We Don't Pinch We Just Baptize

Unfortunately not this week though. But I have faith it's coming!

Hey everyone!! This week was kinda crazy but lots of fun! I hope ya'll are wearing green! If not you better watch out so you don't get pinched. Good luck today with your leprechaun catching. I'm rooting for ya as long as you share the load.

Lots of random things happened this week which is great and mixes up the routine of missionary life! 

I talked in church this week! I was not excited about this but it turned out ok. I got up there and said words so that's a win haha. I've been told they were good words too. So I'll take it!  The crazy thing that happened though was that a tornado warning and church evacuation message was sent out just as I was about to speak. I didn't know that this was happening though. Brother Pope whispered to me to make sure that I finished on time so I was stressing about what that meant. But thankfully I was able to do so. Then we evacuated the building. My comp and I went back to our apartment for a while until the warning passed and then we went back to knockin doors. The life of a North Carolinian I suppose.

This week we were able to talk to lots of people! This sweet lady named Carol let us in and we talked to her for like an hour! We gave her a Book of Mormon and taught her about the sacrament. She is hilarious and I think she was just feeling lonely and needed a friend that day so we were happy to provide! Hopefully we see her at church soon.

Another person we met was Shawn! We've actually ran into him 3 times in the last couple weeks. He was a media referral, we “knocked” his house by accident, and then talked to him at the grocery store. My companion told him that it must be a sign and he agreed so we're planning to meet with him this week. Let's go!

We also had a cool miracle this week. One of our friends is really struggling in life right now and we haven't been able to contact her but we ended up in her neighborhood and were able to catch her right as she got home! It was all because we were prompted not to knock the other street we were planning to and instead head back to our car. She really needed someone to talk to and some prayers that day and God knew it too. His timing is perfect. 

The two main mix-ups to our routine this week were due to MLC and service! My comp is an STL so she had meetings to go to so I got to spend the day with Sister Williams. We helped prepare the food for the missionaries in MLC and I got to whip out my Costa Vida skills again by scooping some salsa. It was so fun to help out the senior missionaries in the kitchen and get to chat with them! 

The service we did was for this cute older couple with a beautiful fairy tale home and property in the woods. We were able to get our district together to help out as well! We raked leaves, cleaned out flower beds, and spread mulch. They gave us a tour of their beautiful home that they built by hand.  You could tell that it's their heart and soul. They also fed us lunch which was so sweet and Aunt Liz gave us all prints of a picture of Jesus that she painted and is displayed in the Baptist church across from us. They are the cutest and I'm so grateful we could help them out! 

Also this week: we got bashed!! Not really though we just talked to this guy named Michael for a long time who was asking a lot of questions about why we believe what we do. We thought he was genuinely interested at first but he wouldn't take a copy of The Book of Mormon and said that he didn't feel at peace with that. Said that he can research it himself (not how you receive a witness from God of truth btw) and that the Bible is all he needs. Womp womp I guess. It was a good opportunity for me to share my testimony of why I believe The Book of Mormon is the word of God and who knows? He might come around. I know that if you go to the right sources and pray to God in faith that He will provide you with answers. 

My mission president is in the hospital recovering from back surgery right now so keep him in your prayers for me! 

Highlights: 

   –God is good! Everything lined up so perfectly for us to meet people this week!

   –Dinners with the McDonalds and the Beans! Love them so much, literally the cutest families!

   – Another delicious dinner with the Benningtons!

Lowlights: 

   –We had 10 people tell us they would be at church and… NONE OF THEM CAME! C’mon people just show up! We don't pinch, we just baptize! 

Spiritual thought:

1 Nephi 14:14

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

My talk yesterday was on temple covenants. I can testify that when we make covenants in the holy house of the Lord we are armed with God's power and can receive His peace, solace, strength, guidance, and revelation. I invite you all to focus more on the temple in your life right now in whatever way this may look like for you. 

And that's all! Love you guys and your emails! 

Peace and Love,

 Sister Kendrick

Pictures:

A couple more pics of the Creedmore Cuties 

Sister Jones and Sister Livingston 

Can you believe we got kicked out of a trailer park? 

Attempting to be the angel Moroni, this prosthetic leg was left in our apartment?! 

Getting dirty with some service.

Can you see the rainbow?