Easter Sunday---
Today is Easter Sunday 2013, and I am so thankful for my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I know that he has risen and that my Redeemer Lives.
Today was Hope's farewell at church, and she is did a good job, her nerves got the best of her, and she was "Chatty Kathy", But it was pure Hope. I love that she is so happy and excited to go on her mission, The Philippines has no idea what is about to hit their shores, that is for sure!
10 days left and she will be on her amazing journey, I know that she will be able to reach those people that only she can help. She will be awesome!
This week-end was fun filled, Friday was the the beginning of friends and family coming in to town for the farewell, Saturday more friends and family came in and also Hope went to the temple for the first time to take out her endowments,  and it was wonderful! She is an amazing women. What a great experience at the temple. All I can say is Wow!
I don't think that I went to bed the last couple of nights before midnight, and that is not me at all, I am a 9:00 to bed person. Thanks to all of those who helped with this week-end I know that we could not have done it without you.
The pictures with this post are 1- Hope at the St. George Temple after her endowment session, I love that she word yellow, she fits right in with the yellow flowers. 2- This is a picture of friends and family that came and supported Hope at her Farewell talk. I really can't believe how big this group was. Our family is blessed.

HAPPY EASTER

17 days to go...

17 Days until Hope enters the MTC!

Reality hit me hard today, when sacrament was over, Hope looked at me and said, this is my last full Sunday here in this ward, I said "What" and she replied, that next Sunday is her farewell, and we are not staying for all of church, because we will have family here, the next Sunday after that, is General Conference, So ya, this was her last full Sunday until she gets back from the Philippines next year.
I know that she will be an awesome missionary, with her beautiful smile and her personality, I know that the people of the Philippines will love her, and she will love them back.

Hope's acceptance letter

March 20, 2013
Today is the first of Spring, and Hope has 3 weeks until she reports to the Mission Home in Provo, Utah. Today she has been working on her Acceptance letter to the Brethren of the First Presidency. And with her permission, I am posting her letter for all of you to read.

March 20, 2013

Dear First Presidency ,

I will gladly accept my mission call to The Philippines.

I feel that serving a mission will certainly help me Physically, Mentally and Spiritually,  I know that the Philippines is exactly where I need to be right now in my life.

I am really excited to serve the Lord and the People of Laoag, Philippines; I am really looking forward to sharing the gospel and bringing people unto Christ. I know that there are those out there searching for the truth, and I look forward to sharing the Lord’s message.

Sincerely, Marina Hope Kenfield

and the count down begins.......

     Good Morning!

     Well the 30 day count down has begun, Hope will entering the MTC in just 30 short days! April 10th is the day, that she will be leaving our home and getting a new address for the next 18 months! I am so excited for her and this adventure that she will be on. I know that she will be an awesome missionary.

     Last week for Family Home Evening we did a special dinner and lesson for our "soon to be missionary", I prepared her favorite dinner, which is Fetticinne Alfredo, French Bread, and for dessert, she made Lemon Bars, She had no idea that the dinner was a special tribute to her, I tricked her into making the dessert. 

     The week prior to the FHE, I asked 11 different people to write Hope a letter, to tell her what traits they see in her that would make her a great missionary, and guess what every single person got in their letters back to me, so a special thanks goes out to, Bishop Lyman,Wendy, Danielle, Vikki, Caitlyn, GInessa, Kim, Hayley, MaKayla, Sarah, and Kerri, also each one of her immediate family wrote her a letter too. When I presented her with the Manila envelope that held all of the letters, she became teary eyed, it was such a tender moment. So thank-you everyone that participated in our FHE, it was a hit. I look forward to doing this again in the future with my other children who go on missions.

     I just wish that I could upload video, still trying to figure that out!

     

March 8, 2013

     In just 4 short weeks, Hope will be leaving on her mission! I can't believe how fast the departure date is approaching. Good thing that she already had her passport, because things have gone so smoothly.
For her mission she will be needing a good umbrella, we were hoping that she could have used Mike's old one that he used int he Air Force, but we cannot find it, so we are going to have to go find her a sturdy one, because apparently where she is going there are 2 seasons, dry and wet! If that tells you anything.
     Well that is all I have for now, I am sure that I will be posting more during the next 18 months. I am so excited to have a daughter that is going to serve a mission, I never knew that I would feel like this. It's a good thing.
     

Getting paperwork sent off....

     Today is March 2, 2013, So that means that Hope's Missionary Farewell will be this month! Her Farewell will be a 9:00 a.m. at the Enoch 3rd Ward. 
     The above picture was taken on February 16, 2013, on Hoover Avenue in Downtown Cedar City, Utah. I just love how all the pictures turned out, we decided to do a family picture because of Hope's mission and Faith was planning to visit that week-end.
     As I think about Hope going on a mission, I am in aw of her, I am so happy that she made this decision to serve the Lord. The people of the Philippines will be so lucky to have her serving there. 
     This week has been busy for Hope, On Wednesday she received her packet to fill out for her VISA, Luckily that wasn't hard to do, So on Thursday, with a lot of running around, she had to get 3 visa pictures taken, we had to go to the notary and get a certain paper for her mission stamped, take a photocopy of her passport, (luckily she already has her passport), made sure that everything was in order, then headed to the post office and sent her packet certified, return receipt.   
     She also had her consultation at the Health Department, and just let me tell you, there are so many diseases in the Philippines that one would think twice about visiting there, but I have a peaceful feeling about it, I told her, just remember that the "Lord is on your side".