From Chile with love

We are working hard here in Los Libertadores. We have the list of the Endowed members. We looking for them, and thinking of assignments to give them. We had success with one: Cristobol Albornoz. He returned from his mission a little over a year ago and went inactive about two months after coming home. We found him, started bringing him to church and we got the bishopric to help us give him an assignment. He is now the Second Consejero in Young Men. We have also been inviting him to go out and do visits with us. 

We are looking for more. Especially those who have received their endowment because these are people that have a lot of knowledge of the gospel and have made very sacred covenants with God. We have also been able to motivate the leaders of the ward to have ward council more than once a month. We now have it once a week. This is very good because we now have more verification and the work progresses a lot faster. It's crazy how much work there is to do down here. It's kind of of nice though, because it keeps us busy. I know that this ward has a lot of pontential for growth. I think that this pilot plan is exactly what Los Libertadores needs to grow. This week we had 57 people that attended church. We are already at ten more  people than when I got here. I believe that with this pilot plan we will easily be able to raise the attendance by 20% and more even. This ward about to see a lot of change. 

Funny/Crazy story of the week. Walking down the street in our sector a couple of days ago we saw a guy get hit by a car. The crazy part is he didn't get hurt. He walked across the street when he shouldn't have and a car just took him out. But this guy rolled over the hood of the car and landed on his feet, and kept walking on. The car stopped, and every asked him if was ok he said "Yea, I'm fine." and just kept walking his course. What a boss! The things you see here are pretty crazy sometimes. 

Anyway I love you all. 

Elder Kennedy

(The pictures of the parade-ish thing is of Cuasimodo ... it's the day after Easter, when all the people go out with the Catholic Priests to bless the sick and give them mass and stuff. The people of the town ride out with them on horses and bikes and stuff. It is tradition to do this, to ensure that the Priests do not rob the houses they go to, because they used to do that like a hundred years ago.)

 Maté with Elder Larson and mini ties... we wore sweaters that day so we tied mini ties.

 Family Moreira

 Despedida left to right. Hermana Mena, Hermana Farner, Katy, Hermana Silva, hermano Godoy, Elder Larson, yo... featuring my Maté in the middle.

 Yes, MATÉ jaja

 My companion Elder Lizárraga 

Kennedy Street

We took these when we Skype'd Elder Kennedy on Saturday May 10th. He was able to Skype us the day before Mothers Day.

Los Libertadores

Family! 

Lots of changes here in the mission! This week was Changes, and President changed a lot of people. There were 16 white-washes in the mission (that is when both missionaries are taken out of the sector and replaced by two that weren’t there before). Here in my ward Los Libertadores, I was the only one to not have changes. The Sisters left, and so did Elder Larson (my companion). I am now here with my new comp Elder Lizárraga from Argentina. He's cool. We were in the same Zone for a while on the coast, so we already know each other. That’s pretty nice. 

I’m glad the Lord saw it fit to keep me here in this sector. I think that we are going see a lot of miracles here this change. I’ve been planting seeds for a while, and I know that the Lord has prepared families for us. I am striving to be obedient and diligent to find these people, and I know with the Lord’s help we can do it. 

What I'm learning more and more everyday is that this really is the Lords work, and it all depends on His will. But if He commands us to do something, we will always be able to do it; if we are faithful and industrious. I love 1st Nephi Chapter 17 because it is a perfect example of that. Nephi is commanded to build a ship. This was something very difficult that he had never done before. But when he is commanded, He never complains or says, “How will I do that?” Instead he asks where he should go to find ore to make tools to build a ship (1 Nephi 17: 7-10). I love that response. I know what the Lord has commanded. I have heard His call. He has called us to teach the restored gospel, and I know that to find success, I will need to be like Nephi and trust in the Lord. I know that “If God commanded me to do all things, I could do them. If He should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done” (1 Nephi 17:50). I know what the Lord has commanded, and I will do what I need to do to complete it. I love this work. I love Chile.

Con Amor,

Elder Kennedy

I will talk to you all on Saturday for Mothers Day instead of Sunday. Can't wait. 

Pilot Mission

Hello Familia, 

Well, we had a lot of meetings this week which means we did not have a lot of time to work. It turns out our mission, along with 3 others, has been chosen to be a "Pilot mission" to try a new idea. The other missions are Santiago South, Buenos Aires South, and Córdoba Argentina.  The idea of the plan is to 1) Baptize A LOT MORE. 2) Retain A LOT MORE. 3) Reactivate A LOT MORE. 

We are currently being instructed in the way to do so. The Area Presidency here believes that we will be able to do all three things if we focus on reactivating members. That will augment the attendence of the church, and present more investigators to teach and baptize. Thus with more active members of the church doing visits, we will be more able to retain our members. So, our focus is on the less active members. We are starting with members who have received their endowments, and have the priesthood. Those are our number one priority. 

As a result of this Pilot idea we will not be measuring the same key indicators as other missions. The Area South America South (my area) only requires 2 key indicators. 1) Baptisms 2) Less active members who are returning to church and have an assignment. From those two, the mission has the liberty to chose which we want to keep. President has decided to keep a few of the old ones, but we are no longer required to count other lessons, lessons with a member present, progressing investigators, references, nor lessons taught with less actives or recent converts. But we will be required to count total lessons.

We will measure our results in two months, in which we expect to see a 20% increase in church attendance. And we will keep this plan in affect until December. 

I am excited to be a part of this mission and to try this plan. I have faith that this plan will work. I think it is exactly what Chile needs in order to grow. It is so exciting to be a missionary in a time where the Lord really is hastening His work. I know that His coming is soon. I testify that this gospel is true and it is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I testify that there is "no other name nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, The Lord Omnipotent." And that means we must live his gospel. 

Con mucho amor,

Élder Kennedy