Letter 7-31-17

Wow, has the time gone by so fast! It's the last day in July! This next month, for the three of us, is going to be busy but a very good busy! We have two people planning on getting baptized this next month, my birthday is this next month, we are planning a recent convert temple trip, and transfers are on the 30th!

So crazy! I almost hit 9 months! I can't believe that I've been out that long. It has felt that I've been out for a long time, but it does not feel like I’m almost half way done.  I thought that it was so far away that I couldn't reach it but here it comes is 16 days! :P

I just wanted to start out and say thank you for all the prayers that you have said on my behalf. And I want you to know, that I feel them every day. All your prayers and the strength that I've received from them is amazing and it has been and continues to be a great testimony builder! :) I hope you know how much I pray for all of you. :) <3 You all are truly amazing people/family!

MIRACLE STORY that I got to be a part of! :) <3 We were an answer to a families prayer. They were traveling back home from vacation and their car broke down. We saw them on the side of the road, so we pulled around. They are the Brown family (last name) and they are members from Portland Oregon. :) They prayed that someone would come and help and then they said we showed up. :) As we were walking over there they yelled "SISTERS!" :) We walked them to a park while their Dad went to go get some part for their car and then we called up a member to come and help them put it on, and they went on their way. (This took about in total 1-2 hours) It was so awesome! The spirit was so strong when they were like you are an answer to our prayers, and to see their smiling faces! It was the best! :) <3

Some things I learned at Church on Sunday:
        * Pray for perspective to change, to the Lord's view
        * Seek after the gifts of the Spirit
        * "help thou mine unbelief"
        * The Lord just wants us to TRY <3
        *Life is perfect for no one
        * Who the Lord calls, he qualifies

Testimony: These are the simple but powerful truths that I do know. :) I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet. I know that he RESTORED the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers, in His timing, and in his own ways.  I know that the Book of Mormon truly testifies of Jesus Christ. I know that when you read it, ponder it, and pray and ask God, you also will know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  I know that God loves each and every single one of us. :) <3 I know that He gives us strength when we need it the most.
I love you all so very much, you all are truly amazing! If you want to come closer to Christ, know Him then I invite you to read the Book of Mormon. It WILL change your life.

~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

Letter 7-24-17

So I have two new companions. They are the Sister Training Leaders in this area. Almost like Zone Leaders, but not. :P haha I've met them once before on my mission. :) Sister Miner is leaving in November (home). She's been here in Connell, my whole mission. :) She is one of the missionaries that took me out my very first night on my mission. And Sister Cluff was my 2nd companion (Sister Passey's) companion. :P She's very quiet and will leave for home in December. (*two new comps, because a Sister in the mission got sick, so she went home untill she can come back out.) :) 

The area is small, but booming! We have a grandma of a family that we are teaching with a baptismal date in August. Her daughter and her wonderful family were just baptized last week. <3 They are the best! Then we have this cool tall white guy from Africa! He knows the Bible so well! We are working on a baptismal date with him. :) Ruben, he's an alcoholic, but today he will be 11 days sober! :) He wants to make changes in his life with God. :) He's doing pretty good! :) Then we have this 17 year old girl who will get baptized in August, who has such a strong testimony it’s amazing! :) She's even trying to bring her mom to church! :) So this new, small area, is keeping us busy but it's so good! :) <3

First Sunday in Connell- Well everyone was surprised and some were happy for the new three "musketeer" missionaries in their ward!  The Spirit was SO strong! I loved it! The songs we were singing were great and the people singing them were powerful! The speakers were great! And I received some personal revelation! :) 

If you have a chance, read D&C 6:

5 Therefore, if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you. (Just ask God.;) )

7 Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich. (Just because we do not have all the best riches in the world, as long as we are temple worthy and know the mysteries of God, then you are rich. :) )

8 Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be unto you; and if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation. (Having a desire is enough :) )

10 Behold thou hast a gift, and blessed art thou because of thy gift. Remember it is sacred and cometh from above— (Each and every single one of us has a special gift/talent that God has given us. :) )

11 And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways. 

13 If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation. (Endure! ) 

14 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time. 

15 Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth; (You've listened to the spirit before and God has answered your prayers before, because look at where you're at right now. :) )

22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. (If you want another witness that God is real, that he knows  you, REMEMBER) 

23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

Then another one of my favorite enduring Scriptures is D&C 122:7-9

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

9 Therefore, hold on thy way....

I love you all!!! Always and forever! 

--

~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

Messages from Members

July 18, 2017
I am so going to miss your daughter!! I was so grateful they were allowed to go with me to the temple for my first time. I would love to meet you and your family when you come to pick her up from her mission. I will keep in touch to see how she is doing.
Juli

July 17, 2017
Hi.  I'm Teresa Garrett.  My husband (Jeff) and I spent some time with your daughter this morning. She is wonderful! She liked the tractor. I think she is sleeping better too. We will really miss her and hate to see her leave.

My apologies for not getting these to you sooner.  I had a number wrong in your phone number.  My husband would like to send you an email in the next few days. Could we get your email address?  We will not share it. Jeff is the bishop. If it's ok with you, I would like to keep in touch with you to find out how Rebecca is doing.  She will be about 40 min away and I can always get to her if she needs something. We are really going to miss her.

July 12, 2017
You have done a great job raising her. She told us stories of her siblings last night and we enjoyed their cute antics. She misses you all. I will sure miss them if they get transferred but know they are here to do Heavenly Father’s work.
Juli

July 3, 2017
Your daughter is a wonderful blessing and you should be very proud. Thank you for sharing her with us. 
Juli Hiebert

May 15, 2017
I miss Sister McKnight so much!! I will definitely follow and see what she is up to! I appreciate you letting me know, I've been waiting to hear from her ever since she left! I was so heart broken when she got transferred because she was such a great friend and teacher to me and was always filled with the spirit every time she would come over! I miss her a ton and can't wait to see what she is up to!
Janelle

Letter 7-17-17

LAST WEEK IN PASCO ZONE (Snake River ward)

This last week has been AWESOME!!!!! We got to feed horses weeds! :) We got to do yard work for Juli (a recent convert in the church). I GOT TO MOW LAWN WITH A RIDING LAWN MOWER!!!!! It was so fun and awesome!!! Also, my 2nd missionary mom- Juli made us Brunch before that! She made us yummy crapes! :) And guess what?! She went in to an interview and got her temple recommend, and we are going tomorrow and doing baptisms for the dead!!!!!! <3 Man, if only you could meet Juli, she is AMAZING! She even began her family history on Sunday! :) *cheers!!!*

We also got to do yard work for Drew (less active in the ward) so he could put up a wooden fence in his yard! :)

Then today, Sister Coffey and I got to drive a tractor, thanks to Bishop Garrett and his wife! We also go to see a hidden water fall in our area at the end of a road called Falls Rd. :P hahaha

A little bit of sad news, today, we got transfer calls, and I'm leaving Pasco Stake and moving to Pasco North Stake, to Connell and I make it a tri-pan. :/ So sad that I'm leaving the great Pasco zone that I've been in for 8 months (my whole mission so far), but I guess I'm ready for new experiences. :)

Wish me luck! :) I love you all, and don't forget to smile!
Love you always and forever!

~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

Letter 7-10-17

This week was a lot of finding. :)

But first, 4th of July! Well we were able to see fireworks through our window, because we had to be in by six. A family in the ward, gave us dinner, which we made to the next day's lunch because then the bishop and his wife came over and gave us this huge big warm meal! It was great! Bishop Garrett and Sister Garrett are amazing! They truly do love us! <3 :) We also go to make cheese cake from a box (thanks to Sister Coffey's family who sent it on her birthday in May) :) And we watched Legacy (Joseph smith in that movie is hilarious!! :P ) and we read some scriptures. We had a very spiritual 4th of July! :P haha
My health, is the same I'm not feeling any less tired, but that's not keeping me from working my very hardest where I don't have any regrets so far! :) I'm still tired, but ask mom what we are calling it till we find another name. :P

Our investigators, well, one of them, is in jail, one of them left for Seattle and won’t be back till mid this week, and the other one we had to drop, but we are having the faith to find new people. :)

My companion, Sister Coffey, is pretty awesome she has helped me through a lot, in ways that was hard to see in the moment, but she has helped me through a lot in the mission.

I love you always and forever!

--
~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission


Things I pieced together from other emails this week:

She lives with members who turned their garage into an apartment. The apartment is not connected to their house but is next to their Basketball court. They have a huge house and yard! Sometimes the owner will leave them little treats. The only thing she I misses from a normal apartment is the washer and dryer. She says they go to another member’s house to do their laundry.

Everyone that lives over here has a huge house and lots of farm land! There is so much grass and it's so beautiful!!! She saw a pig that's 350 lbs!!! There are lots of horses, cows, and alpacas that they get to pet as they walk around. She hasn’t gotten to milk a cow, but thinks she doesn’t want to. She was able to drink fresh (but cold) cow's milk and try goat cheese. Thumbs up to the milk, not so much for the cheese.

Best part of last week...was reading the book of Mormon with MJ (a returning less active young women) with her to help her complete her personal progress. :)

All tests have come back normal. The Doctor want her to spend a couple $100 on two different pills that MIGHT help her feel and sleep better. She said no thank you. We have decided that she has been blessed with TEMS (Typical Exhausted Missionary Syndrome). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for prayers on her behalf.

Letter 7-3-17

It was a pretty good week! We got to go to lots of fun meetings with a lot of missionaries, we got to go to the temple, we got to eat lunch with our Recent convert, Juli, she just called and asked us if we could, we got to draw LOVE=plan of salvation on sidewalk to help spread the word, so yeah it was a good week, Juli, even gave me 3 cans of Dr. Pepper! :) <3 She knows me!

Oh, also, we got to feed horses hay, this week! So fun!!! We got to ride on the back of the hay trailer bed! So fun! Sister Coffey, my companion, and I (mostly all her because I didn't want to hit or kick the pigs) got to drive (heard) 2 lost pigs around! I died laughing because it was so funny! :P haha I wished we could have gotten it on video! :P Oh, another cool thing! We are surrounded by farmers and so we were given 2 big bags of yummy fresh picked cherries, the best ever! :) <3

It was an adventurous week! We've done lot's of finding and we hope something will come of it, but it's great! Keep our chin up!

Endure to the end! Never assume you can do it alone. :) It's all in his timing!!!

I love you all!!!!
--
~Sister McKnight
Washington, Kennewick Mission

Pictures 6-19 and 6-28

My companion and I just being silly!

This door reminded us of Jesus

Pasco Zone Sisters at the Temple June 28

Most of the Pasco Zone at the Temple June 28

My companion and I with our Sister Training Leaders (STL)

Went on exchanges with Herman Stewark (She is 6'1 and beautiful)

Bi-Mission (Kennewick and Yakima)Conference with Elder Anderson