What a week!!
The days are all running together now, looking back on the week and trying to remember what happened is a struggle. I'm sorry if I'm a little vague I need to get back in the habit of writing a little thing every night for my email ;) We did three major things this week in this order.
Finding….. in the form of finding all the less actives in our area. I don't know if I've shared this already, so if I did just ignore it, but we have 5 active members in our area and about 200 less actives, enough for a whole ward... so we are up to our ears in invitations to the ward’s Halloween party this week. We have been working on this for two weeks now and have made contact with about 46% of them :( hahaha let's just say we have our work cut out for us, but we have had really good results. We've found some solid people and we're hoping to be able to start teaching them. Teaching
We have been teaching very little compared to what I have been used to and to what I wish we would be, but with that being said we've had some great lessons this week! They just say Sister Sufia can bring the spirit like no one else I know!! She has gone through so much which allows here to bear such an outstanding testimony. Anyone within the sound of her voice can't help but to feel the spirit!! It makes our lessons so good and for me it's so much fun!! We have been building up our teaching pool for the last few weeks (because if we don't we're going to be walking Popsicle this winter knocking on doors). I think this week we began to see the some headway with all of our work and our prayers and our deep desires. We have had three families drop in our laps this week!! We are very excited. No promises yet, but we have set up return appointments with all of them for this coming week so hopefully we will have some new ones to teach!!
Preparing for the baptism
So Michelle's baptism was this week and oh my goodness it was so good!! The best I've been to yet!! It was such a wonderful day. I don't know if I have shared this or not, but Michelle has been investigating for a little over a year!! Sister Grant was one of the first ones to teach her, crazy right!! Anyway, Michelle wanted to be so sure that this is what she really wanted, and because of that she is so solid!! She knows without a doubt that this is what she needs to do for both herself and her kids. Her husband Robert was baptized when he was about 10 and shortly after his family moved and they kept moving because of different things that were going on within his family. As a result his family has become inactive. In his own words, he said that they didn't stop going to church they just stopped going to our church. They just went to the closest church and because of that he has experienced many churches. Ok now fast forward 30 years Robert and Michelle are married now and they have two kids. Side note Michelle was raised devote Catholic. Ok so they both knew that they needed some guidance to raise their kids and some sort of structure, going to church and good values was something that they knew was going to be vital. Thinking back on all the churches that Robert had attended he thought that the Mormons had the best set up and he felt the best when he was there. He said there was always a peaceful and joyful fellowship that he felt and he didn't feel anywhere else. He told this to Michelle and she was a little hesitant but agreed. So, he looked up the closest LDS church and they went one Sunday and the kids just loved it. Robert talked to the bishop about getting his wife more involved and the rest is history. A year later Michelle is baptized Robert is going to receive the Aaronic priesthood and the kids were basically the main driving force… they love it!!
On Saturday it was very special day. You could have cut through the spirit with a knife!! Words can’t describe… more than any of my other baptisms this one was super super special! I think it was because I could see the gospel working on a greater level then just an individual. I got to witness how this baptism affected a whole family!! It was so good. Such a sweet thing! It’s also been fun to watch me as they have supported each other though it all. Granted I’ve only seen a small peek of it, but it’s so cool! I realized too, that Michelle had something different from those that I have taught before she has that love and support, my other recent converts are for the most part by themselves, yes they have a ward family, but they are all by themselves most of the time. They have to be constantly working and fighting to do the things they need to, to stay true to the covenants they have made. I’m not saying that it won’t be a struggle for Michelle sometimes but it’s going to be so much easier for her. On Sunday night we went over to their house to fill out some paper work and her and her husband said, “So now all we have to wait for is this year to pass”. Together they have made the goal and they are all ready working towards it! I don’t doubt for one second that they'll make it. They have each other and they have a firm faith and a strong testimony of the Gospel!! It’s great to be a missionary and to be able to watch what the gospel can do for families and what joy comes from it.
Well that’s about it for my week, I’ll end in with a funny story that happened to me yesterday. They asked me to speak in sacrament meeting. I’m up there giving my talk. About half way though, I see all of these brothers stand up and leave. I was thinking, well that’s weird. Then someone in the back of the chapel starts waving their hands in the air, and I’m thinking to myself, what the heck is happening. I’m looking around still trying to give my talk; I look at the bishop and he’s not doing anything. I couldn't figure it out. Was I talking too long? I looked at my watch that wasn't it. I continued on and stranger things kept happening. I Came up with three conclusions: 1. I am Teaching False Doctrine or 2. I had something on me or 3. My talk was so bad that they were just telling me to put them out of their misery and just sit down. I Kept looking at Sister Sufia for some answers as to what was going on and she just looked at me with a big smile on her face ( She was No Help) I Said a quick Prayer in my heart. Mind you I’m still speaking while all this is going on in my brain. I felt like I should deliver the message that I had prepared. Right as I was finishing up, a man from the audience walks up to the stand, goes and kneels by the bishop and starts whispering something to him, I was like, “great this is the worst talk ever and they are asking him to make me sit down (that was the only answer that I could think up of) I finished with my testimony and sat down, The lady sitting next to me leaned over and told me that I gave an amazing talk. I was so confused. At last all my wonders came to a close as Bishop got up and said we are going to forego the rest of the talks, and the songs and just end with a prayer. There was a gas leak and we needed to leave the church as soon as possible. We were dismissed for the day. All that worrying for nothing, I didn’t give a bad talk I gave a killer talk. I brought the spirit so strongly that there was no need to go to the next two hours, they had been spiritually fed!! jk But that was one for the books:)
Hey, thanks for everything you all do for me and the many prayers in my behalf! I can truly say that I have felt them. That’s the coolest thing about being out here is that I feel like I’m never alone, so many of you right alongside me! Many have told me that they feel like they are on this journey with me. Many have said that these people out here have changed them and have inspired them to reach deeper with their own faith, try a little harder to build up their testimony. I’m So Grateful That you are able to be on this AMAZING ride with me. Once again thank you for the all the Prayers… it means so much! I love you! Thank you for believing in me enough to give me confidence that I can do this :)
I hope you all have a great week
Keep SMILIN
Sister Kendrick
P.S. If any of you are not aware… The Cubs made it to the World Series and everyone is going crazy here!! The Curse has been broken! Everywhere we go the game is on! It’s been really fun
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