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"

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!

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

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.