Hi President Murphy,
Melany Saransig passed her baptismal interview! She will be baptized this Saturday at 7 p.m. We are so happy for her. It was so sweet this week, because we were teaching about temples, and she says, "I remember the temple." She told us all that she remembers about her family's sealing, and it was so sweet. She remembers her parents dressed all in white, and how they went into the sealing room together. I love that she will be able to share that with people for the rest of her life, and hopefully her baptism will mean as much too. That family is so wonderful, and we have loved seeing the change in them from when we first met them until now. They're full of light and happiness, and we just love them.
We were also able to set a baptismal date for June 2nd with Alejandro Arias. His mom is the Primary President in Latino, and he too has changed a lot from when we first showed up. He told us that he wasn't sure he really believed in God and that he only went to church because his mom made him go, but we had an interesting experience yesterday. We went to Otavalo yesterday, so we verified in a lesson with him if he went to church, and he told us "no". We asked why, and very guiltily, he told us that he went fishing with his dad. When we asked him how he felt, he said he felt really bad about it, because he knows that he should have gone to church, but that his dad had never taken him fishing before. But we asked what he would do next time, and he said that he would got to church, because he didn't want to feel badly again. He's a little nervous to talk to his dad about his baptismal date, because his dad is a little hard. We taught the Plan of Salvation yesterday, and when we reached the celestial kingdom, without any prompting, he said that he wanted his dad to be there with him, his mom, and his little brother. Even though he's only nine, he recognizes the importance of eternal families, so we said that he could tell his dad that when he talks to him about his date. He's such a good, obedient kid, and we know that everything will happen in God's time, but in the meantime, we are praying a lot that his dad's heart will be softened toward his son.
This week, we have plans to set a marriage goal with José and Diana. Diana is a member, and she's reactivating herself, and she brings José to church with her. She wants to get married, because she knows about the law of chastity, and he wants to get married because he loves her, so this week we are going to set a baptismal date for the end of June, or the beginning of July. José's main concern is the money, but we are going to talk to them about it and figure out something. They are such good parents for their daughter, and they share the responsibility, and we know that marriage will help them so much.
I love Otavalo. I love being back here. We do worry a little about the hermanas in Campo, because we just aren't super unified, but we have some plans for this week, and I have plans for how we can have better unity in the coming transfer.
Thank you for all of your hard work, and thank you for allowing me to come back to Otavalo. I'll see you this Wednesday!
Have a wonderful week,
Hermana Kennedy
Okay, so you know what, having a keyboard that actually works makes such a huge difference in writing emails. Seriously, I wrote all of that in like seven minutes! I'm sure if I typed like a normal person, it would be even faster, but I'm afraid that like my father of old, I'm a keyboard pecker. What can I say? I am my father's daughter :-)
It was week five this week. I always get sad in week five, just because it always seems so long, but I'm good now. I'm happy, healthy (getting over a cold) and getting FAT because we only got to run once this whole week. I feel so gross. Seriously, we had so many meetings and interviews and everything, so our mornings were filled. I'm praying so hard that I get a new companion who will also go out running with me. And someone who works hard. And someone happy. Could you pray for me too? Because they'll probably be my last companion, so I really want a good one. And so begins the end.
I said goodbye to Hermana Giles for the last time this past Tuesday. Next time I see her, I'll be me, and she will be her, and we won't be hermanas anymore. We had consejo de liderazgo together, and I was fine. I was like, Okay, it's okay. You'll be fine. And then she got up to give her final testimony, and it was all I could do to not cry. And then after the meeting finished, I went up and hugged her, and just cried. I didn't feel any shame even though all these people were there. I just cried because I love her so much. How lucky am I?
She and Hermana Carré go home in eight days, and then I enter my last twelve weeks. That's a big step, and it's crazy to think back to when I first met Hermana Giles. I had a month and half as a missionary (and only in the CCM), and she had just hit four months, and now look where we are.
I love this country. I love the people and the culture and the food and everything. It's a good place, and I feel like my mission has just been so interesting, and to think that I have three more months to make the very most of it!
We had a cute experience this last week with an investigator. Her name is Rita, and we visit her and her partner, Alex. They aren't married. Rita is such a sweet person. She has had a horribly difficult life, but within her, there is this great desire to show people love and there isn't a selfish bone in her body. She actually spent part of her childhood in a convent. Anyway, last week she told us that she wanted to make us breakfast. It's not often that we get offers like that so we said okay. We showed up bright and early at 8 a.m. at her house, and she gives us this beautiful breakfast--bread with cheese and a hard boiled egg, herbal tea, homemade juice, and my favorite, a fruit salad. It seems so insignificant, but as missionaries we aren't often showed random kindness like that, and it just meant so much to me. People here have so little to give, and yet they give everything. They're so selfless here. Kids are taught to share and to take care of each other, and people give so willingly of what little they do have. It just touches my heart, ya know? I wish I could be more like them.
I love you guys. Pray for me. I really want to finish my mission in a good way, working hard until the last minute.
I love you all soooooo much, and I"ll see you THIS SUNDAY!!!!!
Love,
Hermana Kennedy
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