All in a days work

Hey Fam,

Chile is Bakan. My first Chilean Independence day went well. The ward activity was super cool. There were activities, dancing (which we didn’t do) and tons of food. Like we predicted, most of our investigators went out of town. We did a ton of contacting jaja, we found a few good people, and we hope to see them progress. What else crazy happened?? Oh yea! The four of us Elders in this ward along with some other members built a house for a member here haha. The place we built it was in the spot where her old house was that got destroyed by an earthquake. Super sketchy project. It looked like we went back in time to WW2 and a bomb went off in this building because there were chunks of concrete everywhere and all the walls were destroyed. We had to pass all the materials up and over a part of the house because they were too big to go through the door. Super cool and the house turned out well. 

Today we had a multi-zone activity with the Zone from Talagante. We all went to the beach in Quisco. This was the first time that another zone in this mission had permission to visit the coast for a zone activity. Pretty cool. 

Something we struggled with this week is getting our investigators to church. You have to ask yourself what’s not to like about the true church of Christ restored on the Earth? jaja. But seriously church is one of the most important things, because investigators wont progress as fast with out going. It’s frustrating sometimes when investigators don’t keep their compromisos.

I love speaking another language but every once in a while I will be just talking and all the sudden I will totally forget the word I’m trying to say. I’m going to speak such bad Spanish when I get home. The Chileans have horrible grammar and use weird slang that no one else understands jaja. After the mission I will travel to Mexico or something and they will look at me weird cause I’m a gringo who talks like a Chilean.

To answer some questions: they do have Halloween here, cause they stole it from the US haha so this season there is the 18^th (Independence day), Halloween, Christmas and New Year. 

Anyway thanks for everything, love you all!

P.S. I know Nate’s in the MTC now. Crazy. ... I better write that kid.

J&R- If you keep Tolbert, I will fix that sucker up. Unless you can sell it for a good amount, haha. then you could use the money to by a new bike.

Chilean Independence Day

Hey All,

San Antonio is thriving; we love the work here. Everything is going awesome. HA our "time out" being locked in the apt went well, but we were all glad to get back out and do work. I did study a lot and also watched The Restauracion video in every language (haha it’s hilarious in ASL) haha Portuguese and Italian, we all understood pretty much perfectly, Chino- not so much.

We are leaving Winter and heading right in to Spring. The days are getting warmer and we don’t need to wear our jackets anymore. I’m glad you update me on current events and even more glad to hear things are semi tranquil in the states.

Our investigators are doing well, but aren’t progressing as fast as we would like them to. Please pray for them that they might understand more fully the importance of this message. 

I'm stoked for my big brother who’s training. That is so awesome! 

The streets here are all full of Red Blue and White, because the 18th (Chilean independence day) is here. Literally every house has a Chilean flag flying above it. There are always huge parties and family gatherings for the 18th. I am told the festivities last until Sunday. There is going to be an activity at the church with all sorts of fun activities, including La Cueca, which is the Chilean national Dance and pure asado (BBQ), empanadas, and Churi-pan to eat. We are gonna have to extra ejercicios para que no subamos en pesa. 

I love you all. And I’m grateful for the love and support you give me. I’m glad to be a part of this work and to help bring people to the Savior. I love being a Missionary.

Con mucho amor

Elder Kennedy 

Jose (Joseph)- Hey man question, would you be able to send more fotos of the bikes? I miss em to death ha. All is well here in Chi Chi Chi Le Le Le.

Sept 11...crazy day in Chile

It’s good to here from all of you. I’m glad everything is going well. Renee thanks for sending Eric's email. It’s been a while since I've heard how he's doing. 

This week we are gonna lose a ton of time and it’s kinda sad. Tomorrow is zone conference so we have a meeting from 3:30 to 6. Then we have until 8 to work (2 hours) because we have to be back in the pención because Sept 11 is the 40th anniversary of the Golpe de Estado. And what’s worse than that, we can’t leave at all on Wednesday because it is too dangerous. We are going to be locked in the pención from 8 o’clock Tuesday until 11:30 Thursday morning. Well on the bright side we will have a lot of time to study... 

It's kind of a bummer we can’t leave. I want to visit our investigators. They are progressing well but a lot of them still need a lot of help.

I will tell you all what I know, and the understanding I have gained through my own experiences on the mission so far. I have seen what the world offers, (you see a lot of it in high school) and those things can be fun, or you think they are fun. But I look back on those times when I wasn’t as diligent in living the gospel as I should have been and realize I was an idiot. Because I thought I was happy. What I know now is those things cannot bring happiness in this life. I know that the gospel is happiness. I know now that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the only way we can be happy. And I want all of you to be happy and I know that if you really want happiness you have to live The Gospel that our Heavenly father gave us so that we can be happy. I know it’s the only way. 

Anyway thanks for all your love and support, I love you all. 

Love, 

Elder Kennedy, junior

P.S. In case any of you need my address, here it is: 

Mision Chile Santiago Oeste

Av. pajaritos 1921 

Casilla 149 Maipú Chile

An instrument in the Lord's hands

The mission is crazy. It’s full of good days and bad ones. This week went well, Felipe just got confirmed a member yesterday, and his dad is showing more interest in the church. We are planning on putting a fecha with him this week. There are some things that happen that just make you sad, for example the other day we were walking to a lesson and there was a little girl playing by the fence of her house (like 3 or 4 years old). As we were passing by she looked at us and said "Ustedes son mentirosos" (you guys are liars). We stopped and asked her why?  She said, "I don’t know, but my dad told me you guys are liars." That just about killed me. But it’s all right. The blessings, and the happy moments outweigh the bad ones by a lot. While studying I came across a scripture that I really like. Probably one of my new favs, it says, " I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." (Alma 29:9) It made me realize that this really is my calling. That perhaps I can be an instrument in the hands of the Lord and lead people to true happiness and peace that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring. I have a testimony that I am literally working shoulder to shoulder with the Lord so I can bring people back to him. "For behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." My work and the Lord’s work is the same. I love all of you. 

Con Amor,

Elder Kennedy

P.S. Thanks for keeping me updated on world events. It is super crazy what’s going on, especially in Syria. This is a scary time. But at the same time, I’m pretty sure this is all prophesied in the scriptures. #secondcoming

Mom- Thanks for sending that spiritual message on Grace. That is exactly what the gospel is. We aren’t expected to be perfect, but we are expected to try and to better ourselves.

Pat- Just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. HA sorry it’s a day late, but that’s P-day for ya. How does it feel do be in your thirties? haha anyway bro, I love you. I hope all is well with Misty and the kids. You’re a boss man.