Q&A with the Book of Mormon

This week was BOMB!!! It was seriously such a good week. We were busy which was fantastic!

 

Tuesday I went on exchanges to the STLs area. I got to meet this marine who is really cool. He is VERY intimidating. Look wise, he's actually pretty scrawny but he could kill me at a glance. He could read us like a book. It was crazy. Super cool guy though. Also it was

7/11 day so y'all had better of gotten free slurpees from 7/11.

 

Thursday we had ZTM (Zone training Meeting) and it was amazing. There was a huge emphasis on being unified as a mission. If one baptizes, we all baptize. We need to be unified and help each other out. Often times missionaries get selfish and competitive, but we are ALL servants in Gods army fighting for the same cause.

 

Friday was the best day ever. Usually we have weekly planning (a 3 hour planning session for the upcoming week) but we had so many back-to-back appointments that we didn't get to it until 6:00 at night.

 

We taught Ivelisse who has a baptismal date for the 23rd of July. We have to change it though because she is still not coming to church. :( anyway, we decided that we needed to go back to the basics. She hasn't started reading the Book of Mormon so we decided that instead of teaching a lesson we were just going to read with her. So we began by asking her to think of a question and then we said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to answer her question as we read chapter 1 of 1st Nephi. And guess what. She got her answer in the SUMMARY!!! She couldn't believe it. She was so excited. So we kept reading and when we got to verse 20 she flipped. It says,

 

"But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

 

She LOVES that verse. She marked it and told us she was going to buy a canvas to write it on so she could put it on her wall. She was so excited to keep reading. She believes the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I can testify that the Book of Mormon can answer any question of the soul. I encourage each of you to ponder a question, pray to find an answer, and read a chapter from the Book of Mormon. I promise that if you do so with faith, you WILL find an answer. I have watched it happen time and time again on my mission and I LOVE it. The Book of Mormon is a true blessing and I am grateful for the sacred opportunity I have to tell people about it. However, you don't have to wear a black name tags to tell someone about the world’s greatest treasure.

 

Also fun fact, our Ward Mission leader just got called to be the new Spanish/Portuguese patriarch. Not only will he cover our stake, but TWO other neighboring stakes. There are so many members who want their patriarchal blessing but because there wasn't a Spanish patriarch they couldn't receive it. There was a legit audible gasp in the congregation which was pretty cool. The members are all so excited for this blessings am I!

 

I love my mission more than anything in the world!!!! Today's lesson in relief society talked about losing yourself in the service of God and how we are happiest when we are serving others. I can testify that that is true. I am the happiest I have ever been. I know this church is true. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and WILL answer any question our heart is asking. I love being a missionary and I love Florida!

 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Kent

 

Exchanges 7/11 Slurpee on 7/11

Text from our mission President to all
missionaries.  Literally the cutest thing EVER

The "relief society" make our zone lunch

 

Sorrow For Those Who Know Not God

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday this past week! Hermana Christensen and I tried to make it something special.  We had a good first week of the new transfer! Fun fact: a year ago this past week I opened my call and found out I would be serving in the great FOM and a year ago this week I went through the temple. TIME FLIES!!!! 

Monday after P-day we got a call from some Hermanas in another ward who had a less-active that was in the hospital in our area. They asked if we could find some members to give her a blessing. So we spent the evening in the hospital ICU with this family. 

Tuesday oh man today was crazy. First off it was transfers, but we were staying together so it didn't affect us much. The only problem was we had to go to the mission office because our  registration on our car expired and we had to pick up some packages. Well on transfer days LOTS of missionaries go to the office so it was crazy. After that we knocked some doors and met lots of cool people. Everyone was obviously busy with family and not super interested in hearing our message but we got some good return appointments. Then to make the day different we went and did service at a retirement center near our apartment with the Valencia Hermanas. We sang hymns, patriotic songs, and had lots of fun. Even though some of the songs were unfamiliar to them, they loved it!  Many commented on the sweet feelings they felt as we were singing and the light we had. Took me back to my days of singing hymns at the Heritage Place every Sunday night. Then Hermana Christensen and I had this bright idea to ride our bikes for 3 hours around our area and talk to everyone on the street. We talked to lots of people and saw some great fireworks. The only problem was I hadn't been on a bike since February so I was a little sore after...... ok a lot bit sore. Haha. When we came home we watched some fireworks being lit off over the lake right outside our front door. It was pretty cool. I sure love this Country! 

The rest of the week was spent as normal. Knocking doors, teaching lessons, and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We taught a Pentecostal family from Cuba this week and this is kind of where my subject line came from. This week in my Book of Mormon reading I read the story of Alma and his fellow missionaries going to teach the apostate Zoramites. He talks about how pained his soul was as he heard their corrupted prayers and worshipping. His heart broke as he saw how hard-hearted they had become. They pretended to worship God. Well we had a similar experience. This family was found through a member referral. Two, that are in their 70s and their daughter. As we taught the restoration the Brother was very closed off and went into the whole "all we need is the Bible", " the Pentecostal church is the true church" of etc. I literally felt this pain in my soul. I watched as his daughter truly had the desire to listen to our message, but because of her father, couldn't. I couldn't explain the anxiety I was feeling until the spirit brought back to my remembrance the story in which I had been studying. 

I know without a doubt that his Church is the only true church. I know that the Book of Mormon is True and contains the fullness of the Gospel. I will defend that Book with everything I have and everything I am, until the day I die. I Know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet called of a God.  I know that Joseph Smith was called by God to restore His church and the priesthood authority. I am grateful that I know these things. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to share this message with those who know Him not. I ask each of you to pray in behalf of those who don't know these things. If you know it, it is your obligation to share it. For if you truly do know and understand it, you will want to share it. "Missionary work is like the atonement delivery system" - Dale G Renlund. 

Alma 6:6

6 ​"Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in ​​​fasting​ and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."

Con mucho amor,

🌊🌴☀️Hermana Kent ☀️🌴🌊

Hospital

New stickers for Senor TIWI ( for RMs)

Singing at Brookedale Retirement Center

Singing at Brookedale Retirement Center

Fireworks over the lake

Recent converts in the ward and the missionaries

Saying goodbye to our mission secretary
Sister Rasmussen

HUGE frog trapped on our patio.  We had to catch it and
put it back on the lake

Biking

We became friends on Facebook exactly one year ago and
now we are companions!  #Friendaversary

Proud To Be An American

Transfer news!!!! Hermana Christensen and I are staying together!!! We are so excited. This is our halfway transfer so we are excited to be together. I can´t believe how fast the time is going! This week begins my 7th transfer as a missionary. Only 6 more left here in Florida, as exciting as that sounds, I am sad. Haha. I truly love it here. Not a fan of the humidity and heat, but I am surviving. :) 

 

Okay, now on to this weeks adventures. To be completely honest, I can't remember anything crazy exciting this week. It was a good week of doing missionary work. Rosa is progressing really well. We The only problem we are having is getting our investigators to come to church... so RMs, if you have any ideas on how to get investigators to come to church I will gladly accept your advice! 

 

In my personal Study this week I got to the story of Ammon in the Book of Mormon........ so if you know me at all you know it was a good week of studying. But before I got to the story of Ammon, I read Alma 14. This is a freaking amazing chapter. I highly suggest you read it. It is the chapter where Alma and Amulek are forced to watch righteous women and children be burned and lots of other horrible stuff goes down. The question of the soul that is answered in this story is "Why does bad things happen to good people", well I would like to use this quote that I read during studies by President Kimball: 

" If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, Free Agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith."

God allows pain and suffering to occur so that we might learn to live by faith and so that choice and accountability could work. So whatever challenges you might be facing, remember that God has not forsaken you. All things are for our benefit and part of a plan that is bigger than ourselves. Remember to be humble, and allow the Lord to change you into the person HE desires you to be. 

 

Since I'm lacking in good stories I'll include some good pictures. I love you all so much and hope you have an amazing Independence day! I am so grateful to be a citizen of this country. Almost everyone we work with are immigrants, coming to this country to provide a better life for their families. They take the lowest paying jobs, and smallest apartments to get by, yet, they are so grateful to be here. No matter how bad you make think we have it here, it is NOTHING to what other countries are facing. I am proud to be an American and I'm proud to be serving my mission in the Promised Land! 

 

Con amor,

 

🌴🌊☀️Hermana Kent☀️🌊🌴

 

Happy 8 months!  I came out with these two Hermanas!

Hermanaland (long story).  We are an exclusive club

Painting the bins at our service UAP

Service at the UAP

Carlos - Gloria's grandchild.

Gloria

 

Our Lesson Went on a Road Trip

Man, this was such a good week! Hermana Christensen and I saw a lot of blessings!

I'll start by explaining my subject. We taught Rosa this week. She is a young mom from the Dominican Republic. She was a referral from Mormon.org and is super solid! Her kids are all still in the DR which is really sad. She is living with her sister and brother-in-law but it's not a good situation. They are pretty mean to her and not very supportive of her decision to investigate religion. So when we came by for our lesson she felt very awkward because she didn't want them hearing her experience with reading and praying (which was amazing btw). So we decided to go walk outside but it was over 100 degrees and super humid so that was miserable.  We decided to sit in our car with the AC. It was so fun though. It ended up being an incredible lesson. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she loved it! She cried through the majority of it. She told us that she believed the Book of Mormon was true and wants to be baptized. She is on date for July 23rd! So yes, we extended a baptismal invitation in our car. Haha. But hey, the spirit was incredibly strong!!!!! It was amazing.

Some other fun stuff:

- knocked a trailer park for 2.5 hours and some Pentecostals tried to recruit us.

-saw sever snakes this week. NOT OKAY

-had a ward BBQ

-Quoted some scriptures in sand

- HIT MY 8 MONTH MARK!!!!!!!! Time is freaking flying. Also not okay.

- Finally learned how to French braid

- Ran into my Trek brother Jeff Barnett.  So we were just sitting in the foyer on Sunday and I was studying my Spanish flash cards. I legit didn't even see Jeff sit down and he didn't see my face because I was looking down. Then he asked "what mission is this?" I looked up to answer and both of our eyes just got huge. We were like “holy crap! What are you doing here?! How's it going? What a small world!"

It was so crazy. At that moment it was just him and his brother. He asked how long I'd been out and stuff. Crazy, crazy, crazy! Then his mom came in and IMMEDIATELY said “hey it's a Kent girl!" Then she took the picture. I gave her a hug to pass along to my family. That was seriously so fun!

I love this work! I’m studying Alma chapter 5 this week and I freaking love it. It is super chastising. Verses 12-14 talk about a mighty change of heart and being converted to the Lord. I also read the talk called “The Character of Christ” by Elder Bednar and he had this to say about the difference between a testimony and Conversion:

“If a testimony is what you know to be true by the witness of the spirit, then conversion is consistently being true to what you know"

I loved this. And I know it to be true. It doesn't matter what we know unless we are going to do something about it. I don't want just a testimony. A testimony isn't strong enough. I want to be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and forever follow Him.

I love you all and hope you are doing well. This is the last week of the transfer. Hermana Christensen and I are hoping to stay together. We have had an amazing time together and holy cow it has flown!!!! Stay tuned for next week!

Hermana Kensington Kent

Hermana breakfast after District Meeting

Taking a mini vacation on some swings

First time taking a name tag picture.  Love this thing more than I can describe

All the missionaries that meet in our ward building had a
picnic between church blocks

Ran into my trek brother and his family from back home at church.  Super fun!

The Zabala family at the ward BBQ

The Plan of HAPPINESS

This week went by so fast! Some highlights:

Tuesday: we watched a car accident and pulled over to help. No one was hurt and it really wasn't that bad but one of the cars was three nineteen year old girls who were pretty dramatic. While helping them some investigators who we have been ignoring us ran by..... they aren't interested. Really sad.

Wednesday: we had a lesson with a former investigator named Carla that we stopped by on last week. Her dad was the one who was taking the lessons before he died, but she had overheard them and wanted to know what he had been learning and where he was. It was a really cool lesson. It was the first time I've taught the Plan of Salvation to someone who had a recent loss. Really cool.

Friday: we received this amazing referral named Rosa. She came across Mormon.org and started chatting with someone. She wants to be baptized!! She doesn't have a strong religious background and doesn't know very much about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but she is like a sponge and soaks up everything. She has given us more referrals and taught  her family about the Restoration and Book of Mormon! She is the sweetest thing.

Saturday: I went on exchanges with Sister Phelps! She has been my STL for 5 transfers and this is the first time her and I have gone together. It was a lot of fun!!! She goes home in two weeks which is really sad. She is an amazing example to me and has been one of my dearest friends.

I love this work. Teaching Carla was such a personal thing. She was so worried about where her dad was. I guess he lived a not very good life and when the past missionaries were teaching him he started to change and become better. She noticed that change but was still fearful her dad was in Hell. We reassured her that he wasn't. I am so grateful that I know the Plan of Salvation and am able to share that with others. The church is true! The Plan of Salvation is the true Plan of a Father in Heaven who truly loves His children. We are never too far gone off the path to return to Him.

I love you all and hope life is treating you well!

Love,

Hermana Kent

Departing Missionaries on April 25, 2018!

Exchanges!

Exchanges!

Going out to work right as a VERY dark cloud rolled in
Florida weather is CRAZY!!!

Selfie... why not:)

Zone Ice Cream trip for P-Day

Las Familias Pueden Ser Eternas - June 12, 2017

This week was pretty good! Life is always good when you're a missionary. I mean, moments might suck, but overall, things are always good. :)

On Tuesday we got to go and do baptisms for the dead with our recent convert Doris and her daughter Valentina. I miss the temple!!! Although we couldn't actually participate in the proxy baptism, we got to go and be there with them. The Orlando baptistery is BEAUTIFUL! I loved being able to go sit in the temple for a little while and feel the spirit. The Temple is such a special place and I just love it. Doris did the baptism for her mom and grandma. She kept telling us on the drive there, today is my mothers baptism day. Today my mom is going to get baptized. It was really cool. She was very emotional for the baptism. What a special experience it was. My testimony of Family History has really grown this week. I had absolutely no idea (and still don't really understand) how to do family history before my mission. However, seeing how special it was for Doris to do that baptism for her mom just made me realize how important family history is. +

This week was also Zone Conference so that was amazing! The main focus was on Our purpose as missionaries. During the Assistants training they asked if anyone would be willing to share why they came on a mission. Honestly, this was completely involuntary, but my hand shot up. I came on a mission because Since I was 6 years old I have known that families can be together forever. I want to share that with every person that I can. So this week I tried to be better about remembering why I in specific came out on my mission. It changed the way I worked so much. It made the long days of knocking that much easier because it was personal. I urgently wanted to share the message that I came here to share. 

We often forget that huge blessing in our church. Families are eternal. It was the message of the week. First with Doris going to the temple for her family, me remembering MY purpose for being here, as well as the lesson in relief society on Sunday which was about family history, and making your home a place for a family. Families are essential to our Heavenly Father's plan.  I am grateful for the restored gospel because with it, we received the Authority to seal families. 

Les quiero muchísima!

Com mucho amor,

Hermana Kent

Chasing some cute ducklings

Zone Conference!  They catered with Chick-Fil-A for lunch:)

A less active and his "pet" alligator named Coco

Selfie in front of this cool steamboat

Temple trip with Doris

We had to wait in our car for about an hour because
it was raining so hard the roads were flooding

4:00 = Time To Rain

This week literally everyday at EXACTLY 4:00 pm it would start to pour.

It was crazy at the consistency. Summer is definitely on it's way. The

heat and humidity have gotten pretty bad but still. It even close to

what it will get. Don't get me wrong, I love every single minute of

it. Something about being soaking wet all the time either from ran or

sweat makes me feel like I'm truly living the missionary life, and I

love the missionary life. :)

Other than experiencing lots of rain, this week was pretty normal in

terms of missionary work. We are teaching 4 Venezuelan guys who are

all working to help get their families here. It's very humbling to see

what they will do to provide a better life for their wives and

children. They love the message we bring and are progressing so well!

They got so excited about the Book of Mormon and have been relating

the things they read to themselves. It's awesome. Hermana Christensen

and I are really developing a testimony of the gift of tongues. Our

language skills are RAPIDLY increasing.

I have been studying the talks from General Conference and this week I

really loved the talk by Bonnie H. Cordon titled "Trust in the Lord

and lean not" In the talk she breaks down the scripture Proverbs

3:5–6“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine

own understanding.

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I

love this scripture! I have noticed that every single time I think "I

can do this, I know what to do and say," I fall flat on my face. My

tongue cannot speak or understand the language and I have no idea how

to teach. It is not about me. If I lean on my own understanding I will

fall. However, if I stay centered on the Lord, things go so much

better. Trust in the lord and lean not! I highly recommend you look up

a talk.

Hope everyone is having a great start to summer! Love you all!

Love,

Hermana Kensington Kent

Got soaked in literally the 2 second run from the car to 

the church. It was exhilarating.

Working up the courage to run to the car in another down pour.

Celebrating Hermana Andrus' birthday

Sunday selfie on our way to church