Another great week!

Family and friends!

We are doing well here. Seeing lot's of miracles. It's really cool to see the members that have returned recently, receive callings and help invite other friends back to church. I love it here in the mission. That's crazy about the earthquake in California. We didn't even feel the tumbler down here because Elder Stout and I were walking in the street. But everyone was freaking out and asked if we felt it. In fact people in the cyber right now are still talking about it jaja. 

Today was a special farewell meeting because the group of "Go-Homers" went home two weeks early to start their studies and get back in time for school. They closed a lot of sectors which will re-open when all the greenies arrive in September. Luckily nothing happened here in our ward. 

Everything is going well here for us. We are having a lot of success, really loving the work, and receiving the blessings. 

Love you

Elder Ian Kennedy

written on Monday August 18th

Familia!

Ochagavía is the miracle zone. I love being here. This past week we were able to raise the attendence again. We are up to 105 now!!! It's so awesome. We have been finding families and we are bringing them to church. The other day we saw a man painting a wall and we asked if we could share with him. He imediately stopped painting and walked us to his house, where we met his family. His name is Alex, and he lives with his two kids: Justin and Sofia. He is really humble, and at the end of the lesson he agreed to come to church and said, "God really knows exactly when to send the blessings."

We are seeing lot's of success working with "El Rescate" and finding the in-actives and bringing them back to the fold. This past week we invited Gabriel Herrera, a man who has been inactive for over 15 years, to come back to church this week. We also left him wth a small asignment to talk about the gospel at least once a week with his family who are non-members. He really has felt the Spirit again and he is progressing a lot. Please pray for him, his pareja Rosa, and his daughter Daniela. They are a really good family, Gabriel and Rosa just have to get married. 

On friday we had a Noche de Talentos (talent show). It was a huge success. It seemed like we had more less-active members participate than actives. Juan Carlos Bugueño, the recently returned member planned the whole thing. He called on all less active members to help him plan and put together the activity which was very successful. By doing so he gave those members a feeling of belonging and importance. What a miracle.

I Love this work. I love being here in the mission. I really wouldn't rather be anywhere else. I am learning so much. I can really feel the blessings that are received from serving the Lord. 

Love,

Elder Ian Kennedy

Taken right before the 18 month burning of my pants.

Being a missionary is the best thing

Hey all!

So this week I had two puking stories. 1: My companion and I were walking down the street and this guy walking in front of us stepped in dog poop, looked at his shoe and threw up right there on the floor jaja we didn’t know what to do but man but it was funny.

The second was and this less active member named Juan Carlos. He went in the fridge to get a drink and saw a bottle of juice. However his wife used that bottle to store the extra frying oil, jaja he drank a sip and realized what it was and threw up all over his kitchen floor. Chile man it’s soo awesome.

I want you all to know that I do love this area despite the fact it is ghetto. I mean there are drug dealers on the corner, gunshots at 3 a.m., people trying to break in to our house when we aren’t home (thanks to our neighbors they didn’t’ succeed). It’s just a really poor part of Santiago. But my companion is good. He is 19 and is just about to complete 9 months out in the mission.

Someone asked me when I was training if I liked it. My response was: You really learn a lot. Because you have to help someone else, and they say the best way to learn is to teach. Also the greenie power that they have, that’s a plus too. Also, it really helps you to rely on the Lord, and not in your own abilities as a missionary... I don’t know. It’s just really cool.

Moving on....well, what an exiting week we had. 95 attending church this week in total. So we are happy about that. We are still augmenting the attendance, and trying to bring many less active members back. It’s really the most awesome thing, being a missionary. I am learning so much. It’s so cool to be able to help other people to receive so many blessings in their life.

I just got an email from my convert Sergio in San Antonio who informed me that he and his wife Violeta are planning to go to the temple at the end of September to get sealed! I can’t believe it. I am so exited for them. I cant express the amount of joy there is in being a part of someone’s conversion and then hearing that they are going to the temple to be sealed to receive the fullness of the blessings of the gospel. I am so happy for them. I know that the Lord loves them so much for taking this decision. 

I know that this gospel is the only true gospel on the earth today. I know it has been restored, and it is actually directed by a prophet of God who possesses all the Priesthood keys needed for our salvation. I know these things because the Holy Ghost, which testifies of truth, has revealed this to me. I have received many blessings from this knowledge and I know that all can receive these blessings if they will live the true teachings of Jesus Christ. 

Love,

Elder Ian Kennedy

Week two of this transfer

Hello Family and Friends!

I can't believe how quickly time passes by. Elder Lythgoe and his family came here to Ochagavía to say goodbye to us this week before heading back home to San Diego... crazy.

But anyway, we are working a ton and are really seeing fruits. We have a lot of potential baptisms and we are getting exited for them. The one that needs the most help right now is Matias. He is the son of a menos (less) active family that we are bringing back. The father is a recovering alcoholic, but he wants to be the one to baptize his son. So we are in the process of helping them return to the church, and to take the required steps to be worthy to baptize him. 

Elder Stout is a machine. We our doing a lot of good things here. Recently we were able to bring an inactive member of over 20 years back to church. It was incredible, because afterwards she told us that she had thought that everyone had forgotten about her, but when she came to church and saw that many of her old friends came and talked to her she felt way better. We are also working with her husband and children who are not members. I think now that she had such a good experience at church it will be a lot easier for her husband to go. I love seeing things like that. I love seeing that light in a person when they accept the gospel in their lives. 

I am so fortunate to be here. This mission is changing my life. My testimony has increased so much, and my conversion is being made more firm. I love this gospel so much. It really is a light in our lives. 

Love,

Elder Ian Kennedy

Currently my favorite scripture is: Alma 26:12