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!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, December 25, 2010
THANK YOU ERIN!!
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!!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Update THIS week......
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
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.......
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...
Erin
Monday, December 13, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Feliz day......
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
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!!!
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
