Late Merry Christmas BUT Happy New Year

Happy late birthday Dana!!!!

Wow Christmas came so fast! Crazy maddness!

Go Chargers!

Happy new years!!!

Stoked I got to talk to you guys it was so fun!! It was, wait for it- legendary!

I’m safe, healthy, happy and love you all!!!

Yeah so last week was sad but chill. We walked a lot. HAHAHA . We found this guy who is like 50 and got baptized when he was 18 and left the church shortly after. We are teaching him a lot and answering all of his questions. This week we had a baptism!!! Wooohoooo it was awesome and out of the blue, kinda, his name is Thiago and he is the son of a recent convert that we have been teaching this transfer. Anyway I am just super happy and thankful to be serving a mission right now.

I am loving my area here in Jaboatão; here’s a fun fact: I am serving in the oldest place in Brasil! This is where the first explorers visited when they discovered Brasil! Sick. My comp is super awesome and super smart, he is pretty trunky/ready to go home cause he only has 8 more weeks but I am learning a ton with him.

I know Jesus is The Christ, he is our Savior and Redeemer. I am so thankful for his life and ministry and His atoning sacrifice for mankind. I love you all I’m glad you had a great Christmas and I wish you the best New Year ever! 2013 já era.

com paz e amor,

Elder Kennedy

P.S. Patrick- Colts suck go Chargers!!

P.P.S. Dang Anderson Silva broke his leg, something terrible during his fight against Chris Weidman (Brazilians love UFC btw).

Stake Conference and Christmas is almost here!

Family! I will totally skype you guys on Christmas! Very excited. I don't have a time limit, so prepare yourselves hahaha maybe i'll be able to test it out on the 24th but we'll see, kkkk 

Awesome Christmas is like 9 days away! Stoked!!! I'll start skyping probably like 2 p.m. (Brasil time). 

This week was alright, we worked super hard but no one went to church/stake conference so that = no baptisms. ;-( Stake conference foi muito legal! There was a broadcast from Salt Lake just for the stakes of pernambuco/northeast Brasil. Elder Ballard spoke and Sister Marriott, Elder Soares, Elder Costa, and Elder Aidukatis. They spoke a ton about missionary work and members participating in the lessons with the missionaries. 

Glad Pat, Misty and family are able to spend Christmas in Michigan! I hope all is swell with the family. Its getting hot up in here. For reals. Anyway love you, boa semana para vocês! feliz ferias!

xoxoxo

Elder Kennedy

Granny- Muito Obrigado pela caixa de natal!!!!

I received the package of Christmas goodies last week. I must say my companion and I thoroughly enjoyed looking up scriptures and guessing what was inside. I was able to guess what was inside about 30% of the time. I hope all is well e que você está firme, forte, fiel, e feliz.

Mom- I have not received yours or Aunt Jeanine's package yet. I'm sure I will receive them this week or next. Love you!

Pictures:

Love the area!

Yo! So my area is not actually in Coqueiral, but it’s called that because I am serving in a little branch that is called Coqueiral. However they just changed the Branch’s name to Floriano, so really my area is in between Cavaleiro and Joboatão. Hhahaha it’s a little branch but so far I am loving it here. The members are really awesome. Sunday I gave a talk. The Branch President asked me on Saturday hahaha (only one days notice) awesome! I said yes, early Christmas present kkkk.

My companion is awesome, Elder Gritti from Saõ Paulo. Yup, another one from S.P. He is hilarious! You guys will get to talk to him on Christmas Day. He speaks English fluently and we have similar taste in humor. Joe will crack up with this guy kkkk, anyway yeah I am stoked and tomorrow I have to give a message in front of the whole mission during our Christmas Conference!!!!! Sketch ahah ummm hi, beleza é só isso. I love you guys a lot! Enjoy the Christmas season!!!!!!!

paz e amor,

Elder Kennedy

Transferred! Coqueiral, Recife - Pernambuco, Brazil Companion: Elder Gritti

Hey!

I got transferred! Yup, I packed my bags and arrived today in Coqueiral, Beleza. I'm pretty sure it's an outskirt of Recife. I'm super stoked to get to know more people and work here. My new companion is tight! Elder Gritti, another one from São Paulo. 

Anyway, Elder Santana and I had an awesome baptism on Sunday. (Edvânio) he is 13 and is amazingly firm in the gospel and he will stay that way. Im only bummed that I got transferred because I had to say goodbye to a family that will totally be baptized! Marcela, Flavio, and Stefhanny. Anyway, it's the life of a missionary: teach people with love and help them find more faith in the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

I am so greatful that we are in the month in which we celebrate the birth of our Savior. I know He lives and loves each one of us infinitely! He doesn't demand perfection from us in our lives. He only asks that we try our best and when we fall, that we always continue looking up and pressing on. I am so grateful for the atoning sacrifice that Christ paid for our eternal well being. This is His Gospel and I know He is the head of this church. I am so greatful to be here in the wonderful land of Brasil, Pernambuco. 

It has only been a couple of hours since I met my companion but I am already excited for you guys to talk to him on Christmas. He speaks English and is super random and hilarious. We are going to work super hard in this area and laugh a boat load! Só alegria! Espero que todos tinham uma boa dia das graças (thanksgiving) or in my own way of saying it in portuguese, dia do peru!

boa semana pra todos!!!!!!

Elder Kennedy

p.s. vou mandar as fotos na proxima semana, me desculpe kkkkk

Thanksgiving

Aló happy thanksgiving, feliz dia de peru (turkey)

Então, esta semana foi massa! Hey so this week was cool. We taught a lot, and miracles started happening. An old investigator that I helped teach from Guabiraba finally decided to be baptized! His name is Thiago and he told me I had to be at his baptism cause we are buddies! He is super awesome and like the funniest Brazilian I have met yet (which is saying a lot)! Then we had a baptism of a moça de 9 anos, Erica, Eu e Elder Santana taught her and marked her baptism, the only problem is she will be a member of the Beberibe ward because she lives with her grandma on the weekends and will go to church with her! Anyway my companion and I went to beberibe to baptize her! I had the wonderful privilege of baptizing Erica. She is super spiritual and strong in living the gospel. I know she is going to serve a mission and get married in the temple and endure to the end.

Then Sunday night we had another baptism in our ward of another moça named Erica! Kkkkkk. She is 14 and legit. The only problem is she is going to turn her back on the Macaxeira ward and go to the casa forte ward, because she has really strong friendships there, but technically you’re not supposed to be able to go to a ward outside of where you live so it has caused a little frustration but hey, we still have time to convince Erica to stay in the ward.

This week was awesome! We had 5 investigators at church and we marked Edvanho’s baptism for this Sunday, but due to new mission rules we will have to see if we can baptize him this Sunday. Anyway Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Eu sou muito grato pela minha família! e pelo meu salvador Jesus Cristo! eu amo vocês!!!!

boa semana por todos!

com amor e alegria

Elder Kennedy