Visit to the temple....

I finally did a session here in Brazil today in the São Paulo Temple! It was amazing! I have no doubts that the Temple is the house of the Lord. It is the most sacred place on Earth. I love being inside. :) Even if everything was in Portuguese. Haha!

We have two baptisms this week! That little boy I talked about and Vitória. She was suppose to be baptized last weekend but her Dad was in the hospital (he is in and out because he has cancer :( ) and he really wants to be there to watch her baptism, so we remarked for this weekend so that he can come. He is doing a little better right now, but I dont think he has much time. I hope he takes this opportunity to follow the example of his daughter and be baptized so that they can have an eternal family.

We marked a baptismal date with José and Maria! Now we need to take them to the center to help them get legally wed! They are an awesome couple. So sincere and very fun too! I really love them!! The people really do make the mission...its so awesome to get to meet so many incredible people!!

We received a reference this week from a sweet teenager, Jéssica, in our ward. She was baptised in a different area when she was spending time with her dad. She is the only member in her home here in Osasco and she goes to church every week by herself. She´s been talking to her cousin, Thatiane, about the church and we went there this week and taught her the first lesson. She accepted a baptismal date too. She is so sweet and ready too. The Lord really prepares people. He is behind this work 100%!

Love you all so much!!

Sister Knudsen

Craziness and blessings for all!!

We were eating lunch on Monday at a Sister´s home and her [great] nephew was there who is almost 11 years old. His name is Arthur. Sister Santos asked her if he is a member and the Sister told us that he is a member who just hasnt been baptized yet! So we asked which ward he is in and she told us he goes to our ward! He lives with his grandma (the sister of the woman who we were talking to) and he goes to church with her every sunday and has already given talks in primary and everything! But he hasn´t been baptized! Who knows why!! So we talked to Arthur and taught him the first lesson, inviting him to be baptized on the 31st. He accepted and is excited! He is the cutest little boy too. When we were asking him questions about what we were teaching, he answered everything very well. His Aunt was really cute too. She was telling him how he will be able to pass the sacrament when he turns 12. Why no one told us he wasn´t baptized even though he has a testimony of the church I do not know, but atleast we know now and can help him enter the door to eternal life!

We have a baptism this weekend too: Vitória. The missionaries have been working with her and her family for years now. Her sister, Priscila, was baptized a few months ago but didnt tell her family because her mom is a different religion and doesnt like the fact that we believe her baptism was not done with authority. Vitória has been going to church with her sister though and told Priscila that she wanted to be baptized. Back 4 years ago when the missionaries started teaching them, she received a response that the Book of Mormon and church are true, but because of her mom she wasnt baptized then. Now she really wants to be a member though and not put it off! She is only 13, but she is super strong, sweet and an amazing example to me!

I want to talk more about Carla then I have time, but she is another investigator who is living with a less active in our ward. She is amazing...she has such a huge heart and always wants to serve others. She is a singer and does shows locally. She sings SO WELL. She is incredible!! She has appeared on the Brazil version of American Idol a few times and went to the finals. She never even studied music...I dont know how she does it!! But I wanted you guys to look her up on YouTube so you can see how amazing she is for yourselves and start a fan club in the united states! haha! Her name is Carla Priscilla. Search her name on you tube and it should pop up. Let me know what you think!!

Its so amazing to see people feeling the love of the Savior and entering into his church. I know this is His church and that what I am doing is true. That the plan is so much greater than we can understand but that it is simple in knowing he loves us too.

Love you all!!

Sister Knudsen

A few things......

Beginning of email I wanted to send last week but that got cut off by time and messed up internet connections:

Singing...

This is what I admit: I have an okay ear in knowing if singing is in tune or not. I like to sing. I can hit a small range of notes and make it sound okay. I am no Whitney Houston. I am no Lisa Bulloch Pearce (had to throw that in in case she is reading...LOVE YOU!). I am fully aware of my limits in singing...they are many!

BUT...I also believe in sharing talents. Or at least I tell others they need to share their talents and that the Lords gives more to those who do share their talents and if I didn't apply that to myself I would be a hypocrite...

SO...I agreed to sing for our special musical number in the baptism of Wellington this past weekend (the 3rd of July) after Sister Santos lovingly encouraged me to. I sang When I Am Baptized - A Capella! Yikes! I sang the first verse in Portuguese, then in English, and then the 2nd verse in Portuguese to close. As I was practicing I decided I shouldn't sing it since it was NOT going well. As I said...I have a good enough ear to know if things and in tune or not and I was NOT reaching the notes I needed too. (yeah I know that song isnt too hard but remember my many limits!!) Anyway...I decided I wasn't going to do it and that I would play a piano hymn or something instead. But then I realized that my piano skills aren´t great either...I was stuck between a rock and a hard place! I realized I needed to trust in the Lord and that he would let the spirit touch the audience whether I was in tune or not!

So...I sang and it actually went really well. I could feel the spirit as I sang and the people there felt it too. It was a really good learning opportunity for me. We are so blessed to know that the atonement makes up the difference in whatever thing we are facing, when we believe and trust in the Lord!

First week in Nova Granada, Osasco!

Osasco! (Oh-zahs-coo)

Lets start with the less spiritual stuff and then get into it later:

I am in the city with the most cheap things right now! yay!! We have a little ice cream shop that you get "1 scoop" which is HUGH for $R1. It makes me happy. We also have a dollar store!! Ive never seen one before in Brazil. Everyone gets so excited about it here too! Its a novelty!

The area is really big and there are a LOT more hills, buts my muscles are growing as my shoes and body wear down! Gotta look at the bright side, right?!

My Portuguese has already gotten a ton better just in a week of being completely submerged in it, so that is a good sign!! Sister Santos told me that I say a few words without an accent! YAY!

Some of my favorite words and phrases in Portuguese:

Borracharia (tire store) - bow-ha-sha-ree-a (with emphasis on the ree and clicking the tongue with the r like the d in lady more than an r sound....yeah)

Japonês (I might be spelling that wrong) but they say the word for Japanese so beautifully. I cant explain it, buts its pretty!

Fala Serio - Means "be serious" but the literal translation is "speak serious" (This one is thanks to Sis Winters who LOVES to say this!)

Piada sem graça -- I cant think of how this translation would be exactly, but pretty much a graceless joke!

Pode Ser - Could be

Sister Santos is pretty hilarious! She likes to joke around a lot. She´s even more sarcastic than I am...hard to imagine right?! She likes to make fun of me sometimes when I say words wrong too (good naturedly). We are often hitting each other because of the jokes we make...its a two way thing, I admit! She brings out the best and the worst in me! haha!

She knows when to be serious though and she teaches really well. I am learning a lot from her, especially about using good examples to teach principles of the gospel.

This area is really awesome because there are amazing youth here. Most of the references/investigators come from the youth. There was a boy baptized 3 weeks ago, Estefan, who is so strong. We are teaching his friend that he referred to us right now and he will be baptized on Saturday!! Estefan got the priesthood last week so he will be baptizing him and everything! Its so awesome to see such strong recent converts! This ward has a bunch!!

We had a district activity today and played Monopoly deal and ate lunch together. Its was lots of fun! There are some fun people here!!

Hope all is well with you all!! I love you tons!!!!!!!!!

Sister Knudsen