Hermana Kennedy and the Last Goodbye

Well my beloved family, this is it.  The last email as a missionary.  Here's my letter to President:

Buenas tardes, Presidente Murphy,

Well, this is it.  The last letter, but hopefully not the last time that I send you an update on how I'm doing.  The mission may be ending, but the work doesn't.  I know that we have to keep working on loving people and ministering to them after the mission, just in a different way.  Every single convert I have seen be baptized on my mission has been a referral, so I think God is trying to tell me that in the future, I have to give referrals to the missionaries, because where would I be without them?

Daniela was baptized on Saturday.  She was so nervous and excited and just happy to finally be there.  She gave a beautiful testimony about feeling happy through the Gospel in times when she just felt sad.  She talked about how several different members have helped her make it to that point, and she expressed gratitude for them and their help.  She has a strong testimony, and she would be a great missionary, but we will have to see.  She is already sharing her testimony, and she invited a friend from Ibarra to her baptism, and afterwards, he stayed for a ward activity!  She's awesome!

We were able to set a baptismal date with Oskar as well.  I still don't know what we can do with him, but he accepted a date for the 25th of August.  He is a little hesitant, but we are working on explaining really well to him about the plan baptismal and how prayer and reading he Book of Mormon and coming to church can help him gain a testimony of the Church.  Blanca is a really great hermanadora, and when he feels too nervous to pray, she helps him which is really sweet.

We were also able to teach an investigator named Elias and his wife, Genesis.  They recently moved here from Venezuela, and Elias has come to church five times already, but we could never find him during the week to teach him, so yesterday we taught him at church.  He has a lot of questions and likes to share his Gospel knowledge, but he loves church and says that he feels something different.  We are hoping to set a baptismal date with him this week.

We were also able to talk to our ward mission leader this week in Latino.  We explained really directly to him about how we work with referrals with his ward, and we don't know how to help the members.  We explained that we wanted to plan inactivity for the obra missional to animarles and help them, and that we really want to help the ward, because they are doing great work.  He then gave us a referral for his aunt who recently moved in with them from Cuenca.  She has come to church once, and we were able to teach her, her eight-year-old son, and her niece, and the son and die e already say that they want to be baptized, so we will keep working with Patricia, his aunt.  Latino is really working hard, and we love helping the ward grow.  The ward is a great support.

Rene came to visit me one last time <3

I sure do love being a missionary.  It has been a long, hard, and very interesting road, but I know that it has changed me a lot.  I have come to know that my Savior is always there for me, especially during those heart-breaking moments.  He loves these people and He came here for them, and it has been a privilege to have His and my Heavenly Father's trust.  These are God's children, and He loves them, and how amazing is it that he trust us to help them come to the right path.  There is peace in Christ, in knowing that he loves us, and in knowing that through Him, we can be clean and return to God someday.  I have loved seeing how the Gospel brings light and hope to people's lives amidst the trials and tribulations.  Who could ever doubt that this is the truth?

Thank you for being my mission president.  It has truly been an honor to serve with you and Hermana Murphy.  Thank you for your trust, counsel, and guidance along the way, and thank you for helping bring me back here.  I know that there might have been a chance of going to another mission after breaking my ankle, but I know that you and Hermana Murphy worked hard to bring me back, and I can never thank you enough.  To imagine my life without these people and these experiences is just so sad, and I really love you both for doing that for me.  Thank you for supporting me and giving me so many opportunities.  I love this Gospel, and I hope to continue writing you about my progression after the mission as well.  I still have a week to go, and I will give it my all.  Thank you for serving faithfully as a representative of Jesus Christ.

I love you and Hermana Murphy.  Thank you for everything.

Hermana Kennedy
3 Nephi 5:13

At the beginning of my mission, Mommy would always quote Bilbo Baggins as he heads off yelling, "I'M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!!"  Up until the airport, when I was on the other side of security, she showed me that gif :-). I always laughed, but I have felt a lot like Bilbo in his journey, as I think we all do.  At first, you kind of wander around, not really sure what to do, and maybe you forgot your kerchief and want to go back, but we can't.  There is no stopping.  You learn to grow as a person, and change a lot, and sometimes, all you want to do is go home and sit in your comfortable armchair with your hot cocoa and a good book.  Maybe you didn't like strangers or talking to people before, but because of the journey, you learn to let go of those little things and focus on that which is important.  Keeping the peace, loving people, and ultimately trying to do what is best for them.  And as a consequence, you yourself change.  You start to feel a little scared about going home and thinking about what people might think of you now that you have changed.  Maybe they will think you're a little crazy and weird.  But it doesn't matter, because you know that you've changed in a good way.  Maybe you've encountered dragons and magic, or in this case, disappointments and miracles, and you've loved every moment even though it was hard.  But the time comes when you have to go home, because the journey is ending, and you know that you have to move on.  In the last Hobbit movie, Billy Boyd sings a song.  You can look it up to hear it (https://youtu.be/q8ir8rVl2Z4), but here are the lyrics:

I saw the light fade from the sky,
On the wind I heard a sigh
As the snowflakes hover my fallen brother,
I will say this last goodbye.

Night is now falling
So ends this day
The road is now calling
An I must away.

Over hill and under tree
Through lands where never light shines
By silver streams that run down to the sea.

Under cloud beneath the stars
Over snow and winters morn
I turn at last, to paths,
That lead home.

And though where the road then takes me,
I cannot tell.
We came all this way, but now comes the day
To bid you farewell.

Many places I have been
Many sorrows I have seen.
But I don't regret, nor will I forget
All who took that road with me.

Night is now falling
So ends this day.
The road is now calling
And I must away.

Over hill, and under tree
Through lands where never light shines
By silver streams that run down to the sea.

To the memories I will hold
With your blessing I will go
To turn at last, to paths
That lead home.

And though where the road then takes me, I cannot tell,
We came all this way, but now comes the day
To bid you farewell.

I bid you all a very fond farewell.

I love you family.  Stay safe until I get home.  I went on an adventure, and what an adventure it has been.  I'll see you back in Bag End.

Love,
Hermana Kennedy

Hermana Kennedy and a Year Without Pain

Hi family!  Here's my letter to President:

Buenas tardes, Presidente Murphy,

Well, we can breathe a sigh of relief because Daniela passed her baptismal interview!  We were a little nervous for the second interview, but President Vasquez says that she is very ready.  She was so happy.  I think she's always thought very little of herself, and she was so nervous about not passing, but she almost cried when he said that she could be baptized this Saturday!  She loves this Gospel, and everyone around her is telling her that they see a change in her.  She's already really happy, but people are saying that she seems even happier, and she feels like there is a weight off of her shoulders.  She's also very excited about being able to take the sacrament and have it mean something!  She's so spiritually self-reliant.  We had a few investigators come to church for the first time yesterday, and in Gospel Doctrine, we were talking about prophets.  It was actually a really, really great lesson, and at one point, Dani raised her hand and asked the teacher if she could say something.  She then began sharing her whole conversion story and her testimony with the family and talking to them about how they can come to know as well.  She was so excited to share her testimony, and afterwards, when we were setting up an appointment with the family, she was there and said that she would be able to come with us at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, so she's also already accompanying us!  She's so amazing!  Her baptism is set for this Saturday!  

Last week, we received a referral from a member in Otavalo.  His name is Oskar, and he is the boyfriend of Blanca Maigua.  He seemed pretty reserved at first, but after getting to know him more, he was really open with us.  He doesn't have a lot of religious background, so we're really starting from square one, but he's open to the Gospel, and Blanca is helping him and being fortified herself.  However, we aren't really sure what to do with him.  He lives in Iluman but wants to be taught in our sector but doesn't want to go to Otavalo ward because Blanca's mom attends there, and she doesn't like him, so he and Blanca came to Latino.  This whole thing in Otavalo is so complicated with all the chapels, and we are seeing a lot of similar problems.  The family that came to Latino is a referral from Latino, attended Latino, works in our sector all day, but lives in the zone leaders' sector, and we just don't know what to do.  We want to help all of these people, but they should be taught by where they live.  Sometimes their friends or family are in a different ward, or for time, they can't be taught at home or something.  We and the zone leaders are just a little confused, and I think the confusion will just continue until everyone attends where they are assigned based on where they live.  But it's okay.  Everything will work out.

The hermanas here in the campo are doing pretty well.  The work is picking back up, and I love them all a lot.  They are working hard, and things aren't perfect, but they keep trying, and I'm really proud of them.  You have wonderful hermanas working here, and thank you for letting me work with them.

Otavalo is an amazing place.  The work continues, and I love being a missionary, but now that it's coming time for me to say goodbye, I'm really sad.  I love these people so much.  They are my family, and it's hard to think about not being able to see them all the time, but I guess the work continues without us and that's the wonderful thing about God--He is eternal.

Thank you for making so many sacrifices to be here.  Have a wonderful week,
Hermana Kennedy

Well, my mission will soon come to a close, considering that this past week was the year mark of breaking my ankle.  And just two weeks later, I was home, so I know that it really is ending.  It stinks because it's sad AND happy. I am so dang excited to see you, family, and to study, and work, and move in, but I just love the Ecuadorians.  I got permission from President to call Rene this past week, and he and I both cried a little while we talked.  I love him.  I feel that he, over anyone or anything else, was the reason Heavenly Father sent me back.  I don't know.  Maybe if I hadn't broken my ankle, I wouldn't have gotten to go to Santa Anita, and I wouldn't have met him, and he wouldn't be a part of my life.  He was my purpose, and I haven't regretted coming back since meeting him.  Sometimes in Mitad del Mundo, honestly, I would start to wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't come back, and usually it was tough because I would think about being at school, or I would be with my family, but that has changed.  If I hadn't come back, I wouldn't have met Rene, or Hugo, or Paco, or José and Diana, or Melany and her family, or Alejandro, or all these other people whom I love.  It's awful to think about my life without them.

Anyway, I still have two weeks left, so let's leave the trunk packed away until next week.

Actually, there's more.

I said goodbye to Hermana Bustos and Hermana Caceres for the last time this week.  We had verifications, so all the trainers and trainees headed to Quito, and I got to see them.  I am so proud of them--they are amazing missionaries.  It's funny because we verified the area books, and I was assigned to check Hermana Caceres' area book, and it was so PERFECT!  Man alive, isn't she AWESOME????  Like seriously!  It was so sad though.  When I hugged them goodbye, it really felt like it.  I don't know when I'll see them next since they live in South America, but I hope it won't be too long.  I'm so grateful that I got to train them....another thing that might not have happened if I hadn't broken my ankle.

God is good.  He has taken care of me for my entire mission, and I love Him for it.  I'm excited to see what he will do in these next two weeks.

I also have decided to take pics with all the murals and street art that I can find here in Otavalo.  People are really talented, so I'll send you some pics.  Also a very funny video.

I love you, family!  Have a fantabulous week and keep yourselves safe.  I LOVE YOU!!!!

Love,
Hermana Kennedy

(I couldn't upload any pictures, but the computer would let me upload a short video.  These monkey bars are too short for me now, of course, but honestly, I think they would have been too short for me in first grade!)

Hermana Kennedy and the Avalanche Maker

Hi family!  Here's my letter to President:

Hi President Murphy,

We had another great week here in Otavalo.  I've been a little stressed lately, because we just haven't had much time to find new people, and I've been feeling really down about it, but I was able to pick my animo up more this week, and we were able to see great success.  I think I had just stopped focusing so much on using the Book of Mormon as the true center in contacting, and this week, we worked on using it as often as possible.  It made a big difference--people were more open to us, and we were able to introduce it a lot more.

Adrian was baptized and confirmed this week!  He's such a great kid, and it's really amazing to see the change in him since we began teaching him. He's happier, and he understands so much better now.  I just wish his mom would be a little easier on her kids.  She expects them to work to help support the family, and it's affecting her daughters a lot.  We are really hoping that Adrian's baptism can help their family a little bit, having something beautiful and important happen in their lives.

We were also able to set a date with an investigator named Daniella Castillo.  She's in Latino ward and is a referral from the bishop's daughter.  We starting teaching her about six weeks ago, but we could never set a baptismal date because she didn't feel worthy of being baptized.  She is 20 years old, and she recognizes that she has made some mistakes in the past, and she just feels really bad about them, but this past Saturday, we were able to talk about worthiness and how it relates to Christ and his Atonement.  We talked about perfection and how it works, and then we invited her again, and she asked us to choose two dates for her.  She wanted one in July, so we suggested the 28th of July and the 4th of August, and the next day in church, she told us that she feels it should be the 28th. She already has all the lessons up to Lesson 5, so we will teach her that this week, and she is already ready for her interview on Saturday.  She has come to church every week on her own.  She is honestly one of the happiest people I know, and she just love everyone.  It's funny how she, of all people, thought she wasn't worthy of being baptized when she is already an example and representative of Jesus Christ.  We are so excited for her.

We were able to find a couple new investigators with good potential this week.  We had exchanges three times, and I had both companionships in Otavalo because I needed some help, and I wanted Hermana Meza to have a chance to lead a little bit.  She did a good job, and I was grateful for Hermanas Cragun, Pfocco, and Hale for helping too along the way.  The hermanas are doing really well here in the Campo.  These are such wonderful hermanas, and they work so hard, and even though they have hard days too, they know their purpose and why they are here, and so they go out and do it.  Thank you for letting me work with them.

Thank you for your example, and for all the sacrifices you and Hermana Murphy make on a daily basis in our behalf.  I love being a missionary, but I'm especially grateful to be here in the Quito North mission with you and Hermana Murphy in charge.  Thank you for being here.

Have a great week,
Hermana Kennedy

Oh my gosh, there is so much to do.  I'm worried I"m going to forget something, because I have like two million things going on in my mind.  I have to write reports on exchanges and write letters for other hermanas, and prepare Hermana Meza for her verifications this week, and make calls, and find and teach and baptize, and also keep working on my RA stuff (another assignment came today for a welcome checklist), and I am EXHAUSTED!  Thankfully, I got to register for classes this week, and I had two on a waitlist, and both got added to my schedule, so that's one less thing about which I need to worry.  Also, I'm coming home in, you know, like three weeks, so I have to start thinking about stuff to leave with people, and letters and cards to write, and I'm going to see Hermana Bustos and Hermana Caceres for the last time this week, and I feel like there just isn't enough time in the day. Oh my.

Okay, so today.  Earlier on last week, my district leader said that we were going to hike El Corazon
de Imbabura today which is one of the volcanoes around here.  I've decided that it's called The Heart of Imbabura because a man named Imbabura hiked the mountain, and when he got to the top, his heart gave out from the strain, and he died.

For real.

Legit, it was awful.  But I'm getting ahead of my story.

We heard it was a three hour hike going up, and an hour and a half coming down.  Well, that's for the Ecuadorians who have lungs of steel and legs of iron for sure.

We woke up at 3:50 a.m. to get out to the truck at 4:30 a.m. to start hiking at 5 a.m.  At 8:30 a.m., we were still hiking and we weren't even close to the top.  No joke, we started in the city below the volcano and attempted to hike to the top, and it was awful.  There were points where we were crawling, and another hermana and I were just hanging on in the back.  First, it was s light incline on a dirt path.  Then, we graduated to a steep incline with dry dirt and wet grass, which as you can imagine, made for a "fun" little trip.

Legit, crawling up.

Then we changed to just the side of the mountain, but with long meadow grass, so we had to use every ounce of will power to pull ourselves up through he grass, and Hermana Cragun and I were just suffering, but our companions were just chugging along (we think it's because they're smaller, so less weight to pull and smaller feet for all the footholds--at least that's what we tell ourselves).  We just kept going, but I haven't ever complained so much in my life.  Normally, it's fun to do stuff like that, because it's an adventure, but we both just hated our lives because it was so hard.

And then the blessed call came.  Like, a phone call.  On our phone while crawling.

Our zone leader was up ahead, and he called us and said, "Hermanas, I don't think you should try to come up to the top."  He still hadn't arrive there at this point.  We asked why, and he told us that the physical strain would interfere with the work for the rest of the week.

That was good enough for me.  I mean, I wouldn't want anything to interfere with our missionary work.... ;-)

We were never so happy to yell at our billy goat companions (who were much further ahead, grazing on grass and taking naps in the sun, I'm sure) that our leader was telling us not to do it.  I thought maybe Hermana Cragun was unhappy that we had to stop, but then she looked at me and said, "Hermana, I was praying for a way to not have to go all the way up."  We had a good laugh about that.  I think that may be the one time ever when I haven't been able to finish something, and I don't care, because it was just so awful.  My legs felt like Jell-O.

And then we had to go back down.

Which as it turns out was just as bad.

We were falling all over the place, slipping in the dirt and grass, rocks were flying everywhere, and Hermana Cragun twisted her ankle a little bit, and I fell on my butt like seven times because my legs were unable to support my body, and we came away from it dirty and tired and sore.  Even my hands are sore from having to pull myself with the grass.  I've never been so happy to touch flat ground!  My goodness.  What I wouldn't have given to have been able to turn into a bird at some point.  But it was fun talking to Hermana Cragun.  And who knows?  Maybe I lost weight from how heavily I was breathing the whole time.

And speaking of losing weight....  I thought you might like that picture of me playing the air viola.  I'm trying to be creative with pics, especially since I lost the first year of mission pics (thanks, Ecuadorian thief), but in some ways, I'm a little grateful because I was SO FAT!  Oh my gosh Mama, I can't believe how heavy I was.  Like, I'm still a little chunky, but I can't believe I didn't see that I was gaining weight.  Ugh.  Seeing some of those pics actually makes me feel gross, thinking I was that heavy.  Everyone who sees pics from my training or even before the mission asks if I was heavier then.  Yesterday, we were at lunch with our mamita, and her husband just decided to go on the ward directory and look us up since we are technically part of the ward.  So he just randomly turns the phone around.  I was shocked to see my pic with my purple shirt with PA in the background.  The first thing he says is, "You were a little fatter then, weren't you?"  Oh my gosh, que verguenza, seriously.  I'm really happy to have lost a little weight here.

I am so exited to come home.  For real.  I am leaving basically everything here except meds and books and scriptures, and I'm just bringing home souvenirs.  Everything here is so cheap, so how could I not??  I'm excited to go back to school, and to be an RA, and to be able to talk to you guys all the time, and play games that make you think, and read a real book, and watch a movie, and be able to sing to good songs, and ride in cars, and be able to sit down and take a nap whenever I want.  I love being a missionary, but I am just worn out, and I feel that my time here is done.  I'll keep working til the last moment, but I think I've done what Heavenly Father needed me to do.  I'm so grateful that I came back.

Well, that's about it.  It was a good week, but I am very tired.  I can tell that my body is just done.  I'm having back and knee pain, and I'm a little stressed, but rather than bite my nails, I'm grinding my teeth, and I think I'm just tired on all accounts, but it's okay. Gotta work til the last moment, right?

Okay, I love you all so much.  I'm super excited to see you all super soon.

Love,
Hermana Kennedy

Hermana Kennedy and Next Patient, Please

Hi family!  Here's my letter to President Murphy!

Buenas tardes, Presidente Murphy,

Well, Milton made it!  He showed up right on time for his baptism on Saturday!  The good people from Barrio Latino showed up to support him, and he officially completed his family.  He was the only one who wasn't baptized, and I'm really happy for his family.  His mom wanted to just share her testimony at his baptism, and she expressed that it just felt like a burden was lifted that she didn't know was there.  I think her kids and her worries for them weigh a lot on her, and to see her 9-year-old son making such a good choice helped her feel that they are doing okay.  I think the baptism was good for her and her three daughters who still live at home, and I hope it helps them all have a renewed love for the Gospel.



Adrian also passed his baptismal interview on Saturday!  It's really amazing to me, the change we have seen in him.  I was a little worried at first about his understanding, and everyone told us that he didn't have to understand everything perfectly because he is a kid, but we began praying for his mind to be open to Gospel teachings, and Heavenly Father really answered that prayer.  When we went over the preguntas para la entrevista bautismal, el recordo todo, he remembered all the commandments, and what a prophet is, and he understood why it's important to be baptized.  We really hope that he can also help his family.  His mom is kind of hard on her kids, and the older daughters are shut down because of it, so I'm hoping that Adrian being baptized will remind his mom that she really does have good kids.  They work hard, and they've gone through a lot, and they deserve some love.

We really are here to bring families to the Gospel.  Sometimes I feel bad because I'm baptizing so many kids, but each kid has been the final member of their family, and really, they complete their family.  I love these people, and I love seeing how each child helps bring their family back to church. It makes me think of the promise in Malachi about the hearts of the children turning to their fathers, and vice versa.  I know it's usually meant in terms of genealogy, but it seems to apply here.  With each child being baptized, it has brought their family back to church, stronger and more active than before.

Hermana Meza is really progressing.  She is so determined to be better, and she uses her free time at night to read more of the Book of Mormon because she really wants to know it better.  She actively participates in lessons, and really tries to learn the lessons beforehand.  I think she's more of a visual learner, so we are working on using that to help her.  She's still a little timid contacting, but that will come with time.

It was a little bit of a hard week for the hermanas here though.  Hermana Cragun got really sick, and the Cotama hermanas are feeling a little discouraged because they aren't finding anyone.  Hermana Pfocco and Rodriguez had to leave an investigator with fecha because he didn't come to church again, and it was just a little rough, but I love that all these hermanas just keep going.  Even though the work is hard, they keep going, and they know what their purpose is.  I'm so proud of them, and thank you again for allowing me to work with them.  They are a powerful bunch.

Thank you for all your advice and example of leadership.
Have a great week,
Hermana Kennedy

Okay, so first, good news. We went grocery shopping today, and I bought cereal.  When I got to the check out, the lady scans my cereal, puts it in the bag, and then shows me a notebook and says that it's FREE!  I love notebooks here, because they have the coolest designs.  I may actually have bought a couple of notebooks here that I will be using at school....  Anyway, this notebook is INFINITY WAR so it has Captain American, Rocket, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, and Gamora on it.  And did I mention that it was FREE???!!!!  So dope.  And all because I bought that brand of cereal.

And yep, I hit 17 months yesterday, and Saturday marked one month until I'm HOME!  Don't worry--I'm still working and trying hard and everything, but man, I am so excited to be home!

I got my package on Thursday, and I was so excited to open it.  I told the hermanas that a lot of it was for them, so I ran into the bathroom after zone conference and some of them came with me, and I ripped it open and just sat distributing 4th of July ware!  I've decided that on the 23rd, we are going to have an Hermana Christmas in July party, and we will make the popcorn and Rice Krispies then!  But man, it's so hard not to eat it myself.  I may have opened the Twizzlers though!  I felt like those were more for me ;-)

Funny story from Milton's baptism.  We show up at the chapel at noon (his baptism begins at 4:00) to fill the font.  But we usually try to clean it first so that there isn't any hair or dust or anything.  Anyway, I open the door, and the font is already full...from the last baptism in the ward TWO WEEKS AGO!  It seriously smells like dead fish, and there are tons of dead bugs in it including a huge spider and a centipede.  So, we have to drain it, but in order to open the drain, we have to go outside the building and open up a hatch and use a pole to unscrew the key (is that what that's called?). Well, the hatch is made of stone, and it's like super hard to open, so I sit there for ten minutes pulling with all the grip strength I have (Ninja warrior, anyone?) until finally it gives and comes up.  We then have to wait 45 minutes while it drains.  We then clean the font, including all the bugs, but the smell lingers.  We then have to close the drain again and we open the font and...cold water comes out.  We call the guy in charge of the hot water, and he tells us that the gas (yes, tanks of gas) are connected, and we just have to close and open the font again. Well, we did and nothing.  Still freezing cold.  At this point, it's like 2:30 p.m., and we haven't even eaten lunch.  So we leave the font to fill and head to a restaurant nearby, gobble down some food and head back.  It was a great baptism, but that was an added stress.

We were at Milton's house this past week, and we were talking, and all of a sudden Milton asks, "Hermanita, do you wear contacts?"  I was like, "What makes you ask?" and he says, "When you turn to the side, I see a small line.  Can you take one out so I can see it?"  I was like, "Sure?"  Well, I take it out, and he thinks it's cool and all, and then he says, "Wait!  Hermanita, your eyes are actually BLUE!"  His mom then whips around, and says, "Oh my gosh!  How beautiful!"  Needless to say, they thought I wore contacts everyday to change my eye color.  That's fine....

So, since I'm the hermana leader for three companionships, that means that I have to have something called Moronitas with the hermanas.  They're just small interviews to find out how they are.  Well, normally I go into one room with one companion, and my companion does the interview with the other.  But since now it's just me, it means that I go in with one, we have the interview, we finish, she leaves, and I call the next hermana in. I feel like it's the hospital (or Meijer deli) where it's "take a number" to speak with the hermana ;-)

And last funny thing.  So Tuesday, I had to go to Quito for leadership council, and last Monday, we found out that the other hermana leader in the Campo (Hermana Inskeep) and I would be heading together, and be leaving our trainees together here in Otavalo.  Wait, what?  Like, Hermana Meza leading the sector after only four days on her mission?  With another trainee?  Okay.  So, Tuesday morning we meet here in Otavalo, and Hermana Inskeep and I say goodbye and get on the bus.  We are driving for about five minutes when I look at her and ask, "Hermana, do you have your phone?"  She says yes, and then asks me, "Hermana, do you have yours?  I also said yes, meaning that we left our trainees without a phone!  We just sat there for a minute, and I'm like, "Well, let's get off the bus and head back to the house."  So, we get off the bus, run back to the house (like a 15 minute walk), but there's a problem.  We live on the fourth floor, and there's no doorbell.  So we start yelling, hoping that they will hear us and come to the window.  They didn't!  So, we left a note on the wall next to the door which we find out wasn't even there when they left the house.  So, we head to Quito and upon arriving, Hermana Inskeep realizes that she's LOST her phone on the bus.  And we got to council late because we went back to the house.  We had a good laugh about all that had happened that night when thankfully we found our companions safely home and waiting for us.

Say a prayer for me, family.  I'm a little overwhelmed.  I have four weeks left, three companionships of hermanas to worry about and take care of, two wards for which I need to find, teach and baptize, and one new trainee.  I'm a little stressed, and sometimes I get tired of how people treat us.  Only one person thanked us for the work we are doing in their ward, and many people criticize us and don't do anything to help us.  And I'm so sick of people stereotyping me because I'm white.  It's one thing to be rejected because they're Catholic and we're Mormon, but it's another for them to do it in English, looking at me like I'm crazy, and basically rejecting me because they assume I don't speak the language.  I'm just excited to be home and feel normal and not have people look at me like I'm a freak or treat me differently because of my skin color.  Don't be racists, people, because when you are the victim of racism, it really stinks.  Okay, rant over--

I love you, Mama.  Thanks for loving me.  Sometimes I feel badly with my trainees because they don't get many emails, and I think Herman Meza compares herself a lot, and she always looks over my shoulder and looks at my emails, and is like, "Wow, you have so many!"  I feel so bad, but I'm just so grateful for you guys.  I wouldn't have made it without your support each week.  And she will have one more email to read after I get home, so it's okay ;-). Can you even believe that I have only three more emails left to write??

I love you guys.  I miss you, and I am trying to work as hard as I can, but sometimes, it's just hard.

I love you.
Love,
Hermana Kennedy

Hermana Kennedy and Wedding Snails are Ringing

Hi family!  Here's my letter to President Murphy:

Buenas tardes, Presidente Murphy,

It was a great week here in Otavalo. José and Diana got married on Friday, and it was so beautiful.  They were both so excited, and José, while giving a little speech, began to talk about how he did it for his family, all because he wants to have an eternal family and be sealed in the temple.  I'm really grateful to have been able to be there, and to see him follow through with all of the commitments that we have left him. So many people tell us that they want to get married or have thought about it, but they never follow through, and we consequently have to leave them. For me, that's the hardest part, but I'm so grateful that we didn't have to leave them, and that Saturday, José was able to be baptized.  He gave a sweet testimony, but at the end, it was the sweetest moment to hear Diana give her prayer.  She got choked up just beginning, thanking Heavenly Father for helping José make it here.  They've had a long journey of getting to this point, but they both have the goal of being sealed in the temple.  Diana was so touched by the Spirit that she could hardly speak.  As missionaries, we really don't do a lot.  All we do is invite people to come to Christ, but they do the hard part if they are true prepared.  I know that every person has their time, and I'm so grateful that this was their time.  I know that José was so ready to make these changes in his life, and I am excited to see what happens in their family in the future.

Milton Yaselga also passed his baptismal interview on Saturday.  He's only nine years old, but he has a really amazing understanding of the scriptures and of gospel principles.  Our only worry is his mom.  She's excited for him and everything but she couldn't come to his interview, and they couldn't come to church the next day because of her health, so we are praying that she will be okay for the baptism on Saturday.  Milton tells us each time that he needs to be baptized, receive the priesthood, go on a mission, come back, get sealed in the temple and have a family. We really hope that this step is the first in that process.

Adrian is getting ready for his baptismal interview this Saturday as well.  His mom already knows what time for his baptism and everything.  He just needs to pass his interview, and he will be good to go.  He is retaining information a lot better now which is great, and we really appreciated that last night, when we taught him the three big commandments, his uncle helped us.  He is also a returned missionary, and Adrian didn't really get the Law of Chastity, and his uncle explained it in a good way without it feeling like he dominated the lesson.  Adrian is going to have a lot of support from his family in his conversation, and for that we are really grateful.

We talked to Jocelyn this past week.  She had a baptismal date set for the 4th of August, and still does, but she asked about attending Centenario instead of Latino ward because the chapel is closer.  We told her that of course she could, and even though we are sad to lose her, we know that the elders will do a good job of teaching her.  The great thing about missionaries is that we all teach the same lessons and principles, and she really does want to be baptized.  So, we hope they update you about her and how she's doing.

Hermana Meza is really great.  I think she has very little confidence in herself, but she participates in lessons, and speaks up, and I'm excited for this transfer with her.  She is very strong and I know that she will be a very powerful missionary.  Thank you for letting me train her.

Otavalo sure is a city of miracles.  I'm so grateful to be finishing my mission here.  I know that through diligence, obedience, and faith, God will show us mercy and change our lives.  I love this Gospel, and I love being a missionary.

See you tomorrow, and have a great week!
Hermana Kennedy

And here's President's response to my last email:  Gracias Hermana Kennedy!  Lots of great things happening in your sector.  Keep running strong and help Hermana Meza get off to a great start.  You're awesome.

I've never heard President use the word "awesome" before, so that makes me really happy! ;-)

Okie dokie lokie.  Let's start with the wedding.

So we get to Diana's house at 9 a.m. on Friday, and she if freaking out.  She's trying to prepare the food for when they return from the civil registry, and nobody is there to help her.  Her mom was supposed to show up, but she's coming from Quito, so she's late.  We ask what we can do, and go to work. José actually had to still work, and only got a couple of hours off in the middle of the day to get married, so he can't help, so it's just us, Diana, and her 2-year-old daughter, Noa.  Anyway, we work on getting everything ready, and at one point, her mom gets there with her little sister, and we have to run back to the house because she needs earrings and doesn't know what to do with her hair, and she doesn't like any of her dresses, and so we come back toting a dress, earrings, and my curling iron.  Thankfully, Hermana Meza is small too, so her dress fits, and she loved it.  I ironed shirts, and did her sister's hair, and she went off to a friend's house for her hair and makeup.  She left us with her mom and sister and Noa, and finally, at 12:45 (their appointment is at 1:30 to get married), he goes to get dressed, and we are looking for shoes!  Holy heck, I can't even imagine how I'll feel for my own wedding!  We head off in two taxis, and we are of course late, and we get there, and Diana ins't THERE!  She finally arrives around 1:45, looking all beautiful, and José is all smiley, and they head in.  The person has to tell them some stuff first, and then we are all invited in, and honestly, the best part was when they both bent down to sign the papers, and they both looked so happy!  Oh my gosh, I legit feel like they are how Heavenly Father is giving me everything I have missed while being on the mission.  My niece grows up and starts talking?  I've seen that with Noa.  My brother gets married?  Well, so did they.  I love them so much.

What a happy day for Diana and José and Noa (and us too)!

Afterwards, we head out because they have to wait for their new ID cards to print with their new marital status, and Tatiana, her sister, comes up and says, "Hermana, they're selling churros outside!" I thought, "Dope, churros are good."  And I look out, and I'm like where?  She says, "Right there! Out of those buckets!"  Well, let me tell you, those are no-way-in-heck any kind of churros I've ever seen, but instead are a tiny type of SNAIL that people eat here.  I was like, "Tati, how much are those?"  She tells me they are 50 cents.  I asked her if she likes them to which she says, "Yeah, I LOVE them!"  So I give her 50 cents to go buy some.  She skips off and comes back with a bag of tiny, dead snails.  She then peels the shell off of one, and hands it to me.

And I ate it.

Yep.

It was nasty, texture-wise, but actually pretty good flavor-wise.  So after that, everyone else who was waiting with us goes over and buys snails too.

Everyone is eating snails.

Because that's normal.

But it was really lovely.

My trainee's name is Hermana Meza.  She's from Wancayo, Peru, and she's really sweet.  She's the only member in her family, and she doesn't have a lot of support for being here, and I'm hoping that the mission will help her family.  She really wants to be here, and honestly, at first, I was really nervous about working with a Peruvian, but she's really great.  I'm just trying to give her a great first experience in her first six weeks and basically teach her everything. Well, except Spanish.  She obviously doesn't need to learn that.  She was a little closed off at first, but she's started being more open and talking, and we laugh a lot.  But not too much.  She lets me have some minutes of silence sometimes, which I've come to greatly appreciate on my mission ;-)

And Mommy, don't worry if the house isn't completely remodeled yet, because in all honesty, I will sleep on the floor.  On carpet.  Because I'll be so thankful to have carpet.  I love this country, but man, do I miss real living!  Seriously, I just miss feeling at home somewhere.  Not to complain (really, I'm NOT complaining--I'm just keeping it real for you guys, or as you say, Mommy, I'm painting a picture for you with words), but our house here is junk.  There's no light in the bathroom nor in the room with our clothes, and our kitchen sink drains in a bucket that we have to empty into the toilet.  And if there's an earthquake, we are going to die because we live on the fourth floor.  I miss America.  Please just make sure that Kitty and Range are in my room when I get home. We could always put them in my temple bag again too #templeBuddies

And I'm hoping to get my package at zone conference this week.  We had a little 4th of July celebration today, and it was supposed to be just hermanas, but the elders got wind of it and kind of crashed the party.  So I told them, if they wanted pancakes, they would have to pay us a dollar each, so it was okay.  Honestly though, just getting something from someone is always exciting, no matter when it arrives.

And it was the cutest thing ever this week to see Hermana Bustos and Hermana Caceres.  I'm grateful that we are all training so that I get to see them again!

Hermana Bustos (and her new trainee), and Hermana Caceres' new trainee (and Hermana Caceres), me and Hermana Meza

I really, really love you guys.  Thanks for being so great and loving me and supporting me and helping me be here.  I sure am sad to think about leaving, but I'm also grateful that I'll be going home to a good situation.

Have a lovely week, my lovely friends!  Stay strong. I'll see you in five weeks!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy

I swear I get redder the longer I stay in this country.... ;-(

Hermana Kennedy and Nothing Says Love Like a Dead Guinea Pig

Hi family!  Here's my email to President:

Buenas tardes, Presidente,

Well, the work continues here in Otavalo!  José passed his baptismal interview on Sunday, so he will be getting baptized on Saturday at 7 p.m.  He and Diana have their marriage appointment with registro civil on Friday at 1:30 p.m.  We are so excited for them.  José really wants to know everything, and even though he has doubts, he still knows that this is the truth.  We were a little worried about tithing, because he was making a little bit of a fuss about it, but he is learning a lot about trusting in God and His commandments, and he says that he knows that he will continue learning little by little and doesn't need to perfectly understand everything right now.  We so appreciate the fellowship that the ward has given him, and they are all asking to go to their wedding on Friday.

We also have Milton Yaselga for the 7th of July.  We are just a little worried because all of last week he was in Quito with his older brother, and so we are going to need to teach him the big commandments and lesson 5 this week.  His mom is all good with his date and everything.  We thought she might freak out because she still thought his date was far away last week, but she knows that he will have his interview this Saturday and be baptized next week, and she is really happy.  I love seeing how baptizing these kids also helps their families become active in the church again. It happened with Melanie, and now with Milton.  Even though he couldn't come because he was in Quito, his mom and three older sisters all came to church yesterday.

Adrian is also progressing really well for the 14th of July.  If we just teach really simply, and do a lot of follow-up right there in the lessons after we teach a principle, he's fine.  He retains the information well when we use examples that he can understand, so it really is about the teaching style.  He is at church every week with his family.

We were able to set a baptismal date with Joselyn Bautista this week.  She's an antiguo whom we found in the Latino carpeta, and she's great.  She comes to church every week, and even though she's a little nervous, she accepted a date for the 4th of August.  She was actually going to San Pablo for a while (even though she lives in Centenario) because her friends all go there.  We are working on finding fellowshippers for her in Latino, and actually we have another investigator about her age, so we are trying to help them get to know one another, because we are planning setting a date with Daniella this week too.  So, we hope that they can go through the conversion process together.

I love this sector.  We see so many miracles here, and I'm so grateful to be finishing my mission here. I'm excited to finish training and to help someone else start here.  I'll do my best to help her as well as the other companionships of hermanas.  Thank you for the opportunities you have given me on my mission.  I won't let you down.

Thank you for your example too.  I know that this is the truth, and that there is no other way whereby we can come to know our Savior than His church.  I love being a missionary.

Have a great week,
Hermana Kennedy

Also, from my letter last week, President sent me this:

Gracias, Hermana Kennedy.  I can't wait for you to get back to a nice keyboard!

You'll do great as you finish your mission, sprinting, helping a new Hermana and also other Hermanas en el campo.  Keep up the great work.

So sassy.  Thankfully, I have a nice keyboard today.  I guess I just can't type anymore ;-)

Okay, well this week was full of ups and downs.  Let's start with the downs, shall we?

So, on Wednesday I got a call from Hermana Willis, an hermana from my group who's a really good friend.  She told me that due to some crazy weird stuff, she has to go home for health problems.  It was like my situation.  Within three days, she found out that she has to leave.  And since Hermana Knapp is also going home for her health, that means that yesterday we had to say goodbye to them.  We had a self-sufficiency training with our whole group, so Hermana Moss and I had to say goodbye to them, and it was awful.  Hermana Knapp and Hermana Willis were both laughing and having so much fun, and Hermana Moss and I were just crying and miserable.  Like, it just doesn't feel right.  We love them so much, and we always imagined being there the last night together, and seeing each other off at the airport, and now they're gone.  We know that their health is way more important, but it's also super sad.

Also, could you guys please pray for Mariana and her family?  I don't know if you guys remember but she's my convert from San Pablo, the one who got baptized after I got sent home.  Her son, Richard, had health problems with his heart and lungs, and on Saturday night we found out that he died.  It was really sudden.  I went to go see them and it was awful.  Her husband is Catholic, so there were all these strangers in their house with the coffin on lifts with a huge cross and everything, and Mariana and her daughter, Abby, were just in another room, crying.  Abby was asking why it's like this.  She just lost her brother, and all these people are there, and the woman talking doesn't even know Richard's name.  It was really awful, and I cried all night.  He was my friend, and I feel so awful that I didn't get to say goodbye.  Please just pray for their family.

So, I will be finishing my mission here in Otavalo as an hermana leader, and I'm training a new missionary for just six weeks.  President is trying something out.  There are 12 hermanas who are coming to the mission, so all the hermana leaders are going to be training...and still function as hermana leaders. And....Hermana Bustos and Hermana Caceres are also training!!!!  I'm so dang proud of them!  Like, seriously so excited for them!  Say lots of prayers for all of us!

Inty Raimi (San Juan) has begun here.  That's the festival where everyone dances in the streets, and as it turns out, my experience last year in San Pablo was tame.  Saturday night was when it really started, and seeing that we live on the street with Plaza de Ponchos, it meant that everyone in Otavalo had come out and was singing and dancing until 5 a.m. on Sunday.  Everyone was burning stuff and crazy stuff like that.

However, earlier on in the week, we heard singing outside of our window, and we saw what at first we thought was San Juan, but you should know that the indigenous people here have a tradition for a marriage proposal:  they have to bring fifty pounds of food to the girl's house along with dead and live animals, and fruits, and bread, and potatoes.  So when we looked out the window, we saw a line of people carrying racks of dead chickens and guinea pigs, swinging back and forth, with a live sheep on a leash, and trucks full of fruits and drinks and potatoes behind the people.  The other day, an hermana was talking to us and said that her son doesn't want to get married, but he came up and argued that he does want to get married, but he wants a girl who doesn't want all of that ceremony because it's silly.  The hermana was so exasperated with him, but we had a good laugh.

I've gotten to be companions for the last two days with Hermana Moss, and it is so fun.  She's the other girl from my MTC group, and we have always wanted to be companions, but it never happened (which is okay). On Sunday night, I stayed with her and her companion, and we made tacos at night, and sang together, and just talked.  Yesterday, we had to go to training, and then we came back to Otavalo to go to appointments, and one of her investigators said that we should just stay companions because she can see how happy we are.  And we are together today until we pick up our trainees tomorrow.  I just love that the mission has helped me make such good friends.

I ugly-cried.

I am so freaking tall.

Doesn't Hermana Giles have the cutest family ever?

And speaking of good friends, I got to see Hermana Giles this week!  She came back with her family, and they are so cute, and she brought me a three pound jar of PEANUT BUTTER!!! I just about died!

And Mama, I'm so glad that Michigan is turning out to be so good with friends and everything.  And tasty food.  There will still be some for me, right? Because chicken and rice are starting to uninterest me.  Chicken here is really good, but I miss the variety.  And I'm really hoping that the lungs I've gotten here stay with me.  Running isn't too bad here anymore, but I think Ethan and Mark's overly long wingspans will give them a win in a pool over any lung capacity I have, but who knows?


Okay, I love you guys!  I can't believe that the mission is coming to an end, but I'm really grateful that I'm training, because I really think it'll help me keep going until the very last moment.  Look for pics with my new trainee from President Murphy--I guess we'll find out who she is together!  I love you guys.  Pray for me.  I'm just really, really tired.

Love,
Hermana Kennedy

Hermana Kennedy (top row, right) and the trainers with their new trainees.

Here's Hermana Bustos with her new companion, and look at what she's wearing?
It's the dress you sent her for Christmas, Mama!

Hermana Kennedy and the Flight of the Bumblebeads

Hi family!  Here's my letter to President (sorry thats it gonna be another hashtag emailcuzbadspacebar):

Buenas tardes, Presidente Murphy,

It was great to see you this week.  Thank you for your advice in my interview.  I think I've been struggling with a lot of self-doubt lately, and it was exactly what I needed to hear.  I guess I've just been feeling like I'm not doing enough, and I know that we can always improve. I also need to remember that I can't be perfect, and that's okay, but I should give a perfect effort.  Thank you for your advice.

So we changed the baptismal date for José because they changed their marriage date.  He and Diana are getting married on Friday because her sister is getting time off work to come and be there with them.  The ward is also asking at what time so that they can go too.  So his interview will be Saturday, and he will be baptized on the 30th. We started teaching him about tithing this week, and he seems a little unsure, so this week we are going to focus on him gaining a testimony of obedience and understanding the doctrine behind it.  He knows that the church is true and he prays each time to Heavenly Father to help him be baptized (and to later help his family be sealed in the temple), so we know that he has desires, but he is also not about following blindly.  We are going to make sure he understands and that he feels comfortable with everything.

Miton is still set to be baptized on the 7th of July.  Every time we visit him, he tells us all of his goals for the future including being baptized, receiving the priesthood, serving a mission, and being sealed in the temple :-)  It's amazing to see how much he understands.  Sometimes we use scriptures that after reading them, we think that they're maybe too intense for a child, but then we ask what he understood and he understood what we read perfectly.  I truly believe the his Spirit is ready for this Gospel, and he has a sincerity about him that will help him a lot in the future.  The only worry we have with him is his mom.  We said this past week that he is getting baptized in about three weeks, and his mom burst in saying that he isn't getting baptized until July 7th, but I think it's snuck up on her that June is almost gone.  Anyway, this week we are going to make sure that she knows that his interview is in two weeks, and his baptism is in three weeks, because we don't want any surprises.

And Adrian is set for the 14th of July.  We changed up how we are teaching him with a lot of verification in the lessons, and it's going much better.  We verify his understanding of every principle, and if he didn't understand, we go back and teach it a different way.  It takes a little more time, but it's helping and that's what matters, that he understands.  His mom is also doing a lot better, and she is so diligent and faithful in involving her kids in the Gospel.  I love their family, and even though I'm helping baptize a lot of kids here in Otavalo, I'm grateful to meet these families and see how the Gospel helps them as a whole.

We love working with Barrio Latino.  They are giving us a lot of referrals, and we have plans to set three more baptismal dates with their referrals this week.  They are really trying to work hard with us, and we have a mission leader again for which we are very grateful.

I love Otavalo.  I really am so grateful for being able to come back here to finish my mission.  It's like it all came full circle.  Thank you for all the opportunities you have given me and are still giving me.  Thank you for your example and diligence.

Have a great week,
Hermana Kennedy

Me with some dope street art.

Okay, so cool thing.  Adrian's mom, Dolores, makes Dream Catchers (I think I've mentioned this in a past email).  It's super cool because when we are over, we help her sometimes, so little by little, I'm also learning how to do it.  I know how to wrap the outer circle, how to make the star in the middle, and how to add the feathers at the end.  It's just a few middle parts that I'm missing, but I've got seven more weeks to learn :-)  I actually want to do an hermana's activity next transfer with her teaching us all how to do it.  Anyway, like a week and a half ago, after teaching Adrian (because we always teach him, and then help her), she brings out this huge bag containing beads from a couple of big containers that she knocked over.  They were now all mixed together.  She asked if we could help her sort them a little.  Well, we barely made any progress, but I offered to take them home and work on sorting them in my free time in the morning and at night.  Honestly, you know how monotonous tasks help me with my Tourette's, and since my symptoms have been off the charts with the stress lately, I was really more than happy to help her!  And she was thrilled when I said yes!  Well, there were four main colors mixed together, along with a couple of other stray colors--black, brown, light blue and purple.  Let me tell you, those beads consumed my every spare moment.  Seriously there must have been two thousand of them, and they're so small, so I became super focused separating them.  But I also loved it because it was something I did that gave me control (#BeingAMissionaryIsntAlwaysEasy).  Anyway, I finished Saturday night, and I thought I was done with them.  However, after finishing triumphantly on Saturday, I went to bed only to then DREAM about those darn beads!  I was like NOOOOOOO!!!!  I gave them all to her Sunday at church only to then have another dream Sunday night.  Oh my goodness, I was so glad to see those beads go...only to have them come back.  AHHHHH!!!!!  But it's okay--I was so glad to help her, and I love that I'm learning a new skill.

A wall of cats. You could say it's a caterwaul ;-)

Also, Happy Father's Day again yesterday, Daddy.  I love you a lot.

It's starting to turn into summer here.  The rain has sadly stopped, and the season of wind and dust has begun meaning that I'm going to be walking around half blind all the time.  And San Juan starts this Sunday!  That's that holiday I told you about last year where people go out and dance in the streets.  Everyone is getting ready, and the ward loves making jokes about inviting me to come and play my viola with them while they walk since we can't join in the dancing ;-)

Me with the other hermana lideres (sister missionary leaders)

I had a lovely P-day today, running all of our errands early this morning, printing out my emails, stopping to buy Argentinian empanadas and heading home.  I changed into pants and a shirt, I sat in bed reading and eating.  Also, I totally ate more than to the middle of a $4 box of Froot Loops I bought today.  Man, do I miss cereal.  It was so good.  Like, amazingly good.  But man is American cereal expensive here, and it's limited to Froot Loops, Trix and Frosted Flakes.  I don't think things like Cracklin' Oat Bran or Grape Nuts will ever catch on here, but that's okay.  God Bless America.

Me with Hermana Willis and Hermana Millburn, two hermanas from my group.

Speaking of which, I'm getting really excited for the 4th of July.  I have lots of plans to celebrate our beautiful country.  I love America, and this past week, I started randomly singing the National Anthem, and it made me a little teary-eyed because seeing the contrast between there and here and thinking of all the rights and liberties we enjoy in the States just makes me love our country more.  I always think of the Air Force base in Germany--how when they would play the anthem at 5 p.m., everything and everyone would stop, and people would get out of their cars.  I just love America.

Okay family.  I love you a lot.  Like, more than you all know.  Thank you for writing me and loving me and supporting me.  I sure am lucky.  And a special thanks to you, Mama, and Glo.  So many missionaries don't get any emails from their family, but I know that come heck or high water, there will be an email from you and another form Glo each week, and those are the two I look for first each week.

Also, those pics of Baby eating her bagel are adorable.  All the pics you send me of her just solidify the fact in my mind that she is, in fact, a Kennedy <3

Also, I get to see Hermana Giles tomorrow, and I'm so excited!
Love,

Hermana Kennedy