South Side

Hey everyone!
What a whirlwind!  Here’s an update on what's been going down here in little old Chicago.

So last week I got transferred!  For the last 6 weeks of the mission, I'll be spending it on the south side!!  I'm white washing and training in Morgan Park and I love it!!   My new comp is Sister Caucut. She is from Orem, Utah.  She is 22 and the youngest in her family!! She is into theater, make up, and movies so it has been fun to be with her.  She has an amazing voice! It is so fun. I just ask her to sing all sorts of songs for me.  She is like my mini radio haha!!  Don't worry we sing church songs (most of the time).

I was so sad to leave North Shore!   So many good things were happening and so many people that I have come to love!! So many memories that I will forever have! I'm so grateful for the many experiences that I was able to have there! On to the next adventure!! And an adventure it will be.

Last Monday was super fun!  We got to go downtown again with the new missionaries. It’s so fun to see their greeny fire!! The whole time I was thinking this is going to be Brod!! So excited!! That night all the sisters slept in our house and if I had the energy I would have taken a picture but I still had not even packed yet, due to finding out late Sunday night and having to go pick up the missionaries. Let's just say it was a late night and then we had to be to the Mission Home at 7:00! We had our new missionary orientation and training meeting (which I can almost quote by now haha). Every time I hear it, it gives me a little push and a boost.  It's just what I always need at the start of a new transfer.  We got the keys to the car and the address to our new home and off we went to the new unknown!! It was something else getting everything figured out and it was quite overwhelming for a few days. My poor new comp!  I'm sure she just wanted to die!! It's been really good for us because all we have is to rely on is each other and the Lord!!

We were able to find some of our investigators and go by and introduce ourselves so that was good. There are two real amazing families that I can't wait to teach!  There is so much potential here!! It's so exciting!  There definitely won't be a dull moment here!!  We get so many Bible referrals, it's amazing!!  We have things coming out our ears! It's so much fun! Our ward is so small it should be a branch but there are individuals called from other wards to sustain the needs and the callings. It's crazy! On Sunday there were 56 people in attendance, with children! It’s crazy to me! A whole new experience, that's for sure but I'm eating it up!! Well I'll share more next week when I actually know myself haha

Well, I love ya all!!
Sister Kendrick

A testimony from Nigeria to America

Hey y'all

Not gonna lie, it was a pretty  good week 

Sunday night we got a text from Funmi that said “Sisters are you coming tonight? I have a testimony to share.  We had not planned on going over that night and we had another lesson set up for that night so we had to wait until Monday to hear this testimony. We sat down Monday night as she shared with us the sweetest story. So, as you already know Funmi's daughters are members in back in Africa.  She has not told them that she has been taking lessons while she has been here in America. In fact, she hasn't talked to her girls since she met us because she doesn't have any good news about getting the girls to come over here, that's beside the point. Anyway, she called them, recorded the phone call, and told them that she has been taking the lessons. She told them that we have been coming over and that we are remind her of them, that she loves the gospel, and that she is going to be baptized. You could hear the daughters in the background just sobbing.  Funmi asked, “are you ok?” and they say “yes mom, I'm okay these are tears of joy…... mom, I have fasted for 5 years that you would soften your heart the first 1 1/2 years was so that you would soften your heart to allow me and my sister to go to church. I also hoped that there would not be any contention surrounding our decision to join the church.  For the rest of the 4 1/2 years I have fasted that the Lord would soften your heart to accept the gospel. Somehow and some way the Lord has answered our prayers”.  The whole time this recording was playing Funmi had a smile from ear to ear she was so so so happy. The recording got over and Funmi said this is a testimony from Nigeria to America. This gospel is true! There is no other way would I have come to accept this gospel had it not been for my daughter. The Lord hears our prayers and your cries. It was something else.  I am so happy me Sister Pruitt and I get to be a part of this.

A member hit us up on Sunday and asked if we could do a church tour for one of his coworkers that he had been introducing the gospel to. It was awesome! Not only did he come on the tour with a desire to learn, and an open heart but he came with a lot of
questions which led to a lot of good discussion. He ended up have many questions on our beliefs, on the purpose of life, and what happens after death.  We left him with a few answers but told him how he could find out the rest. He not only read, but he also came to all 3 hours of church which was awesome!! It's was so neat!  I'm grateful for this great ward and the individuals reaching out to share their testimonies with others.

We had zone conference this week.  As always, it was good!  I wish there was a way to let you all sit through one. There is definitely nothing like it. The amount of learning and spiritual inspiration that comes is crazy. We talked a lot about planning and being the most effective. We also spent a huge chunk of time learning about faith and fore ordination. Both very in depth topics but good. I’ll just share one thing I took from it.
               "Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith"-bible dictionary. As simple as it seems is was a little aha moment, I was like duh Sister Kendrick that's why we have fast and testimony meeting. That is why I am charged to share my testimony a thousand times a day, so that I can help kindle or help jump start other individual’s faith. (if you want a good study this week just go and read “faith” in the Bible dictionary and take something to mark and each time you mark, ask yourself why did I mark that.  What's significant about that, what am I learning)

           This weekend we had mini missionaries.  The kids that are going into their senior year have the opportunity to spend 3 days with us. It's really neat. We got the one and only Annie Bingham, one of President Bingham twins. It was a hoot! She is an awesome girl! We had a lot of fun. Sunday night we had about 40 minutes before we needed to take her back so we went contacting in our favorite complex. No one was having it though, which was okay.  We decided we had time for one more building before we had to leave. We were wrong. As we walked to the next building, there were some young kids out and little girl who was about 8, came up and asked us "what is yous doin”?  We told her we were missionaries and that we taught people about Jesus Christ.  She aside, "Oh really? All about Jesus? Is you goin to go in my house and talk to our gram?"  We told her yes.  We exchanged a little talk with the other kids that were about 12 and 14 and we headed up to knock the apartment building. We talked to her grandma and set up a time to come back. As we were walking out, kids stopped us and asked "wheres you goin, aint you gonna teach us about Jesus"  we told them that we had to go because we were going to be late, but that we would come back when we were going to teach their grandma and we would share something then. The little one said, “but you told me you teach everyone that wants to know about Him and I want to know, what kind of missionary are you.”  Well indeed those were my very words and so the three of us looked at each other, now having been roasted by a 8 year old we decided we better teach her about Christ. All of the 6 children gathered and just started drilling us with some really intense questions. A lot of them pertaining to the plan of salvation. The youngest had been playing with chalk, so I used a small piece and I drew it out for them.  We had quite the talk. We were late to the meeting but a little girl had the opportunity to learn more about Christ.  It was a wonderful way to end the night.

Well, that was a quick look into my week. I hope that you all had one as great as mine!! It was filled to the brim and I wish I had time to tell you it all.  Really, I wish that you could just be here with me!

Quick quote and I will be done:

"Come as you are, A loving father says to each of us BUT HE ADDS: but don't plan to stay as you are" - Elder Holland

I came across this and I feel like it's a good way to sum up everything about what I feel I have become and what I have watched others become.  God can do more things than we could imagine with individuals like us if we will only come to Him and let Him change us into something far more magnificent and capable then we thought possible.

Okay, that is all!   I love you all! Thanks for everything and I truly mean it!! Have a good week!!

Keep smilin

Sister Kendrick

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Well we had quite the week!  A lot of cool things going on! Tuesday the senior couple Elder and Sister Erickson had someone for us to teach but upon arrival he wasn't there. It happens a lot to us missionaries and I guess over the course of 17 months I have been accustom to it but it was so sad to watch the senior couple be so excited and then be let down my heart hurt for them. Elder Erickson said God brought you to these apartments and if it's not for Sam it's for someone else.  So, he invited us to knock the neighborhood. I was a little hesitant because we had already knocked half of it a week prior with no luck.  Nonetheless, we did as he said and we ended up finding three people that we had really good conversations with. One being Mimi and her daughter. They were so sweet and let us in to share a short message. It was so neat because people here are #1 scared of others because if all the crime and #2 they are really busy  or #3 just straight up cruel. I've actually only been let in about 6 times my whole mission. People will let us set up a lesson to come back but never in the same day so that fact that they allowed us in their home was a miracle in and of itself.  . Mimi is on borrowed time. She has cancer and the doctors diagnosed her a month ago and said she would have a month or two max to live. What a sweet woman! We testified to her of the love Christ has for her and her family and then read a few passages with her of how He is always there.  It was a very touching moment.

This week was a miracle!  Fummi and John as of right now are on visitor Visas and have been trying for over a year to start their papers with no luck. It's been terribly discouraging for them! All they want to do is better their lives.  A few weeks back we start working with a member who is from Africa and has experience in helping others progress through papers.  He had an opportunity to speak with the lawyer which is going to help them. To you and me this might not mean anything, but I didn't realize how much it meant until Fummi was all choked up and expressed her gratitude to God for leading them towards us. She continually states that it was by God’s grace that we met and all things have been and will work out for them.  She stated God truly knows us and our needs. So true I love them and I love watching them learn and grow.  It's amazing to me. I have been so blessed to be a part of this ride with them! Amazing people!!

One last story, so on Saturday night we were contacting.  It's getting pretty late and we didn't feel like knocking would be beneficial so we were walking around the complex back to our car when I thought I heard someone yelling. I asked Sister Pruitt and she had heard it too. As we rounded the corner there was an 80-year-old Indian Grandma yelling up by the train tracks her grandson had was up on the tracks and he wasn't coming down. At her age, she could not go get him so I ran up the hill to find this little one. As I came to him, I quickly realized that he had severe autism. After about 20 minutes trying to coax him down the hill he was so scared, he wasn't about to move, I swooped him up and got him down. Then as we were walking to the apartment he had another episode, if you will. He wouldn't go up the stairs 3 stories because it was “too high, too high”!!  Knowing a little bit about how to work with them, we took his mind off the task at hand and started talking about the butterflies and fireflies that he had been catching, knowing that most kids similar to him have a niche.  Little did I know, this was his he loved bugs!! I was able to coax him up the stairs by telling him to come look out the window for more bugs and more fireflies. It ended up that we stayed till about 930, with permission, to help this young boy settle down and his grandma.   as he was climbing in the bed, I think he even wanted a goodnight kiss.  Grandma told us that prior to us showing up, she been praying to God that he would send someone to help her!  I'm so grateful that I could be the Lord’s hands that night and that for whatever reason kids like Alex have taken a liking to me throughout my life so that I could help in that moment.

Oh one last thing that is also a miracle!  Our whole ward gathered together in a fast for missionary work.  Not missionary work in the sense that we can do better as a missionary, but that as members of the Church who've made covenants with God, to have opportunities to share what makes them who they are and how the gospel of Jesus Christ has brought peace and joy and love into their life and their families. There is so much strength that comes as wards gather together to ask for specific blessings.  In my case the fast was for missionary work but in my home ward, it was for the Sexton family.
Regardless, I know that my Father listens to our prayers and he is mindful of each of us.  There is power that comes from a ward fast! Anything is possible with the faith of members who love one another and love God!!  I love you all!  Here's to another great week.

Keep Smilin

Sister Kendrick

Oh I forgot!  I taught the Elders how to sew in district meeting and they have all reported back that they have fixed their clothing!

Last Week's Letter

Hey, so there’s not much to report on for this week. It's been pretty uneventful for the most part. We have been  loving life here!! We taught Fummi and John and Word of Wisdom and for the first time John had a hard time with the teaching but it was really neat because Fummi  was behind the commandment.  They were willing to exercise faith.  Both of them kept saying, “it's too broad” and then they would ask if all these crazy drinks were ok. I kept telling them I don’t know what that is and on about the sixth drink that I didn't know John was like man either you need to go to Africa or you need to bring an African here so they can explain this to me because there is a miscommunication in language. Last Monday we had a lesson with them and we skyped  an Elder from Nigeria that is serving in our mission to help explain it a bit more. Come to find out, the so called tea that they didn't want to give up is essentially chocolate milk haha after reassuring they can still partake of that it went over a lot smoother. They still want to receive a conformation for themselves to believe in it wholeheartedly, which is exactly what we wish for them to do!!  

Sadly Jimmy and Chloe moved out of our area this week and into the Elders area.  It was really sad for me to hand them over, but I know they are in good hands and it will be good for them. 

Ok but funny story, so we were helping them move which was... um.... let's just say my OCD was freaking out they were in a rush and they just had to throw everything and anything they could see into a box and call it good.  (this will come into play in a bit)  not to mention they live on the 18 floor of the apartment. It was a good time, quite the workout.  We used the elevator but that only got us so far. There happened to be one box that had China in it and it had been clinking around already without putting it in a moving truck so I made the wonderful decision to place it into our car so that it wouldn't be tossed around. Ok so it was in our car, we finished the apartment and then we had to go to a lesson. We planned on meeting them at their house after to continue to help. We got out of our lesson and got into the car and itsmelled terrible I was honestly gagging it was so bad.  We could not figure it out it was terrible!!! We pulled up to their new house and Sister Pruitt went to go grab the box in the back seat and it split. Everything was coming out.  I ran up to the house to get a box and when I came back Sister Pruitt was leaning over about to throw up. In the box there had not only been china but about 8 types of raw fish. They had just been cooking in the heat of our car all day!  Man oh man! I almost wet my pants I was laughing so hard! Good times! Next time you move anyone who is Chinese, check for raw fish in the box before you put it in your car!!

Something kind of neat happened this weekend.  Sister Pruitt had some friends come into town and she got permission to have a lesson with them.  One is not a member and she agreed to take the lessons so she'll start that this coming week, which is cool.

As far as the rest of the week goes there's not much to tell that you that you don't already know so I'll leave it at that.  Short and simple 

Love ya all
Sister Kendrick

Happy Pioneer Day

This week was great!  I'll try my best to remember everything! So John and Funmi are doing fabulous. They are seriously the best people ever! We taught them about the sacrament and about the covenants they will make at baptism. They said that they really want to get baptized and make those covenants with God! We put them on date!  We had to teach them about chastity. Ha! There's something funny about a 20 year old girl teaching someone that could be her parents about chastity. It was comical, but the lesson turned out great and the spirit was totally there!  I kept thinking how am I going to approach the fact that they were not married and nor did I know if they wanted to be. I did know that they definitely didn't have the ability to have one of them move out. They are just trying to make ends meet as it is.  I really had no idea how to approach the situation. As I said a little prayer in my heart asking Heavenly Father to guide my words and inspire me what to say, (this was about half through the lesson) I really needed to know there personal situation.  I began to speak and John spoke up and asked, “Sisters, this thought just came to me, what does the church say about our situation? Is it ok for us to be living the way that we are?”  It was the exact thing that needed to be said. I was truly grateful that God had directed John’s thoughts and answered my prayers. It was a great lesson!! They want to get married but can't right now because of legal issues. We've been praying like crazy that we can get that all figured out so they can take that next step in their conversion. John also said, "My soul’s desire is to come to church on Sundays but because of work I just can’t." How perfect is he, am I right? Please pray for them that something will come up so they can come to church! It truly is a privilege to teach them.  I wish you could all meet them!  They live just down the road from us 3 minutes and so every night we go over and have a family scripture study and prayer. It's truly my favorite thing I look forward to it every night!! I love love love them !!!! 

    

So on Tuesday morning we get in our car to leave and the whole dashboard isn't working. Our blinkers won't work, our AC is out, windows won't roll down, power steering is out, the whole 9 yards…AND it was about 95 degrees outside.  Our car had been baking in the sun. Luckily, the dealership isn't too far from our house because it was a near death experience, haha just kidding it was that bad.  I just remembered that if your steering goes out speed is your friend, or at least I hope that was the right thing!  haha.  It was scary but we made it! So, it ended up that the main computer module failed which I'm so grateful that it didn't happen while we were driving. That is why I got to drive a truck for a bit Whoot Whoot!! It's a lot harder here than back home though that's for sure!

I think I might have said something about this before in my last email, but we started teaching a lady named Rosa and she is awesome! She is a taxi driver and she just happened to be driving a member of the church. He told her all about the church and got her contact info for us. (I love love love when members do that). We taught her the Restoration and answered many of her questions this week. She was like, “this sounds familiar.” It was so cool to teach her something that sounds so familiar because she actually has heard it before. She is so prepared! It is amazing! She has been through a lot of hard times. I'm excited to see how much the gospel will change her life!  She reminds me a ton of Karla.  I'm So blessed!!  Her questions and comments where just perfect and she is feasting for knowledge! She even came to church this week so that was grand too. We took the Bingham girls to her lesson and it was very sweet. The spirt was strong and those girls just kept testifying of the gospel. It was perfect for her! 

You also asked at the beginning of the mission to tell you crazy things that happen, so here you go. We were walking out of the lesson and this cop pulls up. He says to us, “what are you white girls going here?” Mind you, it is a nice place and it was 10 am. He went on to say how it was not a safe place for us to be, and we should be careful to keep our eyes open and consider finding a different place to hang out. The funny thing is, it is probably one of the safest and nicer places I have knocked at. To top it off, my area is the safest this side of Indiana. Haha 

We started using a new finding method that Sister Pruitt and I came up with in the outdoor malls and it's been working really really well. It has been so much fun! We have talked to so many amazing people! It has been miraculous! I love talking to people I love being a missionary!

Happy Pioneer Day! I hope you take time to remember those that came before us!  Also to remember those who have paved the way for you personally so that you could be a part of this great faith.  Take time to thank those who come to mind and last but not least, go and listen to a little Nashville Tribute Trek and Joseph you won't be sorry!! 

I truly know this is the Lord’s work and that he is a part of it every step of the way. I have truly seen his hand this week! So many miracles! I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Keep smilin 

Sister Kendrick