Monday, June 1, 2015

Weekly Update

Hey Everybody, 

This week has been crazy. I got transfered to a new area last week. I am now Zone Leader here in Pinetop. I am trying to learn the area. We cover a reservation here as well. It is called McNary. 

Something really funny happened this week there. At the beginning of the day we got cookies from the sisters. We threw them in the bed of our truck because they were kind of hard and we weren't planning on eating them. Well later that day we stopped by a LA lady there to set up a appointment. She had kids playing out side. We were able to set up a appointment with her. Then we walked down the street to contact a couple more people. When we came back the kids had some cookies in there mouths. We looked into the bed of our truck and the cookies we had were gone. Well it turned out the kids where checking out our truck and saw the cookies. They just couldn't resist so they jumped into our truck and snatched the cookies. It was so funny. That is what the picture is of at the bottom of the email. 

Well here we are working with a Lady named Chris Connolly. Satan is really working on her right now. She was suppose to be baptized this Saturday but she was not feeling to well. She now has decided not to meet with us. She has a lot of Self Confidence issues so Satan is really using that to stop her from joining the church. It is really sad because there is so much happiness to be found in the gospel and she will be missing out on it if she decides to quit learning. 

This week we spent a lot of time in McNary setting up appointments and trying to teach lessons. It is a pretty cool place, but has a lot of run down houses.They have also a lot of wild dogs there that the locals call the Rez dogs. We went to a graduation reception in McNary as well and we were the only white guys there. Super awesome. They are really awesome people just really lazy. That is why a lot of them don't come to church is because of that. They are really welcoming though and really nice. 

It is pretty stressful being a zone leader. You are always getting calls and trying your best to help out the zone. It is just really tiring, but I know that it is what the Lord is wanting me to do. My Companion is super helpful and a hard worker which is just awesome.I guess you don't really realized how much time our leaders put in to help you until you actually are one. I am definitely learning a lot more about myself with these new responsibilities and am seeing what I can improve on... which is alot. HAHA. 

Well the work is moving forward and it takes all of us to hasten it to what the Lord wants it to be. Keep sharing the gospel and helping those in need. 

Love you all. 
From,
Elder Kennedy


Weekly Update - May 27, 2015

Hey everybody,

Not much to report on besides we finally got iPads. They are so nice
in helping us study the gospel better and teaching amazing lessons. We
had Elder Evans, Elder Allen and Elder Warren come and orientate us on
using iPads safely. They talked a lot about the higher law and how we
need to be taught correct principles and then make the right choices
ourselves. They also shared in 2 Nephi Chapter 2 about how we have
agency and the choice to act for ourselves. That we have the choice to
make the right choices online and what better place to learn this
principle then on a mission.

Well some other good news is I got transferred. I am now in Pinetop as
a Zone Leader. Super excited and super nervous for this new
responsibility. It is hard to leave an area and the people there when
you grow to love them so much, but I am ready for this new challenge.
I love being able to help other missionaries come closer to Christ.

Well I hope all is going well with Y'all. I love you y'all.

Love,
Elder Kennedy

Sent from my iPad

FYI.

Link to his pictures:

Weekly Update - May 18, 2015

Hey Everybody,

This has been a pretty awesome week. 

Monday we had a zone activity in Heber at a place called the Legacy Lodge. It is pretty much a huge place about 20 minutes outside of Heber. I think the owner of Skymall owns this place as well. It had a huge movie theater room, pool tables, ping pong and pretty much anything else you could want. It was so fun! That night we had a lesson with Brooke. She is a young girl that we are teaching that is a foster daughter to a Less active in that ward. We went over the Restoration with her. It went so well. At the end of the lesson we had her pray. It was probably one of the most honest prayers I have heard. It really did come straight from her heart. We are meeting with her again on Thursday so hopefully we can set her on date for baptism then. 

Wednesday we had a lesson with the Drake family. The parents are planning on being baptized on June 6th, 2015. They are so excited about their baptismal date and have invited a lot of people to come. We went over the Priesthood and Auxiliaries with them. Then we went over the Joseph Smith story again with them. They had some questions about it that we were able to answer. We got haircuts that night as well so now we look super awesome. 

On Thursday we had a lot of service. In the morning we were able to help Brother Tyler on his farm and plant some Blue Corn with him. It was super awesome. I am pretty much a professional now. Just Kidding. Then Sister Tyler made us some amazing sandwiches. Later on Thursday we helped one of our investigators pack up his trailer because they are going to be moving to the mountains for a couple weeks. He says that he is doing this so he can study the word more and quit smoking. Whatever helps I guess. They do want to be baptized. They jsut need to give up a few habits. He says they will Thursday night we had a lesson with Hunter Johnson. We taught the Plan of Salvation and we were able to help him choose a baptismal date. He wants to be baptized on July 4th, 2015. Super Awesome. He is so ready. 

Friday we were able to help with a service project for a less active member. We helped him pick up his super heavy wood stove and move it. Super Heavy. Then we had weekly planning Friday as well.  

Saturday we were able to contact a couple referrals. Then we had a lesson that night with a less active family who wants to gain a greater testimony of the Gospel. 

Sunday we had church from 7:30am to 5pm. We were able to give a blessing to someone we worked with in the YSA. He had hurt his ankle really bad. We gave him a blessing to help him heal. Well this morning he texted us and said that his ankle had decreased in swelling that he could actually climb up a ladder without it hurting and that he is going to be able to go to work now. IT WAS A MIRACLE. The Priesthood power is real and God really does look out for his children.  

Side note. We are getting Ipads on Thursday. So excited. 

From,
Elder Kennedy