Week 1 - Italy, Battipaglia

Whats up famm???
> So i made it to Rome!!! What what?? how crazy is that? So let me give you the lowdown thus far.
> First day we got here we went and visited the temple(which is sooo beautiful) and then we went to the mission office to get orientated and then we went to the mission home and ate dinner with the president and then got interviewed. Then we waited in anxious anticipation for the "golden envelopes" that tell us where we are going and who are trainers are going to be... so I opened mine and am in... drumroll.......... BATTIPAGLIA!!! (now this probably means nothing to you as it did to me when i opened it.. haha) however battipaglia is in the Napoli zone!!! which is super cool because everyone always wants to go to the napoli zone! There are only 4 missionaries here. 2 anziani and 2 sorellae. It is a very small town with only about 30,000 people and our branch has about 35 members in it. our area also includes a couple of others towns including salerno, eboli, and more that i don't remember. Soo woooo!! Battipaglia. It is also home to Italys best mozzerlla di buffalo (aka mozeralla) and then also Sorella Waddoups favorite pizza in all of Italy! We have yet to go there but we are anxiously awaiting that day.
> Okay so next day I travel to Battipaglia and i meet my trainer at the train station! Her name is Sorella Argyle! She is from west jordan utah, is fluent in spanish and italian(though i'm not sure shed agree with me on that last one) and shes only been out for 4 transfers so I am her first greenie!! I feel so sorry for her ebcause i really am not good at Italian.. however she is awesome and has alot of patience and helps me alot so thats is a huge blessing. :) So we took a 4/5 hour train ride to Battipaglia. We got whats called "blown in" which means that there are only 2 sisters here and both of the old ones  left and so both of us came in brand new to pick up their work. This is kind of tricky because we don't know the area, the people, or the members! however Sorella argyle is fantastic and we are totally excited to meet these people. The sisters before us left notes on all of their investigators and we've been going through the area book to figure it all out.
> So the last couple of days we have just been calling and calling and going out and talking to people. We've set up a couple of appointments and have passed out a bunch of pass along cards around town.
> Highlights:
> Sunday: sunday we got to meet our branch!!! WOO. they are so sweet!! There were only about 15 people including us in church this week but it was so cool to meet them all. We had to get up and bear our testimonies and i was so nervous. but i just said a prayer, and got up there and the craziest thing happened! I spoke for 5 minutes! I think that all of the testimony i had been building up and all the words in italian I knew had been building and i finally had a conduit in which I knew how to speak Italian so it just like all came out. It was awesome. The spirit was backing me up 100% and was helping me remember and put together things i never had before in italian.
> Cool finding story: so we were walking around town and we say hi to people when we walk by them all the time. So I walked  by this woman with like 4 kids around her and i was just like buone sera and she was like who are you and why are you just saying good night to people, come here for a second. haha so we went over there and she was rattling off in italian so i was just like holding on by my boot straps to understand what she was saying but the gist of it was she just felt like it was really important for people to know who god and jesus christ were and she didn't understand how you could know which church was true and that she had been wondering that for a really long time, and like a ton of other stuff... and she was super fiesty and it was kind of funny and then in the end we talked to her for like 10 minutes and then sorella argyle got her number and we are going to call her later this week to see if we can meet wither her! hopefully she lets us! she seemed pretty interested :)
> So usually our Pday is monday but instead this monday we went up for zone conference! It was soo awesome. So spiritually tank filling and i didn't even realize how empty i was! I think the coolest part for me was they talked about leaving your area better than you found it and utilizing your talents given to you and multiplying them well your here. Whether you have 10 talents or 2 talents its important to take them and go with them the best that you can and to strive with the lord to develop what you've got and then the lord can be proud and pleased with  you. Thats my goal here for this area, especially because i don't really have the hang of things yet or know italian but i have a few things that i can do to be doing all i can to make a difference and so thats when I'm going to strive to work on and then the lord can help me reach those goals and develop better at the things i struggle with.
> Also cool spiritual thought I had today... In Alma 36:6-7 its talking about how through small and simple things are great things brought to pass and then how by small means doth the lord counfound the wise and bring others to salvation adn i was thinking about this and usually when you hear this you think by small and simple acts.. like praying and reading our scriptures or being kind.. but i also think that it is synonmous to small and simple people. The lord doesn't always pick the brightest, prettiest, or wisest to be his leaders. Missionaries are PERFECT examples of this. We are young, unlearned, and often immature but he picks us to go and preach his gospel and bring people the knowledge of the truth! how beautiful is that. and not only in missionaries but when you think about how christ even came to this earth. the most perfect human to ever live came in a stable, in a young poor couples family, in a manger. The lord works through small and simple people because he knows their hearts and sees their faith and capacity to love and serve.
>
> Italy is amazing.
> LOVE YOU
> Sorella kennedy

I'm HERE!!!!! Day 1 - Dec 10, 2014 - Leaving the US and Arriving in Italy!! Week 6 of mission

Some last pics with the Rome, Italy Crew.

Some of these missionaries will be going to Italy as well....but Milan (Northern Italy) Mission

Missionary Dorms

This one's out of order but is one of the last evening events together with the MTC crew.

She's HERE!!!! That is the New Rome Italy Temple in the background.  It's a 40 acre site on the outskirts of Rome. It will have the temple on the grounds, a visitors center and much more.  If you want to check out pics of the plans and see more information about it here is the link. http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/rome/

These are both Milan (northern Italy) and Rome (southern Italy) Missionaries I believe. 

President and Sister Waddoups   Rome, Italy

This picture was taken after leaving the MTC at 6 am on December 9th and flying all night and into the next day and landing in Rome at 12pm on December 10th.  22 hours of travel.....yikes.....

What up??! I made it safe to rome! We are allowed to email from the mission presidents ipad to let you know that we made it safe and sound. We find out later tonight where we are going!!! Woooo :) cant wait. Not gonna lie leaving the US was scary. And hearing everyone speak in italian as fast as a bullet is scary, but i feel so much peace about being here. This is the start of an amazing adventure. Love you so much!!! P.s. I don't know if ill get to read responses so don't worry about that. 

Love you all a 1000

Week 5 MTC - leaving on Tuesday Dec. 9th for Italy

Wow! This week was a spirtually giant week. Let me give you the highlights. 

1. Our surprise speaker was... drum roll... Elder Bednar!! WHAT?? So he and his wife spoke. They did a Q and A sesh where they passed out cell phones then they connected those to an ipad he had so you texted in your questions to his ipad, and he answered them in front of everyone AMAZING. some of the highlights were: 

1. We pray alot, how do you make prayers more meaningful?

be specific. don't just ask for help ask for help with X, Y, Z. THIS WORKS. I experimented this week upon this theory and it is real. I asked for help to develop a spritual gift mentioned in my partriarchal blessing ( discernment, knowing what level to teach people at) and it was amzing how much i recognized the help of the savior in that way and how i read about it in the scriptures more and it was even mentioned in class. Super cool!

2. As seniro couples, how do you deal with being away from family? 

Time spent away is strengthenign those at home, its only for a season and your example with bless generations. I thought this was pretty cool. 

3. Don't beat yourself up. God's timing is not a reflection upon your worthiness. 

4. Qualify yoursellves for the blessings you need and ask for them! 

5. this 18 month or 24 months is bootcamp for the rest of your life. All you are ever going to be is a missionary. Thats WHO YOU ARE. 

Those are just some of the highlights. Anyway.....it was pretty phenomental to have an apostle answer specific questions and the spirit teach our hearts what they needed to know. 

I felt like finally this week I can read in Italian!! Woooo. Like i was reading predicare mio vangelo (preach my gospel) and i Knew what it was saying. Also its weird to hear myself speaking english sometimes.. CRAZY. I'm not even good at speaking but hearing my voice in english is sometimes weird! 

They decorated the plaza here with A TON of christmas lights and a nativity scene! It is so BEAUTIFUL. it makes me so happy when we come out here at night and the whole place is lit up. 

Vocal point came on Sunday night for the devotional and did a singing devotional! That was AWESOME. Soooooooo great to just have some music speak to the soul. 

Sunday Sherri Dew Spoke in RS: 

WOOO. How phenomenal was she. 

Her main question and theme to us was: 

Are you willing to engage in the wrestle?

Then she said that most answers come when wrestled through. Its not so much about your strength either but about your leverage. figure out how to leverage the gospel for your questions. 

This principle of wrestling is SO true. The biggest decisions or biggest questions of life usually do not come easy. We have to ponder it and ice pick our way to the top of the mountain to get it, but once we do oh how sweet is the victory and how firm our knowledge. 

We also listened to this talk Elder Utchdorf gave at the MTC a while ago. A few things that he said that were awesome were: 

While on your mission your potential will be lifted to a level that will bless you for life and into the eternities. 

Think about the people that will marry, love, and serve with the people that you bring into the gospel in the future. You are loved and treasured by those whose lives are effected by your service. Do your work for them. 

So anyways...This week was pretty amazing. I cannot believe that i Head out so soon. I know that this work is good and I am SOO excited to meet the people in Italy. I love them so much already and I don't even know them haha. 

Love you all, 

Sorella Kennedy 

Week 4 MTC

The more I've been here the more I feel like it is a privilege that I got to be here. This is such sacred work, to be a missionary. You get to experience a piece of what Christ did. Just like being a mother is sacred, so is being a missionary. You get to have the power of God behind you to bring people Salvation, and ultimate happiness with their families forever!!  Such a joyous beautiful thing.

The language is coming slowly but surely. We only speak Italian in class now, which is hard, but it pushes us to think more in Italian. Before we could answer in English or ask questions in English but now only Italian. Its hard and scary. I am so excited for Christmas in ROME. I can't even believe it!!! AHHh. I'm sooo excited to leave but also scared. But I think it will be nice because I think time will pass quicker and I'll get to see the fruits of why I'm here more.

I leave for Rome in 2 weeks. I get my travel plans I think this Friday. 

Something cool…I started doing this thing with some of the other sisters in the zone and the anziani (elders)...We have this track we run around and 10 laps is a mile. So you have a partner and then you have another set of partners and you run a lap and then while the other pair is running you are doing sit-ups or wall sits or planking while the others are running the lap so its like a relay and you’re sprinting around the track. I did that 2x this week and we did 16 running laps!! it was so hard but it was soooooo good.:) 

This week was a lot of Studying!!  Nothing too crazy to report. I did join the Choir though!! We got to sing for Dallin H. Oaks because he came and spoke to us on Tuesday! So that was super cool! Then we get to be in the choir for thanksgiving and were singing Come Thou Fount and we think there’s gonna be a REALLY big speaker coming in because they’re making a super big deal about it. 

Something coool that I've been thinking about stemmed from a scripture that my companion shared with me from Mosiah 20:11

11 And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight.

This scripture was seriously just so empowering!! Its just like missionaries. We are not as numerous as the opposing team but we are fighting for the lives of those we love (because I already love those people in Italy) and we’re fighting for people’s families and for truth and righteousness and with the Lord on our team we can fight like DRAGONS. Booo- yaaaa. 

The lord really does help us become real life superheroes. We are small and just individuals who have a desire to do good and then we get the power of the Lord behind us and we can do ANYTHING. It's like when Spiderman is almost going to get killled by the green goblin or Superman is encased in kryptonite. They always use their last bit of strength to come through. When we’re in life and we are fighting are hardest and we are at our lowest and we don't know if we can keep going the Lord will give us our extra bit of strength to push through. He is our superpower and we are the justice league of missionaries. :)

Anyway... sorry nothing too exciting this week! 

Love you, 

Sorella Kennedy. 

Hey! So we had a pretty awesome day today! let me tell you why....So we had this thing called TRC, which is where we teach real life members of the church that are italian that have come to the MTC as volunteers.  I was so nervous cuz these people actually speak italian and we didn't know anything about them, we just had to prepare a 20 minute  lesson and teach  So I kept thinking that  we needed to teach about how we can find answers to questions we have in the scriptures. So I told Sorella Reber and she was like "sure"! So we planned and prepared for that and we went in and this guy was speaking Italian so fast I think I understood 1 of every 30 words he said. He was telling us this whole schpeal, I had very little idea what it was about, but i felt like I needed to share with him that before the MTC I hadn't really studied the Book of Mormon and hadn't really felt like could connect to it.  But since being here I could testify that  you can find answers to the questions you have when you  read them[scriptures] and that they[scriptures] are truly the words of the prophets of God.  The spirit was so strong and then we challenged him to read with a question in his heart and faith to receive an answer  and he was like I will! So then when we got out, Sorella Reber who understands more than me, said that he had been wondering if he should serve a mission and he knew the church was true but wasn't really all that excited about it.  That was my story too!!  Ahhh!.....It was all the spirit! so so cool.

The second spiritual moment of the day was we were going into teach our investigator Keyla (aka one of our teachers) and we had planned to teach her the plano disalvezzi (aka the plan of salvation) We literally had been planning this lesson for like 3 days and we walked in and started talking to her and she was like "does God answer prayers and does God help us know what to do with big decisions?" and immediately I knew we were not supposed to teach the plan of salvation, we needed to testify of the Book of Mormon and that God answers prayers! So we taught the first lesson about joseph Smith and how he received an answer from his prayer and we can do the same! The spirit was Multo Forte (very powerful). Sorella Reber and I were just so in sync. I asked about the B of M and Sorella new exactly where the lesson needed to go.  It was awesome.  Our investigator started crying! It was a beautiful thing.  Other fun note....we taught another teacher today at the TRC and he saw our last investigator later after we had taught her and she said our lesson really touched her and that we were so prepared and she was so happy we taught her b/c what we had to say really touched her - So pretty much today was a spiritually giant day.  The Lord was hard at work.  

Another note.....it started snowing in utah today WHOA!!! It's so pretty but so cold.  

Heyyyyy!!! 

So some stories from this week. 

We have an investigator named keyla... she's 17 yyears old and we've been teaching her for about a week. For one of our lessons I was in charge of teaching about how the gospel blesses families, joseph smith became a prophet, and the apsotasy. this was alot for me and i was really nervous but i wrote out all that i was going to say and then when i got in there i remembered all of it!!! it was like 8-10 sentences of correct grammar and everything! wooooO!!! i even was able to add some more things in there. total miracle and blessing. the spirit was so strong. then at the end of that lesson, i had been memorizing the invitation to be baptized and sorella reber and i had talked about asking her at the end.. so when we were almost done i asked her and she said yes!!!!!! WOWOWOW!! she's not even a real investigator and sorella and i were so happy!!! imagine what it will be like when they are real people. ahh amazing. 

We heard a cool quote this week from elder bednar.. it went something like this " you have been called to serve in the language that you can best testify in." haha i was like oh boy... okay. idk it gave me some confidence to know that. 

We do this thing on sunday where before relief society we watch this broadcast from the mo tab thats like a message and then just 30 minutes of singing which is awesome because by the time sunday comes i feel so music deprived i just wanna scream. So anyways Kennedy family will appreciate this because i sure as heck did. the whole message was on how introverts are important to the work of the church!!! HOLLLLAAAAAA. Literally they spent 10 minutes talking about how introverts have important things to offer and even though they may not meet a million people and talk to hundreds they work deeply and steadly person by person and they are critical to this work. WOOOOOO. 

I gotta go on a testimony rant real quick. Since I've been here the importance of the book of mormon has blown my mind. THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE. When you sit down and pray and then read the scriptures.. you WILL find answers to the questions of you're heart. The scriptures are written for each of us. You find comfort, love, inspiration, guidance, and peace when you read the words of the prophets. It is such a blessing. If you are alone or scared or need to remember that someone loves you or that we are a gospel of christ read the book of mormon. You're questions will be answered and you're hearts will be full of peace. 

Something else i've really felt this week is the honor and blessing it is to be a missionary. It really and truly is a privilege. I look at myself, this small, young, insignificant person in the world, and the lord has entrusted me with his most important work. We have the opportunity to be like unto christ, to be doing what he would be doing on this earth right now if he was here, teaching, loving, and serving. What a honor. We heard this cool thing from Elder Holland about work of missionaries and it just made it feel like we have such a beautiful opprotunity to share an experience with christ. we get to bring people unto our father in heaven, make them feel loved, help them realize they can be forgiven and free of guilt and pain. So amazing!!!!! 

last story.. this was pretty freaking cool. So we were talking again to our investigator Keyla. We were talking about repentence because she said she had cheated on a test this week and felt bad about it. So i kept feeling the whole time sister reber was going off in italian that i needed to talk about how repentence is a two step process... both repenting to god and repenting to the people we've wronged. so i quickly looked up in our magic book of vocab how to say this one thing and then i started talking and i can't even tell you what exactly i said but she understood all of it and you could see in her face and feel in the room that that was the last piece of the puzzle she needed. she responded and understood everything i said. then when we finished sister reber said she didn't even understand anything i said!!! whoa. the language of the spirit was working hard. it is crazy how much can be communicated just through the holy ghost. pretty amazing. 

Side note: I run 2 miles every day!!!!! how crazy is that. i actually love it tho because we literally sit for 9 hours a day and then we can't listen to music when we work out so the least boring thing to do is run,. 

Love you a million 

hailey 

week 2 MTC

This week I did not get a traditional letter from Hailey.  We basically just tried to type to one another during her hour on the internet.  It was eventful for her.  She got to call me twice which was nice.  She went to the ER with abdominal pain but was ok. We were all happy cuz she got a phone call out of it and a follow up phone call after her dr. appointment.  Tender mercy right there.   She is feeling a lot better and stronger this week.  She has had some great experiences with her companion as well.  Sorry there is not more but this is a little snippet of things we talked about.  
From hailey:

"I started forming sentences yesterday!! that was super cool! there probably only 60% correct but hey... its better than before. Also i can usually translate things but cant form them fast enough in my head or say them.. latin has ruined me.. hahaha

I feel much happier this week... like everything is alright and i feel good in this work. i just felt like hailey... if you don't start finding some joy you're just gonna be sad and this is gonna be really hard... harder than it already is. but when i walked into the celestial room there was this picture of the savior with his arms opened wide like he was welcoming you into a hug and i heard this voice in my head say."You are not alone." over and over. just whispering it to me. i could feel frau, i could feel james, and i could feel you and dad and noah there too. it was pretty incredible. it's what got me through this last week."