Good, Better, Great!

July 6, 2014

My posters for the Wellington Zone presentation.

This week was really great! I say great because our new mission mantra is "Good, Better, and Becoming Great in Christ". The Hudson's have been praying 6 months in preparation to come to this mission and they've already shared with us their vision and the motto for how we as missionaries, and this mission can become great. I was so excited to be at Mission Leader Council with them on Wednesday and hear all about them. They had a great get-to-know the Hudson's and we learned all about their family and life. He worked for GM in both Canada and Detroit. He gave the closing prayer at her baptism (she was a convert at 18, and still the only member of her family. She was introduced to the church from the Osmond family who she was a HUGE fan.), and they later met in Provo when she was attending BYU. I just love them to bits, they're the cutest. I gave my presentation for the Zone and it went really well. All the STL's did the presentations and they were all fun. I think they figured sisters would do something nice and creative, and each presentation was different and fun. Now I just want to be transferred all over New Zealand to see these places for myself. We then had Zone Conference on Saturday and it was pretty much all the same things from MLC, but it was really great. 

4th of July in New Zealand.

On Friday we were all excited to wear our red white and blue outfits. Our District Leader called and the 4 Americans all sang The Star Spangled Banner. I pulled out my American $50 that I'd been saving and we said the Pledge of Allegiance with the flag on the bill. It was really quite a fun day. We kept saying how we wished there was a barbeque or something so it felt like the 4th. Luckily at our Zone Conference, which was the 4th in America, we got to help some members grill some sausages and patties so it felt like the real deal!

Our miracle for the week started on Thursday night when we tried to visit a potential investigator. No one seemed to be home and after knocking 3 times and waiting, we decided to leave. We were about in the car when we heard someone open the door. She told us that the woman we were looking for wasn't home. So we told her who we were and asked her if she'd been interested in hearing more about the message we share. She was all keen and told us we could come back the next day. So Friday, we went to her house and had an amazing first lesson! We didn't teach a whole lot, but we got to know her personally and spiritually. She asked us if we had heard about he Christchurch earthquakes and of course we said yes. She then told us how her track team was down in Christchurch for a meet, and they were celebrating their record winning times sitting in the big cathedral when the quakes hit. She was pinned under rubble with a broken leg for 3 1/2 days. Her 2 best friends who were by her were both killed. She was there with no water or food for all that time and she said the only thing that got her through was her faith. AMAZING! We were blown away by her. Her name is Nicole and she's only 20 years old, but she's so great. She told us that she's only been in Wellington 2 weeks and she saw our chapel and had the impression she should go there. On our first visit she accepted our invitation to be baptised, and even accepted August 9th as a baptismal date. We came to church yesterday and loved it. The YSA are already fellowshipping her and she's just the miracle we've been praying and fasting for here in Wellington. She's so great:)

Well, I'm just loving my mission! I couldn't ask for anything better. We had a stake wide fast for missionary work, and although I love our ward I do wish they were more missionary minded. So we are hoping that the fast will bring much faith and miracles into our area and stake. It is quite cold here, but it's home. A bunch of students from BYU showed up to church yesterday on their summer semester study abroad. I don't think they were anticipating being so cold on their summer trip, but it was fun to see American faces and welcome them to my home land now. It really is home here for me:) Have a great week! I love you all heaps:)

Sister Kennedy

P.S. I met this Samoan member, who now lives in Australia and he was all excited to hear where in Utah my companion and I were from. She said, "I'm from West Valley", and I said "I'm from Brigham City". He said, "are you kidding me? I was born in Brigham City on my mission." He said Brigham was his favourite area and he was so happy to know that's where I'm from. He served there 2003 in the Box Elder Stake and said he knew the Jordan family and they were the best. I don't know who the Jordan's are, but maybe my family does. Anyway, it was a fun little connection.