A Door Slammed in My Face for the First Time

Vanessa was baptized this week.  LOVE HER!

It has been a rainy WEEK!

This is how we get around Chinandega- in Triciclo.
 This cart is attached to the front of a bike and someone hauls us around town.
 And these are two sweeties that we brought home after an activity...
we are trying to learn patience for when we are moms....
we've got a long way to go haha.

This week has been full of experiences! The rainy season is starting up here and it hit us HARD this week. It brought me back to my days in Tipitapa and Matagalpa. I love the rainy season here because everything cools off for a moment or two but it always brings a few challenges to the work... So this Wednesday is when the rain really started to hit us. It just so happened that we were also on divisions this day. I was with sweet Hermana Melendez in her area when we got dumped on! It had been an awesome day because we had worked hard and found new families for them to teach. At about 6pm we started teaching a new investigator when the rain hit us hard! The houses here are made out of tin so when it starts to rain it is SUPER LOUD! You will be right in front of the person and have to scream. So there we were teaching the First vision and we had to SCREAM it at her haha. It was a pretty funny experience. We asked her to offer the closing pray and she was really nervous. I then told her not to worry because we probably wouldn’t hear her anyways haha. We ended up having to wait out the storm in her house for almost a WHOLE HOUR! When the rain finally settled down we left to find that the streets had been converted into a river. IT is then I was reminded of Tipitapa. Haha we went on our way to find the chosen. It was pretty funny trying to walk through the NASTY water but we were blessed for it and made some great memories. 

The next day we were hit with the SAME rainstorm! The thunder was SO POWERFUL. Louder than I have ever heard. Once again it hit at the opportune moment... trying to put the fecha. The investigators accepted and we once again waited out the storm. I love having the rain but it does present some challenges with the extra noise in the house and the FLOODED streets! The flooded streets are an extra big problem here because the water is SO DIRTY!!! I don’t like thinking abut it. O well we just enter and wash off real well when we get home. 

The nice thing about the rain is that it cools us off for a minute. Sadly, it is just a minute. Afterwards, we are always hit with an AWFUL heat... Eh not everything can be perfect right? That would be too easy! 

This week has been really special because we have been able to find a lot of new families and we have received several references. The past couple weeks, my comp. and I have been really worried about sacrament meeting attendance. As a result we have made several plans and goals to increase attendance. We have been having very short lessons with members and the leaders EVERY DAY to excite them. As part of this visit we have also been inviting the members to search for the ppl in their lives that are prepared to hear the gospel. It has been AWESOME to see how these visits have been helping in the work. This week the attendance shot up big time and we have received TONS of references. Our ward rocks and I can’t wait to keep working with all the members here. 

Vanessa was baptized this Saturday! Yay!! She seriously is so awesome and I love her with all my heart. When we found her she told us that she felt alone in this life and didn’t know where she could find happiness. Something was missing. The Gospel immediately filled this hole. She was SO PREPARED to hear the gospel. We had several beautiful moments with her and especially with the BOOK OF MORMON! She knows it is true from sacred experiences and has a firm testimony. Her baptize was kind of CRAZY due to the rain, but it happened and she felt Great! She told us everything is different now. She will be an amazing addition to the ward! 

Well, this week I have learned several things but I mostly just want to encourage you all to be a part of this extraordinary work. The Lord needs us ALL in order to bring about and accelerate the work. I have seen time and time again that members make the best missionaries. I know the Lord prepares his children in EVERY part of the world and that we all have someone in our lives that can be changed by Jesus Christ. We have the truth, LET’S SHARE IT! 

Thank you all for your love and support ALWAYS! I love you guys! 

Love, 

Hermana Kendall 

P.S. Presidente came and had a meeting with our zone this week that was AWESOME! He talked about being HUMBLE in order to learn. He also asked me to sing a quick song in front of everyone... Still trying to get over stage fright when it comes to singing! 

P.P.S. I got a door slammed in my face for the first time EVER in my mission this week! It was really odd. Everyone here is just so friendly. It made me appreciate all the missionaries in the world so much!