Latest email!

Hello dear family!

So I've decided I don't write very good emails home...I'm really going to try better! IE: Last week I took up way too much time with that story and then wrote the spiritual part quickly and it probably didn't sound serious since it was after the funny story...yeah. Speaking of the spiritual part though: No, I didn't get my visa. The BUT IF NOT is in effect! But I am happy! Don't worry! I love the MTC, so wherever I am I will try to do what the Lord wants me to do! I will admit that any time the intercom/voice-over turns on with an announcement, Sister Riggs and I perk our ears up in hopes it will be calling our names to the travel office! Not yet...not yet!

This is our 9th week here! That is INSANE! If we don't get our visas by Wednesday, we become a MEGA district! Woot! Irmao SMith is receiving a new District that day, and Irmao Flanigan starts training a new teacher that day. But because he is training, he still gets to teach us a little bit! We are so sad to lose Irmao Smith though. He promised to come visit us still atleast.

I just have to tell you guys how much I LOVE our teachers here. I can't go into as much detail as I would like because there isn't enough time, but I will tell you a little bit of why I am so blessed to be here in Provo!

Irmao Smith is so humble and so full of love. He would be with us every second of the day if he could. He loves us and missionary work so much! His testimony is solid and his passion for missionary work increases our desire to serve with every word that he says! He is also HILARIOUS! He loves to tell us funny things about Brazil and his mission that make him crack up. When he thinks something is funny, he can't stop laughing about it. It makes us all crack up too. SO much fun! We are his first district, by the way, so that is fun too! And he is amazing at teaching already so I never would have known if they hadn't told us that he hadn't taught at the MTC before!

Irmao Flanigan is just an INCREDIBLE teacher. He has taught here for awhile and he has done so many activities with us that have changed me for the better. I will explain one of them we did this week because it was AMAZING! He asked us as we walked into class on Tuesday to get our scriptures and note taking materials and wait reverently for class to begin. We did so, and after we sang and prayed he took us down to a room on the bottom floor that is bigger and was empty and had us spread out. He then bore his testimony of prayer and told us we would be taking some time to have some meaningful communication with our Heavenly Father. He told us to not worry about time and then before we started, he shared an experience one boy had with sincere prayer in 1820. As he finished reading the first vision, my heart was already full of joy and wonder at the way our Father answers prays so willingly when we put forth the effort to turn to him.

I then began my prayer and had a very personally communion with my Heavenly Father. The main feeling that overwhelmed me was LOVE and that I am a daughter of GOD. This means so much. It means EVERYTHING. As his daughter I can do anything. As his daughter I can become like Him through the gift of my elder brother Jesus Christ. Through faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, I can be with my family for eternity in endless happiness with my God. I am so grateful for the plan of my Father that makes this possible for us!

A scripture that I was reading today really stuck out to me. It is 2 Ne 26:23-33. It is about the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Please read it; it is perfect!

Thank you SO MUCH for the package! It was like a second Christmas! I'm pretty sure my whole district is jealous of my new laundry bag too! haha! It's awesome! And the Tide to Go was the best! We have a bit of a district joke about it and I have wanted to buy one from the bookstore forever now so it was PERFECT! The shirts are great too! I love them! I might be good to go, but if you are still looking, if you find any that have a straight cut on the bottom, that would be nice. I have to tuck in the ones that have the business cut...I don't know what it is called. I like doing both!

LOVE YOU LOTS!

Sister Erin Knudsen

*Sorry I posted these back to back! We had friends in town all week and I just never got to posting! But at least now you get a double :) Sorry Mallorie especially....you are sweet to keep checking! Erin will love to hear your comment!