A Ministry in Mexico: Hard Work, Prayer, Learning, and a Miracle

Hullo there!

This last week was really really good. Full of hard work, prayer, learning, and a full blown miracle.

We have three investigators and families that are progressing really well right now. Christina is one of our best. She is the wife of a member, and loves the church. She is going to be getting baptized this Sunday. While she comes from a very strong Cristiano background, she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and that has been the thing that has helped her the most. We are very excited for her to have this opportunity to make a covenant with God and have her progress skyrocket.

The next best is a madre soltera named Alejandra. She has been struggling with smoking for a long time, but a very good lesson and a brilliant plan set up by Elder Adams (we were in divisions that day) she decided to quit and is doing great. She has a son that is living at home with her who had all sorts of problems with drugs and smoking, but is now also progressing. Alejandra also will be getting baptized this Sunday, and she can hardly wait. She is an old investigator from the sisters that were working here a while back. We have a few other investigators and families that are also progressing and really excited about the Gospel, three of which looks like they will be able to get baptized this coming change. Quite frankly, this area is incredible!

The miracle that the Lord blessed us with yesterday made me even more certain of this fact.

During our companionship study the sisters in Independencia called us up saying that there was an investigator in church from our area, and that we needed to go talk with him THAT instant. So we packed up everything and dashed on up to the chapel. This man has been an investigator for at least 3 years. His wife has been a member for all her life, but he hasn't wanted to get baptized this whole time. Until they found out that they were expecting a child. The realization that he is going to be a father catapulted his testimony from a seed to a tree bearing fruit, and he told us that he wanted to get baptized as soon as possible. We were flabbergasted. Due to his work he will need to wait until next week to get baptized, but he can hardly wait.

We grabbed the bishop, who happened to be there with us, so that they could meet each other and the bishop got extremely excited about him as well. He has a lot of leadership potential in the church.

Elder Puca and I are doing well. These last two changes have flown by. I am excited for this coming change. I am very curious to see what you [President Whitehead] and the Lord have in store for me, and for this area. Hope that everything goes smoothly in the offices!

The ward is doing alright. It is still struggling a little bit with the schisms in between the members and the leaders. While there is a lot of excitement for the mission work here in Haciendas they are still struggling a little bit with general unity. The leaders are all united with the leaders, and the other members are all united with each other, but there is still a little bit of a gap between the two parties.

That being said, this ward is still incredibly hard working and good at mission work. :) The ward did an incredible job with a ward activity for the 15th of September! It was great to have somewhere else to be than the street for that night. There were a lot of drunk people, fireworks (never a good combination... :) ), and general partying. We were just fine, and it sounds like nothing bad happened in the mission, so we are all happy. :) The ward activity was a lot of fun. Full of dancing, Posole (the national food for this day), giving of spiritual messages (on the part of the missionaries and the bishopric), and fake mustaches. :) We had a few investigators that also made it, and they loved it! We are hoping that the hermanamiento that they received will help them to feel more comfortable at church and with our various invitations.

That about wraps it up down here. The mission is wonderful! Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes and for everything you do. I love you all so very much. Go have the best day yet! :D
Love,
Elder Kennington

The ward activity celebrating September 15 (a huge national holiday in Mexico). Not sure those mustaches are Missionary Department regulation wear!