I only ate 5 Christmas meals...

December 28, 2014

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, because we sure did here in Levin! Christmas morning was actually a lot of fun because we had heaps of presents to open. The members here were so good to drop off boxes of food, gifts, lollies, and mum's package had the best gifts!

Christmas morning!! 

I forgot to mention it, but I actually finished Jesus the Christ last week. It was AMAZING! I had to work hard to read it, but the more I read it the more I came to love and understand my Saviour. Mum told me it would make the most sense on my mission, and she's right. It was a great experience that pretty much took the whole year to find time to read it.

Pday at the adventure park wearing the shirts
Shaqaila gave us for Christmas.

I had a great week. Monday night we had a big family home evening at a park next to the lake and I played cricket for the first time. On Tuesday we doorknocked and found a great Samoan family we'll be teaching this week. On Wednesday we had District Meeting in Palmerston North and we had a Secret Santa exchange which was fun. As a District we then went Christmas Caroling at 3 rest homes and it was so much fun! Sister Anderson, from Tremonton, and myself sang a duet on Silent Night. That was fun :) We were sitting in our car when Karen and Sister Waterson scared us to death and surprised us with a Christmas box for each of us! Then Christmas morning we had so much to be thankful for. My companion bought me Maori poi which I am super excited about. Her parents always fill a pillow case and put it at the end of her bed at night, so I woke up and did that for her Christmas eve. On Christmas day we had about 5 feeds, we received a lot of chocolate, and got to spend time with a lot of member families. It was the best!

One of our many family visits and meals on Christmas.

I loved Skyping home on Monday, but I was just so grateful to be in New Zealand for a second Christmas. Ha it's still weird to be hot and having outdoor barbecues celebrating Christmas. But I love it!

Reading my scriptures with a cracker crown
and sparkling juice.

Oddly enough, yesterday I gave my farewell talk in the Levin Ward. I got a call from our Bishop that morning and he asked me to speak. I will be in the Foxton Branch this Sunday, and then on the 11th we actually have Ward Conference so I won't be able to speak then. I was so grateful the Bishop asked me to do it, it was just so strange to do it early! I was pretty emotional and started my talk by quoting D&C 4 and it was hard to even get through that. Being a missionary just means so much to me.

Mum and Dad, Happy Anniversary!!! So grateful you got married and decided to keep having kids until #5 ha. You're both my heroes!!

I hope you all have a Happy New Year this week. Set some new goals and resolutions. Last week will be my last email, pretty weird! Be good. God loves you. Read your scriptures!!

Love, Sister Kennedy

P.S. sorry these are so random. And yes, we do much more missionary work than these emails makes it seem ha. I just figure I'll tell everyone about them in person one day and they'll make much more sense.

Merry Christmas from New Zealand!

Merry Christmas!! 

Love, Sister Kennedy and Sister Turvey

I won't be home for Christmas.. but I'm happy!

December 21, 2014

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 2 Nephi 10:6

The family Christmas surprise.

This week put me in the true Christmas mood! On Tuesday night a family had told us that they didn't think they'd have any Christmas for their 3 children because money was so tight. With an 8 year old, an 11 year old, and 14 year old we couldn't let this happen! We asked some of our ward members and they were amazing to put together some gifts and tree with decorations. We had an investigator donate some gifts and an Elder even put a lot towards it. We wrapped everything up and delivered it to them on Saturday. We brought in the tree and decorations which made them really happy and excited, but then we told them we'd forgotten something in the car. We came in with a big bag of presents and the 8 year old boy just started going nuts! Ha it was so awesome. We could really feel the Spirit of Christ and we knew how grateful they were. Isn't it awesome how many people came together so quickly to help this family? It was so touching!

Saturday morning Shaqaila came through Levin so we made the Elders meet us at the library so we could sing Christmas carols (Yes it's a library, but this one isn't quiet ha. We just sang around the piano in the main foyer). Quite a few people came though taking photos, or sitting and listening to us. It was really fun:) For the first time. I actually played a song and Shaqaila sang. Ha it was fun to switch roles.

This Sunday we attended the Foxton Branch and it was their primary program. I played the piano and there was a whopping 5 children who participated. My companion and some other family members joined the kids when they sang. It was really cute because the congregation would join in usually to help them. After church we had a lunch, so good!, and then we all went to 2 rest homes to sing Christmas carols. I played the piano, and at the last home there was this lady named Elsa, who came out with her violin. She used to play with the national orchestra and so she'd just start playing along with us impromptu and it was so good!

Caroling with the Foxton Branch and Else, a resident, came out and played her violin. I'm on the piano ha.

Friday night, the Samoans in our ward put on a ward dance. It was so fun. Everyone was dancing, and we were sitting trying not to dance haha, since it's a rule. They played musical chairs and I volunteered since it wasn't dancing. I was in the final with this kid named To'o and the music stopped and I was totally gonna get the chair, and then he grabbed it and pulled it from underneath me. ha Sister Kennedy was then sitting on the ground laughing. I did win, but it was pretty funny. They had heaps of the best Samoan food so that was nice.

Well whanau and friends, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!! Each day I'm just so grateful I am still a full time missionary this Christmas. There's so much I would have missed out on if I'd already gone home. This truly is a magical season because the people in New Zealand are more focused on Christ than at any other time! He is the Gift and the reason for the season.

Love, Sister Kennedy

Hey, I can't wait to Skype you in like 20 minutes!!!!

P.S. There's a new Sister in our mission, Sister Anderson, and she's from Bear River. She's actually serving in Palmerston North with Sister Gilmour so that will be fun to officially meet her! We served on the seminary council together in 2011 but at different high schools so we've met once before.

#Sharethegift with Carols

December 14, 2014

Hey family and loved one! Jokes about the trio.. haha we just got our transfer list and we're actually not going to be in a trio. It will just be Sister Turvey and I in Levin, so we'll see what ends up happening when I head out!

Our Samoan choir singing Christmas Carols :)

This week has been great. On Saturday we had 2 Christmas parties! First was the Foxton Branch Christmas party and it was a barbecue at the swimming pool. It's still so funny to be celebrating Christmas with swimming and outdoor barbecues. As I was eating outside I got a surprise bomb on my leg from a bird up above. Ha, luckily it was just on my leg. Then that night we had the Christmas celebration with the Levin Ward. Our Bishop had set up risers and brought the piano outside, so after our potluck dinner, the Samoan choir sang heaps of Christmas hymns and carols. I was playing the piano and it was so fun to see people driving by slowly with their windows down, we had residents from the next door rest home who came to watch, and many friends and neighbors of members came to enjoy the night. As missionaries we'd set up a special table for He Is the Gift, and after our singing we watched a Tabernacle Choir concert on a projector. It was so much fun! The whole day filled us with Christmas cheer and it was great to see many less actives come out. Activity really is the genius of the church.

#SharetheGift

Our cute recent convert, Kirstin, has just moved into her own little flat so we helped her with that. We cleaned walls and carpets, planted a little flower garden in front, and helped her put up her picture of the Hamilton Temple front and center in her living room. She's doing great!

On Wednesday we had a baptism in Levin!! Technically she's a convert.. but really they'd just lost her records in Samoa. It was beautiful, simple, and reminded me how necessary baptism is. Even though she'd been baptised before, the Lord needs us to take good record on earth so we can ensure all members are taken care of and make it to the temple. God is so merciful!

I have to give a shout out to Suzanna Muir who's been baptised for 6 months now!! Woohoo. She just went to the temple and did baptisms:) I'm so proud of her!!!

Plus, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!! I hope you have the best day on the 16th. You're the greatest mum I could ever ask for!

I love you all. Christmas is in the hot and rainy air here in Levin!! Be good.


Alofa atu, Sister Kennedy

He is the Gift.

December 8, 2014

Must be Zone Conference with all the cars!

So I realize that this is a day late.. but yesterday we had ZONE CONFERENCE! It was just the best. We got to combine with the Hawke's Bay Zone and met in Palmerston North. Elder and Sister Pearson, a member of the 70 and our Area President, came to speak to us. We were nervous mainly because he's a General Authority, but he was inspirational, serious, and funny all in one! He spoke to us about how we can change the vision we have for our missions and change ourselves by truly coming to learn of our divine identity. Everything about us can change when we come to truly know our relationship with Heavenly Father. Powerful! He was speaking a lot about what to do post mission to stay on the path, and that was timely information. He told us it is a myth that spirituality decreases after the mission. He said we can maintain the same level of spirituality if we decide to make it that way. So yes, I've already decided to keep it ha.

WOWington, a change from Wellington.

We had a really busy week, which was great! On Friday we got to go to Wellington so my companion could see a doctor. I just LOVE being in Wellington! It makes me so so happy. The Doctor, who's a reumotologist, was awesome. He spent over an hour with her and we had Sister McGregor, who works in the office come with us and she took heaps of notes. So that was a success. Then after the appointment we had lunch in the mission office and I was lucky enough to be able to go visit a family I worked with.

The Ikitogia Family, love them!

I had told the Sister in Wellington to let Leighya Ikitogia know that I was going to be coming through. So Leighya had all the kids at home and didn't tell them, so when I knocked on the door and walked in, all 3 kids were so surprised! It was so sweet. I just started to cry when they all yelled "Sister Kennedy!!" It was so sweet. Leighya was adorable. She hugged me and said she didn't want to let go. The cuties had made my Christmas cards, hard a box of chocolates, and even gave me a ponamu. AHH!!! They are honestly the best. It just filled me up to see them. They are going to church every week and I can really feel the Spirit in their home. I'm a part of their family:)

The view from the drive from Wellington.

On Saturday we got to join Sister Gilmour and Breshears to attend a stake prospective missionary camp. It was neat because they held it on a marae and it was really inspirational. After that we got to be with the Feidling Sisters to see their baptism. It was a 10 year old girl and she was just so bubbly about her baptism. After traveling all Friday and Saturday I was pooped! Ha I enjoy driving but so much of it tires me out. After Zone Conference yesterday we got a new car:) Ha it was brought up from the South Island for us and it's a new Toyota Corolla. We are pretty lucky sisters.

We are so pumped about the church's Christmas Initiative: He is the Gift. It's amazing!!! We've been sharing our pass along cards and showing everyone we can the video on christmas.mormon.org. Has everyone seen this??! If not, that is your homework for the week.

District Pday of bowling and pizza in the park.

Random bits: Last pday we got to go to Palmerston and go bowling with our District, then eat pizza in the park. It was a skate park and these kids were doing backflips and frontflips on scooters. It was so cool!! Being released as STL has been a change, but it made Zone Conference more fun because I wasn't really worried about anything ha. Shaqaila was so sweet and came to our Zone Conference so she could play "Angels We Have Heard on High" with us for a musical number. We have our ward Christmas celebrating this Saturday and the Samoan choir will be singing. Fun! If the weather is nice we'll do an outdoor concert and hopefully people from the street will come join us.

I love you all heaps and heaps!! Start feeling the real Christmas Spirit- the Spirit of Christ.

Love, Sister Kennedy

All good things come to an end.

November 30, 2014

This week was really great and looking back, I'm so glad! Last night I got a call from my mission president and he told me that he's grateful for all my service as a Sister Training Leader, but it comes to an end on Wednesday. We had a mini transfer for the Sisters and so I am staying in Levin, but my baby girl Sister Gilmour will be coming to the Zone to be Sister Training Leader. Ha I guess if I can't be STL anymore, I will definitely let the Sister I trained to be! Plus, Sister Leausa was just made STL in Christchurch, so I'm feeling like a proud mama (trainer) today.

Thanksgiving 2014 at Carl's Jr.

On Thursday, we had to celebrate Thanksgiving because it was Sister Turvey's first time to celebrate. We ate dinner at Carl's Jr. because it;s an American restaurant. I got the western burger which was nice ha. We sat there and told each other what we're grateful for. I said that I'm so grateful for my Mission President and his wife!

Tuesday we were able to have the first Palmerston North Zone Forum where all the missionaries met together and the Zone Leaders and myself and my companion presented the training we received from our Mission Leader Council. It was really neat and made me feel all adult like running a meeting and presenting all the information. It went really well and helped all the missionaries to feel like they were really valued to council together instead of just getting watered-down information at District Meeting. Hopefully we'll get to continue these kind of zone meetings!

This Sunday was our Primary Program which is of course, the best Sunday of the year:) A couple kids were missing so we got to set on the stand, sing with the kids, and read their parts. There's not a pianist in Primary so they just sang everything acapella. So cute!! We had a lot of less active members who came this week so that is always great!

Our convert, Ruta coming out with us! We had to stop at the Lake for a photo :)

Random thoughts. Last P day we went bowling, had fish and chips in a park and looked at an aviary with some members. Fun! I went on exchanges with Sister Vautier which was fun because we served together in Wellington and then she just served in Blenheim so we talked heaps about that. We got to attend a Stake training meeting for Ward Mission Leaders on Thursday which was really fun and I got to help present. We went mufty finding (doorknocking in service clothes) and it was so fun! We got to clean heaps of windows, hang some washing, vacuum, and help some members as well.

Learning to make Samoan biscuits. 

The weeks keep going by faster and faster, it's unreal. President told me I'll be staying in Levin until the end so that means I can buckle down, work hard, and change the world!! But that means, you can keep sending mail to 5 Churchill St, Levin 5510 NZ. ;) wink wink.. Christmas is coming so send me all your love!

Love, Sister Rachel Kennedy

Photos

LOOK HOW CUTE THESE ARE!! Shaqaila made them for me. I couldn't ask for a better friend in New Zealand!!

Applause in Church.

November 23, 2014

I was just driving down the road, and it hit me how much I miss my family! I don't often let myself think about my family because I want to stay focused, but this day I thought about how much my family has done for me. I've been spoiled as the youngest to have 4 older siblings who have led such great lives, and parents who have supported me in all my endeavours. Ha it was the first time I actually thought "I bet my family really misses me." That could be an inaccurate statement, but I really do know how much they love and support me.

We had a full on week! On Tuesday I traveled to Wellington for our Mission Leader Council and I got to lead a presentation from all the STL's that went very well. We've all become quite comfortable to counsel together and present to each other.

Our backyard is basically a bush. It hasn't been taken care of in probably over a year and our landlord basically said it's not acceptable. So what do 2 Sister Missionaries do? Call in the Elders. We had the Zone Leaders and DL come and for 3 hours they just went to town on our bush and we loaded up a big trailer of green waste to dump. We were so grateful!!

Our stall at the Marton Market on Saturday

Saturday we got to join Sister Shaw and Vautier to help them put on a stall at the "Marton Market". They had heaps of vendors in a park and we had our spot. The Sisters thought they provided a table and that is was inside, so we were surprised when it was outside, we had no table, and it was really windy! Ha we scrambled together a little table and some chairs and then just had to hold onto everything so it didn't fly away. Our stall was right next to all of the good smelling food vans (so tempting) and the stage so we had lots of people come by. We had a whiteboard with "what makes your family happy?" written on it and then had people come through and write answers. We focused on that and family history which was really cool. We bailed a little early when it started to really rain ha.

The cute Foxton Branch youth!

This Sunday was maybe the most spiritual Sacrament meeting on my mission. Sister Turvey and I spoke, and she spoke all about the sacrament and I spoke about prophets. Shaqaila Uelese drove down 3 hours from Flaxmere so that she could be there. We put together a musical number with a few minutes before church (because I can't give up a chance to sing with her playing the piano!) We performed the "Spirit of God" and I kid you not, at the end the whole congregation (all 20 of them) gave applause. Of course they all knew they shouldn't but they did anyway because it was so amazing! She just went to town on the piano. As I was up there I could see members almost standing up to see her fingers flying. Ha she is just the coolest!!! Foxton Branch doesn't have anyone who plays the piano (except me when we're there every other Sunday) so they all told her she is most welcome to stay and live there ha. I haven't really sung any solos on my mission so it felt so so good to be able to sing alongside Shaq yesterday. She really is the boss :) Ha I gave my talk right after singing and I was just so tearful. I couldn't get over how much Shaq had done and how far she'd driven just for that. She's my best friend. Mum you'd be proud of how much I've grown in my ability to speak in church. It was just an amazing spirit at church!

I hope you Americans have a very special Thanksgiving this week! We are grateful for Dr.s at the moment. After church a nurse in the branch was really concerned for Sister Turvey because she's been having consistent migraines and other symptoms so we hurried and drove back to Levin (20 minutes) to find out that the clinic couldn't see her for 4 hours, so then we drove to Palmerston North (40 minutes) and she did get to see a doctor after waiting for a while, then drove back home (40 minutes). Ha it was a bit crazy, but we got the help she needed. I am so grateful for YOU! Thanks for caring enough about me to read this really long email. I know it's especially long this week. I love you, be safe, have a great week full of thanksgiving!

Love, Sister Kennedy

P.S. Happy Wedding Camille! I got your invitation and think it is so so cute:)

UTES

How does a missionary in New Zealand cheer on her Utes?? 

By studying and praying in her MUSS shirt!! 

Love, Sister Kennedy

Hey, I'm doing good.

November 16, 2014

Kia Ora to my beautiful family! This week has been great!

The giant carrot on our road trip to Waiouru.

This Wednesday we got to travel to Waiouru for District Meeting. The Zone Leaders and us attended so we could give some training from the Zone, which was great. It was about a 3 hour road trip and we got to pick up Sister Shaw and Vautier to save K's. It was so great! The weather was awful and the roads were sure windy, but we had some incredible views. After our District Meeting (which was in this adorable little white chapel that has a branch) we got to drive to a Lodge and give them service. We changed out carpets, cleaned windows, and got to chat to the lady about the Book of Mormon. It was fun! On the way back we got to stop at the giant carrot and gum boot (all across NZ towns have large sculptures of different things which is so cute!).

The beautiful Mataki family who was baptised yesterday!!

Sunday we got to be the Zone Reps and attend a family baptism in Feilding. It was for the beautiful Mataki family and 6 got baptised! The Dad is a member and this past year he's been returning to activity. In our Stake Conference he received the Melchizidek Priesthood so he was able to baptise his 5 oldest children (1 is under 8) and his beautiful wife! It was so sweet. They were all baptised and then all confirmed. I got to play the piano for the baptism and was so happy we got to be there:) My past companion, Sister Leausa, worked with the family so she'll be so happy!

I keep having dreams that I'm on the airplane home and it's freaking me out ha. I'm pretty sure Heavenly Father is trying to make sure I realise how short my time is so I can work harder! The weather is getting warmer and it's staying light outside until almost 8:30pm which is so awesome! 

My week was a lot busier than this email sounds... We set a baptismal date with Bobilee so she can be baptised on 12/13/14, neat aye! She's doing so well. We helped her and her adopted family move which was fun.

I love you all, I know the Gospel is true and the God lives and loves us!! I've been such a recipient of His blessings, love, and guiding hand. Being a missionary is the best thing! After Sister Mataki was baptised she just said, "I want everyone in the world to be baptised!" Ha wanted to just start doorknocking. I hope we can all feel that way and desire to share the beautiful good news of the gospel with those around us!!

All my love, Sister Rachel Kennedy

Happy Missionary Work!

November 9, 2014

I serve in Paradise!!

This week was great (but every week is great being a full time missionary!) The highlight was our weekend of missionary activities.

Our Family History presentation on the chapel tour.

Saturday we put on a Levin Chapel Open Home fit with a free car wash, sausage sizzle, bouncy castle, volleyball and chapel tours. We had so many people come! The ward was really supportive, a nonmember Dad did the sausage cooking, and heaps of people came through the chapel for a tour. The youth and dad's were outside with the yellow Helping Hand's bibs washing cars and holing cardboard signs on the road, and the missionaries were inside giving tours. We set up all sorts of presentations on things like primary, youth, Priesthood, the missionary lessons, and family history. (We had an Open Home in Blenheim over a year ago, and this one was so much more successful!) The day was beautiful and sunny and everyone had a good time.

Then Sunday night we had a member MTC night. We had 3 stations set up that they rotated through. They learned how to share the gospel through the media, Book of Mormon and personal contact. My companion and I did the presentation on Media which was really cool, ha slash sad because we can't use the ideas we gave. We hope it gives them a boost to share with their friends! We then had members of the ward who had served missions share a bit about it. We had a slideshow filled with their pictures and ours which was cute.

LEVIN!

We were speaking to the Bishop after and he pointed out that for both events the main members who had come were a part of the Samoan Choir. I've played the piano and Sister Turvey has sung with the choir and at first we thought we might be spending too much time with them practicing instead of teaching, but this weekend taught me it was all worth it. Bishop told us members of the choir have come to him wanting to prepare to go back to the temple, and they were at our activities to support us since we've supported them. Yay!! We hope this has built the trust they need to get more involved in missionary work. Ha the broke bus was actually a good thing.. the Samoan choir is the best!!

Our new car getting washed at our Chapel Open Home.

My companion has a condition that basically puts her body in pain all the time and biking was just so painful and so this week we had decided we really needed to get our own car to help her. It turned into a really frustrating issue because we had to just work with the cars we had in our zone and of course, no one wanted to give theirs up. We had tried and it didn't work, so we kind of just resolved that the Lord was going to need us to bike. The next morning we got a call from the Zone Leaders telling us they had found us a car. Ha I just started crying. I was so so grateful but then felt unworthy and so it was this whole combination on feelings. My companion had just told Heavenly Father that whatever happened she would trust His will and then the Elders called with the car. Ahh!! honestly. Our car is beautiful ha. It's a bluish Holden and it is going to help us so much.

We have this amazing new investigator named Bobilee! She's a friend of a recent convert (Bethany, who Sister Taleni, my mama, taught) and actually moved in with her. We walked with her to church, the fireside, and committed her to a baptismal date at the end of the month!! Yay. Pray for her, she's awesome.

This is cute Bobilee and Bethany. Sister Taleni was here for Bethany's baptism,
and Bobilee just committed to a baptismal date!

Our recent convert Kirstin is doing so well! We started with her on Family History at the library and it's so exciting because she has this wide open family waiting for the blessings of the temple. Oh!! Our convert Ruta is having a baby girl:):) So that is exciting news.

I love you all heaps! I wish Aunty Lisa and Curtis a happy sealing this weekend:) Be good! God loves you. The Gospel is true!!

Love, Sister Kennedy

Halloween and Sleepovers.

November 2, 2014

This is what you call a successful STL training night.

Kia Ora to my beautiful family!! This week has been so spiritually uplifting, it's been fantastic! On Tuesday I traveled down to Wellington for our Mission Leadership Council. We discussed many things and we actually impressed our Mission President. One of the Sisters stood up to present a topic of discussion, the Hudson's moved to the side of the room, and then the 23 missionaries just counseled together and we all came up with a solution. The Hudson's thought we were so impressive to be able to just take lead and find solutions. Yay for the future of the church! Ha. But the best part of the Leadership Council was when all the Zone Leaders went back home and all the Sisters (7 of us) got to stay at the Mission Home for another day. We had from 2 on Tuesday until 2 on Wednesday to continue to learn and council together.

Can I even have a better sleepover on my mission than with 7 of the best sisters?? They're all my favourites!! We practiced our cooking skills and make soups and stir fry, we had the Zone Leaders from Wellington come and train us on how they have successful exchanges, and we did some fun brainstorming and created the outline for our role as Sister Training Leaders (because every mission does it a bit differently). President Hudson's Mission President was Elder Ballard so they took our picture and promised they'd send it to him. Whee! Ha that was fun. I came out of it feeling totally uplifted and realizing just how great it is to be a Sister Missionary. You think I should have figured this stuff out earlier! Ha 4 of us are leaving in the next 2-3 months and we're like "what have we been doing this whole time??" It's all part of the good, better, and becoming Great in Christ!

On Thursday President and Sister Hudson came to our District Meeting (3 days in a row of the greatest couple!!) and they taught me so much about the Holy Ghost. I always have known that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me, but on Thursday I finally clicked that the Holy Ghost loves me just as much!! I've worked really hard to be able to listen to the promptings and follow what's given me from the Holy Ghost.

On Saturday we had a baptism for this little Samoan boy named Talosaga. So cute! His mum actually made my blue puletaci :)

Talosaga's baptism!

Halloween was not very exciting. People celebrate it.. but not really. A lot of people think you're evil if you celebrate it and they totally thought I was crazy when I told them what we do in America. We did do a bit of doorknocking and got some candy, so yay!! We also met this guy who kept us on his porch for almost an hour. He believes God is a woman, interesting, but because of that he thinks women are way awesome. He told us he could see our angel wings, ha so I told him it was our costume. But it was actually really cute of him.

My Halloween cake for District Meeting, courtesy of Mum's package:)

Overall, this has been a fantastic week. We had our Stake Correlation Meeting yesterday and it was great. I really love being apart of leadership meetings and hearing how we can be better. That's all Heavenly Father needs, for us to be willing to change and be better! I love you all!! Have a beautiful week :)

HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY GRANDMA STRATFORD!!!

Love, Sister Rachel Kennedy

P.S. Check out the blog with our pictures from the last couple weeks!

A baptising week :)

October 26, 2014

Well to start off, I am just so lucky to have had such a great 22nd Birthday!! I got to play volleyball with our District, we had FHE with the Samoan families and they all sang me Happy Birthday, that night we had members show up at our door with a cake and 22 candles for me to blow out, at District Meeting the Elders walked in with a cake and they all sang for me, then Tuesday night Shaqaila and her friend showed up with another cake and 22 candles, then Wednesday I got 2 packages on the doorstep from Mum and Bryce. WOW!! It was so great:) I am one spoiled girl.

3 cakes on my Birthday. I am one lucky Sister!

On Wednesday we had transfers and Dad will be so proud because I was in charge of driving the trailer for all the Sister's luggage. Sister Breshears came to our Zone and she's from Morgan so now we have a Sister from Ogden, Morgan,, and Brigham (yay for Northern Utah!). We also get Sister Vautier in our Zone who's from Tahiti and we were in the same intake, so I'm excited to serve with all of them.

Kirstin's baptism!

Kirstin got baptised on Saturday!! We had an amazing turn out with a pretty full chapel of members and 11 non members. The first speaker got stuck at work so I gave a talk on Faith and Repentance spur of the moment. I love being a mission because it gives me the confidence to just stand up and rely on my scripture study to give a talk. Kirstin is pretty fearful of water but she said as she was baptised she just felt so calm knowing it was right. While she was changing she said she heard a voice say "the Gospel is true" and then this warm feeling went from the top of her head to her toes. Ahh!! We gave her a big picture of the Hamilton temple and she's all excited to put it up.

We have this awesome new investigator named George. He's this older guy and a friend of his introduced him to the church. He wears this purple sunglasses that are just little and round and make him look like a rockstar ha. He came to the baptism and also church and wanted to take a picture with us to prove he had come. Ha he's hilarious.

On Sunday we finally got to perform all of the numbers we'd prepared in the Samoan choir. The piano went really well and besides the mistakes here and there, it sounded really great! They are such great people, so I'm grateful we had all that time to meet them better through the rehearsals.

I love being a baptising missionary, and looking back, I've actually been blessed with heaps of people to baptise! I love my mission. I love the people here. I find so much joy and satisfaction in my work and hope you all know how much I love you at home! Be good.


ove. Sister Kennedy

I'm Feeling 22.

October 20, 2014

This is Kirstin!! We got to see a bit of rugby with her on Saturday:)

So.. it's my 22nd Birthday. Neat! I'm sure it will turn out to be the best 22nd Birthday I've ever had:) 

I'm so grateful for all of your prayers in my behalf this week in preparation for Stake Conference! I could definitely feel your prayers and mine being answered as each practice got better and better. It really was a miracle! On Sunday morning we all met at the chapel and loaded onto a chartered bus to go to Stake Conference. One of our members drives for the company so he drove us. We'd all dressed in white tops, black skirts, and a red tie for the guys and a red ribbon for the women. As we were traveling the bus started to slow down, getting slower and slower until he pulled off to the side of the road. *insert confused looks for the next 30 minutes* Haha no one really moved and the driver just kept trying different things to get the bus to go. Haha we jokingly asked the Elders to bless the bus, but time slipped by and suddenly the conference was about to start and the whole choir was on the side of the road on the way to Palmerston hahah. At first I was nervous to play the piano, then I was a bit relieved, and then I was super bummed because we've practiced  hours on hours to perform 12 numbers. Haha Id'd been praying all week to be able to play well for Stake Conference, so I guess the way it was answered was to not play at all ha. A member with a van came and took us, the elders, and a few members so we actually made it to the conference. It was a great conference but I reckon it would have sounded lots better with us. There was another bus that came to pick up the group, but it was too late for the Conference. All in all, I have increased my talent to play the piano, and hopefully we'll be able to sing our songs in the ward in the upcoming weeks.

There's this cute little town called Shannon in our new area, and this week Sister Turvey and I had a special dedicatory prayer to start our work there. Missionaries haven't been working there for quite some time and we feel really excited about the future there!

We had an awesome exchange with Sister Hann and Sister Shaw.
Sister Shaw is the granddaughter of Grandma Stratford's friends.

Today was transfers, it was a short 4 week transfer. I'm staying, my companion is staying, and I'm still an STL. Ha at the end of this 8 week transfer I'll have been an STL for 10 months. Hmm... haha at least I am still loving it!

We were so excited because both Wednesday and Thursday night we had first lessons with guys (so weird to teach guys now! but also good), and with both of them we set baptismal dates. I just love extending the baptismal invitation! The Spirit is always just so strong.

President Eyring spoke in General Conference about how his mother had taught him principles that he's lived by ever since. He said something that I desire as well. I desire to make my parents "exceedingly glad". No one back home knows the 21 year old Rachel.. that whole year has been just to New Zealand :) Like Alma 50:23 "But behold, there never was a happier time among Rachel's life, than in the twenty and first year." I'm looking forward to being 22, but so many things have happened in my 21st year that just wouldn't have happened unless I had decided to serve a mission! For that I will be eternally grateful. Dad always reminds me that I can either look back and be happy I did things, and look back and wish I would have done things. I hope I can live the rest of my mission with no regrets! I hope you all have a beautiful Fall week while I enjoy the beautiful Spring of New Zealand!

Love, Sister Kennedy

Christ is no stranger to His Servants.

October 12, 2014

Kia Ora! WOW! General Conference was so great, I loved it! I realize I'm a bit behind the band wagon, but it was so awesome to be able to finally see Conference. I asked the Lord many questions, and because He loves me, He answered them! I hope you all found answers to your questions as well.

This is me pretending to be good on the piano with the Samoan choir.

The thing that has kept us the busiest this week is the Samoan Choir in Levin. They've been asked to sing at Stake Conference next weekend, and they asked if I could play the piano for them. There's not many options here and I said yes without realizing just how many songs they would sing and the difficulty of the pieces ha. I've never played for many flats in my life and they're whipping out Samoan hymns I don't know and asking me to play. Anyway.. they're super committed and we'll spend easily 2 or 3 hours almost every night practicing ha. It's been quite the adventure! I actually really need all of you to pray for me this week. I am quite nervous to play for the whole Stake.. so I'm sure your prayers put up to Heaven will help me play a bit better. Mum, can you believe it? My piano teachers will never believe they're trusting me to play at Stake Conference ha. This is proof that members really do put missionaries on a higher level.

Cute Foxton

We work in Foxton, which is this little town that reminds me of Randolph. We were looking for this less active couple and couldn't remember what house number the Branch President had told us but we guessed number 5. It wasn't them, but we met Nicole who was out mowing her lawn and working on the garden. We asked if she needed help, and she told us she needed help yesterday ha. But we rolled up our sleeves and started weeding her yard because she had a flat inspection in just a few hours. She didn't tell us much, but she just got through a messy relationship and she said that she knew God had brought us to her today. My companion cut her thumb on glass, but we still could help out. We're going back on Tuesday and we hope that she turns into an investigator!

Our baptism with Kirstin has been moved to October 25th because of General Conference and Stake Conference, but we are so excited for her! She came to 3 of the 4 sessions of General Conference and was there for Elder Bednar's talk, which rocked. This week we watched the full version of The Restoration and she was so cute and had prepared movie snacks for us ha. I have seen her change so drastically since being in Levin so it's so fun to see her continually be happier and more optimistic.

I'll leave you with my favourite quote from Conference from President Packer: "Christ is no stranger to His servants." I love being a missionary during conference because every prayer, and every talk seems to speak to missionaries and give love and encouragement. It's my last time being a missionary during conference so it's sad.. but I loved how Elder Bednar told us that we continue to be missionaries when we truly love and believe our message. I love you all and hope you have a beautiful week!!

Love, Sister Kennedy

Meetings every day.. :)

October 5, 2014

This week we had an awesome Mission Leader Council meeting on Tuesday, I attended the District Leader Council on Wednesday to train the missionaries, on Thursday we had District Meeting, and Sunday we had Stake Correlation Meeting. I have never been this busy with leadership meetings and training, but I love it! It has really given me the opportunity to stretch and grow myself. Plus it's awesome training for the future.

At our Mission Leader Council it was a beautiful, sunny day in Wellington and so we got to eat our lunch on the roof of the building, SO neat! It's 4 stories high so I could just look out at my beloved city. It made me miss street contacting in the capitol city, but I'm so lucky that I get to go back there every month.

On Sunday we had our Stake Correlation meeting where the Stake Presidency meets with the Zone Leaders to correlate efforts and plans. This time, the Sister Training Leaders have been invited, so it was neat! I got to counsel with 5 wonderful Priesthood Leaders and speak about concerns. My companion went with other sisters and so it was kind of weird to be a solo Sister, but I really enjoyed it. We're going to have it every month now which will definitely hasten the work in the Palmerston North Zone. Unfortunately the meeting happens during our sacrament meeting and it's 40 minutes away, so from now on we'll get to attend 3 sacraments each month: Levin Ward, Foxton Branch (which are both our assignments) and now the Summerhill Ward so we can have the sacrament after Stake Correlation ha.

In our mission, we could only listen to hymns. But this week we just got approved to listen to all the EFY songs and music on lds.org so we have been loving listening to all the music. It is so inspiring! I was home sick for most of the day on Friday and Saturday (I had to leave the flat in the evening because I've never had to stay in for a full day on my mission, and couldn't let it happen now!) with a bad cold, but luckily my companion was so cute to be my nurse. I got Caroline's package with all her wedding photos so I could properly look at those in bed ha, while listening to EFY music.

On Sunday, Kirstin had her baptismal interview and she's all good to get baptised! Yay! I get to play the piano for the Samoan choir for the Stake Conference coming up which is exciting. I'm also on exchanges right now in Palmy which is so fun.

President Benson said, "It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent." I love it! I cannot wait for General Conference. Of course, you're all lucky enough to have seen it. We'll get the feed this coming weekend, and I can't wait! I hope you all have a beautiful week. I love New Zealand and everything that is happening. Life is the best!

Love, Sister Kennedy

Feeling excited for the Future

September 28, 2014

My companion, Sister Turvey with the firehose. 

This week was really busy with our transfers and everything going on! Sister Martin was really awesome at packing and we were in bed by 11pm Tuesday night which is a record! Usually we're up all night packing ha but she was good. She took a double decker bus to Hastings and then we ran to the airport to pick up my new companion, Sister Turvey. She's so cute!! She's from England and just came from her first area in Christchurch. She's ready to work hard and we can already see the potential for this area. Check out Mike Turvey's Mormon Message because she's in the video.

We are teaching this awesome girl named Kirsten. We share the same Birthday and she's just one year older than me. This week we taught her the Word of Wisdom and when we came back a few days later her little sister asked if they could drink at a party on the weekend and Kirsten said "oh, we're not gonna do that anymore". It was really cool! Every time we see her she looks happier and happier. She's on date to be baptised October 18th:)

Cute Foxton Branch!

Last Saturday we went to visit this older woman in the ward and then on Tuesday we got news that she's actually passed away on Monday. The ward had her funeral on Friday and it was kind of out of it that I'd just met her. It was a good opportunity to really think about the plan of salvation and realise that there's no sting in death because Christ has overcome that for us.

On Saturday we went into town and stumbled upon an event to gain awareness of the emergency services. We got to talk to people while learning about ambulances and firetrucks. I was super stoked about it when we got the chance to put on a fireman's hat and spray water at some targets. ha I was all about it!! I thought it was so fun.

I tried my hand at firefighting this weekend. ha:)

Right after we were able to go to Palmerston to support the Sisters in their baptism. I got to help teach Paula on exchanges and her story is so cool! Not only was she baptised, but she's now engaged to a member she met at church so that is neat.

As the STL I get to support the Sisters in the Zone so
we got to go see beautiful Paula be baptised.

I'm most excited this week because I get a call from the office with my new release date. I was supposed to come home in December because my visa expired, but that was just too early for my liking. I put my petition to the Mission President and he's letting me stay until January 12th and then I'll just have a special outtake for myself ha. I'm so stoked on life!! I can't wait to spend a second Christmas and New Year's in New Zealand and be able to serve the Lord for a bit longer than expected!

I love you heaps!! I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Love, Sister Kennedy

Pictures

September 21, 2014

There are 4 more emails that will be coming and they just have pictures and short descriptions under them. It's been a really busy week, but so great! The biggest news is that our transfers are on Wednesday and I'll be staying in Levin with a new companion named Sister Turvey. She's from England and I met her on her first day on the mission and she was so cute!

I got to go wedding dress shopping with Ruta and we found this beauty of a dress! Only $17, so not bad:) We went to all the Op Shops and we were lucky to find her wedding dress, shoes, and reception dress all for $50. ​

This is what you call a successful shopping day a the Op Shop:) 

The Beautiful Bride and Groom:) Ruta and Michael Gase. My companion and I did all the setting up with the tapa cloth, flowers, chairs, and setting up the hall. 

He put a ring on it! (they were short on money, so I pitched in money and helped get it:) 

Right after her wedding, which was performed by the Bishop, we went into the baptismal program. Her sister-in-laws spoke, there were a few musical numbers of family members, and then she was baptised. She wanted to be baptised in her wedding dress, which was neat! she had to be basptised twice because the first time her dress floated up ha. But the second time it was all under.

Cutting the cake as a couple. 

We had missionary unity all dressing Samoan for the baptism and wedding ha. 

All in all, it was an awesome day! she turned 20, was married, and baptised. It was Sister Martin's first baptism which is cool because she's leaving on Wednesday. Elder Davis, the blonde Elder, got to baptised her and it was his first one. I may have been gone for my sisters wedding, but Ruta's wedding made up for it a bit:)

Last Monday we got to have a Zone P-day and so we met up at the chapel in Palmy and did a bunch of games. We had a 3 legged race and although we weren't very good, at least our picture was nice.

 This is our District Unity is our tug of war competition. 

I love you all so much! The Lord has been so good to me and He just needed me to be patient enough to receive my blessings. I hope you have an amazing week! I love you heaps!

Love, Sister Kennedy ​