Sunday, September 9, 2012

Almost a year now...

Pineapple anyone!! Now that's a knife!

Sunrise or Sunset... nice break in the country!

Elder Knutson - Teaching Moment at a Conference

10 Months

Yes Scott is in Guatemala! 

Country View of San Fran

City View of San Fran

Temple Spires!

A typical "Tin Fruit Stand"

Monday, June 25, 2012

WAIT -- Elder Knutson or..... Elder (Harry) Potter!!!!  Since when does he wear glasses!
Oh and Check out the "Guatemala Man Bag"!  But look by his feet -- do you think those double as Bar Bells??  Doesn't he look like he is having so much fun!!!  Monsoon season is building there.  That umbrella will only hold out so much of the CRAZY down pours they have. He calls it "WALLS" of water they hear coming down the street!  Got to LOVE that face!! 

San Francisco! And we thought he was in Guatemala!

Happy Birthday Elder Knutson!  June 11th -- 20 Years Old!!

Streets of San Francisco! See the drain path for the rain, OR Biking?
My guess - RAIN!  But think of it...  Biking down this road! SWEET!

New "Anger Free" Companion!!

Guatemala Pizza?? Scott eatting something GREEN and ONIONS? 
Stopping to smell "the rose" outside the church building on P-Day!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Streets of my area - 6 Months in this area now!


Scott P-Day typical back streets
Grocery Shopping - do you think he knows what to do with those?

Service Project -- FIRE - Doesn't get better than this!

BUG BITES!

Typical Streets

Monday, March 19, 2012

Hamster Wheel?

Missionary Hamster Wheel! Random sitting outside the church!

Muchisimos gracias para sus correos!!! Seriously. Getting mail is like eating cookie dough. It´s THAT AWESOME.
This was a pretty dynamic week haha. For example yesterday, there was a family who’s house burned down so our ward went to go help them. When yo y mi compañero got there, there were TONS and TONS of people helping clear out all the rubble. Two wards and a bunch of neighbors were there forming lines and clearing out the area and chopping down scorched trees and passing around water and getting FILTHY from all the ash and mud. It was amazing to see everyone work together like that. In the church we´re so blessed to  have around 14 million friends that will help you in an instant. Especially here in guatemala where if your house burns down, who KNOWS how you’ll get by.  The house was more of a little shack. It was tragic. This house was decimated. It was the family of the father of our bishop. Most of the shack was put together by metal sheets and some concrete cinderblocks. (that’s how most of the houses are here)  We were carrying all of this metal away for hours. I was really grateful for the opportunity to serve.
While contacting, we actually found 2 inactive families! There records are not in our ward so no one had any idea they were here. They are super nice. Pretty much what we’re trying to do is help activate families and help them come to church. I was thinking about how the missionaries purpose is essentially Helping people come to Christ and apply the atonement in their lives. Most people think of that as knocking on doors and baptizing into the kingdom of God. Which is totally true and part of it. But if a person is inactive, are they coming unto Christ applying the atonement in their lives? No. So helping members feel the spirit, come to church, and take the sacrament to apply Christ atonement in their lives is incredibly important. The purpose of the gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, the holy ghost and enduring to the end) is to purify and make ourselves clean from sin so we can live with God again. No unclean thing can live in his presence. If we are not taking the sacrament, are we being purified? No. Being made clean? no. The plan that our heavenly father has for us is PERFECT. As in, we have our agency, and he can’t force us to come unto him. WE have to make that choice and effort. But he has given us EVERYTHING necessary to do so. Covenants. the Sacrament. And his Beloved son Jesus Christ.

Finally More Pictures and New Comp!

Street Tracking?

Guatemala Temple!

The wall matches his TIE!
First off, this week i did divisions with Elder Walls. The elder who lived in Bellingham( Elder Chip Wall's - Kim Wall's Son) Anywho, It was probably the funnest day of my mission so far. Haha it was sooooooooo great. He´s so funny and we had a blast. We would try new things in contacting people- for example, he would go "okay- give me aaaaany random word, and I´ll have to use that word naturally in conversation with who ever opens the door." Or we would make up some completely random name and ask someone if they knew where he lived, because we´ve been asked to visit the made-up person and help them with a message of Jesus Christ. 
Haha so when divisions were done, I tried doing that myself, and the first time I try it I make up a name Juan carlos, I knock on this door and ask if they know where Juan Carlos lives. He didn´t know, (naturally) but went to ask if someone else in the house did. Then this other dude comes back and he´s like "yeah?what do you want?" I was like, "Wait. Are you Juan Carlos?" He goes "Yeah." I laugh. "seriously?! That’s great! Boy, do we have a message for you!" And now we have an appointment for viernes. Sup. 

So this was a pretty good week. Duper hard, but I´m learning tons. I’m almost done reading the Book of Mormon since I got to my first area. AKA THE BEST BOOK ON THE PLANET.  
Sooooo it’s been really tough getting our investigators to actually progress. That’s the challenge of the mish thus far- getting people to commit to do things that are essencial for progression!! Luckily, there´s an entire chapter about that in PMG. Win. Which is also THE BEST BOOK ON THE PLANET.
Spanish is coming along nice and dandy, I can FINALLY understand the sister in our ward that brings us breakfast. Haha she has a weeeird accent. I can understand WAY better than I can speak. If we´re talking about gospel stuff, I can pretty much understand everything. Like at church yesterday I could understand it all. BLESSINGS. But when it comes to explaining things outside of the gospel, haha I need some work. Like alot. 

Everyone, trust in Christ. This probably means something different for every single person. Learn what it means for you. Pray all the time. Rely on him. I’m just now learning what that means. It can be hard, but that’s why Faith is the first principle of the gospel. Exercise faith in him who is mighty to save. He is to make our burdens light, and we have the promise that if we come unto him, He will heal us. 

I love you all. Be serviceable and apply the example of President Monson in your lives. (Read the march ensign- DOOOOPE!) There is a reason why he’s the prophet. He understands charity. 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Current Pictures!

Elder Knutson - keeping the smile alive!

Over looking the City - his area!

Elder Knutson & first Comp Elder Castillo

Feb 13th, 2012, All Caught Up!

Hey erybody! Aqui estoy.  Feb 13th, 2012

The work rolls forth!! Pretty... dynamic week. We´re having more and more lessons with HARDCORE evangelicas down here haha. They´re super nice, but they just want to talk about the rapture with us. And they usually won´t accept ANYthing that isn´t in the bible. I hear this very regularly "How come joseph smith isn´t in the bible? If his name was in the bible I would beleive in him." We can explain to them why, very clearly, but they don´t really want to listen haha. It´s all good though. 

We´ve had a couple awwwwesome lessons. I´m really starting to understand HOW the spirit guides our words in lessons. I´ve experienced it. Miracles. I¨ll say something and be like "wow- I was sooooo not planning on sharng that." We have a couple investigators that we are really excited about. It alllllll comes down to the spirit!  I can talk allllll I want, and NOTHING will come out of it. It´s when we really listen to the investigator, and the spirit, that we can teach anything worthwhile. Applies to everyone, sunday school teachers, missionaries, bishops, etc. 

Side note, everyone should watch 17 miracles. It´s a movie about the mormon pioneers, except this movie is actually made really well haha. I don´t remember ever crying in a movie, but WOW. Haha I lost it. It´s sooooooo heart... touching? Is heart touching a word? Whatever. It´s good. 

Sorry this is so short, gotta go. Love you all!!!! Thank you soooooooo much for emails, and especially your prayers.
Elder Knutson

Que tal familia?????  Jan 30th, 2012

Another week in Utatlàn! This week was sloooow and steady haha. I feel like a common pattern in my week is that alooooot of nothing will happen for days and then BOOM we have an awesome lesson with someone. Yep that´s how we do. Me and Castillo are practicing wayyyyy more now. It´s great! My game plan for us right now, is that we tract and have appointments less, but WHEN we tract and have apointments they will be powerfull. Donezo. And so far that´s kind of been the case! We´re carefully  testing everything that we usually say in lessons and getting rid of EVERYTHING that wastes time, or really isn´t spirit driven. Espeacially our first visit with someone. 

Hey jenn this is a reeeeally helpfull tip that our mission president has asked us to do with allll our investigators, first or second visit. What we do is we explain our purpose very clearly, and give them their own copy of a teaching record, explaining that it´s a map of where we want them to go. Each time we teach a priniciple, we have them check it off on the record. It helps them see very specifically what we´re doing to help them, and our goals with them. And that way, if they feel not ready for baptism, we can be like "umm, no, look at how much you´´ve learned!" It´s sweet! Maybe that´d be a good idea in thailand, maybe not. who knows haha. 

Our ZL gave us instruction to MASTER chapter 4 of PMG. Como reconozco y comprendo el Espìritu. Its arguably the most important chapter in PMG, or the most important chapter written of all time out of every book ever. Fosho. 

Question asked by Mom: Have you seen your package yet?
I GOT THE PACKAGE!!!!!!! Puchika that package was HEAVEN SENT. It´s perfect. Sooooo tasty. And helpfull. And awesome. And perfect. And radical. Haha the milk down here is waaaaaaaay different, but the cereal overpowers the weird taste. CLIFF BARS. YESSSSSSS. Haha I have no idea how I got the package so fast... but I´m not complainin! Thank you so much!!! I only wish I could somehow send you cool guatemalan packages is return haha. Oh wells. 

How do you do your laundry? 
We give it to a lady in our ward and she hand washes it. She is sooooo nice. Haha but we have to wait like a week to get our clothes back... I run out of clean clothes to wear all the time haha. 

How do you like your shirts? Any of them you like better? Button down, NOT button down collars -- which? Not button down fosho. Staffords are perfect. Short sleeves, always.

What do you wish you have but don't?
...a dinosaur. And a sink. And a mini whiteboard to pack in my mochila. 

How are your slacks working out - the mirco fabric ones?
All the slacks are perfect! Micro fiber especially. They all work perfect though.

 Ecco's how are they working out?  
DREAM. I pretty much only wear the shoe ones, I´m walking on roads all day, don´t need boots yet. I am lacking shoe polish though. 

Oh hey so the gift of tongues is just craaazy real? My spanish learning is kind of funny because I´ll never realize I´m speaking kind of good until after the fact. For example, last night, we were door knocking and taught 3 lessons in a row. (MIRACLE!!! THAT NEVER HAPPENS!!! LIFE IS SO AWESOME) I taught and lead all the lessons, asked questions, and talked to them about their lives and family and stuff and told them a little about me and our purpose and everything. For probably about an hour total, all 3 lessons. (haha while castillo mostly just sat there.) ALL in spanish. That night when were walking home, I was just like "Woah woah woah. Wait a minute. What the HECK just happened???? I understood like ALL of that!!!" Haha it´s so weird how it works! Haha and it´s NOT me that´s doing it, THAT¨s for sure. And at the same time, I´ll be craaaazy humbled when I talk to a family for like 45 minutes and don´t catch ANY of it haha. So it´s a working progress. 

Welp gotta roll! Love you all!!!!! Thank you for all your support and love!!
 Preach it up!
Elder Knutson


Buenos dias de guatemala!  Jan 23rd, 2012

I just read all your emails. Hahaha I don´t want to type anything, I just want to read your emails for an hour. They make me sooooooo feliz.

This past week was AWESOME.  Last tuesday we had interviews with Pres. Stay, and it was sooooo helpfull. Kind of like dad and Pres Pringle, he didn´t give me straight up solutions or answers to things I´ve been struggling with, he just gave me counsel. It was really great. But pretty much the main feeling I got from the interview is that I need to lower my expectations with my comp like, hardcore haha. He straight up comes an incredibly different culture that isn´t like our Anglo Saxon "get to the point, stop beating around the bush, get it done" attitude. On top up that, he struggles with learning things more than most people. So if I rush him and keep pushing him forward, he just gets frustrated. Entonces, I´ve adapted a new outlook of "completeley apathetic torwards tardiness" into my life. Haha so this week has been sooooooo chill.

I´ve already noticed a huuuuuuuge difference! haha our productivity has deeeefinitely decreased, but we have the spirit. Me and my comp are bros now. He´s still ridiculous sometimes, but remember, "completely apathetic." We´ve been practicing lessons a ton and growing more in unity. I feel like a teacher, but it´s great haha. And miracles have been happening this week? 
For example last week, after chuch a girl comes up to us and tells us "I want to be baptized, all I need to do is hear the lessons. Can you teach me?" ummmmm done? 
And yesterday, after church the Hermanas in another ward introduced us to Carlos, who has a craaaaaaazy history. He used to be a really active catholic, and baptist, but he´s almost done reading the Book of Mormon and he knows that this is the true church. How we are helping him, is just helping him feel worthy to be baptized and take the sacrament. He´s done some stuff in the past that I can tell is on his mind alot. 
Also, Castillo and his last companion found an awesome family, but they were unavailable for this past month. Familia. We finally had the chance to teach them this week, and it was sooooo awesome! Hermana had a question she´s been struggling with, about How can I have faith, How can I develope faith. I was like "hey! there´s an entire chapter in the book of mormon that specifically talks about your exact question!" So we pretty much just read explained Alma 32 the entire lesson. After the lesson I realized how much I´ve taken the Book of Mormon for granted. Ever since I was a little kid I´ve KNOWN "well yeah, of course faith is like a seed. You have to begin with a desire, plant it, and nourish it until it grows into a big strong tree, from which you can pick fruit, or blessings." This is stuff I´ve known forever practically! Then I come down here, and there are people that are literally struggling and having desperation with these things. After the lesson we asked them how they felt, they thanked us so much. They said they felt "beautiful." (Doesn’t really make sense in english.) Her daughter said she knows the book of mormon and the church is true, she jsut needs to get into the water. Haha SHE said that! (the only problem is her work schedule doesn´t allow her to come to church. She´s hoping to change it sooon.) And All we did was read from the book of mormon! Amazing. Alot of times in the chuch we look at the BoM as this tool to convince people that our church is true. But it´s so much more! There is doctrine in the book that can very specifically help EVERYONE. It was soooooooo NOT written by some farmer in upstate new york. Prophets wrote this book! Prophets speaking in behalf of the Savior, giving us guidance and help to understand truth, and true happiness. It´s the dopest thing on the planet. 

Welp, things are movin slow but steady down here! Life is good. We´re studying and practicing like crazy. haha have fun with all the snow up north! It´s pretty much perfect temp down here all the time. Not even kidding. Not hot, not cold, not humid. Score. 

Nothing makes more sense, or is more important, than the gospel. 
Preach it up!
Elder  Knutson
here´s the link to the Elder nelson mormon message I was talking about. It´s the one with him on a plane. LOVE IT.
http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#mens-hearts-shall-fail-them 



Monday, January 9, 2012

Jan 9, 2012 Report From Jordon Rands

Elder Scott Knutson


Jordon, Scott & Companion 
Hey Mark, I’m sure you know by now, but we got to see Scott in Guatemala. It was so good to see him. I think he is doing very well. Scott was so vibrant, he really impressed me with his energy and love for the work. its just a matter of time before he has an understanding of how things are supposed to really be and then the work in his area will just take off. He also impressed me with his knowledge of the gospel. We were able to have a short doctrinal/cultural discussion and the few things he shared were all very interesting and inspiring. You have a great son serving in a truly wonderful place, you should have nothing to worry about. I was able to take just a few photos, but i think they turned out very nicely. I love the one of just him, very classic, it is a candit shot of him amidst a thorough argument that Guatemala is the land where the Book of Mormon took place.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Best Christmas / New Year Present EVER!

Scott's cousin Jordon Rands went to Guatemala, and got to spend a little time with Scott. Thank You Jordon!!
Do you see that GREAT smile on Scott's face!  Wow - it speaks volumns!
We we're able to visit with Scott Christmas Day. Another treat for Mom & Dad! We we're able to hook him and Jenn up on the phone together, and that was the sweetest reunion.  They we're so glad to hear each other's voice, laugh, visit, share frustrations, and fun things.  Scott's been having a struggle, and we could share in his frustrations. He's doing better now.  He said they 'walk' everywhere.  The bus rides are always an adventure of who can hold on and stay on!
Christmas traditions there = they get HUGE pine needles about 6-8 inches long, whole bags of them and spread them all over their floors. Random, but smells great! Christmas night he went caroling with a family in his ward! First person they saw was a widow, and she started crying - she was so grateful for the fact that a family would remember her and took time to visit her! They also caroled to a family  of 7, who lived in extremely humble circumstances. There house was between two other buildings, it's walls we're planks of wood and metal sheets. It had uneven dirt floors, and maybe one or two lights. He said they sang to them and we're invited in, and the family gave Scott, his companion and the other carolers all a glass of juice, cookies and a piece of cake. Scott said he could only assume they were going to have it later, because they had no idea they we're coming. They are so full of love, and so humble - gave us all that they had.  

Finally in the field!

Guess where we do dishes! No kitchen....

City Streets!

Some View!

Mission Training Center in Guatemala

New Elder's and new experiences!

P-Day Tour of all the volcanoes in Guatemala - 33+

And then there was an ingrown toes nail! Just like Big Sister  Jenn!

Stripling Warriors!

Outside the Guatemala Temple!
All the Missions in Guatemala!