The week I turned 20

Happy Valentine's Day!!  Thank you all for all your kind notes!!  I love them so much!!  On Tuesday we were able to do so much service and help people feel loved!  We made hearts and notes to put on 15 people's doors in our ward.  It was so fun to do and to know we were putting a smile on their faces and helping them to have a good day. We also were able to go to the nursing home with the YSA and give out homemade cards we made for the residents and the workers.  It was super fun to talk to all the elderly and show them how much they are loved and appreciated even thought their family or loved ones may not be there with them.


On Wednesday we went on exchanges with Griffith which was so super fun!  They have like 15 investigators which is a lot and so we were busy from the time we woke up until the time we had to go and exchange back.  Seriously it was amazing to be in nonstop lessons.  I haven't been in nonstop lessons for literally forever.  Teaching is so fun on the mission and I have missed it so much!  It was such a blessing to be able to teaching talk with people and help them come closer to Christ.

Thursday started out a normal day with service at the museum and then planning.  I was thinking we would just be planning and then we would go finding.  Well I was wrong.  Around 5pm we were finishing up planning and our apartment door just opens up and its 3 members that are coming to kidnap me for a birthday dinner!  I was really surprised!  They took us to Albanese Candy Factory and Store and had fun getting candy and then we went to Red Lobster which was super sweet of them and then we were going back to teach a lesson.

  I was literally clueless and had no idea that weren't going over there for just a lesson.  We were going for a little surprise birthday party. They made me a cake with Africa on it which I love and the whole apartment was decorated.  Sister Tanner is so sweet and got me a cute dress and then I was able to dissect a sheep heart which was a gift from a member that knows me too well. Lol. I also got to take everyone's blood pressure which I was so happy about.  Then of course the surprises weren't over!  When we pulled up to our apartment the Hebron Sister missionaries had broke into our apartment a decorated it for my birthday.  Then on top of all of that I got so many wonderful cards and letters and emails!  I felt so loved on my birthday and the day before as well.  Thank you to everyone who sent me gifts, cards and emails.  It meant so much to me!

Friday was my actual birthday haha.  In the morning we did service at the museum and I also helped give tours to people who were visiting all by myself.  It was basically like serving in Nauvoo.  Super fun! Then we went to Senior Prom at the nursing home because we have some sweet members that live there.  We got to dance with them and help them have fun with all the music.  It is so funny to watch all the elderly get their dance on!  After that we had MCM and they were so sweet and surprised me with ice cream! 

 Wow I am one blessed missionary!  I had so much fun these past few days.  Thank you again for all ALL of you do to make me feel loved.  

Saturday was a lot calmer of a day.  We spent a lot of time reaching out to less active members and trying to clean up the records we keep on the less active members and investigators.  We also visited the sweetest old man, Brother Ackley.  He is so precious.  We played a gospel testimony game and it was so amazing to hear his testimony that he has been growing for the past 70 years that he has been a member. He is a convert and his wife just passed away so we try to visit him every week so he doesn't feel lonely.  Then on Sunday he bore his testimony which was pressure.

I love you all!!

Keep smilin!
Sister Kendrick

God is Good

Well, this week has been great as always. Were just working it down here and lovin every second!! We've been up to the same old same old for the most part so I just want to share the highlights of this week:)

Exchanges with Sister Mattinson:
I love this girl so much she is one of the hardest working missionary I know!! It was such a great day with her!! This exchange was filled with tender mercies for me. Coming in strong at the start of the night we went to a Bible referral.  The church has these ads that pop up on the computer and on phones that offer a free Bible and then the missionaries get notified and we go and drop it off.  It's really neat and we are able to teach a lot of people this way especially in Chicago, they get so many Bible referrals it’s hard to keep track of them all.  Anyway, we went to meet this man and his wife and low and behold he was from Africa!! Nigeria, actually.  So after giving individual the Bible we then transition into introducing the Book of Mormon.  When we gave him the Bible he said "no I know about this book! I would like to know more about The Book of Mormon!" Not something you hear all that often!! To make a long story short,  growing up the government would not let the church build a church in Nigeria for a very long time, and when they did they pushed them to as far away from the people as they could (mind you, this is all out of his mouth) they pushed them right into his home grounds.  He said when he was in high school there were missionaries that went out and about and he remembered a lot of white people haha:) His cousin was interested in the new building and the white people so he went and found out for himself.   He said that his cousin was baptized but he never had an interest.  A few years later his brother met the Missionaries and decided to join the church and he currently lives in Utah.   He said that his cousin is now "in Charge of the church or something " aka Bishop haha So we were able to teach him.  He is now at the age of 60 he is able to learn more about the church after all of his interactions with Church before.  Also I loved it because I love Africa!

Skyping Sue:
So Sue has been down in Kentucky these last few weeks so we have been skyping her while she was gone:) it’s been so much fun!  We taught her about the temple which she is preparing for and had some pretty funny conversations.  She is hilarious!  I love her!

Fun Hobby Lobby Experience:
So I normally like to give people compliments when I see them in stores and on the streets because I know that it brightens their day and mine.  Also I think it makes it less awkward to start a conversation as well.  So we were in Hobby Lobby to get some things that we needed and I saw this older lady and just said, "You look pretty today!" I had no idea how much this would mean to her, but later on in the store we bumped into her and she asked us if we Christians.  We said yes and that we were actually missionaries.  She then went on to tell us how she felt like she looked like a rag doll today and then we talked to her she knew it was an answer from God to be told she was pretty and she just wanted to tell us God is good.  I had no idea it would mean so much to her, I was just being kind and God knew what she needed and met her need through such a simple act of kindness.  God is good.

Thank you to everyone that sent me an email this week! I appreciate them so much!  I am working on writing letters and responding to emails!  I love y'all!
Keep smiling!
Sister Kendrick

Mission Life

Hi y'all!

This week has been great, but it had its ups and downs mainly because we got dropped by everyone we were trying to teach.  Mission life is the real deal and mission life is hard.

MLC was this week and we talked a lot about the training we received last week with the missionary worldwide devotional.  As I've been studying it these are some things that I enjoyed. :).   Because this week was a fail I thought I'd share the quotes and my thoughts!!! Love y'all Hope you enjoy this!

"I think too often that we as members of the church have a cookbook checklist mentality about living the gospel.  So faith is this little separate thing and repentance is a separate thing and then there is this ordinance of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. All things are gathered together in one in Christ.  So faith is in the Savior in him as the son of God, in his nature and his attributes, repentance is a dependence upon Him, faith in Him depending upon him is repentance.  Following Him is baptism.  Pressing forward with Him is enduring to the end with the companionship of the Holy Ghost its all gathered together in Him. As we are proclaiming dependence upon Christ that is repentance which leads to the mighty change of heart."

Elder Bednar

I thought this was really cool because we so often just go through the motions of just checking off our to do list of the gospel that we miss the truth and big picture of Christ permeating our entire life.  Application is key. It is all done through Him.

How does a missionary know if they are being successful?

"I hope I don't sound harsh, but part of how you know is when you quit worrying about it! The success Is not given to the missionary for him or her.  Success is a blessing and a gift from the Lord. Alma 26:22  Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing--unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.

emphasis on given.  Many missionaries read this and say if I just read this and follow this checklist I'm going to baptize thousands...only if God gives it to you! Alma 26:27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. I will give unto you success. So I think the measure is will a missionary do the simple things each day he or she knows he or she should do regardless whether or not the Lord chooses to bless them with success."

Elder Bednar

So true! When you worry about it it doesn't make it happen.  Heavenly Father will make it happen at the right time in the right way and until then we gotta just keep working and doing all that we can to move his work forward. So that's what I'm gonna do.

"You just have to be as good as you can be and God will magnify you and make you more than you can ever become."

Basically that quote speaks for itself.

"A way to know if a missionary understands the doctrine of Christ will show up in the way a missionary acts and the way they behave.  If a missionary really understands the doctrine of Christ and what it stands for they'll act differently. they are going to be more obedient and they are going to develop a better lasting relationship with their companions and they're going to seek the spirit more fully and fervently."

So as I have strived to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ it has been working within me.  Like this quote says I changes you from the inside as you share it with others!

I Love y'all!

Keep smiling!

Sister Kendrick 

Hey Y'all!

So this week’s letter is gonna be short and sweet.  Things are coming along here in the boondocks.  This week has been the same as usual. We have been doing a lot of outreach to members in the ward.  It is really important to reach out to all of God's children.  There are so many people that have left the church whether they were offended or just fell away or even possibly felt pushed away, but Christ's church is supposed to be for everyone.  It is so important to remember that the Gospel is perfect, but the people in the Church are not.  It is so important that we reach out to those who are feeling lost or have fallen away from the Church.

Challenge this week: Reach out to someone who might need to feel Heavenly Father's love for them.

Second thing that has been really fun the last few weeks has been reaching out to the youth.  It has made me miss mutual so much!! I really loved the young women and the program, even though I did complain sometimes!! :) It truly has prepared me for my mission and the rest of my life.  I watch as the youth out here don't have a lot of support because there just aren't many members.  These youth are literally the only members in their schools.  It has reminded me again what it truly means to be a Light of Christ.  I see these youth being a light even when no one else has the same beliefs.  They have to choose everyday to be an example of Christ, but it really is cool because they have already had to make the hard choice, so they are ready for life and missions.  They have to be truly committed or they literally have no reason to stand alone.

So long story short we have been really encouraged to work with the youth and I have loved it.  It’s like having a mini MTC. Haha.

Love you all!

Keep smilin!

Sister Kendrick