Another week flew by...

Hey mommy,

on to an email...

this week was tough, but im ok, dont get me wrong! Basically two days last week it poured rain and lightning. I am learning why FLorida is called the lightning capitol of the US! Crazy! But one day last week, thursday, we left the apartment and in about 3 minutes (on bikes) i was soaked through every layer of clothes. I was a little grouchy that day...
Also, yesterday, officially all (just about) of our investigators were dropped. The only one we still have skipped church to play soccer (Ramon) and all the others moved away, told us not to keep teaching, or we dropped them. So that was a little disheartening, going from a week of like 6 families to this week, 0.

But oddly enough, even though i am sad for them, i am not that disappointed because i know i am working my hardest. Even though i am not a great teacher, and even though i still cant quite comminicate, i am trying my hardest, and because of this i am doing good.

One of the great joys, (meaning struggles), of missionary work is getting used to working with people. Lets just say my companion and i are very different. But, we are working through those differences and trying to get things done.

It is great to hear that you guys saw Adam and John! Thanks for inviting them and still staying in touch with them.

Mom i am honestly doing great. This is hard, and i have certianly experienced some rough days,(and will continue to experience them) but it is worth it. TO answer your other questions, the branch is ok, but struggling right now. Not really anyone i am bonding with (i cant quite comminicate! lol) but i am trying. Things with the comp are tough, but i refuse to argue with a companion on my mission (one of my strange goals), even though i had a lot of opportunities this week! I called Simplicio and Silvia last week and talked to them! THat was a booster, they are doing great! I know it is funny saying this, but if i never get another baptism on the mission, it will have been worth it just for them. Dont get me wrong though, i am ready to see some success here!

Today for pday we played a little tennis, and i am horrible. I commented that i certainly hope my future wife doesnt like tennis, and the senior missionary, Elder Schillings got a kick out of that. I am keeping some what in shape, doing my shadow boxing in the mornings, but i will definately put myself on a diet and get back in shape when i get home!

MOm please dont worry about me, this week was tough but i am great! I hope this email wasnt down and depressing, because really and truly i am doing good.

Thanks for all you do mom, thanks for supporting me and allowing me to be out here! Next monday, i will have something great to tell you about that happened this week, ok? Please do your best to read the scriptures! Also, i read a talk this week by Jeffrey R Holland from the 2007 April conference, (speaking with the tongue of angels) read that as a family if you can. It is awesome, and it really gave me a new view on what i say.

Again thanks for everything! HAve a wonderful week

Oh please dont let the girls know this... we have been getting a lot of toronado warnings, things like that, i just want to warn you personally so that you dont go and check out the weather and get freaked out. Please dont worry, I Will Be protected!! I promise i will be great, but i just thought i would let you know... and please dont tell the girls!

love you mom, have a wonderful week!


Hey Dad

crazy week on the mission once again! Those happen a lot!

That is great that you went to the movies with Adam and John! I am really glad you are staying in touch with them. Thanks for the pics too! I will definately put that card reader to use, i was actually going to buy one today, so i am glad you told me!

I completely understand the frustrations that you experience with others. On a mission you see every personality type in the world, and so i think it will be a good way to prepare me for the future! Just pray...(you answered your own question!) i am serious, i was about a millameter from blowing up this last week, i was soaked in the rain, and everything was going wrong, my temper was already horrible, and so i prayed... everything worked out just fine! But... it doesnt come quickly, or easily, but answers to prayers do come!

We already have a soccer ball but thanks! Dont get me wrong, i am horrible at soccer, but i do enjoy it! You wont believe what i found today in the apartment... century punching mitts... like the ones we have at home (kind of). I was pretty excited. Goodbye belly fat! lol just kidding, thats not possible on a mission!

Love you

Elder KEnck

7 investigators??

Hey my beloved mother!


Phew. What a week! This week absolutely flew bye! To be perfectly hoenst i am not sure what i did this week, everything is kind of meshed in to a mass of Ft. Walton Memories, but i guess that is why i keep a journal. Just so you know i will try and send a birthday box to alli this week, so be looking for it.

You are going to Astoria!!!! Dang! How fun, you will have a blast! It is weird spending so much time on the ocean, and still not being able to do any of the fun things that are here!

I am doing great mom! I am learning so much; a ton of spanish, a lot of the gospel, and a lot about teaching. Really i am learning a ton of other things too, like learning to get along with others. That is hard, but it is something that will help me forever. I keep telling myself that if i can get along with someone who is pretty much 100% diferent than me, than i will have no problems getting along with my future spouse.

This week we did a ton of tracking, and taught a lot of lessons. We are focusing on a few part member families, and i think we might find some success there. If the parents arent interested, the kids certainly are! lol Also, i scored for the first time this week in soccer! Woohoo! Too bad it wasnt really anything i did, just a couple of good passes!

I am honestly doing great mom! I am staying happy, and working hard. Sorry this email is all over the place but i am having a hard time concentrating. Just please know that i am great, and i love you and i am constantly praying for you. I want to send a talk to you, by David A Bednar, about the enabling power of the atonement. It is something that we need to understand, and i am just starting to figure out!

I gotta go, know i love you and i am praying and thinking of you all!

Have a wonderful week!

Love you

Elder KEnck

February 11th

Que tal?

Thanks for the email!

Yeah i just heard about all the tornados a few days ago, they were a ways away, but closer to pascagoula (ha). Dont worry about that though, i will be fine. Right now the weather is beautiful, just about perfect.

This last saturday i had the chance to go to the leadership broadcast by the church. (not sure if you had the chance or not?) It was incredible, it was ALL on the family. I recieved a huge testimony of how important it is to protect our family from the things of the world. I first off want to thank you for raising me the way you did, it was what i needed, and i know we arent perfect, but the little efforts i think are what made the difference.

Well this week we got 7 NEW INVESTIGATORS. That is huge. And overall we have a ton of investigators. We now have to sort through them, prayerfully, and try and figure out who has potential... that doesnt happen often in a mission. We found one new investigator, named Angelica. Her husband is a member, and she actually came to church yesterday without her husband. We have a lot of people with potential. IM ready to see some success now, we are working very hard.

Also, something happened this weekend to my spanish. Things are now just clicking. Dont get me wrong, i still have tons of struggles, but at least now i am understanding a lot. I think it all started on saturday, i went on a tradeoff with Elder poort (zone leader) and somehow during the day i just started talking to people and i realized i can understand them. It was an incredible feeling. I realized that i will be studying this language forever, but im ok with that... because i love the language!

Please do not worry about me. I am great, i am busy! I apologize that i havent had a chance to write many letters, i will improve. I am happy though. This is where i am supposed to be, and as hard as it is, it is worth every second.




I love you, thanks for letting me be here! Have a wonderful week

Elder Taylor Kenck

February 3,08

i know there is a purpose and a reason for me being here. This week wasnt the best week. I did my very best though, and so i cannot be disappointed by that. We didnt really teach very many people though. I realized a lot this week, and yesterday while i was fasting, i recieved a lot of insight from the Lord. First off, its time to stop holding back because of a language barrier. Its funny, i am kind of turning shy... believe it or not, and i think that is from having companions that like to talk... but either way, i want to know im not holding back in that respect. Lots of things have changed about me, but i am realizing how important it is to continue to be Taylor, and so i am doing my best not to change too much. lol I spoke a lot of spanish this week, and it went well. I learned a lot this week, and i have started to reach a point where i can at least (for the most part) understand what is being said. I am also learning the importance of NOT comparing myself to others. To be perfectly honest, i have had TONS of problems learning this language, others have picked it up so much easier than i have, and i think God gave me those struggles for a reason. I am realizing and learning that i am in His hands. But mom, I am happy. I am happy because i am seeing myself (slowly) being shaped into what God wants me to be. Life is not really about what happens to us, but more about how we react to those things that happen to us. PLease always remember that! ! Mom please do me a favor, (and i promise to do it in return) in moments where you are worried about me, STOP, pray, and move on, humming a hymn or something like that. I need to do this as well, so lets both try it and see what happens.

I am confident that God will not give us a commandment without providing a way for us to accomplish it. (see Nephi 3:5) I started the book of mormon again, and this time i am reading it specifically to find the "tender mercies" of the Lord. And this is the first one i have found. Because i know that this principle is true, i know that i can have success right now. I know that there is some way, someone around waiting for the gospel.

But, i am looking forward to this week. The name of the game right now is progress, continual progress, and i look forward to this week and the opportuinities i will have to share the gospel. I refuse to hold back, and i cant wait to feel the Holy Ghost work through me while i testify.

Mom, I know that our Savior lives. I know it. Because i know it, i HAVE TO share it. His church is on the earth today, and i am a witness to that. I had the wonderful chance of seeing president hinckley's funeral, and it was beautiful, and it once again gave me the desire to "waste and wear" out my life in proclaiming the message of the gospel.


Have a wonderful week, and thanks for letting me be out here.

I love you

Elder Taylor Kenck