This is super long, but worth reading!
Dear family,
Wheeeeew. I'm taking some deep breaths this afternoon as I sit to write this email to you. It's been such a sweet week. It's been a challenging one in various aspects, but this week, I have felt more like a servant of my Lord, Jesus Christ, than ever before. So the hard things don't bother me. In fact, they're the reason I have felt so close to my Savior this week and have grown in my love for the Paraguayan people this week as well. So I'm thankful for them.
Veronica and Marcos are such a sweet little couple. We ate lunch with them on Wednesday, and Veronica told us that Marcos talks to her about getting married every day. He really is willing, and they're just so darn cute together. Veronica has been the hesitant one because she feels really young, but on Wednesday she confessed that yes, she would like to get married. But her mom doesn't want to give her permission because she feels like it's too soon. It's sad to see parents who don't understand what will bless their children and what will do them harm. Getting married and following the gospel's path will proved Marcos and Veronica with stability and the Spirit of the Lord in their daily lives, which is something they can't afford to wait for. But we're praying for the mom, and I actually talked on the phone with her a couple times this week because Veronica passed the phone to me. Her mom is a sweet woman and wants to come to church this coming week with Veronica and Marcos if she decides to come visit them. But this past week, we actually weren't able to visit with them too much and they couldn't come to church because they were out of town.
José Duré is doing so well! Oh, it makes my heart glad to see him progress. Yesterday, he passed the sacrament for the first time...him and the Bishop's 12-year old son. He did very well, and you could tell from the smile on his face afterwards that he had a good experience. We're excited for him.
Eli and Gustavo... Wow. It's been quite the eventful week with them. They have been in my thoughts as I've studied and walked the streets and eaten lunch and washed my clothes this week...I haven't stopped thinking about them hardly. And we've been praying a lot for them as a companionship. On Tuesday, we called to see if we could stop by, and Gustavo answered and told us that Eli was in bed with a really bad tooth ache and that her cheek was really swollen. We stopped by to see what we could do, and just as we arrived, Gustavo left to go by soap or something. Poor Eli...she looked totally different. Her cheek was huge and she was in a lot of pain. She told us she'd been in pain for two days straight, but she was so meek and calm about it all. She is one of the most pure, humble people I've ever met. Anyway, it was hurting her a lot, so we folded her laundry for her (it was the first time I've ever been in her house when it wasn't impeccable...she is a very clean person) and got the little girls' milk ready for bed and read the scriptures with her. We asked her if she wanted a priesthood blessing, and she said yes. We called the Bishop, who came right away and gave her a beautiful blessing, promising her that according to her faith, the blessing would take effect and she would be able to recuperate. It's too bad Gustavo wasn't there for that.
The next day, we told Eli we were going to come by to clean house for her, that she wasn't to move a muscle, and when we passed by, the house was in perfect order. That's pretty typical of Eli. I did get to iron a little, but that's all there was to do. Then Eli asked us if she could ask us a question. "Of course," we said. She said, "I paid really close attention to what the Bishop said in his blessing yesterday ,and he told me that if I had enough faith, I'd be healed. So...I've been wondering... I must not have enough faith then, right? Is that why my tooth hasn't healed yet? But I'm confused because I really thought I had faith in Jesus Christ." It almost broke my heart, the way she said that. She asked the question with the innocence of a small child. So we talked to her about the importance of trials in our lives and pointed out evidences that she does have faith, and we testified that the Lord would relieve her of this in His own time because of her faith. She understood. It was a spiritual experience. And the next day, the pain was gone.
Saturday evening, we were able to share with both Gustavo and Eli. You should know a little of how hard we prayed and prepared for that lesson. We had some really spiritual study sessions together and were able to write up a simple, powerful lesson plan that was literally given to us, after lots of thought and practicing and study, by the Spirit. We started the lesson by showing them a picture of the Temple here in Asunción. We asked Eli why the temple was important to her. Using her answer, we testified that this life isn't everything; that we lived with God before birth and that our goal is to return to His presence as families. The Spirit was strong. From there, the lesson didn't go exactly as planned because Gustavo had a lot of questions...lots of questions. But it was a wonderful experience because he was able to open up and we were able to resolve some of his doubts. We had planned to invite him to be baptized, but due to the course the lesson took and the ticking of the clock, we just didn't get to it. We had planned to invite him for this coming Saturday. But as we left their house that night (after a great prayer offered by Gustavo), I just felt joy. It didn't matter that I wouldn't be here for their baptism. What mattered is that they are going to get baptized. I knew it in that moment. I don't know when it will happen (we'll probably invite them this week for the 23rd or 30th), but in that moment, I knew that it will happen someday, and I just feel grateful for having been able to participate a little in the process and because the Lord was able to use me as His instrument. I don't care how He uses me. I only want to be worthy of His trust, worthy to be an instrument in some way in this great work. It brings me more joy than I can express. Right now, I'm reading in Alma 26 and 27 in the Book of Mormon, and I feel like Ammon expressed all that I feel that I couldn't find the words to express.
Gustavo had committed to come to church the next morning, but when we arrived Sunday morning to pick them up, Eli came out of the house alone. "And Gustavo?" we asked. "No, he's not coming. He's sleeping. He's decided sleeping is more important than coming to church." That hurt. But I know that we did all we could do. What hurts is that despite what I know the Spirit has told him, he chose to act contrarily. We went to church with Eli, and the meeting was so spiritual. Bishop Bernal had asked me to speak, and all week I'd been thinking about what to talk about, and I had decided on the principle of sacrifice in missionary work. I prayed to know if that's what the Lord wanted to me to speak on, and I felt fine, so that's what I had started to prepare. But after the lesson with Gustavo and Eli Saturday night, I felt the distinct impression that I needed to talk about something different. I needed to talk about the why of missionary work. I needed to talk about eternal families. So Sunday morning, I woke up at 4, prayed that the Lord would guide me, and prepared the talk He wanted me to give. I hope you don't get the wrong impression as I share with you what happened. It didn't come as a result of my talent or of my perfection. Oh, no. Because I am sooooo, so imperfect. But again, the Lord saw fit to use me as His instrument, and all were edified. The Spirit was so strong the whole meeting, during all of the talks. Afterward, there was literally not one dry eye in the whole chapel. I could hear the Bishop and his counselor sniffing behind me as I left the pulpit and headed to the piano to play the last hymn. After the hymn, my two companions ran up to me and hugged me, and I just bawled like a baby. It's just that I know that the gospel is true. I know that my Savior lives. I know it. I know this is His church. And I know that the priesthood authority to seal families for time and all eternity is on the earth once again. There are people who don't know that. They have families, they feel love for them, they want to know how they can be with them together forever, or if that's even possible, and they are searching. And we have what they need! Do we understand how urgent this message is? We should be sharing it with everyone. It is the truth. And it means everything to me. This year and a half I've been able to share it has meant everything to me. My companions are my sisters. This ward is like my family. I felt such a love and a gratitude towards them this week. But most especially, I felt a gratitude and love towards all of you. Dad, Mom, Taylor, Savannah, Tanner, Emily, and Hunter: We are an eternal family. I love you. I'm excited to see you again and to work with you in building the Kingdom of our Lord. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ, who has made possible the great Plan of Redemption. I love Him.
Well, this has gone on and on. Next week's will be shorter. I love you. Continue forward, and keep the faith.
Hermana Knapp
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