Honestly, I am coming to learn that Mondays and Tuesdays are some of our busiest days as Secretaries.
We will be taking our P Day Wednesday.
I am doing very well, and am very happy! Super excited for the baptism of Maria Ines this next week! Elder Goodrich gave me another haircut. We found dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. It is now raining really heavily here every day, around 6:00. Life is great. :)
I love you so much mom!
Thank you so much for your patience with my insane schedule... Can't wait to hear from you Friday!!
Love,
Elder Kennington
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Elder Kennington Excuses His Random Writing Days...
Note from the Mom: Since Elder Kennington is now working in the mission office his P Day is very random and I never know when I am going to hear from him. I had been getting after him for living on ramen and cold cereal, so here is his note about that:
Hey mom!
This week is going really really well! We are super swamped with work, with the changes that we had this week. Holy cow!! I have never been so busy before in my life!! :D
I will be writing, at the very latest, this Friday. And I will be writing you a novel. With chapters and everything. Here is an excerpt:
"And it came to pass that Elder Kennington did not consume ramen for a week. And there was much rejoicing in the land, as the scourge of cheap-and-easy was taken from the land. And Elder Kennington did choose to eat of quesadillas and yoghurt, and he was much blessed. And it came to pass that Elder Kennington did send a letter to his family speaking of said event, and, with all of his heart, did wish for them a fabulicious week. Amen. "
-Book of Kennington 4:25
Will be writing you very soon with a more satisfactory email! I love you so much. :):)
Elder Kennington
Hey mom!
This week is going really really well! We are super swamped with work, with the changes that we had this week. Holy cow!! I have never been so busy before in my life!! :D
I will be writing, at the very latest, this Friday. And I will be writing you a novel. With chapters and everything. Here is an excerpt:
"And it came to pass that Elder Kennington did not consume ramen for a week. And there was much rejoicing in the land, as the scourge of cheap-and-easy was taken from the land. And Elder Kennington did choose to eat of quesadillas and yoghurt, and he was much blessed. And it came to pass that Elder Kennington did send a letter to his family speaking of said event, and, with all of his heart, did wish for them a fabulicious week. Amen. "
-Book of Kennington 4:25
Will be writing you very soon with a more satisfactory email! I love you so much. :):)
Elder Kennington
The Creature..... it..... IT LIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!
De acuerdo con el sujeto de este correo, quiero asegurarles que todavía estoy vivo. No se preocupen. Perdón que tan tarde viene llegando, este correo ... :P
Lo que pasó, es que tuvimos la Gira Misional** with Elder Nash. He is very very powerful, and very direct.
SO.
What was I up to during all of this. Monday through Thursday I was traveling all around the mission setting everything up for the conferences that Elder Nash was going to do. I felt a little like Paul Revere, except people were very happy about the procession that I was announcing. We got the stake centers ready, everybody sat and studying, took care of food, made sure that everybody was doing what they were supposed to, and managing everything from behind the scenes. It was a party. Haha. Every day I was somewhere else.
Tuesday, for example. I had the opportunity to go back to Universidad, and visit some of the people over there. ... It was very strange to come back. The first time that I came to Universidad from San Mateo Michoacán, I was blown away by how big and lavishly built it seemed. When I came back I was struck by how small it seemed, and how little the people there had. It was similar and foreign at the same time. I started my mission in the absolute poorest part of the misison. Now I am currently in the richest part. I visited the same place, where I had spent 5 months of my mission, but what caught my attention is the way that I perceived it changed completely based on where I was coming from.
And then it struck me that the same thing rings true with the Plan of Salvation. It is said many times that really truly knowing our identity is of the utmost importance. Knowing where we come from determines what we do and see in this moment. It opens our eyes to the reality of the situation. Knowing that we started our existence thousands of years before this life, and that we did so thanks to our loving Celestial Father, helps us to see life through the lens that God sees it. Any other belief changes drastically how we perceive life. Where we come determines where we are going, and how we are getting there.
And, interestingly enough, the Plan of Salvation was one of the themes that Elder Nash focused on in this Gira. He focused in on the covenants part of this plan: what they mean to us and how we can help others to make them. He described it with by comparing them to a car. The car needs an engine to go anywhere, and the engine needs a car body to serve any purpose. And the same relationship exists between covenants, and ordinances. One gives life to the other. Without a covenant, an ordinance has no value, and visa versa.
Also, while in Toluca, I was able to meet some of the old members and converts that I have out there. Remember me talking about la familia Lugo Lopez? Hermana Hilda, Maria de Jesus, y Alondra? We got to visit them. They are doing wonderfully! It was really refreshing to see them. We surprised them at the door, and were consequently deafened for the next few hours... :) Haha. it was lovely. We also tried to visit Hermana Italia, who I baptized in December, but she wasn't home... Just her husband. He still isn't a member, but is working his way that direction. :) We also tried to visit some of the other investigators that I had that got baptized a little after Ileft (Like Xochitl and her daughter Berenice). They are doing great!! I miss these people so much. I didn't realize how much of my heart I had left in Toluca until I had come back to visit. It was very hard to say goodbye again.
I think that about wraps it up for now. I gotta dash, because there is still a BOATLOAD to do! I have never been so busy! O.o I love you all so much.
Church is true!
Love,
Elder Kennington
**Translation: According to the subject of this post, I want to assure you I am alive. Do not worry. Please forgive the lateness of this coming. What happened is that we had the missionary tour...
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: What is your ward like?
A: Our ward is AWESOME! :D I love them so much! The members here are very strong and always willing to bring friends and family members for us to teach. One actually brought a friend from my old area (Chamapa) this last Sunday, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes away. They are powerhouses! And from all over the place too. The bishop, for example, is from Argentina.
Q: Describe your new daily schedule. Did I understand right that you go to the office in the evening as well?
A: Ok. So we get up and get everything ready to go, and start working in the offices at 9:00. We work there usually until about 5:00 and then we have the opportunity to go preach and work in our tiny little area (se llama Palmas). We work until about 9:30 in the evening, and then come back to the offices and wrap up everything we were working on. We usually leave the offices at 12:30-1:00 in the morning to go home (about five minutes away) and crash. At 6:25 we restart the day. :) Usually we don't have time for a P Day, so we try and find time to write over the course of the week.
Q: Are there any couple missionaries in your mission? What do they do?
A: Yep! There are four companionships. These companionships work in the offices, with the cedulas, family history, center of autosufficiency, and a little with the visas. They are wonderful! There is one companionship that work here in the same offices as my companion and I (Los Toblers).
Lo que pasó, es que tuvimos la Gira Misional** with Elder Nash. He is very very powerful, and very direct.
SO.
What was I up to during all of this. Monday through Thursday I was traveling all around the mission setting everything up for the conferences that Elder Nash was going to do. I felt a little like Paul Revere, except people were very happy about the procession that I was announcing. We got the stake centers ready, everybody sat and studying, took care of food, made sure that everybody was doing what they were supposed to, and managing everything from behind the scenes. It was a party. Haha. Every day I was somewhere else.
Tuesday, for example. I had the opportunity to go back to Universidad, and visit some of the people over there. ... It was very strange to come back. The first time that I came to Universidad from San Mateo Michoacán, I was blown away by how big and lavishly built it seemed. When I came back I was struck by how small it seemed, and how little the people there had. It was similar and foreign at the same time. I started my mission in the absolute poorest part of the misison. Now I am currently in the richest part. I visited the same place, where I had spent 5 months of my mission, but what caught my attention is the way that I perceived it changed completely based on where I was coming from.
And then it struck me that the same thing rings true with the Plan of Salvation. It is said many times that really truly knowing our identity is of the utmost importance. Knowing where we come from determines what we do and see in this moment. It opens our eyes to the reality of the situation. Knowing that we started our existence thousands of years before this life, and that we did so thanks to our loving Celestial Father, helps us to see life through the lens that God sees it. Any other belief changes drastically how we perceive life. Where we come determines where we are going, and how we are getting there.
And, interestingly enough, the Plan of Salvation was one of the themes that Elder Nash focused on in this Gira. He focused in on the covenants part of this plan: what they mean to us and how we can help others to make them. He described it with by comparing them to a car. The car needs an engine to go anywhere, and the engine needs a car body to serve any purpose. And the same relationship exists between covenants, and ordinances. One gives life to the other. Without a covenant, an ordinance has no value, and visa versa.
Also, while in Toluca, I was able to meet some of the old members and converts that I have out there. Remember me talking about la familia Lugo Lopez? Hermana Hilda, Maria de Jesus, y Alondra? We got to visit them. They are doing wonderfully! It was really refreshing to see them. We surprised them at the door, and were consequently deafened for the next few hours... :) Haha. it was lovely. We also tried to visit Hermana Italia, who I baptized in December, but she wasn't home... Just her husband. He still isn't a member, but is working his way that direction. :) We also tried to visit some of the other investigators that I had that got baptized a little after Ileft (Like Xochitl and her daughter Berenice). They are doing great!! I miss these people so much. I didn't realize how much of my heart I had left in Toluca until I had come back to visit. It was very hard to say goodbye again.
I think that about wraps it up for now. I gotta dash, because there is still a BOATLOAD to do! I have never been so busy! O.o I love you all so much.
Church is true!
Love,
Elder Kennington
**Translation: According to the subject of this post, I want to assure you I am alive. Do not worry. Please forgive the lateness of this coming. What happened is that we had the missionary tour...
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: What is your ward like?
A: Our ward is AWESOME! :D I love them so much! The members here are very strong and always willing to bring friends and family members for us to teach. One actually brought a friend from my old area (Chamapa) this last Sunday, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes away. They are powerhouses! And from all over the place too. The bishop, for example, is from Argentina.
Q: Describe your new daily schedule. Did I understand right that you go to the office in the evening as well?
A: Ok. So we get up and get everything ready to go, and start working in the offices at 9:00. We work there usually until about 5:00 and then we have the opportunity to go preach and work in our tiny little area (se llama Palmas). We work until about 9:30 in the evening, and then come back to the offices and wrap up everything we were working on. We usually leave the offices at 12:30-1:00 in the morning to go home (about five minutes away) and crash. At 6:25 we restart the day. :) Usually we don't have time for a P Day, so we try and find time to write over the course of the week.
Q: Are there any couple missionaries in your mission? What do they do?
A: Yep! There are four companionships. These companionships work in the offices, with the cedulas, family history, center of autosufficiency, and a little with the visas. They are wonderful! There is one companionship that work here in the same offices as my companion and I (Los Toblers).
 |
| And another picture of that little scorpion that we found, with the wanna-be-predator deciding that she is too good for her prey and regally sauntering away. :) |
 |
| Love Elder Goodrich to bits. He is so much fun to be around! |
 |
| One of my investigator families back in Chamapa really really misses me... They made these seven bracelets and sent them to me. It looks like they will be getting baptized the 7th of June. :):) |
 |
| Mission tour with Elder Nash of the Seventy. He and his wife are on the front row on the left side. President and Sister Whitehead are the couple on the right in front. Elder Kennington is on the back row, fourth from the right, with his companion Elder Goodrich next to him to the left. |
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Elder Kennington Adjusts to Office Duties
Hola familia!
This week was good. I feel like I am starting to learn a few of the ropes involved with this new assignment. There is a lot of really technical steps, jargon, and nuances that are fantastic at stressing out new secretaries. For example, if I mess up badly enough with a visa for one of the missionaries then I could wind up sending a missionary home. To go wait for his new visa to process. And that is never good. Kind of bad actually...
We spent our time focused on two major things this last week. Firstly, visas. We had a lot of missionaries whose visas were going to expire over the next little while and we had to work like madmen to get it all taken care of. I made some high-ish up friends over there in Migration and now we are getting papers through the literal labyrinth of beauracracy at a decent pace.
The other main focus of this last week was with one of our truly wonderful investigators, named Josefina. She has been studying with the Jehovah's Witnesses for a while, but has felt like she's been missing something. And that is where we came in. We are currently working very hard on identifying how the church of Jesus Christ was established, and how we can identify it hoy un día sobre la faz de la tierra. Realmente es un mensaje muy poderoso que llevemos a las personas de México*. If all goes according to plan she would be able to get baptized over the course of the next few weeks.
With prayers, fasting, hard work, and the touch of the Master's hand all is possible. This is one of the facets of my testimony that has been honed quite a bit in the mission.
That about wraps it up for now! I gotta dash. Hope that you have a great week. I love you all lots!
Love,
Elder Kennington
*today a day over the face of the earth. It really is a very powerful message that we take to the people of Mexico.
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: Do you have to work in the office on P Day too?
A: It depends on the workload. Often Monday's are when we drag missionaries up here to do fingerprints for their visas because they won't be missing appointments with investigators or any minute of proselyting time.
Q: Have you heard how Elder Demars is doing?
A: He is doing well. He had his surgury this past Friday, and it all went according to plan. He will be back here in the mission field working in 8 to 10 weeks.
Q: There is only one package from me you need to track down. It made it to the office in early February.
A: I am currently tracking it down right now. Had to get after a couple of zone leaders for being a little slow on delivering pouch. Haha. It has been in two different zone leaders houses since February, and has been bouncing around since then. It will get to me, I am sure of it. It is floating around here in the mission. Advantage to the offices? Now all my mail gets to me the instant it is signed for in the mission. :)
Q: How long did you say Elder Goodrich has been out on his mission?
A: He has been out for 15 months. He got here to the offices when he had 9 months as well. :)
Q: Now that you have given your first haircut are you going to keep doing that instead of going somewhere else?
A: Yup. I totally am going to. Getting a haircut here in the mission is like playing Russian Roulette.
Q: What is your new apartment like?
A: It. Is. Big. The nicest house in the mission. We share it with the assistants. And it is designed to house a good number of missionaries (for example when people need to stay the night here because they need to do visa work early in the morning). We have something like 15 bunkbeds, four bathrooms, a kitchen, a laundry room, a main room, two bedrooms (that the assistants and the secretaries use), and sundry hallways. ... But we never are in it because we are always in the offices working and in the streets preaching. :)
Q: What do they do for Mother’s Day in Mexico?
A: The same thing as in the United States, except a little less. It really doesn't have a celebration here. For a few people it is another great excuse to drink themselves silly, and with that they are happy... Haha. :)
Q: How big of a celebration is Cinco de Mayo there? Do we make a bigger deal of it here?
A: The United States makes a MUCH bigger deal than they did here... haha. It passed just like any normal day. :)
Q: Did you ever get your custom leather scripture covers?
A: Yup! I am going to send photos in this email! They turned out really really well. I am very satisfied. :)
Photos!
We found a little cute poisonous scorpion in the house of a recent convert that we were visiting. Their cat was about to eat him.
We went to a huge mall today for P Day and twas nice. There was a Krispy Kream's there. Heavenly. There was also a Panda Express where we had lunch. Even more heavenly. It was a lot of fun. Got a couple of soccer shoes there that I really liked, along with a couple super guapo ties. Didn't have an orange one before, and one can never have too many purple ties. :) This mall was a lot like the one that I visited out in Toluca and never was able to take photos. Only this one was bigger and nicer. O.o
This week was good. I feel like I am starting to learn a few of the ropes involved with this new assignment. There is a lot of really technical steps, jargon, and nuances that are fantastic at stressing out new secretaries. For example, if I mess up badly enough with a visa for one of the missionaries then I could wind up sending a missionary home. To go wait for his new visa to process. And that is never good. Kind of bad actually...
We spent our time focused on two major things this last week. Firstly, visas. We had a lot of missionaries whose visas were going to expire over the next little while and we had to work like madmen to get it all taken care of. I made some high-ish up friends over there in Migration and now we are getting papers through the literal labyrinth of beauracracy at a decent pace.
The other main focus of this last week was with one of our truly wonderful investigators, named Josefina. She has been studying with the Jehovah's Witnesses for a while, but has felt like she's been missing something. And that is where we came in. We are currently working very hard on identifying how the church of Jesus Christ was established, and how we can identify it hoy un día sobre la faz de la tierra. Realmente es un mensaje muy poderoso que llevemos a las personas de México*. If all goes according to plan she would be able to get baptized over the course of the next few weeks.
With prayers, fasting, hard work, and the touch of the Master's hand all is possible. This is one of the facets of my testimony that has been honed quite a bit in the mission.
That about wraps it up for now! I gotta dash. Hope that you have a great week. I love you all lots!
Love,
Elder Kennington
*today a day over the face of the earth. It really is a very powerful message that we take to the people of Mexico.
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: Do you have to work in the office on P Day too?
A: It depends on the workload. Often Monday's are when we drag missionaries up here to do fingerprints for their visas because they won't be missing appointments with investigators or any minute of proselyting time.
Q: Have you heard how Elder Demars is doing?
A: He is doing well. He had his surgury this past Friday, and it all went according to plan. He will be back here in the mission field working in 8 to 10 weeks.
Q: There is only one package from me you need to track down. It made it to the office in early February.
A: I am currently tracking it down right now. Had to get after a couple of zone leaders for being a little slow on delivering pouch. Haha. It has been in two different zone leaders houses since February, and has been bouncing around since then. It will get to me, I am sure of it. It is floating around here in the mission. Advantage to the offices? Now all my mail gets to me the instant it is signed for in the mission. :)
Q: How long did you say Elder Goodrich has been out on his mission?
A: He has been out for 15 months. He got here to the offices when he had 9 months as well. :)
Q: Now that you have given your first haircut are you going to keep doing that instead of going somewhere else?
A: Yup. I totally am going to. Getting a haircut here in the mission is like playing Russian Roulette.
Q: What is your new apartment like?
A: It. Is. Big. The nicest house in the mission. We share it with the assistants. And it is designed to house a good number of missionaries (for example when people need to stay the night here because they need to do visa work early in the morning). We have something like 15 bunkbeds, four bathrooms, a kitchen, a laundry room, a main room, two bedrooms (that the assistants and the secretaries use), and sundry hallways. ... But we never are in it because we are always in the offices working and in the streets preaching. :)
Q: What do they do for Mother’s Day in Mexico?
A: The same thing as in the United States, except a little less. It really doesn't have a celebration here. For a few people it is another great excuse to drink themselves silly, and with that they are happy... Haha. :)
Q: How big of a celebration is Cinco de Mayo there? Do we make a bigger deal of it here?
A: The United States makes a MUCH bigger deal than they did here... haha. It passed just like any normal day. :)
Q: Did you ever get your custom leather scripture covers?
A: Yup! I am going to send photos in this email! They turned out really really well. I am very satisfied. :)
Photos!
We found a little cute poisonous scorpion in the house of a recent convert that we were visiting. Their cat was about to eat him.
We went to a huge mall today for P Day and twas nice. There was a Krispy Kream's there. Heavenly. There was also a Panda Express where we had lunch. Even more heavenly. It was a lot of fun. Got a couple of soccer shoes there that I really liked, along with a couple super guapo ties. Didn't have an orange one before, and one can never have too many purple ties. :) This mall was a lot like the one that I visited out in Toluca and never was able to take photos. Only this one was bigger and nicer. O.o
 |
| The front side of his new handmade scripture covers made by a member in Chamapa. |
 |
| The back of the scripture covers. Elder Kennington got to choose the pictures. |
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pure insanity. That was this last week.
For starters, we worked really hard preparing our two families to be baptized, alongside a couple other investigators that we have worked with.
Maria Ines and her family are doing great. They are preparing to be baptized on the 24th. They are a very strong family that have great potential, especially as they continue to put themselves in the hands of God and follow His Spirit.
Hector and his family are doing well. Hector is starting to struggle again with The Word of Wisdom, so a few prayers there would not be awry. His wife is doing much better, and has told off her brother-in-law for sharing silly rumors with her. They will be coming to church this Sunday. Their two kids are doing very well, though the older one doesn't really want to listen to anything right now. We are working hard to gain more of his trust.
Areli, the hermana that I met first in Utah in the Mexican Consulate, is preparing for baptism as well. She is very happy. Very ready for the blessings that the Lord has waiting for her following her baptism.
Everything was and is looking awesome.
And then came Saturday.
I got a call from President Whitehead at 1:58 in the afternoon. The following day at 6:00 I recieved my new assignment as secretary to the President and began my work. Special transfers!
Do you remember Elder Demars from my district in the MTC? A few weeks back he was hit by a car and it totalled his left leg. Completely. He worked a little in the offices, and today, about 20 minutes ago, his plane touched down in Washington with his family. He will have a surgery and a recovery of about 9 weeks, and then will be coming back to the mission. And he was the secretary.
This assignment has a LOT of responsibilities. I need to take care of all the visa work, flights, cell phones, and general questions and needs of about 230 missionaries. I also need to be ready in every moment to help President with anything that he may need. I have a companion, si. Elder Goodrich from Pleasant Grove. He is running the mission finances. He is a great guy. Really fun to be with. I now have a snazzy desktop computer that I use when I am not running all over the city. :) We rent in a really nice place by the offices. By far the nicest house yet I have been in. I will still work and proselyte, just a little less. I am in contact with President every few hours.
There is a lot that I do not know how to do. Elder Demars was able to give me about 2 hours of capacitation last night in the middle of the night, and now here I am. Eesh. I am a little nervous, not going to lie.
Elder Gavilla is going to stay in Chamapa with another Elder. If they work well and with the Spirit they will see many baptisms. I left a lot of wonderful people behind. I really did love Chamapa.
I am out of time for today, will share a little more this next week about all that is going down.
Gotta dash!
Love you all!
Elder Kennington
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: Did you ever get my package? Were the contents okay?
A: It might take a little while longer. I got changed so suddenly it might wait a week because it was in the Zone that I just left. We will see. I, personally, am hoping and praying for it soon. :)
Mom Note: I sent him this package in early February. It got to the mission home within a couple of days, but due to transfers and things it's been following him around ever since.
Q: What date do you officially consider your half-way mark? Will it be August 6th, the day you went into the MTC or will it be in July since that is what you were given as your tentative release date in 2016?
A: Ok. My official release date is July 18th, 2016. Officially and concrete.
Q: How large is your zone?
A: It is TINY!! TINY TINY TINY!
Q: Do you ever hear anything from your previous companions? Elder Lanza? Elder Medina?
A: Elder Lanza, no. Elder Medina, yes! He has been in the same zone for the last six months. He is in the richest part of the mission.
Q: What news from the whole mission on the 500 baptisms goal?
A: Very well. I am still waiting to hear what the final number was.
Q: How often do general authorities visit the mission?
A: Pretty often. We are going to have a 70 (Elder Nash) come and do a mission tour this next week. Or the following. Yeah. Pretty certain it is the following. :)
Q: Is there ever a mission-wide conference that all missionaries attend?
A: YUP! The Gira Misional, or the mission tour I just talked about above. All together? No. Multi Zones? Yes.
Q: Do you get to do any sight-seeing on P Day?
A: ... NOPE... No time. ... :):P
Q: Do you have someplace to get groceries that is bigger than your little mercado in Chamapa?
A: Haha. Nope. We have a gas station. :):) And about the gas station, we don't really have another option... For sake of time and stuff. It really isn't grocery shopping anyway. More like buying cereal and milk and little things to keep us going throughout the day. :)
Mom: Maybe I’d better save up some questions for next Sunday…..SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Elder K: ... Motion seconded. Squeeeeee indeed. :):):):):):):)):):):):)
When missionaries change areas they take lots of photos in the ward or branch they are leaving. Here are Elder Kennington's farewell pics from Chamapa:
Fotos! The fotos whith the family of three, with the dad without a tie, are investigators. Maria Ines, Gabriel, and their little daughter Meredith. She is adorable!! The dog is named Chicharo. He belongs to the family of four pictured here, with the mom in green. Hugo, Suzanna, Nidia, y Natalie.
Pure insanity. That was this last week.
For starters, we worked really hard preparing our two families to be baptized, alongside a couple other investigators that we have worked with.
Maria Ines and her family are doing great. They are preparing to be baptized on the 24th. They are a very strong family that have great potential, especially as they continue to put themselves in the hands of God and follow His Spirit.
Hector and his family are doing well. Hector is starting to struggle again with The Word of Wisdom, so a few prayers there would not be awry. His wife is doing much better, and has told off her brother-in-law for sharing silly rumors with her. They will be coming to church this Sunday. Their two kids are doing very well, though the older one doesn't really want to listen to anything right now. We are working hard to gain more of his trust.
Areli, the hermana that I met first in Utah in the Mexican Consulate, is preparing for baptism as well. She is very happy. Very ready for the blessings that the Lord has waiting for her following her baptism.
Everything was and is looking awesome.
And then came Saturday.
I got a call from President Whitehead at 1:58 in the afternoon. The following day at 6:00 I recieved my new assignment as secretary to the President and began my work. Special transfers!
Do you remember Elder Demars from my district in the MTC? A few weeks back he was hit by a car and it totalled his left leg. Completely. He worked a little in the offices, and today, about 20 minutes ago, his plane touched down in Washington with his family. He will have a surgery and a recovery of about 9 weeks, and then will be coming back to the mission. And he was the secretary.
This assignment has a LOT of responsibilities. I need to take care of all the visa work, flights, cell phones, and general questions and needs of about 230 missionaries. I also need to be ready in every moment to help President with anything that he may need. I have a companion, si. Elder Goodrich from Pleasant Grove. He is running the mission finances. He is a great guy. Really fun to be with. I now have a snazzy desktop computer that I use when I am not running all over the city. :) We rent in a really nice place by the offices. By far the nicest house yet I have been in. I will still work and proselyte, just a little less. I am in contact with President every few hours.
There is a lot that I do not know how to do. Elder Demars was able to give me about 2 hours of capacitation last night in the middle of the night, and now here I am. Eesh. I am a little nervous, not going to lie.
Elder Gavilla is going to stay in Chamapa with another Elder. If they work well and with the Spirit they will see many baptisms. I left a lot of wonderful people behind. I really did love Chamapa.
I am out of time for today, will share a little more this next week about all that is going down.
Gotta dash!
Love you all!
Elder Kennington
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: Did you ever get my package? Were the contents okay?
A: It might take a little while longer. I got changed so suddenly it might wait a week because it was in the Zone that I just left. We will see. I, personally, am hoping and praying for it soon. :)
Mom Note: I sent him this package in early February. It got to the mission home within a couple of days, but due to transfers and things it's been following him around ever since.
Q: What date do you officially consider your half-way mark? Will it be August 6th, the day you went into the MTC or will it be in July since that is what you were given as your tentative release date in 2016?
A: Ok. My official release date is July 18th, 2016. Officially and concrete.
Q: How large is your zone?
A: It is TINY!! TINY TINY TINY!
Q: Do you ever hear anything from your previous companions? Elder Lanza? Elder Medina?
A: Elder Lanza, no. Elder Medina, yes! He has been in the same zone for the last six months. He is in the richest part of the mission.
Q: What news from the whole mission on the 500 baptisms goal?
A: Very well. I am still waiting to hear what the final number was.
Q: How often do general authorities visit the mission?
A: Pretty often. We are going to have a 70 (Elder Nash) come and do a mission tour this next week. Or the following. Yeah. Pretty certain it is the following. :)
Q: Is there ever a mission-wide conference that all missionaries attend?
A: YUP! The Gira Misional, or the mission tour I just talked about above. All together? No. Multi Zones? Yes.
Q: Do you get to do any sight-seeing on P Day?
A: ... NOPE... No time. ... :):P
Q: Do you have someplace to get groceries that is bigger than your little mercado in Chamapa?
A: Haha. Nope. We have a gas station. :):) And about the gas station, we don't really have another option... For sake of time and stuff. It really isn't grocery shopping anyway. More like buying cereal and milk and little things to keep us going throughout the day. :)
Mom: Maybe I’d better save up some questions for next Sunday…..SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Elder K: ... Motion seconded. Squeeeeee indeed. :):):):):):):)):):):):)
When missionaries change areas they take lots of photos in the ward or branch they are leaving. Here are Elder Kennington's farewell pics from Chamapa:
Fotos! The fotos whith the family of three, with the dad without a tie, are investigators. Maria Ines, Gabriel, and their little daughter Meredith. She is adorable!! The dog is named Chicharo. He belongs to the family of four pictured here, with the mom in green. Hugo, Suzanna, Nidia, y Natalie.
 |
| The guy is Hermano Jorge, our ward mission leader. He is a stud. He really helped us out a LOT. He is 25 with a wife and the most adorable 1 year old son on the face of this planet. Love 'em to bits. |
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
New Rumors and Spare Kitchens
Buenas tardes!
This last week was good. The heat here in Mexico is starting to decide that it wants to be serious. I am seriously considering overcoming my disgust for sunscreen. But that doesn't change the fact that the work here is going very well! We have two families that are progressing that I am very excited about. The first family is a family of four. The dad is working on quitting smoking and the mom is slowly taking out her strong Catholic roots one by one.
We were expecting them in church yesterday but they never came. We visited them after the services and found out why they decided to not be home. The brother of the husband had talked with them in the morning, and found out that they were accepting visits from us, and proceeded to say all sorts of the weirdest things. Some of the rumors that he passed on are the common ones, like we all had 7 wives and the like. But I had never heard before that there were some people that think that every Sunday at the end of Sacrament meeting we do a "wife-swap" and every couple switches up with another. Naturally the mom in this family was pretty freaked out. :) We did an impromptu lesson of the Law of Chastity, and this family left feeling a lot better. Sounds like they're back on board for coming to church next Sunday. :)
Elder Gavilla is doing well. He is still learning some of the ropes of the mission rules, and trips from time to time (but Heck, I am too!), but is still working hard. He loves to laugh and smile, which is making this change a lot easier. I really enjoy teaching and working with him. He has a very powerful testimony and a close connection with the Spirit.
That about wraps it up for now! Hope that this week is the best week yet and that the hand of God is visible in each moment of your day. His hand certainly is here.
Hasta luego!
Elder Kennington
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: What regional difference in food type/preparation have you noticed now having served in three completely different areas? Do they have different names for the same thing?
A: They have all the same things, basically. One custum here is that they always serve a soup before the actual meal. And everything is fried. And nobody uses an oven. The only thing they use their oven for is to store dishes and that sort of thing. I thought of you and the unfortunate plastic bowl back in our house in Provo. :)
Q: Does your little mercado sell fresh fruit and veg?
A: Yep! Just bought about 3 kilos of apples. I think I am set for the week.
Q: How is the haircut this week? How often were you needing to get it cut before The Dreadful Buzz?
A: It's... Better... (?) Haha. I used to get it cut once about every 3-4 weeks.
Q: You’ve mentioned the high number of dogs running around there. What about cats? Feral? Domestic?
A: A few cats, but not many. We have more in Payson. All feral. :)
Q: Evan would like to know if you have met any Russians? Have you met any other non-Mexicans at all?
A: No, I haven't met any Russians... I have met many Mexicans who have lived in the United States, one from England, a few from the Dominican Republic.
Yes/No kitchen questions. Do you have:
A hotplate: yes
Microwave: no
Crockpot/slow cooker: no
toaster: no
Stove: no
Oven: no
Freezer: yes
Frying pan: yes
Cooking pot/sauce pan: no
Q: How typical is your kitchen set-up for other places you have lived or homes you have visited?
A: They all have a microwave, a fridge, and a hotplate. That about sums it up.
This last week was good. The heat here in Mexico is starting to decide that it wants to be serious. I am seriously considering overcoming my disgust for sunscreen. But that doesn't change the fact that the work here is going very well! We have two families that are progressing that I am very excited about. The first family is a family of four. The dad is working on quitting smoking and the mom is slowly taking out her strong Catholic roots one by one.
We were expecting them in church yesterday but they never came. We visited them after the services and found out why they decided to not be home. The brother of the husband had talked with them in the morning, and found out that they were accepting visits from us, and proceeded to say all sorts of the weirdest things. Some of the rumors that he passed on are the common ones, like we all had 7 wives and the like. But I had never heard before that there were some people that think that every Sunday at the end of Sacrament meeting we do a "wife-swap" and every couple switches up with another. Naturally the mom in this family was pretty freaked out. :) We did an impromptu lesson of the Law of Chastity, and this family left feeling a lot better. Sounds like they're back on board for coming to church next Sunday. :)
Elder Gavilla is doing well. He is still learning some of the ropes of the mission rules, and trips from time to time (but Heck, I am too!), but is still working hard. He loves to laugh and smile, which is making this change a lot easier. I really enjoy teaching and working with him. He has a very powerful testimony and a close connection with the Spirit.
That about wraps it up for now! Hope that this week is the best week yet and that the hand of God is visible in each moment of your day. His hand certainly is here.
Hasta luego!
Elder Kennington
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: What regional difference in food type/preparation have you noticed now having served in three completely different areas? Do they have different names for the same thing?
A: They have all the same things, basically. One custum here is that they always serve a soup before the actual meal. And everything is fried. And nobody uses an oven. The only thing they use their oven for is to store dishes and that sort of thing. I thought of you and the unfortunate plastic bowl back in our house in Provo. :)
Q: Does your little mercado sell fresh fruit and veg?
A: Yep! Just bought about 3 kilos of apples. I think I am set for the week.
Q: How is the haircut this week? How often were you needing to get it cut before The Dreadful Buzz?
A: It's... Better... (?) Haha. I used to get it cut once about every 3-4 weeks.
Q: You’ve mentioned the high number of dogs running around there. What about cats? Feral? Domestic?
A: A few cats, but not many. We have more in Payson. All feral. :)
Q: Evan would like to know if you have met any Russians? Have you met any other non-Mexicans at all?
A: No, I haven't met any Russians... I have met many Mexicans who have lived in the United States, one from England, a few from the Dominican Republic.
Yes/No kitchen questions. Do you have:
A hotplate: yes
Microwave: no
Crockpot/slow cooker: no
toaster: no
Stove: no
Oven: no
Freezer: yes
Frying pan: yes
Cooking pot/sauce pan: no
Q: How typical is your kitchen set-up for other places you have lived or homes you have visited?
A: They all have a microwave, a fridge, and a hotplate. That about sums it up.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Elder Zombie Kennington
This week was a party.
We worked our tails off working with some of our investigators. A couple weeks back we started working with a man named Hector and his family, and they are wonderful. They love us to bits, and we always look forward to visiting them. Due to some past bad experiences with some Jehovah's Witness missionaries they weren't too keen to let us in, let alone come to church, but this week they will be coming to church for the first time. And Hector has almost completely kicked the smoking habit that he has had for 35 years. The secret? He picks up the Book of Mormon every time he gets the desire to smoke. Another testimony that it is a book inspired by God with the purpose of blessing the lives of God's children. If you haven't read it within the last 24 hours I recommend that you pick it up and see what God would like to say to you.
This Sunday was a little interesting. I had spent Saturday night sick as all get out, so when it came time to get ready to go the following morning I think a zombie could have dressed himself better. But we got out to door, got some good contacts, and then half an hour later had to dash to a member's house to borrow the bathroom. :) Kept this up through the whole day, but that didn't stop us from enjoying a junta* (forgot how to say that in English) with the ward. The ward is really struggling with each person being anxiously engaged in his calling, so one of the stake councilors was there for the junta. Everyone left with their eyebrows a little singed, but with high hopes for the progress of the work of the Lord here in this ward. :) We got home, and I had one of the best sleeps that I have had in my entire mission. :) Twas heavenly.
Eso fue todo para esta semana. Elder Gavilla esta bien. Trabajando muy duro y aprendiendo mucho. Estoy agradecido por su humildad. Nos va muy bien. Hasta luego! Les amo muchisimo, y espero que esta semana sea la mejore.**
Con amor
Elder Kennington
*Junta = literally "board or assembly." Probably like a gathering, conference, or something.
** "That's all for this week. Elder Gavilla is great. Working hard and learning a lot. I am grateful for his humility. We get along very well. Hasta luego! I love you all a lot, and I hope that this week is the best."
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: Tell me more about Elder Gavilla and his family background.
A: He is from Veracruz, and was born to a member family. His grandma was the first convert.
Q: What comments have you gotten about your hair this week?
A: Just about everything... :p Haha. I got asked by a person that I contacted in the street if I was really just undercover military scouting out the area... :)
Q: SEND PICTURES OF YOUR HAIR.
A: ... Ok... :p
Q: Okay, #3 wasn’t really a question. Here is one: Where will you go now for a haircut?
A: I don't know. I think if I wanted a better one I would blindfold my companion and give him an Exacto knife. Yeah. I think I'll do that.
Q: What is your Chamapa apartment like? Send pictures?
A: It is bigger than the one in Toluca and very nice. Two bathrooms (no idea how we managed to score that) and easy to keep clean. Love it.
Q: What would you like me to include more of in my letters to you, both snail and digital?
A: More news about what is going on back home with everyone. Just out of pure curiosity. Like what you did this week? The list of tidbits? Loved it. Everyone in the world back home is getting married. O.o
Q: Which specific investigators would you like us to pray for?
A: Maria Ines ( an new investigator from this week whose dad is a self-described retired Mormon), Lupita and her family, and Hector and his family.
Q: What brand of hair gel do you use?
A: It is called Ego. It smells nice. :)
The trainers picking up their greenies from the mission home. Elder Kennington is in the back on the right side.
This is from me, the Mom. I'm not counting or anything about how many Sundays until it's Mother's Day and I get to talk to my missionary!
The new companionship! Elder Kennington and Elder Gavilla, obviously taken before the Haircut of Doom.
Elder Kennington's apartment
The kitchen looks a little sparse in the cooking appliances department to this mom.
One last apartment picture.
This Sunday was a little interesting. I had spent Saturday night sick as all get out, so when it came time to get ready to go the following morning I think a zombie could have dressed himself better. But we got out to door, got some good contacts, and then half an hour later had to dash to a member's house to borrow the bathroom. :) Kept this up through the whole day, but that didn't stop us from enjoying a junta* (forgot how to say that in English) with the ward. The ward is really struggling with each person being anxiously engaged in his calling, so one of the stake councilors was there for the junta. Everyone left with their eyebrows a little singed, but with high hopes for the progress of the work of the Lord here in this ward. :) We got home, and I had one of the best sleeps that I have had in my entire mission. :) Twas heavenly.
Eso fue todo para esta semana. Elder Gavilla esta bien. Trabajando muy duro y aprendiendo mucho. Estoy agradecido por su humildad. Nos va muy bien. Hasta luego! Les amo muchisimo, y espero que esta semana sea la mejore.**
Con amor
Elder Kennington
*Junta = literally "board or assembly." Probably like a gathering, conference, or something.
** "That's all for this week. Elder Gavilla is great. Working hard and learning a lot. I am grateful for his humility. We get along very well. Hasta luego! I love you all a lot, and I hope that this week is the best."
Preguntas Bien Rapidito
Q: Tell me more about Elder Gavilla and his family background.
A: He is from Veracruz, and was born to a member family. His grandma was the first convert.
Q: What comments have you gotten about your hair this week?
A: Just about everything... :p Haha. I got asked by a person that I contacted in the street if I was really just undercover military scouting out the area... :)
Q: SEND PICTURES OF YOUR HAIR.
A: ... Ok... :p
Q: Okay, #3 wasn’t really a question. Here is one: Where will you go now for a haircut?
A: I don't know. I think if I wanted a better one I would blindfold my companion and give him an Exacto knife. Yeah. I think I'll do that.
Q: What is your Chamapa apartment like? Send pictures?
A: It is bigger than the one in Toluca and very nice. Two bathrooms (no idea how we managed to score that) and easy to keep clean. Love it.
Q: What would you like me to include more of in my letters to you, both snail and digital?
A: More news about what is going on back home with everyone. Just out of pure curiosity. Like what you did this week? The list of tidbits? Loved it. Everyone in the world back home is getting married. O.o
Q: Which specific investigators would you like us to pray for?
A: Maria Ines ( an new investigator from this week whose dad is a self-described retired Mormon), Lupita and her family, and Hector and his family.
Q: What brand of hair gel do you use?
A: It is called Ego. It smells nice. :)
The trainers picking up their greenies from the mission home. Elder Kennington is in the back on the right side.
This is from me, the Mom. I'm not counting or anything about how many Sundays until it's Mother's Day and I get to talk to my missionary!
The new companionship! Elder Kennington and Elder Gavilla, obviously taken before the Haircut of Doom.
The Haircut of Doom! I wonder what the shaved-in part looks like...
Elder Kennington's apartment
The kitchen looks a little sparse in the cooking appliances department to this mom.
One last apartment picture.
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