Monday, June 30, 2014

Weekly Update

Hey Everyone,

We had another baptism this week for a man named Chris Adams. He is an amazing person with a huge heart. He volunteers about 40 hours a week at the local senior center. He is having a lot of struggles as he has found out that his dad only has about a year to live and that his mom was just put in the ICU. So this is a really tough time for him but we can tell that the gospel has definitely been a huge influence in his life and that he has found comfort in its teachings. Could y'all please pray for his mom that she might get well soon.

That is really the highlight of the week.
Hope all is going well.

Love Elder Kennedy


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Weekly update


Hey everybody!
We had a baptism June 21st for a lady named Lea McNeil. She is 89 years old and is probably one of the spunkiest person I have ever met! It took us a while to commit her to baptism, but once she made that step forward and decided to be baptized she said a weight just lifted and she feels so happy now. After her baptism her whole personality changed and she is just really happy! She now has the spirit in her life and loves life.
We have another baptism coming up on the 28th of June for a man named Chris Adams. He was so prepared to hear the gospel in his life. We invited him to be baptized the first lesson and he accepted. When he first started reading the Book of Mormon he said that he just felt so good about it. He prayed and knows this is Christ Church restored on the earth. He feels the spirit every time he goes to church. He truly was prepared by God. We have come to love him as a brother and are so happy that he is making the decision to be baptized.
Those where the main highlights of the week! Hope yall are doing well!
Love, 
Elder Kennedy

Monday, June 16, 2014

Pretty awesome week!

Hey Everybody,


This has been a pretty awesome week.
We had zone conference on Wednesday which the mission president comes to and teaches us how to be better missionaries. That was a very inspiring lesson which was about distractions that may be keeping us from missionary work.
After zone conference we were able to go to the Snowflake temple. Man do I love going to the temple! There is just a peace there that you cant get anywhere else. That was the highlight of the week.

We are starting to have a little bit more success in this area. We were able to go out with our bishop twice this week and were able to get in some homes that we were not able to before. We are working hard.

We also had the opportunity yesterday to give talks in one of our wards. I was asked to give it on President Uchtdorfs  talk in the last General Conference called "Are you Sleeping through the Restoration". I always get so nervous before a talk, but I say a prayer right before and then I know that God will help me as I have prepared the best I can. I hope that I did good and that it may have helped at least One person out.

Well I hope everything is going alright!

Love Elder Kennedy

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Short Week

Hey Everyone,

Things are going pretty good this week. Not a whole lot of teaching going on right now, but we have been in the finding process right now. One big thing that I have felt and also what one of our ward missionaries has said is that these wards are in need of a lot of Less Active Work. As I was reading the book The Power of Everyday Missionaries there was a section that really stuck out to me and to our bishop as well. It was about how we need to be a ward that God can trust his children with. I believe this happens as we start caring for those children in the ward that are less active or inactive. We need to take care of the sheep that are already apart of our fold before God will trust us with more of his sheep.

I hope that this is what God wants us to do in this area. That as we start to bring his children back again into the fold that God may trust these wards with more of his children.
Keep up the good work everyone!
Love,
Elder Kennedy

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Treking Along!

Hey Everyone!

This past couple days have been a blast! The missionaries in the Eagar Stake had the opportunity to go on trek! This was probably one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever done. 

For all who don't know what Trek is it is when we dress up as Pioneers and push a handcart for 4 days in the wilderness. Just like how Pioneers back in the day pulled handcarts across the plains for many months with their families. My Family that I got was so awesome. My Ma and Pa was Justin and Alesha Walker. Justin is a very big dude. Built like an Ox. They shared how they went on Trek the last time and how it had changed their lives. Before the last Trek they were not very active in church, but during the Trek they realized what was really important in life - Church, Family, and the Temple. They realized that they needed to go to the temple and get sealed for time and all eternity. There story really touched me and how even grown men can care about their family and be involved in church. He cried while sharing his story. 

What I personally learned on Trek was that our trials are only for a small moment. The trek was hard and we had to really push ourselves. During the Trek and likewise during trials we never know when they end is. We think that it could go on forever, but if we keep enduring and having faith then we will reach the end. When we reach the end and look back at what we went through we can feel accomplished and see how this trial could help us in our own lives.

Another thing I learned is just what the Pioneers had to endure. I gained a greater appreciation for what they actually went through. I know that they wouldn't walk thousands of miles and many months for something that was not true. I know that they were completely converted to the Lord Jesus Christ and his Gospel because many of them actually died while crossing or lost family members. We only had to endure 4 days of what many had to endure for months. I don't know if I could have made it. 

While on Trek I became really good friends with a young man named Dallin Ashcroft. He has had a very hard life. I was able to become his friend and help him reach out of his comfort zone and see that he is a child of God. He is probably one of the coolest guys I have ever met and I hope to continue to be his friend for a very long time. 

Before Trek one of our investigators Lea McNeil had a mini stroke during one of our lessons and almost died. Luckily we were their and were able to call the ambulance. She is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. She is about 90 years old and has had a very hard life. She has been told by her husband throughout there 30 years of marriage that she is stupid. Her self esteem is so low. Ever since she met with the missionaries and came  in contact with the church she has had a light shine in her that wasnt there before. The Bakers an senior couple were the ones that first met Lea and introduced her to the Gospel. They are leaving in August so they are trying to find, with our help, some people to fellowship her and to be her friend. Since she is in the hospital a lot of people from the church have been stopping by and visiting her. Most of her doctors are LDS. When we went to visit with her yesterday at the hospital she told us that she is seriously thinking about being baptized because of all the fellowship she has. This goes to show how important members are in getting involved in missionary work. When investigators feel welcomed at church they feel comfortable and their hearts open up to the gospel. Please keep her in your prayers as she is going through a hard time right now in her life. 

Well I love you all and thank you all for your support. Have a great week.


Love Elder Kennedy