Weekly Update - 11/30/2015

Hey Everybody,
This past week was straight cray cray. On Wednesday we had zone
conference. It was actually pretty cool. President Sweeney taught us
about how everything typifies that their is a christ. He sent us a
whole document that I will attach. The Assistants gave a training on
how to interact between sisters and elders. That was kind of lame, but
it was alright.

Thanksgiving was awesome as well. In the morning we met up with a
bunch of people and had a huge turkey bowl. It was pretty awesome. I
am pretty sore from it. Then we went fishing with a member for a
couple hours. I didn't catch anything. The Kennedy Curse is real.
Elder Warren caught a 12 inch rainbow trout and the member we were
with caught a smaller one. I didn't catch jack diddle squat. Then we
had a awesome Thanksgiving dinner. It was super delicious. They sent
us home with a lot of leftovers.

On Saturday we went on exchanges. I went with Elder Moody in his area.
It went pretty good.

On Sunday, Steve Ohlau who was baptized a couple months ago did the
sacrament for the first time. He didn't even screw up on saying the
words. He did so good. All of the High Priest got to pass and bless
with him. It was awesome seeing all of those mature men passing the
sacrament when we are used to seeing 12 year old boys do it. The
Spirit was so strong.

Well I dont have to much to report on this week. In a couple weeks
Elder Robbins is coming to do a mission tour. It should be super
awesome.

I love you all. Dont forget to share the new christmas video called "A
Savior is Born". #ASaviorIsBorn

Love,
Elder Kennedy
Arizona Scottsdale Mission
6265 N. 82nd St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
dallas.kennedy@myldsmail.net

Weekly Update - 11/23/2015

Hey Everybody,
This week was pretty crazy. One of our investigators got baptized on
Saturday. His name is Isaac Brown. He is pretty awesome. Our Stake
President got to baptize him. It was such a lovely program. Then on
Sunday we confirmed Isaac and also everyone sustained him to receive
the priesthood. So he will be receiving the priesthood next week. It
is so exciting.

On Saturday also we got to eat dinner with President Shumway (our
stake president) and his family and then ride up with them to clean
the snowflake temple. He is such an inspired man and has such great
love in him for everyone. He is a great example of what I hope to be
one day. I want to be a righteous priesthood holder and father one
day.

Sunday Night the Nashville Tribute Band performed here. They are so
awesome and inspired men. I love there music. Before the show all the
missionaries in the stake got to go and pray with them. It was so
cool. I got to meet them once before when I was serving in Eagar, AZ.
They played all there songs from The Redeemer Album. Dan Truman from
Diamond Rio also plays with them and he had his 2 sons come and play
as well. It was so cool.

Well, hopefully soon in McNary we will get a Addiction Recover Program
set up at the McNary Branch building. Things are looking good here.
Love,
Elder Kennedy
Arizona Scottsdale Mission
6265 N. 82nd St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250

Weekly Update - 11/16/2015

Hey Everybody,

This email will be kind of short since I just emailed on Wednesday.
One awesome thing that happened is that Isaac Brown came to church as
well he passed the interview for baptism. He will be baptized on
Saturday. Super exciting.

Also we had a lesson with like 6 12 year old native girls in one
lesson. They were just really giggly the whole lesson. It was really
frustrating because they were not really paying attention the whole
lesson. If any of you have advice on how to work with teenage girls
let me know. I need reinforcements on this one.

We also met with the Ohlaus this week. We had the lesson at the Bohns
home. The Ohlaus really are getting majorly fellowshipped right now.
At the lesson we heard about what happened in France. That is so sad.
On a happier note on Sunday Brother Ohlau received the Aaronic
priesthood. Isn't the gospel just wonderful. Isn't it amazing that
through these hard times we do not have to fear, because we have a
prophet who leads and guides this church. Even though there are those
that are opposing Christians and their influence is growing stronger,
so is the Gospels influence growing stronger and more people are
turning to Christ. We cannot rely on anything else besides this Gospel
to help us through these times.

Well I don't have much else to report on. I will send some pictures to
y'all as well.

Love,
Elder Kennedy
Arizona Scottsdale Mission
6265 N. 82nd St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
dallas.kennedy@myldsmail.net

Weekly Update - 11/11/2015

Hey Everybody,
I love you all. This past week and a half have been awesome. We are
really starting to see a lot of success in our areas. The work is
really moving forward. We have someone that we are working with named
Isaac. He is planning on getting baptized November 21st. He came with
us to a baptism on Saturday and truly loved it. He was crying during
parts of it. He seems to be doing pretty good.

Also we met with Rick this week. We had our WML Brother Knight come
with us to that. It went so good. He is doing amazing. He is reading
the book of mormon and knows it to be true. He is so prepared. We
talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him. It went so good. He
has had so many experiences that have testified to him that Christ is
real. He worked a lot with Homeless people down in Tucson and has
learned a lot from them. It seems that those who don't have much and
are truly humble they are the ones who truly know Jesus. They have no
where else to turn to. Truly Inspirational.

Well I have a new companion now. I am training again. My Trainees name
is Elder Warren and he is from Indiana. He is pretty awesome. A little
bit goofy. He loves Taco Bell so much though. He worked there for 3
years. I think he loves it more then I do. HAHA! It is pretty funny!

I heard about how everyone is condemning the church on the recent
policy change. Our mission presidents wife was really amazing
yesterday talking about it to us during transfer meetings. She
compared it to Nehor in Alma 1. How Nehor was condemning the church
and things because he wanted to get popularity. Then she talked about
what the people did in response. They strengthened themselves and
shared the gospel and went to church. These are all things that we
need to do. I love how our church never changes doctrine or sin to
conform to the popularity of the world. That is how you can know we
are in christ church. Because it is not a changing church, but it is a
living church. As she was talking I kept thinking how now the line is
being drawn even more definitely. That there really is no more gray
any more. It is black and white. Even the most elect are being
deceived. It is a crazy world, but we can make it through on the
basics and really striving to perfect the basics. Our mission
president shared an amazing insight yesterday about this new policy
and how we can respond to those who oppose this decision. He related
it to the plan of salvation. Yes this policy is not fair in this life
time or This earth life that we are living because people don't have
an eternal perspective. We knew our heavenly father before we came
here and we saw the relationship he and our heavenly mother had. We
wanted that. It was a eternal perspective. After this life God wont
honor any marriage that is not in the temple and is not between a man
and a women. That is the way it was before this earth was, that is the
way it is now and that is the way it will be after this life. Elder
Christofferson spoke about how the church cannot deceive. It doesn't
help anyone to deceive. If God wont accept Gay marriage on the other
side why would christ church accept it on this side. That is deception
and will help no one. They really helped build my testimony of the
gospel and modern revelation.

Well I love you all. Keep going strong.
Love,
Elder Kennedy
Arizona Scottsdale Mission
6265 N. 82nd St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
dallas.kennedy@myldsmail.net

Weekly Update - 11/02/2015

Hello Everyone,

This has been a crazy week. On Monday we met with the Ohlaus. Brother

Ohlau was baptized about 5 or 6 weeks ago. We had a really good

discussion on councils in the church and how the church is organized.

They are both doing so well in the gospel. I can see so much

progression in them since we first started meeting with them.

On Tuesday we started meeting with a less active who just recently had

a niece pass away who was like her own daughter. She had some

encounters with her after the niece died saying things like let me go

mom. I am fine mom. It was really amazing to know that our family who

passed on are still doing fine after this life. She really just needed

someone to vent to because she doesn't really have anyone left besides

her husband. We were able to talk to her about the Plan of Salvation

and how we will be with our family after we die. We gave her a

pamphlet to read. We were not able to meet with her for the rest of

the week. We went out with the Bishopric in one of our wards that

night as well. We were able to make contact with people we have not

been able to in a long time. We should be starting to meet with a

potential soon because of those visits.

Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Damoth who is one of our zone

leaders. He came to my area. We had district meeting that morning. It

was all about aligning the keys in the wards we serve in to accomplish

the work that the Lord has in plan for those areas. It was super good.

We had a halloween party that night for our wards. We stopped by

briefly and then headed off to a meeting with the Stake President.

Thursday I went to an Elders area for exchange. His name is Elder

Hugo. It was a interesting exchange. He is a interesting Elder. Not

much to report on about that.

Friday we had a lesson with a less active and investigator. We talked

about the importance of prayer and scripture study. I was surprised to

find out that they are actually reading them now and praying. This is

a lot of progress for them especially since I have been here.

Saturday I did a baptismal interview for a young girl who is getting

baptized on the 7th. It went super good. Then we went to the temple

for the day. I was able to bring about 30 names to have baptisms and

confirmations for. Also I gave some other elders some people that

needed endowments. We got about 5 of them done. It was such a great

day. We then had the opportunity to clean the temple afterwards as

well. That was awesome.

Sunday we had a amazing day at church. The first sacrament meeting

Elder Heaton and I gave our testimonies almost first. We talked alot

about temples. There was a less active there that came for the first

time since I have been here. Most of the talks talked about temples. I

was thinking I am so glad she is here to experience this. The spirit

was so strong. We also gave our testimonies in the Other sacrament

meeting as well. The whole day was probably my most favorite time at

church because the spirit was so strong. Stronger then normal.

All in all it was an amazing week. Only have less then 3 months left

on my mission. Got to make it count. Love you all. Keep going on.

Love,

Elder Kennedy

Arizona Scottsdale Mission

6265 N. 82nd St.

Scottsdale, AZ 85250

dallas.kennedy@myldsmail.net

Weekly Update - 10/26/2015

Hey Everybody,

This has been a busy week. On Tuesday I went on exchanges with an
Elder in my district. It went pretty good. We saw so many miracles
there. We had a lot of people ask us some hard questions and through
the spirit we were able to answer them flawlessly.

On Thursday we had Interviews with President as well we had District
meeting. I love Interviews because it is just a time, one on one, with
President and we can just talk. He is such an inspired man. One thing
that we are focusing on in our mission is aligning the keys. So he
help us know of how we can align keys with our bishop and stake
presidents.

Saturday we had a priesthood leadership session and adult session of
Stake Conference. In both those sessions they talked about the
importance of councils in the Church whether they be family or ward
councils. They then talked about how in these councils we should make
plans to accomplish things. We shouldn't just talk.

President Shumway (Stake President) Gave everyone 4 principles of
effective planning. He received all these points from the Church
Handbook.

1. Plan with purpose and with a purpose
2. Plan well in Advance
3. Involve Others (Especially the Youth)
4. Communicate the plans and give clear Direction.

Planning is really so important because that is what leads us to
actually doing. It is one thing to talk about people in Family or Ward
Councils. It is another to actually plan for people.

On Sunday, we had the last session of Stake Conference. One thing that
stuck out to me from it was something President Shumway called
Brutiful. It is not a real word, but he said it means the brutal
things we go through in order to become the beautiful person our
heavenly father knows we can become. The whole conference was so
awesome. President and Sister Sweeney (Mission President and Wife)
where there as well. They talked about how missionary work is easy and
shared some stories from their own life.

It was such a great week and is getting colder each day. They say it
will be a bad winter here with lots of snow. I am looking forward to
it.

Well, I love you all. Stay safe. Stay faithful.
Love,
Elder Kennedy
Arizona Scottsdale Mission
6265 N. 82nd St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
dallas.kennedy@myldsmail.net