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!!

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......

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!!!!

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...

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!

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...

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