Hiya family o' mine,
Here's my letter to President this week:
Buenas tardes Presidente Murphy!
This was a week of miracles. Last week, we had an "invasion" in our sector, and we got some really great referrals from it. Several of them ended up being investigators with a lot of potential, but the best was finding an antiguo (an elderly person) who is part of a part-member family. Her name is Rosa, and her husband is an inactive member and who has a very long history in the church. It's sad because he is letting his pride get in the way of attending church. He says that when he goes back to the coast, he will start attending church again. His wife, Rosa, couldn't be baptized two years ago because they weren't married. However, two weeks ago, they were married! We received her name from the invasion, and we visited her on Tuesday and that's when we found out everything about her and her husband, and long story short, I didn't have much hope, but she said she would attend church on Sunday if she could. She and her husband and stepdaughter are caretakers for a house, and if the owners are there, they can't leave. So if the owners weren't there, she said she would attend church. And sure enough, she and her stepdaughter (a member) showed up and stayed for the first two hours! They were supposed to leave after the first hour in case the owners of the house came back, but decided to stay for one more hour. They loved Gospel Principles. She wants to come again, and we want to try and set a date with her for the 30th of December.
We also received a referral for another antiguo, Carolina. On Thursday, we stopped by, and she and her two kids all listened to us, and she really wants us to come back and keep teaching her.
We are still working with Monica, but she can't come to church this month because her son is doing Catacismo up in Cala Cali every Sunday from 9-10. However, in between lessons, she read the Introduction, the testimonies, the Brief Explanation, and the first two chapters of 1st Nephi! And, she had questions! She's amazing, but maybe she can be baptized in January or February once she can start attending church.
We also had a random thing happen this last week--evidence that there are no coincidences. Last week, we were heading to lunch with our mamita, and as we passed a store, this 22-year-old comes running out, and yells, "HANG ON! DON'T GO ANYWHERE!" and then runs away. So we waited, and she came back. Turns out, she's a member from Milagro, but her grandmother lives here in our sector. Last Sunday, we taught her grandmother, Carmen, and we returned this past Saturday. She accepted the invitation to be baptized, but only once she is sure. She's a little older, but she's very lucid. Her understanding is just a little slower. She's accepted teachings from missionaries before, but the missionaries always disappeared, and she doesn't know why! Anyway, her granddaughter Joselyn, has been trying for a while to find the missionaries in this area, or the ward, but couldn't, but it just so happened that we were passing that store as she was in it. How crazy is that?
Anyway, we have just seen a lot of miracles this week. We have been a little hopeless lately, because we have been feeling like we aren't seeing success here, and no one wants to listen to us, but these people are prepared, and we are happy to see God's hand in this area. Too, the ward is good. Aron as our mission leader is great. He's planning all of these activities and wants to help us so much. Too, we are receiving a lot more support from the members, and we are growing to love the area more.
I'm so excited to play in the fireside this week. Thank you again for letting me bring my viola back with me. I've had a lot of opportunities lately to play, and I love being able to share my testimony through music. Thank you for all of your hard work and for your example.
Have a wonderful week,
Hermana Kennedy
Seriously, this week was such a miraculous week, at least in terms of finding and people progressing. However, we had a little hitch happen at our house.
So, right now, they are building a suicide circle (traffic circle) on the road next to our apartment complex. This past week was when they had to turn the pipes off to do something which meant that we were without water. Sometimes this happens in the States, right? Well here in Ecuador, they don't leave a notice or anything. They just do it. So everyone was without water...and completely unprepared. We got home on Thursday night and found out from our neighbor that there wasn't any water. I was at least relieved that I just hadn't forgotten to pay the bill or something!
Anyway, they said, "Oh, they said it'll be back on on Saturday. Sunday at the latest!"
WHAT?!?!?!?!? There won't be water from Thursday until possibly Sunday? You better believe that that night, I said a prayer. And I genuinely believe that Heavenly Father was looking out for us. No one else had anything, but we, for two days somehow had water in our toilets so we could flush them, and our spout out back was working, so we filled gallon jugs with water. Once the water really left, we used the gallon water to flush the toilets, brush our teeth and for me, wash my face. However, without water, we couldn't shower. So, on Thursday, I also asked Heavenly Father to please help me not to smell (because as a missionary, we're walking all the time, and my hair naturally doesn't last too long without being washed). Somehow, for four whole days (the water didn't come back until Sunday night), I didn't smell, and my hair looked freshly washed every day. It's amazing how Heavenly Father really does take care of His missionaries, and how awesome prayer is!
Sunday night, we walked into our apartment without much hope but when the sink started spouting water, I almost cried for joy. Friends, if you want to serve someone this week, find some way to help kids in Africa or South America have water. I don't know how you can do it, but let me tell you, being without water is the WORST!!!
Also, some random kid in the street this week, as we were walking past, just outright said, "You're very tall. That's not normal," and just kept walking. Yes, thank you child. I know.
Okay, so other funny thing this week. So you know that Brian Regan sketch about the airports? He starts out talking about the airport itself and everyone trying to get on the plane ("It's the last plane out of Vietnam!"), and then he talks about the plane itself. "Bring me the head of a pig, someone from coach fiddle for me, etc." And there's the part about how he's sitting in the back of the plane with his elbows touching with his coloring book, and the stewards are coming down the aisle, saying, "Sir, we have today a nice lettuce wrap, baked chicken...and a stone cold fish head."
Wow, I wonder what I'm gonna get.
And they make it back to him, and it's as if the other two options weren't ever there. "Sir, today, we have a lovely cold fish head, with a piece of lettuce, and a SPORK!"
Man, I'm laughing just typing that. I can just see Brian Regan's face.
This past week, we headed to a mamita's house. Her name is Mayuri, and we love her. She's from the coast, and she was baptized a little over a year ago. People from the coast eat a lot of fish. That's normal. I still don't love fish, but I can at least eat it (unlike that guatita). So, I see the fried fish tails and I'm like, "Oh okay, fried fish tastes like chicken."
Well here, there is almost always a soup before the main course for lunch. And I see that there is more fish in the soup. Okay, that's fine. So, I'm eating my soup and pulling out the little tiny fish bones when what comes up on my spoon, but a FISH MOUTH! Like, if you were to catch a fish from the ocean and just cut off its mouth, that's what was staring at me. I seriously didn't know what to do. I think I just stared at it for a while and finally I just looked at Mayuri and asked, "Hermana, do you eat this?" She seemed a little confused and then she was like, "Of course, Hermana! You just give him a big ol' kiss!!!!" And then starts laughing at herself and everyone else too, but I was so in shock that I couldn't do anything. But bless Hermana Caceres, because she eats everything, and she she was like, "Give it to me!" And she ate it! AHHHHH!!!!! Anyway, later I laughed thinking about Brian Regan, and it was especially funny because on Saturday, we ate at a restaurant with Bishop and his family, and it was chicken, but they gave us sporks. Turns out, they are called cubiertos in Spanish. Little fact for ya there.
And different fun stuff. This upcoming Sunday, our stake is having a musical night put on by the mission, so I get to play O Holy Night with Cole Murphy, and after play with a hermana choir for What Child is This? and after, Silent Night with the choir and congregation! I am so dang excited! And the day before, we have a Christmas conference with President and Hermana Murphy, and then Christmas dinner with them! They asked us to bring a white elephant gift, and optional, bring them an ornament to put on their tree. They said the best ornaments are made with love, so today I bought some pipe cleaners and made a little viola. <3
And we got a call from the elders in our ward (who are great, by the way) and told us that on Friday, we were going to perform in the park in their sector with the zone. They asked me to bring my viola. We thought it was just like, show up at the park and sing a little, but we got there, and it's a whole shebang with a seated audience, and microphones, and risers and everything! We had practiced a little beforehand, and I had a hymnbook to play from, but we showed up and there wasn't a stand or anything. Boy, was I grateful for my musical training, because I played everything just right there, without music, including a solo instrumental in between verses of The First Noel. And after, we contacted. It was super fun, and I'm really loving Christmastime in the mission!
Also, my Advent Book is the most wonderful thing in the world. Seriously, the first thing I do every day is run downstairs to my desk and read my story! Seriously, I cry a little bit in every story because it just makes me so dang happy.
Woo-hoo, that's a lot. My fingers are tired from typing. Okay, I love you all so much. Pray for all those people. I have such faith that they can progress. Also, I didn't feel anything like an earthquake on Saturday, so I think we were too far away or something. But keep praying for me--everyone is kind of worried about something bigger happening soon. They're really emphasizing our emergency bags. Okay, I love you all SOOOOOOO much! Have a wonderfully snowy week!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy
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