Sacred Moments...

Last week when I emailed I was emailing from a LAN house in the center of Osasco close to the Stake Center where we had our activity with some other missionaries in our Zone.

Afterwards, we crossed the street to catch a bus back to our house. There is a bus stop on the street of our house in our neighborhood, Yolanda. That very morning as we left we saw the bus with #2 pass by us on the street, so we took note that it was a bus we could catch to return. So what do we do when we see the bus with #2? We get on the bus and start driving! Another indicator that I saw to ensure we were catching the right bus was the sign on the front that said the bus passed the library by our house.

I wanted to write a letter so I took advantage of the bus time and wrote away quickly and messily (is that a word?...it looks weird...but then again I don´t know much about my own language anymore!) After a little while, Sister Felipe got my attention and asked me if it seemed like the bus was going in the right direction. I looked around and saw that we were crossing a bridge that I had never seen before in my life. I had never taken that bus before so I told her I didn't know and that we should see if he turned around at the part of the freeway that had a return that was coming up. Well he turned on it but then continued in a different direction. Our suspicions that we were indeed on the wrong bus started to be confirmed so Sister Felipe went up to the front to ask the worker that takes your money as you enter where we were and where we were going!! Well it just happens that that SAME bus has two routes and you have to look on the side of the number to see if its going to Yolanda or Helena Maria! We, of course, were heading towards Helena Mara! Its still in Osasco atleast, not crazy long from our house, but not very close either. The worker told us that we could wait until the end of the route, and then go back with them, because they change back to the Yolanda route after the HM route. AY AY AY!!

We didn't have the slightest clue which bus to catch if we descended earlier, so we stayed until the end of the route as he said to do. On the way back to Yolanda, we got stuck in major traffic and were completely stopped at one point for about 15 minutes. We then passed by in the Center on the same street that we had first gotten the bus...seriously...and continued on until we finally made it home! What time was it when we reached out gate? Just about 8PM! We were on that stupid bus for well over 2 hours!!!!

But no...the story doesn't end there! We went to open the gate to our house and the lock wouldn´t open! We were locked out of our house! NOOOO!

A little background: Elder Dawson, the senior couple Elder that is in charge of helping with the houses had come by to take our Tank since we got a washing machine (and oh am I so grateful for this machine!!). Our lock has already had many problems and we have to do a special system to get the gate to lock. We had been meaning to change it for some time now but hadn´t. When Elder Dawson left, he too had problems in getting the gate to lock. He finally succeeded but it appears the lock had had enough and decided that it would never open again!!!

We tried for a while and then went to an appointment we had. After wards the investigator came with us to the gate and tried to open it too. No luck. During this process we had talked to a Sister in the ward that lives close by because we were going to return something to her, but without being able to get it out of our house we had to way to return it. She told us that we could stay in her house if all else failed.

All else failed...so for the first time on the mission, we had a SLEEPOVER in the house of a member!! It was very strange....very very strange! But she was super sweet to us and reheated their dinner for us to eat some and made us a milkshake and breakfast the next morning too. Very sweet!

Luckily the next morning a Key maker (what are they called in English?!) met us at out house at 7:30 and was able to open the gate and install a new lock.

We are now happily in our house again! And more grateful for having a house than ever before!

So that was our adventure this week!

In other news...

This same member that let us stay in her house is pretty much amazing and loves to help with the work! She gave us a referral last week of a woman named Nalva. We went there and she is a woman who is completely in need of the gospel. She was so open and sincere about what she is going through and we were able to testify and really feel the spirit in her house! Her and her 2 daughters went to church yesterday and really liked it. She was emotional throughout many parts and I know she is starting to realize that in follow Jesus Christ she can feel peace in her life again and have direction. I am very very blessed to be able to help her in coming to know more about the sacred plan on our Heavenly Father.

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the kingdom of God on earth. I have no doubts of that. I love the gospel. I love my Savior and am so humbled by all he has done for me.

I invite all of you to get to know the Savior, Jesus Christ better by reading, pondering, and praying about the Book of Mormon, and the Bible. Apply the principles the scriptures teach in your lives and you will find peace and true joy.

Love you all!

Sister Knudsen