I would be an ungrateful Aris if I didn't write a few words about our resident elder, Elder Thomas. He was transferred this week (after six months in Chelsea), and judging by how sad the entire ward was to see him go, it was probably time.
We first met Elder Thomas when John asked if we could have the missionaries over--I'm not sure what prompted him to ask that because I haven't wanted to feed the less-than-stellar missionaries we've had in our ward almost since we moved here--but I relented.
Elder Thomas was a breath of fresh air. He had witty answers to my questions, he was earnest in what he said (and didn't have that stupid missionary accent), and was just real. When we sat down for them to give us a spiritual message, he asked at the end if they could bring an investigator over to our house. In Elder Thomas' words, he thought the investigator would feel comfortable with us because we are so fun.
Oh yeah baby.... 49 and 52-years-old, and we've still got it with the kids ;-)
So next time, he brought Josh Allen to our house. It was a nice evening, and I was so impressed that the elders actually had an investigator, because Chelsea isn't known for its number of baptisms.
We then invited Josh and the elders over for Celebration of the Egg, but only the elders ended up coming. It was then that we started to see that Elder Thomas might just move into the Kennedy Missionary Hall of Fame.
Through the years, there have been some missionaries who have meant a lot to us, and long past the time their missions end, they are still our good friends. Elder Wright (of Living Scriptures fame), Elder Wendel and Elder Grimm, Elder Fingleton, and Sister Larsen. They are dear friends for different reasons, but they feel like family if I'm being truthful.
It got even better when they invited us to come to the temple with their two new converts, Josh and Jeff. Yes, we took the elders and Josh in Steelheart and bless their hearts for sitting for an hour (there and back) in the backseat. It was such a sweet moment to see Josh and Jeff come in and not only act as proxies for baptisms but perform baptisms as well. I knew then that Elder Thomas was a super star, because it was all his doing. He planned everything and got everyone there.
Well, we were in Cedar City, Utah dropping off Elder Thomas' coat on his 21st birthday (he didn't bother to tell us that, but his stepmother did), so when we got back, we grilled steaks on the barbie, and I made him his own recipe of Frog Eye Salad, his favorite! And seeing as it was his 21st birthday, I also bought him an assortment of beer. Root beer.
Well, when it came time to move everything out of our house, and we didn't want the entire ward to know we were moving (because there would be a million questions, and a move would be the unneeded catalyst for a lot of gossip in the ward), I called the elders. Elder Thomas' reply? "We've been waiting for you to ask us to help you."
He and Elder Plumb then spent eight hours on a Saturday (along with Ethan and Rebecca, and our two (up to this point) non-existent home teachers) moving all of our furniture into two storage units. I never heard a single word of complaint from either of them. In fact, when I posted a picture of it on FB, there was a crowd of people who made the comment that Elder Thomas was doing what he did at home as well--always helping people.
Even when we needed help two days later moving our "unaccompanied baggage" plus furniture into our apartment, they dropped everything and came over and moved it all. They saved us hundreds of dollars that we were going to spend, hiring someone. And again, not a word of complaint, or a moment where they rested.
We've had them over numerous times for meals, and we've taken them out when the kitchen has been packed away in boxes (we even took them out of mission boundaries to Toñito's in Jackson and to The Parlour afterwards, but don't tell them that...). I had to educate them in the ways of "pop" versus "soda" as well--I mean, how did they not know THAT after living in Michigan? I got a text from Elder Thomas a few weeks ago, asking what they should go see as a Michigan "cultural" experience. They went to MDen and Cherry Republic but ended up buying nothing, and that wasn't going to do for me. We owed them so much.
So in addition to taking them back to Cherry Republic (for chocolate-covered cherries) and to MDen (they each got a t-shirt), I tried to think of something that would be meaningful to Elder Thomas, because, as it just so happens, Elder Thomas is a pianist and organist. And he's really GOOD too.
Yes, he has wormed his way into most of the ward's hearts through his music. He's an accomplished pianist and organist, and for the past several months, we have never wanted for a musical number. It's been unprecedented in our ward, and it's been wonderful. And when I was traveling, or sick, I texted him and asked him to cover me on the organ which he did. And when he knew I was home sick, and he was playing the piano for a vocal number he arranged, he recorded it and sent it to me during church.
So knowing this, I decided he needed to play the carillon at Kerrytown. I only thought of it last week, and I told him that I had a surprise for him that we needed to do before transfers. When were transfers? In five days! Holy smokes! So, because we'd had to cancel a dinner appointment because I was sick (actually, he texted me and told me that I didn't need to worry about it, but that we probably just needed some time to rest #SoThoughtful), we used time to take the elders out to lunch. At Zingerman's. Which is right across the street from the carillon ;-)
I walked the elders up the stairs to the carillon, and when we reached it, I could hardly contain my excitement. Of course, he had no idea what it was, but after playing "Edelweiss" off the baby, numbered music, I pulled out "I Am A Child Of God", and we played a duet off of actual music. In fact, we ended up playing it three times! And at the end, I headed outside to record the actual bell sound while he played "Come, Follow Me". I may not be a "do you want a Book of Mormon" kind of missionary, but I kind of find other ways to spread the good news. In fact, it was cute--Elder Thomas imagined some woman sitting at Zingerman's that day who would meet up with the missionaries at some point in her life, join the church, get called into Primary, hear "I Am A Child of God" for the first time, and say, "Hey, I know that song." :-)
So yeah, knowing that Elder Thomas might be leaving, we needed to pack everything in to any free moment they had. However, Elder Thomas was told last week that he wouldn't be transferred.
And then some elder slipped up.
Yep, some jerky narcissistic, manipulative elder had crossed the line with a bishop, and the bishop requested that he be transferred just days before transfers. And who better to send to his beaten-down companion than Elder Thomas.
Ugh. I couldn't believe it when I got the text Tuesday night that he was leaving, and yet I felt glad that we had done everything we could think of before he left.
He was going to come over to say goodbye to us Wednesday night, but as it turned out, he needed a ride to transfers in Southfield, so we postponed saying goodbye until Thursday morning. He showed up with an Ohio flag for us to sign (I kept my comments to myself...kind of), but I had been expecting a book of some kind so I had a lot more to say than just signing my name (surprising, I know). So, I took the top half of the red section of the Ohio state flag, and wrote something like this:
"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason,
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are led to those who help us most to grow
If we let them, and we help them in return.
And now whatever ways our stories end
I know you have rewritten ours by being our friend." ~ Elphaba, "Wicked"
Stay strong. Stay true. Go to the temple. Don't be a ding dong when you get home.
<3 Sister Kennedy aka Larisa
The ride to transfers was just like any other ride. They were crammed in the back of Steelheart. We shared a bunch of stories and laughed a lot.
I didn't know what to expect when we arrived, but holy smokes, there were a lot of missionaries there. There were sisters wearing inappropriate pants and grungy denim jackets, elders who were checking out sisters while I was standing there trying to talk to them, and elders who have served in our ward as well. They remembered me and came running up, but holy smokes, I didn't remember a single one of them. Yep, that's how non-stellar they were. But the cutest moment was when Elder Thomas told me that he needed to introduce me to his two favorite companions, and when he did, he introduced me as "my mom". I was so surprised by that, but I got a second look from the companions when they heard that. Yep, I'm Elder Thomas' mission mom, and I couldn't be prouder.
The first hug was unexpected. Elder Thomas just threw his arms around me and told me goodbye. He had warned me that he gives hugs when he leaves areas, but right there in front of everyone in the church parking lot? I loved it.
But then, when he gave John a hug goodbye a few minutes later, he hugged me again and this time I just held onto him. I will miss him dearly--he has been such a good friend during a really difficult time in our lives. He has been a literal God-send to us, and thinking about it, I don't know what we would have done without him. But I know a lot of people feel that way in the ward so I'm in good company.
His parents got divorced while he was on his mission, so he doesn't have a home to go back to. Instead, he's going to sleep on his grandmother's couch and ride his bike to school until he can figure out other arrangements. And his classes start two days before he gets home, so he's flying into Cedar City at 6 p.m. and catching class the next morning. He only has two semesters left, and he's planning on getting a Master's after that.
As Ethan said, he fits right into our family. He can talk trash as well as any of us (and even better than me), he's a leader, he's spiritual, and he's just all-around terrific. I'm excited for him to be part of our lives for forever.
We first met Elder Thomas when John asked if we could have the missionaries over--I'm not sure what prompted him to ask that because I haven't wanted to feed the less-than-stellar missionaries we've had in our ward almost since we moved here--but I relented.
Elder Thomas was a breath of fresh air. He had witty answers to my questions, he was earnest in what he said (and didn't have that stupid missionary accent), and was just real. When we sat down for them to give us a spiritual message, he asked at the end if they could bring an investigator over to our house. In Elder Thomas' words, he thought the investigator would feel comfortable with us because we are so fun.
Oh yeah baby.... 49 and 52-years-old, and we've still got it with the kids ;-)
So next time, he brought Josh Allen to our house. It was a nice evening, and I was so impressed that the elders actually had an investigator, because Chelsea isn't known for its number of baptisms.
We then invited Josh and the elders over for Celebration of the Egg, but only the elders ended up coming. It was then that we started to see that Elder Thomas might just move into the Kennedy Missionary Hall of Fame.
Through the years, there have been some missionaries who have meant a lot to us, and long past the time their missions end, they are still our good friends. Elder Wright (of Living Scriptures fame), Elder Wendel and Elder Grimm, Elder Fingleton, and Sister Larsen. They are dear friends for different reasons, but they feel like family if I'm being truthful.
It got even better when they invited us to come to the temple with their two new converts, Josh and Jeff. Yes, we took the elders and Josh in Steelheart and bless their hearts for sitting for an hour (there and back) in the backseat. It was such a sweet moment to see Josh and Jeff come in and not only act as proxies for baptisms but perform baptisms as well. I knew then that Elder Thomas was a super star, because it was all his doing. He planned everything and got everyone there.
Well, we were in Cedar City, Utah dropping off Elder Thomas' coat on his 21st birthday (he didn't bother to tell us that, but his stepmother did), so when we got back, we grilled steaks on the barbie, and I made him his own recipe of Frog Eye Salad, his favorite! And seeing as it was his 21st birthday, I also bought him an assortment of beer. Root beer.
Well, when it came time to move everything out of our house, and we didn't want the entire ward to know we were moving (because there would be a million questions, and a move would be the unneeded catalyst for a lot of gossip in the ward), I called the elders. Elder Thomas' reply? "We've been waiting for you to ask us to help you."
He and Elder Plumb then spent eight hours on a Saturday (along with Ethan and Rebecca, and our two (up to this point) non-existent home teachers) moving all of our furniture into two storage units. I never heard a single word of complaint from either of them. In fact, when I posted a picture of it on FB, there was a crowd of people who made the comment that Elder Thomas was doing what he did at home as well--always helping people.Even when we needed help two days later moving our "unaccompanied baggage" plus furniture into our apartment, they dropped everything and came over and moved it all. They saved us hundreds of dollars that we were going to spend, hiring someone. And again, not a word of complaint, or a moment where they rested.
We've had them over numerous times for meals, and we've taken them out when the kitchen has been packed away in boxes (we even took them out of mission boundaries to Toñito's in Jackson and to The Parlour afterwards, but don't tell them that...). I had to educate them in the ways of "pop" versus "soda" as well--I mean, how did they not know THAT after living in Michigan? I got a text from Elder Thomas a few weeks ago, asking what they should go see as a Michigan "cultural" experience. They went to MDen and Cherry Republic but ended up buying nothing, and that wasn't going to do for me. We owed them so much. |
| John, showing the ways of all things "sampled" at Cherry Republic ;-) |
Yes, he has wormed his way into most of the ward's hearts through his music. He's an accomplished pianist and organist, and for the past several months, we have never wanted for a musical number. It's been unprecedented in our ward, and it's been wonderful. And when I was traveling, or sick, I texted him and asked him to cover me on the organ which he did. And when he knew I was home sick, and he was playing the piano for a vocal number he arranged, he recorded it and sent it to me during church.
So knowing this, I decided he needed to play the carillon at Kerrytown. I only thought of it last week, and I told him that I had a surprise for him that we needed to do before transfers. When were transfers? In five days! Holy smokes! So, because we'd had to cancel a dinner appointment because I was sick (actually, he texted me and told me that I didn't need to worry about it, but that we probably just needed some time to rest #SoThoughtful), we used time to take the elders out to lunch. At Zingerman's. Which is right across the street from the carillon ;-)I walked the elders up the stairs to the carillon, and when we reached it, I could hardly contain my excitement. Of course, he had no idea what it was, but after playing "Edelweiss" off the baby, numbered music, I pulled out "I Am A Child Of God", and we played a duet off of actual music. In fact, we ended up playing it three times! And at the end, I headed outside to record the actual bell sound while he played "Come, Follow Me". I may not be a "do you want a Book of Mormon" kind of missionary, but I kind of find other ways to spread the good news. In fact, it was cute--Elder Thomas imagined some woman sitting at Zingerman's that day who would meet up with the missionaries at some point in her life, join the church, get called into Primary, hear "I Am A Child of God" for the first time, and say, "Hey, I know that song." :-)
So yeah, knowing that Elder Thomas might be leaving, we needed to pack everything in to any free moment they had. However, Elder Thomas was told last week that he wouldn't be transferred.
And then some elder slipped up.
Yep, some jerky narcissistic, manipulative elder had crossed the line with a bishop, and the bishop requested that he be transferred just days before transfers. And who better to send to his beaten-down companion than Elder Thomas.
Ugh. I couldn't believe it when I got the text Tuesday night that he was leaving, and yet I felt glad that we had done everything we could think of before he left.
He was going to come over to say goodbye to us Wednesday night, but as it turned out, he needed a ride to transfers in Southfield, so we postponed saying goodbye until Thursday morning. He showed up with an Ohio flag for us to sign (I kept my comments to myself...kind of), but I had been expecting a book of some kind so I had a lot more to say than just signing my name (surprising, I know). So, I took the top half of the red section of the Ohio state flag, and wrote something like this:
"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason,
Bringing something we must learn.
And we are led to those who help us most to grow
If we let them, and we help them in return.
And now whatever ways our stories end
I know you have rewritten ours by being our friend." ~ Elphaba, "Wicked"
Stay strong. Stay true. Go to the temple. Don't be a ding dong when you get home.
<3 Sister Kennedy aka Larisa
The ride to transfers was just like any other ride. They were crammed in the back of Steelheart. We shared a bunch of stories and laughed a lot.
I didn't know what to expect when we arrived, but holy smokes, there were a lot of missionaries there. There were sisters wearing inappropriate pants and grungy denim jackets, elders who were checking out sisters while I was standing there trying to talk to them, and elders who have served in our ward as well. They remembered me and came running up, but holy smokes, I didn't remember a single one of them. Yep, that's how non-stellar they were. But the cutest moment was when Elder Thomas told me that he needed to introduce me to his two favorite companions, and when he did, he introduced me as "my mom". I was so surprised by that, but I got a second look from the companions when they heard that. Yep, I'm Elder Thomas' mission mom, and I couldn't be prouder.
The first hug was unexpected. Elder Thomas just threw his arms around me and told me goodbye. He had warned me that he gives hugs when he leaves areas, but right there in front of everyone in the church parking lot? I loved it.
But then, when he gave John a hug goodbye a few minutes later, he hugged me again and this time I just held onto him. I will miss him dearly--he has been such a good friend during a really difficult time in our lives. He has been a literal God-send to us, and thinking about it, I don't know what we would have done without him. But I know a lot of people feel that way in the ward so I'm in good company.
His parents got divorced while he was on his mission, so he doesn't have a home to go back to. Instead, he's going to sleep on his grandmother's couch and ride his bike to school until he can figure out other arrangements. And his classes start two days before he gets home, so he's flying into Cedar City at 6 p.m. and catching class the next morning. He only has two semesters left, and he's planning on getting a Master's after that.
As Ethan said, he fits right into our family. He can talk trash as well as any of us (and even better than me), he's a leader, he's spiritual, and he's just all-around terrific. I'm excited for him to be part of our lives for forever.
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