Miracles In San Antonio, Chile

Hey family,

I am deeply sorry for the deaths that have happened back home. That really is difficult, especially since one was a parent and one was a brother of kids on the mission. 

This week was 'changes', but I don’t have them. 7 months on the coast!!!!!!! Actually, there weren’t many changes at all. The 4 of us that live in our pention are the same. I still live with Elder Lythgoe, Elder López, and Elder Peel. And we are all super exited. Yesterday The 4 of us had a baptism. Elder Lythgoe and López baptized a man named Carlos who was a miracle. He changed his life a lot to be able to be baptized. Elder Peel and I also had a baptism. Luis Donoso. Luis is 20 years old and he is perfect missionary material. He too is a miracle. He had to quit smoking and everything. He's the guy that said, (when we were doing a practice for the baptism interview) and he was asked if he believed the church of Jesus Christ has been restored through conduct of Joseph Smith, he said "Yes, because I have read the Book of Mormon." I love Luis. He is the man. I had the awesome opportunity to baptize him. I don’t think I have ever felt as good doing anything else. The spirit was so strong in the baptism. But I don’t think I have ever felt it so strong than having actually performing the baptism. It was amazing. That was Elder Peels first baptism in the mish. I'm stoked on it cause Elder Peel and I taught him all the things he needed to know from the beginning. Elder Peel didn’t enter in the middle or anything. 

Also earlier in the week, (last Tuesday) the 4 missions of Santiago went to go see Elder Holland talk. QUE PODER. He talked a lot about the importance of the mission, why it is so hard, and how we need to exercise our power and authority to "Asombrar" astonish everyone we meet. He also said that as missionaries we are still in a learning process and we are investigators of the Lord. And we have to make the changes the Lord needs us to make in order to 1st convert ourselves to His gospel, and 2nd help others change their lives. He said, "How can you expect an investigator to change their life and follow the savior if you haven’t done it yourself?" He also said we need missionaries that work hard on the mission and stay active after, because if we don’t stay active we are denying everything we taught here for the last 2 years. He said all this in a waaay more passionate ‘Holland like’ way with fist pounding and the whole 9 yards. You might be able to find the talk he gave online; I’m not sure how it works. Another cool thing is that because this was ALL missions of Santiago, I saw Elder Dirkmaat there. That was awesome to see him. I snapped a foto with him. Anyway we had a great week and I am so stoked to be staying in San Antonio for another 'Change'.

Love,

Elder Kennedy

Grateful to plant the seeds...but I may have to leave

Hola familia,

Discúlpeme por los emails cortos. Voy a escribir más detalles en mis emails. This week was AWESOME! We did Recorridos (tours) as a zone and Elder Peel and I received 2 referencias de oro. One already accepted a baptismal invitation! The other guy says he knows a member of the church in Viña, who told him a bit about it and this guy said he prayed about it and the next day went for a walk and just so happened to walk into the missionaries doing recorridos of the church. He took that as and answer from God (and I firmly believe it was) that he should listen to the missionaries. Also, our investigator Luis is progressing like a champ. He's so awesome, super quiet, but a boss. We just got to get him to take out his earring !! haha we have hinted at it a billion times but we probably have to just straight tell him now. It's ok though, when we found him, he had a nose ring too. But he took that out after the second lesson. 

We also had a reference from a member. His nephew Vicente, (9 years old). We put a fecha with him, and we are teaching him. His family is completely inactive, so this kid doesn't know much, for example, el no sabe quien es Dios ni Jesucristo. So we are teaching basic basics. But he goes to church every week with his uncle and his cousin who is the same age. Also, we are obviously trying to reactivate his parents too. And Vicente asked his dad if he could baptize him. YESSS. Now the dad is going to come back to church, so that he might be worthy to baptize his son. 

All these miracles we are seeing here are great! But it is also evidence that my time is up in San Antonio. I think the Lord is getting ready to take me out. I've spent almost a quarter of my 2 years here in the coast, and planted a ton of seeds. But now that some seeds are ready for the harvest, I think the Lord will put someone else in to harvest them. But I still don't want to leave. I love the people here so much. Our sector is growing so much. 

My testimony of this work has grown here more than it has in any other moment of my life. I remember bearing my testimony about the Book of Mormon to Felipe, my convert, and feeling the spirt testify my own words to me about its truthfulness I know that the Book of Mormon is true. And if anyone reading this email has not read it, I invite you to do so. I know that it is the word of God and evidence that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. I also know that without the Book of Mormon, I would be lost. I cant imagine where I would be right now without the guidance of this book. I love my Savior. I know that I am in his Vineyard. I know he has put me in The Chile Santiago 'Best' Mission for a purpose. And I only hope I can be an instrument in His hand to complete that purpose. Alma 29:9 "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." That is why I am here. And I am eternally grateful to The Lord for this opportunity to be here, and for how much I have learned and grown. I love you all. And I share my testimony with you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.   

 Gringos drinking mate. 

 San Antonio, Free tours

Elder Lopez- Service

 My birthday. Elder Lopez and Lythgoe made me a cake!

Us with some sisters in the zone.

P.S.-The 3 other Elders i live with are Elder Peel (my companion), Elder Lythgoe from Vegas/San Diego and Elder Lopez from Argentina Buenos Aires.