Sacred Moments...

Welcome HOME!!!!!

2011-05-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Miracles......

2011-05-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

So I will explain in more detail when I get home, but on Sunday we had
3 baptisms...

Carmelino, Susana, and their 9 year old daughter, Karen.

It was an amazing week!! Thursday we were on splits because Sister
Rieke who use to be in my zone in Osasco wanted to see me once more so
she came out to our area and we worked the day together. We hadn't
planned on going to Carmelinos but I felt like we needed to go all day
long so we went. When we got their he was excited to tell us that he
had received his answer and that he knew the church was
true!!!!!!!!!!! SO AMAZING. It was a very emotional and spiritual
night so we started planning the baptism for Sunday. There were a
bunch of crazy things that happened to stop the baptisms, but in the
end, it ALL worked out!!! The only set back being that the 8 year old,
Karoline, would have been baptized but she got so scared of the water
thinking she would be drowned, that she wouldn't enter no matter what
anyone said. haha. So she will have to overcome that fear and be
baptized still. The poor thing.

It was an amazing way to end the mission and what made it better was
that Juarez and Simone came to the baptism and are very excited to be
baptized as well when the wedding gets marked!

Last night the ward threw me a surprise going away party. I had no
idea!! It was awesome. Very nice to be able to say goodbye to the
ward since Sunday with the baptism made it hard to talk to everyone.

Well the rest you will hear in person...ATÉ LOGO!!!!!!!!!

Sister Knudsen

So good to talk to you!!

2011-05-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

I LOVED skyping with you!! It was so amazing to see your faces!! Its
been so long!! But like Andy and I were talking about, its as if no
time has passed at all!!! I feel like we were just together!!

Things are still going super well with the family I was telling you
about! For blog purposes, let me re-explain:

Last Monday night our Zone Leaders called us asking if Vila Archilla
(a neighborhood) was in our area. We told them yes. They then told us
that they had a wicked awesome referral for us. A man named Juarez
had come to their ward on Sunday because he wanted to visit the
church. We found out later that he has an inactive friend who talked
to him all the time about the church and how true and good it is.
This friend said he would take him to church but never did (funny
right?!) So Juarez decided to go by himself!! The night before, him
and his wife, Simone, stayed up late watching Harry Potter (Sounds
like you guys, fam!) and he went to bed thinking, ´I dont think I will
go tomorrow. I will be too tired.´ Well it just so happened that his
internal alarm clock chimed at 7 am and he awoke with so much energy
and desire to go to church. (The Spirit!) So he got all ready and
walked over to the Barcelone building which is the stake center. He
didnt know about our chapel that is closer to him. He got there about
8:30 and saw the sign that says "visitors welcome: meetings are at
9am" and waited around a little until a member saw him and invited him
in. He said to the member, "this sign says visitors are welcome at
9am....so can I come in?!" The member said of course!!

So the Elders were introduced to him and got him phone number and
address. They marked with him to go on Tuesday at 3pm. That night
the Elders thought about whether he would be in our area or the other
elders in Votorantim. They called us up at that moments and passed
the referral to us!

So on Tuesday we met up with the Zone Leaders and taught Juarez and
Simone together. It was an awesome 1st lesson and we bore testimony
of the restoration! They explained that they were feeling great and
that it felt right! We followed up with them the next day and every
since it has been great!!

Friday was the best though. That was the day that we watched the
Restoration movie and Simone said she still had some doubts about
modern prophets. So I asked her to pray for us and to ask God in that
moment if all the movie and we have taught is true. We knelt down and
I felt impressed to explain to her the situation of Thomas when Christ
was resurrected and how he didn't believe until he saw the Lord and how
Christ said Blessed are those who dont see and still believe. She
then prayed and the spirit was SO strong. SO SO SO Strong. We all
cried and afterwards we waited for the response and she then kept
crying and said, "I dont think I need any more response than this!"

It was amazing!!!

I love this work and it is truly the Lord´s work!!

Next week I will be emailing on Tuesday so look out for that!!

Sister Knudsen

Erin will be home SO SOON!!!!

2011-05-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

For those of you who read this blog & are wondering what's going on with Erin's return home....here is the info! She returns home Thursday, May 19th & will be speaking in church the following Sunday! All who would like to attend her talk are WELCOME!!!

Sunday, May 22nd 8:30am at the chapel on Lindsay & Elliot (Windrift ward.)

There will also be an open house that same night at the Knudsen home! Please join us to welcome her home! Beginning at 7pm.

1067 E. Bruce ave.
Gilbert Az, 85234

Elder Andersen.......

2011-05-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hello my wonderful Family and Friends!!

This week was quite amazing!!

Lets start with the most important part:

On Saturday morning we were able to have an awesome conference with
Elder Neil L. Andersen, and his sweet wife!!! She is so awesome, by
the way. She is this cute little woman with a super soft voice but
her testimony is powerful and she has a great love of the gospel!

I want to bear my testimony that Thomas S Monson, the First
Presidency, and the Quorum of the 12 Apostles are men called of God.
They hold the keys of the priesthood and communicate directly with
God. Of this I am sure.

The spirit that fills the room when an Apostle of Jesus Christ enters
is incredible.

His words to us were perfect. He joked around, he asked and answered
questions, he laughed, he bore bold, powerful testimony, he showed how
much he loves the Lord, the Prophet, and each one of us. He taught us
what it means to be an instrument in the Lord´s hand. We are all
capable of many miracles as we align our lives with the Lord´s.

It was great to see everyone at the Conferene but they didnt give us
much time to sit and chat so it was just a lot of quick hellos!! But I
was able to meet Sister Adamson who is the sister Sister Felipe is
training. Sister Felipe had said we are a lot alike, but I didnt
realize we would look so much a like too!! Like Avó like Neta!! We
took our 3 generations picture!! That made me happy!!

I also saw Sister Santos and arranged with her our visit to Osasco.
On the Tuesday before we go home we are going to go into Osasco
together and visit everyone. Its going to be great!!

We are teaching some awesome people right now. Pray for them please!!
Regilaine; Luciano; Carmelino, Susana and their kids; Jaqueline & Bia,
Sabrina.

The Pictures:

Taco soup at Richelle´s house! Finally some good american mexican food!!!

Brownies with ice cream, cashews all crunched up, and chocolate
sauce...oh yeah!!

Generations!!! Me, Sister Felipe, and Sister Adamson!! (Sister
Adamson is from a coastal city in Oregon, not too far from Newport!!
She was recently studying music at BYU-Idaho)

My new friend Elder Rolfe who is from Rigby Idaho! I told him that
thanks to my ancestors he has a place to live! hahahaha! He is
hilarious!! He likes to pull out his best hick accent to make us all
laugh!

Getting ice cream with the Zone Leaders real quick after Conference
on Saturday!

Ice Cream continued...Good times!

Love you all very very much!!!

Happy Mothers Day next Sunday!!!!!!!!!

Sister Knudsen

Feliz Pàscoa Minha Família!!!

2011-04-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

This week has been a bit of a trial, but there are always blessings
and miracles that come when we show our faith through the trials. I
have been learning a lot these pass 2 months here in Votorantim. We
haven't baptized anyone yet, and its been rough to see so many people
get close but then not follow through. Its so hard!!!!!!!!! BUT we
are working hard. We are self evaluating a lot and looking for the
ways we can be more faithful throughout each day.

Our mission is really focused on Faith right now. We have had some
amazing trainings and I have learned so much about planning and
praying with more faith. I am so grateful to know that God hears and
answers my prayers and that He is with me every moment of everyday. I
just need to call more on Him and His power to make His miracles
happen.

Last night we had an awesome experience. We were waiting at a bus
stop and a man came to wait as well. I asked him if he knew when the
next bus would be passing since we were running late to a FHE at a
recent converts house. He told us and then I started asking him if
he'd ever seen missionaries before, etc. He said he has an old friend
who he hasn't talked to in awhile that is a member and served a
mission. He started asking a bunch of questions and I explained some
things and bore my testimony. I got his address, and then I gave him
a pamphlet about the Restoration. I put our telephone number on it,
the address of the church and when we have out meetings, and invited
him to our English class on Saturdays too. He said he has a brother
that lives in Florida and that they both love English a lot. We
chatted a little bit more about the US and about the church, etc and
then we got to the bus terminal so we parted ways.

Later that night as we were walking home from the FHE, he sent us a
text message saying how grateful he was that we had talked to him, and
that he had been really needing that sign from God. He thanked us
again and wished us a good night.

Then, this morning he called us too! He said he was looking at the
pamphlet and it had only Sundays written for the meetings. He wanted
to know if there were any meetings during the week. I told him that
its just on Sundays but asked him what day we could come by and talk
to him again. He asked if we could tomorrow. I told him yes and we
marked for 2:30 tomorrow afternoon.

He seems very excited. I can tell that he could recognize the
truthfulness of our message even with such short contact. He is one
of those people who is away from the truth only because he didn't know
where to find it. Now he has found it and its going to bless his life
immensely!

I am excited to go there tomorrow and keep helping him get to know
God´s great plan for us.

I love the gospel and I know that it has truly been restored in its
fullness! This is Christ´s church. There is no other. It is here and
we that are members must open our mouths and boldly proclaim what we
know to be true or these special children of God that are searching
for the truth will not have the opportunity to be blessed right now,
like we are being blessed right now! Gods work will happen, but we can
accelerate it so much if we will but share our happiness with others.

I love you all so much! Have a great week!!

Sister Knudsen

Pre Easter pictures!

2011-04-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Splits with Sister Macedo, a new sister from the Bahia in Brazil.

She is super calm and sweet! We had a lot of fun together!

Sister White all decked out!

Me. A less active girl we are visiting wanted to dress us up a bit for fun!

Easter presents!!! Sister White made us paper Easter eggs and bunny
headbands. Yep, pretty RAD!! We have a picture of us with them on but
its not opening right now for some reason. The American family in our
ward went to the US to pack up their house and brought us back some
requested presents, peanut butter, taco seasoning, and a tape recorder
that Sister White wanted. YAY!! Thanks Bishops!!! (That's their last
name and I gave them your email, mom & dad, so they will probably be
emailing you one of these days!!) They are pretty awesome!!

Fruit Pictures.....

2011-04-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I already sent these pictures, but I know you (Devin) wanted
more fruit pictures so hopefully you like these!!

One more week gone.....

2011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week the Lord´s thoughts were not our thoughts! We worked all
week on a few people we are hoping to baptize soon, but then Sunday
arrived and none of them went to church. At first I was sad a little
discouraged, but I knew I couldn't stay that way so I focused on the
blessings. A family we contacted on Friday said they would go to
church, so we called them Sunday morning to confirm and they said they
really would come! They showed up and LOVED church. They are from the
"Congregação Cristã" but the lesson about the Church of Jesus Christ
Today was really good and they believe that this church really could
be true. They are going to pray about it. We also had a surprise
visitor!! A girl in our ward brought a friend and we marked with her
to teach her tonight. She seems really interested and elect!!

So even though what we wanted to happen didn't happen, the Lord had
other plans and blessings in store for us. He truly loves His
children and knows what is best!

I will give more details next week, I had to organize some photos to
send to recent converts in Osasco so that took up some time but know
that I love you all so much!!

Sister Knudsen

2011-04-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Family (and Friends!)

This week we had an awesome experience. We went to contact a girl we
talked to the other day and she wasnt home. As we came back I saw a
man in his yard and felt like I should talk to him, so we went over
there and started talking. His name is Douglas. He told us he is a
member but hasnt been going for a while now. He said he wants to come
back but that its harder said than done. He has two daughters and
said they are the principal reason he wants to come back, so they can
grow up in the church. We invited him to come on Sunday and he said
he would. We also marked a return appointment so we could talk to his
wife who is not a member.

They went to church yesterday and loved it. The older daughter is 6
and said she doesnt want to go to her "other school" anymore just
wants to go to "this school" everyday! haha. Her mom had to explain
that during the week she needs to go to her normal school to learn to
read and write so she can do so at the church school!

I seem to have a gift to do contacts with less active members. Its
happened 4-5 times in the last couple of weeks. The Lord knows what
He is doing!

The same night we met Douglas, as we were walking home another guy
stopped us on the street. He also is a less active member, Emerson.
We invited him to come to church as well and he came! He served a
mission and everything but fell away a little after he got home. He
said he doesnt think the church is the only true church anymore but
that it is definitely a good place. That made me sad. We bore our
testimonies of the restoration and invited him to pray again to God
and ask him if this Church is true. He said he will.

We have been working with another less active family too. A woman,
Sonia, and her 7 daughters!! She also has a son, but we have never met
him. There are 2 daughters and one granddaughter that aren´t
baptized. The rest are members but when one gets discouraged and
stops going, the rest soon follow after. We made a goal with Sonia,
and the 2nd oldest (I think...), Daiane, for them to go to church for
2 months straight to gain back their strengths. So far they are
keeping their part!! Sonia gets discouraged because the kids wont go,
but if they go, she is right there. She has a testimony. The older
daughters were baptized when they were little and stopped going soon
after, so they dont really have their own testimonies. We are working
on it. One of the middle daughters, Camilla, finally came to church
yesterday! That was exciting!! We are trying to get them all strong
and baptize the ones that havent made that important covenant with God
yet. They are a really cool family! Tonight we are going to have a
Family Home Evening with them!!

Other awesome story: (Sorry if I ever repeat myself...sometimes I
forget!) We were early to lunch the other day in a neighborhood by
our house so we looked around for some good doors to knock or people
to do contacts with. We walked passed a house and Sister White saw
some kids inside in wheelchairs and a woman running around making
lunch and taking care of everyone. She felt like she should talk to
her but saw that she was so busy so she just kept walking. She didnt
make it 3 steps before she stopped me and said, lets go back to that
house. So we turned around and got the attention of the woman.

The woman invited us in and we got to know her super amazing family!!
She has 3 sons that are special. They have body handicaps and are in
wheelchairs. They are SO awesome!! She has a total of 7 children,
but we only met the youngest 4 and a grandson who is 4 or 5 years old.
We met the 3 special boys and a daughter. The 11 year old boy in a
wheelchair, Giovanne, is twins with the daughter, Giovana. She is
"normal" but very special too! Of course, you guessed it, I thought a
lot about you guys and especially Erik and Ashley!! I showed them the
pictures of my family and they loved it. The mom, Salete, is a hard
working woman!! She never had formal schooling because she got married
young and had her kids. She doesnt know how to read, but we have
started giving her a few little lessons (we dont know much either so
its hard!) to help her out. She really wants to learn.

They couldnt come to church on Sunday because they already had a
birthday party marked, but they said they will come next week. We are
making arrangements with some of the Brothers in the ward to come pick
them up!!

I am so excited to be teaching them. They are sooooo awesome. Did I
mention that?!

I need to take a picture with them to send to you guys!!

Alright, the pictures that I am sending:
The Zone Pic at the end of the last transfer (Dont worry...I am
staying here in Votorantim with Sister White! wooot!! And Elder
Andraszczyk that is from Laguna Niguel (and was in Andrea's new ward...small world!) was transfered to our Zone. Fun
times!) Poor Elder Smalley´s head got cut off, but in the other
picture of the zone our hilariously inappropriate zone leader Elder
Bird showed his butt off (covered with his pants thankgoodness) so
I´ll just show this more appropriate one for now. The other can be a
...treat?...for afterwards! ;)

Milking Bessy for our District Meeting Snack....Oreos!!! Thanks to
Sam and Amanda for sending ´em!!

Elders go CRAZY for any type of food...especially American Delights!!

Elder Oldroyd´s super awesome powers.

Hope you guys had and will have an amazing week!!

I love you!

Sister Knudsen

More pictures! Hooray!!!

2011-04-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

Zone Conference. Sister Steinbeigle and I. She is going home on

April 6. I will miss her dearly. She is a great example to me!!

Some of the sisters with Sister Cooley and the Assistents. The one
of the far right is Elder Matthews. He was Sister Felipe and my zone
leader in Osasco before he turned Assistent. He is awesome and we are
grateful for our nice connection with the Assistents...good for
getting inside information. hahaha!

Package from Sam and Amanda. That was me pulling out all the
little candies and putting them on my desk until it turned into a huge
mountain of sugar!

Arranged nicely by Sister White for a more organized shot! I had
forgotten about oreos....we took one of the packages to general
conference and shared them with a girl named Bruna who speaks english
and was listening to conf. in english with us, and with the elders
that share the chapel with us. They were a big hit!! We even bought
pasterized milk from the bakery to dip them in. I´d seen the milk
before but this was the first time I bought it...its almost like
American milk! Almost...but close enough for delicious wettened
oreos!!

Zone Conference on Friday was fabulous. We are focusing more on
really have Faith and in trusting the recipe for success in Alma
26:22.

We are also going to make our Baptismal services more special and help
our investigators invite their family and friends to their baptisms,
so they can feel the spirit and become investigators too!!

I love President Cooley and Sister Cooley. I am SO pleased by the
fact that we live to close to one another and that I can continue
learning from them after the mission!!

General Conference was incredible like always!! The whole time I
thought about our investigators and how the words were so perfect for
them!! Of course, I also learned a lot of things that I need to be
applying in my own life too!! Pretty sure that talk about accepting
correction was exactly for me...I have such a hard time with that!
Pride is the worst thing ever...I pray everyday for help to not be
prideful!

Elder Scott is the cutest man...his talk was super special. I want to
have a marriage like him and his wife have. One day!!

Elder Holland = Iron Fist
He actually didn´t "burn" too much but he brough the spirit so
strongly as always. He has a way with words...He is amazing.

President Monson...so wonderful! I just love him! His life story is
amazing. If you havent watched On the Lord´s Errand, Watch it. He is
a man of God and it shows in the life he has lived!

Love you all so dearly!!

Sister Knudsen

Exhausted!

2011-03-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend was very exhausting!

Saturday we had an INTENSE lesson with Maria and Manoel. We got there
and Maria starting tearing us down....telling us we are not from God
that we have brought sadness and horrible consequences for manoel and
their relationship. That she knows we cannot be from God because of
the terrible atmosphere they have had since we began going there, etc.
A LOT of stuff....

I bore my testimony to her that we are servants of God and that we
have not broughten these feelings, but that Satan has.

She began to cry and ask forgiveness saying that she knows we are
trying to do our part but that she doesn't understand why Manoel is
being the way he is and why he makes sarcastic comments about going to
church just to see us (the sisters), etc. He had made a comment like
that to her just to make her mad and it worked. She used some
disrespectful words towards us, and I told her that she was not being
respectful.

The feeling was truly terrible in their house and I felt the power of
hell there...so strongly that I started bawling my eyes out. I
couldn't stop or control my emotions.

When she saw me crying so much it really softened her heart because
she started crying harder and started asking forgiveness to us and to
God. She pleaded and pleaded for forgiveness and said she really does
know that we bring peace. She was a bit hysterical. And I wasn´t
much farther from hysterics myself.

When I finally calmed down enough to talk I started testifying more
fervently of God´s love and of his plan and of how He wants to help
them and how He has sent us there to teach them. Then the spirit came
in. It came so strong as well and took away the evil that was there.
We sat them down and we said a prayer and we sang Where Can I Turn for
Peace?

The spirit intensified and we again bore testimony. Maria admitted
that she was at peace in that moment and again that she knew we were
sent from God. She said she had fallen into the hands of the devil
that day and really let him work through her. She said it was awful.
We invited her to pray and she said a most humble and pleading prayer
for forgiveness and for peace. It was very special.

I gave her a huge hug at the end and she hugged me back. We held
each other a bit and cried some more. She thanked us. I told her to
come to church, not for Manoel, but for her own sake and for her own
salvation. We testified that the Church of Jesus Christ is on earth
and that we need it to be saved. We scolded Manoel a bit for not
acting on the answer that God had given him. (Did I tell you he
received his response and knows that the church is true?) He said he
knows but that he is rebellious and doesn't know if he wants to give us
his beer and other drinks that we uses once in a while.

At the end of the night we had them both happy and laughing. And they
both confirmed their presence at church the next day.

It was a spiritually and physically exhausting lesson, but one that
showed me just how powerful the devil is and how much more powerful
the Spirit is.

Then on Sunday they didn´t go to church and I still don't know
why....but it made me terribly sad. Not discouraged, but horribly
broken at the fact that they are not taking seriously the amazing
miracles that God is putting in their path.

No one went to church. We had planned and confirmed with 6 and had
another 6 that were probably coming to. Satan is the worst....but he
will not win! We are stronger and we will not give up!!

We need your prayers and your love!! I know you are sending it already
and I do feel it giving me strength in the hardest moments. Thank you
for that!

But yeah...its been an exhausting weekend and I wanted to rest today
but then we had the zone activity already planned so that didn't work
out...but I will sleep really well tonight!!

The craziness of a mission!!!

Love you family!!

Sister Knudsen

PIctures of the apartment.....

2011-03-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well our apartment has a few....problems. Its a good place but it has

lots of material for good stories!!

For example...
This was in the morning...a small creation beginning to grow.
What is it exactly? Hmm...

That night....its grown a bit...he´s getting bigger Little Bobbie!

The next night....Full Grown and ready to be eaten! That´s
right...that would be our little MUSHROOM baby!!! He is growing out
of the broken bottom part of our door frame where inside is quite
nasty and humidly wet. Gooooood times!!

Today we had an awesome Zone Activity. This Brother has a pizza
oven and made us some amazing pizzas today.

We are all sweaty and gross because we played a
dodgeball like game at the chapel beforehand. Good stuff.

Thats the sign of a super full stomach...I ate 5 pieces of
Brazilian pizza and 2 slices of dessert pizza....yeah. Full and quite
happy!

You got to stuff yourself sometimes...its healthy. ;)

Love you guys!!

Sister Knudsen

Funny, spiritual, amazing!!!

2011-03-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

The mission is full of so many different types of experiences. It is wonderful!

Funny.
On Saturday night, a member invited us to come over to her 9 year old
son´s birthday party. A few of our appointments fell so we headed
over to wish him a happy birthday (and lets be honest...so eat some
cake too!). Well when we got there we realized that this was the 9
year old birthday party of the century!!! She had all these Brazilian
party foods, soda, and loud music playing as all the kids from the
neighborhood danced around, ate, and chatted together. The
decorations were Halloween/Monster themed and way amazing. The cake
was beautiful and looked like a huge spider web. She of course said
that she had done very little...but she is that way! A little of her
effort and a "small and simple party" are equal to about 6 weeks of
preparing if I would to do that same party!! She is pretty amazing!

Anyway, so Sister White and I get there and we are eating a little bit
and talking about how the parties will be that we throw for our kids
one day. We just so happened to be talking about how we don't want to
be those types of moms that are "party poopers" when a song came on
that says the phrase "I´m in Miami, B*****" Yeah...***** meaning bad
word!! We looked at each other and tried to decide what to do. If we
should tell her since its in English so they don't know or if we should
just let it go. Well as it kept repeating the phrase over and over
again and then had a part that just says the phrase about 15 times in
a row (AHHH...clean missionary ears CANNOT hear that word!!!) we
decided we should probably mention it to her. When she came out of
the kitchen again she saw our faces (I guess we had a worried look or
something...dont know) and asked what it was. We laughed and told her
and she ran into the room and switched the music saying to the whole
group of children and her son in particulary that the song "has a bad
word...The Sisters said so." We heard her from outside and just
looked at each other...UH OH!! Now they are going to hate us!!!! What
were we just saying about not wanting to be party
poopers???....yeah....that went well!! He got a little mad since its
one of his favorite songs and he didnt know. But when Sister White
asked a little while later to listen to Justin Bieber, he got over the
madness real fast. He LOVES Justin Bieber so that made his day!

So funny. Gotta love it.

We also got to celebrate earlier that day, the birthday of two super
cute twins. They are the kids of a recent convert, Adriana, who is
amazing! Sister White made them crowns and we stopped by to give them
to them. They are ADORABLE!!! And soooooo full of energy.

Spiritual.
We have been teaching a couple, Maria and Manoel. Sister Santos and
Sister White had met them knocking doors and taught them about the
restoration. They had gone back once and Maria had been pretty
uninterested, while Manoel was very interested. We taught them our
first week together too and they agreed to go to church. That Sunday
they didn't go though. So we went by again to see why and Manoel said
that Maria woke up and said she wasn't going and started to fight with
him about it. Manoel started to fight back and so they just stayed
home mad at each other the whole day instead. LAME! Well Maria
continued saying that she wouldn´t be going to our church and would be
returning to her church and didnt want to talk to us anymore. Manoel
said he was giving up too and wouldn't go.

Well...that is when the Spirit came in and helped us A TON. We began
to bear our testimonies of the importance of the Restoration. That
God has truly restored HIS church on the earth. We testified that
they could know this for themselves. We also testified of the reality
of Satan and how he will do everything in his power to keep God´s
children from the truth. We invited them to follow Christ and not
Satan and to go to Christ´s church on Sunday. I´ve never been quite
so bold in all my missionary life....but the Spirit was so strong and
their attitudes completely changed. They committed to go to church.
We tried stopping by on Saturday but they weren't home, so we left a
note saying we would stop by there in the morning to go with them to
church.

We came by about 8:30 in the morning and much to our joy, they were up
and getting ready. We waited while they finished and eat breakfast
and then we all got in their car and went up to the chapel. It was a
good thing we went with them because they though it was a chapel for a
different church that is close by. That could have been bad!

We took them inside and sat them down and a man from the ward came by
and greeted them and told us he would get a member to go sit with
them. Awesome! Love the members here! So he sent over our dear
friend Maria Lucia and she helped them during sacrament meeting. It
was an AMAZING Sacrament meeting. A high councilman spoke and brought
the spirit super strong talking about how we are SO privileged to
have a prophet and inviting us to really prepare for conference and
remember that when the Prophet speaks it is scripture. I was blessed
to be able to sit behind the American family that is in the ward and
translate for the wife. It was super hard but gratifying to be able
to help her finally understand what was being said at church!!

Then we went into the Gospel Principles class and had an awesome
lesson about the Priesthood. And then Relief Society...the BEST
PART!!! We had an amazing lesson about Charity and the teacher was
very inspired. Everyone was teary eyed and Maria LOVED it. I gave
her a huge hug at the end of the class and she hugged me back super
tight and I felt SO much love for her. Her whole outlook has changed
since that lesson we had with her. I am so grateful for the Spirit.
It is Him who makes miracles happen.

Manoel also loved the elder´s quorum and agreed to go with them on a
service project they are doing this weekend. So awesome. They truly
loved the church and felt the spirit. We are going there tonight to
continue helping them towards baptism, their endowments, their
sealing, and eternal life!!

I love the mission!

Thank you for your prayers and I love. I love you all!!!

Sister Knudsen

Edilson, Rose, and Larissa from Osasco.

Some of the decorations and the cake
from the party we "pooped" (sorry I didn't rotate this!!!)

Twins with their cute
little birthday crowns!!!

Pictures!

2011-03-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sister White and I....yea yea her name is White and she is
Black...she´s already heard that one a million times! hahahaha! She is
a crack up....LOVE HER!

New Area!!! Pretty sunset...I will take more pictures of the
beautiful greenery here and send them later!

Back in the Osasco days:
Karol´s awesome miracle baptism!!

The famous fish face! I do a horrible job with it!

The infamous zone pictures at the last district meeting before
transfers. That would be Sister Felipe falling onto an Elder as she
ran to sit in the picture....She is always caught doing something
inappropriate in photos...gotta love it!

Amanda and Vanessa, our soul sisters!

Saying Bye to Maria, Alteíris and Mariana!

Playing around at a members house...Had to help our digestion in
order to eat dessert!!

So I am still LOVING the new area!! We have a great member, Maria
Lucia, and her two kids that help us a ton with the work. Yesterday
she took us around her neighborhood to a bunch of houses and gave a
bunch of references!! We had a really cool lesson and set a baptismal
date with her friend, Rosângela! With her help, I think we´ll baptize
her whole neighborhood! Awesome!

Sister White is pretty much amazing. We laugh all the time together!

Oh and there is an American family in our ward! That is cool! They
moved here about 2 months ago for his work. They are starting to
learn a little Portuguese but are SO HAPPY to have 2 American sisters
in the ward now! haha! They are awesome!! Their last name is Bishop
and they are from St. Louis!

Love you guys so much!! I hope you like the pictures!!

Sister Knudsen

2011-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

So this weekend was amazing...in all ways shapes and forms!

1. Edilson, Rose, and Larissa. This week after a lesson we had with
the family, Larissa pulled us aside and told us that she had received
her response on the 12th of February but hadn´t seen the chance to
tell us until that night! She said she was at her Grandma´s house
praying to know and she felt a very pure joy fill her heart and got
very emotional feeling the spirit. When she told us she was so excited
to share her experience. It was adorable! It made me get all teary
eyed and feel the spirit too! We asked her if she wanted to be
baptized on Sunday (what is now yesterday) and she said she would talk
to her parents and get back to us because she hadn't told them about
her answer yet. So she talked to her dad and he thought she should
wait a little bit longer but after talking to him again he said if she
really wanted to, that he´d be there to support her. Rose...she didn't
understand as well. She called her crazy and told her she wouldn´t
follow through with the commitment and so shouldn't do it. We have
learned a little bit more about Rose this weekend. Love her to death,
but she has very set opinions about religious things!

Anyway, so we decided to wait and see how the lesson at the temple
went with their family to see if she would actually get baptized now
or later. It was AMAZING!! We invited a stake leader, Adriano, who is
over missionary work to go with us. He did a fantastic job explaining
temple work and bearing testimony. Loved it. We took them into the
waiting room of the temple and talked about baptism - reading from 3
Ne 11. The spirit was so strong and Edilson had tears in his eyes.
He said he is almost positive he will be baptized even though he wants
to read and pray a little more before setting a date. We asked him and
Rose about how they felt about Larissa wanting to get baptized, and
Edilson said he was very happy with her decision but would like her to
wait a little and even be baptized with him when it happened. I felt
the spirit letting me know that I really should let her wait so they
could be baptized together.

When we invited Rose to be baptized she explained that she feels as if
her baptism (catholic) is valid and was wonderful for her and doesn't
have any intention of being baptized again. Adriano explained
perfectly the fact that her baptism was a wonderful decision she made
should have meant a lot like it did, but that it was a step she took
to follow Christ, and that because of that faith, Christ is now
showing her the place that truly has authority from God to baptize.
It was a great explanation, but she didn't want to hear it. Again, I
love her to death, but I am sad at her lack of spirituality. She isn't
even willing to pray about it. :( But luckily she is very supportive
of her husband learning about the church and going there. He has
always looked for the right church but didn't find it, so he became
someone who likes to say 'I don't need a church, I have God in my
heart"...but now he is seeing that the true church of Jesus Christ
exists and he is very excited!

Long story longer...Edilson LOVED the temple and Larissa too! They
will be baptized soon and stay very very strong in the church. Rose
will come around too...I just know it!!

2. Karoline. We prayed even more with Karol this week and gave her
her baptismal sheet to show to her mom. She really wanted to be
baptized before one of us gets transferred so she took it home and
pleaded with her mom. FINALLY her mom accepted. She signed the sheet
but told Karol that she doesn't want any more members bothering her
about stuff from the church or visiting their house. Not exactly the
way we wanted it to be, but at least she is letting her be baptized
now! She told us on Sunday at church so we spent the first 2 hours
(the schedule is reversed here with RS first and Sacrament last)
organizing everything for her to be baptized that afternoon. The
baptism happened and was awesome! The young women sang and the leaders
bore testimony and people cried and it was wonderful!!

3. Vanessa. Our lunch was at a members house who has a sister that is
inactive form a different city. She just so happened decided to drop
her other plans and come to lunch. Sister Felipe, her, and I hit it
off from the beginning and she ended up giving us a ride to the stake
center and staying for the baptism. Then she helped us with a special
lesson that happened after wards which I will explain now.

4. Amanda. She came to the baptism and we found out that she has
been going to church for about a month in other wards and went that
day in the stake center. The Zone Leaders invited her to our baptism
so she could see it and meet us. She came and we decided to teach her
after the baptism. Vanessa helped us because she had made friends
with her during the service. We taught her about the Restoration and
the spirit was incredibly strong. The lesson was truly guided by the
spirit...its hard to explain...but it was that feeling that the ldeas
and words we used were straight from Him. Not our own. We taught the
lesson to them both and at the end we marked Amanda´s baptism for the
12th of March and the 4 of us were bawling our eyes out....I have
never loved anyone so quickly as Vanessa and Amanda...in less that 4
hours we formed a bond that I will never forget. I cant describe how
powerful it was...but I´m pretty sure we were good friends there in
the preexistence!

Loved this weekend...it was incredible. I know God lives and loves us
so much. He gives us way more than we will ever be able to deserve.
We are very blessed to have this life to prepare to return to his
presence and do our best to show him our love and gratitude.

Love you so much Mom, Dad, Andy, Dev, Ash, Erik, Hailey, Andin,
Cam...your love and prayers make these miracles happen!

Sister Knudsen

Short but sweet.....

2011-02-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Nooooo....my super long email just got eaten...that makes me sad
and angry but I cant be angry as a missionary so just sad....

But okay let me try to remember the highlights...

We are teaching some awesome families and one of them we are taking to
the Temple on Saturday so they can see it and feel the spirit there.
It will be awesome!

The YW in our ward are amazing and are awesome missionaries with the
girls we bring to church with us.

I am anxious about transfers next week! March 2 I will probably be
leaving here and it makes me sad!!

I might be training again because we have 4 new sisters arriving!

I love you guys like crazy!!!

Sister Knudsen

New photos!!!

2011-02-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

The chapel that is being built here! We went there and the workers
and security guard gave us a tour and we started teaching them. They
are awesome but I will talk more about them next week!

PACKAGE!!!

The baptism!!! Silvana, Raquel, Henrique, and José Quirino! LOVE THEM!!!

The awesome Brazilian flag that José Quirino made for Sister
Phillips. She came here for splits one day and went there and paid
him to make it for her. It turned out awesome!! I am still deciding
what I want him to do for me.

The spiderman he made!

The cake she showed us how to make and decorate. We celebrated PDAY! hahaha!

Esfihas we made the other day with a member who taught us!!
Delicious!! I know how now! its a very popular party food here!!

Thanks for sending the package!!!

2011-01-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

I did NOT get transferred! YAY! I am staying here with Sister Felipe for one
more!! I almost have as much time as Sister Santos had here and everyone
always made fun of her that she would stay her whole mission here! hahaha!
President just forgets about this area! hahaha!

But I am super excited to stay here and see the baptisms of Jose,
Silvana and their kids! They are the humbled amazing coolest family!
Besides ours of course!! haha!

Love you guys!

Erin

Finally a GOOD update!!

2011-01-17T22:51:00.000-08:00

Hello my wonderful beautiful and amazing family!

I´m sorry for the past 2 weeks! This week I am writing without being
AS rushed so I will try to include everything that I wanted to say!

To start off...We have transfers on Wednesday so tonight we will find
out if one of us is leaving or if we will stay together again. I
think I will be going this time because I have been here almost 7
months! That is 5 transfers and 3 with Sister Felipe. But there will
be 4 sisters going home in the next transfer (March) so maybe he will
leave us alone until then when he will have to change everything
anyway...who knows!

So I was going to talk about Camila, Geane´s sister. Geane is a less
active woman who we visit and a few months ago her Sister moved there
to help her with the house and he kids. We formed a good friendship
with her and were waiting for the right moment to teach her! Well the
Lord provided last week! She had told us that she would go to church
finally, because we´d been inviting her for awhile. So we took that
as a sign and stopped by there during the week. It was the perfect
chance because Geane had gone to the doctor so it was just Camila and
Geane´s little girl who just happened to take a nap in that moment.
So we sat down and taught Camila about the restoration. She found it
all very interesting and told us that she would read the Book of
Mormon and pray. She told us that she has been feeling lately that
God hasn´t been very present in her life...that she hasn´t felt the
spirit very much. She told us that if He really did respond to her
prayer that she would know that this church is true and would prepare
to be baptized. It was a very special time with her. Since then we
were able to follow up with her and she had read a little but was
feeling that she really needed to take more time to read and pray.
She didn't go to church because she got really sick and then yesterday
didn't go again...we don't know why yet....but we are praying hard for
her because she is ready. We just need to fight again Satan now...oh
how he loves to keep people from the Gospel! UGH! But we are
stronger!!!

An amazing couple that we are teaching, José Quirino and Silvana, went
to church yesterday with 2 of their kids and LOVED it! They are super
humble people and so fun! José Quirino makes mosaic art...I cant
really explain it. (I'll send a photo) Its pretty much amazing
and if I stay here I will have him do one for me. Super talented!
They are preparing to be baptized on the 29th. Please pray for them!!

Marcelo and Marcia went to church yesterday with their 2 kids too.
Marcelo told his boss that he wont be working on Sundays anymore
because he will be going to church! Love it! He chose the 29th to be
baptized as well so it will be a busy and amazing day!!

Last Monday we had a fun day at a member family´s home and she taught
us how to make Esfihas! I´ll make them for you guys when I get home!
They are a party food here! She also taught us a little about how to
decorate cakes. Good times!

THANK YOU ERIN!!

2010-12-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

Erin sent the family these AMAZING Brasil soccer jerseys....they are rad. The kids especially were excited to get a gift from Aunt Rinny!!!

From Erin......

I hope that they fit well...it was hard trying to decide the sizes for
the kids but it looks like they fit pretty well. I loved the little
Brazil jersey for Cam too...it doesn't match the rest but I think its
worth it!

LOVE YOU!!

Update THIS week......

2010-12-20T22:45:00.000-08:00

Hey Family!!

This week was crazy and amazing! A LOT of work but that's exactly what we are here to do! We have goals in our mission and in our stake here of how many baptisms we wanted this year. We have been praying a lot for direction from the Lord in where to go to find the people that are ready now to enter the Lord´s church and make this important covenant with Him. The Lord has truly blessed us this week with an answer to our prayers.

Two boys, Wenzell and Wesley were both baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday. It was very special!!

We had been teaching Wenzell a couple months back because his mom really wanted him to be baptized, but he was unsure about it and said he didn't want to be baptized. We were not about to baptize someone who didn't want to be baptized so we stopped teaching him. Last week as we tried to decide which people we could focus on to help with the goals we felt strongly to teach him again. We went there on Wednesday and had a great lesson with him. We were able to help him understand the importance of baptism and he agreed to be baptized!! So we started planning for Saturday.

We were also trying hard to get Wesley´s dad to let him be baptized but its hard to find him at home. His mom had gone to church with him on Sunday and wanted him to be baptized, but needed permission from her husband. All week we tried to talk to him but it didn't work out. When Saturday arrived we had a meeting with the bishopric and our ward mission leader to plan how we could help his dad accept. We planned to invite them to Wenzell´s baptism and have everyone talk to the dad about all the great programs the church offers, get his permission there, and then interview Wesley to be baptized on Sunday. When we arrived at their house on Saturday afternoon, the dad came to the door and told us he had just gotten home from work and wanted to rest and that they couldn´t let us in right then. We told him we just wanted to talk to him quickly. He came to the gate and we told him that Wenzell would be baptized that night. We were just going to invite him to go, but he thought we were asking him if Wesley could be baptized too. He started saying that Wesley wasn't ready, that he wouldn´t stay strong, that he didnt want him to be forced to do anything. We explained that we weren´t forcing anything and that it was Wesley himself and also his wife that wanted the gospel and wanted to be baptized and that he too would be forcing them to not follow Christ if he forbade the baptism. (We were praying the whole time for inspiration in what to say and the Spirit delivered) His dad looked at us and then called Wesley to come there. Wesley came and his Dad started asking him..."Is this what you want? Do you want to be baptized? etc" Wesley looked his dad straight in the eyes and said "Quero.....Eu Quero!" (I want to...I want to!) His dad looked back at him and started to bawl....He told his son that he could be baptized and that he needed to follow strong. That he needed to follow what his dad says and not what he does (He, the dad, has a lot of problems with alcohol, drugs, smoking, etc) It was a very emotional and spiritual moment. They embraced and we all stayed there crying for a moment. He went back in the house and we continued crying and praying, thanking God for the miracle he had just done for us. We then finished teaching Wesley the lessons he was missing, called President to get his permission to baptize a minor, and called the zone leaders and arranged for them to interview him that night before the baptism. Everything went very well. His mom went too and had a very good experience there. She has a baptismal date for the 8 of January if not sooner. It was truly a miracle how it all happened. I am so grateful to be a member of the True Church of Jesus Christ and to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Its been a very special and emotional/spiritual journey!

I am VERY excited to talk to you all this weekend....AHHHH!! I am worried about how my English will be...its in a very poor state!! But we will just have to rely on the gift of tongues! haha! I will be calling on Friday for 5 minutes to give you the telephone number and hour to call, but let me know right now what time you think is best! Lets try the conference call because our call should be 30-40 minutes according to the mission rules and I think it will be hard to such short time!

LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS! FELIZ NATAL!!

Sister Erin Knudsen

Update from last week.......

2010-12-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

My week was good! Karina and Altair were married and she was baptized and everything was very awesome!!

I Was NOT transferred...yay!! I was able to see everything happen

Its so crazy to me that Christmas is so close! Its a whole different world on the mission.

Random: Is Tom Cruise in Top Gun? My comp and I are debating this topic...

Love you all! Hope your Christmas preparations are all going well and that you are happy and remembering how blessed we are to have a Savior...the Son of God. He is everything we need to be and we have his perfect example to follow!

Erin

FOTOS DA CONFERENCIA COM ELDER BEDNAR

2010-12-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

Feliz day......

2010-12-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

I am already missing the sweets from Christmas but I will just have to wait until next year! I will be strong...hahaha! Or maybe we can celebrate Christmas in July after I get home?!

Quick update because time is up:

Wagner was baptized this weekend! YAY! It was a battle but he finally made! Please pray for him to be strong and keep enduring to the end! He will do great things in the church if he can overcome the temptations that easily bind him.

Karina and Altair will be married on Friday and she will get baptized that night. It will be super special and I hope I can be here for it!

We have transfers on Wednesday and we will find out about who is moving around tonight...anxiety!! I think I will be transferred. I want to stay here because I really love this area but I know that if I am transferred it is for the best...More to learn in every moment!!

4 sisters are going home and a bunch of Elders and only 2 Elders are arriving. One of them is suppose to be going to Chile but is waiting for his visa so he´s going to be here only temporarily. The situation with missionaries here is very sad! With all the visa issues Brazil is very low in numbers of missionaries. Our mission will have to close a lot of areas I think. We will probably be moving around a lot.

I ask for your prayers that more young men and woman decide to serve missions. Missionaries are needed in great numbers here in Brazil and I´m sure in all areas of the world right now. We need to fulfill the sign of the second coming that the gospel be preached to all the world in greater and greater numbers.

Love you!!

Sister Knudsen

Pictures!!!

2010-12-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Some more pictures to brighten your days....

Relief Society Christmas party/lunch on Saturday the 4th. This is the beautiful and delicious cake we had for dessert and to celebrate the birthdays in Nov and Dec!

Wagner´s baptism!! (12/04/2010)

Irmão (Brother) Cassio (in Brazil you call everyone by their first name even with Bro/Sis) He was a ward mission leader until he was recently called to be the 1st counselor in the bishopric....he is amazing! Super spiritual and hilarious and all. He has really helped us out a lot and is an example to me!

Wagner and Adriana!

Family!!!

2010-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

Hey Fam!

So I made a connection with an Elder in the MTC that I always forgot to tell/ask you guys about. I saw him at the Temple when we went last week and we remembered together that we need to find out how we are related! His name is Elder Roundy, but his grandparents are Richard Knudsen and Nancy Jack (Rick and Nancy...ironic right?!) and his parents are Leesa Knudsen and Ralph Roundy. Do you know if and how we might be related to them?

Yesterday was Sister Felipe´s Birthday! We had a little party/Family home evening with some members, The Moura Family, and Danilo, Benedita´s son and Francine´s boyfriend. It was fun!

So I had a really cool experience this week. Remember those two girls from the family that went to church last week? Well...the situation got ugly...in short they pretty much just wanted material help and after they got it the mom went a bit crazy and is avoiding us at every cost and got super upset at the fact that we invited her daughters to be baptized. Yeah...thats not the cool part, dont worry! So we both got very frustrated and upset at the situation when we went there on Wednesday night. It was a very bad night for us. Very very bad....BUT that night I really needed to feel better, so I opened up my Book of Mormon where I am reading and sat on my bed to read. I started in Alma 24 and it was good and all, but when I arrived in Alma 26 I knew that I was suppose to be reading in that chapter without a doubt. Specifically verses 22 and 27. Read them and you will see how they were perfect for me that night. I started to cry as I read those verses....knowing that even though those words were written by men 90 years before Christ was born, they were written with the purpose of helping me that night. Yes, they had many purposes, but one of those was to help me. I know that God exists. That he knows us and has blessed us with much more than we even realize. I know we are His children. I know that there is no limit to his love, mercy, and grace. I know that He send His Son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins because he loves us. I know that the plan of God is PERFECT. I know that we must live our lives aware of his love and influence and do all we can to receive the blessings of heaven that are waiting for us. We must be worthy. We must be alert. We must actively choose to follow him and not fall into the temptations of the devil...

Thanks for all your support love and prayers! I love you soooo much!

Erin

Happy Turkey Day!!

2010-11-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Fam!

Happy Turkey day to you!!

The Temple today was amazing! Its the best place on Earth! I received a lot of direction and peace there today!

We are seeing lots of little miracles in our area this week! Karina, who needs to marry before she can be baptized was able to mark her wedding on Monday. Our leaders had found the right person to talk to in the Cartório, Keiko. We went with Karina and Altair to the office, and even though Altair has a problem with his RG (its a legal document here) and it won´t be resolved for more than 15 days, Keiko let them mark the wedding for the 10th of December. She told them that as soon as the new RG gets to them they have to bring it in or else she will annol the wedding! But she let them...MIRACLE! So Karina will be baptized that night!

Yesterday we were able to sit down and talk to two girls from a family who went to church with us on Sunday. The parents weren't home, but we taught the daughters in the street. They both want to be baptized and we marked with them for this Sunday after church! Now we just have to follow up with the fact that they aren't drinking coffee anymore and make sure the parents will let them be baptized! But I think they will allow without problem! They are really cute little girls and super smart. The gospel will really bless their lives! I will talk to you guys more about their family on Monday.

Love you all tons!

Sister Knudsen

Thanks for the email! Erik is a crack up! Love that boy! PHEW!

Enjoy all that amazing thanksgiving food for me! They dont celebrate it here, no. It will just be a normal day for me! haha! Next year...I will eat all that pie by myself! ;)

Thanks for sending me package! I am excited already!

FYI....Sister Winters goes home on the 8th of December and there is a package being sent to you guys from me with her...I´m not sure if her cousins (the Winters from AZ) will be going to her farewell talk or for Christmas but I just wanted to let you know beforehand to not give another surprise for Ashley if someone strange comes to the door! haha! ENJOY!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EARLY!

IT HAS ARRIVED......

2010-11-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Hello family!

I got the package this week! It was SO wonderful!! Thank you SO SO SO much!!! (See attached photos! haha!!) **the photos aren't downloading for some reason, I'll try again later** Those pretzel M&Ms are delicious! Very good idea! haha!! Thank you for the music book and the CD (love it!). LOVE the hand soap and bracelet and shirt! Everything was awesome! We ate pancakes from the mix today with maple and then for lunch made tacos and guacamole...its was a WONDERFUL day!!!

I´m not sure about the phone call thing...I think I can arrange with you both, but I will ask.

Aww...loved the story about Hailey thinking about me sleeping in her bed with her. How SWEEEEET! I love that girl! I want to see a photo of this Hermione Granger Turkey! haha! Ashley is a great sister!

The photos/file you attached isn´t opening for me. I don't think the computer has the program needed to open them. :(

Ohhh a Christmas Tree?!?!! How exciting!! You guys are so cute! love it!!

Other stuff for the package....
Did I ask for more chapstick yet? I am on my last one. That blue Chapstick brand kind. Moisturizer with SPF 15. More taco seasoning...so delicious!! haha! A recipe for re-fried beans.....(it seems like I only think about food....yikes!)

Brazil has time changes too. Its weird...in September they change to summer time and lose an hour (it was a terrible night because we lost an hour of sleep! haha!) But then in February they change back and we gain an hour--meaning one more hour to sleep...WOOOO! Other than that, they don't change. I think we are only 3 hours different right now then...not sure. Its almost 4pm right now here.

Thanks for the notes from the conference. Sounds like it was really good!

A few stories:

A new Bishop was finally called in our ward here in Nova Granada. Its been about 5 weeks since our Bishop was released and we were left without! The bittersweet part is that our Ward Mission Leader, Cassio, whom we love very dearly and was helping a lot, was called to be a counselor in the Bishopric and the other counselor who was called is a young man, returned missionary, who just moved to our ward. Him and his wife are RMs and always help us too. So if we were to lose Cassio, I would have wanted him as our Mission Leader but now he´s in the Bishopric too! haha! But I know the Lord knows what He is doing and that its even better with them in the Bishopric because they know how important missionary work is!

We are teaching an awesome girl, Karina and her boyfriend, Altair. He is a member whose been inactive for a while and Karina is a sister of a member in our ward. She always participated in young womans and everything as a girl but her dad authorize for her to be baptized. Then she fell away for awhile, met Altair, and they decided recently that they want to return and follow the Savior again. I´m attaching a photo of us with them in their cute little one room house! Next week we will mark her wedding. I think I already mentioned them before but we had to work out a few financials and now its all going well for them to mark the wedding and everything. They will most likely get married and in turn she will be baptized on the 11th of December!

Other important thing: Next week we are going to the Temple so our P-day will be Wednesday, not Monday. So dont get upset when I dont email on Monday....wait for Wednesday! haha!

Love you all very much!!

Sister Knudsen

PS: Photos: #1000594 is a Jaca Plant...that weird thing is a fruit called Jaca. Yeah...its funny! #1000590 is the wonderful shake and french toast and gift that Sister Felipe made for/gave to me for my 1 year on the mission mark! It was on the 11th...YIKES...can you believe a year has already passed?!?!?!?! I received the package the next day so its was great timing!!!

Hey!

2010-11-08T22:14:00.000-08:00

Its crazy how long things can take to get here! Sometimes its faster though, so I am not sure when the christmas package should be sent. I´d say to give it a good 6 weeks...so the sooner the better...hahaha! We have transfers on the 8th of December, and then after that I dont know when anyone will be going to the office. But I can go on a P-day if necessary to pick it up. Plus I think we will all do some sort of ativity in the area of the office for Christmas...I dont know. So I could get it there too. Not sure!

I got a package from the primary there in your ward today! It made me smile! Its a bunch of fancy artwork from the kids! hahaha! Love it! I still havent looked at all of them but its very cute!

Fun news: I got a letter from Steffen FINALLY! He is going to BYU-Idaho studying music, and is engaged to a cute girl named Emily, who is also a music major. They are getting married the morning of new years if I remember correctly. Sounds like she is super perfect for him! I´m glad he is doing well. The mission was very good for him.

So the sad news is that our mission was having some problems with new investigators. So our President reinforced the fact that we need to be talking with people everyday. We are doing at least 10 contacts per day now and actually doing and not just saying we should do it like sometimes happens. It is going VERY well! I am sad that I got in the habit of not doing many contacts because now we are finding a lot of people who are interested. The Lord is waiting to help us find his elect but we have to open our mouths to find them! I am learning so much on the mission....that I need to trust so much in him! He is in control and he is GOD....so yeah...of course he knows what do it and I have no idea so I need HIM!

This week we had another amazing present. We randomly passed in the house of a member and while we were there, her sister in law was passing through the house and told this member to send us to her house. So we went there and found out that she is living with a less active member and already know everything about the church and wants to be baptized. We invited them to get married and he proposed to her in that moment and it was SUPER sweet and amazing! The next day we went to the office in the center of the city to mark the wedding, but they had to do a few things first so they should have gonet his morning to mark for good. I hope it went well. Her name is Karina and his name is Altair (al-tie-ir). They are awesome, but she needs lots of prayers because she feels like every time she starts to try and do what is right, that she feels a depression and urge to cry and give up. The devil works so hard to stop people from doing what is right....ugh! So your prayers in her behalf would be very appreciated. She is really an incredible person! I love her so much after less than one week!!

Alright. Times up, but I love you guys like crazy! Até mais!

Erin

I LOVE YOU!!!!

2010-11-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't she a beauty!?

Hahahahaha...so a tank is a machine that swirls water with much force. You put in the clothes and the soap and fill the tank with water. Then you turn it on and its swirls and swirls for about 15 minutes. Then you let the water drain out and you rinse the clothes and wring they as best as you can so that they can dry faster! Its very common here. Only those who are a little weller off have washing machines. Makes you grateful, right? I feel very blessed for all we have in our house there in AZ! I´m sorry if I ever complained that we were poor and didnt have anything. We have what we need and much more!

Elder Bednar was amazing. He presented his "talk" (it was more of a discussion) in the same manner that we must teach. He had asked for us to read 2 talks of his. Then in his talk he asked us what we had learned. With every question he asked, "may I ask you a question?" He emphasized the importance of us giving agency to our investigatores. They need to have their own learning experiences to gain their own testimonies of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the gospel. It was very eye-opening.

Pictures from Conference:

Sister Santos and I

3 Generations

The elders from the MTC!

Times up!

LOVE YOU ALL!

2010-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

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

A letter to mom-

2010-10-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

mom-

I´m glad the time with Andy was so good! I loved the part about Erik. He never learns; hahahaha! He wasnt doing this boom box thing before but it was a good idea!! Im sure he loves it! I can just imagine him changing the song every 5 seconds and saying "I hate this song!" hahahaha. Oh how I miss him!

I definitely felt the vibes and love from you all on my birthday! It went very well!! My companion planned a surprise party for me with Benedita, José, Maria, and the crew there in their house. It was very fun!! And one of our ward missionaries, Carol, bought us a pizza that night to celebrate! Oh and an Elder in our district made me a bunch of brownies that he is becoming famous for. YUM! It was a great birthday!

The package hasn´t come yet, at least into my hands, because we don't have as many opportunities to get our letters and packages from the office these days. I will most likely get it on the 28th when our whole mission is going into the office to hear Elder Bednar speak. I am super excited!! That week will be transfers too, but I am pretty sure I will be staying here with Sister Felipe for at least one more transfer. I am really excited because I will be able to take a 3 generations photo with her and Sister Winters! Its pretty rare to take a "mission" 3 -generations photo, but I will take one as daughter and as mother! Its fun! I took one with Sister Winters and her trainer, Sister Correia in my first zone conference, and now a couple months before Sister Winters goes home (December 8) we will get to take another one with Sister Felipe!

But I am looking forward to my package when I can get it! You guys are the best! I love you tons!!

Update:

*We have met some really cool people this week and I am excited to keep working with them!

*The bishopric in the ward here was released Sunday...they were having some problems...as we are told "Its a stake matter" That's all I know. But I love our Bishop and the counselors and everyone was very sad to see them released. For now a counselor in the stake presidency who is from our ward is acting as Bishop. Its kind of strange...Ive never seen this happen before, but I am sure it will all work out.

*Today we were going to hike Jaraguá Peak but it rained all day so instead we did an activity in the stake center with some other Elders. Played Risk and Ligretto! YES! One of the Elders here, Elder Anderson loves games as much as I do and both his parents served missions in Germany so he has all the good games! When he told me he had Ligretto I freaked out a bit!! Good times! Tell Amanda I thought of her!! It was a very fun day!

I love you!!

Sister Knudsen

PS: Tell Krista thanks so much for the card and email and that there is a card I will be sending this week for her!

Thanks!!

Happy Birthday Erin!!!!!

2010-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

It's Erin's Birthday today! We all miss her so much & love her adorable personality. We are grateful for her willingness to serve & for the great experience she is having in Brazil. We appreciate all of her friends & family that have been so generous to her with letters, packages, tapes!!! She really does have quite the fan club. April is coming up soon & we can hardly wait to see her!!!! Keep her in your prayers and don't forget to keep the letters coming! She loves them.

Thanks!
-Andrea

Erin & her nephew Andin last April.....

Hello my beautifuls!!

2010-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely family!!!

Sounds like you are all having a blast together! That picture of the beach made my mouth water...but I think I can wait a little bit longer! I´ll try at least!! My companion took a look too and has a burning desire to go there too!

Love love LOVE that picture of Cam, Andin, and Ollie, where Cam has a face full of crumbs. hahahahaha. Awesome.

I hope the field trip goes well. Sounds like a really cool place!

Send my love to Suzie and Brian and wish my twin, Aunt Nancy, a happy birthday for me!!!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! It will be a normal day for me here, but I will make sure to celebrate a little with Sister Felipe! She likes to make cake and I love to eat cake, so it will go well!!

I´m glad you liked the sweets and other things from here! The things you really loved I will try to send more of so let me know what things were your favorites. Oh and Andy, the round chocolate ball things with the wafer are call BomBons here like our peanut butter bonbons that mom makes. BomBons are the rage here. They have all kinds of types. Yum Yum!

I don't remember which fruit juice was in the white package...was it cajú? Some of them I haven't tried yet, but let me know which it was and if its really good I will have to try it! haha!

Hailey! 8 teeth already?! Crazy! The tooth fairy seems to have gotten richer...maybe she sold all that land with the orange trees?!!

Andrea, do you know the Roché family in your new ward yet? Laurie and Pat? Their son, Ryan, just left to serve a mission in Argentina. He is best friends with Elder Andraszczyk who is my zone leader here. He wanted me to ask. :) (Andrea's edit: how crazy that this missionary's mom she's telling me about is my daughter Cambria's preschool teacher!!! Small small world.)

Question: What is the recipe for the marinade for fajitas?

So...remember when you asked if I needed things and I couldn't think of anything....well for the future...(Christmas?) I remembered that I could use 2 new white undershirts from downeast or shade. My other ones are getting old.

Church yesterday was SO wonderful. We had a fast and testimony meeting full of the Spirit. I had wet eyes during practically the whole hour! It was very focused on missions. They were talking a lot about the fact that the age changed to 18 years old for Elders, and how we are needing a lot of missionaries right now to further the work. Then a bunch of the youth bore there testimonies about how they want to serve missions. It was very special. Even better was that we had a surprise visitor, Vagner. He is the boyfriend of Adriana (sister of Henrique) who we were teaching when we were preparing Wellington to be baptized too. He always said he would go to church but then something always got in the way. It was a serious war against Satan. They ended up breaking up and he didn't want to learn more...but then they got back together recently and he finally came. I was so shocked and happy when I saw him walk in the door. He really liked church and said he´ll come back next week. We are going there this week to watch the file "Together Forever" with him and Adriana. I am excited!

They are having a revote for president, so there is still a little bit of advertising going on, but for the most part the local music and other annoyances have ended. THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you all! I hope you have a safe drive home, family, and that all is well with you!

Ashley: Hope all is well at home and at school with you!!

Erin

Photos!

Cake that Sister Felipe made with passionfruit juice! Yum!

FUNNY STORY...So I received this card in the mail awhile ago but forgot to tell you guys. Either a funny joke or a serious one...don´t know! But I figured whoever did it deserves a shout out on the blog. hahahahahahahahaha.

Raspberry jam cookies that I used strawberry jam since its a lot cheaper here! My zone LOVES them. Thanks Kvavles!!

The mess that elections make here! In the distance you can see the school bus vans they use here. To the right is a pay phone.

2010-10-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

I loved President Monson´s talk as well! I have no doubt that He is a prophet of God, and THE Prophet of God on the face of the earth in this moment. I also loved the talks by Pres. Eyring, Pres. Uchtdorf, and of course Elder Holland. I also ADORED the talk about the Personal Line and Priesthood Line of Revelation. That principle is SO important for people to understand in order to understand that this is the ONLY true and complete church in the world. I am really excited for the ensign now so that I can study that talk more and use it when we teach.

So they aired the RS broadcast between sessions yesterday so I had almost 6 hours straight of conference! Good times! I did a split with a sister in the ward who served a mission in washington DC and watched most of conference in English with her. I only watched RS and the last session in portuguese. We are spoiled that we get to hear these great men and woman with their own voices, etc. Its just not the same with a voice over. It was cool though because Sister Beck and a few other Elders who know Portuguese or are from brazil did their own voice overs in the language.

FUNNY STORY!!!

So...the other day Sister Felipe made beans for us to eat. There was just a little bit left so we left it to cool so that we could put it in the fridge. Well...we forgot about it and a few days later (yeah...) Sister Felipe looked and it was growing a little life there inside. So she had the idea to put it over the burner with water and soap to kill all those little germs! Well...I assumed that she had a grand plan behind her actions, so I didnt think much more about it and took a shower and got ready for bed, thinking that I should probably check to make sure she remembered to take it off the fire before sleeping. But then I forgot all about it and went to sleep!

Then...5 AM hits. You know how sometimes you wake up all the sudden and have no idea why? That's what happened with me and I was overwhelmed with the smell of BURNT....VERY VERY BURNT....

I jumped out of my bed (literally...I sleep on the top bunk!) and ran into the kitchen thinking Could it be?!) When I entered the kitchen I saw the small blue glow of the burner still cooking away...

And the pan inside was BLACK BLACK BLACK...(see photo for proof!)

First off, I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GRATEFUL to my Heavenly Father for blessing us and keeping us save when our house could have taken fire. I was in a continuous prayer of gratitude that night and the next day and still am SO very thankful that we are alive and our kitchen is intact.

Secondly, once the initial "we could have died!! or burnt down our house" thrill wore off, Sister Felipe and I have fully taken advantage of how hilarious this was. Just look at that picture...it took a good 3 days of scubbing to bring the pan back to useful life.

Moral of the story: Don´t turn off the light in the kitchen, because then Sister Felipe will forget about her crazy ideas! haha! And dont let your food grown life!!

Good times. :)

Other than that, a few updates about the week:
*We had Zone Conference this week so I got to see Sister Santos and some other sisters. Elder Teichert who was in my MTC district is in my zone for zone conference now too so I got to catch up with him.
*I am excited for my package from you guys...you are the best!!
*Thatiane still needs lots of prayers and just to clarify you say her name (Tah-Chi-Ah-Nee) :)

Photos
*A beautiful purple tree and me
*The pan

LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!

Sister Knudsen

muito obrigada!!

2010-09-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hello family!

Hahahahaha! I was debating on whether or not to warn you guys that someone would bring a package from me but then I ended up forgetting anyways so it was kept a secret! It was Elder Gratil who brought it. He was my first zone leader -- the one that lives close to us and went to Gilbert High, etc. He ended his mission 2 weeks ago so I sent it with him. He was kind enough to bring it to you guys...well I kind of forced him, but yeah...I am very grateful!!!

So we were able to go and talk to Thatiane and clear up her doubts. The stuff she read on the internet made her believe that we think God is a man who walks the streets with us or something...I dont know. Ridiculous! We helped her to realize that she already has a testimony that these things are true. Now she will be praying a lot to help her mom let her go to church again. For now she doesnt want to strain their relationship so she isnt going. Keep praying that her mom will soften her heart and have a desire to learn about the gospel too...and from the source this time, not the internet!

I am feeling a lot better than I was last week. I know that Sister Felipe will teach me a lot since she is a recent convert of 2 years and worked a lot with the Elders in her area too before the mission. She has a special insight into the work. We are learning and teaching one another!

Miracles this week:

First off, the Spirit really worked on Thatiane and helped her remember how she always feels so good reading the Book of Mormon and going to church.

Secondly, we found an awesome family yesterday. Just listen to this story...it all happened because of the Lord, for sure! We received last week a referral from the internet for a Paulo on the Road Maria Quiteria de Jesus Medeiros, number 121. Its very close to the boundary of our area and a place that I´d never gone before. He asked for representatives of the church. We went there yesterday and tried to find the house. Note about Brazil: The house numbers are crazy and never have much of an order. Sometimes there is a light order...but in the midst of 100, 105, 120, 137, there will be a random 21, or 6903....yeah. You cant really trust the numbers here! Anyway, after a long haul....we found the number 121. The problem being that there wasnt a Paulo that lived there. We talked to everyone who was there in the front, and no one knew a Paulo. Great...all the way on the edge of our area for nothing, right?! Well we decided to pray for direction. When we ended our prayer we stood there for a few minutes thinking. I felt like we should walk back on the road and knock a few doors to ask if anyone knew a Paulo and Sister Felipe agreed, so we went back and hit a few doors a little farther down the road. No one knew a Paulo or invited us in when we invited them to hear our message. We kept going and decided to ask two girls that were selling hamburgers at a little stand if they knew a Paulo. One of them said there was a man named Paulo that lived in 118 down in the bottom (there was a little entrance with about 5 houses that all were #118...its hard to explain...its just how Sao Paulo is!). She said she didnt think it would be him, but we could try. Anyway, we went down there just to check and the daughter of Paulo answered the door. It wasn´t him who called but when we told them a little about our message they invited us in. We taught an awesome first lesson to Paulo, his wife, and their daughter. There were a few other kids there too but they came in and out. But this family appears to be sooo elect! Paulo goes to an evangelical church but he doesnt really like how they always yell, etc. His wife thinks the yelling is completely ridiculous and loved how we pray. They were really receptive...it was an awesome experience. I know the Lord put us there to find them. Who knows who put the referral for this other Paulo on the internet...but I have no doubt that the purpose was to find this family. I know the Lord answers our prayers when we ask for his help and act with our faith. When we do our part, He will ALWAYS do His.

I love the mission...its an opportunity to become who God wants you to become. For him to teach you that you have so much to learn but that you can learn it. That you can use your faith in him to work miracles. I am deeply grateful to be here serving Him.

Pictures!

Me and my daughter! (Sister Felipe!)

The pancake bear that I made for Sister Santos on her birthday. hahaha...

Our calender of baptisms from the last 2 transfers.

My desk!

Us with Thatiane (I look super horrible, but oh well!)

A pasta and vegetable creation that was very very good!

Our Zone before the last transfers.

So I think I have gained about 8 lbs on the mission...I hope its not so. Dont worry to much...I will start eating less and lose the rest when I get back! Yikes!

Love you guys like crazy!

Sister Knudsen

Busy little bee......

2010-09-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry no time to answer the questions this week but a quick update:

I am going slightly crazy!

I turned senior and trainer on Wednesday. AHHHH! Sister Santos was transferred and I received my "daughter" as the new sister you train is called. Her name is Sister Felipe and she is from Manaus. She is very sweet and I like her lots, but I am struggling a bit. I would appreciate your prayers for a few reasons...

1. I miss Sister Santos a lot...

2. Thatiane, the 15 year old girl in the photo and her mom read a few things on the internet about how we believe that God is a person just like us since he has a body, etc....stuff that people write that is semi-true but not explained properly, and now she as doubts and doesnt know if she wants to continue on. Her mom wont let her go to church any more either...since she sees that she is doubting a little bit. She is a girl sooo elect...and I am really really really broken inside. She just called me right now before I started writing this email and told me that she and her mom decided they need to find a religion together and one that they agree with, etc. It broke my heart. Sister Santos would know exactly what to say, but I dont know. I know I need to rely on the Spirit and it will all work out, but I am worried that I wont know what to say to her to help.

I am just a little stressed turning trainer...its a big responsibility and we all know I hate being in charge of things...Why am I a stresser?! ugh!!

But anyway, I AM happy and I am trusting in the Lord. :) It will all work out!

Love you all so much!

Sister Knudsen

Mae!!!!

2010-09-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Beautiful Mama!

For real, everyone always comments on how you are so young and beautiful when I show them my family pictures!

Sounds like you had a great dinner with Grandma, Steve and Cheryl, and Stacy and Jered! I´m glad they are doing good! Jake and Maren are so old now! And Im sure as cute as ever!

One more amazing production from Rob Gardner! Awesome! Of course Lisa and Rustin were in it!! Here in the house I´m in I have a cd player so at least while I am here I can listen to CDs! And there a is a member here that can put cds on my ipod for me if I need her to, so send it away! yay! Thanks!!

Answers of the week:

Favorite Moment this week: We received a few referrals from the internet and one of them was a woman named Leila. We contacted her this week and shared with her the message of the Restoration. I felt the Spirit guiding our words a lot with what we said to her and I have a lot of hope that when we return next Saturday (she works all day during the week so we couldnt mark for before saturday) she will have received a response about the Book of Mormon and our message. Its was a very good lesson/moment!

Also, last night we were teaching Eduardo in his house and his mom was there. She is a very old woman (in her 80s) and loves to talk. [A little background info: There is an Elder here names Elder Anderson. He is from Pennsylvania and is very tall, with very red hair, and very blue eyes. He came with our District Leader on splits when Eduardo was interviewed to be baptized.] So we are there talking to Eduardo´s mom and she asks me again if I am from the United States. Then she says to this effect, "That other boy that came is from there too right? He is very hot, dont you think? Very handsome!" Sister Santos and I had a very good laugh about that. Good thing this woman was laughing too or it would have been awkward. We laughed A LOT! Good times!

Hardest Moment: The baptism of Eduado. Sister Santos and I hardly ever get mad at each other but once in while we have little fights about things very very stupid...to the point that we laugh a lot after wards about how stupid our fights are. Well the night of the baptism, we had a bit of a disagreement that left Sister Santos very upset and not talking to me. It was the longest, less spiritual baptism I have experienced thus far on the mission...but luckily I don't think anyone else knew and so I hope it was a spiritual experience for them, and most importantly, Eduardo. Anyway, as we walked home from the stake center we made amends and all was well as we returned home and celebrated the baptism with left over cake from Sister Santos birthday on Wednesday (Which reminds me of another favorite moment: I planned a little surprise party for her in the house of José and Maria on Wednesday night and it went very well! She had no idea....muwhahahaha!) and hot dogs. I had a couple days of actually wanting a hot dog...crazy I know. So I ate a few, but it has passed and I am good to go not eating hot dogs for another couple of years!

Favorite food: One of the woman in the ward that always cooks sooo well made a Stroganoff (different than what you are thinking) that was very delicious. Its a sauce with beef or chicken that is made from whipping creme...not very healthy but very amazing!

Least Favorite food...hmm...I made up a recipe one day that we had money for lunch that was really quite delicious, but the second day that I went to eat it the chicken had that left over taste that is nasty so it wasn't the same anymore. I always forget that chicken is terrible when reheated! Other than that, nothing...the majority of food here is sooo good!

Miles...no idea! haha!

I like this question and answer thing...it helps me remember things from the week and have ideas of what to write about! Usually I sit down to write and none of the funny or interesting events of the week come to me! Keep them coming! haha!

Love you and everyone tons as always! miss you like crazy!

Erin

Language barriers...

2010-09-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Funny story...

A few weeks ago we were at Thatiane´s house teaching her and she gave us a few chocolate candies at the beginning of the lesson. I are one and put the other in my bag for later. We then watched Together Forever (an adorably amazing video we use a lot here about how families can be together forever). After wards she asked us if we wanted some chocolate cake. The word for candy is "bala" and the word for cake is "bolo" They are similar...more or less. I wasn't really listening I guess because I thought she asked us if we wanted chocolate candy (thinking she was asking if we wanted more of what she had already given us) so I told her "no, I already put one in my bag" She looked at me very confusedly and my companion starting laughing. I stopped and rewound what she had said and then started laughing too as I asked, "you said chocolate cake?" She answered in the affirmative and we all laughed a lot at the thought of me sneaking into her cake and putting a piece in my bag when I didn't even know she had it. My companion stole my planner and wrote in big letters: Não Futarás!! (Thou Shalt Not Steal!) Gotta love language barriers!

One more...

The other day my companion was really sad about something that happened back home so I was telling her that sometimes we just need to cry. I told her about an experience I had when I cried a lot in the car driving to a friends house. I told her that I arrived there with my eyes full of tears...but I used the wrong word. Correct: Eu cheguei lá com meus olhos cheio de lagrimas! But I said: Eu cheguei lá com meus olhos cheio de legumes! Lagrimas: tears, Legumes: vegetables... That gave her a good laugh and she felt better after wards. We have lots of material to laugh about from the many things I accidentally say wrong!

Anyway, the work is going very well! We received a reference a couple weeks ago from a friend of a less active member. Her brother in law was suffering from a bit of depression and we went there and started teaching him. He will be baptized this Friday. :) His name is Eduardo and he is a really nice guy. He is 39 but looks like he is 25/30ish. He was working at a shopping center here in Osasco about 10 years ago when it blew up. He wasn't there that day, by some luck, but it left him very shaken. He is really liking the church and is feeling a lot better. :)

I know this church is true and that the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses lives like nothing else.

I love you all!

Sister Knudsen

Recent photos from Erin!

2010-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Relatives in some funny way to José and Maria that are preparing for baptisms too. They need to be married first. When we invited them to be married, Nice turned to Devá and said, "Do you want to get married?" He said, "I want to!" It was precious! So we took a picture that we developed and then gave to them!

9 months celebration!!! With Brazilian pizza!! YUMMY!

Another cheap place...all that ice cream for just R$1. This is our third back up plan when all our appointments fall...

José and Maria!!!

Broccoli and Chicken! Thanks for the recipes!!!!! Sis Santos loved it!!

Hello Family...

2010-08-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

I love you guys so much and have been thinking about you lots today.

José and Maria are still doing awesome and are overcoming their habits to drink coffee and smoke. They are very special people! They prove to me everyday how much the gospel blesses families and changes lives. Maybe I said that already about them because its so present in teaching them. Their lives and attitudes and everything has 100% improved in the past month that we have been teaching them!

In the last email I think I talked about how we would have 2 more youth baptisms. One of them was Rafael, but his grandma won´t give permission for him to be baptized even after everything we tried, so if you can keep him in your prayers, asking that she and his father as well will understand and let him be baptized. They think he should have to wait until he is 18 to know for sure if this is what he wants. I can see their side, but he wants to be baptized really badly and knowing what I know about the blessings of baptism and the truthfulness of this gospel...they need to let him! Satan works in so many ways to stop the work of the Lord...it can be SO frustrating!!

Thatiane is the other youth. She is 15 as well and amazing. She is about as elect as they get and I am so blessed to know her! I think she´ll end up a general president of one of the auxillaries. She is awesome!

Carla (the singer) could use your prayers too. She is one of the sweetest people I know, and she really needs to start feeling the direction of the Lord more in her life. She is still having a hard time believing in the day to day application of the gospel. She is struggling a lot financially and with her dreams of making it big with singing. She wants to be able to provide for her son and family and help others and she usually has the weight of the problems of every one she knows on her shoulders. She is the type of person that just wants to help everyone. Example: This week she trapped a rat in her house but afterwards felt so bad for him that she started feeding him macaroni. She let him free outside her house after a couple of days of worrying about him! She is almost crazy in how much she cares for people (and animals apparently!!). Now she just needs to realize that God loves and cares for her just as much as she cares for others. That is where she lacks...her faith that any one, especially He, is aware of her. :(

Funny/crazy story: A few years ago a couple of missionaries found a young man and taught him about the Restoration. They left a Book of Mormon with him and invited him to read and pray. He read and prayed and received a confirmation that the Book is true. The missionaries asked him what that signified to him and he told them that it meant he needed to open a church about the Book of Mormon. No, I´m not joking...it actually exists! Its on the border of our area and another one. I´ve never seen it but Sis Santos said its there and that he somehow got the Book of Mormon to publish because he publishes and distributes them! Pretty sure that would be called apostasy! Crazy!

I am learning lots and growing and trying to be better everyday! I am very grateful to be here experiencing the work of the Lord and the blessings of the gospel in such a hands-on way. Missions aren´t for us, the missionaries, but we truly receive amazing blessings as a side effect of helping others experience the amazing love of God. How grateful I am to be a member of the restored church of Jesus Christ...its the most important thing I can be.

I love you!

Sister Knudsen

Visit to the temple....

2010-07-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-07-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

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......

2010-07-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

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

Drum roll please.......

2010-06-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Oh how I hate and love changes!

I was transfered! I am now in city called Osasco in the capital. My area is novo Granado and Im with a really sweet, obedient Brazilian sister, Sister Santos.

I already miss Sister Winters tons and all the people there! I bawled my eyes out with Aldenio and Michele, but we had a really good lesson that we brought our bishop and his wife to and I am feeling like they willl be baptised one day. Hopefully sooner rather than later! they were really sad to see me go. Aldenio is a crack up. He said, 'you cant leave now, im finally able to understand you!" He use to have lots of problems undertanding me! he said i talked way too fast! haha! story of my life!

So I forgot to say that the world cup is happening right now! you guys probably don't even know exactly what it is, haha! Brazilians don't believe us when we say that the World cup is hardly known or watched in the US! Just in case, it is the big worldwide Soccer (Futebol) championship that happens every 4 years! Its in South Africa this year so I'm wondering if Roberts getting a front row seat! What is his address/

So last week was really cool because the cute family that has the daughter in a wheelchair went to church finally and we had some good lessons with them!! I still dont know if they will progress much right now, because they are very happy already and they dont want to change their lives to have church/religious obligations like daily reading and going to church every Sunday, etc. We are hoping they will really pray and receive an answer!

Awesome story; In my first month here we met a woman with a little boy with CP. She wasnt very interested in hearing our message (we talked to her in a street contact) but enjoyed seeing the pics of Erik and talking about them. We tried to go back and teach her so many times and she always said her son had lots of therapy and wouldnt let us in. she told us to call and gave her number. we tried calling and she still was always too busy.

Well...she finally let us in yesterday because I told her I was leaving the next day so she let us come leave a message finally! it went good!! it made me happy!! Thanks Erik!! You are definitely a blessing to more than you know!

Sister Knudsen

PS got the package! thanks so much! its perfect!!!

Don't you just miss Erin??!

2010-06-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I only left myself about 5 minutes to write the update email so its not going to be much...Ill just give you little bullet points you can ask me about next week so I can remember to write about them in more detail...

-- We did splits this week so I became the Senior Companion for this past Monday and Tuesday! AGH! I was freaked out, let me tell you! But it went well-ish. Except the one guy that told me and Sister Peck (from Washington who is even newer than me!) that we don't have the spirit with us. Yeah...

-- We didn't have transfers yet, they are next Wednesday so I will find out if one of us or both of us are leaving on Monday night. I don't know who it will be but I am thinking Sister Winters will be transfered and I will stay here. Vamos Ver!

-- Sister Peck and I taught Aldênio on Monday night and I think it went good. I was really firm with him and I think it sunk in..Sister Winters and I are going back tonight with our Bishop to try and set a wedding and baptismal date with them.

That's all for now...sorry!!

Sister Knudsen!

Update......

2010-06-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Update on Aldénio and Michele from my letter to President and other things I am adding in just for you guys:

We went back to Aldénio and Michele but Aldénio wasn't there so we just talked with Michele. We helped her recognize that she has received an answer about this message and knows that it is true. (Did I tell you guys that she got really emotion when she walked into the chapel? It brought her to tears. This time she told us that the feeling she felt was a strong as only 3 other times in her life 1) their wedding/blessing thing 2) birth of Marcelle 3) Birth of Manuelle.) We talked to her about setting July 31 as their goal to be married and baptized. She said it sounded good but that she would need to talk to Aldénio of course and he is a bit more hesitant. We went back and talked with both of them and it seemed like they had definitely talked about it, because Michele started asking lots of questions that we know came from Aldénio (he really likes us and doesn´t like to talk to us directly about his doubts and questions). She said, "mas nós precisamos ser batisados mesmo?" (But do we really have to be baptized?) It was a 180 degree change for her...she asked about all the restrictions (word of wisdom, having to be married, etc) and how they worked if we have free agency. It broke Sister Winters and my heart when she started asking about everything since we know she has a testimony. But everything she asked us are the doubts and questions that Aldénio has. He needs lots of prayers. He still doesn´t have a testimony of these things. We explained agency and bore our testimonies, and talked a lot about prayer and how they need to receive their own answers about these things. We invited them to read the scriptures and pray everyday in their search to know if these things are true. We are praying hard for them and especially Aldénio. We are going to prepare a special lesson for him about the priesthood and about the blessing it can be her his family/children. We sing Eu Sou Um Filho de Deus (I Am A Child of God) with them almost every time and it really helps him I think. We will just keep praying and working hard and rely on the Lord!

Im attaching a photo of them. I really love them and I know they are elect...We just have to help them to know it! We took this picture after church when they came. They practically look like members already...Michele got them all dressed up!

We had a really good lesson with a boy named Marcelo this week too. It was a very special night for us. He was interviewed to be baptized about 5 months ago, but decided he wasn't ready right before the baptism. He told us now that after wards his life just fell apart...nothing huge happened, but he felt more unstable and unhappy. We had a really good lesson with him and he said he knows he needs to come back. Ill write more about him next week since I am out of time and there is much more I want to say about it!!

Love you so much!!

Sister Knudsen

2010-05-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

2010-05-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

I forgot I still had to write my President, so I wrote to him about this cute family we found that we are really excited about. I talked about them in the last email. At Interviews with President Cooley he told us that we need to focus on teaching their daughters because as we teach on their level the spirit will teach the parents on their level. He told us to teach them I Am a Child of God. So here is the email I wrote him about how it went and everything:

"You were very inspired in your advice to teach the children. It didn´t go as well as we planned because the little daughter was being a little bit...crazy, but it still worked wonders with the dad, Aldénio. He had been hesitant about church, but when we invited them to come again he said Yes without hesitation! We were so glad!! They came on Sunday and absolutely LOVED it. Well Aldénio was really tired, so he didnt get much out of it, but he still liked it and Michele and the girls adored it! When Michele walked into the chapel, it moved her to tears. She said it was so beautiful and she felt something and got very emotional!

The problem: We found out they aren´t legally married. When they got "married" Michele was 16 and he was 29 or so. Her family didnt approve so they went to a Catholic Bishop and he gave them a blessing -- so they count that as being married as far as God is concerned, even though they aren´t married by law. They want to get married legally, but were thinking they might do it at the end of this year so they could save up money and go all out with all their family and everything. We knew this would be a hard situation...so we planned a really good lesson about eternal families and temples that we were really excited about. The execution didn´t go as well as we had planned, though. One of their daughters wouldn´t sit still and was asking her mom to do everything for her as we tried to teach, so it was hard for Michele to focus. When we came to the invite for them to be married sooner rather than later so that they could be baptised and receive the blessings of the temple, Aldénio said it would be impossible because they dont have the money now. Michele talked about how she really wants to have a wedding dress and get their families all together. We testified and invited them to pray about it. They said they would pray about it.

We fasted for them yesterday and hope that when we go back they will have received a response that these things are true. And that they will show the faith to go forward with the response. Neither of us have really had to help people get married before, so we are learning together...its a really hard situation!! But we are trying to rely on the Lord that he can help us say the things they need to hear to follow his commandments!"

So that is the update about their family. I really love them and I hope they continue to progress.

Thats the majority of whats been happening this week! I love the gospel and I love this work and I know that we have the restored church of Jesus Christ on the earth again. I know that when we put God and Jesus Christ in the first place in our lives, everything else works out. I promise that is true because I am seeing it in the lives of those I meet and teach here in Brazil.

I love you all!!

Sister Knudsen

Pictures!!!

2010-05-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

So I think I told you guys about the fun rain adventure we had after Policia Federal and meeting the apostles. This is a picture of us soaking wet after we finally made it to the right bus stop (this was after we walked against traffic on the freeway...good times!)

Brazilian Pay phone booths! It looks like a helmet! They are great! This isnt the exact one, but I used one just like it in front of our apartment when I called you on Saturday night!!

HOLY AVOCADO! Look how big they are here! I think they are a tad bit sweeter too. Mom and Andy, you would be in Heaven here with me with these big avocados! Just one makes more guacamole than 4-5 of ours in the United States and they are pretty inside...I havent seen one yet that has so much gross stringy yuckiness as a lot of the ones we have to deal with. Do you think avocados would travel well when I come home...?

We had a zone activity 2 P-days ago and after the activity we got milkshakes. Elder Gratil bought pistacchio in the largest size possible...which was a big mistake because it was GROSS! So then he had to get the taste out of his mouth...so he went and bought another one and asked for the smallest/cheapest one. This was the result. Everyone was laughing because of how tiny it is!!

This is a little path through the field in front of our apartment complex. It was a pretty sunset as we walked home through it so we thought we should take some quaint photos!

THANKS AMANDA!! Amanda sent me a lemon poppyseed muffin package so my companion and I made them into pancakes! Delicious as always! I wouldnt mind a few more of those packets...hint hint. ;) Sister Winters mom had sent her maple flavor so we made syrup and everything! It was perfect!

Hello everyone!

2010-05-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Another week has come and gone! Man...its passing by soooo fast! And today I found out that instead of staying an extra 3 weeks longer that 18 months like Sisters usually do, it has been changed and I will probably be coming home a couple weeks shorter than 18 months. CRAZY. I´m already almost at 6 months on the mission! I have SO much to learn still...but I think that is how you always feel out here and in life in general. My perspective on life has changed a lot already.

Okay so the most exciting adventure of the past week was Sao Paulo! I had to go into the capital to do my fingerprinting with my visa stuff. All of us americans who came from the provo MTC and all the missionaries from the MTC down here came into the office on Thursday night to be up and at the office by 6 AM! We stayed the night with the sisters that are close by and had a big sleep over! There were 6 of us. Sister Winters and I, Sister Steinbeigle (who I met in the MTC) and her companion Sister de Souza (who was Sister Winter´s comp before she came to be mine) and then the 2 sisters that live there, Sister Abreu and Sister Lopes. Sister Steinbeigle and I woke up at 4:30 to get down there by 6 and then we got to see all of our Elders from the MTC and ride to the Federal Police office with all of them! It was so much fun to see everyone and talk to them. I got to know Sister Steinbeigle better and I absolutely love her, and I finally got to see Elder Teichert who said he is serving in the Time Square of Sao Paulo that is even worse and louder than NY!! He said it is CRAZY! He is loving it though! Him, Elder Lew, and Elder Edlund are all doing well though! I had a lot of fun catching up with them! I got to teach a lesson with Elder Lew to this cute family that was there too. They had a little girl who has CP and they are from Colombia (I think...) so they were doing visa stuff too. I gave them a restoration pamphlet. I totally froze up not having a companion though, so I forgot to ask them if they wanted missionaries to pass by their house and to get their address....oops. Like I said...I still have SO much to learn!!!

After we got everything finished, we went back to the office and I finally got to pull out all the stuff I need from my other suitcase! I dont know if I ever told you guys that, but I left one there and took one with me to Sorocaba. I had to repack the stuff I wanted to take really fast so there was a bunch of stuff I forgot! Now its all good though and I got everything I need and took some stuff back that I wasnt using too! It was good!

THEN...Sister Winters and I headed to the Distribution store on the side of the Temple with another set of Elders who were going to help guide us back home to Sorocaba after we bought a few things. As we passed by the beautiful Sao Paulo Temple and chapel next door we saw a bunch of old men in Suits standing a few feet away from the gate. We looked a little closer and as some of them turned we realized it was Elder Nelson and Elder Holland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They saw us and walked over to shake our hands and see how the work is going!! They were also there with Elder Carlos Codoy (or something to that effect) and some other members of the seventy and I think one from the presiding bishopric! We shook all of their hands and Sister Winters hinted at a taking a picture with them, but they didnt really say yes so we just talked to them for a second and then went on our way. It was AMAZING!

The crazy part is that as I was walking past the Temple there were some other people passing in the street too and its a busy street so there were lots of cars too, so I was thinking about how strange it is that so many people pass a sacred temple of God and dont even realize what it is. Then we met Apostles of God and it was magnified. They were just strolling past these men who they had NO idea were, all caught up in the other tasks in their lives. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that the church of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth with a Prophet and 12 Apostles who have the authority to act in the name of Jesus Christ through the priesthood. As I shook their hands I could feel the Spirit and the power of their position and devotion to our loving Heavenly Father. I testify to anyohe who may be reading this, that these are men of God. That the truth is here. That all people everywhere can know that these things are true if they pray to God and ask him with a sincere heart. Anyone who prays to know something, with real intent (intent to act on the answer whatever it may be) will receive a witness that this church is true and that they can be apart of the fold of Christ through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost through confirmation. There are men on earth with the authority to do God´s work and they are found only in His church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was an amazing experience.

We had a fun adventure finding a bus home too...Lets just say it was pouring and at one part we had to walk against traffic on the side of a freeway....don´t worry...I´m still alive. And very grateful that I am!

I love you all so much and I hope you are doing well!! I know I say this every week but Ill try to send picture next week. This computer isnt working with them. :(

Sister Knudsen

An AMAZING story!!

2010-05-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Okay so on to the other amazing news about Saturday...

Miracles!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are having a baptism this Saturday! We have been praying to have a baptism this transfer even though we didnt know how it would happen, but a 17 year old girl, Jessica, who we have been teaching with her mom, Mariza, told us on Sunday night that she wants to be baptised!!!! She said this Saturday would be perfect! She is so excited and her mom is too. Just a few days ago when we invited them to be baptized yet again, Mariza responded that she just isnt ready yet and neither is her daughter. The Lord works wonders though because all the sudden Jessica is ready and Mariza is completely supportive!! We fasted yesterday and today that when we arrive on Thursday for the interview that Mariza will have had a change of heart and decided to be baptized with her daughter. We will just have to see what the will of the Lord is. But yes, we are finally seeing a baptism in this area! I am so excited and so grateful to the Lord for his tender mercies!

It is seriously a miracle...this week has been full of miracles!

The other miracle was this past Sunday. While Sister Winters and I waited in the front of the chapel for an investigator, a woman pulled up and told us she wanted to visit the church and asked if she could. We told her that of course she could!! So she parked and came up to us and asked her she could ask her questions too...we told her we could answer her questions! She also asked if all members talked funny like us...but we assured her that we are the only 2 americans with funny accents there! haha!! So she came to church with us and told us that she had a dream where a childhood friend who passed away not too long ago was there and asked her if she wanted to be friends for eternity. She said yes in the dream and he showed her our church (or maybe the temple) and told her to go there. When she woke up the word eternity really stuck with her so she looked up the church on the internet and saw Sealed for Eternity. She felt a peace and understanding with that word. She loved church and our Principles of the Gospel teacher (who is AMAZING! I love her!! )) answered her other questions and bore a powerful testimony about temples and the gospel and we all cried and it was amazing!! Unfortunately, this woman doesnt live in our area but we got her phone number and passed it to the Elders in her area. She is definitely an Elect...and I am so grateful I got to meet her and feel of her Spirit. It was an amazing day...and it was that day too that Jessica told us she wanted to be baptized. Talk about a good Sunday on the mission!!

So yes, life is good, my testimony is as strong as ever, and I love the Lord with all my heart!!

Love you so much!!!

Boa Tarde!

2010-04-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Another week has come and gone! Man...its passing by soooo fast! And today I found out that instead of staying an extra 3 weeks longer that 18 months like Sisters usually do, it has been changed and I will probably be coming home a couple weeks shorter than 18 months. CRAZY. I´m already almost at 6 months on the mission! I have SO much to learn still...but I think that is how you always feel out here and in life in general. My perspective on life has changed a lot already.

Okay so the most exciting adventure of the past week was Sao Paulo! I had to go into the capital to do my fingerprinting with my visa stuff. All of us americans who came from the provo MTC and all the missionaries from the MTC down here came into the office on Thursday night to be up and at the office by 6 AM! We stayed the night with the sisters that are close by and had a big sleep over! There were 6 of us. Sister Winters and I, Sister Steinbeigle (who I met in the MTC) and her companion Sister de Souza (who was Sister Winter´s comp before she came to be mine) and then the 2 sisters that live there, Sister Abreu and Sister Lopes. Sister Steinbeigle and I woke up at 4:30 to get down there by 6 and then we got to see all of our Elders from the MTC and ride to the Federal Police office with all of them! It was so much fun to see everyone and talk to them. I got to know Sister Steinbeigle better and I absolutely love her, and I finally got to see Elder Teichert who said he is serving in the Time Square of Sao Paulo that is even worse and louder than NY!! He said it is CRAZY! He is loving it though! Him, Elder Lew, and Elder Edlund are all doing well though! I had a lot of fun catching up with them! I got to teach a lesson with Elder Lew to this cute family that was there too. They had a little girl who has CP and they are from Colombia (I think...) so they were doing visa stuff too. I gave them a restoration pamphlet. I totally froze up not having a companion though, so I forgot to ask them if they wanted missionaries to pass by their house and to get their address....oops. Like I said...I still have SO much to learn!!!

After we got everything finished, we went back to the office and I finally got to pull out all the stuff I need from my other suitcase! I dont know if I ever told you guys that, but I left one there and took one with me to Sorocaba. I had to repack the stuff I wanted to take really fast so there was a bunch of stuff I forgot! Now its all good though and I got everything I need and took some stuff back that I wasnt using too! It was good!

THEN...Sister Winters and I headed to the Distribution store on the side of the Temple with another set of Elders who were going to help guide us back home to Sorocaba after we bought a few things. As we passed by the beautiful Sao Paulo Temple and chapel next door we saw a bunch of old men in Suits standing a few feet away from the gate. We looked a little closer and as some of them turned we realized it was Elder Nelson and Elder Holland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They saw us and walked over to shake our hands and see how the work is going!! They were also there with Elder Carlos Codoy (or something to that effect) and some other members of the seventy and I think one from the presiding bishopric! We shook all of their hands and Sister Winters hinted at a taking a picture with them, but they didnt really say yes so we just talked to them for a second and then went on our way. It was AMAZING!

The crazy part is that as I was walking past the Temple there were some other people passing in the street too and its a busy street so there were lots of cars too, so I was thinking about how strange it is that so many people pass a sacred temple of God and dont even realize what it is. Then we met Apostles of God and it was magnified. They were just strolling past these men who they had NO idea were, all caught up in the other tasks in their lives. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that the church of Jesus Christ is restored on the earth with a Prophet and 12 Apostles who have the authority to act in the name of Jesus Christ through the priesthood. As I shook their hands I could feel the Spirit and the power of their position and devotion to our loving Heavenly Father. I testify to anyohe who may be reading this, that these are men of God. That the truth is here. That all people everywhere can know that these things are true if they pray to God and ask him with a sincere heart. Anyone who prays to know something, with real intent (intent to act on the answer whatever it may be) will receive a witness that this church is true and that they can be apart of the fold of Christ through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost through confirmation. There are men on earth with the authority to do God´s work and they are found only in His church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was an amazing experience.

We had a fun adventure finding a bus home too...Lets just say it was pouring and at one part we had to walk against traffic on the side of a freeway....don´t worry...I´m still alive. And very grateful that I am!

I love you all so much and I hope you are doing well!! I know I say this every week but Ill try to send picture next week. This computer isnt working with them. :(

Sister Knudsen

So much to say!

2010-04-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I realized that I never wrote about a bunch of things, so here is a catch up and other interesting facts email!

First off, I got my package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was perfect! I love the shirts, they are SO cute! And the chocolate eggs....so amazing. And did I tell you guys that they dont have canned green beans here? Or did you just know?! Because I have been searching for them and wanting them really badly! I am soooooo excited to eat them! haha!! Thank you so much. Who knew a girl could get so excited about canned green beans, right?! I love them!

Did I ever tell you about the workshop we did with the stake?! It was on the 28th of March and it was awesome! We have really good Zone Leaders (Elder Gratil and Elder J. Silva) who organized the workshop with the Stake. It was about how the members can work more with missionary work. We have 3 sections that were 20 minutes each and 2 companionships per section. Our part was about little invites and we used the Reeses that I received from a little package from my friend Samantha as an object lesson. We started with the Elders eating a Reeses each and making a lot of noise about how amazing and delicious they are. Then we asked how many in the audience wanted one. They all did. Then the Elders said a lot of excuses as to why they wouldn´t offer it to people (its too hard, they might not like it, they might already have something else, etc) Then we explained that we have something that everyone else wants, even if they dont realize it right now: eternal life/eternal happiness. We put a Reeses up high on the wall and had a short member come up and try to get it. She obviously couldn´t so then we pulled out a ladder and talked about how for a lot of people an invite for baptism from their neighbor might be a hugh step that they will automatically reject. But if we invite step by step we can help our friends and neighbors realize the church of Jesus Christ is restored and we have the authority to baptize and seal on earth what will then be sealed in heaven. The steps could start with an invite for dinner where you bless the food. You could invite the missionaries too, just so they can see them and probably ask questions about why they are there and why they have a black plack on, etc. Then maybe you invite them to a family home evening or church activity. Then to church, then to listen to a message from the missionaries, etc. There are a lot of little steps you can take, but if you personalize it to the specific person and pray about it, you can know what steps you can take to help those around you soften their hearts to the message. We also applied it to the members who are asking...for them asking their friend to church is a huge step they dont want to take too...so they need to make steps for themselves that help them accomplish the overall goal of missionary work and of bringing their friends unto Christ. It went really well!

Other news: The past Monday and Tuesday we did splits with the other sisters in our zone. I went to their area with Sister Ribeiro, and Sister Winters stayed in our area with Sister Tarssia (both Brasilians)!! It was a good experience and I realized I have A LONG way to go still. They both teach really well and are very bold and insistent, but not in a bad way. I realized I really need to do better being bold because its a very serious matter. We are offering salvation. I´m a people pleaser...we all know that...so its hard for me to not just say ókay...thanks anyway´ when someone says they already have their religion/path/whatever. But I need to help them realized that there is only One path...One true church or Jesus Christ. They have a loving Heavenly Father with a beautiful plan and they need to know it!

I am happy and healthy and all that jazz, but please pray for me that I can be bolder and learn my scriptures better! I want to be a missionary that Ammon or Alma and use the power and authority I have been set apart with.

Love you all so much!

Sister Knudsen

(Ill send pics next week!)

Hello hello......

2010-04-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hello my loves!

Guess what?! I get to call you next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just thought I would bring that up real fast...its in like 4 weeks! The 9th, I believe. Can´t wait!!

So this week has been a big battle against Satan...You just don't understand his power until you are trying to help people find the RIGHT path and you see his hand working as hard as possible to stop people from progressing. The main experience was a mom and her two daughters who we are teaching. I think I have mentioned them already. The daughter is a friend of a boy in our ward and he referred her to us. The first day we taught the mom said we were an answer to her prayers and we set a baptismal date with them right then. The most important thing an investigator needs to do is get to church. They have to come at least twice before they can be baptized usually. We confirmed for them to come to conference and then they didnt...still don't know exactly why. Then we confirmed even more assuredly for them to come this past Sunday to church. They were 100% on board when we left their house Saturday afternoon. But then a few hours later the older daughter called and told us she wanted to wait until next week. She goes to a different church and wanted to go there first and tell them that she would be visiting our church the next week. We didnt feel good about that at all. The chances of her church leaders being fine and dandy about her visiting another church didnt seem good, and there is always enough people to go around who have anti-mormon literature or something to pass. Plus, its super easy for people to put off going to church forever...it made us SO sad. Even worse was that she told us none of them were coming now. We tried to offer a ride for her mom and sister if that was the problem since they only have one car, but she said they would just come next week.

That is the hardest part of the work. People are feeling the spirit and getting closer and closer to being members of Christ´s Restored Church and then Satan puts every excuse possible into their heads. The whole plan is based off of agency so we respect their decisions completely...but it doesn´t change the fact that we will be completely devastated when they falter. Its hard. I have so much love for them and its not that I just want to ´win´people over to my church...I want to bring them unto the fold..help them feel the amazing love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them. Help them chose to be baptised with the authority of God and serve him and endure to the end so they can have eternal life! I just want them to realize that and go forward with the amazing feelings of the spirit they have already felt.

So yeah, that's been on my mind. Everyday I am trying more and more to be more obedient, more faithful, more Christlike, so that we can work miracles in the lives of the great people we are meeting. Satan has power, but none near as much as God. If we work with God´s eternal laws, we can bring about miracles. He wants them to come home to Him. The power of his love is more than anything Satan can throw, so I just have to keep testifying and bringing the Spirit so they can make the decision to follow what is right and true.

That being said, I am so excited for this work still. We had other investigators at church that are doing well and we are working hard with them! I have faith that we can baptize this transfer. I know this is God´s kingdom on the earth...I have no doubts. It is amazing to be here as a representative of Christ. I love him with all my heart and I hope that I am a worthy servant.

I love you all and I am so grateful for your support and examples!

Sister Knudsen

Latest photos!

2010-04-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

Me, Sister Simpkins and Sister Hanson with our visa papers!

Me, Sister Winters, and her trainer sister Correira (your trainer is called your mom and since sis winters in my trainer she is my mom...so this is a 3 generation photo with my mom and grandma!)

Us and the other sisters in the zone!

More from Brazil....

2010-04-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

Sounds like Easter was a blast! Can I just tell you that I think its very funny that you tell me in such detail the food you all ate! I get a little jealous, I hope you know! ;) Thank you though! It makes me feel closer to you and I can just pretend that I am eating those amazing strawberry pies....mmmmm....

I love what Cambria said about the zoo...she is so cute!!

I LOVED LOVED LOVED conference. I love listening to men and women of God...they have such power and authority in their words and testimonies. Just seeing them and feeling their spirit is a testimony that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored!

The theme was definitely on families. I loved it. I thought about you guys a lot during! I always think `oh i bet so and so is thinking this about what he just said´ etc.

My favorite part was the testimony of the prophet that Elder Neil. L Andersen gave at the end of his talk before President Monson spoke. We had an investigator listening to that session and I felt like it was perfect for her!

So we only had that one woman at conference even though we had 5 or so confirmed to go...but we were grateful for the one! She is the mom in a family of three (dad, mom, daughter) with a daughter with special needs. The daughter was a little sick, so she canceled on us, but then last minute said she was coming after all! It was awesome and she really liked it! We had dinner with her and her family last night and they are going to come to church this weekend, she said. They haven't read the part we marked in the Book of Mormon yet though...but I know that when they finally do read and pray they will receive a response and be humble enough to go forward with it. Her parents live next door too, and they have been over a lot when we are there. We have high hopes to baptize all of them! They are a very special family. After we ate last night, Mya (the little daughter) said she wanted to give us something so her mom went into the back room and brought out two WRAPPED gifts! She had showed us a book Mya has that is Your First 1000 Words in Portuguese/English. Its a Disney made book that has pages with different themes (house, animals, numbers, telling time, etc) to help kids learn. It has each word in English and in Portuguese. We had said that we loved it and that it would be good for us even, so she went and bought each of us one! I was amazed! They are so sweet! Oh and she had asked us what kind of food we like and I had told you I love broccoli but have still yet to find it here and so she found and made us broccoli! They are amazing!! I really love them!

Our new transfer starts today and Sister Winters and I are staying together for at least one more! YAY! We didn't want to be separated yet and we both want to see the fruit of our labor since we didn't have any baptisms last transfer. Usually transfers are every 6 weeks, but there is always one that is 5 weeks during the year and this is it. It is really hard to know that eventually one of us will have to leave. I have a feeling it will be me, but who knows. I will put of thinking about it until that 5th week...haha!

But yeah, we are really praying for some baptisms this transfer. Its so hard meeting all of these great people and knowing that not all of them will accept the gospel. I just have to keep trying everyday to become a better instrument in the hands of the Lord so that through my faith, miracles can happen in the lives of these amazing people!

Description of the pictures I sent last week: 1.) Me and two of my elders from the MTC, Elder Edlund and Elder Lew. They are in the interior too so when we had zone conference they were there! It was so good to see them! Elder Teichert is the only one I haven´t seen yet since he is in the capital. One day! 2.) Sister Winters and I on one of our first P-days when we went to a park and met up with ours and another zone so they could play futebol and we could run and play cards -- the face you see in the back is our district leader Elder Fabian who just got transferred. :( He is really funny and a good leader and missionary! 3.) Me with the city of Sorocaba behind me. We were up at one of the farthest and definitely the highest up neighborhoods in our area! I love being up there because the view is BEAUTIFUL! Good thing the majority of our investigators live up in those neighborhoods!

Love you all so much and I hope you are doing well! You are in my prayers!!

Sister Knudsen

TO ALL!!

2010-03-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

First I have to say that it was my beautiful companion, Sister Winters´ birthday last tuesday and I forgot to mention that in my email! Just so everyone knows, she is amazing and I love her!

We had a fun party last week on Pday with our zone. We played volleyball, monopoly deal, and had chocolate brownies and fun times! I also tried my first Açaí! Its a fruit that is amazing and its in icee/milkshake form when you buy it. I had it with granola and bananas and I LOVED it...so good!

Update on the work--Here's the email I sent to President:

We had a good week! We are struggling getting investigators to church though. Everyone seems to be traveling ALL the time or other things come up. We did have a family this last weekend though. The mom hadn´t wanted to come but then I think she liked it most of everyone! It was her, her husband, and their son who is already grown up (about 26 years old). I think they liked it, but we stopped by again after wards and just as we got their, her niece and niece´s family showed up so she told us this week wouldn't work since they were going to have family in town. We dropped off an invite for conference though, so we will see.

Also, last week we contacted a reference of a young boy in our ward. Its a friend of his, Sarah, and her mom, Selena. The first lesson went really well with them and they accepted baptismal dates. The next time we went (this week), the other daughter, Andrea, was there too so we taught her too. Last time we went we taught the Word of Wisdom and they already keep it! They don't even drink coffee! It was awesome! We talked to the daughter a lot about authority too because she was already baptized evangelical, but she seemed interested in finding out for her self if she needs to be baptized again. I hope she prays!

We have a lot of people we are teaching who have so much potential. One lady and her son are progressing well, but she still doesn´t want to set a baptismal date. She bore her testimony to her family (siblings and mom) the other day without even being asked when we taught them all together, but she still said she needs more time to think. We have high hopes for her though and are saying lots of prayers on her behalf. She is going to come to conference, so I hope something there can help her make the decision!

Mom, the man I told you about in the email I sent is this last woman´s brother in law. I am hoping we can eventually teach a lot of her family. She has I think 6 sisters and 2 brothers. I love them all! Oh and this woman is the one I talked about in my last email too about the son who let us in. Its all very miraculous! I love it!

The mission is amazing. We have ups and downs, but the ups make everything else absolutely worth it! I love my Heavenly Father and Savior SO MUCH. And I am sooooooooooo excited for conference this weekend!! I get to watch it in English thank goodness so I will get a lot more out of it!!

I am sending pics so I hope they work...sorry no descriptions yet!

Love you so much!!

Sister Knudsen

Pictures I hope!!

2010-03-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

OI!!!!

So I´m trying to send pictures but that means I might not be able to write a lot if its slow and takes the rest of the time...so I´m just going to say a few things really fast:

The Atonement is amazing and we all need to take more time thinking about the amazing plan God has for us. It is COMPLETELY 100% about love. He loves us so much and He sent His Son Jesus Christ to suffer for us, so that we can become like God and have joy forever with them and our families. Its amazing. I am so deeply humbled when I take the time to really think about this. I need to think about it more though, and not get distracted by all the phsical day to day things. If I could fully understand the Atonement and the Love they have for us, I would have a lot more power and convicition in my teaching. But everyday we learn more and more, right?!

Here is the letter I sent to my president for a little more update about the cute family with the little handicapped boy and another woman we taught:

[[[[[Dear President,

The family is still doing good, but they went through a phase of being really busy and not letting us come back. We went back and told them we know they are busy, but that the day we met them was definitely a miracle and that our purpose here is important. We told them we will be coming back and teaching them in short lessons since they don´t have a lot of time. It is hard because the mom teaches english classes in her home and doesn´t have a regular schedule with her students so she never reallys knows when she will have a class. Once we talked to her about how important the gospel is and how we don´t want to put it off, they were more understanding. We have gone back pretty frequently since then, but they haven´t been home every time. We will keep trying though. They are a very special family!

We taught a woman a couple days ago where everything she said led into the next principle we wanted to teach. It was so perfect! She has been to many different churches but doesn´t agree with a lot of their doctrines or customs, so she hasn´t been baptized in any church yet. She is excited to read the Book of Mormon and pray. We are going back tomorrow to follow up with her. I keep praying for all our investigators that they will have the faith and open heart to receive the response God is so ready and willing to give to us.

I feel like its really hard to express myself in portuguese still, but Sister Winters and I are talking more in portuguese and I´m trying to trust in the Lord more that if I open my mouth, the Spirit will take over. Its a process, but I´m learning!]]]]]

I think it only attached one...of all of us that received our visas within two days of each other...im trying to send more. it takes forever!! next week! sorry!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Knudsen

I am almost at 4 months already....WHAT!??

2010-03-05T23:19:00.000-08:00

Hello my beautiful family (and friends)!

So my companion thinks I´m a little bit crazy because I didn´t die the first
week we got here. And now that I have talked to some more people about it, I
think I am a bit abnormal. Don´t get me wrong, I for sure had moments when
I thought ´how in the world am I going to do this for the next 15 months´
and ´i just don't want to walk ever again!´ But they were fleeting and I just
went forward. I was really tired, but I wasn´t dead exhausted like most
other people describe themselves being during the first weeks. I can only
guess that its because you guys pray so much for me, or because I
internalize too much and will have a break down in a few weeks or
months....I´m going to hope for the first one!

So yeah. I´m doing good! I haven´t gotten too discouraged even though I know
I have LOTS (aka TONS & TONS) of things to learn. That's what the journey is
for, right?

Anyway, this email is going to be a bit more about cool and different things
in Brazil than the work, but I wanted to give you some interesting facts!

1. Ants here are amazing! Maybe this happens in the US too but I´ve never
seen it before! The ants here carry HUGE objects with them back to their
hills! Big leaves and sticks! Things more than 25 times their size....is
that not amazing or what?! I´m going to take a picture next time I see it
because the first time I didn´t have my camera with me and I was in awe.
Seriously...super ants!

2. Oranges here aren´t orange. They have a little orange but are mostly
green. Its very different but they still taste good!

3. For lots of inexpensive delicious fruit, Sao Paulo is NOT the place to
go. This made me very very sad! We do get delicious papaya and mangos, but
the North and the South have the fruit that is just growing on trees as you
walk by and can just grab them off and eat them. Not the case here. The
fruit is a little expensive here and they don´t have all the yummy exotic
types for me to eat. I really want to travel all around Brazil after the
mission and have all the fruit!

4. Weather: So the first day I got here was deathly hot. I thought I might
die and I got a pretty bad sunburn. I just assumed that was how Sorocaba
was since I heard it was hotter in the interior than the city. Sister
Winters didn´t know either since we were both new to the area so we weren´t
too excited about the heat! LUCKILY, we found out that that first weekend
was record breaking abnormal heat for the area! THANK GOODNESS!! Then we
were blessed with the past week which has been sooooooooo beautiful! It has
been cloudy and breezy and cool! So perfect for the work. We´ve gotten some
beautiful rain too. It has been amazing. I hope it stays this way! Its
gorgeous! Oh and I learned that I have to be a little bit careful telling
people a LOVE rain storms because they are really dangerous here. Since the
houses in the city are built one on top of another in very in stable ways,
there are lots of slides when it rains and a lot of times houses fall and
people die when it rains hard...so most people here are very afraid of big
rain storms. Crazy, eh?

Anyway, thats some interesting facts for you.

Other small world info: One of my zone leaders is Elder Gratil. He is from
Gilbert and graduated a year after me from Gilbert High! His best friend is
Tanner Dahl who I was friends with and took to Morp when we had the cowboy
theme! So funny! Elder Gratil and I like to reminisce about the amazing
restaurants we miss and especially the Mexican food!

I love the food here though. Its delicious! We always have beans and rice
at lunch, and then usually fried chicken, or stroganoff, or a lasagna or
pasta thing. Oh and salads here are just lettuce and tomatoes usually.
Different but still good! Its yummy. I love it! Our ward is really great to
us! I love them all!

Oh and last thing: We finally met with our Ward Mission Leader and the
counselor in the bishopric that is over the ward mission plan and they are
awesome! The leader was just called last Sunday but they both have great
ideas and plans and really want to work. I´m so excited to work with them!

Alright, times up but I love you all SOOOOOOOO much!!

Sister Knudsen

Brazil is beautiful!!! (and Erin's new address!)

2010-02-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have definitely found a purpose here. We have now found 3 families that have special needs children. The first is the one I told you about already. They are doing really well. We have stopped by their house about 4 times now and taught little pieces of the lessons. The mom said she read 3 Ne 11 that we left with her and wants to talk to us about baptism. The second lesson we taught we invited them to be baptized, and the dad talked to us about how they had visited the church and he´d been overwhelmed with information. They have a really really close friend who is an amazing member and has been such a good example to them --she is in the other ward, not ours-- but they came with her and some of the people took him on a little tour and told him a lot of stuff about the gospel, etc. I think it was just overload so he is hesitant to move fast. So we hadn´t brought up baptism again since we wanted to help them understand everything and build their faith up, but she brought it up on her own right before we were leaving and wants to talk to us about it next time. They are such a special family. An amazing example to me! I told the mom the other day that she reminds me of my mom (Yes Mama, YOU!) because she is so selfless and loving! The way she takes care of her son is just like how you are always so willing to give your all to us, your kids, and to our special little Erik!

The other 2 families: The second woman was out in the street in front of her house with some other family members and her son who was in a wheelchair and we contacted her. She wasn´t interested at first, but after we talked a little bit and I showed her the picture of my family with Erik, she said we could stop by sometime if we wanted. We went by the other day and she said she was too busy, but we are hopeful that she will let us in one day.

The third was yesterday. We were knocking doors in this neighborhood thats one of our farthest in our area as we headed to an appointment we had out there, and the first person we see is this little boy run out the front door completely naked! haha! Its was so funny! Then the mother came out and we told her who we are and a little about out message. We usually ask if we can share our message with them and their family but IF they say yes they usually want us to just share it really fast with them right where we are standing. So she wanted us to just say it right there. I had just done one where I just started talking and didn´t really breath and it was really terrible. I'm not really use to it yet because most people say no! But anyway, because I had just done that and Sister Winters and I had laughed about it and I had talked about how I need to remember that its still a lesson and get to know them and ask questions, etc still...I started the message and then asked her what blessings she has in her life. She told us that her son is Autistic and that she has really been doubting God because she doesn´t understand why children have disabilities. She is really worried about her son´s future and how he won´t be able to get married and have a normal life, etc. She told us she has been really struggling and her mom who is catholic keeps telling her to have faith and that it will all be okay. I told her that I think we are answers to her prayers and there to help her figure everything out (not in those words though because i dont know how to say that in Portuguese...but that is the jist(gist?)!) Anyway, she said she feels like she really needs religion right now but just doesn´t feel like she has faith. We are going to go back next week to talk with her more. Pray for us to have the spririt and to know what we need to say!

So I need to wrap up now. I´m sorry I can´t write to each of you more personally. I love you very much!

Oh, and my Pday is Wednesday now which I'm sure you have already realized!

Anyway, that's all! I was going to send pics but I don´t have time again because apparently it takes forever to upload them to computers and I´d rather write...but i will figure out a way to do it!

My testimony grows each day here and I hope yours are too. This is the one and only church with the COMPLETE GOSPEL. I am soooo grateful to be a member and so have this knowledge!

I love you all!

Sister Erin Knudsen

Ok and also here is Erin's new address!! It was listed on the bookmark's she gave away before she left. I was just thinking there would be a more direct address to send to, but this is it. Both letters and packages can be sent here.

Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission
Rua Dr. Rui Bastista Pereira, 165
Jardim Caxingui
05517-080 Sao Paulo-SP
Brazil

First email from Brazil!

2010-02-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a CRAZY week and a half! So much excitement and change. I could probably write a novel about everything, but that would takes days! PS: I get one hour now for internet, but part of that is for writing my mission President my weekly report so I have just a few minutes more than before. I´ll take it!

So I got to talk to most of you on the phone! That was AMAZING! I tried calling Devin, but none of the pay phones would take my coins. Then Elder Lew let me use his phone card but it ended up having insufficient funds for the call. :( But Devin, know that I was trying and I´m really sad I couldn´t talk to you. I love you!! Happy Birthday passed!

Hailey, did you get my message? I hope you liked it! How was your birthday?! love you!!!!!!!!!!

So, on the plane over here, Elder Edlund and I talked to a really awesome Brazilian man just a little older than us and ended up giving him a Book of Mormon! It was great!

So luckily I saved that much because my email was deleted! I don't know how and so I have to rewrite the rest really fast!

Anyway, I am just going to skip to what is most important...

I am in Sorocaba and it's in the interior. My companion is Sister Winters from CA. She is cousins to our friends the Winters from Chandler! Small world! Our ward and area is Progresso and it was closed for 2 months because of lack of missionaries so we are opening it...ahh! Anyway, our apartment was trashed when we got here with a broken and window and toilet and other bad things so it was an adventurous beginning to the mission. But after a hard week with almost complete rejection, we had 4 miracles yesterday right at the end of the day. the best one was the family we were led to where they have a special needs boy they ADOPTED when we was little. Their only son. He is precious and the moment I saw him I started to bawl....because he reminded me of Erik...and it was crazy and amazing! We are going to start teaching them and they are so ready and I am so happy!

There is so much more but that is the most amazing part! The members here are amazing too and I love them and my companion!

Sister Knudsen

She's in Brazil!!

2010-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Family of Sister Knudsen,

It is our privilege to send a few pictures of your daughter, Sister Knudsen, when she arrived to our mission on the 2^nd of December. We are very happy to have her here serving in our mission and that we will have the opportunity to work with her. These pictures attached are of the first day she arrived to the mission, one of her group of missionaries that arrived with her, and the other with President Cooley. We thank you for your sacrifice, support, and prayers for your missionary and our mission.

Sincerely,

President Jeffry L. Cooley

Sister Melodee T. Cooley

São Paulo North Mission

The unthinkable has happened!!!!

2010-02-05T09:45:00.001-08:00

*So...sorry if the toes thing is TMI but...I decided to leave it in. You want to know what she's doing right? Well...*

So...the right side of the big toenail on my right foot has been bothering me for the past month or so. After seeing Irmao Smith's mission pictures, which included ingrown toenail pictures and stories or pain and anguish...I realized my toenail might be heading in the same direction. This was NOT okay with me!

I had been meaning to stop by the health clinic to ask them about it. It seemed very beginning stages, but its better to prevent than let it become terrible, so I finally stopped by this past Monday to ask them about it!

First, I visited with the nurse and she said since I could get my visa anyday we should send me to a doctor now to check on it. So I went into the scheduling area, and they asked me about insurance. That is when, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, she calls Papa and asks him about it! Unfortunately, I couldn't hear his voice, but it was exciting to know she was talking to him right there!

They told me they would call me to the office once he called back and they could schedule my appointment. Sister Riggs and I left and went back to class where we found out that some people in other districts had received visas! Woo! Always good news!

THEN...Our dear Brazilian friend from the travel office walks into OUR ROOM...with a HUGE stack of travel plans in her hands...DUN DUN DUN!

She starts saying names...Elder Athans...Elder McQuivey...Elder Floyd...Elder Webber...Elder Armitstead...and last but not least...

...

...

...

...

...

...

SISTER RIGGS! MINHA COMPANHEIRA!!!!!!!!

Two of my Elders and some of my adopted district Elders and my campanion!!!! Leaving the next morning!!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!

It was so bittersweet!! So the rest of the day was very crazy! Especially when I get called back to the health clinic and my appointment is later that day! So we went to the doc, and decided the best option for me would be to perform a little surgery/chemical burn on my toenail so that it will stop growing out the wrong way. Because my toe nails curve so much already, they are high risk of ingrown toenails. Since my left foot hasn't bothered me yet though, he doesn't think it will be a problem at all. But the right side was already heading in a bad direction, so we took care of the problem!

So for the next week I get to soak my foot/toe for 20 minutes morning and night and then return to him on Monday for a check up. Other than that I can go about normal activities and it doesn't hurt really at all. Pretty painless, but now I can say I have been CHEMICALLY BURNED! Kind of cool, no?

Anyway...so we get Sister Riggs all packed and ready to go and take pictures with our Elders and cry a little and all that jazz. The next morning at 6, we go say goodbye to our other sister (Sister Smith who is incredible!) and elders in our branch that got their visas and pick up Sister Smith's companion, Sister Simpkins (also so very amazing!!) who would be becoming my companion after Sister Riggs left. At 8, she had to be at the travel office, so we sadly took her and all said out good byes. I lost it just a little because I love Sister Riggs so dearly! We have been together 24/7 for almost 3 months...it was really hard to say bye!

It was a strange couple of days after that! The Mega District has slowly started dissolving! Our classroom because the last one! Sister Simpkins and her 3 Elders that were left came into our room where there was now only me and my last 3 Elders and 3 more of my adopted district Elders! All the rest have been reassigned or received their visas! CRAZY!

Then...

Yesterday...

Some more visas came in...

and halfway through the day...

Another travel office lady came in and annouced four more names...

Elder Teichert...Elder Edlund...Edler Lew...SISTER KNUDSEN!

My and my Elders (all of us going to SP NORTH) received our visas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We leave together on Tuesday at 11:30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

It has happened...and I am in shock still! It is so crazy!!

**********So here is the good news: I get to call home later today for 5 minutes. I'm calling around 5:45 Utah time...I'm leaving a little time on my email so I can check back if that is good, so write back just writing in the "subject line" YES or NO (If NO write in the better time for me to call in Utah time because i don't know if its different or the same right now) OKAY? I'm so excited and I will talk to you all then!!!!**********

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Erin Knudsen

Still here in good 'ol Provo! ;)

2010-01-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

That is the sweetest thing ever! Awwwww! Hailey Brookie!! I miss you so much too! I love you and I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited for you birthday soon! Are you going to have a party?! Freestone park again?! haha!! Take that picture around with you everywhere and pretend I'm there! (**Our little sister Hailey is turning 8 on February 10th and is going to be baptized...she is very sad Erin won't be there! My mom told Erin in her last email how she keeps finding Hailey holding Erin's picture, or giving it a big hug! So sweet!)

Okay, so the story about your little misfortune on the way home from Utah is hilariously sad! I'm so sorry! Que Pena!!! (what a pity!) (**This is referring to the fact that my parents got stuck in the mud on their way home from Utah...I couldn't think of a better description of it then how Erin put it "Hilariously sad" we are sisters for SURE!) BUT...I have to agree with what mom said that it was a great time for you to pray and work as a family! I was overwhelmed with a mixture of humor, spiritual testimony, and sadness for you as I read about it. I'd say its a great story for the posterity though! (Wow...do I sound like a missionary or what?! The other day some of our Elders were talking about something they wouldn't tell us and my companion said, "Is this secret combinations?!" She then turned to me horrified and said something to the effect of "Oh no...I've started using missionary humor!" It was pretty funny. Its bound to happen after 11 weeks in the MTC, right?!)

ANYWAY...I had a really amazing experience at the Temple last week that I didn't write about. I had been struggling to fully stay awake during the sessions for a few weeks in a row, so I prayed that I could really pay attention and learn from the incredible things that occur in the Temple. Nothing crazy happened, but I was able to stay away and my testimony grew that the things that we do in the Temple are of God and are necessary for our Salvation. As I pondered it later as I was writing in my journal on Sunday, I was filled with the Spirit and overwhelmed again by the Restoration. This is what I wrote in my journal: "The truth has been restored. The ways of God, though far too complex for our earthly minds, are shown in part to us in the Temple, His sacred home. I am able to covenant with him and learn the things I need to know and do to be brought into His presence, and to be sealed for all eternity to my family. To progress without end. The temple is the most important place on earth." My greatest joy would be to one day be in the celestial room with my entire family: Me with my spouse and children, and with all of you. That would be the purest joy I could feel on this earth.

Our amazing teacher from Brazil we skype with gave us an awesome surprise on Saturday! His family was in town and we got to teach all of them! They acted like family members of our investigator "Marcus." I adore his family! He has 3 younger sisters, Mariana (19) who just got engaged to one of his best friends--we got to see the ring and he had one too so I guess they do engagement rings for the men too! Karina (15) and Larissa (12). His parents are Joubert and Wanderleia! I love Brazilian names!! haha!! They are awesome! It was a lot of fun and they said we did a great job! We love praise...probably too much...But the best news is that "Marcus" is being baptized tomorrow!!!!! We are so excited!! Having progressive investigators is awesome! I can't wait until they are real!

Okay so guess what?! I sang in church on Sunday....in a quartette. Yeah...shocking I know! I didn't do very well but it was a fun experience! It was Elder Armitstead, Elder Lew, Sister Riggs, and me with Elder Lunceford at the piano. We sang Where Love Is in portuguese! It was fun but scary and I shook the whole time and didn't sound very good. but...TUDO BEM! All is well! haha!

AG! No time....I have more to say so I will try to send a written letter too! But all the Elders and one sister who had been here 14 weeks were all reassigned on Thursday! We just started week 12, so we will see what happens! No one knows anything about visas, except that its random and weird!

Love you all so much!!! Thanks for the pictures! They made my day!!

Erin

Tudo Bem? Tudo bom!

2010-01-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

I have two talks I want you all to read: "Lord, I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief" by Pres. Faust and "But If Not" (different than the other one I talked about) by Lance B. Wickman. I printed a copy to send you but I haven't yet, so just look it up...it will be faster that way. But the latter I just happened upon after I emailed last week when Sister Riggs and I were reading talks for our companionship study. It was the perfect comfort for me while thinking about JR and Rick and Nancy. I am going to send them a copy as well.

Last Sunday I watched Mountain of the Lord after we had our Fireside (we get to watch church films on Sunday nights if I've never mentioned that before). I don't know if I had ever seen it before but it really touched me. Our Fireside had been about Joseph Smith and we had sung Praise to the Man as the closing song. The line "Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven" stuck out to me as I listened. These words became even more significant as I watched Mountain of the Lord about the building on the Salt Lake Temple. 40 years. It took 40 years to finish that temple. The saints knew what sacrifice was and their sacrifice was literally for the blessings of heaven. That they could enter into the temple and make covenants of eternal consequence. We are blessed to have their amazing examples as we labor and sacrifice today to keep ourselves clean and share the gospel with the world.

Tuesday night's devotional was also amazing. It was about the power of the Book of Mormon. I wish I could record these talks and send them all to you because each one has brought the spirit strongly into my heart and taught me amazing truths. The speaker was David F Evans from the Seventy on Tuesday and he emphasized that the Book of Mormon contains answers to EVERY question of the soul. I want to testify to all of you that when we read the Book of Mormon, we will find the answers we are looking to and that as Joseph said, we will grow closer to God by reading and abiding by the principles of this Book than by any other book (that was a paraphrase but look to the Introduction for the exact quote). I know this is true!

Time is up, but I love you all!

Sister Knudsen

Still no visa!!!

2010-01-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

In Visa news: 10 visas came this week. 2 Monday and 8 on Tuesday. No one I knew very well. The 8 that came in went to NEW missionaries! Ugh! haha! I am happy for them, but it is a little hard to see visas come to missionaries who just here! 4 of them were in my teacher, Irmao Smith's, new district. They are going to the same mission as Sister Hanson so she isn't too happy. haha! Two other missionaries got reassigned yesterday: Elder Dalton is going to Maryland Baltimore mission, and Sister Kempton (who is from Mesa and is AMAZING!!) is going to Arkansas. We also found out that our first district leader, Elder Handy, who was sick when he flew out and so ended up in Dallas serving there for a transfer has been permanently reassigned there as oer the Prophet's request! Pres. Monson sent his parent's a personalized letter about it from what we hear! So that is kind of crazy! He is having mixed feelings about it, but it must be what is right!

So we became Mega District on Tuesday! We cleaned out our classroom and moved into 1M (the main building where the front desk, administrative offices, cafeteria and chapels are). There are 9 smaller chapels along the back on the building and there are 2 Brazil bound districts in each one! We are with our adopted district so that is fun, but it is VERY interesting having MDT time always! We have to plan VERY specifically so we can be productive.

We have been skyping A LOT with the teachers in Brazil so that is really good for us! Our teacher we talk with most is Irmao Diniz and he is AMAZING! I am so grateful that I get to be taught by and teach him even though I am not going to be in the CTM in Brazil. He has a great personality! We have been doing a progressive investigator with him and it has been an incredible experience! He served in Sao Paulo North too, so he has good info for me too! And I might be able to stop by the CTM sometime to really meet him, since its in my area. We shall see!

Well I have to go now, but I hope you know I adore each and every one of you so much! Dad, Mom, Andrea, Devin, Andin, Cambria, Ashley, Erik, and Hailey! (And Amanda and all the blog followers!) You all mean the world to me!!

I LOVE YOU!!

Sister Erin Knudsen

Latest email!

2010-01-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

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!

FELIZ ANO NOVO!!

2010-01-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

Isn't it fun that my P-day is on all the Holidays?! I think so.

There weren't any fun festivities for New Years like we hoped, but after such an amazing Thanksgiving and Christmas, we can't complain! We still had to be in bed at 10:30 last night and wake up at 6:30 this morning. Thus is the life of a missionary! ;)

I have a hilarious story for you all. One of our friends in our adopted district, Elder Lunceford, is full of great stories. Here is the latest one to have us rolling with laugther at lunch time.

He started the story because someone asked him if he'd broken any bones. He replied that he had broken his hip in a a few places and both his wrists...at the same time! And the "The Other Guy" (?) had broken his ankle.

We said, "okay..." Well...He explained:

When E.L. was a child he lived in an apartment complex that had a lot of big trees in the front. Him and his buddies would often climb up the trees. One day they were race-climbing and he doesn't remember what happened but he was told that he lost his grip and fell from the top of the tree onto the ground, first hitting his hip hard, and the trying to brace himself with his hands which broke both of his wrists. (OUCH!)

But thats not all. "The Other Guy" was his friends Dad who lived on the second floor of the apartment complex. While seeing his young child's friend falling from the tree he thought, "I must catch him!" So he jumped from the second floor balcony...

When E.L. woke up, "The Other Guy" said, "Don't move!!" E.L. saw that his friend's dad was laying beside him and asked..."What happened to you?!" He replied, "I broke my ankle."

Please enjoy this story as much as I did. It is HILARIOUS.

Anyway...moving on...

On Monday and Tuesday a total of 60 visas came in for random people. Most of them were mega-district (over 9 weeks) Elders and Sisters but 5 were for people my same week (My District Leader Elder Roberts and 4 Elders from our adopted district, Elders Bagley, Jensen, Beidelman, and Wengel). They left Tuesday morning much to our dismay (and excitement for them of course...). We miss them dearly! Playing volleyball without them just isn't the same!

Sister Riggs and I have set a goal to receive our visas on Monday though. This isn't just wishful thinking. We have been praying and will be fasting on Sunday for the cause. We started packing today as well. We feel very at peace with the decision. There is a great talk called "But If Not" by Dennis E Simmons, that talks about having "But If Not" Faith. This means, we do everything in our power and we pray and we go forward with what we think is right, and even if what we want to happen doesn't happen, we have faith that it is part of God's bigger and better (than our own) plan and that everything will work out for our good. This is the direction we are taking. If we didn't pray, fast, start packing, what faith would we be showing? But with these actions, we want to show are Heavenly Father that we are ready to be his servants in Brazil. "But If Not" we will stay here a few more weeks, get reassigned, whatever the case. We will do His will. It feels GREAT!

I don't know if I have told you much about the RC (Referral Center) but we get to make calls to confirm delivery of movies, books of mormon, missionary visit requests, etc. and also answer incoming calls or chats from pass along cards or mormon.org etc. It was a bit scary at first, but I have gotten better at it. I had an amazing experience with it last week though! I don't have time for a lot of detail, but I called a woman who ended up being one of the sweetest and most stubborn woman I have ever met!!!!! I LOVE HER!! I talked to her for about 15 minutes or so and invited her to have a Book of Mormon about 5 times and missionaries probably 3-4 times. She refused every offer saying she was happy to have her Bible which she LOVES. I bore testimony of many principles and she would say "I believe you" but still refuse my offer. It made me laugh and cry....because I love her so much from our conversation and wanted her so badly to accept, and yet I was amused by her responses. She did say I could call her back, so I am going to try again this week. I hope I can get her to accept a Book of Mormon...she needs it!

Anyway, I've got 10 seconds left so I need to go before the box closes on me!

I am doing well and I love you all!

Erin

A sweet Sister Missionary's wish list!!!

2009-12-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

I asked Erin to send me a little wish list of things she would like for Christmas. I had a couple people ask me what she needed. Anyway, here are some ideas from her!

Cute stickers
BYU mens chorus cd's
3 hour mints
Cute thank-you/ blank cards/ stationary
Dryer sheets!!
Lint roller

What a sweetheart! I'm sure she'd also appreciate stamps!

All letters or packages can be sent here;

Erin Nicole Knudsen
MTC Mailbox # 169
BRA-SPN 0112
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-179389

Merry Christmas to you all! I know Erin loves hearing from you, and hearing the comments you leave on the blog. (I have been emailing them to her!)

OI MEU AMORS!

2009-12-20T00:24:00.000-08:00

This week has been SO AMAZING!

Highlights of the week:

1. I may have talked about this is in my last email, but on Dec. 9 we were given forms to fill out that are new requirements for our visas. They are police clearance forms. We just had to write our name and home address on them and then put a thumbprint at the bottom. We filled them out right away and turned them in that night. They have been having the districts fill those out for the past 3-4 weeks starting with the oldest districts. Some Elders and Sisters were told to do it before (like Sis Kessler)--we don't know why some were told and some not...its kind of a mess I think! But Sis. Kessler got her visa so we think its related! Anyway, we were excited to know that we had done everything we could and are really just waiting now...

2. Related to this....Yesterday 31 visas came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not anyone in our district, but most of the "Mega" districts got theirs. You become a Mega district after your allotted 9 weeks in the MTC are up and you still don't have a visa! The second week we were here the first district to go MEGA was temporarily reassigned to different missions in Tennessee and in Georgia.

AWESOME STORY ABOUT THIS:
Okay, so one set of missionaries from that MEGA district were reassigned to Marietta, Georgia. There they were told they would stay companions and were given an apartment to live in. It just so happens (AKA God Exists!) that the apartment complex is 80% Portuguese-speaking Brazilians who were praying for missionaries to come. They are teaching about 8 lessons a day in their mission language when they thought they'd be getting rusty on their temporary state side assignment. AMAZING?! I think so. I love this Gospel!!!!!!!

Anyway, back to the visas that came in: So great!! We are so excited for everyone! We were told that these visas were all from the LA consulate too, which is the one that has been the most problematic, so this is a VERY good sign!! We also heard that the USA is the only country having problems getting visas...so we don't know what that is about but I hope it all gets resolved soon! I want to go to BRAZIL!!!

3. Sunday. SO GREAT! First the sisters in our branch sang Mary's Lullaby together in Sacrament Meeting in Portuguese! I LOVE that song and its so beautiful in Portuguese! Then we had an AMAZING fireside by the BYU Men's Chorus! I didn't even know they existed! They are INCREDIBLE! The spirit was so strong! A few members shared their testimonies and conversion stories throughout the program. Each one brought me to tears and testified to me of the truthfulness of what we know about our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is TRUE! There is no way the many miracles that occur could happen without a Supreme Creator who has a PERFECT, LOGICAL Plan! THEN, after the fireside, Sis. Riggs and I went up to the common area on our floor to do our personal study. We hadn't had time to do it yet that day. There was a district of Elders up there that were talking and goofing around. We started our study and I began by writing down all my thoughts and impressions from the fireside. I was on a spiritual high. The Elders were being pretty disruptive and started talking about inappropriate things and I had a prompting to start a testimony meeting with them. The idea terrified me. I argued with the Spirit for about 10 minutes--which I hate to admit--and finally prayed to my Heavenly Father asking him if it was really what he wanted me to do. It was. I asked him for strength to do His will. The next thing I knew I was standing up and walking over to them. We had an amazing testimony meeting together. It was incredible. One of the Elders ended up sharing some very personal stuff with them that he had said he'd felt prompted to share but hadn't known when to do it. After wards Sis Riggs walked over and closed the meeting with her amazing testimony. Then we both went into the bathroom and cried our eyes out.

LOVE YOU
ERIN!

We love P day!!

2009-12-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

Today is my one-month anniversary at the MTC! CRAZY! Time has flown by!! Did I say something similar to that in my last email?! I apologize if so...but time really does disappear here! It's insane!

Being the one-month mark, today is the day we stop talking in english in our classes! We also start teaching our TRC lessons completely in Portuguese! Up until now, we have had a 15 minute segment in the beginning where we do an activity in Portuguese (like a street contact, or getting to know someone, and then come back and teach in english.) Nao Mais! Its all Portuguese from here on out!

I love the Portuguese language! I still cannot make the nasal sound (correctly, that is) but besides that, it's going good! The grammar rules are complicated, but I'm trying to get them down! I am pretty sure its going to pick up and really sky-rocket now that we are stopping the english. I haven't been practicing enough, but I have a new goal to really hit it hard since it is MUITO IMPORTANTE!

The teaching is going well too! I love teaching the gospel....just have to say that! And I hope I can continue to learn more about it and have the Spirit with me more constantly in my life!

Other Randomness: I have a cold right now. Its lame! But I am SO grateful its not swine flu, so all is well!

I love love love my companion, district, our adopted district, our new roommate Sis Hansen, and my teachers. They are so much fun and are teaching me so much!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Knudsen

Apparentely I email Erin a little too often.....

2009-12-04T14:38:00.001-08:00

This email was titled: Bom Dia! (Good Morning!)

Its not actually morning, but I wanted to say that....so enjoy!! It literally means Good Day so it works!

Okay, so I only have 15 minutes to write since I had to read all of Andrea's emails (HAHAHA JK I LOVE LOVE LOVED ALL OF THEM!)

But I will try to write a handwritten letter with more personal and exciting news and just give you some updates on clothes and other news right now.

Everyone who hadn't gotten the swine flu shot had to get them yesterday to I am now "immune!" I was really trying to avoid that shot but when it becomes a rule here at the MTC with so many people in quarantine, I guess I can oblige them!

My poor friend Sister Jenny Bullock from my single's ward had to be quarantine last week! It was so sad! I was wondering why I wasn't seeing her around and then as my companions and I walked past the door of the sister's quarantine she came to the window and told me her sad tale! Luckily she is out now and I saw her at lunch. She was as bright, beautiful, and happy as ever!

I forgot to tell you guys that the first day I got here Laura got to be my host sister! It was so meant to be! They took me to the check in place to get me a host sister and she had just got there to get a new sister when I walked in! We got very excited and she said "This is my cousin, I'm taking her!" It was great! We see eachother around pretty often and have had a few chances to sit and chat about our lives, so that is good! We took a picture, which I will send via mail as soon as possible....see #5: (I think that is so cool, we miss Laura so much too!!)

I am SO SO SO sorry you haven't gotten pictures from me yet! I don't know why or what is going on, but none of the computers are allowing us to email pictures (or open them so I didn't get to see any of the ones you sent :( ) so I am going to send hard copies soon. Every time we have gone into the bookstore to print pictures the machines have been broken or with SUPER LONG lines, so I still haven't printed any. Hopefully tomorrow!

Okay, only have a minute left so I'll write the rest in my written letter!

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! I'm glad your thanksgiving was so good!!

Sister Erin Knudsen

She titled this one..."Happy Black Friday :)"

2009-11-30T11:49:00.001-08:00

Hello my dearest family!!

Thanks for the letter about Thanksgiving! I loved reading about the fun events of your week! BB KING and MARK MABRY?! Lucky Lucky!!

The thing I am most jealous about is the Double Cream Blueberry pie though!! I did get some blueberry pie, but it wasn't the same!

Our food was pretty good! They take care of us here, but it wasn't family style of course! We did get turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, pie (they had many different ones but I just had apple and blueberry!) green beans, rolls, etc. It was yummy! I got to sit with my friend Sister Jenny Bullock (from my single's ward) so that brought home a little closer at least!

The day was INCREDIBLE though...We did indeed get to hear from Elder Jeffrey R Holland and his wife, Patricia, in our Thanksgiving devotional! They are such an amazing couple. Sister Holland spoke about our potentials and how God knows us each individually. How our calling as missionaries is a holy calling. That we are holy. That we were made by His Holy Hands. It was really good.

Then Holland came up in tears from the Spirit his wife and the musical number had brought and said, "Thank you Honey" Followed by the sweetest testimony of a man in love that I have ever heard about how grateful he is to have an eternity with the dear woman he has been sealed to. It was precious! He gave us many divine words of advice, but I want to share something with you that really hit me and will stick with me my whole mission. He talked about how the thanksgiving and Christmas after his oldest son got home from his mission were some of the sweetest moments because of the reunion of family members. He told us we SHOULD be homesick because we SHOULD love and miss our families. He said when we get home our joy will be immense when we reunite. Then he said that God is feeling homesick for his children all the time. He wants them back. And that is why we are serving. We are going out to bring His children back to their loving Heavenly Father. I am so so so SO grateful to be apart of that reunion in whatever way I can be.

We were also blessed to have Elder Dallin H. Oaks and his wife, Kristen, here for our Tuesday night devotional...WE ARE SO SPOILED!! It was also amazing! The biggest message I took from their talks was that we have a mantle as missionaries to represent Jesus Christ. That means we need to be striving each day to be like Him. It is a weighty calling, but we are promised that He is with us. That as we have the Spirit with us, we can say what He wants us to say, and that he will make us into the amazing individuals He knows we are meant to become.

It has been a great week. But I AM homesick especially as they put up the Christmas lights on the MTC campus and I think about the holidays. I miss you guys tons! I am excited for the sweet moment when we are reunited just as Holland talked about. It will be wonderful!

Other points of interest:
One of our teachers was gone this week for Thanksgiving so we had a substitute from another district. His name was Brother Silva and he served in Rome, Italy. He had an amazing story about his mission. He went and came home early many many many times because of health reasons but knew he needed to serve so he kept going back out. Finally he was able to serve the full amount in Rome. He shared some amazing experiences with us and just has a great perspective on life. About our visa troubles, he said, "The work is going so well in Brazil that Satan found another way to slow it." I thought that was pretty funny/true!

I still havent talked about my teachers or the Elders in my district yet, have I? I'm slacking!! They are WONDERFUL though!! We have so much fun together. I will talk about them in my next email...hopefully! I also have a new mission motto from Hebrews 12:1--"Run with patience the race that is set before [me]." Isn't that amazing?! I'll explain it more in my next email.

Anyway, I hope you are all well! I love you so much!!

--Sister Knudsen--

Another email and visa information....

2009-11-20T15:11:00.000-08:00

So the past week has still been busy (I don't think that will be changing any time soon!) but we have a set schedule now so that is nice for planning! Planning Planning Planning! That is so important here! I hope I can keep these good habits when I get home because they really help make life more productive!

So a few updates on the Brazil Visa issues: When I got here I found out that the problem is in the Brazilian consolates (sp?). A lot of them are really backed up so that is what is keeping us from getting through. L.A., Salt Lake, Texas, and many others are having major issues, so we just have to wait and hope they get to them soon. My companion Sister Kessler was told that her Visa did go through and didn't have any problems, but there weren't enough missionaries with visas to send to the MTC in Brazil, so she was sent here with us. A District of Elders who just reached their 9 week mark still hadn't gotten theres last week, so they got sent to Tennesee and Georgia missions for the time being! Crazy! They are telling us to assume we will be in Provo for the full 9 weeks. There is some talk that most issues will be resolved in the middle of December, but we aren't counting to count on it.

The more we learn, the more ready I am to teach in english...I'm so excited to do it! I am definitely not great at it yet, but I feel the importance of the work and so I want to share it! So I think I would be okay in some ways to go somewhere stateside if I needed to. It seems crazy that I have to learn how to teach AND learn how to teach it in PORTUGUESE, but I'm sure its all going to be coming together more soon...

That being said....I really hope we get to Brazil soon! I really wanted to go the Campinas temple and if I'm not at the MTC there at all I won't get to. That really isn't a huge deal, but I was excited about it!

Agg...No time...I will hopefully give you a better more informative email next week!!

Our first email from Erin!

2009-11-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Oi Familia! Tudo Bem?!
(Hi Family! How are you?)

I already know (with some help from my notes) how to say a simple prayer in Portuguese and how to bear a simple testimony! It's exciting!

I love all the learning! We are in the classroom for most of the day but it is broken up into personal study, companion study, teaching/PMG lessons, and language lessons. Our goal with portuguese is to be completely off english by December 11! That is soon! But I believe it can be done and I'm excited!

So I am really loving it here. Don't feel sad, I DO miss you, but I am focusing on what I am doing and it is AMAZING! I am in a trio companionship with two fantastic sisters: Sister Riggs from the Dallas Texas area, and Sister Kessler from King City, California (Monterey county). Sister Kessler is the sister who is from Nana's ward I'm pretty sure, so small world!! They are both really fun and definitely here for the right reasons! We have a lot of fun together! (*Edit from Andrea....Nana is my husband Devin's Grandma, she had told us when Erin got her call that there was a girl in her ward that also got called to Brazil, now they are companions! Weird!!)

Address update: The address I gave you for the MTC is right, but my mailbox number is 169, so you can add that in.

Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well! I love you so much!! Your love and support mean everything to me while I am here!

The church is true...that is confirmed to me in everything we do here. The spirit is very strong here!

Well, I am running out of time (30 mintues per P-day) but just so you know, we had a half P-day today but it will usually be on Fridays, so you should get another email from me next Friday! If you email me back by then, I'll update you on the visa stuff! haha!

LOVE YOU!

Sister Erin Nicole Knudsen

It's official....

2009-11-12T01:17:00.000-08:00

Erin is officially at the MTC! We took her to the airport early this morning and after a lot of hugs, and tears, we finally let her go! We all have missed her so much today and can't even begin to understand how much we will miss her for the next 18 months. But we are all very proud of her choice, and know she is doing exactly what she is meant to do. All of you that know her, know like we do that she will be an amazing missionary. Her sweet spirit, fun personality, and strong testimony are going to bring so much joy to the people of Brazil. I will keep you posted on her visa situation, and of course update as soon as she sends me anything to post! Also, I started a flickr account for all her photos. I just uploaded a bunch of family photos as well as some from this morning! Thanks to all of you for being so good to her, I know that she loves all of you very much and appreciates all of your support!

Tchau!
Andrea

Photos from the airport...

2009-11-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

The day the envelope came!!!

2009-11-11T09:06:00.000-08:00