Solid week.

November 18, 2013

This week has been great, can't complain.

Standing on the rooftop,
everybody scream your heart out.

On Saturday there was a big firework show put on by one of the primary schools for a fundraiser. It doesn't get dark here until after 9, which is our curfew. We had members who wanted us to climb the hills and watch the fireworks, but we were good little missionaries and went home on time. We started our planning as quick as possible because we could hear the big booms of fireworks outside. We have no windows facing the way of the fireworks so we couldn't see!! We came outside after changing and I was jumping up and down because it turns out I LOVE fireworks! We had a fence that leads up to our roof so we climbed up fast and just as we did, they stopped. We thought maybe it was a pause, but no. We had missed the entire show and saw the last 3 seconds of fireworks. Ha what a bummer! We stayed up on our roof for a while because what other time we will be on our roof?? We were singing some hymns and people laughed with us. At least there was a beautiful moon to see and a fun view of the city from our roof.

Our beautiful blooming cactus in our garden.

We had some fun lessons on Sunday. We went to Karen and Liva's and watched the Restoration DVD. Have you watched it lately?? It's so powerful. I love Joseph Smith and his sincere desire to follow Jesus Christ. Anyway, we started to talk about faith and how it's like a seed that needs to be planted that can one day grown into a large tree. Liva told us he had just been telling Karen about faith like a seed. He said he'd just finished when we knocked and that we said it the way he had tried to express it but couldn't. Little miracle that we were able to come and confirm his faith and help it grow. We then went and saw Chloe and felt like we should also talk about faith. She said it was just the message that she needed to hear for the week and she was so grateful we came because we usually come on Saturday. It's the little things that help us see Heavenly Father is mindful of all of His children and we need to be the answers for other people.

We are teaching an 18 year old girl named Angel. She keeps telling us she’s been to an LDS church in Gisbane and Auckland but everything she talks about tells us it wasn’t our church. At first she told us she’d been baptized when she had been blessed on the head and fell over. We’ve struggled to find ways to tell her that she hasn’t been baptized and that it isn’t our church. As we’ve taught the first lesson and the gospel of Christ she’s been able to make real progress. She told us that she now understands she wasn’t baptized but that it was just a blessing of sort. She has committed to being baptized when she knows it is true but hasn’t committed to a date. It’s really interesting teaching her because she does know things about our church like the Book of Mormon and Joseph, but she has skewed knowledge. It’s fun to teach her and show her, or help her remember the truth.

Blenheim artwork at its finest.

We had a super "cultured" P-day yesterday! We went to a free museum in town filled with very artsy art work. This man had painted paper bags and was selling them for $1500. Crazy! We went to the local pet shop and looked at adorable puppies, fish, birds, and lizards. We found a great sushi shop and shopped our way home. It was pouring rain so I only shopped where it was covered with an awning ha. We had to rush home on our bikes because our landlord needed to get inside. The EQC- Earthquake Commission are the people who go around after an earthquake and inspect for damage and such and they came to our house yesterday. Not that we had any problems, but our landlord is very on top of things and wants it all to be good. We were soo grateful we had cleaned our flat very well. One man told us he had a Mormon friend and that he respected our work. Always nice when people think we're doing good things and they told us we were very tidy girls. Ha so grateful for the command to "be clean".

Pet shop.

This week I've been reading in Alma where Alma sits down his sons and gives them counsel and a bit of an interview. I was thinking about all the times I met with my Bishop in my youth and how I also got a big of a Fathers Interview. Ha I thought it was hard having a dad for a Bishop but now I realize what a blessing it was to get spiritual and father counsel all in one. Just think about how Heavenly Father wants us to gain his counsel and how He's given loving parents to help give that counsel. So grateful for my parents and family! LOVE YOU ALL!

I wish you a happy happy turkey Thanksgiving! Being grateful makes me a much happier person so I hope you can all find things to be grateful for.

Much love from the Kiwi,
Sister Kennedy