Thursday, July 30, 2015

El Valor de Nefi

July 27, 2015

Hola familia y amigos!

Well this week was full of some crazy adventures! I probably won't have time to write about everything but I'll mention some of my favorite moments from the week.

We have a pretty cool new potential investigator named Kayla. One day last week I felt like we should go stop by her house so we did. We knocked and she wasn't there so we were on our way out and as we were walking down the steps from her house I noticed that the back of my leg was bleeding pretty bad! I still have no idea what I cut myself on but I totally didn't even notice. So we went to the car and looked for something to clean it and the closest thing we could find to use were streamers haha. So my sweet companion is cleaning my leg with these streamers and as were standing there by the car Kayla comes home! So we go back inside (my leg still bleeding a little) and she lets us in! We had a good conversation with her about what we do and how the Gospel can bless her life and help her through her trials. She seemed very interested and we're hoping to teach her again this week! Afterwards when we got back to the car my leg was still bleeding a little so Hermana Anderson being the redneck companion that she is made me a bandaid out of streamers and duck tape that I wore for the rest of the day. It was legit!

We had such a fun lesson with a less active member this week! His name is Sergio and we taught him at a restaurant by the church with Elders Randall & Leon and Hermana Magaña from the ward. It just went so well and we had a lot of fun!

On Saturday we decided that we would have dinner at Subway so we went and as we were waiting in line this man asked us if we were Spanish speaking missionaries and of course we said yes! We talked with him for a little while and he was saying that he wants to change and come to church. It was so cool! We'll probably only meet with him once or twice because we're pretty sure he's not in our area and we'll have to pass him to other missionaries. I'm so excited we got to meet him though! We also saw one of our less active members just outside of subway too! Who knew our dinner decision would be so inspired?

Another miracle would be that we had an investigator at church on Sunday! This was also the day we met him. Apparently he was taught a little in Mexico and he met some missionaries here who pointed him in our direction because he lives in our area! The Elders that passed him over to us are so awesome too that they even found him a ride to get to church. His name is Jesus and he's so ready for the gospel! He's awesome! We're so excited to start teaching him this week!

I'm stoked for this upcoming week! I love being a missionary so very much. I love this gospel and I know it's true with all my heart. I hope everyone has an awesome week! Stay strong!

Keep smiling,

Hermana Knowles :)

This weeks song goes out to my homeboy Nephi.

64
El valor de Nefi
1. El Señor mandó a Nefi las planchas obtener.
Labán las custodiaba en Jerusalén.
Lamán y Lemuel se llenaron de temor.
Nefi contestó, mostrando su valor:
“Iré y haré lo que mande el Señor.
La vía Él preparará y obedeceré.
Iré y haré lo que mande el Señor.
La vía Él preparará y obedeceré”.
2. El Señor mandó a Nefi un barco construir,
mas dos de sus hermanos lo quisieron disuadir
y se burlaron de su ̮hermano menor.
Nefi contestó, mostrando su valor:
“Iré y haré lo que mande el Señor.
La vía Él preparará y obedeceré.
Iré y haré lo que mande el Señor.
La vía Él preparará y obedeceré”.
3. El Señor nos da preceptos que debemos observar.
A veces soy tentado las reglas a violar.
Cuando, desalentado, me ̮invade el temor,
yo contestaré con fuerza y valor:
“Iré y haré lo que mande el Señor.
La vía Él preparará y obedeceré.
Iré y haré lo que mande el Señor.
La vía Él preparará y obedeceré”.

Elders birthdays

matching my redneck companion

Qué Firmes Cimientos

July 20, 2015

Hola familia y amigos!
 
Not a ton of time again but here are some fun highlights of the week :)

So we get home one night and we park our car in our child size garage. As we're recording our miles for the day our neighbor comes in and literally yells (scaring both of us), "my sisters are home!" Then she continues by asking if we were hungry and invites us into her home and she serves us this Puerto Rican food she made. It was so random cause we've only really talked to her once but it was awesome! We're hoping we can continue to build a friendship with them and she if they're interested in hearing about the gospel!

Saturday was transfer call day and Hermana Anderson and I will be staying together for six more weeks here in Cicero! We're stoked! We just had a blast and a half together last transfer and we're definitely excited to keep working hard and having fun!

We went back to the foster building on Saturday to see a little girl in the 5th ward get baptized! Hermana Anderson worked with that family so we were excited to be there and support them. I was also able to see some members from the fourth ward too! It was so good to see them!

We're making progress here in the area! It's slow but we're taking steps forward for sure. We've definitely been able to build better relationships with members which is super important! We went around and heart attacked a few doors and they really loved that. We totally lied to a member and said it wasn't us and I think she's still trying to figure it out so maybe we'll ease her mind next time we see her and come clean haha. It's been a good week overall!

I feel like I'm really growing and learning a lot here. My testimony is being strengthened each day as I continue to study the scriptures and apply the things I'm learning and constantly have it on my mind. This gospel is just so perfect. Everything about it. We may not have a perfect knowledge of everything but the fundamental principles of the gospel is enough. It gives me comfort. It brings me joy. It stretches me and helps me grow. It makes me want to be better and serve others. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. I love being a missionary!

Some scriptures I really liked from my personal study.

2 Nephi 26:24-28
 

Keep smiling,

Hermana Knowles
 

"Hey Hermana Shipp what's your favorite hymn?"

"How Firm a Foundation."

"Great thanks!"

I think verse 3 and 5 are my favorites :) ....and 1- 7 ;)


Qué firmes cimientos
1. ¡Qué firmes cimientos, oh santos de Dios,
tenéis por la fe ̮en Su palabra de amor!
¿Qué más, pues, hará Cristo ya para vos,
si ya os promete, si ya os promete,
si ya os promete ser vuestro Defensor?
2. En vida o muerte, salud o dolor,
a ricos y pobres que tengan Su luz,
en mar o en tierra, en todo lugar,
de todo peligro, de todo peligro,
de todo peligro os libra Jesús.
3. “Pues ya no temaís, y escudo seré,
que soy vuestro Dios y socorro tendréis;
y fuerza y vida y paz os daré,
y salvos de males, y salvos de males,
y salvos de males vosotros seréis”.
 
4. “Y cuando torrentes tengáis que pasar,
los ríos del mal no os pueden turbar,
pues yo las tormentas podré aplacar,
salvando mis santos, salvando mis santos,
salvando mis santos de todo pesar.”
5. “La llama no puede dañaros jamás
si en medio del fuego os ordeno pasar.
El oro del alma más puro será,
pues sólo la escoria, pues sólo la escoria,
pues sólo la escoria se habrá de quemar.”
6. “Mi amor invariable, eterno y leal,
constante a mi pueblo mostrarle podré.
Si blancos cabellos ya cubren tu sien,
cual tierno cordero, cual tierno cordero,
cual tierno cordero yo os cuidaré.”
7. “Al alma que anhele la paz que hay en mí,
no quiero, no puedo dejar en error;
yo lo sacaré de tinieblas a luz,
y siempre guardarlo, y siempre guardarlo,
y siempre guardarlo con grande amor.”
 
 
awkward elder/sister picture with elder Gomez :)

Hermana Kohlhase


 

Israel, Jesus os Llama

July 13, 2015

Hola familia y amigos!
 
We went to the temple on Wednesday to see Arlene and Josseline! It was quite magical. It was also so cool to see so many people from the fourth ward! Definitely a fun little reunion. We left our iPads in the car so I don't have any pictures but some members from the fourth ward will probably put pictures up on Facebook that I can steal later haha.

We had probably my favorite zone meeting so far on Thursday. My favorite part was when we spilt off into zones and the zone leaders had us do this awesome activity. The zone leaders along with the sweet Sister Woodbury took us all out to the back parking lot of the church and we each brought a chair and sat spread throughout the entire parking lot. After our chairs were set up we all met in the center and the zone leaders gave some small instruction. They didn't explain what exactly we were doing but said that everything would be silent and we would all be blindfolded. So after we were blindfolded and everything was quiet I just stood there for a while not really sure what was going on until Sister Woodbury guided me to a rope that I was able to follow for a while. After that we were asked to let go of the rope and she guided me to one of the seats that we had placed earlier. After sitting for some time and really trying to listen to figure out what was going on I heard our zone leaders and Sister Woodbury start singing, "Israel Israel God is Calling." And then it started to get louder and more powerful and by that point I knew that people were joining them so I somewhat hesitantly got up from my chair and walked toward the music! When I reached the group I took off my blindfold and saw the missionaries around me singing, and some still with blindfolds making their way to us. This was a really touching experience to me. Afterwards we discussed what we did and we could all feel the Spirit. I feel I learned a lot about faith and how sometimes even if we're not entirely sure it's what we need to do, we just have to follow the music. To me it just sounded like home! And then when we've found the source of that music we HAVE TO SING so we can help our brothers and sisters who are making their way. I absolutely loved that activity! I'd say more about it but I'm running really short on time.

Well we spent the day at our zone activity at the lake! It was so fun! We played ultimate frisbee and some other fun games. I really love our zone they're the best! Anyway I'm out of time but I love you all and I hope everyone has a great week! Write me sometime!

Keep smiling,

Hermana Knowles

6
Israel, Jesús os llama
1. Israel, Jesús os llama de las tierras de pesar.
Babilonia va cayendo; Dios sus torres volcará.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos, y Su ira evitad.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos, y Su ira evitad.
2. Israel, Jesús os habla; escuchad al Salvador.
Ved romper un alba nueva para ̮el pueblo del Señor.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos; en sus centros paz gozad.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos; en sus centros paz gozad.
3. De las cortes celestiales ángeles descienden ya,
y poder dan a los hombres de lograr volver allá.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos; el Señor ya volverá.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos; el Señor ya volverá.
4. Israel, ¿por qué demoras aún en sendas de error?
Ved el juicio que señala el castigo del Señor.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos, y cantad a Dios loor.
A Sión venid, pues, prestos, y cantad a Dios loor.




\
 

Soy un Hijo de Dios

July 6, 2015

Hola familia y amigos!
 
Well Cicero doesn't kid around when it comes to the Fourth of July! We could pretty much look out of any window of our apartment and see fireworks on Saturday night. It was crazy! There were just flashing lights everywhere and it was so loud! The blasting mariachi music made it that much better though. We literally heard explosions all day long starting from when we woke up that day too. Definitely a Fourth of July to remember! Hermana Anderson and I celebrated pretty hard core in the apartment. Nothing like Panda Express and watching the District 2!

We went on exchanges on Thursday with the wonderful midway hermanas! I stayed in the area and spent the day with Hermana SHIPP! Just like the good ol CCM days! We had a pretty busy day on Thursday just one appointment to the next. I learned a lot from Hermana Shipp during our exchange, especially acting with urgency and taking every opportunity to share the gospel and serve others.

Hermana Anderson and I have had a lot of work lately with less active members. It's been awesome! We've been getting in contact with members we've never met before which is way cool. We've also been able to work with our active members a lot more this past week especially with teaching people in their homes. I sure do love this ward and this work!

A particularly funny experience with teaching in a members home happened on Tuesday. So there's a less active Hermano that we work with and instead of bringing the member with us we thought it would be cool to bring him to the member and he was very on board with that as well. So there's an awesome Hermana that agreed to have us teach a lesson in her house but the Hermano we brought requested that we drive over to his house first so he could follow us over because he's not very good with directions. So we go meet the Hermano by his house and he starts following us to this Hermanas home and when we were about 5 minutes away we get a text from her saying that she wasn't home and that she wouldn't be home for a while. So Hermana Anderson and I look at each other like "What do we do? This man is following us!" So I call Hermano Jaime and ask if we could last minute teach a lesson in his home and he said yes! So we finally arrive at Jaime and Carmen's house (pictures of them will be included) and we had an awesome lesson! Good times.

We also have a new investigator! Her names Lucina and she's awesome! We found her looking through some former investigators and she totally remembers having the missionaries before. Our first lesson was awesome and we look forward to teaching her again this week! Please pray for her!

Well those were a few highlights from the week. I hope everyone is doing well and I would love to hear from you! I love being a missionary and I really love this area and my companion. Things are pretty great! I know this gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ is at the head of the church. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and along with the Bible we have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This Wednesday I'll be going to the temple to see someone from the Chicago 4th ward go through the temple for the first time! I'm so excited and I'll definitely talk about how that goes next week. I love you all and I hope everyone enjoys their week!

Keep smiling,
Hermana Knowles

2
Soy un hijo de Dios
1. Soy un hijo de Dios;
Él me envió aquí.
Me ̮ha dado un hogar y padres
buenos para mí.
Guíenme; enséñenme
la senda a seguir
Para que ̮algún día yo
con Él pueda vivir.
2. Soy un hijo de Dios;
me deben ayudar
A entender Su voluntad;
no puedo demorar.
Guíenme; enséñenme
la senda a seguir
Para que ̮algún día yo
con Él pueda vivir.
3. Soy un hijo de Dios;
Él me bendecirá.
Yo obedeceré Su ley;
haré Su voluntad.
Guíenme; enséñenme
la senda a seguir
Para que ̮algún día yo
con Él pueda vivir.
 
4. Soy un hijo Dios;
Con Él feliz seré.
Aprenderé Su voluntad,
Y seguiré con fe.
Guíenme; enséñenme
la senda a seguir
Para que ̮algún día yo
con Él pueda vivir.








Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Hasta Ver y Asombro Me Da

Well I don't have a ton of time today but just know that the work is
moving forward and I absolutely love being a missionary! I love my
area, I love my companion, I love the people I serve, and I love the
Lord. Really can't get much better than that! Well I don't want this
email to be terribly boring so here's a couple videos of me playing
piano. Enjoy! I love you all :)

Keep smiling,

Hermana Knowles

Para Siempre Dios Este Con Vos
Asombro Me Da





Amad a Otros

June 22, 2015

Hola familia y amigos! 

First of all I just wanted to give a Father's Day shout out to my daddio! I hope Father's Day was great! It was definitely weird not being able to spend it with you but I know we'll celebrate twice as hard next year when I'll be home for it! I love you and I want you to know that I thank my Father in Heaven each night that I have such an amazing dad. Before my mission as I was going through a lot of your old mission journals and such I felt inspired from your example and still refer to things you wrote today in my own missionary service. Thanks for all you do dad!

This week was pretty great! I'd say the highlight of the week was when Elder Martino from the seventy came to speak to the mission. Other than that not too much to write about really haha.

Elder Martino really got us pumped for missionary service that's for sure! The conference was centered on the Christlike attribute of charity. So we've been studying this as a mission for a while now and I feel I've learned so much. I just wanted to share what I learned in my studies :)

So charity is the pure love of Christ or the eternal love of God for all His children. Well I wanted to answer the question of "how can we develop this attribute or better demonstrate it" and the answer I got was pretty simple as a lot of other things I come across in deepening my knowledge of this gospel. We can have more charity, just as in all other things, as we follow the example of Jesus Christ. "That ye love one another; as I have loved you" (John 13:34). 

And then in wanting to answer the question "why is it so important" or "what is charity capable of", I really liked a quote that my grandpa wiberg sent me, "It opens our hearts in a way that nothing else can. Even in the midst of life’s challenges and difficulties, love fills us with a sense of gratitude, hope, and renewal. Love gives meaning to life, enlarges our hearts, and enables every other virtue—like compassion, patience, and selflessness." I also really like something that president Uchtdorf said, that as we develop charity "our capacity to love God and to serve others will greatly increase." That's a promise hermanos y hermanas! 

So I wanted to take it a step further and thought, perhaps a result of this extended capacity to love would be a greater understanding of why our Father in Heaven and Savior did everything for us. If we strive to love as He does and do our best to see things with a more eternal perspective I believe we can learn more about our divine nature and have more of a desire to help others come to that knowledge as well. Right now I have this increasing love for the topic of divine nature or in knowing who we are and that we have purpose. I have also realized that the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes my purpose possible and that was the greatest act of charity ever performed. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am so thankful for this time that I have to represent Him as a full time missionary. 

Moroni 7:45: "And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 

I love you all so very much and I hope everyone has a great week!

Keep smiling,

Hermana Knowles

203
Amad a otros
1.Como os he amado, amad a otros.
Un nuevo mandamiento, amad a otros.
Por esto sabrán que sois discípulos míos,
si os amáis unos a otros.\





Cuenta tus Bendiciones

June 15, 2015

Hola familia y amigos!

Man this week was pretty crazy! 

Well Tuesday morning we had transfer meeting and I got my new companion, Hermana Anderson! She's so great! I also love being able to see everyone at transfer meetings! I got to see Josseline and Arlene from the Chicago 4th Ward and GUESS WHAT. They both opened their mission calls the same day and Arlene will be serving in the Ecuador Guayaquil West Mission and Josseline will be serving in the ECUADOR GUAYAQUIL WEST MISSION. And they report the same day NEXT MONTH. Isn't that so crazy?! I'm so stoked for them! I still can't believe it. 

We had an awesome first lesson with a new investigator! Her name is Satu and we were finally able to teach her the message of the restoration on Friday! The spirit was so strong and Satu was so attentive as we testified. Towards the end of the lesson as we were explaining the first vision of Joseph Smith one of Satu's relatives came in (maybe her daughter) and she just started listening so sincerely to what we were saying. It was such a beautiful experience to teach them! We left them with a Book of Mormon and have a return appointment for next week! ALSO another cool miracle happened immediately after this lesson. We went directly across the street to visit a PNI (potential new investigator) and her son came to the door and told us how he's really been wanting to change his life and that wants to meet us at the church on Sunday. Miracles left and right! That was such a sweet experience! 

Saturday was an extremely long but great day! We basically had nothing but finding time so Hermana Anderson and I walked out of the apartment with the guitar and started talking about the gospel and singing to everyone! It was awesome! After that we went to a baptism for the midway ward which was great! When we were about to leave we noticed a lot of traffic outside of the building because the train had stopped. So it was a wonderful opportunity for contacting! Hermana Anderson, Hermana Warnock, Hermana Shipp, and I went out and talked to everyone in their cars and it was so fun! I brought the guitar with me too, of course. It was so great we would go up to a window and offer someone a card and some of them of course weren't very interested in that but when I offered to sing them a song they were like, "Sure! It's not like traffic will be moving anytime soon." So either way they were able to hear my testimony whether we just talked to them or sang, I Know that My Redeemer Lives. 

Last night as we were driving home my companion and I took a few minutes to enjoy the sunset. We parked our car and ran up a bridge to get a better view and it was so beautiful! This week I've really tried to take note of all the tender mercies my Heavenly Father blesses me with. I feel I've found true happiness in taking note of those things. That sunset was very sweet to me and I could feel the love of my Father in Heaven and just how precious each of His children are to Him. I love this work and I invite each of you to really strive to pay attention to the tender mercies or little things this week that brings you joy. O sea, cuenta tus bendiciones :) 

I'm also so thankful for all the things I am learning on my mission. This week we will have a member of the seventy come and visit us, Elder Martino. In preparation for his arrival the mission has been studying charity and I very much look forward to learning more about this attribute from Elder Martino and the other missionaries. I love this gospel and I love sharing it with everyone. I hope everyone has an awesome week! I love you all so very much.

Keep smiling, 

Hermana Knowles 
157
Cuenta tus bendiciones
1.Cuando te abrumen penas y dolor,
cuando tentaciones rujan con furor,
ve tus bendiciones; cuenta y verás
cuántas bendiciones de Jesús tendrás.
Bendiciones, cuenta y verás,
bendiciones que recibirás;
bendiciones, cuenta y verás
cuántas bendiciones de Jesús tendrás.
2.¿Sientes una carga grande de pesar?
¿Es tu cruz pesada para aguantar?
Ve tus bendiciones; cuenta y verás
cómo aflicciones nunca más tendrás.
Bendiciones, cuenta y verás,
bendiciones que recibirás;
bendiciones, cuenta y verás
cuántas bendiciones de Jesús tendrás.
3.Cuando veas a otros que más ricos son,
piensa que de Cristo es tu galardón.
Oro no te compra lo que Dios te da:
un hogar eterno donde Él está.
Bendiciones, cuenta y verás,
bendiciones que recibirás;
bendiciones, cuenta y verás
cuántas bendiciones de Jesús tendrás.
4.No te desanimes do el mal está,
y si no desmayas, Dios te guardará.
Ve tus bendiciones y de Él tendrás
en tu vida gran consolación y paz.
Bendiciones, cuenta y verás,
bendiciones que recibirás;
bendiciones, cuenta y verás
cuántas bendiciones de Jesús tendrás.



With Josseline.

With Arlene.

The Monday night FHE crew in Midway.