Letter 1-30-17

Hey everyone! I love you all so much! So everything is starting to be better.  Getting through the hard times more easily. :) Just wanted to share an amazing tender mercy.  As I was in the Celestial room, I was praying and hoping that the sun would shine, because earlier, it was cloudy, and on the side of one of the windows, the sun started to shine through and it got brighter and brighter until it allowed the light to bounce of the crystals or glass in the room and rainbows were shining everywhere and one of them landed on me! I felt so loved and comforted in that very moment. <3 In that very moment I knew that He knew me and loved me and knew that that is what I needed at the very moment.

Well one our investigators came to sacrament meeting with her less active boyfriend who are going to start on the journey of coming back to church together. :) My First investigator to come to church! and my other Investigator said that she would come to church next week, so it's getting pretty exciting! I'm still not used to the going up and talking to people, but i'm doing better.  Thank you all so much for the prayers, they help a lot.  And thank you all for emailing and writing me, i need it. :) <3

Also, one of our investigators Peggy, is so funny! :P to keep it short because of time, she calls her cat a heathen. :P Sometimes she calls, no joke, one time 5 times in like 3 min. haha about us comming to rake her leaves when the snow was melted and at that time, it was snowing outside and it still hasn't melted yet, but she called last night and made sure that when Sister Carter leaves, that I can rake her leaves. haha I almost died! haha She left a voicemail because we were at dinner at the time, and she knows and always asks for Sister Carter but she was asking if the _____________ other sister, you know who I mean.... and kept talking, but I laughed because she just couldn't remember my name it that was on the voicemail. haha I noticed that a lot of people have a hard time remembering my name, including my own companion sometimes, but yeah anyway... hahaha

Again, I just wanted to share a couple of things that have helped me through the hard times, if that's okay. :)
Alma 19:4
3 Nephi 9:13-14 but place in with your name, and it will help you so much I hope because it has helped me so much!
I also read the Ricciardi letters, that's amazing! You should read it if you can find it! So awesome! but in it is says " Happiness is a choice". :) It's a lot easier said than done, but I'm working on it and I have seen a difference but, I know that if you try your best, you will see a difference and that these promises are made to you and me as well as the 'others' stated in the scriptures and anything else that the prophets have promised. You and I are counted in it as well. :)
Alma 30:40-41 talks about how ALL THINGS testify of Christ. :) <3
MUST READ: BELIEVING CHRIST!!! Here is some quotes!
"By his grace any problem can be overcome, any circumstances can be worked around, anyone can be saved- if only we just really want the kingdom."
Pres. UCHTDORF TALK: 14TH FLOOR, LAST DOOR
"Faith is trust- trust that God sees what we cannot and that He knows what we do not"
"God rewards those who earnestly seek him, but that reward is not usually behind the 1st door, WE need to keep knocking. Don't give up. Seek God with all your heart. Exercise faith. Walk in righteousness. I promise if you do this- even until the 4th floor, last door- you will receive the answers you seek, You will find faith and one day you will be filled with light that grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day. "

I love you all and those are just a few things, but I'm still looking everyday for new things to help me endure to the end and I just wanted to share it with all of you whom I love dearly. :) <3 You are all amazing and I'm sorry if this email doesn't make sense I have to write a lot in a short amount of time but I wanted to tell you all of those cool funny stories so I hope you can understand them. :P haha I love you all, keep emailing and writing! And sending pictures! I love it! Please also, keep me posted! :P LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!
--
~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

Pictures

We pick these up while walking and throw them for fun.

Love the sunset.

My first fall. I fell twice that night.

My district.

First temple trip.

Letter 1-24-17

Hey friends and family! I love and miss you all! I had a dream about holding Bradee.  I'm really missing you all both friends and family but, today I got the chance of going to the temple. It was amazing and it was so peaceful and beautiful!!! I pray for my family, Virginia and Nicole every day hoping that the Lord blesses all of you! You all mean so much to me and I pray for you all day every day! So yeah, we got to go to the temple today! It was so beautiful and my companion and I got to meet the Matron again, it was so awesome! Such an awesome experience! I'll send pictures! I love you!!! I'll email you more next week when I have more time. :) <3
~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

********
(She only had 15 minutes on the computer and this is the conversation I had with her.)
I worry about you. I hope things are going better.  I would love to hear more about your mission when you have time to share. What is a typical day like for you? Have you met any amazing people yet?
Love you and miss you,
Mom

(Her response)
Things are getting a bit better. :) I'm studying my patriarchal blessing and Grandpa’s, the scriptures and the Mission President is helping me and checking up on me to make sure I'm focusing on the positives. :)

So I wake up and we work out for 30 minutes.  Come back, take a shower, eat, personal study, companionship study, then we train on how I can become a better missionary, lunch (a possible nap or movie clips) then we walk through our field and tract then throughout the day if and when we have a lesson we do that, tract more, eat dinner at a members house, tract, then walk home starting at 8 because it takes about an hour walk home through the field. :) <3

Weekly Letter and snow photos 1-17-17

Sorry about last week not really being an email, I only had 5 minutes to tell you I'm not dead because there was a major snow storm and all the library's were shut down so... :P But yeah... :) Things are going pretty good, snowflakes are looking gorgeous!!! I love it! OH, also just want to do a shout out to my AWESOME Bishop and his wife Sister Elison for being the best! They came out with us one night last week and the yesterday.  The first time they came out with us, they got to meet two of our investigators, Rebecca and Peggy.  Then last night we had three lessons that they came with us on.  IT was amazing!!!

The story on Peggy, is quite funny but awesome! So my trainer knew Peggy a little bit because she cleaned her yard for her once, but that was it and we were back in her same neighborhood and Peggy was outside and so she asked us if we could help put her window back on and we look at each other and we were like, um we can try. :P haha so we went in we were finally able to get it back in and then she asked us what do we do? and we were like well we serve and help others and we also teach others about God.  And she goes, can you teach me about God? and we were like YES! haha it was awesome and she agreed on that very first visit to get baptized by Feb. 4th if she knows by that time that what we were teaching her was true! :) It was such an awesome experience!

Our other investigator Rebecca is still in progress and doing awesome! We just need to get her to church. I love her and her family! I love this ward and the people in it. :)

Things with my companion are still rough, but overall I love her, she is just doing her best to help me become a better missionary.

Happy Birthday Jerica! I love you!!! I got a calendar from Aunt Teddie and I love it so much!!! I need/want all the pictures I can get. :) <3 Anyways I love you all and hope you are all staying warm, finding the little joys in life.

Love you Mom, Dad, Savannah, Joe, Kiley, Sarah, and Bradee!
--
~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

What they look like while out walking in the snow!

Knee deep in snow!

That's A LOT of snow!

Update 1-9-17

Thanks to a major snow storm moving in, time on the computer was cut short this week. This is what I was able to piece together from what I did get.

I'm trying to stay warm. 30's and 40's are now warm to me. haha I'm so thankful for my boots and jacket. Nothing much happened this week so no pictures and the letter I'm writing will give you my weekly update.

Things are still slow in her area but she loves her Mission President and his wife.

I was able to grab this photo from the Mission's Facebook page. Don't know the story behind it.

Week 3 Pictures

I think this was her Christmas present from Grandma Lofgreen.

Asking for the story behind this one.

Letter 1-3-17

Hi everyone! It's me again! So it's been pretty cold here in Pasco in Kennewick Washington. :P  But my companion and I have been doing fun things in the snow and cold to make it a better experience that way we are uplifted by it instead of brought down from it.  I've never seen so much snow! :P We are still walking and trying to find people.  We found two potential families this past week and are visiting them this week.  We found a some what new investigator who we will begin teaching, and hope we can get them to come closer to Jesus Christ and be baptized.  We are still teaching Rebecca and one of her three sons who is eight years old. :) They are so awesome, but we are meeting with them tomorrow because we haven't been able to meet with them sense early last week. :P

Oh okay, so one thing that I forgot to let you all know last week, is that I met with a member of the  Pentecostal  church... now that was interesting. :P It was cool to see and learn about other religions, i guess, but they weren't interested in learning more, but anyways.  I started to say the closing prayer, then all of a sudden as I was speaking I didn't know if they we speaking gibberish or if they we repeating my words in their language but yeah. :)

But anyways, things are good, I've been doing a lot of studying on faith and things to help me on my mission and here is some things that I wanted to share:
John 20:29 "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
D&C 6:8 "seek earnestly the best gifts, but always remember for what they are given."
Gordon B Hinckley "Call on the Lord. He has extended the invitation, and He WILL answer."
D&C 21:9 "I WILL bless ALL those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing..."
D&C100 all of it's amazing blessings of comfort for missionaries
D&C 50:16 "I will be merciful unto you; he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong." I think I can apply it to me, because I"m weak and I'm out here trying my best to teach the gospel to others and I hope God can make me strong. :)
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness, Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "
PMG- Remeber, your confidence and faith should be in Christ, not in yourself.    Though weak, yet were they strengthened by the power of God.

Thank you all so much! You mean the world to me! Please continue to write or email me, they make my day! I love you all and hope you have a great new year!

--
~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission