Days of our lives.

March 23, 2014

6/8 Sisters in the Zone.

This week has been pretty busy, but busy is best:) We had Zone Conference on Wednesday which is always great! Unfortunately the topic was entirely on obedience because our Zone is maybe not the best ha. Even if we feel rebuked for a couple hours, it always leaves us with a greater desire to show our love to the Lord and get to work. We will only be deserving of His miracles once we show our love by the work and service we render. Then Heavenly Father can bless us with His prepared children and miracles. The Samoan ward put on our lunch at the Zone Conference so it was so good!! Sister Schaumkel from Blenheim, who now lives in Porirua, even came by so she could see me. Love her! 

On Thursday our ward put on the Relief Society Birthday party- it's the best when you are so far away from home and the church still has the March Birthday party. Kim, who's in YSA, and I sang "Lord I Would Follow Thee" a capella which was really fun. I don't think many people know about us missionaries and the things we can do, so it was fun to share a bit of singing with them. All the new sister in the ward introduced themselves with 3 things and Elizabeth got up and shared great things so everyone could relate to her, and even one of our investigators came and brought things to share! It was like fellowshipping to the max after because all the Sisters now knew who everyone was and could get to know them and offer to help them.

Sister Olamaleva and I on exchange in windy Wellington:)

I wanted to tell you all more about my calling as Sister Training Leader. My understanding is that each mission does it a bit different depending on the needs and circumstances of the mission. Here in the NZWM we have one Sister Training Leader in each Zone and she looks after all the sisters. That means they call in each night before 9:30pm to report that they are safe and home, it means I give them a PPI (Powerful personal interview) (A PPI with other missionaries in Personal Priesthood Interview so of course ours is a little different.) once a transfer, I attend the monthly Mission Leaader Council with the AP's and Zone Leaders (which is this Tuesday and I'm excited because it is my first time:) It's like the Temple.. you hear bits and bobs about it but you just don't know what it is until you go) and I go on regular exchanges with the Sisters. This transfer I've worked with a Tongan Sister and Samoan Sister. That's pretty much my responsibilities. I really enjoy the calling and the main thing is that I get a lot of phone calls.. ha so that's about it!

Miracle story: There's a beautiful sister here who was just baptized in November and she was a miracle convert. She's studying Uni here and we were over one day to teach her again the Restoration as part of her follow up lessons. As we had just began one of her friends walked in. She asked if she could join in our discussion, sat down, pulled out a pad of paper and took notes during our entire lesson. We were just so shocked we didn't really know what to do. Ha she just walked in and jumped right into the first lesson. She really wanted to learn more, coming from a staunch catholic background in Samoa. So we made a return date and we returned on Thursday. Sister Olamaleva and I taught about the Plan of Salvation(my favourite lesson to teach) and we committed her to be baptized! It was so beautiful. Sister Olamaleva is a convert and so she was able to give such powerful testimony and they could relate being from the same island. It's amazing the different ways that the Lord puts people into our path. So unknowingly we do things in the day and end up meeting the most interesting people and sometimes we get the chance to teach them. I'll keep you posted more on her progress, but keep Leilani in your prayers:)

I love you all heaps and pray that this week will bring many missionary opportunities into your lives! Thank you for all your love, support, and encouraging words. I am one happy missionary, and so grateful to be serving here in Wellington.

Cheers!
Sister Kennedy

Cyclone in the air.

March 16, 2014

To my beautiful family and friends all over the world, Happy St. Patrick's Day!! My companion and I are both decked out in green. Naturally.

I found Kennedy Street :) Still loving my Utes.

We haven't had any real progressing investigators for a couple of weeks and it has felt hard to get people moving this time of year. But luckily, that drought is now over. We had a referral from the Elders about a month ago and usually with our referrals, we try them again and again until we just figure we've done all we've could to contact them. Sefina was one of them. We'd called her, set up appointments she wasn't home for, and knocked on her door probably 5 times. Ha we said "we'll give her one last try". Luckily this day she was in! We sat down and had a great discussion about religion and what she was looking for in life and how we could help her. We came back a week later and taught the Restoration. Usually we break the lesson up into 2 parts because it's quite a lot of information, but with Sefina she was all goods for all the material. It was so great. She is so in touch with the Spirit and just knew what we were telling her was true. She said, "To be honest, I haven't read much of the Book of Mormon (she'd read 3 paragraphs on the introduction..), but I already know it's true". Ha, amazing. 

I had my first exchange as Sister Training Leader and it was pretty cool. I got to work with a Tongan sister from Auckland and she's full of life. It turns out that two of the YSA in our ward are from her home ward, so those little connections are always the best.

You can tell I'm not too sure about this kina...

I'll just tell you about all the weird and great things I'm eating here. Passion fruit just grows here. Yum, it is so good! Chicken flavoured crisps, or potato chips are really good here. I'm not crazy about all the seafood here. I like most of it but the weirdest have been oysters and also kinas, which is this little seafood people dive for here. It comes in this black spiky shell. There's a chocolate brand Whitaker's. I can't remember if it's in the States but it's so good! They have noodles here that are a lot like ramen, but better sauces!! We also bought mangos this week. I love living in the Pacific!

This weekend there was a cyclone that was forecast to hit New Zealand. We were counselled to all go the supermarket and buy any food we needed for the weekend and even have a member's home available for us to stay if it got crazy. Cheehoo I was excited!! It definitely hit the north of the north island and some of the other islands in the Pacific, but it didn't quite reach Wellington. Let's be honest, I totally wanted to be in a cyclone!! But we did get a read good amount of rain last night with some crazy winds, so I'm counting it as a cyclone that we worked through. ( I kept forgetting what a cyclone was called and kept saying a Cyclops was coming. Ha, much cooler sounding.) Every drop of rain on our badge means our eternal companion is getting better looking;)

It loves to rain..only when we are on our bikes ha.

I just want you to all know that our beautiful and humble members and investigators often pray "that the missionaries may be blessed as well as their family and friends who are back home". Isn't it amazing to know that people in New Zealand are praying for you in Utah?? I just love it:) Thank you for all of your prayers for me in New Zealand. We are a gospel that can call on angels to help in our work and ministry and I know angels are about my companion and I to help prepare the hearts of those that we teach. I can think of countless ancestors who are serving with me with the same title as Elder or Sister Kennedy, they're just without a body ha. I love you all heaps!! Call upon angels to help you this week.

Love, Sister Kennedy

P.S. Sometimes I feel like these letters don't even tell you much about how I am doing. Ha sorry. I'm doing really well. I don't remember doing anything before I was a missionary. I've just always been a missionary. Sometimes I find it hard to obey every little rule of our mission, but I have found such miracles in being obedient to the absolute extent we can be. I am getting more used to driving here in Wellington. Being Sister Training Leader just means I get heaps and heaps of phone calls at night. Ha this week I had to help one of the companions who'd been locked out of their flat. My companion and I get along so well, I just love her! The members here are awesome, but there's just so many more people to meet since it's a ward. Last week a lady in our ward did our nails with this gel that so nice, and today I'm getting my hair cut by this amazing member who cuts All-Blacks hair. Neato:) The weather is turning colder, and it's the rainy season. I get a letter from Elder and Sister Cannon which was so great. I really want to serve by them one day... But yup, I'm doing really well!!

Not up or down, but Forward.

March 9, 2014

Wow, what an exciting day to hear Caroline is engaged! I guess it wasn't how I imaged hearing the news when I was younger, but it's where the Lord needs us to be now. Congratulations to the whole family! I also got a Valentine's package from Andrew and Chels which was the cutest. Thanks heaps:)

Something that was exciting in my week was a Leaders Conference on Wednesday. I got to travel up the North Island to Palmerston North for a meeting with the AP's, Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, and District Leaders serving on the north island in my mission. It was really fun, but also the weirdest being the only sister with 3 elders for 5 hours of driving. BUT, we got Wendy's on the way back which was fantastic. The first time in New Zealand. We got to listen for 5 hours to our Mission President and his wife. I love them! They are just heaven sent. Strangely I love meetings like that. Maybe it's because I miss Uni lectures.. but I did really enjoy it!

Yay for the Noye's being in Wellington!!

At church I have the terrible habit of always looking back when I hear the doors open, just hoping it's an investigator or less-active walking in. I always try to recognize the people walking in because I still feel new. But this Sunday, I looked back and realized I didn't recognize this couple walking in, but I knew them!! John and Nan Noyes from Corinne walked in and I was absolutely ahh struck. I got up and hugged them and had them sit right next to us. Seriously, what are the chances?? They are going down to Christchurch to see the Cannon's which is the coolest. John served his mission in Auckland many years ago and he told me that I will continue to think of New Zealand every day of my life because he has. They kept calling me by my first name and it was so weird. Ha I forget I have a past life with a first name. But little miracle to be sitting in Wellington with a couple from home:)

Miracle of the week: My companion and I were trying a potential investigator.. who wasn't home.. again. As we were leaving the apartment complex we met this guy, and we could tell he knew we were missionaries. He said, "Hey Sisters. I'm inactive, but my family is here. Want to meet them?" Uhh, yeah!! We walked into this little flat and met a big Maori family. They had all flown in from Aus and from New Zealand for their dad's funeral. They had seen us walk past the window and sent the son out to get us. The Mum is active up north but all of her children are inactive. We got to sing for them Nearer My God to Thee, then they got our their guitar and sang for us a song called Faith and then we all sang Families Can Be Together Forever. WHOA!! The Spirit was present more than I can ever remember on my mission. 17 family members all smashed in one little room, singing about forever families, with the ashes of their grandpa in the middle. It was seriously amazing. Then, almost all of them came to church on Sunday and it was the first time back in years for most of them. We just kept saying how this wasn't a coincidence that we tried this potential investigator and met this family. God knows each of us and will send us the answers we need.

This week we put all our time and effort into a Stop Smoking program developed by the church. It is a program to help smokers completely quit in 7 days. We spent study time to create her program, we bought all the needed resources for her, we cleaned her disgusting flat, and we moved heaven and earth to get a member present at her lesson so she could use the 15 steps to stop smoking. We did everything in our power to help this poor women quit smoking. We were saddened to find out she had lied to us by going and buying a packet of cigarettes right before we cleaned her flat and that she had already given up the first day. It was so hard for me to be patient with her knowing we had given her everything we could. Then I remembered the Saviour. He gave us everything He could, even His life. Yet we continue to make the same mistakes and not live up to our full potential. I just pray that I can live up to more of my potential and use the Atonement that He has provided. As a missionary, I know that no effort is wasted, but I am saddened to see the adversary have so much control.

I just wanted to remind everyone that I'm serving in 

Wellington City and sometimes we see crazy things..

I know this church is true. I love bearing Jesus Christ's name, talking to complete strangers, and teaching about the Plan of Salvation. A recent survey found that 40% of New Zealanders don't believe in God. Crazy. We continue to work hard every day so that people can know they are sons and daughters of God and that there is a plan and way provided to return home. Our mission president spoke about people feeling like they aren't a good missionary until they become a Zone Leader or something of a "title". The Lord doesn't care about up and down movement. He cares about forward movement. I pray we may all move forward this week!!

Love you all heaps!
Sister Kennedy

Growing heaps.

March 3, 2014

I think this has been the hardest and most rewarding week of my mission. Not physically, not emotionally, but spiritually. I've gained more this week than I have in a long time!

I love our lessons on the Armour of God

 and Carlos looked especially ready for battle!!

All week we'd been preparing for our beautiful baptism by inviting members, having Family Home Evening with she and her daughter at the Bishop's home, coordinating all her baptismal clothes, speaking in Ward Council about ways they could support and help, printing off the program, and having final lessons with her to make sure she was prepared. It was all going so well, at least on her part. It's always been that way. She's never raised any concerns because she's had such a solid testimony from the beginning.

On Friday, as we were running between the Ward Mission Leader's home and the Mission Office printed the programs,we were a little stressed. Then we decided to go downtown to a jewelry shop that Bishop's wife works at to get her a nice present. While parking the car, our bike hitch swung and dented a car. Ha, just adding to a nice day. As we started in the shop a member told us some church news that shocked up. Members have been leaving the church from the news in new essays and it left us with a dark cloud. Not that it shook our faith, it just surprised us and shocked us to hear these things. Better yet, was that we realized we had forgotten a little girl on the program who would be singing. So it was 4pm, we'd printed programs without a little girl in it, and we had all these trials building up. We hurried to edit the programs and reprint them all. I can't tell you the peace that came as I looked at these printed programs with a picture of Jesus Christ being baptized. It was amazing! Just an amazing calm. We drove back to our area and I filled up the gas and went to pay.. when I realized I was at the wrong gas station and our mission doesn't cover it. So I paid for the gas from cash at the ATM. Boo, I knew it was Satan who was giving us all these trials because we had a baptism the next day and that he was doing all he could to stop it. We got a text from a member in our ward inviting to stop by for a bit. It was surprising because she had just had us over for dinner the night before, but I was hoping she'd have something sweet because she's a baker. We knocked on her door and she opened up holding two red velvet cupcakes in her hand. Now, I don't know how many people know this, but red velvet in my favourite!! It was like Heavenly Father had opened the door and said, "I love you, know you, and care about what you're going through right now." She said she had been thinking about us all day and had been prompted to invite us over for these extras. I'm so grateful she listened to the Spirit because it was the answer that I needed to strengthen my testimony.

So much love and support from her family on her baptism.

Elizabeth's baptism on Saturday was just so beautiful! Her daughter, dad, sister, fiancé and his mum all came to support her. We also had a primary room full of members who had come to be there and support. Sister Gilmour and I sang "When I am Baptized" with Amearah, her daughter, and Leilia, who's Bishop's daughter. (They're so blessed because they are in the same primary school class and will now grow up in church together.) They stole the show with their singing and it was just the sweetest thing. We walked back to the font with Elizabeth and stood there watching. As she entered the water I started to cry feeling the Spirit so strong. We've known Elizabeth for 35 days and she has an amazing testimony. What a beautiful day!!

She was confirmed yesterday in church and she stood so confident for a vote of welcoming into the ward. Heavenly Father allows us to go through hard things and be tempted so that He can bless us later showing His love, timing, and His way. All this news has only deepened my testimony of the Book of Mormon. If we know the Book of Mormon is true, it doesn't matter all the other fine details. It's another testimony of Jesus Christ and He is the way and the center of this gospel. Everything else on top of His atonement is just appendages. As we come to know the Book of Mormon is true it confirms that the Priesthood has been restored, that Joseph Smith was called to restore the gospel, that Jesus is the Christ, and that this church is true. I love being a missionary and I love Wellington. Every day is an adventure and every day I grow.

I hope you all have a beautiful week!! Don't forget to write me, I love mail;) But seriously, ha.

Love you all heaps!
Sister Kennedy

I can think of no cool titles..

February 24, 2014

Soo the big news of the day. I am staying in Wellington with Sister Gilmour, but I'm now the Sister Training Leader for the Zone. Whoot, exciting slash nervous because we now have 8 sisters in the zone, which is more than ever and the largest in the mission. It's always exciting to learn something new and try a new adventure, so that will be me!

The ZOO! Blue Penguins, the cutest.

Last week for P-day we had real fun and went to the Wellington Zoo. We went with most of our District and saw heaps of monkeys, lions, apes, penguins, and dingoes. Days as a missionary are really long, but the half day we have for fun on P-day goes by soo fast. We tried to make the most of it running around to catch all the big animals before it closed. Ha, our District is really fun.

On Saturday we were involved in a big Mormon Helping Hands service project. I think it was a worldwide day of service, so hopefully back home there were some wonderful projects going on. We got to wear the yellow bibs (first time which was reeal exciting) and we worked at the Karori cemetery to clean paths and plots. Fun fact: the first branch of New Zealand was established in Karori around 1850. At this time, most of the saints were moving to Utah so the branch was closed because all the members were going to Zion. Now the Wellington ward covers Wellington, but a pretty cool connection. Also fun fact, the Robert's are our senior couple and they are from Preston Idaho. Preston is where Matthew Cowley was born. Fun facts bringing the world all together. Anyway, it was really fun to give service along side our stake. Plus, our investigator Elizabeth works at the cemetery so she got to see how involved our church is in helping others.

Speaking of Elizabeth.. she's going to be baptized Saturday. Whee!! Pray for her:) We're going to sing "When I am Baptized" with her little daughter at the program which will be so fun. We don't know what time it will be at because the other ward has a scheduled Birthday party.. so that will be fun to work around. But seriously, we are so excited for her. She rocks.

Wellington at its finest.

I had another little accident in Wellington. Driving on the roads downtown is just so tight. We were driving down a one way when we had to merge and the delivery truck in front of us just pulled over and started backing up in the road to an alley way. they didn't indicate and we were stuck between a car and them so they scratched our bumper. Big yellow mark. I'm just grateful that Brigham Young established big city blocks with wide roads. Wellington did not have the planning of wide streets in mind ha.

Okay, for the spiritual side of things. (By the way, if my emails aren't super spiritual, which I know they aren't, it isn't because I'm not always studying and love the scriptures. I just forget when I'm emailing about all the good stuff I've read. Seriously, I LOVE the Book of Mormon. It's the BOM.) I always get to the small books in the Book of Mormon and get all excited about how fast I can read them, but just this week I realized how precious these little books of Enos, Omni, Jarom and Words of Mormon are. Enos is made whole through his pleading to the Lord. Many people are healed in the Book of Mormon, but not many are "made whole". Big difference. The people in Zarahemla were sent to the promised land at a different time than Lehi and his family. What?! And, Coriantum (I think that's his name..) was the last surviving Jaredite. Crazy! I had no idea these things were even going on. But with my study including looking up in the index every time a new person is introduced, I have come to see the precious details that have been saved for us. So, my request for the week is that everyone reads these little books and looks for the treasures. They're short and they will blow your mind, as they did mine.

I love you all heaps and I'm becoming a city girl. I thought I was a city girl in Salt Lake, but now it's on a whole new level. We ride buses sometimes and I love it, reminding me of my UTA days:) If days ever seem hard and like they won't end, just remember, it's already tomorrow in New Zealand.

Sister Kennedy

A glassy dinner.

February 17, 2014

So.. let me just tell you about the most epic meal appointment of my life!! This beautiful family in the ward invited us for Sunday dinner. They have 5 boys, they met serving missions together in Auckland, and they are just delightful. It's been a bit cold here in Wellington, but this day was gorgeous. The Brother wanted to eat outside on the deck, the Sister wasn't so sure. There was a broken umbrella to shade the table and so the Brother was out using his power tools to jimmy rig it enough to give us shade. It look a long time. Finally, the table was set, the food was ready- a beautiful meal with enchiladas, rice, salad, corn and all the topping- and the umbrella was in. Just 2 bites in we hear this incredible rumble and the entire glass topped table crashes to the ground!!! We are all in immediate shock as we see everything laying in bits on the ground below us. I immediately say, "Grab a camera and take a picture!!" (You can see where my priorities are.)

We had the initial shock of the event, my want of taking pictures, then the realization that people were actually hurt. The boys had just been wearing shorts and they all have pieces of glass that had dug into their thighs. One of the boys did the typical start screaming out of fear, then the others boys were calm, and luckily the mom and dad were problem solvers. Ha the Dad luckily wasn't at the table and so he helped everyone. We had piles of glass on our skirts, but luckily, due to modesty we weren't injured. Let's be real- this family handled the situation perfectly. No one was upset about what caused it or what was broken, but they focused on helping each other and cleaning up the mess. It was the cutest thing, and just so memorable!! When things go bad, all you can do is laugh and clean it up. No use in getting upset because we can't change the past. All we can do it change our attitude about the situation.

We had a suuper fun Valentine's this year. My companion didn't realize that Valentine's isn't about being in love, it's about LOVING! The senior sisters live in the mission office and so we snuck up to their door and "Heart Attacked" them. It was the best. We then spent all day driving to members home and delivering their Heart Attacks. We'd written heaps of scriptures about love on the back and also delivered a thank you note. It was fun to run around and doorbell ditch our members. It also proved beneficial to the trust and love the members have for us. I hope everyone at home had a beautiful Valentine's Day as well. Luckily, I had heaps of American candy from Mum to fill my day:)

I was on exchanges for like 3 days, which is really long, but it was the best. One of the members from Blenheim was moving up here, but I couldn't remember when. We got a call from a private number and I finally figured out it was the Schaumkel's! We got to visit their new home and seeing them was just the sweetest thing. I'm making lifelong friends and family here. That's the beauty of the gospel. I may return home one day, but I know I will see these people again. Our Mission President and wife were in our District Meeting this week, and they are just the sweetest. They go home in July and you can see how sad they are to see it come to an end. Time goes by incredibly fast, but I know we are each called to not only the mission but also to the Mission President. This gospel is true and it makes me so happy:)

Love you all heaps!
Sister Kennedy

Pictures

February 16, 2014

Here are a couple of pictures that Sister Kennedy sent this week:

Okay, aren't these the cutest girls you've ever seen??

Our Plan of Salvation chalk talk.