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| Elder Knutson - keeping the smile alive! |
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| Over looking the City - his area! |
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| Elder Knutson & first Comp Elder Castillo |
Monday, February 13, 2012
Current Pictures!
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
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
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-
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-
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