July 14th Letter - Biking pro (;

Hello hello!!

Short on time!

Lots of little things happened this week.  Mostly a lot of finding!
Either new investigators or less active members(:  haha. It's been fun
though.  I love meeting these people here in Winston-Salem  they are
so sweet and polite! It's very welcoming(:  I wouldn't mind staying
here another transfer and to finish strong here(:

Santa came to church again and loved it!!  She is amazing(: I love her
and feel so grateful to work with her!  Her sister Elina is slowly
progressing.  She said she thinks she'll be ready for baptism in
August--which is super exciting!!(:  I love working with families. (:

The weather has been beautiful here!  Here is a picture of a beautiful
day and a members house/sign that be decided not to knock on. Haha(:
welcome to the south!

Love you all!

Love,

Sister Knell

Ps.  Biking pro because sister Blackham and I got biking every
morning!  We are trying to stay fit(:

July 7th Letter - out of time.

hello darlings!

so last week i did not have anytime to write and this week is similar.. ha(: sorry!

last week we were so blessed to see Sarah get baptized!!  She is amazing (: i love her!  when we were teaching her a lesson right before her baptism i saw her phone had a picture of Jesus getting baptized as her background.  she is so great!  she said, she wanted to think about it all week so she made him her background to remind her to stay focus and so Satan wouldn't detract her. I love her!!

how was y'alls 4th of July?  mine? lame.. haha i've decided holidays are no big deal on the mission. almost all our appointments cancelled on us. ha (: but it was still a great day!

we are working with these two wonderful sisters!  They are from Latvia.  Santa and Elina.  Santa came to church with us this sunday and loved it!!  she even stood and bore her testimony in relief society.  it was beautiful.  the spirit was so strong.  we had a few members come up to us and say, "wow, she is golden, good job sisters"  we just feel so blessed to have met her that one rainy day.  we have been working with her and her sister almost every day since then.  they both have dates for the 26th of this month.  we pray that everything will run smoothly for them.  they've been going through some family things recently but are still holding strong.  I love them!!

loves!! sorry so short!!

Sister Knell

pictures to come (:

Pictures:

Elina, Santa, and me

me in a cute diner we found

 

 

Me and Sister Blackham yesterday (:

 

 

 

Service and found a cute puppy(:

 

 

Sarah's baptism&phone 

 

June 30th Letter - None!

Sister Knell didn't write a big group letter this week, she said she had no time in small quick emails to family! So just for the record - I'm on it! ;) ;)

June 23rd Letter - rain, pour and shine

Hi there ya little cuties (:

We have zone activity today!!  YAY!!  I am so excited!  We're going to do Minute to Win it (: but it is an hour away.. so time in writing is cut short.  SORRY!  Here are some pictures(:

This week was great!!  Three new solid investigators (: YAY!!!  

Alena, Santa (sisters from Europe) and Josh (Alena's boyfriend), we are trying so hard to build a solid teaching pool.  Pray that we can have a great week of finding the elect (: 

Hope this a a great week!!!

HAPPY BDAY SISTER JOHNSON & baby Jackson (:

LOVE ALL YALL (:

 

PICTURES(:

 

 

-CRAZY RAINSTORM (: we look funky.. hahaha but it was a blast.  WE WERE SOAKED!!!  POURING RAIN!!  Walked in it for 20 minutes.. loloolll.. so crazy!!

-SISTER BLANEY AND I ARE REUNITED! (: Did I already tell y'all that?

 

-This is how Sister Blackham welcomed me to the area/apt.  Hide a HUGE penguin in the closet so when I opened the door it gave me a fright.. lolol (:

June 16th Letter - Goodbye Charlotte, hello bug bites :|

Hihihi(:

My new home for the next six months (&probably the next six after
that) is Winston-Salem, NC!!(: I love it!  It is very rural.  Not like
Charlotte at all.  It reminds me a bit of Statesville & Danville put
into one.  The people are great!  So sweet, kind and welcoming.  I
love it!!  It's a slower pace but we still are really busy.

A few weeks ago I got the scary "White Envelope" for the missionaries
with only three months left --I came into Zone Meeting and a sister I
came out with asked if I saw it.. It was a very bitter sweet moment to
just see it.. And then to hold it in my hands. I was really nervous to
open it.. Which probably sounds funny.. But I feel I have been trying
so hard to stay out on my mission.. and now my time is coming close to
an end. Which is a very hard thought. But it was also a very sacred
thought.  Inside the envelope is a letter from my mission president
and a pledge.  The "Pledge to Sprint" for my last three months.  I am
grateful to be reminded how important my last three months are and to
finish strong!

It's been weird coming into an area that has already been established
by many other sets of missionaries.  It's even more weird to come into
progressing investigators & one getting baptized next week.  It is all
very new to me.  But I love being able to hit the ground running.  I
know that The Lord wants me here.  I know I still have so much more to
learn.  I'm excited to see what Winston-Salem has in store for me
here(: (so far lots and lots of bug bites!!!) lolol

My new companion is Sister Blackham.  She is from Holiday, Utah.  She
is 31 & does fashion, hair and make up.  She went to school for
medical assisting.  She has been out 7 months.  & 4 months have been
here in Winston.  So she knows the area really well.  We get along
great!  She is so much fun and hilarious!  She has such a strong love
& testimony for the gospel.  I have already learned so much from her.
She is a very hard worker & a really good people person, going up and
talking to anyone & everyone--which I need to learn how to be better
at still {but dad! don't worry! I'm not scared to go up and ask for
refills anymore, I've grown up some (; }

Sarah is the one getting baptized on June 28th.  She is so prepared
and amazing!!!!  Her mom is a convert of three years and that is how
the sister started working with her.  She has the cutest little boy
and the best sweet southern accent.  I want it so bad!!  Lolol. Maybe
this area will help me get one(; I'm really good at saying "y'all &
all y'all" haha but that's about it.  Charlotte didn't help with the
accent-darn! (;

I love all y'all so much!!

Love,
Sister Knell
Xo
Here's one for the road.. Hehehehe :p

June 9th Letter - aloha providence ward

Well the time has come for me to leave my beloved Providence Ward ):

I am very very sad to have to go.  This ward has been amazing!!  I feel so blessed to have served here for so long! 

I don't have too much time because I still have a lot of packing I need to do and errands to run.

This week was a great week!!

Sister Hong and I have been blessed with so much lately!!

 

So if y'all haven't guessed yet.. the Peruvian family we have been working with didn't get baptized on the 24th of May.  some things came up and we had to push the date back to June 14th.  The two youngest are ready for that date but Antonio is not.  He has a citizenship test he needs to take before he had Lily can get married which isn't until July 7th--which he just finally found out.  So we are now pushing their date to July 19th.  the whole family!!  Which wil be amazing!  July 12th they will be getting married (:  I am so excited for them!!  Sad I won't be able to witness any of it..  but I feel so blessed to have been working with them (: they are amazing and ready!!  The gospel is amazing and brings families closer together and closer to the eternities (:  I love it!!

 

We also have a few others who have baptism dates (:

Joseph for June 28th he is solid!!  We met him street contacting a month ago!  I wish I could be there for his baptism.  He is so prepared!

Sheri June 21st (soft date) the elders just asked us to help them work with their investigator.  She is having a hard time giving up smoking.  So we think Denise will be able to help her get through it.   They have tried everything.. Now it just goes down to her agency.. so we'll see what happens.

Darren for July 5th. his girlfriend and children are members but he is not and is now interested in learning more!!  (:

 

I love all of these people so much!! so so so sad to leave them, but i am grateful to have had the chance to learn and grow with each one of them!!  I know the lord is hastening his work!  How blessed we are to be apart of it (:

 

I'm grateful to be leaving this area when it is at its highest (: Sister Hong will take great care of it (:  I am even more sad to leave her!  She is an amazing missionary!!  I loved being her companion!! (:

 

out of time!!  I love you alllll  sooooo much (:

 

Love,

 

Sister Knell

Saavedra Family (Peruvians:)

saying goodbye to the harwells with the elders.  best lesson ever!!  tangled lanturns (;

 

 

 

May 26th Letter - denise & e.r. fun again.. (:

hi y'all!! (:

 

This week has been pretty crazy!!  But very rewarding (:

We got to see denise get baptized saturday & confirmed sunday (: which was a beautiful service!  She was glowing!!!!  Once she cam out of the water she was smiling ear to ear!!  She said, she had no more desires to smoke or drink her coffee.  She was very excited about that!!  She is amazing!!  I am so excited for her!!!  I have been working with her for 5 months!!  So this is a miracle!!!  I am so blessed to have worked with her (:

 

After her baptism on Saturday she wanted us to go to a Speaker Meeting at her AA group.  It was really neat to see how AA works and how it helped her come closer to God and then thats when we knocked on her door.  I know that God had been preparing her to from the start and its so neat to see her from the very beginning to now, she has changed completely!  and is ready and willing to make every change possible to be closer to Christ!  (:  She even started talking about wanting to serve a mission once her health gets better (:  She is amazing!!!

 

So Sunday evening I had a really bad allergic reaction to something and couldn't breathe.  My throat started closing up and my chest was getting heavier and heavier.  So a member we were with rushed us to the the hospital.  8 hours later we got home around 4:30AM and slept in the next day until 1 in the afternoon.. Its been a crazy weekend!  But I am grateful for the Priesthood and blessings (:

 

out of time!! 

 

here are some pictures (:  loves!!!

denise & us & her uncle who is a member in another ward

 

 

May 19th Letter - Out of Time

So we found out as a mission the other day at a mission conference, no more videos or pictures from the iPads.. Sadly.. ): so we can't use the camera or save the pictures.  The iPads are for the investigators not us..which is kind of a DUH moment! Haha. But it'll be great to help us all stay more purpose driven!  I'm grateful for these rules & guidelines! (: here are some of my last pictures then I have to delete them!!  ENJOY!

Loves!

My whole zone.. Bahaha can you find me?

 

 

May 12th Letter - May 24th(:

Hello y'all!!  I hope everyone had an amazing Mother's Day (:

This week was seriously the best week!!  Week of Miracles!!  We had a great week with our lovely Peruvian family Lily(member), Antonio, Valery, Max & Janilla.   They all have accepted baptismal dates for May 24th!!  They are very excited! & we are too!! :D. It took awhile to work with Valery but she came to a ward picnic on Saturday and she opened up a lot to us.  (: we are feeling so blessed!!

It was a wonderful week of miracles!  We had the best lesson with Denise!  We read 2Nephi 31 and talked a lot about baptism & what was holding her back.  Sister Snow came with us a bore strong testimony about baptism & the Holy Ghost.  The spirit was so strong!!  Denise committed to May 24th!  I am so very grateful, I have been working with Denise since January, I know the gospel will continue to bless her!  

Out of time!!  

Love you all!  So grateful to have seen many of your beautiful faces!!😊. Xoxo 
Sister Knell

May 5th - A delayed note with a Facebook Post by Sister Knell

Sister-Rebecca Jane Knell

May 10

My darling Grandma Knell,

I love you. (: Your one of the most amazing ladies I have ever known. You have taught me so very much throughout my life. I am grateful to have known you. You were one of my best friends. I will miss our talks, your hugs, kisses, birthday calls, Halloween songs, smiles, rhymes, laugh, and beautiful glow. I am sad I have to let you go. But I am grateful to know that you have been reunited with Grandpa Knell. Now I know I have another angel watching over me and will help with hastening the work. You were the most amazing missionary bringing 10 faithful & righteous children in the covenant. I know families are forever. God be with you until we meet again. Xo

Yours truly,
Sister Rebecca Jane Knell

June 29, 1932-May 6, 2014 #ItwasMom

— with Jewell Knell.

April 28th Letter - best week ever(;

hello my darlings!!

 

i am out of time!  so this will be short and probably on the sloppy side.. i apologize..

 

this week one of the best weeks ever!!!  we had the best numbers and great lessons and just pure happiness!!!  YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!  (:

 

we had a lesson with our peruvian family tuesday and it was amazing!!  we had sister delgado come with us-which made it so much better.  we will have to have a spanish speaker come with us every time for now on.  antonio and janilla both accepted a baptismal date for may 18th!!! :D so excited for them!!  The other two children weren't in the lesson but hopefully they will be there tomorrow night in our lesson.  they have so much potential and how we foud them is just a miracle in itself!  we are so grateful!!

 

we didnt have the car this week and i am still not able to bike.. so we walked everywhere this week!  which was actually helpful with finding!!  We talked to everyone we saw and taught lessons!  The weather was amazing all week long!  I felt so blessed!!!  (:

 

the other day while we were walking we met three teenagers who were "evangiling."  tommy, will & natalia. natalia was obviously the leader.  it was fun to talk to them and see how passionate they are about their faith and sharing it.  their beliefs are very different from ours.  sister hong hurt her back the other day running on the treadmill (i know I'm like bad luck or something) and natalia asks if she can give sister hong a healing blessing.  it was very interesting.  she put her hand on sister hong's shoulder and starts saying this prayer and then after is so excited and is jumping up and down asking if sister hong was healed.. unfortunately sister hong wasn't.. but it was sweet that natalia had that faith.  we offerred them copies of the book of mormon but they declined.  natalia's dad is a preacher at their church and she invited us over to talk with him.. well politly declined (: but it was an interesting discussion. they were only 14 years old. so crazy!  But it was a fun experience (:

 

we had transfer calls!  and both sister hong and i are staying!!  yay!!  i love my providence ward!!(:  i think i'll probably finish here, i'm okay with that(: the people here are amazing!!!

 

I love all y'all!!!

 

Love,

 

Sister Knell

April 21st Letter - Easter festivities (:

Aloha y'all!!! (;

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter Sunday!!  Sister Hong and I had an amazing one!! (:

So many miracles!!  We had 3 investigators at church on Sunday!!!  Yay!!

The beginning of the week started off as a wet day for Sister Banks and I!!  Thank goodness for those rainboots mom sent me!  Lifesaver(;  We had exchanges with the Sharon Sisters.  Sister Hong worked it Sharon and I stayed here with Sister Banks.  It was a lot of fun because Sister Banks came out the same time as I did!  Time is flying by so fast!  

I love exchanges!  We taught Barry (one of our recent converts) with Dagmar (our partner in crime!!  She's been baptized for a year now!) tonight.  We taught the Plan of Salvation and went a little over temples.  They are both excited about the temple trip coming up & the single adult conference.   It was so neat to see the differences of a fairly RC and one that has been baptized a year.  Dagmar has such an amazing testimony!  I learn something from her every time she comes out with us!  Or even when we go and have a lesson with her.  I get excited to think that Barry will be like that in a year too!  The gospel truly blesses lives and changes people.  I love it(:

Have y'all seen the new Easter video Because of Him, that the church came out with?  We have been sharing it and bore testimony of Jesus Christ with everyone!!  It has been amazing!  We've also been visiting a lot of less active members and been sharing the video with them.  They all love it too!  I love the Easter season!  Something new we have been trying with all the less active members we've been asking them if we could "practice" teaching on them & they agree!!  It is great!  Because we know it will help them feel the spirit more and hopefully help their testimonies grow(: 

We have a miracle story!!  

Last week we got this email from our WML (ward mission leader):

"Missionaries,

Got a call from someone in the Weddington ward. They met a new family at the church tonight. The Wife is a member, everyone else non member. Three kids:

15 Valerie
10 max
8 janilla

Husband and wife are:
Antonio & Lilly

Lilly was baptized in Peru. Her baptizing Missionary lives in Boone, got in contact with her, told her where the church building is.
They know when church starts and should be there next week.

In the meantime, can you go check it out? Get more contact info from them? Let's get them plugged into the delgados or de la Torres?

Best,

Andrew"

The Weddington Ward does the greatest thing ever!(;  every 2nd Sunday of every month they have "Meet a Mormon Night" at the church.  It is a very casual event where members can invite their neighbors and friends to the church to get a tour of the building & a 10 minutes spiritual thought by the missionaries.  That is what Lily & Antonio went to & they loved it!!

So Sister Hong & I jumped right on it!  We had a great lesson with Lily (member) & her live in boyfriend, Antonio & their daughter, Janilla (8).  They have strong faith in Christ and a desire to come to church especially Janilla.  She kept looking through the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets.  She seemed so excited to come on Sunday.  Antonio said he wants to be baptized but we know that true conversion requires diligent work on his part as well.  Left them a book of Mormon and are returning on Tuesday!  They were super excited & grateful.  We are super excited to work with them!  There is somewhat of a language barrier there (mom you should of taught me Spanish growing up!! (;, but the spirit was working with them and we are hoping the Delgados can come to our next lesson(:  we love the Delgados!

Lily, Antonio, Max & Janilla came to church!!  Denise came too!!  It was a perfect Sunday for them all to come to!  The spirit was amazingly strong!!  We are very excited to work with them all!  Hopefully we will be able to set a date with Lily & her family on Tuesday(:  we've been praying for a family!(: feeling so blessed!!

Denise's nephew Michael got in an accident and has been in a coma so we haven't been able to see her all week!  But yesterday she asked who Lily and her family were and I said, "they are investigating the church like you." And she said, "no, I'm not like them.  I'm not investigating-I belong here!!" (:  it was so great!  So hopefully we can recommit her to a date soon too!  It was April 25th but she won't be able to make that sadly.  But we have hope for the future!! (:

Yesterday we had dinner with the Anderson family!(: I love them!  They have 5 girls and 1 son on a mission.  We taught the plan of salvation.  It was the deepest lesson in the plan of salvation I have ever had!  Those girls 12,15 & 16 have the deepest questions ever!  But it was a great learning experience!  Brother Anderson is very knowledgable on the doctrine so it was neat to learn more about the plan of salvation.  One of the girls asked, "do we have soul mates predestined in heaven?"  Ha. So a lot of fun questions like that and other deep ones about resurrection and such.  It was a great way to celebrate Easter I think(: ha!

I love you!!  Have a blessed week!

Love,

Sister Knell

P.s some pictures of this week(:

 

 

April 14th Letter - I want to know my Savior, do you?

Hello darlings,

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY-KINS (tomorrow)!!

 

This week has been on the slow side due to meetings and my back and not having the car..  But we have continued to see little miracles here and there!  Which I am very grateful for (:

 

My back is lots better!!  Thank you for all the prayers!!  I have felt them!  I am recovering well(:  I have maxed out on my visits to the chiropractor.. but I'm feeling good about staying and my back so HAPPY DAY!!!  (:

 

We had another lesson with Mason & Leah.  We had Christina come with us-she did amazing!!  She is going to be a WONDERFUL Sister Missionary(:  Mexico will be lucky to have her.  The lesson was great!  The spirit was very strong!  But they are not ready yet.. ONE DAY THOUGH!!  I can feel it! (:  They have a lot of potential(:  I wish they were ready now.. they would be amazing members!

 

We visit with the sweetest lady every week.  Her name is Doris.  She cannot get to church very often due to her health/age but she has such a firm strong testimony of the gospel.  We taught her the Plan of Salvation last week and asked her what her thoughts were about it.  She shared an amazing testimony about how she wants to know the Savior.  She continued talking about how she wants to be able to recognize him when he comes-that has been her life goal.  As she was speaking I felt such peace.  Just the thought of really knowing who my Savior is.. His complete essense as he walks into a room.  She is a lady that knows her Savior and understands her purpose of this life.  She made me stop and think, "do I know the Savior that well?  Well enough to recoginze him if he came into a room?"  This thought has made me really think about, how am I building my relationship with my Savior?  Even as a missionary I can fall short of this sacred relationship and opportunity.  I want to build a firm testimony in Him!  I want to be able to know him that well!  I would love to invite all of us to really ponder on our own relationships with Jesus Christ.  Especially as we are getting closer to this beautiful Easter holiday.  He is our light and our life!  We are so blessed! (:

 

We had Zone Conference this week!  It was beautiful!!  We learned about the doctrine of the resurrection.  Wow!  The veil is a lot thinner than we think.  It is amazing!  We learned that our bodies house our spirits on this journey of mortality and we need to do all we can to take care of our bodies!!  If we do not have a strong healthy body, how are we going t have a strong healthy spirit?  We need to eat healthy, work out daily and treat our bodies as they are-temples of a loving Heavenly Father!  Another amazing blessing we are given!  It is amazing!(:

 

While studying diligence I learned that diligence is doing something carefully.  Which reminds me that we are all on this Earth trying to diligently follow our Savior, Jesus Christ.  But are we truly being careful?  I have a lot of changing I need to do (; 

 

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ with all my heart!

 

I love you all so much!

 

Have a lovely week! and a very HAPPY EASTER!!

 

Love,

 

Sister Knell 

ps typing fast, forgive my spellings and such (; xoxo

April 7th Letter - The gospel gives us wings not weight

Hi y'all!

How was your conference weekend?  Mine was lovely!!(:  don't you just love having a living Prophet(: I do!! 

This week was a little crazy..  I really learned the attribute humility..  It was very emotional because I thought I was going home..  I pulled my back out on Monday last week.  But things are looking up.(:  It was seriously the worse pain ever!!  I felt and looked like uncle Abe and Cassie when they hurt their backs.  I couldn't walk at all.  Sister Hong was my cane during all of this.  She has seriously been an angel!  I am very grateful for her.  She has been my rock this past week!  I am finally able to stand up straight and walk all by myself!  It still is hurting but the chiropractor has been helping a lot.  Now I just have shooting pains all the way down my right leg-which has not been the best..  But it is okay(:  I am very happy and grateful I am getting better!  Slowly but surely(:  this week has also been very slow and emotional.  I honestly thought I was going home..  A bunch of missionaries where telling me horror stories about missionaries going home.  But I talked to President Craven a little about it and he said to work with the medical advisors and we will figure it all out.  The church only permits 5 visits and then after that if you are not getting better they may send you home.. So Wednesday will be my fifth visit..  Pray that I will get better please!  I do not want to come home!  In September, yes!  But not april(:  I don't know what will happen after that.  It has been getting better through the visits.  The chiropractor is from my ward and isn't charging me or the church insurance so he thinks this 5 limit rule for visits is a silly rule..  And I agree...  He said he'd treat me as many times as I want.  But I know I need to follow the rules and The Lord will bless me. 

The first miracle of the week happened when we were in the computer room in our office complex.  A woman came in & we started talking.  She told us her name was Martha and she, "used to be in the Mormon church" but is currently attending another church.  But as we kept talking she opened up & admitted she felt guilty because she believed in the Book of Mormon and she has a desire to come back!  Her daughter isn't baptized and she wants her to start coming to church with us too!  It was such a miracle, ESPECIALLY because she willingly opened up to us and shared her true feelings with us.  They live in our complex too!  Which is so nice!  We are so excited to work with her!!(:

Conference was amazing I loved sister Jean Stevens talk and Elder Scott's talk(: so lovely!   She reminded me to turn to The Lord and to know everything will be okay(:  her talk was an answer to my prayers. 

The other miracle happened last night!!  We have 2 new investigators, Mason & Leah. Mason is training to be a minister at a Presbyterian Church so he is very knowledgable about the Bible.  We were a little nervous at first but they're actually really nice.  Last night he talked a lot about the trinity and how that is where our beliefs differ.  But he is very curious about what we believe.  He said he has been taught about the "Mormon church" but knows you shouldn't judge according to what others teach that are not In that faith.  So him and Leah are interested in learning more.  He is very passionate about what he believes and so at times we were nervous he was about to start bashing.. Haha..  Then he'd stop and Leah was like, "calm down, you're getting too excited, you're scaring them." But it was actually a really great discussion.  He didn't believe we lived with God before this mortal life. And he kept asking random questions if Jesus Christ was divine or "all human".... But he was pretty pleasant.  We just don't want to bible bash.  Because we know that gets no where.  We feel that they have huge potential!!  They are both very sweet!(:

Sorry this is all over the place!  Running out of time!  But I wanted to share a funny story!  So I was talking to Sister Hong about the family and showing her the pictures that dad sent of Easter festivities and what nots and I said, "oh that's my brother-in-law, he is related to Hyrum Smith! (;" she was like-in a very sarcastic voice, "NO WAY!  His last name cook or something!?" Me, "actually YES!!  Why?!"  And super long story short-Sister Hong has been to the Cook's house in Highland!  She knows Joe's girlfriend!!  What a small world, huh? (:  I just loved that! 

Well I hope y'all have a great week!!  Remember what we all learned in Conference(: and that this weeks study is Diligence(;

I love you es mucho!!

Love,

Sister Knell

March 31st Letter - Rainy weather = guitar lessons and banana frosting chocolate cupcakes (;

ALOHA!!

This week was very cold and rainy!!  But still lovely!!

We found a new investigator!  His name is Caston!  He was a potential and we are very hopeful and excited to work with him!  We will see him again tomorrow.  He is a railroad worker and lives with his mother, who I guess met the missionaries too but she wasn't there so hopefully we will get to meet her too!  He was very friendly and interested!  YAY!  We have been trying to build our teaching pool all week!  So that was great to meet him!

We also met another potential named Barbara.  She is from England and is in her 70s.  Sweetest lady!  One of the first things she asked us was, "Is your primary object is to convert me?!"-in an English accent.. haha so great!  She is Episcopalians and said she doesn't ever see herself changing.  She also said she doesn't go to a church right now and may be interested to stop by ours(:  We sure hope so!!  She didn't come Sunday but maybe she will in the future weeks(: 

Then we got soaked from some crazy rain.. haha that was fun(:  But the Hubbard family saved us!!  (:  And had us over for dinner to celebrate their son Isaiah's birthday!  It was great fun!  Brother Hubbard has been teaching me how to play the guitar with a few strings here and there.  I think I'll buy a guitar when I get home and take lessons.  It is a lot of fun!!(:  I love it!!

The Women's Conference was AMAZING!!  The spirit was very strong.  We had a former investigator Maggie come with us.  She enjoyed it very much.  I was crying during the whole thing.  It touched my heart so much.  Especially the sweet video of all the sacred covenants that we make throughout our lives and the many blessings we receive.

I also felt the spirit so strongly as the sweet 8 year olds stood up and started singing.  It was precious to be in the chapel and see the young ladies stand and sing.  I started to cry then too..  WOW!  I have become a very emotional mess since being on a mission :/ haha

It was a great week!!

How was your study on Patience?  I felt like this week was never going to end (; hehehe  but I learned much and enjoyed every minute!  Don't forget to study Humility this week (:

I love you all es mucho!!

Love,

Sister Knell

A new love-Japanese food

flowers are blooming(:

Rainy days and rainbows!

Karla(Brother Delgado's daughter) and I are twins (:

Sunny days(:

 

March 24th Letter - Out of time again.. Sorry!!

Hi y'all 

I am feeling a lot better this week!  I went to the doctor last week to a member and he is amazing!  His daughter actually just got home from her mission-she served in Texas.  He ordered an X-ray to check if it were pneumonia. Well the results came back and I don't have pneumonia.  Whatever medicine he gave me really helped!  I still have a few more days with it and then I should be in the clear!!  Yay!  It makes me really sleepy!  But I'd rather be sleepy than sick!

My new companion is Sister Hong, she is from Maui, HI.  She reminds me a little of Alyson Burgi.  She very sweet!  And ready to work!! Sister Hong is half Korean and half Hawaiian and has lived on the island her whole life.  Which for some reason is sooo crazy to me.. I don't know why..  Hahaha.  She's been out 4 1/2 months and has so many great insights!  I'm really excited!  Especially because I am feeling better.  And. Denise came to church yesterday!!  Great things are going to happen this transfer!!  I can just feel it!!(:

How is your Christlike study going?

Thank you for your prayers!!

I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Knell 

Sister Hong and I super tired on Tuesday night.. Ha(:

March 17th Letter - Soooo out of time

SOOOO out of time ):  sad day.... I'll update next week.. Sorry!!

Here is my district!  So many changes ): I'm going to miss these people!

I love them!

I'm staying!  Sister burrows is leaving ):  xo loves

March 10th Letter - sick, sick, goose!

Welp,

I'm done with this sick stuff...

I have decided I want to be healthy (;  ha..  I wish were that easy!

This week was good!  Even though I was sick.

We had lots of meetings!  Which was fun!!

Monday we had Zone activity!  (:  My favorite!  i love my zone!  But since I was sick I was sat around in my sweats while everyone else played..  ha.  But there were a few others that were playing games too..  So i wasn't completely alone (:

Then on Thursday we had interviews with President Craven.  Those are always great!  I am very grateful for him and Sister Craven!  They are amazing and help to stretch and strive to be the best I can be!  I love them!  (:

Friday we had Zone Meeting!  Which was lovely!  But I was pretty feeling pretty bad that day so our medical advisers told us I needed to go to the doctors.  So I went and he told me i had Bronchitis and Sinusitis..  REALLY?!  Yep..  So now I am on a lot of medications..  But they are helping and working!  Thank goodness!!  (:  OH!  And I am not allowed to go outside..  My poor companion..  She has been so great to me!!  I love her!!!  She is a rockstar!  (;

Well this week we will be studying Virtue!  How is everyone doing on their Christlike Attribute studies?  I hope lovely!!  i have learned a lot in these past few weeks!!  I love it!!

y'all are the best!!!

I love you!!!!

Love,

Sister Knell

oh and first sweet i ate since my fast ended.. hehe HEAVEN!!!!  I LOVE TRADER JOES!!

 

ps. here are some pictures from today (: yes, I am wearing a sweater and it is 76 degrees.. ha but I wanted comfort (;

 

March 3rd Letter - I've always hated roller coasters..

Ello!

So sorry to give y'all a scare this last week..

{Cassie insert - my mom received a phone call from Sister Knell informing her that she had terrible stomach area pains and was being treated in the hospital for them. We are still not sure what happened...but she did receive a blessing before being admitted sooo...!!!) ;) }

This week was SO super slow!  As you'd imagine..

I'm starting to feel a little better today!  Thank goodness!(:

I don't really know what to say..

I am very grateful for the Harwell family!  They took me in under their wings and saved me this week!  I just want to be healthy and strong!!

Well I love all y'all! 

Remember to read your scriptures!!  You will see so many blessings from it!

Mom told me to baptize the whole wing (: so I kept my tag on to represent (;

February 24th Letter - Beautiful day in the Carolinas(: & Sister Knell Has Been Out A Year!

Hello Family!

This has been a wonderful week!!

It started out a little off..  I was feeling really funny and I felt like I needed a blessing.  So the next day the elders gave me a blessing.  It was the most amazing experience I have ever had.  While elder Romero was saying the blessing I felt like two more sets of hands were added to my head..  The spirit was so strong.  I felt so much comfort and peace.  I know it was my two grandpas assisting on the other side.  I was overcome with the spirit.  The veil is very thin and I am so grateful that I got to feel their love.

The weather this week has been so nice!  Blue skies and sun shining!

The baptism was AMAZING!!!  So many people showed up and I think that really touched Barry!  His eyes were really watery!  The spirit was so strong!  Sisters Miller, Lambert, Burrows and I sang "Be Still My Soul" while Barry was changing.  I don't think I did very well.. ha but the other sisters have AMAZING voices!  It was fun though (:  Maria and her family came and she was crying!  She is AMAZING the best convert ever!! haha (; but I love her and her family!  They are our second parents we've decided (: hah and Sister Gunson!  I love her!!  So many great people here!  I never want to leave!  The ward is amazing!!!  (:
Yesterday Barry was like, "I've been adopted into the family! =D"  HUGE SMILE!  It was so great!!  A family in the ward had him over for dinner and he had a great time!!  BEST DAY EVER!
(:

Out of time!  I love you all oh so much!

Love,

Sister Knell xo

February 17th Letter - Outta Time!

Hihi!

So super duper busy day!!  No time!

But it was very snowy this week!  We didn't get to do much!  The city like shut down!  Literally!  It was so funny to me to see everyone freak out because of the snow storms!  Nothing like home(: these little southerns are not prepared for it.. Ha. But I loved it!  It is now melting away!  Which is good!  Because it is hard to work in the snow I've decided!  I like the warmth!  I will miss that when I go back home.

Barry is scheduled to get baptized this Saturday!  Yay!  Very excited for him!  He has grown so much!  It has been amazing watching him grow!  (:  I love the gospel so much!  It is great getting to be apart of it!(:  

I love you all!

Xoxoxo xox

Love,

Sister Knell

---
She sent a video too! *Spoiler Alert* Its of her snowy back porch view. ;)

 

February 10th Letter - All the snow is gone..

Hello(:

How are all y'all doing?!  I hope just lovely! (:

This week was pretty slow..  Sister Burrows was sick.. Luckily not as bad as I was!  But enough to stay in though..  Now I know how she felt.. hahaha(; But I did a lot of studying while she slept and actually it wasn't bad!  I loved it!!  It is so nice to take the time to sit and really ponder PMG and the scriptures.  I also, looked at some of my old notes I had taken from the beginning of my mission to now.  It was neat to see the growth.  I invite us all to keep a study journal as we read the scriptures!  It has helped my testimony grow!

Barry still is on for the 22nd of February!  YAY!!  super excited for him(:  He is progressing so well!!  The ward has been great at fellowship for him!   

Yesterday was an amazing Sunday service!!  All three hours were beautiful!  I love the gospel!  I love family wards too!!  I don't know if I am excited to go back home to a singles ward.. haha!

We got two new elders in our area.  They are white washing it from the last elders..  One is straight from the MTC and the other has been out for 18 months.  They are great!  Sister Burrows and I are excited to work with them.  The Harwells didn't really like the other elders in our ward.. and they met the new ones and they said the spirit hit them that maybe these elders can help Maria's two sons to be interested.  It was a bitter sweet moment.. haha  But when they told us.  Sister Burrows and I could feel it too!  Which is exciting!  Because they can really become an eternal family(:  We will always be their girls(; hahaha.  I know I am being dramatic.  But they are my favorites (:

OH!  Our mission is doing something really neat!  I want to share it with you and invite you to join us too!!  I'll attach the document!

I am out of time..  But read it!!  I know that it can help us all draw closer to our Savior!  It starts next week!

I love you all!!  (:

Love,

Sister Knell

February 3rd Letter - Sick week...

Hello!

Well this week I was sick!  ALL WEEK LONG!!  So it was a very slow week..

It snowed!!!  A whole 2 inches!!  And the schools were closed for three days!  So crazy!

We had dinner with Maria and her family this week!  She is doing great!!  I am so happy for her!!  She is just glowing!!(:

We had a mission home fireside last night and our investigator Barry came!  It was great!! 

And I am out of time..  Haha..  So sorry!!  Love y'all!!

Sister Knell

Sick days and snow!

January 27th Letter - - Out of Time Sorry!

This week was amazing!!!  So many miracles!!

But I am out of time!  :S

We had exchanges this week!  I love exchanges!  We have amazing Sister Training Leaders!  I love them!  We invited 4 of our investigators to be baptized on exchanges and they all said YES!!  It was amazing!  Miracles continue to happen!

February 22nd

Barry

Antwon

Dorinda

March 1st

Faith

So excited!  They haven't all been to church yet though..  So hopefully they come!  Dorinda has to work on Sundays and Antwon will only come if she comes.  Faith's sons have been very sick ): so she hasn't been able to come either.  But we are so excited that they committed!!  It's been a great week!  (:

MARIA GOT BAPTIZED!!  On Saturday!  It was amazing!  She asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost.  So I did.. And I cried through the whole thing!  It was very emotional!  I love Maria!  She is my favorite(:  Sister Burrows and a few other missionaries sang a beautiful musical number!  It was amazing!!!!  And yesterday she was just glowing!!!  I love this gospel so much!!  (:

I love you all!!

Xoxo

Sister Knell

Ps pictures!  Sister Stewart and I on exchanges!  And Maria's baptism! (:

January 20th Letter - Miracles do happen!

Look how long my hair is getting! Hehe xo
Have a good week!!

Hello lovelies!! (: This week was just BEAUTIFUL!! :D another favorite for many different reasons! I know these new ward boundary changes are inspired. So so very grateful(: We had a lot of service this week! Which a lot of fun! We got to help paint Denise's house with the Weddington elders and the new elders in our area. We found a new investigator!! So excited! She is very sweet! Denise's uncle is a fairly new member and Denise has seen how the church has blessed his life and has seen a lot of service through the elders that she's interested in learning more too! She's had a rough past and feels guilty and ashamed from it and is scared people will judge her. But we were able to bear testimony to her that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ she can and will be forgiven. We also shared with her "Good Things to Come" video off of our iPads(I am loving these things!). Elder Holland is amazing! She loved it! If all y'all haven't seen it yet, I invite you to watch it via Mormon Messages (: she was suppose to come to church Sunday but got sick ): next week though! (: Guess what!! We had two GREAT lessons with Barry last week and one yesterday! He came to church on Sunday and loved it!! So happy and excited for him! Yesterday when we went to see him he was so excited to show off his new tablet he bought (because he wanted to be "cool" like Sister Burrows and I) and how he put the Book of Mormon on it!! It was the best! He's starting to understand the Book of Mormon! This is what he got yesterday, "that if I don't do my part, I will be cut off..now I understand why church is so important" from reading (1Nephi 2:16,20-21). He also, shared some neat analogies with fire and embers from the fire. He related it to church and a congregation-when someone thinks they are "living" or are "faithful" to the gospel they think they do not need to go to church. But that ember can't survive without the complete fire. I really liked it! Ha(: so he'll be coming to church again! Hehe! Yay! We found another new investigator! Her name is Faith. She is from Kenya. She has he cutest little boys! The old elders we served with before the split found her and her husband but never were able to reach them. We found them in our potentials list and they kept sticking out to us!! Now we have a new investigator! Follow those promptings(: Many other great things happened! But I'm running out of time.. And I need to share this!! Well we had a miracle here in Charlotte! One of our investigators, Maria had a baptismal date of January 25th. He husband is a member recently starting to come back to church. How we found her is a miracle in its self! Anywho.. So she is pregnant and has been very sick this past week and so we haven't been able to teach her so we tried via Facebook but she's deleting her Facebook so that didn't work either and she was starting to feel rushed.. And we didn't want that so we all decided we'd sit down and talk about a new date. Also, she drinks sweet tea and coffee and we hadn't been able to teach the word of wisdom so we were thinking we'd have to move the date to February 1st or even the 8th to have two weeks of living the word of wisdom. But secretly I've been praying daily that she won't have a desire to drink any tea or coffee, praying for a miracle. Because I was being selfish and wanted to be able to see her get baptized (transfers are coming up and I've been transferred every two transfers since I've been on my mission and I'm worried I might get transferred). So Sunday we had dinner and a lesson with her and Brother Harwell & WOW.... It was amazing!! The spirit was so strong!! We started out going over the baptismal interview questions to see how much she knew and what else we needed to cover. There were only two things that she was a little confused about and one was the Word of Wisdom and to make a longer story even shorter, she hasn't touched it since she's been having all of this morning sickness!! The thought of it makes her sick!! Sister Burrows and I we over the moon excited! Just to see a prayer answered like that(: but we didn't say anything about the date because we didn't want to rush her. But as we were teaching the restoration more in depth and we watched the Restoration DVD. The spirit was so strong in their home. Brother Harwell was very emotional. Sister Burrows and I shared our testimonies of how we have each personally come to know that the church is true and also how we had seen such a dramatic change in her own family. Then Brother Harwell bore his testimony.. That is where everything changed.. And after him she bore her own testimony and then Brother Harwell said, "so Maria, what are you doing this Saturday?" And she was like, "well, the sisters said we changed the date!" Brother Harwell, "No, they didn't. You did.." Maria, "oh..could we really do it this Saturday?!" Sister Burrows and I, "YES!!(:" It was amazing! Especially because we didn't say anything really... It was all the spirit speaking! Well, and a little of Brother Harwell.. Haha. He's his own little{more like huge} spirit. It was beautiful!! She she will be getting baptized this Saturday!! She just has her baptismal interview with President Craven and we have few more things to go over then she'll be ready!! Our Christmas miracle is complete! (; best thing ever!! I cannot express I grateful and excited I am for this Saturday!!! Brother Harwell is over the moon excited! Sunday night when they gave us a rude home he was calling everyone to invite them! Ha. Maria was just so sick from her pregnancy that she just let him take over.. Haha it was great!! So excited for them! Then they will be able to get sealed in the temple in a year.. And Brother Harwell's vision of her in white will come true.. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the earth! I know that we can be with our families forever! How grateful I am that I get to be part of this amazing gospel bringing people the same happiness and joy that we get everyday! Cherish every moment!! I love you all so so much!!

Xo Love, Sister Knell Xoxo

January 18th Video of Rain!

January 14th Letter - The weather is a bit confused here..

Hi all y'all :D How is everyone doing?? I hope amazing!(: Well, as some of you may have noticed last week my email was cut short. For some reason everything I wrote after the picture got cut off.. Which was very sad! That's where I shared all the good stuff! Ha (; So one of our investigators, Maria has a baptismal date!! Yay!! So happy and excited for her! It's January 25th. We had a great FHE with her whole family. The boys were very interactive! It was great!! One of her boys said the closing prayers! Maria was crying because she was so happy seeing her boys be involved! I am so excited for them! But she has been sick because she is pregnant and so sadly we haven't met with her recently. We we're suppose to see her and the family again for dinner and FHE tonight but she had to cancel. So hopefully we get everything in by the 25th! Because Brother Harwell( her husband) doesn't want to move the date because he says he has work.. Ha. (I think it's because he just really wants her to be baptized. He is so happy and excited for her. I love it!! They are the best! Oh! Dad, tell Bryan Bell that I gave Maria the Book of Mormon that had is testimony in it. She loved it!(: This week was one of our best weeks yet!! It was amazing!! The Lord makes things happen when you least expect it! I have felt very blessed this week. (: So last week we had the announcement of the ward boundary changes and Sunday was the first week with the new ward. It was so different! But amazing how the spirit is still the same. The leadership and organization is all done by the spirit of revelation. It was very neat to be apart of it! So we are now with a new set of missionaries and pretty much a whole new ward. Almost all of our ward is in two different wards. All the people that lived in Fort Mill, SC are in the Fort Mill ward (which makes sense) and then the rest are in a new ward. We have maybe 10 to 20 families stay with us and 60 to 80 go to the other wards. It was a bitter sweet! But we got to keep our two investigators Maggie and Maria! (: happy happy day! And we got Sister Gunson in our ward! Sister Burrows and I were so excited!! I feel like we are opening an area again. Haha(: but I am excited! The weather has been crazy freezing!! We didn't have the car til Wednesday and Sister Burrows' bike broke.. So we walked EVERYWHERE!! It was SOOOO cold!! But we saw miracles from it! (: so grateful!! We had dinners with all of our old ward members throughout the week as our last goodbyes! It was great! I'm glad we got to say goodbye to some people! I guess the hardest part of the split is that the wards that the other members are going to are in a different building so we really won't see them.. But guess what! I made a calzone!! Haha. I am so excited because it was so good and easy!! We made them with a member because she didn't know what to make me with all my allergies. All y'all would be proud of me, I don't eat like ANY dairy!!! I am so good! And no almonds or potatoes. (: I feel so good! Which has helped me stay healthy! Only time iam sick is due to the weather or others germs :s I am always washing my hands! Flu season, bleh! Guess what! The west sisters had a former investigator that had been sticking out to them a lot lately but he was now out of their area and now in ours. So we decided to go visit him with a member Saturday. And.... We got a new investigator!! :D And in the notes it said the only hold back and reason they stopped visiting with him was because of the word of wisdom and for him it's just tea and coffee and guess what again!! When we stopped by we taught the Word of Wisdom and committed him to live it and he said YES!!!! It was amazing! I think he just needed to understand what prophets were and then how Joseph Smith was told through revelation that those things were bad for the body and that is how the word of wisdom came about. We were so excited! He now a new investigator! And we will be seeing him tomorrow night! (: his name is Barry. He is a very nice man. In his 50s and works like crazy! In the notes it says it was hard to contact him because of his schedule. So hopefully we'll be able to see him often! Haha.. Saturday was a CRAZY rainy day! I'll share a video of the rainstorm. It was bad! And Saturdays are now car fast days for the whole mission... So we had to stay inside a lot of the day due to the weather.. But.. It's been a great week!! So many miracles!! I wish I could share them all! I love you all es es es mucho(; Continue to love everyone and share the gospel!! (: Love, Sister Knell Xo Ps I hope this email all shows up this time(: ha