Hermana Kennedy and the Cat Who Didn't Catch the Rat

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

Buenas tardes, President Murphy,

Well, we currently have one investigator with a baptismal date.  However, we talked with Paco this week, and we all agreed that he is progressing fast enough to be baptized sooner than November 18.  Our goal is October 7.  Our biggest obstacle right now is time.  If we change his date, it will still be for October, but it will be for the 21st, because he will be out of town on the 14th.  We have really good lessons with Paco, but it still doesn't feel like he really, really understands the importance of baptism.  Each time, he comes a little closer, but he's a little older, and I think he just takes a little more time to understand, but we'll see.

We also have a LOT of potential with an investigator named Alicia Mosquera.  She first allowed the missionaries into her house because her nephew is on a mission right now, and she wanted to know what he does.  I think she is one of those people who will progress very slowly, but she will progress. This past week, we were planning on teaching her the Plan of Salvation, but the Spirit initially took us another direction.  Somehow (I can't remember how exactly), we ended up talking about why difficult things happen in our lives, and I told her the story of my ankle and having to go home.  From that, she told us that she had a daughter die a few years ago from being hit by a car which was a perfect lead-in to teaching the Plan of Salavation!  The Spirit really is amazing, and God sometimes works in mysterious ways, but He sure knows what He's doing.  When I was set apart for the second time, I was blessed to be able to use my whole experience to mourn with those who mourn and to comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and I can see that happening already.  Today, I was speaking with Hermana Evert at a zone activity, and it was amazing to share the smilier feelings about being sent home.  It is an awful thing, but I'm glad that now I can better understand how people feel in similar, or even worse situations.

As for our companionship, we are working on it.  Being in a trio is a different experience, and we are all very imperfect beings.  We are trying to learn more and grow, but unfortunately there has been some disunity in our companionship.  But each companionship inventory, we are getting a little better at being honest, and also not getting offended.  It's a big growth experience, and I'm grateful for that, but I'm hoping that we can be better not only in our companionship, but also as individuals.

I love being a missionary.  I love feeling the Spirit take over in lessons.  Heavenly Father really does have a plan for every person on this earth, and sometimes it's hard to trust Him, but He does know best.

Thank you for your hard work in this mission.  We sure are lucky to have you.

Have a great week!
Hermana Kennedy

Well, our companionship is getting better, but any advice would be great, because while I don't mind being the buffer, it is exhausting sometimes.  However, I am starting to reach Hermana Franco.  She's pretty tough, and she feels like she has to keep everything in, and she isn't really sentimental. Last night, in comp inventory, I just started to tell her honestly how wonderful of a missionary she is, and she started crying.  I think she didn't have a very good experience training, and this is only her fourth transfer. I think Hermana Franco just hasn't received much love or praise in her life, so having someone tell her how amazing she is really touched her.  I'm just grateful to have broken through one of the walls around her heart.  Maybe over the next three weeks, I can go from using a sledgehammer to a stick of dynamite, and she will come away from this cambio having a renewed confidence.

Hna. Franco, me, Hna. Smith

We went on exchanges this past Friday, and I stayed here with Hermana Franco and Hermana Smith, mostly because with my boot, the hills of the hermanas' sector would have been difficult for me, and they wanted Hna Hartzog to have some one-on-one time.  I feel horrible saying this, but we just felt so free.  We just felt light in our hearts, ad honestly, it's because of Hna Smith.  She is just a doll, and she is from Alaska (#canibeher?).  She seriously radiates joy and happiness, and it is so contagious.  We taught wonderful lessons, and we laughed a lot.  But the funniest part came the next morning.  So in our house, we have a little back patio with our piedra and clothesline and stuff.  We had the door open in the morning to let the morning air in, and while sitting there making breakfast, Hna Smith freaks out and yells, "I SAW SOMETHING MOVE OUTSIDE!" So, I go out and see this little mouse nose sticking out from underneath our piedra.  I didn't know where the heck it came from, so I lifted up the stuff it was under, and this rather medium-sized RAT comes scurrying out and dives into this hole in the middle of the floor.  Now, I'm not scared of rats, but anyone shrieks a little under those circumstances.  So, I grab a bucket and put it over the hole.  I think everything is fine.  However, after a moment, the rat starts SHRIEKING, and I realize that I might be suffocating the rat.  So, I run out and take the bucket off the hole and figure that maybe we can trap the rat and take it outside.  So we wait until the rat runs out again, and I cover its hole with the bucket so it can't escape back into the hole again.  Then I go over and lift up the stuff again, and it darts out--not into the bucket as planned, but runs back to its hole but obviously can't get back in.  That's when I hear some more shrieking from the hole.  My guess is that the rat has baby rats in that hole too, and I was suffocating them at that moment.  So with my plan to capture the rat failing BIG TIME, I uncover the hole, and the rat goes back in.  Hermana Smith and Franco just tell me to cover the hole and let them die, but how can I stand before God at the judgment day and hear Him say, "So Hermana, about that rat you killed while you were on your mission...."  Anyway, the two of them, of course, were no help whatsoever, but we laughed a lot about it.  I did try again this morning to catch it, but it didn't work.  My last-ditch effort?  I just need the rat to come out of its hole.  Then I'll run out, put a bag in its hole, then scare it so it'll run to its hole and into the bag, and I can scoop it up.  The babies might die which makes me feel awful, but we can't have a rat living in our apartment.  It's trap the mom and take her outside, or suffocate them all which I couldn't have on my conscience.  I'll let you know how it goes next week.  (As a side note, Johannah's dad told her to pour gasoline down the hole and just light the whole thing on fire.)

Also, we were headed to Paco's house last night when we turned a corner and saw a bichon frisbee type dog sitting on a porch (which is rather normal) except it's blue.  Yes, it is in fact a very blue dog.  We laughed our heads off.

And that's crazy how hot it is at home right now.  It's pretty hot here too.  I guess that's what happens when you serve on the equator.  I'm really grateful that I can stop wearing my boot in a week, because I'm starting to get heat rash from it.  We just sweat so much.  I worry about drinking two whole bottles of water in the morning, because I don't want to have to pee a lot (because who knows where we will ever find a bathroom...or if we will at all), but we end up sweating all the water out anyways. But it's okay.  But I do take my boot off every change I get even though it stinks to high heaven now because of the sweat.  I even washed it recently, and it still smells.  #thatecuadorlife

Also, I think I'm just destined to be a spy because everyone trusts me with the secrets.  I can wheedle the truth or guilty secrets out of anyone, even other missionaries.

And you think I'm going to tell you what they are now....

...but I'm not.  Because what kind of spy spills the secrets?

Finally, something came to me today.  I've met a ton of broken missionaries on my mission.  People who have pasts they regret, or who aren't exactly obedient, or who just feel sad and lost in their lives. And you know, we are all still on the same mission here in Ecuador.  God doesn't send all the perfect people out into the world to preach the gospel.  He sends anyone who is willing, broken as they may be, to teach His other children and to help bring them to salvation.  And really, aren't we all broken in some way?  But the beauty of serving a mission is how it helps us all heal and regrow, sometimes literally in the case of a broken ankle :-)  Everyone has a past (all saints have a past, and all sinners have a future, right Mark? :-)), and we can't judge people for what we don't know, because everyone has regrets and sorrows in their lives, but if we see them as children of God, it doesn't matter.  They are trying, and that's what really counts.  God didn't send me here because I'm perfect.  I'm broken too, and I'm grateful for the opportunity He is giving me to grow and become more like Him.  I still have a long, long, LONG way to go, but I hope someday I can be a little bit closer.

I love you all.  Thanks for your emails.  They really do mean so much to me.  I pray for you every day, and I hope that you can continue to see the blessings in your lives.

Have an absolutely fantastic week!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy