Hi family!
Sorry that I'm emailing so late today, but we spent the day traveling to and from, and being in Quito, because ELDER D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON OF THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES WAS HERE AND TALKED TO THE MISSIONARIES FOR AN HOUR!!! No big deal--just my favorite apostle, speaking to us in Spanish. So dang cool! I just love him, and I got to shake his hand and read a scripture for him in Spanish. Okay, anyway. Here's my letter to Presidente:
Dear Presidente Murphy,
Wow! What an amazing day in Quito with Elder Christofferson! I loved everything about the talks and testimonies that was given today, but I loved what he said about repentance. Repentance is the most necessary step for men to have eternal life, and it's all possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. How wonderful it is that we could celebrate the Atonement and the resurrection of Jesus Christ this past week!
Sandra Paucar, our investigator, attended church again for the second time. She is such an incredible investigator, and we just love teaching her. Every lesson is an opportunity for us to learn more, and with the help of our recent convert, Joselyn, Sandra is learning to recognize promptings and answers from Heavenly Father. She really wants to be baptized, and she continues to pray and read the Book of Mormon. Seriously, she read the introduction, the testimonies, and through 1 Nephi 3 in just two days! We are so excited for her! And it's such a great opportunity for Joselyn, because she gets to not only review the lessons, but she participates in them as well and bears her own testimony of the things we teach. And the Spirit in the lessons is so strong. Sandra has been unsure about receiving answers from Heavenly Father, but she was telling us that every time she prayed and read the Book of Mormon, she felt tranquility and happiness, so we read some scriptures together to help her understand how exactly Heavenly Father sends answers to us, and in lesson 3 this past week, we emphasized the importance of the Holy Ghost in receiving answers. She has actually been having a really hard time lately with work and her family, but since beginning lessons with us, her spirit has lightened, and she's happier every time we teach her, and I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing her with those feelings. What an incredible work this is. I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing me to be here with these people, because I just love them. I'm so grateful for the opportunities that I am having not only to teach, but also to learn every day from the Spirit, our investigators, and from Hermana Giles. I just love her. She is such an example to me, and I'm amazed every day at her perseverance and love for the people.
It was wonderful to see you and Hermana Murphy today, and I can't wait to see you both again on Friday!
Have a wonderful week!
Hermana Kennedy
So yeah, lots of awesome stuff this past week. First off, Easter, or Pascual. While it's no Kennedy Celebration of the Egg, these Ecuadorians know how to celebrate, and they do so through Fanesca. Fanesca is a type of soup with tons of different grains and vegetables in it. Seriously, look it up. It's awesome, and so very delicious. In addition, they have arroz con leche y mashed potatoes. We had a ward activity on Saturday, and everyone came together to make everything, and eat everything, and man, it was so dang tasty.
So, sometimes it's a little hard being a Gringa in a Latin American country. We are stared at ALL THE DANG TIME! And people aren't even subtle about it. They look at us, see us see them, then turn to their friends, say something, and then they all stare at us. In our heads we're like, "Yeah, we know, we're fully aware that we're white." And a lot of the time, random men and boys will try to speak to us in English, but it's super creepy, and meanwhile, we speak way more Spanish than they do English. But at the same time, sometimes it's fun to be a Gringa. We have a family of investigators, La familia Ajavi, and they have seven kids, and their oldest is named Lisbeth, and she's just adorable. She's thirteen, and she loves us. So, at their house this past week, she was super giggly, and after we had ended the lesson and were just talking with the family, she leans over to me and whispers (in Spanish obviously), "Can I have a piece of your hair?" When in Ecuador, right? So, I said, "Sure!" Next thing I know, she reaches up, grabs a piece and pulls it out of my head, then sits there staring at it. Then her brother comes over, and she's like, "Look at her hair! It's so pretty!" Meanwhile, I'm hoping she doesn't do any voodoo magic with it, or anything.
Also, people are always coming up to me in the ward and telling me how red I am. Yes, my skin gets very red in the sun, and here, we are super close to the sun, so Imma be red for the next 16 months. There's just nothing I can do about it.
Also, a woman called me fat this past week, but Ecuadorians add -ita to the end of everything, so when she said that I was gordita, it's hard to feel offended because it just sounds so cute! I know I'm not thin or anything, but I'm definitely not the biggest person around. Maybe height wise I am, and next to Hermana Giles, maybe, but it's just funny how the culture is here. And all I can do is laugh at how darn cute the people are here.
I'm so darn grateful for Hermana Giles. Every day, I thank Heavenly Father for giving me such an amazing trainer. Today, in Quito, I got to see my friends from the CCM (all of whom have Latinas for companions), and they're all having a really hard time because the cultures are so different, and two of them have actually changed trainers since the first day. So yeah, I just love Hermana Giles.
Also, I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I'm in an area with a lot of indigenous people, and they speak Quichua, so it's super cool because I get to learn a few words every week in Quichua. #ecuadormissionarylife
Man Mama, I just love your emails. That's so exciting about the lakehouse! It sounds so beautiful, but of course, it's in Michigan, so of course it is. And that is so sad about Mark's last concert. I cried through the blog post, because it really is amazing what Mark has done and accomplished. I miss him like crazy, and it is so sad that he has to give up that dream. He IS an artist through and through. But he's so talented and motivated, and I know that this isn't the end for him.
So, have I mentioned the Ecuadorian bugs before? No? Let me tell you about them. The bugs here are incredibly aggressive, and even though I put on bug spray religiously every day, and spray my clothes with promethrin, there just isn't anyway to avoid the bugs. And actually, I haven't picked my scabs, because who has the time or energy for that? They're healing, but as it turns out, we didn't pack me any Benadryl or Gold Bond, so yes, I scratch them. They aren't nearly as bad as the Michigan mosquitos though, but in this mission, everyone has scabs on their legs. It's inevitable. And have I mentioned my boots before? No? Let me tell you about them too. Yes, I wear them a lot, but it's because they protect my poor lower legs from the bugs. Seriously, I don't have a single bite on my lower legs where my boots cover, or above the hems of my dresses. Yesterday, I actually wore my black Danskos, because yes, they are super comfortable, and the boots don't look good with everything, and sure enough, I have two bites on my feet now. Ugh! I can't help wearing the boots though when I'm climbing the mountains of mud and rain and crossing the roads of literal rock. I need supportive, sturdy shoes. My boots are honestly BUILT for this area! Anyway, super long explanation.
I sure do love you, Mama, and I miss you like crazy, but it's a happy kind of missing, because I know that the blessings you guys will get from my mission make it all worth it. Hermana Giles has actually had a really hard time with missing her family, but every day, I think of all of these happy memories with you guys (Harry Potter world, Medieval times, the days we spent together before I left), and I'm good. I love you so much.
I know it's hard to have faith sometimes, Mama, especially when your faith is being tested for two years, but Mama, it's all good. Esta bien. Everything is going to work out. Ever since I submitted my papers, I've had this overwhelming feeling that the house would sell during my mission, but I never said anything, because I didn't want to jinx anything, but Mama, it's okay. Heavenly Father loves our family so much, and we have been so blessed throughout our lives together, and this is just one obstacle. It's so important to remember the happy things in our lives. Every day, we have appointments and people who disappoint us, but I'm seriously learning to be happy despite the circumstances. When I need a bathroom, and I find one with pee on the floor, and no toilet paper, and no soap, at first I was like, "This is gross, I just miss America," but now I'm just grateful that there's a toilet. We just need to find the silver lining in our lives. I have such an amazing family that writes me every week, an incredible companion, and the best area I could possible imagine, and this mission is such a blessing from Heavenly Father, even though sometimes it's really hard. Anyway, I love you Mama, and I have faith that with Heavenly Father's help, anything is possible.
Except maybe me growing wings. That's a little beyond my reach :-)
Anyway, there's so much that happened this past week, and I wish I could write it all, but there's just no way. Seriously, thank you for your emails. They recharge me every week and give me a renewed energy. Thank you for your love and support. And no pictures this week because of traveling to and from Quito, and we didn't have time to go home to our apartment and get all of our camera stuff, but I have so many fun pictures of the Fanesca! Just something to look forward to I suppose :-) Have a wonderful week!
Hermana Kennedy
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