Quick Update

From letter posted May 4, 2016

WEE!

This last week was all over the place. We have been running around like maniacs trying to get everything together in our area so that we can get out and start working really well with the zone. We have found a lot of success. We have a family of five that will possibly get baptized this month (we just need to help the dad get over some problems with the Word of Wisdom), and another family that is definitely going to get baptized next Saturday. On top of them we have a few other individuals that are progressing really really well that will also be making covenants very soon.

The zone is doing ok. We are having a few problems with a couple of sister missionaries that are less than enthusiastic about being here on a mission and finding out that work and obedience are naturally expected as a result, but they are doing ok. Things are looking up. We had a really good zone meeting yesterday to try and get everything up. We also have an activity planned for the zone if we can reach our goal of baptisms for this month (28 baptisms in six wards).

Elder Alegre Soto and I are doing really well. I remember when I met him for the first time when he was with Elder Ramirez in Independencia, and he has grown and changed a lot since then. I think I'm still the same dork that I was back then, so I am grateful to have a companion that will help me to keep growing and getting better. We have fun working together and we are going to have a lot of success.

Our work with the ward is going well. It is so nice to have a fully-functioning ward mission leader once again, and ours is really good. He is an ex-missionary, which is also really nice. Last Saturday we had an activity with the youth of the ward where we basically took them out contacting all morning, and found a few families that could progress nicely. The youth here are so strong! I am really excited to continue working with them.

That is about it for now. Have a wonderful week! :D

Love,

Elder Kennington

Three pics:

1. There are two dogs on the roof next to ours that always bark like crazy when we walk by.

2. This is the view from our house. If there wasn't so much smog you would be able to see the volcano and two of my old areas (Las Torres and Universidad).

3. My companion hanging up laundry.

Baptism on the Run, Welcome to Lerma

Letter originally posted May 4, 2016

The mission goes by way too quick. I just entered my second to last change, and can hardly believe it. Last change went by so quickly. Sheesh.

I got transferred to Lerma this change. Now the only zone that I haven't worked in in the whole mission is Lomas Verdes, out there in Naucalpan. I am also a zone leader now, and an intimidated one at that. The Zone currently has a lot of problems. Aaaaand I get to try and help fix everything. Woo!

My companion is Elder Alegre Soto. We worked together a couple of times when I was in my second change and he was in his first. We are going to work really well together. He is from Argentina, loves pasta, working, baptizing, and working with the zone. We are going to get along great. :)

Lerma is one of the three stakes here in the part of the State of Mexico that the mission contains. I have served in the other two (Toluca and Metepec). Lerma is really beautiful. Currently I live on a hill that overlooks the whole valley and the other two stakes, which is nice. There are two pit bulls on our roof that always bark at us. And the house is nice. It is probably my last area and my last house...

Next week I won't be writing you until Wednesday, because we have concilio with Presidente Whitehead and the other líderes de zona on Monday all day. It is always fun.

Hm. I got a haircut today. It looks nice.

OH. HUGE STORY from last night.

Elder Lara and I were with a member family saying goodbye for me and all of a sudden, at 8:30 at night, the sister missionaries from Atla (Hermana Drew and Hermana Soria) call me:

"ELDER WE HAVE A BAPTISM GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!!!"

And so we went with the members an hour over to their area to go talk with the investigator. She, Veronica, was going to get baptized but met up with some horrible opposition from her family (all of whom are members) and hadn't talked with the missionaries since. She is a single mom that lives with her family-in-law. We go, 9:30, talk with her. 10:00 we are in the chapel getting the baptismal font ready. 10:30 the font has about a foot and a half of water and we decide it will have to do for sake of time. 11:00 she and I are changed and we are having her sitting down in the water to just lay down she gets submerged completely. 11:30. After three tries she finally gets all the way under and we are changing. 12:00 a.m. I am home packing my bags to get here to Lerma today.

Gotta dash. Love you! :D:D:D:D

Elder Kennington