Labor in the vineyard with all your might.

August 15, 2013

Family, friends and loved ones. This week has been so good. I can't believe another one has flown by.

Feeling like a ranch hand taking care of the horses!

Most recently I returned from my exchange in Nelson this morning. My new companion and I had quite the experience there! She's only been out 2 months so we were the blind leading the blind. Her companion left to Blenheim and she took the cell phone with her. So we were left without any form of contact. We had to drive over to the Zone Leaders, use the Landlord's phone, and stop at members homes to call people. We did a really cool service a the RDA. It's horse riding for disabled children. I felt like a little ranch hand as we groomed the horses, put on all the riding gear, then we got to walk with the horses and children around the arena. These little kids were so cute and they just lit up when they were riding the horses. Later that night we stopped by an investigators home. She rarely lets missionaries in, but tonight she let us in because she'd been in an accident and needed help. Turned out she hadn't cleaned her kitchen probably in a year! Every dish was out on the counter filled with moldy food, cigarette butts, and used tea bags. We got to work filling huge garbage bags and washing dishes for nearly 2 1/2 hours. It was.. interesting. But while we waited she watched The Restoration twice and asked some really great questions about Joseph Smith! If cleaning that filthy house is the spark she needed, I'm so glad we were sent there to do it.

The drive from Nelson back to Blenheim. So pretty!

Nelson is filled with hills and it has the center of New Zealand in the mountains. It's a very pretty place, but as we drove back into Blenheim this morning I felt like I had come home. I've become so attached to Sister Taleni so when I saw her it was like I saw my mom again!

This week was filled with many spiritual highs. We are teaching a Fijian Indian family named the Prasad's and we taught the father and daughter the Restoration lesson. At the end, the Spirit prompted and we asked them to be baptized. They both said yes!! What a wonderful feeling to know that they desired to follow Jesus Christ, joy filled the room. Then yesterday, while I was gone, they committed another one of our investigators to be baptized! Wow. Could I ask for anything better?? We have so much work to do to prepare these people, but I know the Lord will provide a way for them to progress. We were also able to go to a beautiful park in town and give a dedicatory prayer for the Sisters in Blenheim. The park has a beautiful stream, rose gardens, and lots of flowers growing. We found our own quiet part of the park and I was able to give the prayer. It had so much power and we felt blessed to be able to give it.

My cute Corolla and driving on the right side of the car.

 I was also able to drive to a town called Picton on Saturday. It's in our district and there's 2 elders there, but no active members. We went out to contact some potential investigators who are single sisters. The Sisters here really do get the benefit of teaching. When there's a single female there has to be 3 males in attendance to teach so getting a member is pretty hard for the Elders. So as the new rule, the Sisters will just get the referral and teach. A saying here in that Elders find and Sisters teach. It's so true! The Elders knock so many doors and get great referrals for us to teach. We are both so grateful for the Elders in our area because they work very hard for us. Picton is a beautiful town!! It's right on the water and nestled in between huge green mountains. The mountains are lush with trees and bushes, the type of thing you'd expect to see in New Zealand.

There's a saying here that for every drop of rain that hits a missionaries badge, their eternal companion becomes better looking. Well, that means that some guy out there is becoming better looking by the minute!! There's been heaps and heaps of rain coming down and driving gets a bit difficulty, and proselyting is pretty interesting. But it keeps everything green and beautiful!

Funny things of New Zealand:
     Most every toilet gives you the option of little flush or big flush.
     People say there are heaps of things, not a lot.
     Apartments are called flats.
     Dinner is called Tea, so it sounds like all the members are sinning when they talk about putting the tea on for their family.
     The chocolate here is way good. Also, the cookies and cream ice cream is probably heaven on earth here.

I was reading in Jacob 5 this week all about the laborers in the vineyard and grafting in the branches to the fruitful trees. It's a parable where we can learn a lot about having good roots and being firm in the gospel, but here it's not much of a parable. Almost everyone we meet here, in the ward and investigators, work out on the vineyards. The vineyards here line the country and they are a huge industry! It's so different living here. Everyone just has lemons and oranges growing on trees in their yard, and grapes are very plentiful. Parables all become alive here. We're told to seek after the sheep and watch the flock. That's not hard here either. Sheep are everywhere lining the mountains and pastures! The scriptures have become alive here.

I hope all is well at home and that everyone is enjoying the last moments of summer. I am always cold here. I can't wear enough layers, so I love when the sun comes out!! Enjoy the heat for me in Utah.

 I'm loving my time here as a missionary. I learn so much every day and I realize more and more the purpose that I have. The name of my badge is to represent Jesus Christ and the happiness He can bring into all of our lives. This gospel is the fulness and will bring us joy. Don't be afraid to open your mouth and share the gospel!!

Love, Sister Kennedy