Email - April 13, 2009

It sure has warmed up this week : ) It got to 35 one day : ) Everything is slowly starting to melt : ) Easter Sunday was amazing : ) lots of smiley faces lol hope you like them.

Well so I came into this area and there is an Elder from the Branch that came home and he decided to go back out and got called to a different mission. He went and we just heard that he is coming home again for good. This is very sad to here. He is such a good kid when we talked to him.

Something that this experience really did for me is to REALLY appreciate being on a mission and being able to finish it. I really haven't thought of it as much of a blessing till now but it is something that really hit me hard when I saw this Elder come how early. I really am blessed to be able to be out here and serve the Lord and finish a two year mission! : ) It really has helped me look at what great blessings I have : )

Church was great this Sunday! Something really bothered me though. I don't maybe I am slow but something just hit my nerves. Our lesson was about Joseph Smith and his time in liberty jail and all that he went through. and all the saints went through. It just hit me really hard. Why was Joseph and the saints persecuted SO much! They lived in a country of freedom of religion. They did that which was right. They never hurt any one. They just wanted to live their religion in peace. The Savior was the same way. He was PERFECT! A perfect being. He could do no ill, but he was still crucified. I guess I just had a "It just DOESN'T make sense to me" moment.

It made me think about today. Would the world do that if the Savior came again? Will they do that to our church again?

I guess I learned that Satan is REAL and that he will do all he can to stop the work from progressing. BUT the Lord promised the work WILL NOT stop progressing and it wont! The Saints went through SO much but never lost the faith. They are an example to me : )

I believe that the more people that feel the effects of the Atonement of Christ there will be more Peace. There will be more missionaries. There will be more converts. There will be more love.

I have felt the Atonement in my life. It IS real! The effects are life changing and everlasting! I have seen those effected by it and change their life because of it. That is what make everyday of my mission worth something. love Christ and I love his Gospel!

Elder Kennedy