Happy Thanksgiving

Hello friends and family from the frigid area of Winnipeg!

 

It is getting cold, and this week was Canadian Thanksgiving! They have it on a Monday, and I was able to enjoy the traditions of the members that I was able to eat with,

 although I am still stuffed because I did a double-header.

 

I don't have much time, but I will just let you know that Janese and Darrell are doing well for the most part, but we had to move back their baptismal dates, so that is tough, 

but Mackenzie was baptized this week! 

Her family has become re-activated, and even though she is only nine, it felt great to see that someone that I taught enter into the waters of baptism. 

The family requested that I witness and stand in for the confirmation, so that was incredible.

 I am so grateful to see her get baptized, and to see the family come back to church, 

and to know that I was able to help someone in this part of the world through the gospel.

 

Scripture thought: Alma 26. This is a very good chapter, and I hope you all take a look!

 

I love you all, thank you for your support, I hope you all have a wonderful week!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

Oh Canada, Oh Conference

Hello friends and family from the chilly land of Canada!

 

It is actually pretty warm today, but this past week we have had some rain, and it got down to 5 degrees celsius. It is a very refining time in the mission. all, and I mean all, of my investigators were in the hospital this week and weekend, all of them missed conference, and their baptismal dates were postponed as a result. It is really hard to have that happen, Janese and darrell are still able to meet with us, but their baptismal dates have to be reset, because they haven't been coming to church, despite our best efforts to fellowship them and help them get to church, it hasn't worked out. We arrange rides, we have lessons with members, and it is just really tough. However, despite these setbacks, I know that there will be miracles in this area if we perservere, and rely on Christ, and allow him to do his work. This is His work, and I am just here to assist Him to the best of my abilities, I know that we will see success as we continuously rely on Him in faith.

 

Conference was wonderful. I had a very spiritual experience, as I am sure you all did as well. I am afraid I do not have very many spiritual insights to share, as I have accidentally left my notebook at home... But my favorite talks were Elder Holland, Elder Uchtdorf, Elder Vinson (I think, he was australian), and really every talk was fantastic! I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did. Well, I love you all, I hope you have a wonderful week!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

How about them fall colors eh?

Hello Friends and family from the beautiful fall area of winnipeg canada!

 

This place is too flat for my taste, but the fall colors are beautiful, there are tons of trees on every street, and the colors are changing quite nicely. I know that I am going to be eating my words and that next week is just going to dump snow, but for now, I am liking it! we have some cold days and very rainy days, but hey, missionary work in the rain is the most rewarding, so it's worth it!

 

Speaking of missionary work, it is going fairly well so far, but can be hard. Geanice (which I found out this week is actually spelled Janese... Whoops) is doing well, but she hasn't attended church in a while. Her aunt terry is struggling a lot with health, and Janese won't go without her, so we had to push her date back a week. As much as I would love to have a baptism, I don't want to just baptize an instant less-active, that wouldn't be fair to the ward, or Janese, and so we are just doing all that we can to prepare her in the most effective way possible. Darrell also has a date, and he is progressing so well, we hope that these things can continue, this ward hasn't had a baptism in over a year, so to have two of them would be really exciting! It all remains to be seen, but your prayers in their behalf would sure be appreciated!

 

So, my spiritual thought this week is on Alma 38:5. I love how Alma the younger establishes one of the most important aspects of the gospel: Trust. trust is a crucial aspect of Faith and Hope, because if we do not trust the atonement, or in God fulfilling his promises for us (upon conditions of obedience) then are faith and hope are nothing. If we put our trust in God, and focus on him through our trials, troubles, and afflictions, we will receive the blessings that Heavenly Father is just waiting to grant us. I am so grateful for this knowledge, for the work that I am apart of, and the gospel. I love you all, and I hope you have a great week!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

Another Week in Canada

Hello friends and family!

 

I do not have a whole lot of time, but I am just going to let you know how things are doing!

 

I got a new companion, Elder Petersen, and he is super great! we get along really well, and I am really looking forward to the next transfer. We had a good week, we talked to Geanice a lot more about baptism, and she asked me to baptize her! I will let you all know how it goes, but I am just really excited. She is still kind of having a hard time getting to church because her aunt has a heart condition, but we are working through that. Also, Elder Petersen and I got chased by a gang yesterday, so that was fun! just know that I am being safe and taking care of myself (don't worry mom). The work is moving forward and I am just really optimistic about what the Lord has in store for us as we move forward.

 

My study topic for this week is faith, I have been studying it a lot, and I hope that you each are able to re-visit this topic, it has strengthened my service a lot, and I know it will strengthen your lives as well! I especially love Alma 32, so I would recommend reading that!

 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a great week, and that you will continue to have a great week! Thank you all for the love and support, I love you all!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

The Anchor of our Souls

Hello friends and family from the somewhat chilly land of Winnipeg!

 

I have had quite the eventful week, its fair share of ups and downs, but the work is going great! (sort of). I am approaching the end of my second transfer, and I will be getting a new companion! his name is elder peterson, I have met him before, and he is a great guy, I am sure we will see lots of success and growth in the mission field, and in the work. I am staying in my area, so that is great, and we are just going to go out there and give it all we've got! I am excited for the change, and I am excited to do all that I can to gain a fresh start, so to speak, of the missionary efforts in this area. We had a tough week, I was in the apartment for two and a half days because elder moore got the flu, so that was tough, and agonizingly long, but I got through it thankfully. Good thing we have the scriptures and the missionary reference library!

 

As for the work, it has been good and bad. We have set two new baptismal dates with Darrell and Mike, mike is a new investigator from last week, and it has been going well with him. So Darrell, Mike, and Geanice are all preparing for baptism in october, Aleyda basically dropped us for the next 6 weeks (she said she was busy) and Rod fell of the planet, we have done everything we can to get in touch with him, but we haven't heard a word. These people have a habit of saying yes to commitments, and then not following through, especially with church, so, if I could make a request, please include these people in your prayers so that they can experience that change of heart, and be able to really experience how the gospel can bless their lives.

 

So, my spiritual thought this week is in regards to Ether 12:4, which talks about how our hope for a better life comes from fait, Making an anchor to our souls. I love this a lot, because I have seen my fair share of adversity lately, but I know that if we will anchor fait in christ to our souls, that we will have a more firm conviciton of hope in our lives, and our future will be bright, because we will learn how to trust in God completely. I know that I myself need to put my whole trust in Heavenly Father, but I do believe that when we do, we will see success. I love you all, I pray for you each and every day, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

 

P.S. I am sorry I didn't send one last week, I got a lot of E-mails and I didn't have time. I will do better I promise!

 

Another Week of Missionary Work

Hello friends and family! It's me! Elder Kendall! remember?

 

It was a very trying week in Canada, for those of you who are interested in specifics, you can ask my parents and I will let them fill you in on what they choose. Just know that I am doing well, and that the work is too! I had a very successful week, we set 2 more baptismal dates, which is very exciting, one of them is darrell, who was a referral from mormon.org, and he is just so receptive and ready, he loves everything the church has to offer, but I mean who wouldn't? the other is Aleyda, she is from Nicaragua, and she is very receptive as well. She really enjoyed the message of Joseph Smith, and is excited about her baptism. She can only meet or talk on saturday's, which is kind of tough, but I am sure it will go really well!

 

My area is still much of the same, lots of strange things going on, lots of police sirens after 7:00 usually, but that is just all part of the experience! I know that these people are in great need of the gospel, and I am so grateful that I can be here to help the Lord in any way possible.

 

I am not exactly sure why it was a hard week, I certainly had my fair share of difficulties, but I am truly grateful for the scriptures and the direction that they give me in these times of difficulty. My spiritual thought this week deals with 1 Nephi 20:10. I love this verse because of the word refine. the Lord says that he refines us in the furnace of affliction, that he uses our afflictions to help us grow, and to help us become who we need to be, who we are meant to be. Our purpose is to become like the savior, and if we will turn to him in our afflictions, he will strengthen us, and refine us, until we have become perfected through him. I am so grateful for this gospel, I know that this is where I need to be. I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

Working on success

Hellow friends and family from the rainy, hot, and humid area of canada!

 

But really, it has been really crazy up here.

 

So, I had a tough week, but a fantastic week at the same time! I dealt with a lot of rejection, people just weren't receptive, and it was sometimes hard to not be discouraged, but we perservered, and as a result, I set another baptismal date! her name is genice, she is 12 and has the greatest faith, her curiousity about the gospel and her search for truth is Joseph Smith-like, and I am just so grateful that I was able to find her, and I am looking forward to teaching her in the future.

 

So, a little bit about my mission, we are super young. we have 120 missionaries right now, and 60 of them are still in their first or second transfer and training. So we are inexperienced, but ready to work hard, it is tough to be spread out, but it will all work out.

 

I wrote this e-mail last and am running out of time, but I will talk to you all soon! if you have any questions, ask my parents, and they can fill you in on other details. I love you all, I hope you have a great week!

 

With Love,

Elder Kendall

 

P.S. spiritual thought: just read 1 Nephi 18:16. it's the best.