Easter in the fall?

April 20, 2014

Happy Easter weekend! Here, New Zealanders like holidays but they just don't celebrate them like Americans do. I realize now that we get super into holidays in the States, and I love it! We made some paper Easter eggs, because I just couldn't go one year without decorating some eggs, and we wrote on it Matthew 28:5-6. Christ is not here, for He is risen. We had so much fun delivering them by door bell ditching and visiting members and investigators. I was a bit sad thinking that the Easter bunny wouldn't find me in New Zealand, but he totally did. Our Relief Society President had wrapped us each some eggs on Sunday which was the sweetest. I'd received a package from home with candy and chalk. Yay! So on Saturday we took 2 girls who are preparing for missions and on the wharf we wrote out in chalk, What is Easter? We got to speak to heaps of people, and I feel that they were a bit more receptive to speak about Christ near Easter. Then, on Sunday we had a beautiful sacrament meeting and luckily 2 investigators came to hear the wonderful talks about the Atonement. I just LOVE the Atonement of Christ. The more I learn about it, the more I realize I don't know ha. It's a lifelong pursuit to try to understand the immense magnitude and gift of it all. And it's so weird because there were no cute Easter dresses because the weather is changing and getting colder. Instead of Easter being filled with tulips it was filled with rain and wind.


I got to work with heaps of Sisters this week, which was great. On Tuesday we had Mission Leader Council and we got to pick up Sister Watene from the airport and take her into the meeting. Then after the meeting Sister Morris's flight didn't leave until that evening so she stayed and worked in a trio with us. She was in my intake so it was really fun:) On Wednesday I went on exchanges with Sister Boehmer from Canada. It was our 4th exchange and we're pretty much best friends so it was great. We work really well together and we committed someone to be baptised while we were teaching so that is always great! We had Nofo and Merry come with us for almost a full day for preparations for their missions. It's awesome to serve with so many Sisters. It also seemed like everything kept happening with the sisters in the Zone so I made many phone calls and had to fix many issues. When it rains it pours and sadly that meant I had to address hard issues, offer corrections, and deal with disobedience. That is something I won't miss after this calling of STL ha.

Whelp, this week it happened. I hit my 9 month hump and it terrified me. Ah! It was Good Friday, which was funny. Oddly enough, Good Friday is a big public holiday here. Everything was shut down and the Easter weekend had started. I've never eaten so many hot cross buns in my life, but they love them here. It reminded me of the Kennedy's. I remember Aunt Helen giving me homemade buns a couple years before she passed away. New Zealand isn't the biggest Christian country, but for a public holiday they all act it. Today, Monday, is also a public holiday but luckily this sketchy internet shop is open. Ha it's the missionaries and the kids who are playing their hard core video games.

This is Sister Hann and myself, Bryn- who is a ballerina here with the Wellington Ballet, and Abigail who is from Malaysia and working on her PhD. Her Dad was one of the first native Malaysian missionaries to serve. We have great YSA who come out and door knock with us:) P.S. this night we went door knocking we got a big hug with this Greek Orthodox woman who said she knew we loved Jesus, and it also POURED rain and we were soaked. So to celebrate my 9 months we had ice cream!

We have a member we visit in the hospital who is going through chemotherapy currently for cancer. She told us how she has come closer to the Saviour during this time of suffering and agony. She realizes so much better the pain that Christ suffered for each one of us and His perfect gift He's given so that we don't have to endure our trials and burdens alone. During Easter I've had much time to reflect on the death but more importantly the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the days of Christ, when a master would be finished eating he would wad up his napkin and throw it on the table to signal to the servant that he was finished. But if the master folded his napkin before leaving it meant that he had not finished his meal and would return. When Jesus Christ was layed in the tomb they wrapped him in linens with a napkin over his head. When Mary found the empty tomb the linens and napkin was folded. Christ is coming back!! I love being a part of the gathering in preparation for Christ's second coming. I know He will return to rule and reign. I know He lives, that God loves us, and has provided a way for us to return to Him.

I hope you each have a beautiful week. I love you heaps!!

Love, Sister Kennedy