Visit to the temple....

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

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

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

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

Love you all so much!!

Sister Knudsen

Craziness and blessings for all!!

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

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

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

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

Love you all!!

Sister Knudsen

A few things......

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

Singing...

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

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

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

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

First week in Nova Granada, Osasco!

Osasco! (Oh-zahs-coo)

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

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

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

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

Some of my favorite words and phrases in Portuguese:

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

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

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

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

Pode Ser - Could be

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

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

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

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

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

Sister Knudsen

Drum roll please.......

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??!

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......

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