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