Ponta Para Brazil. Week #79

Good day  everyone,  how goes it?  haha yeah so this week went by pretty quick, we got my companion picked up fine, Elder Yezzi he is a young missionary with only 8 months on the mission, he is a great missionary though. I guess you have to be though when get called as a zone leader with only 8 months, I think he will be an assistant here in a couple months when they call another one.  We only had a few days to work this week because on, Tuesday there was the game so we jsut had to stay inside the entire day. Wednesday we had a full days of work we went after a bunch of recent converts and less actives, people that weren't going to church. The day seemed to drag on a bunch though, it was hot during the day but then it cooled down dramatically during the night, and it made me a little sick or something because all of the sudden I just got a huge headache and I wanted to throw up so when we got home I took some medicine that Elder Yezzi had and then I went straight to bed it knocked me out pretty good. I woke up the next morning and I was feeling alot better, that was good because we had a zone activity that morning that we had been invited to by a member and we had gotten President Rebers permission and he wanted us to be there. I don't really know how to explain it be Thursday was a catholic holiday and so alot of cities do this celebration where they make like designs and stuff in the street, so they had like a huge rug that went down the entire main street here In Ponta, we took like chalk to make a design and then they had like a bunch of bags full of like saw dust that was colored and so we used that as like a filler to make our designs. So we winded up with two squares to make designs we made one that said CTR, and the other one we made was a design of the Angel Moroni, and under it it had M B C for Missão Brasil Cuiabá, and next to it was the symbol for baptism.  It definitely turned out the best. The member had a bunch of squares reserved for him because he is a teacher at his school and he was put in charge to help so he got permission to have the missionaries go and help to show that whatever the religion may be we can all work together and we are all children of God. We were on the local news and the member gave an interview talking about us, it even was posted on the Brasil LDS church news I think their facebook page is    https://pt-br.facebook.com/noticiassud/photos/a.642360359126256.1073741826.167812703247693/853235528038737/?type=1&theater        it was cool and I'm glad we could do it I saw that there was some people complaining on the page because they didn't like the fact the the church participated in a catholic tradition, but alot of members are kind of ignorant with these kind of these overall it was a good experience for everyone. I will send you some pictures , so then we had to go that same day to Campo Grande, we got the bus at 2:30 and we got there at about 9:00 at night, we stayed with the assistants and we had a great meeting the next day, we learned alot and we had an open discussion about what the difficulties were in the zones and the mission. I always like these counsels that we have once a transfer. But I wont lie hopefully this will be my last haha. Tonight we will be having interviews with President Reber he will be here so hopefully we will talk about what will be happening with my last couple transfers. So Saturday we also had a full day of work, visiting alot of people and finding some new investigators, it was good we had a wonderful turnout yesterday at church. We had tons of less actives, recent converts and several members brought some friends that aren't members, unfortunately they don't live in our area but that made us happy. Our ward hit a new attendance record yesterday with 140 people at sacrament and that was still with at least 20 other active members that were absent. The last record was 136 that made everyone super excited at church. The other wards saw a jump in activity as well, but still no baptisms with the zone, please pray for our zone so that we can still have many baptisms here this transfer, we are going to need some miracles, we also stopped by brunas house this week she was leaving but was super excited to see us and went to give me a hug I kinda had to shoot my hand out pretty fast to show that it was a no no haha, I think she learned in the moment that missionaries cant hug. She said she knows she needs to go to church she has just been really busy and working alot of Sundays, she said that they were probably going to travel on Sunday. I still don't want to give up on her I think we can still baptize her. So after church our lunch was super far so we took the treinzinho (little train) to our area. The treinzinho is a parade train that a member has her that he uses to pick up members and investigators on Sunday and he drops them off, it has a capacity of about 40 people it is great and is helping get a alot of less actives and recent converts that couldn't go to church before because of the long distance and who didn't have a car or motorcycle, it was fun going back that way. So yeah, today there's a game so I think I will go buy some stuff and we will go home and that's all. Thanks for the emails from you guys and the pictures I hope all goes well with the stuff this week with the reunion and such it should be a great time for everyone. Know that I love you all and miss you but there is still plenty of time from now till I get home so I will make the best of it and give all that I have to The Lord.  Take good care and be safe and have an awesome week!

-Elder Kennington

Brazil Ponta Para Week #78

Good morning everyone, sorry I didn't write yesterday, we had transfers and Elder Piñon was transferred and so it didn't give us much time in the lan house, I just had barely enough time to get the zone numbers sent and the letter to the president sent. We have to go to lunch here really soon so I wanted to run to the lan house before lunch because after lunch, I will have to go pick up my companion with a member here and then we have to go straight back home and stay in the house for the rest of the day because of the game today. It sounds like Brasil will be playing against Mexico, it should be an interesting game. There really isn't much to say for this week at all, Thursday we had to stay in the house the entire day because of the game, we went to lunch and then we just went back home. IT was really boring I just rested and studied a little bit. I hate being inside the house during the day, I don't understand how so many Elders can stay in the house instead of working. It kills me, we knew every time Brasil made a goal during the game because the whole neighborhood would start yelling and cheering and people would light off fireworks and go outside and rev up their motorcycles and cars and stuff. Its kind of funny actually. It was neat seeing all of the patriotism, there were people all over in the streets selling Brasil shirts and flags and horns and stuff like that.  I wish it could be like that everyday. I sent some pictures yesterday of a huge flag that had in front of the city hall. Well so I was kind of bummed out to see Elder Piñon go, I already knew that he would be leaving but its sad seeing a good friend leave. He is a great missionary and friend and has been one of my best companions. My new companions name is Elder Yezzi, he is a Brasilian from the northeast of Brazil. I know that he only has 8 months on the mission so he is definitely one of the youngest zone leaders ever in this mission, everyone says he is terrific though and that he will probably be assistant one day. SO I really was happy to stay here one more transfer here in Ponta, I really didn't want to leave quite yet, the members are marvelous here and I wasn't ready to leave them behind yet. But its a for sure that this will be my last transfer here so there wont be any guessing as to whether or not I will stay or go so that will give me proper time to get pictures with everyone and also to buy some souvenirs (how do you spell that?) things are alot cheaper here in Ponta and I can get members to go to Paraguay to get stuff for even cheaper. We had 3 dinners this week with families including two barbecues it was great I'm just glad I'm still here, because I honestly would be super bummed out if I had stayed. I was happy with the zone too because every companionship had at least one baptism this transfer, that was our goal because there were a few that hadn't had any baptisms for a long long time and they finally baptized. There was one that when I was in a division we knocked the door of a less active family and found them and the last day of the transfer they baptized their 15 year old son, that was a miracle, I think I commented about it one one of my former letters, that was definitely a miracle from our Father in Heaven. So we have been working alot with less actives and recent converts lately and we have soon a huge turnout at church almost 1/3 of the people at church on Sunday were less actives and recent converts, that made us super happy. Things have kinda stopped with Bruna, she is working and going to school everyday and so it has been impossible to find her a home. Plus it sounds like she is working on Sundays which really complicates things, pray for us to be able to  find the Lords Elects so that we can baptize them, pray for our zone as well it seems that we will be hitting a dry patch, this transfer the zone had baptisms every week, but I'm scared that this transfer wont be the same, pray for the people and the missionaries please. Well I'm so glad that I'm here in Ponta Porã and am grateful to only have 4 transfers left on the mission, it sad  and I'm not ready to go home yet but I think after these next 6 months I think I will be spent, but for now I'm am still well and full of gas, all of the sisters from my group are at home and have sent us emails of them getting home and stuff that was kinda trunky seeing that. Its all good though I'm happy and am grateful for your prayers and thoughts. I hope and pray that this last transfer here in Ponta will be one of the best of my mission. I'm will include one more picture that I forgot to send a while ago, this was my last picture together of My family, Elder Payne (My son) and Elder Ellis (My grandson) who was trained by Elder Payne. We were all wearing green ties as well haha. But yeah I'm am in  a trio until we get my companion but we will be heading to get my companion. But I love you all so much and I love the Gospel so much, there is no greater peace than that which comes from being a worthy member of the Church of Jesus Christ. I know that He is our Savior and I love Him, and I know that all of you love Him as well. That's why I am so grateful to have you all as my family. Everyone take good care and have a great week I think we have to go to Campo Grande on Thursday...again so that should be fun. Love you guys! Take good care! oh and also happy Fathers day to dad! I had forgotten because its a completely different day here in Brasil.  Abraço,

-Elder Kennington

Brazil World Cup going on.

Elder Kennington, Elder Ellis and Elder Payne~All wearing Green Ties.

Brazil Ponta Para Week #77

Hey everybody, thanks for the emails from you guys they were much appreciated, so yeah not a whole lot at all this week, we spent alot of time in Campo Grande this week the assistants wanted to do a division there so we had to travel there this week, it was good though and we had a good time, it was just terrible staying on the bus for so long, these buses are built for short people and not tall people, and my legs are always cramped and achy. We had some good laughs though and it was good going back to the house that I lived in in Campo Grande, its kinda weird cause that area I had alot of stress because of the difficulty of the work and the little success that we were having, and so being in that house brought back alot of memories and I started getting feelings of stress again while I was there just because of the smell and memories of the house, weird huh. But we had a good time even though I didn't see a huge point to the division other than it being something to be marked off the checklist for the assistants. It didn't give us much time to visit our own investigators this week, Bruna had to work on Sunday unfortunately but she is still doing good, I think her baptism will have to wait for next transfer, keep praying for her though and for us to be able to find the Lords elects. So this week on Thursday the opening of the World Cup will start we will be required to stay in our house after 3 in the afternoon and we wont be able to leave, there will be 2 more games in the following weeks where we will be required to stay inside, it wont be too crazy here though we are in a more relaxed part of Brasil. But that will kinda blow having to stay in all day the day that I finish my sisters mission! That's right Thursday I will hit a year and 6 months.  Its weird cause I'm getting emails from the sisters that were in my district from the mtc and they are all going home today, some went home last week and another that served here in Cuiabá went home several weeks ago. Right now its just the Elders, man that's super weird to think about. after this transfer I will only have 4 more transfers remaining. So yeah this Sunday we will be having transfers, its like a 95% probability that Elder Piñon will be being transferred and I will be staying. Normally I would be the one leaving since I have the most time in the area but he will only have 2 transfers left after this transfer and so its most likely that he will be released as a zone leader. But who knows transfers are always super random, its possible that I could be the one to leave or we could both leave, but that's very unlikely. We will see, just pray so that president can be inspired to know what to do with this transfer. I'm excited to stay one more here in Ponta, its honestly the only area that I would be fine staying 6 months in, the members here are wonderful. But yeah that's about it we have to get running to go open up the church house for soccer but I might come back later cause I still need to send some more emails. But I love you guys and also I got a card from mom for Easter thanks for the lovely card haha have a great week I hope you enjoyed the pictures, this is of Matheus´s baptism his good friend Jackson baptized him. Paz e amor.

-Elder Kennington

The Noahs Ark Brazilian Hamburger.

Elder Kennington & Elder Pinon with Matheus and his friend Jackson who baptized him

Week #76 Mattheus gets Baptized

Hey Everybody, I'm pretty cut on time today we went to a bbq to celebrate a missionaries birthday here in the zone Elder Geisler who was my companion for a transfer in Sorriso, we marked to play soccer at the church at later this evening, I'm not even going to play though, I rarely do I really don't like soccer that much whatever though. So yeah, this week was good the weather was alot better and it was warm enough so that we could baptize Mattheus, we were also going to baptize Bruna but she texted us Sunday morning and said that she had gotten sick the night before and that she wouldn't be able to make it to church, so I guess we will have to baptize her next week she has been keeping all of her commitments and doesn't have any problems with the commandments, but all went well with the baptism yesterday and the other elders in our ward also had two baptisms, the water was super cold but they said after they were in the water it felt warm to them, Mattheus said he didn't even feel the water when he was submerged, I was worried that the water would be too cold but the weather was actually reasonable yesterday even though it was supposed to be alot colder, but The Lord blessed us and was mindful. The Lord has been very good to us there has been alot of problems with us trying to teach our investigators and we were really scared that the  lack of us being able to follow up with them would cause alot of problems, but the lord has helped us much and has preserved and protected them, so like I said, the weather was alot nicer this week it was still fairly chilly, but it wasn't raining or blowing alot so that made it better, we did divisions as well and I went to another area and we marked some baptismal dates for their investigators there, so hopefully they stay firm for this week, so last p-day we bought a hamburger called arca de Noé, which means Noah´s arc, which is a huge burger that I have alot of pictures of but I forgot my camera and so I will have to come back later today or maybe tomorrow or next week to get you the pictures of the baptism and of the burger, it  was 30 reais which is about 15 bucks or so but it contains, 10 hamburger patties, 10 hot weiners, 10 slices of ham, ten slices of cheese, and a bunch of bacon and sausage and lettuce and corn and peas, it had a load of stuff and we all ate ( us 4 missionaries) and we were filled it was really good and I was pleased with it, so we have been working alot with some amazing less actives in our ward to reactivate them, we have been having some success and have so far we have been able to get 2 families coming back to church, which has made us happy we were working alot with our feet before and now we are trying to focus more on helping take care of the Lords fold of sheep, and the Lord has blessed us with some baptisms and the satisfaction of seeing alot of reactivations. I always love the feeling of when we are guided by the Spirit, we visited a young man that had been to church several times but had gotten wishy-washy and didn't really want to be baptized any more even though his family all supported him getting baptized we went in and we had a very spiritual lesson, and after that,  he accepted to be baptized this week so hopefully he will stay firm. I always know when I was being led by the spirit during lessons because afterwords I can never remember what I said after the lesson, sometimes we leave lessons and I have no recollection of what I said during the entire lesson, its interesting how the Spirit works he brings things to our minds, but alot of time when we are under his experience we have no idea what we are doing and we are just being an instrument in the Lords hands. So I forgot to comment last week that we had finally moved out of our old house and we are now living with the other missionaries, so now its 4 of us again, its not the best house in the world but at least its free of mold and we have room to hang up our clothes, Ive been trying  to practice my Spanish with Elder Garay who is a greenie from Chile, he is helping me out and I try to learn as much with him as I can. Dad was wondering about when transfers are going to be so they will be on the 16th I think, of this month, 2 more weeks is all, whats mostly likely going to happen is that Elder Piñon will leave since he only will have 2 transfers left after this transfer and usually zone leaders are released in their last 2  or 3 transfers, I will most likely be staying one more here in Ponta Porã which is fine with me that will give me a total of almost 6 months here. Then hopefully I will be released and I can go train somewhere i guess we will see though. I wanted to thank mom for the pictures it looks like you guys had a nice memorial day.  I'm glad the weather was decent for you guys, but everyone says its just going to get colder here, its normal here for this part of Brazil because we are so far south, its like the basin kindof its hot in the summer and cold in the winter, Cuiabá on the other hand is just hot all year round cause its close to the equator, But I'm 18 hours south of Cuiabá, so that's why its so cold here I'm alot closer to the south poles. We are doing fine though and we are in good health, pray for Bruna so that we can still baptize her this week, she is very elect and I don't want her to fall through, I'm grateful that we were blessed to baptized Matheus this  week that was a blessing from our Heavenly Father. I love the Lord and am so grateful to be a a missionary at this time, its so hard sometimes and I know that I fall short alot but I am grateful for the Lords mercy and wish to please him, I know he is blessing you all at home as he is indeed blessing me. So yesterday will probably be 6 months to the day of when I go home, as far as we know we will be catching our plane back to the states the 1st of December, so its definitely coming up. Btw please do some spell check on this the computer is junk and I have been typing super fast, I love you all and wish you all a wonderful week!!!

-Elder Kennington