A Kennedy in Kennewick: The Last Song

Hermana Streuling, Hermana Harston, Hermana Dee, and I. Notice that Hermana Dee and I have the same skirt

Wow. These past 18 months have been a blur! Where did they go? I feel like I'm just barely getting adjusting to missionary life, and now I have to pack up everything I own and adjust to returned missionary life. That is just not fair. It's a good thing that everything that is not fair in this life will be made right through Christ's Atonement.

Well, this past week has been really eventful! Here's what happened:

Monday: We actually kept our P-day schedule, meaning that we started our laundry at 10 instead of during our studies. And crazy things happened! Our apartment is clean, our clothes were folded before 6, we got to have fun with some other sisters, go shopping, and start proselyting at 6. Miracle! Also, 3 people came up and talked to us about the gospel, which is great! I didn't even have to go outside my comfort zone to share the gospel. Nothing really exciting happened because I was sick, but we did meet a few new people and have another lesson. And then we went on exchanges. :)

Tuesday: Well, Sister Torman came with me to our area for this exchange. It was really fun. We worked with less-actives pretty much all day. We even tracted for 5 hours, and nobody except members opened the door. Great fun. Not. We did have some fun sorting legos and building shelves at our service at the museum, though. Something I learned from Sister Torman was how to have a sense of urgency. Even if all your plans fall through and nobody answers the door for 5 hours, it's time and effort that you gave to the Lord, and He will bless you for it. :)

Wednesday: This day was a little better. (Also, it was Hermana Ayala's birthday, so Feliz Cumpleanos, hermanita!) We had a great district council where we got to roleplay teaching simply. It was great fun, except I was companions with an elder. Can you say awkward? Anyway, we taught the Restoration toward the commitment of baptism, which started with Joseph Smith and how he wanted to know which church to unite himself to. We unite ourselves to churches through baptism. That was a new way for me to introduce baptism into the Restoration, so I learned a ton. Then we had to change our oil and rotate our tires, but we talked to about 3 new people while we did that. We also saw a huge miracle! I've been trying by one former investigator in particular, E, since my first week here. I went by her last summer when I worked with Hermana Marble on transfer day once. And since I've been here in Wenatchee, I've tried by her a couple hundred times probably. So, we decided why not? Let's try her one more time. We went by, we knocked, and she opened the door. She's been in the hospital in Spokane for the past couple of months, and her husband was too scared to answer the door. Anyway, she was busy, but we set up a return appointment for the next day. Stay tuned for more on E. We also met the non-member brother of a less-active who agreed to be baptized. Too bad he doesn't live in our area. ALSO, LANDMARK!!! I bought tamales from a lady who was selling tamales on the street. They we soooooooo good. No regrets.

Thursday: E actually kept her return appointment! Miracle right there. We had an awesome first lesson with her and she is so excited to come to church and read the Book of Mormon again. WE ate dinner with our ward mission leader and then tried by a less active. We just found out where this less active lives, and so we decided to visit her around 6. We get there, we knock on the door, we ring the doorbell, and the returning less-active mother that we met on the street a couple weeks ago came out, told us there were a few problems, and told us to run away and hide. So, we ran away to a member's house who lived just down the street, they hid us as we jumped in our car, and then we skedaddled. Probably the scariest moment of my mission. Anyway, we talked to another guy on the street about God and science, which was actually a really fun conversation. And that's about it.

Friday: We had an awesome lesson with a less active family and our ward mission leader. It was so good! And then we had interviews. Well, everyone else had interviews. President Lewis decided to wait to do mine for my departing interview. But, I did get to talk with Sister Lewis who totally called me to repentance on journal writing. Did you know that it is a commandment from the Lord to keep records? Those records being our journals? And did you know that we progress more when we keep a record of our life than when we don't? Food for thought. We kind of weekly planned, had dinner with some investigators, and met 5 new people and had 3 other lessons. Pretty fun stuff.

Saturday: Well, we had our studies and did the funnest service ever. We were maids for a Downton Abbey themed tea party. We did not partake of the tea, we just served food and stuff. And OYMed like 20 people. The museum director now wants to talk to us every time we come over about religion because he's searching for the truth. Good things came, I promise. We spent the rest of our day talking to people and then we got to go to stake conference. With Elder Christofferson and Elder Schmutz (of the 70). Can I just say, Elder Christofferson is hilarious? At the beginning of his talk he read a sign posted on the podium that said: "Speak clearly. Take pauses. You are being translated." *Paused to look up at heaven* And then he said: "I can't wait!". I about died, I was laughing so hard. Anyway, it was an awesome conference where I learned that not even bullets can penetrate 2nd Nephi and that the temple is our safe haven.

Sunday: Well, we woke up at the break of dawn to go to a Spanish session of stake conference. (Did you know that Elder Christofferson is fluent in Spanish? And his accent is perfect? Only slightly jealous.) They talked a lot about making sure to pay your tithing and give what the Lord deserves to Him. Then, the Sunday morning session called me to repentance about my scripture study. I get that I need to study the scriptures now. Like, there are no excuses. That is the only way we can progress and learn God's plan for us! Anyway, cool story: A former investigator that I found in Chelan who got baptized after I left CAME TO STAKE CONFERENCE!!!!!! It was the investigator that I gave a bag of pretzels to. We'll see if anyone knows who I'm talking about. ;) Anyway, I also got to see pretty much all the members from Chelan as well, so that was fun. We tried by some referrals, but we saw a lady standing outside watering her plants, so we decided to talk to her. Her name is Rose and she asked us to come in. We had a great first lesson with her where we got to explain the Godhead. I think she got it the third time. It was just a good time to focus on teaching simply and make sure they understand what we're teaching. Our next lesson with her is on Tuesday. Miracles all over the place!

Well, I think that's about it for this week. Life continues for the next week, and after that this time of my life is over. I don't want to go. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what the Lord will have me do. I'll do that. See y'all soon!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Kennedy