Monday, March 17, 2014

Out two months and had the best week yet!

Hi family!
Today we had brunch with our District, because it was Elder B's birthday, and then, President Swain gave us permission to watch, "The Saratov Approach"! (It's the movie where the two missionaries get kidnapped in Russia!) It was way good! Then we had to walk here in a wind storm! Oh my lanta, the struggle is real!
This week was probably one of the best weeks yet! I don't think I've felt the spirit so much! It made me realize again and again why I became a missionary, and it made me realize even more, how much of a blessing it is to be the Lord's servant here on Earth. Transfers happened, (wah, it was sad to say bye to Sister M), but I am SO glad I stayed in this area. Oh my heavens, I love it so much here! My new companion is Sister T. She is 19 and from American Samoa. (They have to keep Samoans as my companion since I'm in the Samoan Ward. haha) She has only been out three months, and I've only been out two...so we are training each other haha! Crazy! She is great. We laugh SO much! haha and all is well in Zion. I love her!
So, let's see. This week we received 67 referrals this week...that is way crazy. The field is SO white here! We received 51 referrals in just one day! Ah, it was crazy but so good!!
In the beginning of the week Sister T air dropped me a talk by Elder Holland (Air drop is when you can send pics from one ipad to the other. We are so spoiled here.) It is called "the Miracle of Missionary Work", and it changed everything for me. It was one of the best talks I've read, and it hit me hard. It is a great talk--you should all read it!
One of the highlights of my week was going to Temple Square on Saturday with a lady who has been inactive for 30 plus years. I have to say our lesson there was one of the best lessons I've had my whole mission so far. She is Samoan, too, and so is Sister T and the other two sisters we got were Samoan and Tongan. I was the only polongy there. (That's what they call Americans. haha) But, we had soooo much fun, and we all decided I'm Polynesian on the inside! haha. This lady has become my Samoan Momma! haha I love her so much! She is so great. She has been inactive, as I said, and they lost her records so she needs to be re-baptized. (It happens so much here which is so weird.) We took her to the Christus first. The Sisters played the message, and when we asked her how she felt afterwards, she just bawled. All she could get out was that she just felt so good, and she knew it was right. Then we went to watch the "God's plan" video, and at the end we had such a good discussion with her. I can't say enough how strong the spirit was there. We were able to bear testimony to her, and she is just so ready to come back, and she just kept saying how she is getting to the temple. That is her goal. She was so emotional, and it was amazing. I could literally feel the angels there with us, and I haven't ever felt the spirit move through me so much like that before. We went to the temple grounds, and we walked around, and we talked, and it was just so great. There is such a special spirit on Temple Square, and we are so blessed to be able to have lessons there. It does change peoples' lives. She told us that we were her angels here on earth and that this was one of her most special days that she will never forget. Nothing feels better than sharing this gospel and seeing people make it! She just stopped smoking, cold turkey. She just did it, because she knew it was right, and she just needs to get to the temple. What an example she is! I think we have learned more from her than she has from us. I love her and am so grateful for a Samoan Momma here in West Valley City! Afterwards, we went to the Samoan Ward's Relief Society Birthday party. Oh man, it was SO fun. In the Samoan culture, the men go, too, because there is food! ha ha, so funny! It was just the best. And, the sister we taught with at Temple Square came down for it, too, with her companion. Her companion spoke and so did Sister M who got to come back to speak. It was so fun! It was all of us, sisters, together, and they were all Polynesian. haha So funny! I love it so much, and I love these people so much. I couldn't stop dancing and the sisters kept yelling at me. lol Typical. I can't help it. It was so fun! I love it!
So, on Sunday in the Samoan Ward, there were 539 people in Sacrament meeting! Holy smokes! It was INSANE! There were so many Polynesian people! hahaha This little boy played war with me the whole Sacrament on a piece of paper and made fun of my drawings. haha I love him. He's so cute. The kids are one of the best parts of my mission. I just love them so much! I can feel the love of the Savior for them and for every one more than I ever imagined I could!
But, then Bishop decides to mouth something to me in the middle of sacrament, and I had no idea what he was asking. I asked my companion and she didn't know either. We asked Sister L and she said, "oh, Bishop asked me to say the prayer"! I was just like, "oh, okay". Then, later on they announce I'm saying the closing prayer! (They do announcements in Samoan, so I had NO idea until my companion and Sister L told me! And man, my blood pressure rose. ha ha Normally they do prayers in Samoan! And so, here I am, basically the only palangy there praying in English in front of 539 Polynesian people! ha ha It was hilarious. Everyone thanked me though, because my prayer was short, and here in the Samoan Ward, when they pray in Samoan, their prayers are like 5 minutes long! ha ha ha It takes forever!
We had another party in the Samoan ward. Lots of good partying for me, missionary style, that is! lol Such good foooood! I love it.
Anyways, that was my weekend. Last night we had another Mission President's devotional!! It was wonderful, as usual. The spirit was amazing there, and I got to see my MTC district again, which is always wonderful! :)
My new district is awesome! Our new District Leader is literally awesome, and I am so excited for this transfer! We are already pretty close-all of us! And, we have an Elder D. He reminds me of Gio. haha
We had an awesome Stake Correlation meeting as well. Our Stake Presidency is amazing. They are on fire with the work, and I am so blessed to be in this Stake. They are making sure our Bishopric has 5 lessons for us each week. That will be 20 lessons for us a week, because we cover 3 wards which is so great! It was an awesome meeting, and I am so blessed and happy to be here, especially in the Granger west stake!
Oh, so I started reading the Samoan Book of Mormon too! It's' definitely a journey! Soooo hard! But, Sister T has been helping me. I'm trying hard to get the language down! They didn't prepare me for this in the MTC! LOL!
Also, when I was at Temple Square, we were waiting in the Visitors' Center for the other sisters, and this little boy was running around, and all the sudden, he looked at me, and he just ran up to me and hugged my legs. It was the cutest thing ever and melted my heart!! I just wanted to squeeze him. Plus, I can tell he is Peter's age! Killing my heart!
We have a family we love here: the P family in the 3rd Ward. We ate at their house twice this week, and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. They are the best! We love them so much, and their little girl loves sister missionaries! They are a hilarious family and so humble. It's just a mom and her two daughters, and she's got one that left a day after me to New Mexico on her mission! They are awesome! We are so blessed.
Family, I love you all so much. This gospel is true and my heart is full of joy this week and every day because of it. I can't thank you all enough for your support and love. Know I am being taken care of by the Lord here. This is life changing, and I am in love with my mission. It is hard, but it is worth every tear and every struggle!
I love my Savior so much and know that he knows me and is aware of me and of all of you!! Please do missionary work this week. It is so vitally important!!
I love you all so much and pray for you every night that angels are surrounding you.
I miss you every day!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sister Knight
PS funniest scripture: My zone leader told us about it. It's a food fight in the bible. Zechariah 5:1 lol It's my favorite and always makes me laugh!
LOVE YOU.

Monday, March 10, 2014

First Transfer

    Talofa familia! (Spanish and Samoan in one sentence! lol)                                        10 March 2014

    Another week has passed, and I am half way done my training! Kind of crazy. I hear after you finish your 12 weeks of training, it flies! I am doing okay this week. I am good just feeling a tiny bit homesick maybe because my companion is being transferred tomorrow (wah) and Sister M, a sister who lived with us and was in my zone in the MTC, is leaving too. Transfers stink, and I can tell I am going to hate them every time. As we all know change is hard for me. But I am hanging in there. I am staying here in the Granger West Stake over the 3rd, 6th, and 11th Ward! I am very happy about that. It's incredible how much I have grown to love these people in my area. I will be heartbroken when I leave here. I love it. My new companion will be Sister T. Sister M trained her before she got me, so in mission world sister T is my "sister" haha, so that's kind of funny. She is from American Samoa, so she speaks fluent samoan as well! I hear all good things about her, so I'm sure it'll be fine.
    The work is moving forward this week, that is for sure. We have two 9 year old girls set for baptism and 2 set reactivations and we are planning on setting another date for a reactivation at Temple Square on Saturday! I love to see people grow here. It's so cool. I feel like I am growing with them! Tuesday we went to Temple Square with our recent convert and had a very spiritual lesson! It was amazing. Loved it! She moved to Hawaii yesterday, so we are sad and miss her.
We did lots of service this week. We helped a lady in the 6th ward clean, and then she took us to lunch. I love her! She's so sweet and loves me! haha When she hugs me on Sundays, she always tells me she's gonna take me home with her. Too funny!
And we helped Sister L make more cake! Oh man! So, we were in a lesson on Thursday night and Sister L was with us and a lady called her and asked where her cake was for her wedding. It turns out Sister L thought the wedding was Friday and it was really on Thursday, so we rushed over to her house and iced the cake as fast as we could! It was crazy and poor Sister L was crying and thought she was gonna have a heart attack! It was so sad then, but we laugh about it now! She said she is retiring from the wedding cake business! She said, "I'll make my daughter's wedding cake, but if she gets married outside of the temple she gets a cupcake!" haha Too funny. It made us laugh! We love Sister L!
    One of the other 19 years olds we have been working with won't come to church. It has been a struggle, but she finally came on Wed. and talked to the Bishop! So that was a huge step and such a tender mercy--even though she keeps canceling our appointments! The struggle is real with her.
Oh my lanta, the cutest thing happened! So, we have 7 adorable sweet little African boys who have been coming to church with one of the member families. THEY ARE SO CUTE!! haha I love them! But anyways, the one little boy was sitting by me. He is probably only like 4, and he kept scooting closer and closer, and then he put his little arm around me! haha But he had to stretch. It was so cute! They are so sweet, and I'm so excited to teach them. We start lessons with them on Wed!
    On Friday we went to the house of the two kids we just baptized on the 22, and they were gone. The whole house is empty and says "For Rent", and I just wanted to bawl. So we have been trying to find out where they moved to. I love those kids! I miss them, so wish us luck on that one. Poor Sister M won't even get to say bye probably! :( That stinks like crazy.
    Our Samoan Ward is huge! The boundaries for it are out of our Mission, so we always need rides to go visit people. On Saturday there was a Samoan getting married, so naturally every single Samoan is related, (hahaha) so EVERYONE from our ward was at this wedding and we had no ride. I swear we walked like 10 miles to get to an appointment. It was so far and exhausting! Sister M thought I was gonna pass out, so she made me go get food at a gas station and this sweet lady paid for us! That was a tender mercy and so nice!
    We had a zone meeting on Friday. It was really good. I'll send some pics.
    Last Monday night we had a really good lesson with an inactive family. The grandma is active, but her daughter and granddaughter are not. We have been teaching the granddaughter and she is 8. Her mom sits in and we can tell the little girl is getting it, and we think it's really gonna help the mom come back to Church! So fingers crossed.
We have had a lot of great success on our mormon.org chats, so that has been cool.
    I think that is about it. All is well. I will need some extra prayers this week as we all transition! Thanks so much for all of your love and support. Know I miss you all and am grateful for you. I hope all is going well be safe and take care of yourselves always. I miss you more than I can say.
    xoxoxo
    Sister Knight
    PS The one pic is of me on the sky walk when we walked those 10 dreadful miles. haha

Monday, March 3, 2014

Surviving sickness and falling more in love with the people

Family!                                                                                      3 March 2014

Another week has gone by. It was a harder week but a good one, too. As you all probably saw, I got sick. It was dreadful. I was getting dizzy for a while and then on Tuesday, I just got the worst migraine of my life and thought I was going to die. I felt so sick and yucky. Elder N came with two of the elders in my district and gave me a blessing. It was a really sweet blessing. I was emotional and crying (ha) typical. As you all know, I just hate being sick being away from home. And I kept saying I missed my Daddy (feel special Daddy) :) One of the Elders told me not to fear, and it was okay, because I had Heavenly Father. And it's true. It made me feel better, and I'm grateful for my Savior. Anyways, then I went home and tried to sleep, but couldn't because I felt so sick and I mised home, it was the first time I really wanted to just leave and go home. I just cried. Quite pathetic, but it's fine. Sister N came and took care of me while Sister M continued on with our lessons. I went out and talked to her about everything. I love her and am grateful for her. She's like a Grandma to me! And the next day I went to the Drs. I was feeling a bit better but not all the way. The Dr. told me he thinks I had a sinus infection and perscribed me with some meds. I take 3 a day for 10 days so soon I will be done taking those. They have been helping, that is for sure. So, thank goodness for that. They took some blood WAAAH We all know how much I love having my blood taken, -.- but for once in my life, I didn't get dizzy or anything :) The results came back normal, so I think I'm okay. And I'm feeling better. I HATED being stuck inside, and it made me realize how much I love being a missionary and love this work. I missed contacting people, and I missed the people we were teaching. It's just not right being stuck in your home when you are a missionary. Oh, and I met Elder Nelson's wife at the Drs! haha. She is SO sweet :) It was pretty neat! Too bad he wasn't with her. haha. Pros to being a missionary in Utah holla!! Don't be concerned. I'm okay! :)
So, this weekend we had two baptisms! One was an inactive. She lived in Hawaii, and they lost her records. We taught her all the lessons and have grown to love her tremondously, and she was baptized on Saturady! :) Sadly, she is leaving and moving back to Hawaii on Thursday. Me and Sister M are very sad about that. We wanted to go to the temple with her. But, all is well in Zion. The other baptism was Sister L's son! :) She is the one who is always with us. She's like our third companion! haha I LOVE her and her family. She has two autistic boys. One was baptized not too long ago. They really wanted to have them all be able to go to the temple and E (her son) wanted to be able to pass the sacrament, so we held a baptism for him. It was the best and most spiritual baptism I have ever been to. It was such a sweet experience to see someone so perfect be baptized as Christ was! I love the L family. They are the best!! Sister and Brother L were very emotional. It was so sweet. They have a huge family, so there were a ton of Samoans...with lots of good food! On Saturday we helped Sister L make all the cakes for the baptisms! haha She makes wedding cakes! It was SO fun and SO good...lol...delicious cakes. Naturally, I made the chocolate one ;) haha.
Oh, speaking of food, I have been getting fed so well. The members are taking good care of us here!
The work is going so well. Sister M and I had 14 lessons with members with this week! That is awesome. Our goal, as a mission, is 15 a week!
In the 3rd and 6th ward, there is only about 90 some people that come...it's sad. We are trying hard, but a lot of people seem to be struggling to get to church. It stinks. In the Samoan ward, there was 440 people! HOLY COW! It was insane and VERY hot in the Sacrament room lol!! Can I just say how absolutely aweome it is singing with the Polynesian people. They sing SO loud and with so much energy and WOW! haha Their language is so fun to sing in! It's really neat! I am blessed to know such wonderful people!
Next Tuesday is transfers already! Wow! Time is going fast! I am hoping I stay and that we all stay. We will see soon what happens! Sister M and I also got tickets to the Women's conference and to the Sunday afternoon session of General COnference :D SO excited for that! Oh, I also got to order a Samoan nametag, since I cover a Samoan ward! I think that is pretty cool :)
Daddy your birthday is tomorrow I'm gonna send you an email with some pictures for ya AND you can open your package. I wanted to hear your reaction! lol!! I guess I will have to wait till next week. :) I hope you love it though!! I miss you! I hope your day is the best. Know I will be thinking of you and sending you love from Utah! :)
Tonight we have a dinner appointment at 6 with an AWESOME family! I love them. Then we have two lessons! Both on the Plan of Salvation. Hopefully they go well!
We have been working like crazy-tons of lessons and lots of contacting. It's fine! We love it! I can't even say how much I love my Savior and I am loving being his representative. This work is so incredibly hard. I wonder how I'm gonna do it sometimes, but I know the Lord will help me always!! He is my rock and my light!!
We have a baptism at the end of the month! That golden family I told you about last week is doing so great :) I love them! I love every one we are working with! :) It's so awesome how much you grow to love the people you teach and the members! There is nothing better than this work. I know it is preparing me to be a better person! The Lord is truly my rock, and he sustains me every single day in this work. He gives me energy. He weeps with me, and He rejoices with me! He is my light. This gospel is true, and oh, how I love it!!! I want the world to know. Do missionary work this week. It is SO important. The Lord is hastening his work!!!
The gospel is so true, and the Lord loves us all! I have been amazed at how much I am learning and understanding about doctrine and principles! It's been so cool. I can't believe how incredibly blessed I am.
I miss you family so much! I pray for you every day that angels will be surrounding you, guiding you, and blessing you with health and safety and strength.
Push onward always, and be strong. Stay healthy and safe!!
I love you all oh so much and for eternity!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox Thank you so much for all you do. I couldn't do it without your love and support
All of my love,
Sister Knight

A busy week for Sister Knight

Hi Family :)                                                                                                        24 February 2014

I am doing well. It has been a good week. I am a little sick with a yucky cold and that has been no fun. Waah. But, I'm managing. We have been so stinking busy-so much to do. It's been a good thing though, I am just insanely exhausted ALL the time, so that has been difficult.
We met a golden family this week. It was a referral from our bishopric in the 6th ward. Man, that bishopric is ON FIRE with the work...for which I am SO grateful! They are wonderful men and we are blessed to be in their ward! This family has 8 people living in a two bedroom apartment, and we were counseled to not ever walk there at night as they are in a dangerous area. But, they are absolutely incredible people. They are an inactive family with a daughter who is 9 and not baptized. They are ready to come back to Church and the 9 year old girl is really wanting to be baptized. Her family is awesome and are so supportive. They have a ton of tattoos and piercings but are the kindest people with such love for our Savior. The Mom prayed in our first lesson. She said the opening prayer and it was her first time praying in 7 years out loud. It was a neat experience. She also kind of bore her testimony to her daughter after we invited her to be baptized (she said yes, of course, and will be baptized on March 30 :) or close to that date) But, her Mom cried and it was a really sweet experience. I love this family and am so excited to be a part of their lives and help them in their journey back to Church and to the Savior! Hoping to get them prepared for the temple! How sweet would that be? I am humbled to be a part of this work! The 9 year old came to our baptism on Saturday. It was such a good baptism!! Our sweet kids are so cute and we got to help the little girl get changed and after she was done she wanted us to be right outside of the font so she could come up to us and we could get her all wrapped in a towel and help her in the back. We love them and are so proud. It was a special experience. I gave the talk on the baptism, and it was just sweet. They got confirmed on Sunday, too! We have an appointment with them tonight! I'm excited. I pray that they will be able to stay strong and true in this gospel!! We have another baptism this Saturday for a 19 year old girl. Her records got lost and she went inactive so she needs to get rebaptized...I've never heard of this happening, but apparently it happens a lot. So, we have been teaching her all the lessons, and she is awesome. We have grown to love her a lot as well! She's a cool Samoan girl. haha I love her!! She is preparing for her mission, too, After she is baptized, me and sister M will be able to go to the temple and do baptisms with her and when she goes for her endowments too :)
We set a reactivation date for another 19 year old Samoan girl. She has been inactive since she was about 12 and wants to come back but is really struggling getting to church. We challenged her to be reactivated on March 30, and she agreed and really wants to, so that is going to be our goal!! Fingers crossed as we have grown to love her so much as well. One thing she asked us is if it is ever too late and if you can ever do anything to make the Savior stop loving us, and man, that hit me, and I just bore my testimony to her about the Savior's love for us as I felt that He REALLY needed her to know that He was there and loved her no matter what her past mistakes were. She is still struggling with many things, but we are working with her, and she is wonderful! Prayers for her would be nice!
I have to say I have fallen in love with the people here especially the children. One of my favorite things is when the kids come running up to me and Sister M and they are yelling sisters, sisters! They all give us hugs. It is the sweetest thing. I love it! Such sweet moments.
We had a very busy Sunday yesterday. We had church 9AM-4PM, and we had Ward Council in all three Wards, as well. Talk about an exhausting day!! But, the Wards are great. Sister L is from the Samoan Ward. We call her our third companion, because she goes everywhere with us, and if we don't see her one day, we miss her! haha. She is HILARIOUS! haha I love her. She is in her 40's, I think, and has 3 kids: 2 autistic boys and one girl. I love them all! Her husband was in the band "the Jets". He was the drummer, so that's pretty cool! haha. We love her, and man, we are so grateful for her! She is a wonderful example, and she served her mission in Ogden, Utah! haha Too cool.
We had a 3 week follow up on Wed., and it was much needed. Me and my zone from the MTC were there with President and Sister S, and we just talked all about our struggles and what was going on. We have been blessed with wonderful mission parents out here. They really do love us and are inspired from the Lord, and for that, I am grateful. It makes it easy for me to follow all the mission rules I don't quite understand. They are wonderful, and I love them very much. They gave us wonderful counsel, and it was sweet to be with my zone from the MTC again and to see how we have grown and to know that we are all struggling in different areas and that we are all in this together. Our trainers came back with us and President Swain asked each of them to stand up and say a nice thing about us 'new bees'. Sister M, who is a tough Samoan who never cries, cried as she talked about me. It was really touching. I love, love her! We are both human and were raised in different ways, but it's all good. I don't let little things bother me. We have fun and love each other!
The Samoans are the coolest people! Man, I love them. I am still struggling with the language but I am trying hard. They are amazing people, full of love...some very blunt though! lol! But, I feel very lucky to be teaching such wonderful people and not just the Samoans! Yesterday we had 2 dinners HUGE Samoan dinners. I thought I was going to die!! But, I am so grateful!!
Anyways, I think that's kind of been my week. The work is hard but great. I love it very much. And I haven't been this close to my Savior in my life. I'm grateful for him and for his sustaining hand in my life. This is the true Church. The gospel is true. Our Savior does love us and will always love us regardless of anything we've done. He just wants us back so bad! It's so important to do all we can to have his spirit with us!
I love you all very, very much and pray for you always!!!
Thank you so much for your love and support I really could not do it without you. Please always be safe and happy. Take care of yourselves. You are the best family in the world. <3
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sister Knight

Monday, February 17, 2014

Settling in after being out for a whole month

Hello my wonderful family!!
My emails a little delayed because we went to Temple Square this morning just for fun with our Senior couple so that was nice! I say 'it's all good in the hood' all the time here because its a tiny bit ghetto. haha!
I am doing well. It was a good and very fast week.
This Saturday we have my very first baptism!! Two precious kids are getting baptized. One is 10 and the other is 12! They have inactive parents but live with a member and they are so sweet and I just adore and love them so so much! I am so excited to see them get baptized. They are so on fire with the gospel, and it is so impressive. I pray with my entire heart that they will be able to withstand this world and remain faithful and active in the Church. I love them! I have so much fun teaching them, and it's so fun to see their sweet spirits grow. The little boy told us he really wanted to be the prophet and to follow Jesus! it was adorable!
This week I went on splits, and it went well. Sister N, who is our senior couple came with me! We talked about following the Prophet and it went well. Sister N told me I did great! Friday I went on exchanges with sister T! She is sweet. She is from Fuji! She has an awesome accent and was fun to be with. She is who I want to be on my mission! haha She is so good with the gospel and I learned a lot from her especially how to be bold in a very loving way!! So that was good. But, she snored so that sucked. haha! I was very happy to be back home (my mission home that is).
Saturday we had a choir rehearsal because Sunday we had a big mission devotional. It was soooo fun because my whole district was there. (minus the two elders who went to the SLC South Mission--boo we miss them!!) But, oh man, it made my heart so happy to see them again and be able to chat about our missions and our areas!! It was great! I love them and am so grateful I was able to meet them and be in their district at the MTC! :) Sister S is sitting next to me now, so that's awesome! I love seeing her!The missionary devotional is this cool devotional that takes place here. All the missionaries in our whole mission go, and we (the missionaries who want to) sing some songs, and then, they play Mormon Messages about the Atonement, and recent converts or people who were recently reactivated bear their testimonies! It's for all of us missionaries and everybody in our whole mission who live in Magna and West Valley (because yes those are the only two cities in our mission haha), but it was great. The spirit was so strong, and I loved it so much. Our last song we sang was "I believe in Christ" and man, it was powerful. It's really powerful being a missionary and singing in a choir full of missionaries, especially missionaries you have grown with and who you love so much! Then President Swain spoke a little. He sat by me and it was nerve racking! ha ha! I wish you all could have been there. I thought about you a lot, as I do every day, and I am very grateful for each of you! This mission is really the best thing. It is so hard! I'm not even gonna lie, and some days I have no idea what on earth I was thinking, but those thoughts quickly leave when I see my name tag or feel it and when I see people get the gospel and grow and understand the wonderful blessings we can get from it. I love this gospel, and I want you each to know that. It is honestly the best thing ever. It is something that brings healing, peace, joy, happiness, and it brings families together forever. Everything that seems unfair about this life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so humbled to be his missionary and to be a tool in his hand helping hasten this work and bring His lost sheep back to him. What a humbling experience and I am so privileged and so lucky to be here. I think of that often.
So I have found that nothing is harder than when you see people GET the gospel but they won't keep the commitments you make with them. :( waaaah. that has been a hard part of this. We teach two people and man they get it. They are so good with the gospel, and I can see that desire, but it's not enough. The one is worried about going back to church because she is worried about getting judged, and man, it's so hard! She is so sweet! I love her and just want her there, and she was supposed to come to at least Sacrament this Sunday, but her dad said she slept instead. Man, it kills my heart. And I don't care about the numbers. That stuff means nothing! I care about helping these people come back to Christ and their Heavenly Father who is waiting and wants them back ever so much. I just want them to have that peace and joy the gospel brings!! It's so hard sometimes. Then we have another man who just can't get his priorities right. He had a baptism date set, but this is the third time. We've had to move it back because he won't come to church (work is interfering a lot). He's had a hard time with smoking, too, but he is slowing getting through that, and I challenged him this week to go a week without smoking, and he said he would and really thought he could do it! We have such good discussions with him, but the other day he told us he doesn't care what church he gets baptized into as long as he gets baptized. So, we have to go over the restoration with him again (the Elders taught him that--shakin' my head hahaha! just kidding, our elders are great!) But ya, that has been hard. Those two are killing my heart! They are SO close, and I just need to figure out a way for them to feel the spirit more or something, so they can understand the importance of it and know it's what they need to do, not just think it. But, me and Sister M are working on that!
Sister M is great! We have a ton of fun together. She cracks me up haha! But ya, all is well, and I'm so grateful to be a part of the army of Helaman. This gospel is true! It is 100% true, and I testify of that. I have felt it more and more as I've been a missionary. There is no doubt. God loves us, and we are his children, and he has a perfect plan of happiness. We just have to accept that. I'm so grateful for each of you and pray for you every day, and I pray that angels will constantly be surrounding you, taking care of you, directing you, leading you, and keeping you safe and healthy and strong. There are no words to express my love for each of you and how grateful I am that families are forever!
Thanks for letting people know my address :) Can you post it on my Facebook wall?
I need to buy a bike here soon as the weather has been in the 50's! It's been INSANELY nice haha. I feel for you who have to deal with the snow. I ask Siri on my ipad the weather for PA a lot and every time she says "It's not looking good for Harrisburg PA" hahaha! So sad!! Keep safe and warm!
Know of my love for you always. I can't express that enough. I am so blessed to be a part of this family and to have the knowledge we have. Please never take this gospel for granted, and do all you can to hold to the rod, and get back, if you have let go! I love you all eternally forever and I miss you every single day.
Be safe, happy and strong!!
All of my love forever,
Sister Sarah Knight <3 xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Monday, February 10, 2014

Two weeks in West Valley City...done!

Talofa family!!
Thank you so much for all the emails and love and support and prayers. I do feel them!
I got my package mom and dad :) I loved it! It made me SO happy getting something in the mail especially from home! I love your letters and the words of encouragement and support. I do need them a lot. And mom the skirt fits wonderfully! All the sisters I live with are very jealous, and the lady I live with was very impressed! :) I love it! Thank you so much. If you have time it would be great in every color! ;)
This week has been a bit better. Some cool news: me and sister M are leading our District...I guess we are doing pretty well. But, I am not letting that go to my head. We have a lot to learn still, especially me...our sister training leader was over for exchanges, and we role played with her and she is exactly who I wanna be in a few months. She has the spirit and does awesome talking about the gospel!
We've been teaching a lot. The past couple days we have been on the go go go and have taught a lot of lessons. Some have been difficult...well mainly one. For the most part the people we are teaching are inactive. They are all very kind! But, on Saturday night we taught an inactive and his gf and they have two little boys. He just kinda told us he hasn't been reading the Book of Mormon because he doesn't believe it's true and feels like it's all made up mainly because he hasn't gotten an answer about it yet. That was the first time I've gotten something like that so that was kind of hard for me to help him, but I tried my best. We challenged him to keep reading the Book of Mormon and to truly pray with a sincere heart and promised him he would get an answer.
The other day we were teaching another inactive sister. She's 19 and so sweet! Her dad comes to church, but she doesn't often. They lost her records so she will probably have to get re baptized. We taught her about the commandments and the main part we wanted to focus on was prayer. So, we did that and talked about it and showed a Mormon Message and she told us that everything we said to her was an answer to her prayers and just what she needed, so that was way cool! It makes me feel like I really am getting it, kind of.
It's been hard. Sometimes I just don't know what to say. I'm still trying to adjust to clearing my mind and letting the spirit guide me. I think I'm getting there.
Sister M sweetly reminds me to read the Book of Mormon again, because I'm really not as smart as she is when it comes to the Book of Mormon..oops. hah.
Tuesday we took a very sweet family to Temple Square! They are recently reactivated and their son just got baptized and now they are working on getting to the temple to be sealed...When they do Sister M and I will be able to be there :) They have three boys and one girl: beautiful, beautiful kids! They are a family from the Martial Islands! It was a good experience. We watched the video about the Plan of Salvation that they have in the DC visitors' center, and it made me cry. It made me miss my family! But, I was able to bear my testimony to them, so that was good! We taught with the sister missionaries on Temple Square! One sister was one of my MTC teacher's sisters! haha That was cool! So, we are hoping that they will get to the temple soon~ we sat with them at church on Sunday!
This weekend was Stake Conference. It was really great! It was all on hastening the work! Our Stake President is a sweet emotional older man! We have 48 missionaries in our stake out right now. He read some of their testimonies since they've been on their mission. I'm loving the people more and more here. The members are really great. Stake Conference really pushed members to get into the work!! Members are a huge strength, and I can testify to that!! The Samoan people are wonderful, so sweet and hilarious! The ladies always pull me into them and give me enormous hugs and kisses on the cheek!! They are very loving. It's hard when I don't understand, but I do love the people!! We taught a lesson all in Samoan the other night -.- that stunk. haha But, I said the closing prayer. We are thinking of going on splits now since Sister M thinks I'm ready for that, so we will see! There is a missionary devotional this Sunday! Our whole mission is going to be there, and everyone here is invited: members, non member, and inactives, so it should be really great! I'm excited and can't wait to see the people from my MTC district! haha. and it should be very spiritual! I still love being a missionary for my Heavenly Father. In fact I think that love is just growing. It's a blessing to be in the Army of Helaman and to bring people closer to Christ!
This Friday (Valentines Day) I am going on splits and going to the Hunter area with one of my sister training leaders-sister lala (that's a nickname can't remember her whole name hah) She is from New Zealand! So hopefully that will go well! It goes from 4 PM Friday to 4Pm Saturday!
We have an elderly missionary couple in every stake in our mission and ours is the sweetest! They are Elder and Sister N! I love them! They are just like our grandparents. They take good care of us and always tell us how much they love us!! Very grateful for them and for the wonderful people I am meeting here. We had dinner with the 6th Ward this past week and they were nothing but incredible strong members. I was very blown away by some of them! They are sweet, strong, humble people!!
I went to Golden Corral after District Meeting on Friday. It made me think of you daddy. haha It was so good! I ate way too much though! lol
One thing that's been hard for me here is worrying about you guys. I know I shouldn't, but I do! It's just me! I've been praying hard for you since I've been here and expressing my concerns and worries, and the other night I turned to Doctrine and Covenants 100:1 It's an awesome verse that helped me a lot! Go read it.
Sammy, I found a little turtle in my scriptures that you drew me forever ago. It was so cute! I love it!
Pdays are actually rather stressful with too much to do in one day. That was my week basically.
Stake conference talked so much about hastening the work as I said. I just wanna challenge each of you to make missionary work a part of your every day life!! Pres. K challenged us to take 1% of our time each day to do service for others: just a phone call or something. We were also challenged to be in the scriptures every single day and to make sacrifices to do so! It will bless your live tremendously, and you will see huge changes!
Well family, I can't think of anything else I was gonna say haha. I hate that. But I love you all so much and pray for your protection and guidance always! You are in my thoughts and my heart. I miss you all every single day and hope every one is doing great! Know I am in the Lord's hands and doing his work! He is taking care of me and there is nothing more exhausting than missionary work! It is the greatest calling on the earth and I am humbled and blessed to be a part of it!
I love you all forever and hope to hear from you soon.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sister Knight

Monday, February 3, 2014

First email from West Valley City - Out in the field now!

Talofa lou aiga (Hello my family! It's Samoan! you'll see why soon haha)
I am here in West Valley City!
My first week has been good. I have been kind of home sick and MTC sick. I miss my District a lot. It was sad saying bye to them. But, we are all close except two of our elders who sadly went to SLC South, but we can email them so that's been nice! Me and my MTC companion Sister Seaman are in the same zone :) so every P day we get to see each other cause our zone goes to a church and plays games! haha so that will be super nice and I'm so grateful for that. I have missed her so much!! We only have one Walmart in our area haha so we run into each other on p days when we are shopping!
My new companion's name is sister Maiava ( My ava) She is straight from Samoa! It's her first time in America and she has been out for 8 months! We found out we have the same birthday, but she is one year older than me! She is funny. We get along well. She says Oh my hannah all the time after I say oh my lanta and its funny the way she says it haha. We live with two other sister missionaries (one is from my zone from the MTC :) Their names are Sister Moore and Sister Howard. And we live with a member named Sister XXX. She is so sweet and has a precious dog named Bailey!
So Sister Maiava and I cover three wards: the 3rd ward, 6th ward, and the 11th ward. We are in Church 9 AM- 4 PM. Its a long day, but guess what. The 11th ward is a Samoan ward...all they speak is Samoan and Sister Maiava is from Samoa so she understands and I'm trying to learn the language! haha. It's been very interesting.
We get fed A LOT to say the least. I am praying I don't get fat because they really feed us! Nice humble people though!! Guess how many people were in the Samoan ward... 269! That is so much!! And that is the only ward we go to all of the meetings! (The 3rd and 6th ward we only go to sacrament meeting.) Luckily in Relief Society they split up into Samoan and English. It's kinda hard not knowing what anyone is saying all of Sacrament and Sunday School.
Tomorrow me and Sister Maiava are taking a reactivated family to Temple Square! That will be fun!
Mom, we exercise for 30 mins in the morning, and I have no idea what to do. Can you like send me an exercise something haha! Idk, I need help!! I'm gonna get fat if I don't exercise hard in the morning haha.
We already have 3 baptisms this month and one on March 1!
I looove teaching the kids here. We teach a lot of younger kids. Their families are inactive and they sit in with our lessons, but it's precious. The kids are so cute! Seriously almost every one we teach is Samoan, Tongan, Mexican or from the Martial Islands. It's really neat. they are beautiful people! haha. but, anyways the one little girl we teach tells me every time she sees me that I am pretty! haha Its so cute and then there is this family I love so much! She has 3 girls. One just went to the MTC Wed and is going to New Mexico, but they are so sweet. I love them. Her little girl loves the sister missionaries, and she made me two bracelets! haha That's been fun.
The one hard thing about being here is there are so many Polynesian people and I can't say ANYONE'S names. haha its awful! but I guess kind of funny.
We have taught a lot of lessons...I'm still trying to get a hang of teaching and going by the spirit and working with a companion. This is real life now, so its a little bit different. We teach all day every day. If we don't have an appointment, we have referrals. There are a TON of inactives here...a lot of this mission is reactivating, I think. For the most part people have been very kind. I haven't really met anyone mean yet, but we have had some awkward experiences. The one night sister Maiava and I went to a referral and a Tongan boy answered the door and we weren't sure how to say the last name. haha Anyways, Sister Maiava asked if his wife was there...and he said 'um I'm like 14'...lol It was hilarious! So now, that's our joke. We are always like 'Sister I'm only 14'. haha. But all the Tongans look older! It's funny. but teaching has been good so far. We walk everywhereeeeee. It's so cold-especially last night was absolutely freezing. I had to put hand warmers in my pockets and boots it was so stinking cold. We don't get as many rides as I thought we would haha.
I've met a lot of members as well! They are pretty good. The 3rd and 6th Ward were kind of small to my surprise...the 3rd ward looked smaller than our Ward back home! I bore my testimony in the 3rd ward! I'm still trying to adjust and get to know everybody. The culture out here is so different. I guess I didn't realize all the ethnicity out here! But there are hardly any white people it seems. I've gone to a lot of lessons with Sister Maiava and a member from the Samoan ward and we teach Samoans and the whole lesson is in Samoan, so that's kind of hard, but what can you do. There has to be a reason I'm here. Though I can't see it yet, I'm sure there is. We have three lessons tonight after P day! So hopefully those go good.
No bike yet! Thank heavens. I don't wanna ride a bike lol!
My mission president and his wife are very sweet. They mean business though, but it's all good! I got my little ipad mini. It's awesome. Everything including our area book is on it!
All is well. I do miss everyone and am feeling a bit homesick, but I am trying hard to not think about it and just keep moving forward. Lots of things remind me of home and all of you, but then I try to remember that I can bless other families so they can be together for eternity like we are already blessed to have!

Alofa ia te oe ( I love you)
i love you all for eternity! and pray for you always to have angels surrounding you to protect you, guide you and keep you safe.
Share the gospel this week! we are so lucky to have it in our lives!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sister Knight <3

Last email from the MTC

My amazing family. I miss you all so much!
This week has been a good week, but it was tough all the same. I'm so grateful for the district I have. We have had some absolutely incredible experiences together.  Our teachers are incredible and know what they need to do when they need to do it and I am so grateful for that. I'm forever changed because of it. I just am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and for the spirit. Going on a Mission has already been the best thing I've decided to do. It truly changes your life for the better.
I leave the MTC tomorrow! How crazy is that! I'm really nervous, but I feel and know it will be okay. I'm so sad to be leaving my district I wish I could take them all with me. We are all going to the same mission but two of the elders are going to SLC south. We'll miss them for sure.
I guess I'll tell ya a little about my investigators.
I wrote you about the Russian girl. You'll get that letter soon if you haven't. she was our trc and was a harddddd one at that. She was very intimidating to say the least, but the spirit really helped us get her to open up. Our last lesson with her was on Monday. we didn't get too far with her, but we found out she is LDS anyways, married in the temple and isn't even Russian! haha too funny. We were so glad to hear that. 
We are teaching a cute Japanese old man. He is so fun and sweet. we only taught him once but, he invited us to come again today!
Tuesday night we heard from  Gerald Causse he is the first Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric! that was a good devotional and just on Sunday in Relief Society Janice Kapp Perry was our speaker! She was awesome!! and so sweet. She sang a song for us and I loved it and we also sang the primary songs she wrote with her. She also changed 'As Sisters in Zion' to 'The Sisters in Zion' and changed the words so it could apply to sister missionaries. It was awesome. I couldn't sing any of the songs without crying. We had our departing devotional last night. It was sad. I remembered when I first got to the MTC and we had our welcome devotional sitting there with my companion and now we already have to say bye. It was a good devotional though. The MTC President spoke to us and reminded us how we are somebody's missionary. I think that's so cool. I have to say that this is hard, and i know it's only going to get harder, but it's so rewarding. I haven't felt more sustained by my Heavenly Father in my life. He is really taking care of me and strengthening me and my heart. I feel so blessed and humbled to be here and to have had the experiences I've had.
We went to the temple this morning. It was really neat! I loved it, and the sisters were so sweet. The one older lady told me she didn't want me to leave! haha She was so cute and sweet. It was a good experience. 
I'm so blessed to have you as my family and am so grateful for the support I wish I could express how grateful I am. I want you all to know I pray for you constantly throughout the day and pray for angels to be protecting you. I miss you all a whole bunch. It's hard to be away, but I know the time will fly and it will bring us all blessings.
I'm so grateful to be here at the MTC and to be a missionary and representative of my Savior. 
Thank you all so much for supporting me and sending me love. I couldn't do it without any of you.
I love you all more than I can ever express.
Remember whose you are and smile every day. we are so blessed to have the knowledge that we have. stay safe and know angels are surrounding you!
All of my love for eternity,
xoxo
Sister Knight
ps. I saw Kimber and Dani Nadal! It was so good to see them and hug them! They are so sweet and seem to be doing so good!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Here's Sister Knight's first official email to her family, and she asked that I share portions of it with all her friends!!

"My first week at the MTC was probably one of the best weeks of my life. I absolutely adore everything about this place. My companion is the sweetest. Her name is Sister Seaman and she is from New York close to the Palmyra area.We have so much fun together! :) We get lost like crazy ha ha. well we are getting better but, its been so great. I can just feel her love for Christ radiate. she is wonderful. Funny story. Our very first day and first meal we sat across from two sisters from New Zealand they talked so cool but, anyways. The one said to us so "How do you go?" and we were both like uhhh...go where? and I looked at Sister Seaman like you got this one ha ha and she was like what?! don't you guys say that? ha ha. and we were like uh nope not at all. I guess it means how are you doing ha ha. it was funny we laughed for a long time about it. 
I have had so many amazing experiences already I can't even tell you how perfectly amazing the MTC is. I love my district SO much. We get along like we've known each other forever. We laugh together and cry together they are all amazing examples and such spiritual beasts haha! There are four boys and four girls...excuse me I mean four elders and four sisters haha gotta use the correct titles. There is me, Sister Seaman, Sister Borman from Long Island New York, Sister Denton from Nashville TN, Elder Weed from Vermont, Elder Moore from Ohio, Elder Shindler and Elder Eastwood are both from Washington State and those two elders are going to the South mission. The rest of us are going to West! But they are the best. I just love them all so much. So grateful to have them in my district. I look at my companion and some of the others and I swear I know them and it isn't from the MTC. Its really a neat thing. Our teachers are Brother Metcalf and Brother Cowdin. They are soooooo awesome and they have taught me so much. I thought I knew the gospel before I came here pretty well but, I am learning it so much more on a much deeper level and I still have so much more to learn. It is seriously amazing. I wish so much I could tell you all the experiences I have had. It's hard to not call you every night and tell you what happens each day. Every day is amazing here. I know God lives and that he is in charge. My testimony of his love for not only me but all of his children has grown so insanely much. My testimony in general has already grown more than I can say. I love this place. I love so much being Sister Knight and I love wearing my name tag close to my heart and being a representative of the Lord. There is no greater calling. I love the Savior so much. He has worked through me and he takes care of me. Never forget how much he loves each of you. I testify he loves you more than you could ever know or comprehend. 
So me and my companion have taught two lessons and have done pretty well. The first one was kind of shaky but, the second was much better. It's amazing how the spirit works. When we role play we take someone we know and pretend we are them (as the investigator. One of my first role plays I was a missionary and my companion was the investigator. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had and I don't think I have ever felt the spirit work so strongly through me in my life. It literally just came. Everything I needed to say just came to me and it was so cool. 
We learned why we should invite  others to baptism on the very first discussion....I had no idea we did that. but, we do and I know why now. It has been incredible learning about it and I realized that its not something you tell them they have to do you simply invite them. You ask if they learn that the things we are teaching them are true for themselves then will they follow the example of Christ and be baptized.
We also learned how to not go in circles when we talk to investigators and how we need to just get straight to the point and if they argue with you about something to never argue back just simply tell them we know this to be true and this is how we know it to be true and we invite you to pray or do the same to know if its true as well. Its been really neat. I've learned so much and every lesson I have learned has been so  powerful. Classes are amazing. Its so exhausting in every aspect and a lot of us have been completely overwhelmed but the spirit works and our district is great cause we just know how to laugh. its been so awesome. I've come to a much better understand to our purpose. its to invite and to help!
last night was pretty cool. Sister Wixom who is the general president of the primary spoke to us in Relief Society, then our fireside was by Sheri Dew! She was really neat and after that we listened to a talk by David A Bednar to the missionary that he gave over Christmas. It was called the characteristics of Christ. It was an incredible talk It was about how we learn how to forget our selves and be like Christ I can't explain it go listen to it haha! Its about being truly converted to Christ. 
This morning we went to the temple! It was so fun to go as a district and to be a missionary. We went on a temple walk yesterday and took picture.
Know I love my mission with all my heart and I have grown more than I can tell you. I'm gonna try to send you pictures!
I love you for all of eternity. Remember how loved you are by your Heavenly Father. Never give up faith and be strong!!! 
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sister Knight<33333


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Only 3 days left!

There is only three days left until I enter the MTC start this new awesome chapter of my life.
All I can say is holy mixed emotions. One day I am SO excited and I can't wait and the next I'm thinking, what did I do? haha. But, in all reality I know this is what I needed to be doing at this time in my life and so that keeps me going. I love this gospel so much and am so excited to share it with the people of Salt Lake City West.
When I first got my call as I read where I was going I was a little bit disappointed...I tried really hard not to be but, I was. I thought to myself out of all the places in the world I get to go Utah...the one place I didn't want to go. As days went by and many prayers were said I felt peace and excitement about my mission and I knew its where the Lord needed me to be. I cannot wait to finally be out there and serve. As much as I am nervous, scared and so sad to say see ya laters to my incredibly rad family (especially my perfect nephews) I know this is right and I am excited. I know its going to be the best thing I could have ever decided to do in my life. It will help me in every aspect of my life. Make me a better person, wife and, mom.
I'm so grateful for this opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father for the next 18 months and can't wait to share my tales with all off you!

Missionary: Someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others can be with their family for eternity. <3

xoxoxoxo
Sister Knight