"Content" is the word of the week.

January 4, 2015

Sister Kennedy NZWM 2013-2015

Well my lovely family and friends. This is the grand finale of my mission!!! Like my email title says, "content" is the word of the week. I have so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings going through my head every day. Ha I've had a bit of a sore stomach the past week just realizing that my time as a missionary really will end one day. I guess a part of me felt like this part of my life would never end. Although, somedays it felt like my life had really only began as a missionary. That's probably how I'll feel after this life, realizing mortality is just a small glimpse of the eternal scheme of things. This too is like my mission. It has gone by so quickly!! but I feel confident God has tested me, and proved me enough to help guide me throughout the rest of my life.

This past week, on December 30th, I finished the Book of Mormon. yay!! Just like every book, I find that the end gets so intense and exciting. I just love finishing it, because it makes me feel accomplished but also reconfirms that I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and the most correct book of the earth. That makes it the 4th time I've finished it on my mission, and 5th time in 2 years. :)

Palmerston North windmill farm.

I had a very exciting new year here in New Zealand!! We were on exchanges so I went to Palmerston North to be with Sister Gilmour (it felt just like old times! It was actually a good way to remember where we both were back in last January serving together). As a mission we had to be inside by 7pm, just for safety purposes, and so our Mission President and wife had a trivia night via text. They would send out a riddle that we'd have to text back the answer from the scriptures. It was so fun!! They asked us, "What ward is Sister Hudson from in Canada?" We replied, "Canada First Ward" haha because we had absolutely no idea what it was from. We got a reply from our mission president saying "Canada 1st Ward haha". That's right. We made our mission president laugh. We were happy about that!

Pizza for lunch on exchanges with Sister Gilmour :)

Right before midnight Sister Gilmour and I said the best things we accomplished in 2014 (we've both been on our missions for the whole of 2014 so it's been the best year ever!!) and then we opened our sparking juice! So fun.

Needless to say, this week we are going to be flat out seeing members, investigators, finding miracle new investigators, and trying to have the best week I've ever had on my mission. I want to go home with no regrets and feel like I have accomplishd everything Heavenly Father sent me to do.

Taking off my badge will be terribly hard to do, but I am doing my best to engrave the name of Christ on my heart so that I will forever have His name with me. President George Albert Smith had a dream once where one of his ancestors visited him and asked him, " I would like to know what you have done with my name." I wear two names on my badge- Kennedy and Jesus Christ. I pray that I have done the best I could wearing my family name and also the name of Christ. I hope my family and Jesus Christ are proud for the way I wore their name.

I've converted my companion:) GO UTES!

We had 2 awesome new investigators this week! We hope to find more so that as I go, this area may continue to be blessed with miracles. Sister Turvey will be joining up with the Sisters in Palmerston for the last 2 weeks of this transfer. They will be going between the 2 areas, so they will be kept very busy!!

I know without a doubt that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's Kingdom on the earth today. These have been the best 18 months for the rest of my life. No other form of schooling or education could have given me the knowledge I have gained here in New Zealand studying from the word of God and teaching His children. I LOVE NEW ZEALAND!!! I keep having deja vu moments (where I remember a scene that I've already dreamed about) and it's times like that I realize God already knew of the experiences I'd have and where I needed to be this entire time. God is in control, I know it!! I should never doubt the plan that He has, because He is my Father and has my best interest at heart.

I don't know what else to say other than these have been days never to be forgotten!!! Who knows what I'll be like when I get home.. ha if I'm weird, fair warning. I won't try to be "normal" when I come home because if I do I will be turning away from all that I have changed and learned on my mission. "Behold, I am Sister Kennedy, a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have been called of Him to declare His word, among His people, that they might have everlasting life." 3 Nephi 5:13

Love, Sister Kennedy
NZWM July 2013-January2015
Kia Kaha- Forever Strong