worse and worse everyday. For this we have to be even better, not only as Missionaries but every member of the church. 3 Nephi 12:13-16 first talks about how we are like the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it doesn't have its flavor. We are Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints but what good are we if we don't practice what we preach, show and live the things that we believe in. It then goes on to say that in reality we are the Light of the world, and with a Light like this you don't hide it, rather shine it from the top of a hill for everyone to see and follow. I know that these things are true and I know that once someone gains this Light of the Gospel they should always be sharing it with others not only through their testimonies but more importantly through their actions. If you aren't getting better... you're getting worse. We need to always remember who we are and what covenants we have made with the Lord. I know these things are true and we have to work harder than ever to guard our faith because these really are the Latter Days. I love you guys so much and I'm so grateful for all you do for me, have an amazing week!

If you havent seen it yet, Christmas.Mormon.Org the beautiful new video by the church.  Its the most wonderful time of the year!!

-- 

Love,


Elder Lambson :)

December 8, 2014

I love you Mom! You are so awesome! Its funny I don' get all the details from Bubbycito haha. I am glad Coach Matua still remembers me. I love the SCHS teachers and all of my coaches that I've had. 

I hope Skyler can get back on his feet one day, he may not be doing super well but he sure has changed my life forever by choosing Snow Canyon High School and I am forever grateful for that. 

We only watched a little bit of the First Presidency Message because we brought some kids from the ward. I'm probably going to change to a different area next week. Everything is going well, my comp is a punk but we are working alright together haha. The time really does fly! I have been out almost 6 months now what the heck haha. The work is awesome, I am learning soo much. It makes me so happy that you guys are doing good! Who else is leaving on a mission soon?

Love you so much and so happy for you guys! Have a great week!


--

Love,


Elder Lambson :)

December 2, 2014

We had interviews with President yesterday and things are going super good. My comp is sweet, he is helping me learning the doctrine of the lessons and scriptures and I'm teaching him how to be a responsible missionary and work hard haha. The transfers really are by revelation and we are both helping each other a ton and we are doing super good together! We have lots of investigators with lots of challenges that we are helping right now and we are just working super hard! We have one baptism planned for the 13th he is almost 70! Hes awesome, super humble. I got your Christmas package! Thank you soo much!! Its so awesome to have the music tell Alex he is the best. My rugby ball, words cant describe haha. And just all the other cool stuff thank you so much! In the next letter you send, could you send me a pic of my football team and our faces (not the butt picture) haha and also I don't have a picture of my Dad! I love you mom!!! I miss you guys, sounds like a lot is going on in our part of the Lords vineyard, keep up the good work!! Happy Thanksgiving last week and Merry Christmas! I still don't know really what all of the traditions are here but its pretty much the same. They copy a lot of stuff that we do in the States so its basically the same! The people love the snowmen and candy canes you sent. I gave them out to members of the ward. The moms love me haha. Are you guys doing family history? And how often are you going to the Temple? Tell Bubby what the flip he didn't write me anything. How is the family? What is new? How are the cousins and how are Courtney, Skyler and Jordan doing? There is a guy in our ward who looks a lot like Jordan haha its funny. How is Alex? Love you guys!! Have a great week! Thanks for everything! I love you! Have a great week!
Love,

Elder Lambson :)

September 8, 2014

Hi - Thank you so much for sending the jacket mom you are the best ever. I hope it gets here too. I have light "chompas" (sweaters) that I wear with a long sleeve underneath so it isn't too cold. I haven't gotten any of your letters yet or the photo album. I bet there are some things still sitting at the Mexico MTC until more Elders come to my Mission, probably next transfer. But the other letters should get here soon, it takes about 2 and a half weeks. The other Elders in my casa are Elder Haught and Elder Allred they are the Zone Leaders. They are so funny! Elder Haught might be one of the funniest people I've ever met, he is from Arizona, but I don't know what part. It makes it a lot easier to have them in the house to speak English with and talk about stuff and also they help me a lot with the learning. I'm blessed in my area. This area is awesome. The members are so nice! We only get to eat at members houses once a week on Sunday for lunch. Yesterday this family was saying they wanted me to be at their house for Christmas so they could give me Mountain Dew and Snickers haha.

Its fun being here and serving, we get to do a service project every Thursday and do stuff like help build houses. Last week we got to throw a couch out of a 2nd floor window. I'm beginning to understand a lot more Spanish. Everyday I'm understanding more and I´m able to respond a lot of the time. It is fun having a Zone with all Elders because we get to do more sports. Today we are going to a big grass field to play American football! I'm stoked!

I am staying fit, I work out every morning and I still have abs haha. Most elders say that they're just going to not worry about it and eat what ever until they have 6 months left and then still not do it and go home fat haha. But not me, tell Bubby I'm going to come home ripped haha.

I hope you're all happy. What is family night like with out me there? There are some awesome Mormon Messages you guys should watch. Hope the family is happy. I always like sharing with the families here that the reason I'm a Missionary is because I love my family so much, and I want other families to have that same joy that ours does because of the Gospel.

We had 12 new investigators and inactives at church yesterday! And we have 2 people getting baptized this Saturday! The work is so awesome! And you can do it too! You don't have to be a Missionary to do Missionary work, share this gospel with those who don't have it. Invite people to church with you. I'm so happy for all of the blessings in my life and for my opportunity to share this happiness with others in Lima. I love America and I wish I was there a lot of the time, but I know that I need to be here and being able to see the changes in peoples lives for the better is what makes it worth it!


The church is true. And I love my family. Have a great week :)