Member references are the best!

Hey Family,

Yes, it was transfers this week. My new companion is Elder Ferreira. He is super legit and goes home 3 months before I do. So Gritti is finally going home, I’m going to miss that kid, he was one of the best comps I’ve had.

I gave a little talk Sunday on obedience, I feel like it went super well! haha I found out 9:00p.m. on Saturday. At least they warned me and it wasn’t so last minute. We confirmed Fátima Sunday also, and all is well with her. In fact we are teaching her friend that visited the church twice and she accepted the baptismal invite!!!! Wooohooo go Josefa! She is a mega dog lady hahaha. Seriously though, references are the best things ever so always help out the missionaries by passing over references! So yeah, the temple was awesome and the new video is great!!!! I took tons of photos with fellow Elders and I met up with my buddy Elder Felipe, tava com saudades dele.

Olympics finished, go USA! Second place in medals! Sick. Hey, random occurrence but I saw that the Corvette museum in Kentucky totally fell into a sinkhole. Minha nossa! Pre-Carnaval partying has totally begun but it officially starts the 28th of February and goes through the 7th of March. Madness! We have to be in our homes by 5:00 p.m. But then Copa do Mundo in June!!!! Time is passing by quickly but there is so much left to do. Oh yeah, looks like one of the 12 is coming in May!!! Just in time for my Birthday yayayay!

Eu sei que a igreja de jesus cristo dos santos dos ultimos dias é verdadeira! sei que Ele nos ama e quer que todos voltam a presença de deus. Se nos fomos obedientes e perseveramos até o fim nos vamos chegar lá!!!!! Vive o evangelho e sejam exemplos de cristo pra todo mundo!!

(I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true! I know He loves us and wants everyone to return to the presence of God. If we were obedient and endure to the end we'll get there!! Living the gospel and being examples of Christ to everyone!)

com muito amor,

Elder Kennedy

P.S. Mom, I finally got my package!!! Thanks so much. Stoked on these snazzy gravatas.

P.S.S. Renee and Joe- That’s way sick you guys love and are enjoying C.C. When I get back we are going to go riding bikes all over!!!

Found a new family! And have pics.

Hey!

So this week was pretty good! Irmã Fátima foi batizado!!!! Yes! My companion goes home in a week. Today we are going to this huge market/swap meet. I’m gonna buy some souvenirs. We get to go to the temple this week! I am so stoked! Finally I’ll be able to see the new film. Nossa! faz muito tempo! Só alegria aqui. I am doing well and preparing myself to receive a new comp and be the best companion he has ever had kkkk. I know the lord is blessing this area and the members here. They really are super special.

Anyway, time is flying by and I am so happy to be a missionary of Jesus Christ. This past week we accompanied and taught Fátima a lot and found a new family to teach!! Michelli passed a reference that was really good and we contacted this família BACAUNA! Anyway please pray for them, Naedson, Andrea, Raiele, and João Pedro.

I am getting pretty anxious for the world cup. Oh yeah, Carnaval is right around the corner too.....sketch!!! kkkk. Love you all, hope all is well and blessed. I know Jesus is the Christ, that He lives and loves us and desires that we do our best to keep the commandments of God. I know we will be blessed for our patience and long-suffering when we face trials. Have a great week!!!

Elder Kennedy

Renee and Joe- Parabens!! That bike is super sick!!!! Stoked! how is the gas mileage on it????

The pictures go from oldest to newest. The Top pictures are from we went to the Zoo a few weeks ago. Then there are some pictures of the baptism of Fatima. And most recently my adopted Boas. 

At the Zoo

 fotos batismo da fátima

I love my Boas

More baptism dates!

Shoot I forgot to bring my camera again!!!! I will remember next week hopefully.

This week was de boa. My companion was sick Friday thru Sunday, I think he ate something. Anyway, it stunk cause I didn't go to the Gincana, but I heard it was a success! Daniele is doing fine but she didn't make it to church again.. nem a gente. 

We do have a baptism marked for this Sunday!!! Fátima is going to be baptized!!!!! She is doing awesome and has such a desire to follow Christ! She is going to be a great example to her 17 year old son Jonas. 

Anyway, I love this area. The members here are just super awesome. They totally brought us food everyday that Elder Gritti was sick so I didn't starve to death. Haha He is down to his second to last p-day. Yikes, he is a trooper though, and ready to work and baptize until the end. I'm so thankful to be serving here and that I have this once in a lifetime opportunity to serve my fellow man for two years!!!

The mission is extremely spiritual and I know I am growing as a person, but I must say the mission is so awesome because of the time that we as missionaries have to serve as Christ served.

love you all,

Elder Kennedy

P.S. That's great you are enjoying the Olivenhain ward. I can't wait to get to know everybody. Sick about the road bikes and that Renee and Joe are going to race soon ...jealous kkk.

I swallowed a frog

Happy Fevereiro!!

So this week was fresh. It rained a lot and it was super hot, but Sunday was super nice breezy/calm. Sunday we had 5 investigators that went to church. We invited a woman to be baptized and she accepted!!! Please pray for Fátima, she will totally be baptized daqui a pouco, she just needs to stop drinking. Wilamis loves going to church with us. He just has a fear of making the commitment to baptism so soon. His whole family is addicted to coffee so we bought them Cevada which is a coffee like drink made from barley that doesn't have caffeine and is tasty and creamy kkk. 

No, I still haven't gotten any word on the package que demora essa!!! Então a gente está trabalhando muito, correndo atrás pessoal e pregando a palavra. (So we're working hard, chasing people and preaching the word).

We found a new investigator this week that is totally awesome and really likes discussing the gospel of Jesus Christ with us. Her name is Daniele and she has two sons. She couldn't make it to church last week but she will go this week for sure. The branch here is awesome! I love everyone here! Saturday we are going to have a sweet activity called a Gincana where there are 3 groups with everyone divided between the 3 groups. There is a list of objets/items and challenges that people need to bring and each item has a number of points. Por exemplo: the longest sandwich, biggest watermelon, references for the missionaries (address of the person and a day that the member can go visit them with us) oldest book of mormon, fun stuff like that. I had fun helping plan it with my comp and the Presidente do ramo. I think there is going to be a huge turnout. 

Oh yes! Dog story- So here there is like a sea of street dogs. About 2 weeks ago my comp and I were walking to church and we have a habit of petting and whistling to all the dogs that we see, and cats and horses kkkkkkk (don't worry, i'm being safe) so anyway, my comp whistled to this one dog and he started following us around and I was like "great he is going to want to enter into the church." So we tried to get him to go away but he wouldn't. We faked out like we were going to throw rocks at him because all the dogs here unfortunately recognize when someone is going to pick up a rock and throw it at them, anyway he ran about 3 meters and returned. We left the church lot and walked with him a little ways fake threw a rock again and we ran for the chapel hahah finally he left and ran behind some houses. kkkkkk. Anyway, a week went  by and we were walking and suddenly we saw that dog and he started following us the entire day! We passed by a members home that also has an investigator in the family and they fed the dog and gave him water then we finished the lesson and he followed us around until the day was done. hahaha I love that dog! I'm naming him "Old Greg" but it's been about 4 days since i've seen Old Greg. 

Oh yeah, here is another story. It rained a ton and one night there were like milhares de sapos on the ground (tiny tiny frogs) so I picked one up and then another and had like a handful of frogs hahaha I told my comp that I had swallowed a frog like 5 years ago at a church activity. hahah and my comp dared me to do it again, so I swallowed a frog kkkk. I didn't die.

By the way, these random stories are what you get when you ask for longer emails hahaha.

Love you all,

Elder Kennedy