Chuck's test drive--funny

OK lets be honest here, you probably cant sell the blazer, because
a. if you sell the blazer i would either have to go to BYUI with the
truck, or the porche. Now if i took the truck, i wouldnt be able to
afford gas, and lets face it, if i took the porche, girls would be
chasing me way more than normal, and so add the porche to being a
RM, high virtue points, (lol) an extra language, and my amazing
looks and charms, and lets face it all of the girls at BYUI would be
chasing me. THat potentially could get me in trouble, because i
really dont want to get hitched for at least a year or two... not to
mention all the guys in Rexburg would hate my guts and plan my
mysterious murder.

So in conclusion you can sell the blazer, but please think of the
eternal consequences that would be presented to your son.

Christmas Day

Dear Family members of Elder Monson, Elder Holmoe, Elder Russon, Elder Brinkerhoff, Elder Clements, Elder Allison, Elder Wright, Elder Wood, Elder Kenck, and Elder Rigby:

Today we spent Christmas day with your son! We met at our house this morning for an early breakfast and then drove to the Salvation Army Headquarters in downtown Mobile to help volunteer at their Annual Christmas meal for the homeless, low income and displaced members of the community.

The elder donned Santa hats and cafeteria trays and spent all morning serving food to the hundreds of people that showed up during our shift! They even gathered for an impromptu Christmas caroling sing-along which caught the eye of the Channel 5 News cameraman who showed up to document the day for the evening news.

We saw your sons talking to the many people who stopped them just to ask who they were and what they were doing in Mobile. We heard them talk to people about Jesus Christ and why they spend their days and nights teaching His gospel. There were lots of smiles and lots of hugs when we left. It was an amazing way to spend Christmas morning!

We hope you had a wonderful day today! We hope you know how much we love and appreciate the service your sons are giving to this area of Mobile! Please if there is anything we could ever do for you we hope you would not hesitate to contact us!

Enjoy your phone calls with your sons today! Thank you for sharing them with us here in Mobile, Alabama!

Love,

The Schloemer's

missed postings.... sorry....

December 8th
Hey

So this week was wonderful. We saw a lot of success here, and things are moving right along. We found quite a few new investigators this week, and we had a ton of investigators at church.
So we visited a family that lives up in Semmes. The dad and mom are Rogelio and Loida. They are good people. THey have quite a bit of potential. HE had a pulmonary infection a few weeks ago and got laid off, so they are in a bad situation right now. We are trying to help them.
Also this week we started teaching a lady named Nora. She is an old investgator of elders Anderson and Jones from Panama City beach, and she has TONS of potential. SHe also happens to live right below Leticia Rodriguez... which is pretty cool.
Elder RIgby is great. It has been really good for my progress that he is here, because now i am doing a lot of teaching and talking and my confidence in my spanish is growing quite a bit. He is also noticably progressing.
SO this last thursday we had what a would consider as the greatest zone conference ever. IT was SO amazing. Our spanish zone is something very special. We all know each other very well, because we have been together for all of our missions, and therefore we are very united. I had a wonderful interview with President, and he said a lot of things that i needed to hear. ALso, it was ELder Jones' last zone conference (probably at least) which was too bad, but we all witnessed some miraculous things... things way too sacred to be shared over email lines. Suffice it to say that my testimony was strengthened incredibly, just being part of what took place. Thats the understatement of the year.
I am amazed at the growth that happens to missionaries. I have contemplated a lot over this. I think it is a lot easier to see growth in others, verses growth in ourselves.. and as of late i have been placed around certain missionaries that i served with at the beginning of my mission... (Elders Allison, Holmoe, Russon, Jones, Clements and many more) and it amazes me the growth that has taken place in all of them. Maybe someday before or after i come home, i will realize some of the changes that have happened, but until that moment i will rest assured that growth is taking place, and i will see and i am currently grateful for it.

I love you mommy. THanks for everything. Have a wonderful week, know i love you. Thanks for everything

Love

Elder KEnck

December 1st

Hi mommy

Well this week was good. Kind of a tough week in a work sense. Well we worked hard, did a lot of tracking, etc, but we definately didnt see much success overall. We made a lot of contacts though, and i think we should have some success this week. It is tough here, because the hispanics are so spread out. It is tough to find them at this point, so hopefully we find some hidden neighborhood full of them or something... ok i doubt thatll happen! lol

So yesterday was pretty exciting. We had 30 miles left for the month yesterday... and for mobile that is nothing... heck it takes 15 to get to church and back to the apartment alone. So we planned on tracking around the church (on the bikes) right after church. It was good to be on a bike again (Martins refused to bike ) and honestly i think we didnt even see a single hispanic while tracking there. Right on our way back to church there was one more street left, and while riding down it i noticed the sign "dead end." and so we are riding down the street, and it is a lot bigger than i thought it was. We come around the corner and notice a big dog walking in the street about 100 yards away. Here in the south, especially in cruddy neighborhoods, dogs just roam free, and usually they are the normal pitbulls, etc. And this one looked like a German shepard. So then i got a phone call and while i was talking on the phone i noticed about 5 other dogs with that german shepard, and so after the call Elder Rigby and I talked about whether we should just blow by them on the bikes. Of course we decided it was a great idea, or at least it would be a great story to tell, and so we get a ton of speed going and fly off towards this pack of dogs. On the way, i noticed that one of them was a big, mean looking pitbull, (not a good observation) and so basically to sum the story up we almost got eaten by a pack of dogs. Like the pitbul almost caught Elder Rigby's foot. The best part of the story is that we then remembered that "dead end" sign, and so either we had to go back through the dogs, or we were giogn to call the other elders to come and save us. Instead, we found a sweet ATV trail that led through the back woods and to another street. It was SO MUCH fun. Ill send some pictures.

I am doing good though. I really am looking forward to this transfer. Because elder Rigby is still learning a lot of spanish, i think my spanish skills have doubled this week, just because now i end up doing most of the talking. I love spanish.

Well i gotta run, i hope you have a wonderful week and that you are happy and healthy and loving life.

love you and thanks for all you do for me.

Elder Kenck

Business as usual...

Halo papi
que tal?

WEll it certainly sounds like you had an interesting week. A big scary drive to ellensburg... bet that was exciting. So i guess that officially ups the number of spanish speakers in the family to 4 now, correct? Gav, Val, Me and Craig's new wife. I am all for that.

Anyways, life here is going good. We have some awesome investigators that we are teaching right now. Specifically Nora and her family, as well as william. Hopefully we can have a white christmas (with some baptismal dates) and so we will work hard for that. My comp is doign good. We get along just fine, im just trying to help his spanish improve, etc.

But yeah, that is life for now. I hope all is well for you and that you have a wonderful week, just think, a few more days and youll be free of those monsters! lol

love you

Elder Kenck

am so confused. The whole no snow, no cold, thing is totally in my head... even with the christmas lights, decorations etc, i think snow is an absolute requirement for me to feel like it is that time of year.

Well as for me, things in Mobile are good. We are working hard, this week was a little bit tougher, just finding people, etc. WE make a lot of contacts, but we didnt find as many new investigators as normal. THere arent too many hispanics here in mobile, so the fact of having 4 spanish missionaries here is amazing. The only problem is we are running out of places to go, and honestly i dont think there will be 4 missionaries here for long. Who knows though, right?

Anyways, besides that, everyone is doing good. Ivonne and Georgia are doing great, Ivonne is reading the BoM like crazy, and Georgia, well we are working on getting her to read, but she is 13. Their mom is incredible, honestly one of my favorite people, and amazingly this week we actually stopped by their house and sat down and talked with the husband, Enrique, who up to this point has been a GIANT jerk. It was good, we defiantely didnt talk anything gospel, in fact, i almost started into to something gospel related and the spirit literally told me to shut up. Funny experience. But we just joked around and chated for a while, and hopefully we sparked a friendship.

We are focusing a lot of our efforts on Nora. She is awesome! I think i have already told you about her, but she is a former investigator of Elders Anderson and Jonesy. And she was amazing then, but i think she is even more prepared now. She came to church yesterday, and i think she really liked it. What added more to our joy is that her husband, who up to this point has been very nice to us, but seemingly non-interested in anything gospel related, came to church. I think we will either try to set a baptismal date with her this week, or next week for sure. She is awesome.

Besides that all is well here. Good things are happening in the ward. And the english members are very suportive of the spanish work.

So the area here... lots of trees, cool trees as well, the trees are probably my favorite part of the south, because when the sun starts going down it lights up the trees, and it is a really cool effect. Besides that, im not a big fan of anything else. lol i dont mean to sound negative, but the south is DEFINATLY not what i expected, and not in a good way either. BUt thankfully, we get to focus our time and effort on the hispanic people, which are amazing.

But i am doing good. Working hard and tryign to do better everyday, which is the most important of all.

WEll i hope you have a wonderful week. ENjoy your last little bit of school, and i look forward not only to emailing you next week, but talking to you in 10 days!

Love you

ELder KEnck

New Photos

Mom and Dad's emails...

Hey dad,
And you're definately getting ready for christmas, shop empty of boxes, christmas lights... what! Before we know it i'll be calling home and talkign to you all.

Yeah im not sure how turkey bowl is going to work out... President hasnt officially come out and said no turkey bowl, but he planned our district meetings for thursday morning... which is a pretty big hint if you ask me! lol oh well.

This week was crazy but good. Before i forget, let me tell you a hilarious story that happened this week. So yesterday at church, an investigator, Alvino came to church. He is guatamalan, and basically he kind of speaks spanish, (he speaks Quiche, a dialect) and he is one of those guatamalans that has NO IDEA what is going on and always has a confused look on his face. SO first off, he came to church with a starbucks coffee cup... obviously we havent taught the WoW. The best part though, during priesthood, Bishop asked for all the high priests to stand and give a sustaining vote on the new high group leader... and elder Martins was translating but... somehow Alvino got confused and you better believe it... he stood up and gave his sustaining vote too, with his starbucks cup in his left hand. I think all the spanish missionaries almost peed their wants... i was more embarrassed for the guy... lol it was hilarious. He is definately a sterotypical, "I-have-no-idea-whats-going-on" Guatamalan, also known here in the mission as the 'Esta Bien" guats. lol

Anyways all is well here... thanks for everything

Love you

Elder Kenck

Mommy

So as you correctly guessed, today is still p-day. It will be a messed up week for sure though. Transfers is tomorrow, and my new companion is Elder Rigby, he is from utah and has been in the field for 2 transfers. I am excited for the chance i will get to help him grow and learn, his spanish is really struggling, and i think the next few transfers will eb good for us both.

To answer your questions ...

1. Dinner with the Andertons was good... weird...but good. We ate at a definite "only-found-in-the-south" bbq resturant. It was fun to talk and catch up with them and hear about wenatchee. Sounds like a lot of things have changed. After being with elder Martins as he gets ready to go home, i can definately say i dont want to go home... and i am very thankful for the next 9 months i still have.
2. Suit coat is a 44 regular. Pinstripes are fine (i like them a lot)
3. I will be here in Mobile for christmas... hopefully i am here for a long time. Besides a suit i cant think of anything specific that i would like, please, dont send me stuff just to send me stuff. I will be perfectly fine if i get one present.
4. The translator is good. It'll work out fine now that my 280 lb tranlator is going back to brazil.
5. No flu shot, and i am feeling great. I really dont think it is that big of a deal here.

So this week was really really good. Crazy but good. Basically we spent all week trying to get the Rodriguez (Lara) girls, Ivonne and Georgia, ready for baptism. We had so many road blocks get in our way! Between the stepdad (one of those situation where i wont say anything about him, because i dont have anything good to say about him), and a billion other things, i honestly didnt know if they would get dunked. But after everything they were baptized yesterday after church. It was great! I had the blessing of baptizing Georgia, and then confirming Ivonne (1st confirmation ever). According to the spectators, i mixed a little judo into the baptism and threw georgia prety hard... she didnt know any different and neither did I, but everyoen was laughing when we finished. lol i guess i got a little excited. We got to confirm them on sunday, because next week they will be in Atlanta visiting family. Basically to sum up my feelings, i am so thankful for the chance i had to teach them and continue to teach them.

I am really excited for the next transfer. I have some things i need to change, not big things, just little things, i have allowed myself to get a little lazy on certain things, and i am going to fix it all. I really feel like this new companion will allow me to be the best missionary i can be, with nothing holding me back, and so i am way excited.

I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving. As much as i love thanksgiving at home, i will honestly have to say we have it pretty good here, i think we have 3 dinners planned for thanksgiving... deep fried turkey! lol

love you mom, thanks for everything. I have been looking for those bracelets, they dont have them here, but i guess i could find one at least, right ? lol

love you

Elder Kenck

bits and pieces of all our emails

To Alli,
Life here is good. Last week we went to play indoor soccer with Ricky Rodriguez, and there were tons of hispanics, like 4 teams of 5 players, and it was a blast. I was the ONLY white guy, and everyone was like, who is this kid that sucks at soccer and speaks spanish. lol it was very funny. Actually i did really good, i scored 2 or 3 times, but... i also tripped over the ball like 5 times. :(

To Dad,
Well its funny that you ask that... "Eaten anything weird lately"... it just so happens that i had my first run in with Menudo this week. To explain the story a little, well about a week or two ago, the other elders (Clements and Allison) came home with leftover Menudo, and they basically explained how nasty it was. They dare me to try some, so i heat it up and stab a piece with a fork. You have to first understand what Menudo is too appreciate it. Yep its Cow Stomach, and just like you when expect, on the inside wall of stomach, there are these spong like, vili looking nasty things made to absorb the food. So i put it in my mouth, and pretty much it was the worst tasting thing... ever. So fast forward a few days, and i am on the phone with Sonia Campos, an nvestigator that both companionships are teaching. I am scheduling an appointment, and i ask her, so what will we be eating? Before she replied i knew, (the spirit warned me i think) "Menudo". Talk about the worst day ever. lol, Leticia Rodriquez actually came over to show Sonia how to cook it, and Leticia is one of the best cooks i know, and it still tasted like cow butt. So i am convinced, if the best cooks still cant make it good, then you probably shouldnt eat it. lol but it was horrible.

To Mom,
Sounds like you all had a good week. I am glad the sisters stopped by and visited you all. From what it sounds like to me, the sisters are doing pretty good there. I might use that idea as an activity... (i like it)... trust the sisters to come up with the best ideas... actually we dont have many sisters in my mission.

So this week we had a wonderful zone conference. A little over a year ago we started "Operation Sanchez" which is the code name for the new stuff we have tried in the spanish work.. aka forming our own spanish zone, new missionary tactics, etc. Basically we taught about the success we are seeing now as a spanish zone. It is amazing the difference, last year at this time we were just starting the spanish work, in all parts of the mission, and there wasnt too much progress. Now in most of the areas (especially here in theodore) we are seeing a ton of progress. We have groups formed in 2 of the areas, and our bishop told us yesterday that by the start of the new year we would have our own group here in theodore. Very exciting news. We currently have 8 missionaries in the theodore ward!! 4 english and 4 spanish. And basically we have baptisms planned for almost every weekend until the new year. It is a very excited place to be right now.

The Rodriquez family is doing great. We had a little scare halfway through the week when we visited the campos family (another story there!) and they told us that the oldest daughter really hated church... but truth be told as much as I love the Campos family, you can and should take what they say with a grain of salt. The Rodriquez family really is progressing, we are going to teach them tonight, and we have a great lesson planned on the promises of the BoM and also of happiness. It will be a little bit of s sticky situation with the divorce, but itll work out in the end. The sisters in the group are really reaching out directly to Leticia. She spends lots of time with all of them now. It is so cool!

But i am doing wonderfully, I am happy, and i am really excited to be here right now. I realize the blessings i currently have in my life and i am so thankful to be here spreading this message right now. I love you mom, have a wonderful week!

Love you

Elder Kenck

Life in Mobile...

Ok to tell you a little about my week.

I dont even know where to begin! That is a good thing though. Basically this was one of the best weeks in my mission... ever! That doesnt mean it went perfectly, i still had a ton of trials. I still felt amazingly inadequate. BUT i did my best and everything truly worked out in the end.

It all started off with a mission conference on thursday. Elder Mask, from the seventy, came to do the yearly GA visit. It was incredible. Once he found out that there were 12 spanish missionaries in the congregation, he completely went off topic and talked about spanish work for an hour or so. He is half mexican, served a mission in Guatamala, and then has served in many other positions with the hispanic people. Although the english missionaries all say they feel cheated for having to go through that hour of spanish work, i truly believe he branched off for me. I needed to be reminded of the love i have for the hispanic people. ANd he did a wonderful job. I have never felt so much love in my service!

On saturday, the other elders had a baptism, actually i got to see my boy, Elder Clements, baptize his first investigator (proud moment in the life of all trainers!). The rodriguez family came and REALLY enjoyed it. Leticia even teared up at a few moments. Also they came to a halloween activity, and to church. The members are doing an incredible job with fellowshipping! And so naturally, after such a wonderful week, we were going to try and set a Baptismal date. So we came and taught a wonderful lesson, the 3rd lesson that basically talks about what we have to do to return to Him again. And even before we asked them to be baptized, Georgia, the 13 year old daughter, looks at her mom and says, "mom, can i get baptized again?" (they were all baptized catholic), and her mom replies "when you feel you are ready"... !!! Even before we actually invited them. So we extended the invitation, and they ALL accepted (well except for the dad, like usual he wasnt there). We ran into a small wall though, she isnt legally married right now, simply because his ex-wife in mexico refuses to give him the divorce papers. But i am confident that GOd is going to provide a way. We will see some miracles here. She is SO PREPARED. Simplicio and Silvia prepared... speakign of them, one year ago today, they got baptized! Like I said in my email to Pres. as we left there apartment and quickly said a prayer of gratitud in the car, my heart was filled with a joy i honetsly have never felt before. I cant describe it, but i can still feel it.

As you can tell, i am way excited to be here. Thanks for all you do. Thanks for teaching me what you have taught me, and thanks for loving me as well. Have a wonderful week, love everyone a little extra for me, and i promise to do the same.

I Love you

Elder Kenck

Mullet???

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

dont tell me dad has gone southern!!!! I refuse to believe it! NO
mullets, please, i dont think i could take that anymore! If i never see
another mullet after leaving the south, my life will have been lived
well!

lol

funny. Scared me for a second.

Daddy,

I really liked your hair (ew), the sick thing is that super mullet style is everywhere down here. I saw someone like that on sunday, as a matter of fact. This may sound horrible, but i am not a fan of southerners. Dont get me wrong, every once in a while you meet the coolest people in the world, but most of the time, they drive me insane. In fact my comp and i have a theory, that secretly, when the civil war happened, they did in fact seperate the Rebels and the Union, forming two seperate countries. Well thats at least how i feel walking around some of the trailer parks down here. My poor companion hasnt even had the chance to see normal america. He always tells me, (after seeing some crazy americans) that us americans are weird. I proceed to tell him he currently isnt in the US, because he is in the south. lol

Congrats on the High Priest deal. I guess we wont be in the same class anymore when i get back, but that was super weird anyways, for the month that we experienced it. It is an amazing step to be taking, and i am proud of you being willing to take it.

WElll life in Mobile is good... i guess. lol. NO it is amazing. Right now between the two companionships, we have 9 Baptismal Dates. And yesterday elder Martins and I found a family (with potential) of 8! We are sitting on the verge of startign this group, and i am way excited to be here. I had some amazing experiences, between zone conference, and a couple of amazing P-studies, that really have helped me. I finally feel like my good ole self again. And i am way excited to be here.

I will take special note of the miracles that we happen here. and i will make sure to report them better to you all.

Thanks for everything dad. I hope you are happy and doing well. Love everyone a little extra for me ok?

Love you and thanks for allowing me to be out here!

Elder Kenck

Hey mommy

What a week! Like just about every week, way too many things have
happened for me to be able to fully explain the changes that have taken
place, but hopefully i can communicate some of them.

First off to comment on your email...

THanks for the letters and packages, i have gotten so much mail this
last transfer! I have really needed it to, so thank you. I am very
excited for dad, it will be a good progressing step for him. And i am
super glad you got blessings. Also having a native spanish speaker
in the area will really help the spanish growth. I am super excited for
the ward and for SIs. Christensen.

Well where do i begin? This week some amazing things happened, also
some very hard things happened. This week, we set ONE suprise baptismal
date, found some new investigators, and had an AMAZING, life changing
zone conference. Along with some trials.

Well to start out, we set a baptismal date with Walter, one of our more
solid investigators. That date gets us to 9 baptismal dates between the
two companionships here in Mobile. Some amazing stuff is starting to
happen. Walter has huge potential, but he will not reach it unless he
moves out of the situation he is in. Nasty horrible stuff happens in
that apartment, i have literally and truly felt MANY evil spirits just
strolling around like they own the place (because they do!). HE wants
to change, but he has to do something now.

Aldo, one of our other investigators, is absolutely golden. He came to
church last week, and he is just so ready. He is reading the BoM a ton,
and he loves it. The atonement has changed him. We fasted for him this
sunday, because there was a huge chance he would be relocated to
virginia for work. THANKFULLY, because of some miraculous powers he
will for sure be here until mid-november... and his BCD is the 1st of
november. Also, Alonso, another investigator (actually from where Gav
served in Guanajato) came to church. He has been absolutely
fellowshipped into the ward, and because of this, he has SO MUCH
potential. He professes to be very catholic, but the truth is i think
he has felt something, and because of that he just keeps coming back and
he is very excited!

So then, on thursday of last week, we had zone conference in Pensacola.
I needed it desperately. I just have not felt very mch progress in my
life. I know that i havent been doing my best and giving all of
myself. If you read Presidents letter, the first paragraph is literally
talk ing about me. In our personal interview, i discussed with
president of how for as long as i can remember, i have been a dreamer.
For example, when i was younger, i dreamed all day about being a pro
football player. The problem with beign a dreamer is if i spend all my
time dreaming, i never get down to the doing the work that is required.
President gave me a lot of tips, and i have specifically put them into
practice. The interesting thing, actually i recieved a little Personal
Revelation about it during the conference, is DIRECTLY after i knew i
would be tried to see if really i would act upon these principles he
taught me. Well it happenened, the very next day. I love my comp, but
his drive is about a .5 on a scale from 1-10, and so he basically gave
up that specific friday. And interestingly enough, just like the
Nephites, just like all major civilations that fall for that matter, i
forgot the revelation and did not act upon those principles. I felt
horrible, and i can say now i have repented, but it was tough.

Now is the day. Today is the time. I cannot afford to procrastinate
anymore, because quite frankly i do not know how much time i have left.
None of us do. I have to act over my situation, or (i love this quote
by E. Holland) i might "miss the opportunity of a lifetime because i
miss the lifetime of the opportunity."

Our potential is limitless. Every once in a while, God shows me what i
can become. But i have to work in order to achieve that. It will be
hard, i will feel beaten up from time to time, but it will be worth it.
I want it, i truly want to fufill what He has planned for me, because i
know it is great.

Have a wonderful week. I love you and look forward to reporting all the
miracles that we will see here. Love everyone a little extra for me.

Love you

Elder Kenck

I am so sorry for not updating!! forgive Me!!

Monday- September 29,2008

SO this week was crazy, but good. Like i said above we found 8 new investigators, and had 6 people come to church. We have really struggled getting investigators to church, and finally after all the struggles it all paid off. All of our current investigators need the church so badly. Pretty much they all have the same story; they came here, some of them leaving behind families, in order to provide for a better future, etc, they get here, and bad inluences/friends drag them down and basically stink them in a whole lot of garbage. They all want out and want change and realize they need God in their lives. Basically we are getting good at making "overcoming addiction" plans, and we are going to get an amazing chance to see the atonement in action. Our main investigators right now are Walter, from Guatmala, he has a family and has messed up a lot here, he is alraedy changing and we have seen some miracles with him. Aldo, also from guatamala, basically bad friends got him mixed up in badder stuff, and we are trying to help him out of it. And we are working a ton with Hernan and Fatima, the owners of the store we now teach english classes in. They all came to church, and it was awesome!

I found out last night that Giovani has no desire to go to church anymore, basically to sum up his problems, God has put him in mulitple situations were he has seen other members sinning (big ones too!) and so he feels that the members in FWB are all horrible hypocrites and he doesnt want to attend church there anymore. Please pray for him. Also it is obvious to me the missionaries there arent really trying with him either, which makes me so mad... but such is life, right? lol

Yeah the economy is way messed up. Its definately time for a new president. gas here is like 3.63, and i guess i havent heard to much about a shortage, but one of the biggest oil refinaries in the US is here in mobile, so we definately arent hurting for gas. lol That makes me way happy that you guys are working to get a food storage built up, i can now see how important that is. Seriously everything is on edge right now with the economy, things could fall and get worse or they could improve, hopefully it is the latter.

WEll i am very thankful to be here. Thigns are getting better and i am a lot happier. This is a great opportunity i have to jsut work, and i really do love it. It is hard, but worth every bit. Thanks for all you do. PLease love everyone a little extra for me ok? HAve a wonderful week and i will talk to you next monday. Love you

mucho amor

y cariño

y todo

Elder KEnck

Monday September 22, 2008

To answer your question, yes i have been singing a lot. Our cd player in the car doesnt work, so we are left to our own voices to entertain us. WE probably have one of the oldest cars in the mission, an 05 Malibu. Although little things like the cd player dont work, i really could get used to have a car with an amazing engine in it :) Also it is weird to drive in a big city for me. . way weird.

Heck i would just love have any of the guitars ready when i get back. I really really really want to learn to play the guitar well.

So this week was very interesting. Semi tough. I love my companion, he is jsut getting noticably trunky... and it is driving me insane! That actually isnt the tough part, the bad thing is he has been here for 6 months, and he is in the same mindset i was in back in ft. walton, the mindset that he has been everywhere and talked to everyone. So it is a little tough to push him out the door sometimes.

Also i somehow have put myself in the horrible follower mode once again. Basically i am now uncomfortable talking and teaching whereas last trasnfer i was doing a majority of it. I definately need to break that mode. It is tough for me because where i am right now i can understand spanish perfectly. Word for word, if i didnt know the word before, i can easily figure it out. BUT... i struggle communicating myself, and sharing my feelings. For all i know, it could just be the current mindset i am in. Either way i cant continue like this, or else i will be going crazy here soon!

And the current investigators we have arent doing much of anything. Which stinks.

Other things that happened this week... yesterday i gave a talk in sacrament meeting. It was a little interesting, because Bishop asked me to give the talk in spanish, so you know roughly 15 people in the whole congregation understood what i was saying. lol.

ALso i had an interesting experience this week that caused me to ask myself, if my time on earth was over right now, would i have done enough? It was a very profound and very sacred moment. The answer is although i have changd a lot, i still have a lot more changes to make. I do not want to get to the end of my life, whenever that may be, and look back on my life knowing that i didnt come close to reaching my potential. That definately means change for me. But i am willing to make those changes.

Other exciting events, well we befriended some owners of a latino store here, and this wednesday we will start teaching english classes there. They are really awesome people from Honduras... we are really hoping to be able to teach them.

THanks for all you do mom. I hope you are recieving all the blessings you deserve, but more importantly that you notice those blessings. Have a wonderful week, i hope to have more exciting and inspiring things to tell you next week. Actually, i plan on it. I will officially be reporting my progress in everything to you from now on... yeah, i like that idea. Accountablitiy, a necesary part of life, no? lol

Love you mom thanks for everything

Tu niño

Elder Kenck

Mobile, AL and elder MARTIN

SO mobile... hmm, its really big! It is way different than Ft. Walton Beach, in just about every way. Our area is giant... it will be a miracle if i can learn it by the time Martins goes home in November. Probably the only bad thing about mobile is that the hispanic people are hid very well. There is no specific place where they meet or live, well other than the soccer fields, and so it is REALLY hard to track. The earlier part of this week has been spent with us searching for new investigators, but to no avail. FINALLY, yesterday, during our mission wide fast, we found 3 new investigators.
Elder MArtins is awesome! He is from a little town in the state of Salvador, Brasil. Originally he was called to serve english speaking, but while he was in the MTC most of the people in his english class were from mexico, so he learned the basics of spanish in the 10 weeks he spent at the mtc. Over his mission he has had a hispanic investigator here and there, and a few transfers ago (the transfer that elder clements and i were together) he was switched to a spanish elder. He speaks spanish beautifully, well it definately helps that spanish and portuguese are so close... like every once in a while i will ask him to talk in portguese, and for the most part i understand him because it is so close to spanish. And he is HILARIOUS! We have a blast while working, so i am really excited for this transfer.
I am glad your testimony is growing. That is one of the greatest personal blessings i desire for us from this service; stronger testimonies. My testimony has grown so much, my beliefs are being changed and transformed into knowledge... but i still have a long way to go.
That stinks about the whole insulin deal. I guess Elder Jambon would be considered my "insulin" because over the last two transfers i have gained roughly 10 pounds. So this morning i sat down and set some goals for the week (my regular monday study routine) and i planned out my new diet and exercise program. My goal is to lose the 10 pounds by the time elder Martins goes home, which will be in mid-november. I am going on a veggies and rice diet, eating chicken or fish once a day. It will be nice because Elder Martins will be on a diet as well (he has gained like 60 lbs on his mission, American food is a little different from the usual rice and beans of brazil) and so we will be able to help each other out.
I am doing wonderfully though. I am really looking forward to what will happen here in these upcoming transfers. I know there is a lot that i have to do, and it is all just about the little things, but i am willing to do it. I love the work, and i know we will be seeing miracles here.
Love everyone a little extra for me please.

I love you mommy, have a wonderful week!

ELder Kenck

Crazy Photos

Transfer to Mobile AL...

hey mommy



SO this week was very surreal. I still dont feel like i am leaving Ft. WAlton, in fact i doubt it will click until i actually do leave. I said lots of goodbyes this last week, i still havent said goodbye to Giovani, which will be horrible, but it was a weird week.

So yesterday destin hung out with us for the day. Well actually on sunday night we planned an evacuation route thing and destin just stayed with us overnight. So i got to hang out with elder jones and wright. it was fun. Then on monday morning, we were hit with a tropical storm. It wasnt too bad just lots of wind and rain and tornado warnings, which kept us inside for a majority of the day. It was the most boring day of my life! yeah i am glad Hermana Franco asked us if we wanted her to email you... they are really awesome, a little crazy, but awesome. It is really funny, because like you and dad, they are night and day opposites. But they have dont SO MUCH for the branch, they will be immensly blessed. Already have been, they have been trying for 5 years of their marriage to get pregnant and eventually the doctors decided they could get pregnant, and lo and behold the week after he was made branch president, they got pregnant! Coicidence... i think not.

On sunday i gave a talk in the branch. It was a really weird experience, because while preparing i recieved NO spiritual confirmation on what i should talk about. I had little ideas or mini revelations come into my mind about things i could mentiion, but no specific topics came to mind and heart. So i was more nervous than ever, because my "Talk" that i had prepared was just half a page of notes. Then, during Elder Andrews talk, who talk right before me, in his last closing remarks, i recieved a spiritual confirmtaion that i needed to take on being patience through our trials. It was a wonderful testimony building experience, because i was completely guided.

I am so excited for next transfer. Finally i can jump back in and just work. Elder Clements and MArtins have been on fire in theodore, and now elder allison and i are headed there and i am sure miracles will occur. Elder MArtins also speaks spanish better than any other missionary, so i am way pumped to get to learn again. And i here the apartment is clean and a palace!

SO what in the happened to Tara's girls... they are grown up! Those pictures were great, thanks for sending them!

WEll i gotta go, thanks for everything, have a wonderful week, be happy, love a little extra for me, and know i will be working my butt of in Mobile!

Love you mom, thanks for everything

Elder Kenck

Gustav-- no big deal--Email from the branch President.

Hi

I am Hermana Franco, I saw your sons (Elder Jambon, Elder Andrews, and Elder Kenck) at a baptism last night. They were concerned that you were going to be worried about them because of the weather in the local area. They asked me to let you know that the weather here is nice. The hurricane is well to the west of us and should not give us any problems. They also asked me to let you know that you may not get an e-mail from them this week. If you do not get an e-mail don't worry because their Preparation day was changed this week due to the Labor day weekend. And Last they also asked me to tell you that they Love You.

You have amazing sons. They are such hard workers and we really appreciate them.

Thank you for sharing them with us.

President and Hermana Franco

P.S. Please ignore the news they exaggerate every thing. They also asked that I tell you if the weather gets bad they will go to Crestview (stake center)

Fay was nothing but misty day--Darn!!

So fay was probably the most ridiculous "storm" ever. Seriously, the only weird thing was the directions that the clouds where moving in. We only got a lot of mist, and no rain. I was looking forward to a floodlol.

Sounds like you have a weird schedule planned for this year. That should be exciting.

I hope Gav's wedding went well. I have been thinking a lot about him as of late. In Nana and Papa's letter to me he wrote a little paragraph in spanish that had me rolling on the floor laughing. It was about dumb comps.

This week went well. I have seen so much progress in my companions, but it is still hard. Elder J is starting to make rational desicions, and he isnt as crazy. And i didnt have the desire to knock out Elder A all week. Improvement.

So guess what... Elder Lauritzen... my mission daddy... according to rumors he is already engaged... weird. Elder Harris, who is a former AP who is serving in Ft. Walton, he has literally been my sanity this transfer, we were talking about how weird that will be to be in the real world again. He goes home in 1.5 weeks, which will be weird too. He has taught me a lot about the gospel.

This week work wise wasnt amazing. My current victories dont come in the form of baptismal dates, they come just if we get out of the door on time and actually work all day.

SO next transfer i could literally go anywhere... Mobile, Foley, and even pascagoula again. I dont even care anymore, i just want to be with a companion that can actually work at a decent pace.

But i am thankful for this transfer... as hard as it has been, i have learned a lot and i can honestly say i can get along with anyone. lol... well hopefully. Remind me sometime to tell you my theory on Californians. lol

I am doing good though, just tired and ready for a change. I KNOW the gospel is true, and my studies and testimony building experiences are the few things that keep me going day to day.

Have a wonderful week dad, know i love you and i will talk to you later!

Love

Elder Kenck

Better Week-- Fay coming-- no worries....

Hey dad

Well life down in florida is good.

This have gotten a lot better this week. The contention and bad attitudes that ruled our companionship arent as common anymore. Just in time to be transfered right? lol

Congrats on making it through your masters program! That will be exciting when you get through that. Also it sounds like the world of sports is normal... heck the only thing i know about the olympics is that Argentina, Italy, and Brasil are kicking butt in the soccer section.

I am doing well here, trying to figure out how to improve in a lot of ways. One bad thing about having "interesting" companions is that sometimes they rub off on you. Elder Jambon cannot physically study (he has improved soo much!) but, his add makes it hard for him. And so these days, my studies are horrible as well. So i am trying to fix myself, and so i can be endowed with God's grace. Right now we are teaching 3 families, all from Guatamala. It is so ironic, because before meeting these families, i was a little racist towards guatamalans, because all the ones i had met before were uneducated drunks. But now i love them! So ironic how God works. Two of them, Leonor and Menfil, came to church yesterday! That was a huge victory for us. Now we just have to get Leonor's sister, Sandra (our other family) to church next week.

But i really do love it out here, thanks for all you do dad, thank you for beign strong and a great leader of the family.

Love you, thanks for everything. AND PLEASE HELP MOM NOT WORRY ABOUT ME!!! If we are supposed to be hit by a hurricane, it will happen, if not, no big deal. love you


Elder Kenck

He is safe!!!

I know that a lot of people have been concerned about Taylor and tropical storm Fay.... but he assured us that he is fine and at worst case, the Stake Centers there are build to withstand 250 mph winds... I will update from his emails soon (school is starting and I have been busy)--- thanks

Rough Week!!--Please write him!!!!

Hey Mommy

So this week i experienced a ton of feelings, the ultimate highs, and the ultimate lows! This week was zone conference, and before zone conference i was on the verge of killing my comps.. ok not seriously, but i was absolutely fed up with everything. I had a list of concerns to discuss with president during our enterview. The funny thing was, he already knew about these concerns. I hope someday i can be as spiritually in tune as him. seriously, hours before our enterview, during the conference itself, he discussed all of the concerns i had, and everytime he answered the questions that i didnt even ask, he looked straight at me with that look that says, "i know what you are experiencing." it was a great conference. At one point, we, as a zone, we signed banners of our new culture, things we want to impliment as a team. (it is a set of bullet points on the last page of preach my gospel, titled "Remember this..") and while signing it we each individually spoke of the commitments we wanted to make. I spoke of mediocracy, and how i was done just being mediocre. And it is a huge challenge! I realized that this last transfer i have allowed myself to slip into the pit of mediocracy, and i want out! lol My personal interview with president was great, he basically told me to keep going, and he knew the struggles i am facing with comps. So for a couple of days following zone conference, things were awesome in the companionship, no one lost their temper and it all was going perfectly. Last night, boom, back to normal and once again contention and pride fill our companionship.

So as you can imagine, i am really frustrated right now, but i know i am here for a reason, and i refuse to just sit here and wish and day-dream about next transfer. One huge challenge lays ahead, but i am wiling to do my best and i refuse to be mediocre from this point on.

The thing that is killing me is the lack of progress with investigators. Although some people are progressing, it isnt coming as quickly as i would like. No baptismal dates, but hopefully we can set some this week. Basically i realized that maybe i am not suppost to be counting baptisms as success for this transfer, maybe my goals should lie in my
comps.

But that is honestly where i stand right now, nothing held back. Please pray extra hard for me this week, and i in return will be praying for you all!

Love you

Elder Kenck

Colombian Model???

Sounds like you had an exciting trip!

So Rexburg is booming! That is pretty cool! I definately dont want my time here in the mission to fly bye, but i am extremely excited to go to Rexburg. Some awesome missionaries will be headed Rexburg way or are already there, but i bet most of them will be married by the time i am there... ha. And that is super cool with the computers, i am really excited to have a sweet apple, so keep your eyes peeled ok?

So what i want for housing, i just want a nice apartment, centrally located, preferable with a cool ward. Yeah if you get advice from anyone i would get it from Tammy, i trust her. I dont really care though, no matter what that first semester will be an adventure, considering i only know a handfull of people that will be there... ha!

As for the whole wedding thing... dont worry. You know i highly doubt i will find that Colombian model that sings, plays the piano, is artistic, good at math, can cook, and has a personality that i can match with at BYUI, but the good news is that after these current companions, i am certain that i could get along with anyone in the world... lol.

So what else is new in the Wenatchee Valley? How is the family? Hey what ever happened to Tyson and Amy's kid? Was it born? I dont even know what "it" is. lol

Well i gotta go, thanks for all you do... know that i am truly grateful for it all.

Love you

Elder Kenck

PS Do me a favor and make sure we start building up a food storage as a family. It has been on my mind a lot recently, basically i am convinced that we may need it soon. lol, so go buy lots of rice! lol, that is my current, "anti-stomach-problems" diet... rice.

Hey mom

Sounds like you all had a wonderful trip! Good to hear!

First i will answer your questions....

1. Yes i got the package and everything is perfect, thanks! They were desperately needed.
2. Tough, but nothing is wrong with tough.
3. eh... working on it.
4. I will be transferred (99.999% positive) like the 3rd of september, someting like that.
5. I loved the package thank you so much, and i really loved the photos. I dont think there is ANYTHING wrong with photos. In fact i think it is good to always be a little homesick, because when i think about you guys, i personally work way harder. So keep em comiing! lol
6. Well that is why our investigator came, basically i was convinced that we wouldnt have any investigators at church, basically it wasnt my day to be in charge of the phone and so no one got a phone call reminding them, and if hispanics arent reminded, they dont come. But one investigator who wasnt even invited mysteriously came.

Basically i have reached a high frustration level, to be 100% honest. I want the work to prosper here, but the truth is that right now so many things are impiding the work. There are hardly any available jobs right now, and so the only jobs people have are with house cleaning, and it is impossible to get sundays off in house cleaning. Basically half our branch is inactive, all because of this one job fact, and almost every single investigator is working on sundays.

My companions... oh man i am trying. I refuse to complain, it is just hard. Basically my life right now is built upon trying to dispel contention, and in order to do that, i have to give way too much ground, which means we dont get many things done anymore. But they both are progressing, way slow, but something is better than nothing right?

So what else happened this week. Well, Giovani might be moving to Mobile Alabama. One of the stronger spanish members was talking to Elder Clements about how he was looking for a new roomate for a new apartment he got, and so Elder Clements called me and Giovani, so hopefully he can move there soon. It would be amazing for him to be in a members home! And i am pretty sure that i will be transfered to Mobile, and so that would be perfect to still be around Giovani.

On saturday, we went fishing with President Franco and his wife along with some investigators. We caught nothing, well i caught some rayos del sol, or in other words, i got FRIED! Worst sunburn of my mission by far, dont worry it WONT happen again. it was and still is bad.

So that whole kendra getting married thing was a little weird. I was looking through old pictures on Sunday and it kind of hit me that i would probably be in that place very soon. Dont worry though, i WILL NOT rush a marriage, that is way too big of a committment to make without LOTS OF PRAYER AND FASTING. So, it was still weird to think about. I dont think you have to worry for now though, because to be prefectly honest, right now girls scare me, like i am physically uncomfortable when i talk to a cute one! ha! GOod old missionary problems.

The good news is that this thursday we will be on our way to pensacola for zone conference. I have 2 billion and a half questions to ask president, basically i am sick of the lack of success and i dont know what to do anymore. Dont worry, one thing i have learned about a mission is that we learn the most in the crappy moments, so i guess i am learning a lot... right... please tell me its true... lol.

Well i love you mom, thanks for all you do for me! I hope you have a wonderful week and know that i love you

Mucho amor y cariño

Tu hijo,

el Rey

Elder Kenck

Lightning- cool storms-Congrats Kendra

This week was a little crazy, but it went well. Its a little frustrating right now with the lack of progress that is happening with our investigators. They are great people, it is just really hard getting them to progress.

So what exciting things happened this week? Hmmn? Well, my mind is blanking. Just a little sidenote, this last week i think there was only one maybe two days we didnt have a lightning storm. Also i got my package that you all sent me. I loved it! The helmet that Scott painted is awesome! I will definately be using that! Currently i am wearing one of the pairs of socks and the tie that you sent me! Yesterday, one of our members named Carlos, who was baptized a year ago bore his testimony. He is 20 years old and a few weeks ago got his mission call to Colorado Springs, and last saturday he went through the temple. The power of his testimony was incredible! I almost couldnt translate it ( i was translating for Sister Franco, the branch president's wife). So although the fruit of our labors here in this mission arent abundant, they certainly are rich and very ripe.

Well i gotta go, i have an exciting week planned, look forward to some better stories next week! Have a wonderful trip, be safe, enjoy the sight and take lots of pictures for me!

i love you dad thanks for all you do

Elder Kenck


Hey mommy

Hey before i forget....

The first councilor in our branch presidency is out of a job (like most people here) and he wanted me to ask about the job situation in washington. If you could ask Tim if he knows a lot of people who need help or are looking for help, i would love to pass the message to him. I guess he is a field engineer or something like that... i just promised him (well his wife) that i would ask someone how the work is up north.

It sounds like you are going to have a very busy but fun week ahead of you! Say hi to EVERYONE for me, and please dont forget to give my congrats to Kendra and her husband... weird. So you all will be checking out rexburg! I am way excited. Dont worry about sending me anything from there, just find that perfect apartment.

This week we had some CRAZY lightning storms. One day i was scared as if i was a little kid. This storm basically surrounded us, a lightning bolt hit a billboard (i think it was a billboard at least) like 100 feet away from me, and tons of other bolts zoomed in all around us while we were in the car at a stop light. It was crazy! Cool, but crazy!

We have some investigators that have so much potencial right now. The problem is that ALL OF THEM work on sundays. The work/job situation here is horrible, and the only jobs people can find is in house cleaning, and they always work on sundays. This week we are focusing ALL our efforts on setting 4 baptismal dates. I am really really trying to have success here, and it is hard. But i am learning a ton.

But i am doing well. I love being a missionary, and i am working hard. I hope you know how thankful i am for everything you have done for me, and i hope you know that i love you. Yesterday in sunday school we talked about the importance of mothers, and it was a great lesson, and i once again realized how blessed i have been. Have a wonderful week, enjoy your trip and know that i love you

Elder Kenck

Fun with Elder J....

So i have a funny story to tell you


So last week, during a nightly planning session, Elder J's medication (add) had evidently worn off, because he began to do what he always does when he isnt under the influence of meds... that is, talk like a three year old and do something to Elder Kenck because Elder Kenck will allow him to do anything to him. This time it involved shaving cream. That day he had bought shaving cream, and now as we where sitting down planning, he started spraying me with it. I have learned that if i make a big deal about it, he just keeps doing it and laughs, but if i ignore him, he eventually stops. SO by this point, my head and face was covered with shaving cream. He then realized that it wasnt bothering me, so he tried something new that worked a few days earlier. He grabs one of his fishing lures, and throws it at me and gets it stuck in my shirt. He thinks it is absolutely hilarious (probably because it scared me to death) and he continues to spray me with his shaving cream. At this point he starts being careless about what he sprays and it is getting all over the place. I realized that unless i did something i would have to clean all this mess up (because i always clean his messes) and so (forgetting about the fish lure that was caught in my shirt) i pounced on elder j and we wrestle for a second and i snatch away his shaving cream. And then he starts screaming and yelling, and thats when i remember about the fish hook. It just so happens, that in the mmiddle of that wrestling match, that i managed to hook one of the other hooks to his arm. So i had a fish hook stuck in my shirt, and the other end of the lure was caught in his arm. lol. It was very funny. I thought Elder J would have learned his lesson, but five minutes later he threw another lure at me and got it stuck in my pants. But to be honest since that one he hasnt thrown another one.

9 months in Fort Walton Beach

Hello

To answer the questions...

1. Things are going ok... as good as they can be going. I am used to it now... one thing is for sure... teenagers will be a breeze. OK maybe not, but at least i will have gotten lots of parenting practice as a missionary.
2. I did get some birthday greetings! Could you get Ladoura's address for me, i need to send out some thank you cards.
3. I do have some needs actually... i am running low on white shirts, but i think i will just go to the store and buy them. What i do need is a translator. Elder Anderson has this one translater, it looks like a calculator but instead it is a translator from english to spanish. I bought something like it at walmart, (that also translates french, italian, and german) but it stinks... literally i know more spanish than it does. I think franklin makes it, so if you all could fish around for sometyhing like that it would be awesome... i will call elder anderson and find out exaclty what it is called.
4. The talk went well. I didnt really write anything down, i just went by the flow of the spirit. It went well, i felt guided and i believe someone needed to hear it. It was all based around the verb Invitar (to invite).
5. i will probably send stuff home towards the end of the upcoming transfer. By the time i leave ft. walton, i will have been here for almost 9 months. lol crazy

The last few weeks have been crazy, but good. WE have tons of investigators to work with, this last transfer we found like 40 new investigators. It is a good thing, but also a bad thing because it is really hard to focus on specific people when you have a giant olympic sized pool of investigators. This week we didnt really find one new investigator, because we have been skimming the pool and finding out who is actually willing to commit.

I am dying for some success. I want nothing more than to see a baptism by the time i leave ft. walton. I am studying like crazy and trying to figure out how to help people gain faith and want to make big commitments like baptism. It is hard to so all of this when a companionship isnt unified. I wont vent, even though i have learned that it is needed sometimes, but one of the major life lessons that i have learned is the poison that pride is. It destroys everything, and it kills all hope. But with that said, my patience is growing, and i am learning how to avoid arguing at all costs. My goal still is to never have an argument with my companions... tough. lol

I love studying the scirptures, seriously, my life has changed because of some of the study habits that i am gaining. I have learned some amazing eternal principles that apply in every aspect of life. I wish i could share soem of these things with you all. please just study the scriptures. lol

Our investigator pool right now is stocked full of women. It is funny, but i have truly learned how spiritually minded and open women are. Are progressing investigators right now are Iris, Elizabeth and Dinora. All are married, and trying to make ends meet here in the US. Iris is from Honduras, Elizabeth is from Aguas Calientes Mexico, and Dinora is from El Salvador. It is amazing to see the challenges that face them in their lives, these people are amazing (all are illegal) and so therefor they have so many challenges. I love the hispanic cultures, and i love learnign new things about them. I know i was called to be here for a reason, because the example of these people has changed me.

This week we will do all we can to get a Baptismal Date. I am going insane with the lack of progress here, and so i will work my hardest but more importantly rely on His grace. I hope to have some exciting stories to tell you next week.

I love you and thanks for allowing me to be here.

Elder Kenck

This is Old, but fun.....

This was originally sent out by my cousin Gary and I sent it
to Taylor to answer... (this is a few months old)
Three Things

Three favorite movies I’ve watched more than once-
a. The Bourne movies
b. Hitch
c. The Testaments... lol

Three things I dread-
a. Cuban spanish
b. Contention
c. people falling away from the truth

Three most recent books I’ve read-
a. Jesus the Christ
b. The Pearl of Great Price
c. And Preach my Gospel... ha

Three favorite places I’ve been-
a. Hawaii
b. Elk Camp
c. Home?

Three wishes (no you can’t wish for more wishes)-
a. Success
b. To be a better instrument in the Lord's Hands
c. To meet a beautiful colombian girl in Rexburg Idaho in 1.5-2 years away... :)

Three things I look forward to doing in the next year-
a. Seeing more miracles
b. Forgetting myself
c. returning home with a lifetime of experiences and a stronger rtestimony to share with my family

Three favorite food dishes-
a. Papusas (hecho por mano de una salvadoreña)
b. American food...
c. Grandma Vera’s Milk Gravy

Three favorite candy or junk food-
a. Icecream.
b. Bread. I eat way too much of it.
c. Tres Leches

Three favorite musician’s-
a. Jesus Adrian Romero
b. My mommy
c. Juanes

Three T.V. show’s I watch regularly- unfortunate in my situation.. i DONT choose these shows neither would i recommend them.
a. Al Diablo con los guapos
b. yo Amo a Juan Queredon
c. Futbol.. prefiero la liga mexicana... los pumas


Three things I like to do when I’m not working-
a. sleeping
b. eating
c. ... i dont know? studying?


Three things that most family and friends don’t or are likely not to
know about me-
a. I LOVE learning.
b. I am scared of Florida's Lightning storms... they are a little too intense for me.
c. I am doing my best to re-invent myself for the better...

email issues- DARN-- shaving cream fight???

I promise i havent forgotten you all! The comuters at the library and myldsmail were being really dumb and i only got my message to president sent. Super sorry! thankfully the senior couple here in ft. walton are letting me use their computer really fast to type you a message!

This was a tough week, i kind of hit the end of my rope, but, i tied a knot at the end and currently am hanging on for dear life! lol, things have gotten better since my low moment earlier in the week. I have come to cherish those low moments, obviosuly not at the time, but later because i learn a ton from them.

Welll to answer your quesions...

1. (Pary asked to Please label photos that come home) Not quite sure how to help you with that, but i will for sure print out my pictures and send them home to you all labeled.

2.(Pary asked about transfers and sending a package) I just found out today that i will be staying here, and so go ahead and send the package.

3. (Pary asked about mail) No good mail, other than grandma's story i got in the mail today!

4.(Pary asked if he needed anything) No needs,

5.(Pary asked him about how his journal going) Need to improve the journal thing... remind me please,.

7. (Pary asked the name of his last baptism) Giovani

Well to tell yo what happened quickly

on monday hma quispe suprised me with a birhtday cake, she was the only one who knew it was my birthday. LAst week elder jambon and i got in a shaving cream fight in the hosue... long story i will tell you sometime.. remind me... i lost. The work flipped upside down and we have some progressing investigators... we went fishing today at the pier,, i caught 2 fish... not keepable, and saw dolphins, and was in the middle of a tropical storm!

i gotta go, i will try and write you a letter! So sorry about all this, i really love you all and i am sorry i couldnt write you all emails

mucho amor

Elder Kenck

First birthday away from home. We all made it through!!

How are you all doing?

So to answer your questions..

My birthday went well, i mean it didnt feel like my birthday, and it
wasnt any different than any other missionary day, other than that
now i am 20.... weird. Actually we havent made the cake yet, we
fasted yesterday, so when we got home we only worried about stuffing
our face as fast as possible. We finally had 1 investigator at
church! YEAH! miracles! It was a good day, full of reflection and
revelation. THanks so much for the packages and the goodies!

So we have a new dog in the family? HOw is he? Does Forrest treat
him well? I hope so.

WEll i am excited you are talking to other missionaries' moms! I
talked to elder jones about it a few days ago. We have 3 new spanish
elders coming out in the next few months, so their moms might be on
there. I dont know of any other missionary that has a mom on that
program.

Gavin sent me a birthday card (in spanish) and i probably have read it
at least 10 times. Im excited to be able to practice my spanish
with him. Last night i was reading that note you sent me on
mother's day... thank you, i needed it this week. Also i was
reading the paper that alli wrote last fall, and looking through the
photo album she made me.

well everything here is going. The work is tough, but a different
type of tough. Since being here, in the last 3 weeks we have found
27 new investigators. The thing is that we really are struggling to
help anyone progress, but hopefully we can see some progress here
soon. I realized that my most important responsiblity isnt as much
baptizing right now, as much as it is helping my comps and the
members here. The branch is in a crucial point right now, and it
needs something else to kick it in hyperdrive. I volunteered myself
and elder andrews to talk this upcoming sunday, and it will be on
missionary work and love. Please be praying for me then.

Our spanish zone is doing great. WE are seeing miracles right now,
and i am so excited to be here right now. I wish i could honestly
explain to you the things i am learning right now. My testimony is
growing strong, my studies every morning have been amazing, and i am
learning so much about life and the importance of love. I am
studying grace right now, focusing a lot off of David a Bednar's
famous grace talk given at BYU and also in the bible dictionary. I
encourage you to study that, check it out, and apply it. I have
learned the importance of daily scripture study, and i hope
throughout my life to be able to apply it.

Well all is well here in FLorida. Please know that i love it here
and i love the work. I know it is true. Have a wonderful week and
thanks for all you do and for allowing me to be here.

Love you

Elder Kenck

Bugs, Garage sales

Dad,
So yeah, ill be 20 this week... not sure how i feel about that.

The good news is i will be worrying more about getting people to church on sunday anyways. Garage sales here in the south are ridiculous. It is like a sporting event here. Its probably because everyone here is super-cheap.
Exciting, earwigs! reminds me of some experiences i have had on the mission. This week we taught one lady in her apartment, and within 30 minutes i had seen 5 cockroaches, not the giant ones (thankfully those freak me out) but the littlier quick ones. One time we taught a family (elder clements and i) and in a matter of 15 minutes i had seen 3 giant roches, like 3 inches giant. I hate roaches with a passion. Crazy! Tyson is going to be a daddy? I dont believe it. lol. Hopefully its born on the 6th, i would love having a birthday buddy in the famiily.
Life is treating me well, believe it or not this will be the funnest transfer of my mission, but probably the hardest as well. Elder Jambon is the definition ADD. but he is good at finding people. I just am doing everything and anything to see success right now. In anyway. I am ready to teach some progressing investigators again, and i would DO ANYTHING to see another baptism here before i go. I really do love it here though, and i just want to do my best.

Well i gotta go, love you and thanks for everything, dont let mom cry too much on sunday!

Elder Kenck

Taylor the bowling king??

Elder J

Hello father... ha

This has been a wild week. I dont know where to start, so here goes nothing!

Elder J came and everything has changed. The apartment looks like a bomb hit it... well that bomb was Elder J, hoenstly the messiest person i have ever met. Believe it or not, i am actually very clean, and not messy now, so it is driving me insane. But regardless of the random remarks and the awkward situations, i do enjoy having Elder J here. We have a lot of work to do. His spanish is non-existant, and so i am doing my best to help him sit down and study... i know you have taught many add/adhd kids, now imagine trying to get a 21 year old to sit down and study! lol, this week we will be studying spanish togetther, my studies have been struggling as of late anyways.
But the problem of a trio companionship is that one of always left out/in that awkward spot, and right now that is elder A. I think i got him make or something in the last few days, and so hopefully i can straighten that out here soon.

The work is booming here! I thought i knew every hispanic in town, evidently last week there were 11 i didnt know. lol. We have a biggerand stronger teaching pool know, and i am really excited for our new family we are teaching. Please pray for them (carlos and Diana).

Hey birthday wise just send me usefull things. Dont worry so much about resturant cards, i cant afford to eat out (i currently weigh 190:(

Gotta go computer is kicking me off! I love you thanks for everything

Elder Kenck

Mom,
What a crazy week it has been!

Well this was probably the most exciting/random/stressful/successful week of my mission. We went to pensacola this week to pick up Elder J, and it hasnt been the same since. He is INSANE> in a good way... but it is so different than anything i have ever experienced. Since than i have been put in the most awkward moments of my life, where he says or does the dumbest thing ever, right in the middle of the lesson, i cant even describe it. I thinks it is hilarious, i will learn to enjoy being out of my own comfort zone... literally all day. I think it is taking it's toll on my other companion, elder A. I think he is annoyed with both of us, unfortunately. But i have seen a lot of progress in his spanish. My biggest goal for him will be to help his spanish and to destroy the contention in our companionship. It is weird going from my time with elder clements, who is my favorite comp so far and probably will be forever, where we were perfectly unified and taught amazingly together, to now where there is little contention and not much unity. That will be a lot of hard work to counter, but i am willing to do it.

This week, somehow the Lord used us to find 11 new investigators! That will probably be my mission record, it is a HUGE number. In that 11 new investigators, we started teaching a couple that elder clements and i met a long time ago. And they might be golden. Well as Elder J says, "everyone is golden until proven bronze." They are Carlos and Diana, both are from Miami, and he is in the army. We had one of the greatest 1st ever. It was a funny story because we planned to skim quickly over the restoration and talk about the plan of salvation for most of the lesson. Elder J was assigned to skim over the 1st, and like i said he is unpredicable... and when they told him he could speak in english (they both speak fluently... theyre both basically americans) jhe went crazy and honestly taught the most complete 1st lesson i have ever heard. IN the process, he mentioned a million things that gave them a million questions, and the next day (sunday) they invited us back and we taught them the book of mormon and committed them to pray about it.

Overall it was an incredible week.

I am having a blast and i love it here. There is a lot of work to do and i am excited to do it!

i love you and thanks for everything..

Elder Kenck

From Ocean Shores (Parking lot of Shilo--to get wifi)

Hey mom, am glad you are having a good time at the beach! I am a little jealous, i wont lie.. but i am glad you get to enjoy that time together.

This week was a tough one. After saying goodbye to my kid, and helping elder andrews get setup, we got to work. Thankfully elder andrews and i get along fine. Unfortunately NOTHING happened this week. Honestly, we spent three days going bye all of our investigators houses and either they dodged us, werent home, were ignoring us... etc. And for the 4th week in a row, NO ONE came to church. That hurts. The branch is struggling right now, too many people are not coming to church, and it is really tough. The good thing is, the work can only go up now. We will be working a lot with the members here. WE got to get them active, and then on fire with missionary work. Also, we recieved direction that we need to do some major sifting of the investigators we currently have. No one is progressing, and so we are going to be knocking a lot of doors from now on out. Also, i will be going on a lot of trade-offs with members and leave the two others behind. I want to gain the members trust, i really have no idea how... believe it or not, i have become rather shy on my mission... well i dont talk very much anymore. lol
But i look forward to getting a lot of work done. This weekend was a little humbling though, its funny how many times we need to be humbled in life. We are continuelly reminded that when we rely on our own strength, we will fail. That is the reason the book of mormon talks about all those wars. Notice how everytime that the protanganists went up, "in the strength of the lord" they conquired. When we rely on ourselves, our own nothingness is quickly revealed to us.
But i am very excited to be here. It wont be easy, but it will be worth it. I know that this transfer will test me and i know i will learn so much!
Thanks for all your love and support. Enjoy this summer and know that i love you more than anything!

Love

Elder Kenck

New photos from Florida

Getting Hot in Florida

To Alli,
Hey you how are you doing? i hope you are well!

So school is out this week or next week? Crazy! Summer is here, and it is HOT in florida. Everyday it has been in the 90s, and the humidity is the big killer! Thankfully being on the beach we get an occasional cool breeze.

Im doing well, learning a ton, but doing well! Some random things we did this week... elder clements and i... 1) stole a couch from the english elders 2) hid moonpies everywhere in all of the english elder's stuff 3) last night we attacked the english elders with squirt guns

So we have been busy!


WEll i gotta go, love you and have a good week!

Elder Kenck

Mommy


I am doing well! It was a tough week, but i still learned a ton and
hopefully some growing will take place! Nothing too new is going on,
that i can think of... not really. YEs there are sister missionaries
here, not many, and i honestly never get to see them, the spanish elders
are VERY sheltered and we honestly know no one.

So what's all this about you being sick? Will you stop with the sick
thing already? Just kidding, i will keep you in my prayers. Being sick
isnt fun, i have avoided a lot of sickness on my mission (knock on wood)
but i know it is just a matter of time until i get food poisoning from
the lovely food we get to eat. lol With spanish missionaries, it really
is just a matter of time!

And you only have 6 days of school left! Weird! I am excited for you all
this summer, it sounds like you will have a really good time. Enjoy
your time together, you wont have too many experiences like that without
me! I look forward to our future adventures together!

Everyone is getting married as well? What! It is weird to me that i am
that old. That whole "experience" isnt that far down the road....
weird.

Well this week... had its ups and downs. Basically just to hit the
downs, our amazing family who we were sure would be getting baptized
told us they arent looking for a church and basically told us to leave
them alone. It was a heartbreak, we knew something was up (the spirit
is amazing!) but we didnt think it was that big. It was a very quiet
car ride home from their house... but we both learned a lot from the
experience. Also, it was our second week in a row with 0 investigators
at church.. and so that was tough as well. But, one of the head dudes of
the missionary department for the church came last week to the mission
and we had a wonderful training with him. I am learning a lot about
personal revelation, and i am trying to apply that principle into my
life. That has been the focus of my study this week, and i would urge
you to seek for personal revelation in your school, church and family
life.

Elder Clements and I get along well, just like brothers, and we are
working hard. I think it is a matter of time before we have some sort
of success here, and i wouldnt be surprised if we stayed together one
more transfer.

I really do love this work mom. It is hard, but it is worth everything.
I am learning so much about the gospel, and my life has and will change
so much. That is what happens when we apply the gospel in our lives, we
change. Have a great week mom, stay happy, healthy and grateful and i
will talk to you next week. Hopefully i will have some miracles to tell
you about next week, and i have faith that i will.. so stay in tune!

Love you got to go!

Elder Kenck