3 Invites

Saying  goodbye to Felice

Waiting in the airport to get our new companions

Ah I am so happy right now and just loving life! I admit, I was not too that excited to have more sisters in the apartment because in Pescara with four sisters it was always such a big mess and there was never time to do anything. BUT THESE SISTERS ARE THE BEST. Okay first, there's Sorella Rost from Cali. Who is a PROFESSIONAL cook! She loves cooking and takes care of all of our meals. Plus, we decided to eat healthy—so I'm eating the yummiest food without gaining weight! And then she's teaching me how to make everything! She's so cute and awesome. Then we have Sorella Udall from Arizona who is our Greenie and is crazy, awesome, perfect. She is just like that Greenie from the RM who is so excited about everything, wants to take notes on everything, has unbelievable amounts of energy, etc. It has been really fun having a Greenie around to remind of us that excitement we all felt when we first got here. But she is so funny... like she asks to get up at 6:28 so she has time to say a prayer before we exercise, she sings “love at home” all day long, before she got here she already planned our first shopping trip, she wants to plant flowers to brighten our home, sweeps our apartment every day (because of the missionary books says to do that), and all this stuff. She's a hoot, but we love her. Then there's dear old Patterson! It's great because are such good friends already and we both want to give our all to the mission.  This is just too good to be true.

Planning

Okay so Patterson and I made a goal to always be ready with a baptismal invite for every lesson we go into. Then the Lord knows we're always ready and doing our part and it's just up to him. I honestly didn't expect we would use them too much...but every single lesson we've gone to...the spirit has prompted us to use them!! Let me tell you about some of them...

1. Sandra. If you remember a couple months ago we already invited her to be baptized, and...she screamed into our face and told us she will never be baptized. But she's the mom of a member and still our friend so we still go over every week. She has still been coming to church and reading the scriptures each week. We've still some small changes and her asking some questions; she was really interested in the temple and wants to go. So anyway I take Patterson over to meet Sandra and we do a lesson on repentance with her...and then it just turns into the whole gospel. I just knew we had to invite her again...but I was so scared! I said a prayer for help and we started talking about baptism. Then she said how she doesn't remember her baptism at all and she would like to do another one as an adult because it would be more special (WHAT?! Last time she said she would never get baptized because she respects her dad's decision for her to be baptized too much). So I invited her again and this time she said “non ancora. Vi dico quando.” (not yet, I'll tell you when). Then she said she wasn't ready, her son said she needs to stop smoking first, and we decided next time we will help her stop smoking. But this is a huge miracle for me and shows me how much the Lord can change hearts. We still have a long way to go, but Sandra went from a “NO MAI!” (NO, NEVER!) to a “not yet.” Speriamo bene!!
2. Lucia Farina. We invited her to be baptized last week and she was unsure about it so we asked her to pray. This week we were teaching her the plan of salvation, but it turned into talking about the holy ghost. She said how we could see how happy we are and she seemed really interested in the holy ghost and wanted that for herself. Again we felt the impression to invite her to be baptized...and she seemed really unsure about it. We asked her if she has ever been baptized before and she said no I still need to be baptized (this gives us a lot of hope...because even though she says she loves her church—there's a reason she hasn't been baptized yet). She's at a point where she has two choices before her and she needs to choose. We asked her to pray about it and we've been calling her everyday to see how it's going. She hasn't got an answer yet. I really believe she's going to get baptized one day! The Lord just has his own time and when she's ready—she's going to get that answer!
3. Flora. Our cute Philippian. She has been an investigator a long time of the sisters and wants to get baptized....but works Sundays so can't ever come to church. We went to go meet her and again we felt prompted to talk about baptism and to be bold about it. We bore testimony, talked about the blessings of baptism, told her how important it was, etc. She really wants to be baptized...but she doesn't want to quit work. We also talked about prayer a lot and asking him for more faith and help. She seems to really want to pray and figure everything out!
   Even though done of these people accepted...we are so much closer to having a baptism. I have learned that as we really prepare...the Lord will use us and help us accomplish our desires. There's never a reason to be shy about inviting someone to Christ and that we should keep inviting and inviting and inviting! I love this goal and I plan to keep it up for the rest of my mission! 
   
   

   

   An inactive teaching all of us to wash our faces with fruit! 

   Vi voglio bene!
   Sorella Knudsen

Sassari sta fiorendo!

A member gave us mushrooms, so I made them! 

my yummy mushrooms

I'm so happy right now. So in Pescara, I had this HUGE love for everyone and the city and everything! But I haven't quite felt that for Sassari yet...I mean I love it here, but I haven't reached that point yet...but then it hit me this week I LOVE Sassari! Let me tell you how great my week was!
 

Okay first we had zone conference and it was awesome and I learned so much!

 

 

 
Oh hey I want to include a cute story about a miracle that my mission has seen! Here's a little email our mission president sent us:

"Our eleven year old granddaughter has leukemia. It was a tough decision to leave her and come to Italy, but President Eyring told us our family would experience miracles as we served. We believed him.

Last week our daughter called and said the doctors were concerned because Emily’s blood count was extremely low and continued to drop. The concern was this could be an indication the cancer was coming back and she might need a bone marrow transplant if it didn’t improve.
We made a decision to call family members and ask them to fast for Emily on Sunday. This is when we asked all of you to include her in your prayers and your fasting.
Three days later Emily went to the hospital for the determining blood test. For this stage of her cancer, the doctors try to keep the ANC count (the ability to fight off infection) at a minimum of 500-1500. The test results were astounding. Her ANC count had jumped from 100 the week before to 4,800--AN ABSOLUTE MIRACLE.
The next day, instead of going to the hospital for a possible bone marrow transplant, Emily got on a bus and went with a group of children her age on a choir tour. She still has about a year of chemotherapy left, but we have faith she will be cured.
We truly know the Lord blessed Emily and we thank each and everyone of you for your prayers and faith. This it truly another Italy Rome Mission miracle. We love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Presidente and Sorella Waddoups"

They told us about her when they first got here and every zone conference they always tell us how she's doing and then last month they asked all of us to fast for her. We are so happy she's doing good! 

Last week in Cagliari we spent our P-day going to this huge lake and seeing Flamingos!  Sardegna is known for them!  

I'm a flamningo.

Sassari sta fiorendo! That's part of the Rome Mission song, but I put in Sassari and it means Sassari is flourishing! And it's true! The Lord is blessing this city so much right now!! When I first got here all Sorella Felice and I did was finding, finding, casa in casa, strada, finding, bleh. But now we are getting new investigators every week, we are finding all these in actives who we can work with, we're meeting with the members and they're trying to bring us their friends, we have a ton of lessons each week, and our investigators are progressing!!! It is so awesome to have so much work! Then transfers came this week...and poor Sorella Felice is out (she is so sad)...and I'm getting...Sorella Patterson! Remember that redhead who was in all my photos in Pescara? Yep, she's my new companion! It's so weird because we already know each other so well, but I then I know she's AWESOME and a great missionary so I'm excited! BUT THEN...President told me he is bringing two new sisters in Sassari!!! One of them is Sorella Rost from Cagliari (who I did a scambio last week with) and a Greenie! Crazy!! So now I need to prepare the apartment and get everything ready! 

We taught Sandra on the beach!

My cute companion who I will miss!

Also, a couple of weeks ago Sorella Felice and I met this guy on the bus named Andrea, but we gave him to the Anziani because he's a guy...but he's getting baptized next month!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday he thanked Sorella Felice and I again and again for finding him! So happy for him!

We had a great lesson with Lucia Farina! We taught the gospel and read 2 Nefi 31 and talked all about baptism. We invited her to be baptized and she said that she already made her choice to belong to the Evangelist church and she's comfortable there. We talked about prayer again and asked if she's been praying... she said yes and then hurried and changed the subject. Here's the thing...and we could be totally wrong on this...but we think that Lucia did pray...and got her answer that everything that we've been saying is true...but she's too scared to act on it and change everything yet. Then I started bearing my testimony and I said “Sono molto benedetta” (I have been blessed) and tears started coming into my eyes because of the spirit...and then Lucia started crying! It was the sweetest moment...all of us sitting in silence while the spirit bore testimony to Lucia of what we've been saying. I have never been so happy to make someone cry before! Hahah! Then...the best thing ever happened...LUCIA CAME TO ALL THREE HOURS OF CHURCH SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She has never wanted to come and yet she came! It was a miracle and I am so happy.

Also, the other Lucia...we've been meeting with her a lot this week because she's been having some personal problems and just listening has really helped. She hasn't been able to come to church yet, because her leg was broken...but this week she has been able to walk again...so...SHE AND HER BOYFRIEND CAME TO CHURCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, she and her boyfriend stayed an hour after church talking to everyone and they seemed to have really liked it!!

Then there's Sandra! She's been making progress lately!! We taught her all about the temple and how we do baptisms for the dead and get sealed to our families—she loved it! The spirit was so strong when we talked about it. Her son (who's a member) is preparing to go to the temple and she wants to go with him...but she knows she can't if she's not a member...that really hit her when she saw the temple and realized she couldn't go...so now I just know she's really thinking about baptism, just for the temple. My new plan is to help her stop smoking so she can be all ready when she decides to get baptized. And as always, SHE CAME TO CHURCH TOO!!! 

My 3 investigators that came to church!!! and that guy in the back is the one who gave the talk hahah!

Hey we were way excited about everyone coming to church finally!! Also, all these corso d'inglese students came which was awesome! Sorella Felice had to give a talk and it went great! Then...Okay this is the worst/funniest story ever...so this guy named Matteo (he's 7 feet tall, has this deep voice, and super awkward) well he had to give a talk too. He went up and told how the Madonna is of the devil and how we need to correct Catholics of all their false traditions and just went on and on about how the catholic church is of the devil. We (all of us missionaries) had over 15 CATHOLIC investigators that came. It was so was funny because of how awful it was. Yes we don't believe that the Catholic church is correct, but that doesn't mean everything they do is of the devil. After we had to go talk to all of our investigators and apologize for what he said. Most of them understood, but a few were a little offended.

Anyway this week was awesome! We also got a new investigator (a sister in law of the new investigator last week), we got a member referral (a member threw a Valentine's party all so we could meet her friend who hopefully we can teach soon!), and today a corso d'inglese student wants us to come over and teach her and her friend about our church! Miracles are happening in Sassari!!! I love this city!!! 

Love you all! Sorella Knudsen

Ciao!!

-Thanks for the emails! I especially loved that you told me about all my cousin's missions! It was awesome to see their photos! I especially think about Nicole all the time because there are so many Romanians here!! Will you send me her email? Also--I know her companion!!! She was in the MTC with me!!

-So guess where I am...CAGLIERI!!! Tomorrow is Zone conference and today we have interviews so we got to come down early and spend P-day here! I'm in this cute little Internet cafe that has great music (that we're trying not to listen to haha). Also, sadly there's not our great Library Lady Lucia here, but we knew that we would do Internet on Monday so we stopped by on Friday and she gave us necklaces! So cute! And she told a member that' she's reading the BOM. I have a feeling we're going to get another Lucia! Stay in tune till next week...

-I GOT YOUR PACKAGE! Yay Christmas!!! That would've been awesome to have for Christmas, with the little tree and stocking and chocolate orange (I was so happy for that!) but February is also a great time to have Christmas too hahaha! Thank you so much!!

Scambio. all the great sisters close to me.

-This week the sisters from Caglieri came to do a scambio (exchange) in Sassari with us! It was fun to see other sisters (it's been about two months) and learn how great they are! (fun fact...the closest sisters to me are in the French mission) My good old Italian companion Sorella Mistura and Sorella Rost came! Sorella Rost is the best cook EVER and gave us great cooking lessons. (Like did you know when frying something...you should heat the pan...then the oil...then put in the veggies otherwise the oil just gets soaked in). We had four lessons planned...and then the last minute...all of them cancelled!! But when things like that happen we know that God has another plan in store...Sorella Rost and I were walking the streets of Sassari getting rejected over and over again...then we found this cute little Romanian girl named Laura. We talked about how much God loves us, and prayer, and the restoration and now we have her as a solid investigator! She lives in the sketchiest and dirtiest place, but she's great!

Alleyways

-This week we made progress with Antonella. I've already mentioned her a few weeks ago. But she's this old lady who loves the bible (she has studied with Jehovah Witnesses) and it's been really hard for her to accept the BOM. Mostly because when she read the Bible or the BOM she just opens to a random page and starts reading...but every time she does that with the BOM she gets weird war scriptures. But this week we read Alma 32 about the seed and she loved it! She said that now she really likes the BOM and maybe there's good things in it too. Success!! Also, we borrowed her BOM and marked up scriptures for her to flip to and it has made a huge difference.

-One strength that Sorella Felice and I have for our investigators is tender loving care haha! But really, this week we decorated (so sister missionary) their BOMs and marked up chapter for them to study. It's paying off because more investigators are reading!!

Well got to go! Right now us missionaries in Sassari are making all these plans for activities, member missionaries and meno attivi so get excited to hear about all that!

LOVE YOU ALL!

Missions are like Popsickles

Missions are like popsicles. The first half is the hardest; the second half is the fastest; and it's best enjoyed when you “stick” to it and thrust in your “sickle”! (my lovely companion told me this)

So I hit that sad/happy moment this week when February 1^st came around and I hit my half way point (OHHHH I'M HALF WAY THERE....OHHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER!--it's a song). Yes, I am half way done with my mission. It's awesome because I've done so much and learned so much and I can really work hard these last nine months...but I only have 9 months left in the beautiful country of Italy.......... :( :( :(

-This week was great! I feel like P-day was just yesterday and I have no idea where the days went or what I've done...pensiamo un po...

-OH remember how last email I said how we just gave the library lady named Lucia a brownie? Well today we gave her a BOM and she was so touched and loved it! She promised to read it! Also, she works with one of our members! Stay in tune for next week...

-Last P-day Sorella Felice and I took a train to Algero—a BEAUTIFUL city by all these boats. It was so cold and wet, but we had fun anyway. Attached are the pictures.

The beach! All those brown things are sponges.

 -Corso d'ingese! So our English course is one of the best finding tools ever (besides the members) and we have found many investigators and friends from the course! One of my best friends (and an investigator of the Elders) is named Daniela and this week she gave us these really nice Sardengian necklaces which were so pretty! Also, we have all these other students that stay an hour after corso and talk with us. Then we have these three older students who come EVERY WEEK without fail! They are so funny and they really like our church. 

I drew this for a little girl in my ward. Guarda quanto brava sono. 

-This week has been really great! I feel like it has gone by so fast! We had a great lesson with Lucia Farina! We gave her Alma 32 to read and she loved it! She marked it all up and she spent 30 minutes telling us how great the analogy about the seed is and telling us all the things that she's learned. We invited her to come to church again, and she doesn't want to come all the way to Sassari (she lives 40 minutes away) when her church is right by her house. Then we asked her if she has been praying to know if this book and the church is true. She told us she already knows the book is, but hasn't really prayed about the church (well she doesn't believe that there's one true church). For some reason at this moment, Sorella Felice and I couldn't think of anything to say so we just sat in silence for about a minute. But it was really good because I could feel the spirit and after she said “I think I actually really need to pray about this.” I really do think she will sincerely pray about it and then will receive a strong testimony.

-We found a new meno attivo (less actives) this week! Her name is Maria and her house is covered in Catholic pictures, but she pulled out her BOM and it looked like she has really studied it in the past. Also, she offered us wine and coffee. But she is really nice and wants us to come back and talk with her. We've decided to do all the lessons with her again. Hopefully we can help her come back!  

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!! Sorella Knudsen