Hermana Kennedy and Buffer, the Cake Slayer

Hiya family o' mine!  Here's my l-o-n-g letter to President Murphy:

Buenas tardes, President Murphy,

I have to admit, this sector is growing on me.  It is still very, very hot here, but there are good people here, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to know them and help continue the work here in Mitad del Mundo!

First, I wanted to share a great experience we had with the Book of Mormon.  After Zone Conference on Tuesday, we decided to try using the Restoration and specifically the Book of Mormon more in our contacting.  Normally we say something about families or the Atonement, which almost always works, but it isn't usually what we teach first and foremost, so we decided to use the Restoration more.  This week, we were contacting for a long time on this one street, and no one was really letting us in.  One woman told us that it was a very Catholic street, so no one would want to listen to us.  We knock on this big green door, and this mid-20s man answered.  His name was Paoul, and at first, he didn't seem very interested.  But then, Hermana Franco handed him one of the pass along cards with the Book of Mormon on the back, and she explained a little, and he very surprisingly asked, "Wait, there's another book?" to which we happily replied YES! and he told us we could come back the next day.  We went back, but he wasn't there.  However, his mother was, and at first, she seemed a little weirded out by three missionaries asking for her son, but then we again contacted her using the Book of Mormon, and she too was surprised that there was another book.  We then asked if we could teach her, and she agreed!  We taught the entire Restoration to her right then and there, and we have another appointment set up for this Friday!  Her name is Lourdes, and she's the mother of eight kids.  We have a really good feeling about her.  I always felt a little funny contacting with the Book of Mormon, because sometimes people just really don't understand that it isn't a replacement for the Bible, and they turn us away, but this experience really showed me that people are looking for more of the truth, and if we explain the Book of Mormon the right way, it will be the most powerful tool in missionary work.  Too, we shouldn't ever be ashamed to share anything about this Gospel.  Sometimes, I feel worried about talking about keeping the Sabbath day holy, or sharing the Book of Mormon right off the bat, but this message and this church are true, and if people really are prepared, they won't care what they need to do in order to be a part of it.

We currently have one investigator with a fecha, Paco Michilena.  His wife and sons are all baptized, and after seeing his youngest son baptized this past month, he decided that he wanted to find out about the church and be baptized, and though his date is for the 18th of November, we are working to try and help him gain a testimony so he can be baptized a little sooner.  We had a really great lesson with him this past Wednesday.  We were teaching the Plan of Salvation, and at the end, I explained to him that really, there's only one choice, and it's the celestial kingdom, and after, I asked him what he really wanted, and he said that he didn't want to be alone for eternity.  He wants to be with his family, and so he wants to achieve the celestial kingdom.  He is progressing so well, attending church every week, and participating in the classes.  This week, we are going to review some things about the Word of Wisdom, but whenever he feels like smoking, we told him to recite a scripture, which a week ago, he couldn't say, but two days later, he knew almost the entire thing :-)  We are so excited for him, and we know that his wife wants this so badly.  She loves him, and she has been so patient for years, waiting for him to make this choice, and I'm so honored that we get to be a part of it.

*cough cough* GO BLUE!!

I say it every week, but I really mean it, President Murphy.  I love being a missionary.  It's a hard life, but the people are worth every tear, step and broken bone :-)  I love being here, and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for calling me to this mission.  Thank you for your hard work and dedication.  I am incredibly grateful for your example.

Have a fabulous week!
Hermana Kennedy

Okie doke, so let's get started.  I seriously have so many things to write today.  It's crazy.

Yep, the Buffer ;-)

So, you know how Mark said there's usually a buffer in a trio?  Yep, that's me.  Hermana Hartog drives Hermana Franco up the wall, and in turn, she isn't very nice to her.  So this week, I've had several one-on-one conversations with each of them to try and work everything out.  I agree with a lot of what they both say, so I can see both sides, and it's hard to see them both unhappy.  Hermana Hartzog feels like Hermana Franco doesn't like here, and she wants to try to do what she needs to in order to be better friends with her, but unfortunately, they just have very different personalities, and so just her way of being is kind of what upsets Hna Franco.  And Hna Franco isn't very patient with Hermana Hartzog, so I talked to her this week, and I told her that we both need to be a little more patient and loving, and it's actually working okay.  It's still very far from perfect, and who knows if they talk about me when I'm not in the room, but we are improving.  Unfortunately, with time, we didn't get to have companionship inventory this past Friday, so we are doing it today, but they have both told me this past week that it's going to be interesting.  The hardest part for me will be not siding with one or the other.  I just need to say my one thing for each of them, and just let them work it out.  There just isn't very good communication in the trio, so it makes it hard to teach, especially when our teaching styles are different too.  Anyway, I am the Buffer, with a capital "B", and though it's a little stressful sometimes, I'm just grateful to not be the problem child ;-)

Karina's cake <3

Okay, so about my super fun birthday.  Mommy, you needn't have worried.  We started my birthday with a darling investigator.  Her name is Alicia, and she has the most gorgeous house I think I've seen in Ecuador.  Also, when she opened her gate, this HUGE Akita puppy came bouncing towards us, shedding like crazy!  After the lesson, Alicia let us help brush Nicole which was super fun, and because I was wearing one of my new polyester dresses, none of her fur stuck to me which was awesome!  Seriously, such a pretty dog, but definitely the wrong country for her.  Then, we went to lunch, and afterwards, we headed back home to do weekly planning, but not before we bought my cake from the drug dealer.  Yes, we did in fact buy a cake from her, compete with her Colombian-bought chocolate, and it was delicious.  Also, we picked up this delicious, out-of-this-world tasty stuff called Polaca.  It's like condensed milk but with other stuff in it, and it sells like hot cakes here.  So, we went back to the house, weekly planned, ate cake and drank Polaca.  Ugh, so good.  Then, we had an appointment with Paco at 6:30, but his wife, Karina, knew it was my birthday, and so when we showed up, there was no lesson taught.  She had a whole little party set up for me, complete with food trays and a cake!  Also, a candle made of chocolate.   So cute.  Seriously, Karina is just darling, and I so want Paco to be baptized just for her.  I'll attach a video.  And the next morning, we had Momoitas (where the Hermanas Lideres come over and interview us and talk about how we can improve and everything),

The "candle" was a firecracker!
I tried to blow it out twice, but I couldn't do it!

but they also brought a cake.  So, not only did I have a cake, but I had THREE CAKES!  It was awesome!  Also, at zone conference on Tuesday, Hermana Giles gave me a birthday present, and I got chocolate from Hna Murphy, and so it's just been a great birthday season.

Also, I SAW HERMANA GILES!!!  Goodness me, I love that girl.  Seriously, we couldn't stop talking, and seeing her made me so happy to be back.  Thinking about not having come back and not seeing her just makes me sad, and it just helped me know for sure that it was the right choice to come back.  I left my family behind, but I really do have an Ecuadorian family too, and they need me right now :-)

So, today we went to Quito, because I had to pick up my new debit card, and while at the offices, we went to the distribution center, and I found a Liahona (a church magazine).  Not so exciting, right?  But it was in GERMAN!  Holy cow, so fun reading German again.  I totes bought it, and reading it was so awesome, and I definitely need it, because I'm having a hard time reading certain things how Germans do, and not like Spanish speakers :-)

ANNNNNNNND.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!  Best birthday buddy ever!  I love you a lot, and I sure am grateful to have you as my namesake.  Congrats on your marathon, and I hope you got some cake too!  I love you!

I love everyone else too, and man, thanks for the outpouring of love that I felt throughout all of your birthday wishes!  Seriously, I have the best family and friends anyone could possibly ask for.

This church is true.  I wouldn't be here if it wasn't, and I know that sometimes Heavenly Father asks us to make hard, hard sacrifices, and sometimes it seems like too much, but He loves us so much, and has promised blessings beyond what we can comprehend.  Just be patient and faithful and kind and courageous, and everything will be okay.

I love you!
MUCHISIMO AMOR,
Hermana Kennedy