A blessed week.

August 3, 2014

Let me tell you all about my great, great week!!

The cutest kids in New Zealand!!

On Thursday we got a call from the mission office telling me that I had mail. Yay! I could either pick it up or wait for it to come in the mail. I was eager so I decided to pick it up. Turns out, the patriarchal blessing to Grandma Kennedy came in the mail. I read it, which was touching, but then I looked at the date it was given and it was given on July 31st 1932. Well, I was reading her blessing on July 31st 2014. Wow!! It was a super little mercy. The next day Grandpa Kennedy's blessing came in the mail and I was super stoked to find out that the same patriarch who gave him his blessing, gave President Monson his blessing. NEATO! (to find out who the patriarch is, watch On the Lord's Errand, the movie about President Monson.) I can't remember if I've told you all about a really cute family we are working with. Our new mission president met the mum at the airport (his first go at street contacting and met her) and then gave us the referral. Their family is originally from Zimbabwe and she has three children. Her husband is still in South Africa and hopes to come soon to join his family. We've been teaching them for a couple weeks now, but they all came to church yesterday :) After the older kids finished primary and young women's, they both said "that was so fun, can we come back next week?" Ha, the 3-year-old had different opinions, but we were so happy that they really enjoyed church. It's a hard thing for them to change churches, and they aren't rushing into baptism, but they can feel the goodness from the gospel. It's funny because she was living in Auckland for a couple weeks trying to find a job and a home there but nothing really worked out. As soon as she moved to Wellington she found a great job, a home, and everything just seemed to fit into place. What a miracle that we now have the chance to teach them after their long journey from South Africa :)

Turns out, I'm super allergic to cats and cigarette smoke. It also turns out that we have 2 investigators that both smoke and have heaps of cats. This week we went to both of them in the same day and I thought I was going to die haha. We're going to work on getting the lesson at a member's house this week so I don't stop breathing :)

Shaqaila, who's an amazing pianist here in Wellington, decided to interview me for an essay she's writing at school. It's a journalism course about an occupation she wants to go into, and she chose the occupation of religious missionary. Yay! So, we had a half an hour of interview, and it was fun because I got to speak about Rachel for half the time, then Sister Kennedy. She then followed my companion and I around as we were street contacting so she could get pictures of me "at work". Ha, it was really fun and helped me to see how much I have grown on my mission as a missionary, but also as Rachel Kennedy. Get ready to see a whole new me when I come home haha.

Our recent convert, Suzanna, joining us in teaching.

A big ole blessing we've had this week is being in a trio almost every day! Our recent convert, Suzanna, really wants to serve a mission. We've been able to take her out with us almost every day on teaching appointments, street contacting, and rescue visits. It's been so fun because we can see her growing and now we have loads to talk about. It's really amazing to see her change from who she once was to who she wants to be through Christ. She told us how much she hates change, but as she was taught the gospel the changes became so easy. Neat!

Next week are transfers and most times I think I'll be leaving, but other times I think I'm staying. I guess it doesn't much matter where I serve, but how I serve. "Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves-- to choose the way of everlasting death of the way of eternal life." We all have the choice! I love you all heaps :)

Love, Sister Rachel Kennedy