Softball and Missionary Work

February 10, 2014

Last Monday my companion and I were really tough and we biked all the way into town. It's not close by or flat! so we felt real good about our efforts. We had plans to stay in town to work with the YSA but for some reason we didn't feel good about it, so we biked home. On the way back as we were biking past the bay, we saw a whole group of dolphins!! They were just swimming and playing so close, it was the neatest. I don't think we were prompted to go back so we could see the dolphins, but it was an amazing sight and a blessing from the Lord. Dolphins are the cutest!

On Thursday was the national holiday "Waitangi Day." I don't know what it means, but we sure had a good time! Our whole district loaded in the Assistants' van and drove up to Porirua where the city was putting on the Festival of the Elements celebration.

It was a beautiful day at a park and arena filled with performing groups, amusement rides, booths, and food stations. As missionaries in the Zone we were asked to volunteer by going around with a survey and asking people about their thoughts of the event. It was pretty fun and we ran into quite a few members. Ha it was the worst when people would reject us. I'm used to being rejected as a missionary, but being rejected as a surveyor was worse ha. It reminded me a bit of the County Fair, which everyone knows is the best.

The Surveying Team

I hope Andrew and Matthew have a super Birthday!! Whoot, my brothers are da best.

Let me share with you some inspiration:) Our mission president is stressing that we "Find a Better Way". I would encourage you all to do the same! Do things smarter not harder, including things of the gospel. I am searching in the Book of Mormon this year for whenever it says "The Way", or "!"(from Elder Nielson's talk in General Conference). 2 Nephi 32-33 are the champion winners for this lot. Check em out. Also, in 2 Nephi 10 it is filled with my home. It tells of the promised land of America and all it offers, and then near the end it tells of the blessings to the Isles of the Sea. Yup, those are both me now!!

A foggy morning from my flat.

From our flat on the hill, we can see a lot. There's a softball field and on the weekends I can always see people playing. It's interesting, because the men's leagues here do fast pitch. I've never really seen guys pitch (aside from Dick Scadden who is the man!!), but it makes me miss my softball days. Mum and Dad are really good at reminded about the wonderful analogies softball has given me. I used to stand at the plate and keep fouling pitches off, nearly 30 once. It's like that in missionary work. We talk to heaps of people and most of them want nothing to do with us. But occasionally when we are patient and wait, we find one of God's elect children who is ready to hear the gospel and hit a line drive. Softball has done me much more good than just have crazy busy weekends in the spring and summer!!

My part of paradise.

Family and friends, I love you all dearly and do think of you often. Think of it as a blessing that I don't feel homesick or have the desire to be in constant contact with you ha. I just know that through the Plan of Salvation, no matter what happens I will be with you all again one day. I love my mission and know that it was chosen just for me! Love you heaps!!

Sister Kennedy

P.S. I'm excited to hear about the Olympics! I haven't heard much over here, but it's probably because New Zealand won't have a very big part in the Olympics. BUT, what has been so big this past weekend, was the Rugby 7's. It's where heaps of teams come to Wellington, and they play really fast games of like 7 minute halves, and they have 7 players. I don't know much about the game, but I do know a lot about the fans. All the fans dress up in crazy costumes and just go and have a good time (mainly drunk time) in the stands. We drove by on our way home and saw some pretty crazy fans dressed as cows, leprechauns, chickens, you name it!

Wellywood

February 3rd, 2014 

Kia Ora from Wellywood!!

This week we had fun doing "chalk talk" on the wharf in Wellington. All 6 missionaries in the District got together and drew the Plan of Salvation in chalk and then as people walked past we would talk to them about the plan or whatever they wanted to know. It's fun because we meet all sorts of people.

This week the beautiful Freemans are going home. They are just the sweetest office couple!! My first night in Wellington I stayed over with them and that's when I fell in love. I'm just happy I was here in Wellington to say goodbye. They're moving to St. George, so Caroline can just pretend she's me and they will love her :)


We got a referral who's from Chile so I was all excited to study up my Spanish beacause it hurt my brain speaking to her on the tele. I got my english Book of Mormon and then used a Spanish Book of Mormon to remember what I'd learned in middle school Spanish (Funny enough, her last name is Lucero and Mr. Lucero taught me Spanish). It ended up that she lived way out of town and out of our zone so we had to give her to someone else. I was crushed because of all my study time used on Spanish. Then! I was sitting in church when a guy introduced Daniella to me and said she only spoke Spanish. Whoohoo. Good thing I had been studying all week. I'm still rubbish but I was a lot better at the end of the week compared to the beginning. God was preparing me ina way I couldn't see. Shout out ot all my friends who are learning a lanuage on their mission. I have so much respect!!

For P-day last week we went to the famous Te Papa museum. We only got to one of the 6 floors because there is so much to see!! We took our touristy picture of the middle of Middle Earth.

Queens for a day in Te Papa

Wellington is pretty crazy, and it just has a fast pace that I'm getting used to. Our investigators seem to either progress really fast or drop us really fast. It's just the pace of things here! We had our cute Mum and Daughter investigators come to church on Sunday and they are just a miracle here. I love serving a mission, but what I love more is knowing that it's the mission Heavenly Father has been preparing me for my whole life. Pretty neat that His hand is involved in all our doings because He loves us and wants us to succeed and be happy in life.

Ofa'atu!
Sister Kennedy