Hi family! Here's my letter to President Murphy:
Buenas tardes, Presidente Murphy,
We had a great week here in Otavalo. I just love the people here. They're so friendly, and it feels like there is a member on every corner! We were able to head to the Imbaya district meeting, and we had moronitas with the Central hermanas. I was also able to get my visa renewed, and I'm glad to be legal again!
We met some really great new investigators this week, and we have some investigators that came to church this Sunday, so we are going to set dates with them. All the new investigators we found this week were referrals, and the members have been great in helping us. We have an appointment planned tonight with Jonathan and Christian Remache, and two members said they would come with us. The boys didn't come to church yesterday. We think it might be because their mom goes to Ibarra on Sundays to the feria, so tonight we are focusing on Dia de reposo. She's a member, so we know that she knows the importance of going to church, but we are going to remind her and stress the fact that her kids need to go to church.
Barrio Latino is really improving as well. Yesterday, we met with Bishop Piedra to offer our help, and he asked us to visit a few families. We were also able to follow the advice of Elder Falabella and ask for priesthood blessings. I just love the priesthood. I love that God's power is on the earth, and that there are worthy priesthood holders who can exercise that power. Bishop also called an Elder's Quorum president and a Relief Society president, and he wants to help us with Jonathan and Christian. We are really excited to see how the ward can keep growing.
Thank you for all that you do for us missionaries. We can't thank you enough for your hard work and example. Have a great week!
Hermana Kennedy
Okay, the space bar on the keyboard is junk, so forgive me. Ecuador is just really "special" sometimes...but really it is. I love this little country. The people are so friendly, and I love that I can buy six mangos for only 60 cents. It's a little behind sometimes in terms of progression, but that's okay. I love that there is so much culture here in Otavalo especially. They have such a funny accent here. I'm really grateful that I'm almost definitely finishing my mission here. It's good be back especially since being at church yesterday:
We headed to Otavalo ward which meets in the same chapel as San Pablo but last week, I didn't really get to see any of my friends. But this week, we had to make some calls after sacrament meeting to people who didn't show up, and San Pablo members started coming in. They actually remembered me and were happy to see me! They were telling the elders in the ward now that I started there, and asking me where I was now! But after leaving Relief Society to head to a different room for Spanish Relief Society (versus Quichua), I saw Francisco! He's Mariana's son (remember she got baptized a week after I came home for my ankle), and I was like "FRANCISCO!!" It was so good to see him, and he was happy to see me! I asked if his mom was there, and he said that yeah, she was in the meeting, and he told me that I had to come to their house really soon. Then he had to go in, but after Relief Society, we had to leave a little early to head to Latino ward council, and as we were leaving, I heard, "HERMANA!" I turn around, and there's Mariana! Oh my gosh, I was so happy. I sprinted across the grass to hug her! I forgot how short she is! She's so beautiful, and I'm so grateful that she's still active in the church! And her daughter was baptized last month! I think they all keep being baptized one by one so that the missionaries have to keep visiting them ;-). Anyway, I was just so happy to see her. Like, all the work and frustration and sadness on my mission was worth it in that moment, because I've gotten to meet people like her and see how the Gospel changes their lives! They told me I need to come over one Monday for lunch.
Also, it was funny this week seeing people open-mouth staring at me. Several members actually jumped when they first met me because they said I surprised them with how tall I am. Why I wasn't sent to Norway or Sweden or somewhere where giants live for my mission, I don't know...
We are running every morning that we can. Because of meetings with hermanas, we sometimes can't, but I sure do love running. I have some knee pain from all the hills in Santa Anita, but with a knee brace, it's getting better so I'll be okay. But this week, while running, there was this really weird smell. I didn't think much of it because honestly, it always smells here, but as I was running, I saw a dog laying in the grass and I thought it was sleeping. Next lap, I looked a little harder, and I saw that it wasn't breathing and then I knew what the smell was. Two days later, we went back, and the smell was still there, but there was nothing left of the dog except its shape in the grass, covered in fur. Isn't nature neat? #neature
And one thing that always comes with Otavalo is the mosquitos. Yep, I cover myself with repellent every day, and yet they still get me. I actually don't have any bites on my lower legs, because I spray them so religiously, but then I found bites on my upper legs! Darn bugs! So then I started spraying my whole leg, and the next day I come home at night to discover one bite on my back (despite my dress, sweater and coat), and two on my BUM! Oh my gosh, Hermana Carré almost died laughing. I've been taking two Benadryl each night so they don't itch, and one in the morning even, and not only am I not falling asleep during the day, I don't have a single scab! I'm very proud of myself ;-). I'm also limiting the amount of sugar I eat so as to de-sweeten my blood ;-). Of course, the day that I sprayed my ENTIRE body was the day that Hermana Carré finally got bit. (hee hee!)
And oh my gosh, I am SO excited to be an RA! And in Glo's building?! I won't be making much money, but for free housing and food? Boom bada BING! I have so many ideas already, almost all of which are Harry Potter themed! Thank goodness I have an artistic sister whom I'm SURE will be more than happy to help me!
Well, that's about it. I love you all, and I love hearing about your lives! They may not seem exciting to you, but every little detail is written GOLD to me! I love you guys. And guess what? I get to talk to you in a month! Woohoo! Okie doke folks....
Love,
Hermana Kennedy
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
Hermana Kennedy and Mishki Missing Keys
Hi family! It was a great week here in Otavalo! Here's my letter to President:
Buenas tardes, President Murphy,
Well, I sure am happy to be back in Otavalo! I feel like I just know how to connect with these people. It's like coming home, and I am so so happy to be here! Too, Hermana Carré is great. She's happy and kind, and we work really well together. It's sad that she will be leaving at the end of this transfer, but it just means that we want to work as hard as possible in this transfer!
We currently have two with a baptismal date. Johnathan and Christian Remache. Their mom, Adriana, is a less-active member, but she is trying to reactivate herself, and the lessons with these kids are great. They listen really well, and it all makes sense to them. They are well on their way to being ready for the fifth of May.
We are really trying right now to work more with members. We have a plan this week to meet with at least one member each day to explain the mission plan to them, and ask them to accompany us or help us. Too, we just got a new bishop in barrio Latino, and so we are planning a noche de hogar (family home evening) this week in which we can offer to help him in anything, and ask him to accompany us, and to ask for priesthood blessings like Elder Falabella said. Bishop and his wife are very excited to help the ward, and we are excited to work with them! We are hoping that Bishop Piedra will call a Relief Society and Young Men's President, especially since Johnathan and Christian are in that group. We are trying to contact all referrals within 24 hours, and we are really appreciative of the members trusting in us to teach their conocidos.
Too, I love what President Aurala said in leadership council about smiling and being a new person if you want to make friends in each new ward. I've always held back a little in new wards, and typically I leave not knowing too many people, or just knowing them as Hermano or Hermana, but in these two wards, I really want to work on loving people and actually getting to know them. Asking them questions, learning their names and being more sociable. I want to help everyone, and make connections with as many members as possible. Especially with two wards, I need to learn how to keep them straight. I think that will be one of my biggest challenges here--keeping straight who belongs to which ward! This is a new and exciting experience, and I can't wait to see what happens!
Too, we have plans this week for Moronitas with the hermanas in Central and in Imbaya. We want to go over the points in Preach My Gospel about how to be a successful missionary, because we want to change the view of success here in Campo. Too, we want to focus on obedience, and what it is that is expected of us. I just want to show these hermanas that I love them, and that we are here to help them. I also want to work more with the zone leaders to ensure that we are doing our very best as leaders to help each missionary fulfill their purpose. There's a lot to do, but thank you for trusting in me. I won't let you down.
Too, I love the Book of Mormon reading challenge we have for the next three months. I especially love the question from last week about what it means when Nephi says, "Nevertheless, I went forth." To me, that means trusting in God. I've had a lot of experiences in trusting in God on my mission. When I broke my ankle, I prayed over and over to again understand why it happened, and I never really received an answer. And at the end of my month at home, I prayed to know if I needed to come back. After all, why would God have made it so that I had to go home if only to send me back? It didn't make sense. But I also felt very strongly that I needed to come back. I know that trusting in God even when we don't understand His plan is sometimes incredibly difficult, but that's what faith is. Knowing that even when we lack understanding or a knowledge of things to come, He will guide us and help us achieve that which is right.
I love being a missionary. It's hard and exhausting, but there is little more satisfying than knowing someone who decides to change their life for the better. I love that my mission has taught me to love people, no matter their difficulties or circumstances.
Thank you for your example and your counsel. Thank you for helping us be better, and for always guiding us.
Have a wonderful week,
Hermana Kennedy
I'm so grateful for my mission. It has taught me a bunch of things that I can see now (but maybe couldn't see earlier when I was frustrated with Heavenly Father). It has taught me that I can love other people, and that I can be loved. I've always thought of myself as someone who isn't super friendly or happy, but the mission has taught me how to be that way. It's taught me how to get along with people, how to get to know them, and how to connect to people on a personal level. Too, I'm really grateful for the lifelong friends that I've made here. I've had a lot of luck with companions, and I'm grateful that I'll get to see a lot of them after the mission. Too, it's solidified me knowing what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to help people. I now that being a Physician Assistant is a way that I can do that. I can help, but it's not so heavy as being a doctor, so I'll have time for my family too. My mission has also taught me to see the best in every situation and to not judge people. Everyone has a story (right, Mama?), and everyone has the capacity to change, but they all need someone to believe in them and show them that they care. Life here in Ecuador is super hard and different, but I've learned to laugh and smile in every situation, and that's something I don't think I would have been able to do if I had stayed home. And Spanish. So many things make sense now because they translate from Spanish.
That's a lot of reasons, but I love the mission. My mission has been hard in different ways than most people, but Heavenly Father has taught me a lot, and they are things that I think would have taken me years to learn on my own.
Okay, good spiritual stuff. But moving on :-)
It's awesome here. I love Otavalo. I love walking the streets and hearing Quichua again. I'm hoping to pick up on it, but so far, I only understand when there are Spanish words thrown in too. Some missionaries' favorite phrases in Quichua include "kushki" which means "money", but also "mishki, mishki" which means "delicious". People always laugh if after eating a meal, you say "mishki, mishki". I'm going to have to start caring my Quichua notebook around with me again to start noting new words and phrases that people are willing to teach us.
I've also eaten a lot of potatoes this week, and combined with the stress of being in a new sector and a new companion, I'm very worried about gaining weight. Pray for me that I won't be too stressed, and that I won't stress eat. I'd really like to keep losing weight so I come home being able to wear pants again.
Speaking of pants, I love pants. Aren't they great? I'm so happy each day to come home, take off my dress and put on pants and a superhero t-shirt. Only four more months until pants again.
Too, some members today lent us their WASHER! Oh my gosh, I actually got to wash my clothes today! It's basically a miracle! And they'll be dry by tomorrow morning, because the washer can wring out water better than any human hand can. Next week? Sheets and my towel!
Here we live on the fourth floor, so each day, after feeling tired and exhausted from walking all day (I have an average of 14,000 steps each day which equals over seven miles), we have to climb up four freaking flights of stairs. Goodness, I want to die. As if the elevation isn't high enough already!
Also, there's an hermana that always accompanies us to Jonathan and Christian's house, because she gave us the referral. She's a funny old lady named Maria, but the funniest thing is how darn short she is. Like, people in Quito are short, and then there are Otavalanians. She basically comes up to my waist line. On the first night with that family, she came in, and I was already sitting down, but as we were leaving, she stood up and turned to the Hermana Adriana to say goodbye, and I stood up. When she turned around, she exclaimed, "Oh carambas!" That's like "Oh my GOSH!", and then she just started laughing. Good times.
Final story for this email: Last night, we were finishing up our weekly planning, and we get a call from a member, asking if we can come and lock up the chapel since there's no one there who has a key who can do it. The chapel is a good 10-15-20 minute walk depending on if you're living in Otavalo or not, so we said sure. Anything to help the members! I grab the keys, but we leave our bags in the apartment, since we are coming back to finish weekly planning. We walk and walk, and once we are in the sight of the members, Hermana Carré looks at me curiously and asks, "Hermana, do you have the keys?"
"Yep, I have them."
"No, not the house keys. The chapel keys."
"What chapel keys?"
She realizes at that moment that the chapel keys (which I didn't know existed) are in her bag.
Which we left in our apartment...on the other side of our very long walk.
But at this point, the members see us and say, "You saved us!"
We are like, "Yeah...."
Anyway, they wait outside the gate, and I'm like, "Hermana, I need to use the restroom.. Tell them they can leave." So she does, and they leave. I use the bathroom, and then we make this whole show of pretending to lock up the chapel for any hooligans who might be keeping an eye. Leaving it entirely open, we RUN back to our apartment, Hermana Carré books it up the four flights of stairs, comes back down, and we head off again, praying that no one went into the chapel, because, of course, it was just robbed last week. Thankfully, since it was robbed, there isn't really anything for anyone to take, but still. We were rather stressed. Thankfully, no one went in, and I got in my step count for the day! We laughed for a long time about that.
Anyway, it was a good week. The members here are super friendly, the potatoes are still gargantuan and served whole, and the dogs don't bark as much as in Quito, so that's nice. It's nice to feel at home here.
I love you guys a lot. Keep being good and faithful and loving other people. I love you all and have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy ("the granddaughter of President Kennedy", as everyone tells me here :-))
Buenas tardes, President Murphy,
Well, I sure am happy to be back in Otavalo! I feel like I just know how to connect with these people. It's like coming home, and I am so so happy to be here! Too, Hermana Carré is great. She's happy and kind, and we work really well together. It's sad that she will be leaving at the end of this transfer, but it just means that we want to work as hard as possible in this transfer!
We currently have two with a baptismal date. Johnathan and Christian Remache. Their mom, Adriana, is a less-active member, but she is trying to reactivate herself, and the lessons with these kids are great. They listen really well, and it all makes sense to them. They are well on their way to being ready for the fifth of May.
We are really trying right now to work more with members. We have a plan this week to meet with at least one member each day to explain the mission plan to them, and ask them to accompany us or help us. Too, we just got a new bishop in barrio Latino, and so we are planning a noche de hogar (family home evening) this week in which we can offer to help him in anything, and ask him to accompany us, and to ask for priesthood blessings like Elder Falabella said. Bishop and his wife are very excited to help the ward, and we are excited to work with them! We are hoping that Bishop Piedra will call a Relief Society and Young Men's President, especially since Johnathan and Christian are in that group. We are trying to contact all referrals within 24 hours, and we are really appreciative of the members trusting in us to teach their conocidos.
Too, I love what President Aurala said in leadership council about smiling and being a new person if you want to make friends in each new ward. I've always held back a little in new wards, and typically I leave not knowing too many people, or just knowing them as Hermano or Hermana, but in these two wards, I really want to work on loving people and actually getting to know them. Asking them questions, learning their names and being more sociable. I want to help everyone, and make connections with as many members as possible. Especially with two wards, I need to learn how to keep them straight. I think that will be one of my biggest challenges here--keeping straight who belongs to which ward! This is a new and exciting experience, and I can't wait to see what happens!
Too, we have plans this week for Moronitas with the hermanas in Central and in Imbaya. We want to go over the points in Preach My Gospel about how to be a successful missionary, because we want to change the view of success here in Campo. Too, we want to focus on obedience, and what it is that is expected of us. I just want to show these hermanas that I love them, and that we are here to help them. I also want to work more with the zone leaders to ensure that we are doing our very best as leaders to help each missionary fulfill their purpose. There's a lot to do, but thank you for trusting in me. I won't let you down.
Too, I love the Book of Mormon reading challenge we have for the next three months. I especially love the question from last week about what it means when Nephi says, "Nevertheless, I went forth." To me, that means trusting in God. I've had a lot of experiences in trusting in God on my mission. When I broke my ankle, I prayed over and over to again understand why it happened, and I never really received an answer. And at the end of my month at home, I prayed to know if I needed to come back. After all, why would God have made it so that I had to go home if only to send me back? It didn't make sense. But I also felt very strongly that I needed to come back. I know that trusting in God even when we don't understand His plan is sometimes incredibly difficult, but that's what faith is. Knowing that even when we lack understanding or a knowledge of things to come, He will guide us and help us achieve that which is right.
I love being a missionary. It's hard and exhausting, but there is little more satisfying than knowing someone who decides to change their life for the better. I love that my mission has taught me to love people, no matter their difficulties or circumstances.
Thank you for your example and your counsel. Thank you for helping us be better, and for always guiding us.
Have a wonderful week,
Hermana Kennedy
I'm so grateful for my mission. It has taught me a bunch of things that I can see now (but maybe couldn't see earlier when I was frustrated with Heavenly Father). It has taught me that I can love other people, and that I can be loved. I've always thought of myself as someone who isn't super friendly or happy, but the mission has taught me how to be that way. It's taught me how to get along with people, how to get to know them, and how to connect to people on a personal level. Too, I'm really grateful for the lifelong friends that I've made here. I've had a lot of luck with companions, and I'm grateful that I'll get to see a lot of them after the mission. Too, it's solidified me knowing what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to help people. I now that being a Physician Assistant is a way that I can do that. I can help, but it's not so heavy as being a doctor, so I'll have time for my family too. My mission has also taught me to see the best in every situation and to not judge people. Everyone has a story (right, Mama?), and everyone has the capacity to change, but they all need someone to believe in them and show them that they care. Life here in Ecuador is super hard and different, but I've learned to laugh and smile in every situation, and that's something I don't think I would have been able to do if I had stayed home. And Spanish. So many things make sense now because they translate from Spanish.
That's a lot of reasons, but I love the mission. My mission has been hard in different ways than most people, but Heavenly Father has taught me a lot, and they are things that I think would have taken me years to learn on my own.
Okay, good spiritual stuff. But moving on :-)
It's awesome here. I love Otavalo. I love walking the streets and hearing Quichua again. I'm hoping to pick up on it, but so far, I only understand when there are Spanish words thrown in too. Some missionaries' favorite phrases in Quichua include "kushki" which means "money", but also "mishki, mishki" which means "delicious". People always laugh if after eating a meal, you say "mishki, mishki". I'm going to have to start caring my Quichua notebook around with me again to start noting new words and phrases that people are willing to teach us.
I've also eaten a lot of potatoes this week, and combined with the stress of being in a new sector and a new companion, I'm very worried about gaining weight. Pray for me that I won't be too stressed, and that I won't stress eat. I'd really like to keep losing weight so I come home being able to wear pants again.
Speaking of pants, I love pants. Aren't they great? I'm so happy each day to come home, take off my dress and put on pants and a superhero t-shirt. Only four more months until pants again.
Too, some members today lent us their WASHER! Oh my gosh, I actually got to wash my clothes today! It's basically a miracle! And they'll be dry by tomorrow morning, because the washer can wring out water better than any human hand can. Next week? Sheets and my towel!
Here we live on the fourth floor, so each day, after feeling tired and exhausted from walking all day (I have an average of 14,000 steps each day which equals over seven miles), we have to climb up four freaking flights of stairs. Goodness, I want to die. As if the elevation isn't high enough already!
Also, there's an hermana that always accompanies us to Jonathan and Christian's house, because she gave us the referral. She's a funny old lady named Maria, but the funniest thing is how darn short she is. Like, people in Quito are short, and then there are Otavalanians. She basically comes up to my waist line. On the first night with that family, she came in, and I was already sitting down, but as we were leaving, she stood up and turned to the Hermana Adriana to say goodbye, and I stood up. When she turned around, she exclaimed, "Oh carambas!" That's like "Oh my GOSH!", and then she just started laughing. Good times.
 |
| Here's a pic from a couple of weeks ago when one of my friends from Mitad del Mundo came to see me in Santa Anita. Her name is Rosa Jumbo, and as you can see (maybe...), she is VERY little! |
Final story for this email: Last night, we were finishing up our weekly planning, and we get a call from a member, asking if we can come and lock up the chapel since there's no one there who has a key who can do it. The chapel is a good 10-15-20 minute walk depending on if you're living in Otavalo or not, so we said sure. Anything to help the members! I grab the keys, but we leave our bags in the apartment, since we are coming back to finish weekly planning. We walk and walk, and once we are in the sight of the members, Hermana Carré looks at me curiously and asks, "Hermana, do you have the keys?"
"Yep, I have them."
"No, not the house keys. The chapel keys."
"What chapel keys?"
She realizes at that moment that the chapel keys (which I didn't know existed) are in her bag.
Which we left in our apartment...on the other side of our very long walk.
But at this point, the members see us and say, "You saved us!"
We are like, "Yeah...."
Anyway, they wait outside the gate, and I'm like, "Hermana, I need to use the restroom.. Tell them they can leave." So she does, and they leave. I use the bathroom, and then we make this whole show of pretending to lock up the chapel for any hooligans who might be keeping an eye. Leaving it entirely open, we RUN back to our apartment, Hermana Carré books it up the four flights of stairs, comes back down, and we head off again, praying that no one went into the chapel, because, of course, it was just robbed last week. Thankfully, since it was robbed, there isn't really anything for anyone to take, but still. We were rather stressed. Thankfully, no one went in, and I got in my step count for the day! We laughed for a long time about that.
Anyway, it was a good week. The members here are super friendly, the potatoes are still gargantuan and served whole, and the dogs don't bark as much as in Quito, so that's nice. It's nice to feel at home here.
I love you guys a lot. Keep being good and faithful and loving other people. I love you all and have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy ("the granddaughter of President Kennedy", as everyone tells me here :-))
 |
| Here's me with Hermana Knapp right before I got on the bus to Otavalo <3 |
 |
| A double rainbow this week. |
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Hermana Kennedy and I'm Going Home
Hiya family! Here's my letter to President Murphy:
Buenas tardes, President Murphy!
Well, I am incredibly excited to be back here in Otavalo! I always hoped I would come back to this beautiful place, and I am so excited to work here again. Thank you for the opportunity to be an hermana lider. I really hope that I can learn a lot from the hermanas here and help them as best I am able. I promise to do my best.
Thank you for the transfer with Sister Knapp. I love her, and she is going to be an amazing trainer. I just know that Santa Anita will continue to improve and see success for the time that she is there. She has such a loving heart and she believes in people. She will help the sector grow so much.
Santa Anita has three persons with a fecha bautismal. Hugo is set for the 21st of April. He actually had to go to Ambato for two weeks, and we were concerned that he wouldn't be able to make it to that date, but he worked it all out so that he can come back on the 14th, have his interview, go to church the next day for his third attendance, and be baptized. He decided that he wants Elder McClees to baptize him because he's the only one tall enough :-) And he has been reading and praying everyday.
Franklin is also set to be baptized on the 21st, but they will need to verify with him. His girlfriend from Guayaquil is a member, but we thought it was a little strange that she stayed with him whenever she came to visit.
And Natali Caceres is getting ready for the 12th of May. She will be able to come to church this week, and after being very direct and honest with her this week, she finally started really reading the Book of Mormon. She's great, and she will progress.
I'm really excited to be working with Hermana Carré. She was such a great hermana lider in Ofelia, and I am very excited to learn from her. Thank you again for all of the opportunities you have given me on my mission. Thank you for your hard work and for all that you and Hermana Murphy do.
Have a wonderful week!
Hermana Kennedy
Yep, I'm back in Otavalo! Like, in the city itself! It's the sector Otavalo/Latino, because we cover two wards. It still doesn't feel real. It feels like I just came today for a visit, and I'll be heading back to Quito later, but I won't be! I'm here to stay in this beautiful countryside, probably until the end of my mission. In fact, one of the wards we cover meets in the same chapel as my very first ward, so I'll get to see all of my converts and friends <3 I'm so grateful to be back here in the country, especially now that I'm armed with a heck ton of bug spray and Gold Bond!
It WAS super sad saying goodbye to Hermana Knapp. The transfer I had with her passed so quickly, and I just love her. I do feel some comfort knowing that I'll see her at BYU so we will get to spend way more time together.
I'm with Hermana Carré, one of my own hermana lideres from Mitad del Mundo. She's from Trujillo, Peru. She's the first Peruvian companion I've had which is crazy. And yes, I'm an hermana lider! That means I'll be visiting other hermanas here in Campo and do interviews with them and work with them, and I'm super excited! I can't wait to get to know them and learn to love them and learn FROM them! We have three companionships under our care, and I'm hoping that I can love all of them with all of my heart. The hermana lideres whom I've had in the past have made such a difference for me on my mission. Maybe I can be the same.
I will miss Santa Anita. Even though I only had a little time there, there were people I loved. I'll miss Rene most of all. He is such a wonderful person. Something funny about Rene is that he always loved buying us food. I think he was trying to make us fat! Anyways, my last lesson with him, he stopped us in the middle and said, "Hermanas, I'll be right back." We were like, "Hermano, where are you going?" "To buy you cake!" he said. And then he left. We sat there for a while until he came back a few minutes later with ice cream cones for all of us, including himself. We were like, "Hermano, what's this?" "It's ice cream because they were out of cake!" We laughed about that. We finished the lesson and ate our ice cream, and as we left the chapel, we passed the bakery where he went to try and buy cake. He passed the door then whirled around and walked in yelling, "Hermanas, there's cake!" Before we could stop him, he had bought us each a piece of cake. Isn't he so cute? I'm going to miss him.
Also, wasn't General Conference so awesome?! The solemn assembly at the beginning was amazing, seeing each group of members stand and sustain our new prophet. I love President Nelson, and all the new things happening in the church! One of the key messages I got from conference was to follow the Spirit. I love the quote, "Live a more guided life." We can just follow others or expect God to do it all, or we can take initiative and be leaders, especially in regards to the standards of the church. And the emphasis on ministering? It's more about meeting people and getting to know them and love them in a gospel-centered way! Also, the church is focusing on diversity. Did you notice all the speakers from outside of the US? So cool. You know, I think each General Conference is better than the last.
And one last funny story. Last night, I was packing, and I had put my viola and my first bag out next to the door, and we went to bed. However, we got a phone call from the phone outside the room, and we had the lights turned off, so Hermana Knapp ran out in the dark to answer it when she bumped into the extra fridge by the door and then tripped over my viola and plopped on the floor. I just heard this crash from the other room, and of course I had to find my glasses before I could go out and make sure she was okay! I finally got out and first thing she says is, "I ate it so HARD!"
Also, Happy Easter! I was thinking about Celebration of the Egg all weekend. The best we could do here was buy a slightly chocolate-filled rabbit made of bread and celebrate like that, but that's okay. There isn't much time to celebrate holidays on a mission, but we do the best we can.
I love you guys. Tell each other that you love each other. Be kind. Be courageous. Do what's right. Think a little more about each other. I think about you guys all the time, and thank you for your continual support of me on my mission! I love you all!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy
Buenas tardes, President Murphy!
Well, I am incredibly excited to be back here in Otavalo! I always hoped I would come back to this beautiful place, and I am so excited to work here again. Thank you for the opportunity to be an hermana lider. I really hope that I can learn a lot from the hermanas here and help them as best I am able. I promise to do my best.
Thank you for the transfer with Sister Knapp. I love her, and she is going to be an amazing trainer. I just know that Santa Anita will continue to improve and see success for the time that she is there. She has such a loving heart and she believes in people. She will help the sector grow so much.
Santa Anita has three persons with a fecha bautismal. Hugo is set for the 21st of April. He actually had to go to Ambato for two weeks, and we were concerned that he wouldn't be able to make it to that date, but he worked it all out so that he can come back on the 14th, have his interview, go to church the next day for his third attendance, and be baptized. He decided that he wants Elder McClees to baptize him because he's the only one tall enough :-) And he has been reading and praying everyday.
Franklin is also set to be baptized on the 21st, but they will need to verify with him. His girlfriend from Guayaquil is a member, but we thought it was a little strange that she stayed with him whenever she came to visit.
And Natali Caceres is getting ready for the 12th of May. She will be able to come to church this week, and after being very direct and honest with her this week, she finally started really reading the Book of Mormon. She's great, and she will progress.
I'm really excited to be working with Hermana Carré. She was such a great hermana lider in Ofelia, and I am very excited to learn from her. Thank you again for all of the opportunities you have given me on my mission. Thank you for your hard work and for all that you and Hermana Murphy do.
Have a wonderful week!
Hermana Kennedy
Yep, I'm back in Otavalo! Like, in the city itself! It's the sector Otavalo/Latino, because we cover two wards. It still doesn't feel real. It feels like I just came today for a visit, and I'll be heading back to Quito later, but I won't be! I'm here to stay in this beautiful countryside, probably until the end of my mission. In fact, one of the wards we cover meets in the same chapel as my very first ward, so I'll get to see all of my converts and friends <3 I'm so grateful to be back here in the country, especially now that I'm armed with a heck ton of bug spray and Gold Bond!
It WAS super sad saying goodbye to Hermana Knapp. The transfer I had with her passed so quickly, and I just love her. I do feel some comfort knowing that I'll see her at BYU so we will get to spend way more time together.
I'm with Hermana Carré, one of my own hermana lideres from Mitad del Mundo. She's from Trujillo, Peru. She's the first Peruvian companion I've had which is crazy. And yes, I'm an hermana lider! That means I'll be visiting other hermanas here in Campo and do interviews with them and work with them, and I'm super excited! I can't wait to get to know them and learn to love them and learn FROM them! We have three companionships under our care, and I'm hoping that I can love all of them with all of my heart. The hermana lideres whom I've had in the past have made such a difference for me on my mission. Maybe I can be the same.
I will miss Santa Anita. Even though I only had a little time there, there were people I loved. I'll miss Rene most of all. He is such a wonderful person. Something funny about Rene is that he always loved buying us food. I think he was trying to make us fat! Anyways, my last lesson with him, he stopped us in the middle and said, "Hermanas, I'll be right back." We were like, "Hermano, where are you going?" "To buy you cake!" he said. And then he left. We sat there for a while until he came back a few minutes later with ice cream cones for all of us, including himself. We were like, "Hermano, what's this?" "It's ice cream because they were out of cake!" We laughed about that. We finished the lesson and ate our ice cream, and as we left the chapel, we passed the bakery where he went to try and buy cake. He passed the door then whirled around and walked in yelling, "Hermanas, there's cake!" Before we could stop him, he had bought us each a piece of cake. Isn't he so cute? I'm going to miss him.
Also, wasn't General Conference so awesome?! The solemn assembly at the beginning was amazing, seeing each group of members stand and sustain our new prophet. I love President Nelson, and all the new things happening in the church! One of the key messages I got from conference was to follow the Spirit. I love the quote, "Live a more guided life." We can just follow others or expect God to do it all, or we can take initiative and be leaders, especially in regards to the standards of the church. And the emphasis on ministering? It's more about meeting people and getting to know them and love them in a gospel-centered way! Also, the church is focusing on diversity. Did you notice all the speakers from outside of the US? So cool. You know, I think each General Conference is better than the last.
And one last funny story. Last night, I was packing, and I had put my viola and my first bag out next to the door, and we went to bed. However, we got a phone call from the phone outside the room, and we had the lights turned off, so Hermana Knapp ran out in the dark to answer it when she bumped into the extra fridge by the door and then tripped over my viola and plopped on the floor. I just heard this crash from the other room, and of course I had to find my glasses before I could go out and make sure she was okay! I finally got out and first thing she says is, "I ate it so HARD!"
Also, Happy Easter! I was thinking about Celebration of the Egg all weekend. The best we could do here was buy a slightly chocolate-filled rabbit made of bread and celebrate like that, but that's okay. There isn't much time to celebrate holidays on a mission, but we do the best we can.
I love you guys. Tell each other that you love each other. Be kind. Be courageous. Do what's right. Think a little more about each other. I think about you guys all the time, and thank you for your continual support of me on my mission! I love you all!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy
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