Blessings of Being Bold

This week was fantastic!  We got so much done and saw so many miracles throughout it all. 

Great Lessons

On Monday we realized that we really didn't have much planned for the week and so we decided that it would be worth it to spend a couple of hours planning and getting some solid lessons set up. It can be really hard to get solid lessons when you are planning an entire week in advance. This ended up being one of the best ideas yet. Tuesday we got to teach our investigators Katja, Timo, and Krista.  Then we had a lot of potentials that we wanted to stop by and we got Mac to come contact them with us.  We ended up finding a new investigator that we are meeting with today.  Our lesson with Katja went really well.  She says that she knows the Book of Mormon is true but that she isn't sure can be baptized. She prayed about it and said that she felt like she should stay Orthodox Christian.  We then had to tell her in a very loving way that she was wrong and teach her how we can tell if the answers we get are from God or not.  We ended up having a super spiritual lesson and it was so good and she is wanting to pray about it again. We are really hoping that she will open her heart more to change. Our lesson with Timo was good as well.  It was the most focused lesson we have been able to have yet. We decided to talk about getting answers through  prayer, church, and scripture study.  It was a really good lesson and when we asked how he felt about the Book of Mormon he said, "I know that Joseph Smith couldn't have written this book."  So then Sister Dixon invited him to pray about the Book of Mormon tonight to know if it is true and guess what? .. He said no, not yet.  Haha.  So we asked why and he said that he is afraid to pray about the Book of Mormon because if it is true then he needs to be baptized.  At least he knows that part of getting an answer. Now we just need to help him not be afraid to ask. We then had a lesson with our investigator Krista and Mac came with us!  Mac was incredible in the lesson and it was such a good opportunity for him to share his testimony.  She had so many questions that were kinda hard to understand but Mac was able to answer them and to really relate to how she feels learning about Joseph Smith for the first time.  It was so good!  Mac is really an incredible teacher! 

I Just Need to Do It

Wednesday we had zone meeting that started at 10:00. They ended up throwing in a surprise language test that they didn't want anyone to know we were taking and it ended up making the meeting an hour longer than usual which put us in a really bad situation to getting to our appointment on time!  We had no idea that it was going to be 3 hours instead of 2!  But thankfully President offered to give us a ride to our appointment after the meeting and we were able to get there on time. The meeting was really good, all except the language test.  I hate language tests.  But they really are good because they can help us see more what we need to work on so that is always a good thing.  I really felt a lot better about this one then I did about the last one so that was a good thing. Finnish is just SO hard.  After the meeting we rushed to our appointment with President which is always a little bit nerve racking to have 30 minutes to sit and talk to your mission president about your plans for the day and investigators. We then had a lesson with a young less active girl Donna, and the Young Women's President, Sister Humphries, whom we have been working with for weeks.  We talked all about how much God loves her and wants to help her. We listened to Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the Women's Session of General Conference and talked about it.  It was so good.  We then once again invited her to church and she was hesitant because she struggles coming back to church without her family. So we asked her to just come for one hour and then she said, "No.  I just need to do it and come for all three hours. After that it will get easier." Yay!!! We were so excited and happy for her!  This was the first time that she ever said she would come to church! Yes!  We then had a lesson with Mac that went really well. We got to go to a dinner with him in Helsinki at a senior missionaries' home and they had invited more of the YSAs to come. It was a really good lesson and a great time for Mac to get to know more of the YSAs so that was so good for him.  

What Missionaries Do Best
Thursday was planning day. This was one of our rougher days.  Planning can be so hard sometimes when people aren't knowing their schedules and you are just tired and having a hard enough time focusing.  We did it, though, and immediately after planning headed to a ward member's house, Sister Eklund, for her 70th birthday party.  When we got there the apartment was FULL of old people and most of them were members so we really had no idea what we were doing there or why they really wanted us there. So we did what missionaries do best. We went into the kitchen and started eating food. You will never believe it.  The couple in the kitchen just happened to be some of the only non-members there!  So we got to have a really good conversation with them. Miracles!  We then had an appointment with a member whose son we have been teaching to prepare him for baptism. We had been traveling by Metro for about 10 minutes when Sister Dixon turned to me and asked, "Wait, where are we going?"  Haha, oh Sister Dixon!  I love her. Mac came with us so that was good.  We got to teach him about the temple. Oh my goodness. Mac is really the humblest person I have ever met.  He really wants to go to the temple but doesn't want to ask the bishop for a recommend because he doesn't want it to look like he has an agenda for why he got baptized, haha. So we had to explain how happy the bishop would be if he asked to be able to go to the temple. But thankfully Bishop ended up talking to us and is going to talk to Mac about getting the priesthood and a temple recommend so it will all work out. :) 

Being Bold

Friday we had a member of ours, Sister Linda Saaranen, take us out to lunch for Chinese food. Yum!!  It was way too nice of her!  She is the sweetest lady ever. We then had our first appointment of the week cancel but we had been trying for the past few weeks to find time to watch Conference so we finally got to.  We then got to meet with an investigator that the sisters had given to us.  We had such a powerful lesson. She is from Nepal and was previously Hindu but had started to believe in God and Christ and now is Christian but not apart of any Christian religion because she doesn't like what so many people do in the name of religion. It was amazing though because everything she was wanting and looking for is in our church. The spirit was so strong and she wants to read the Book of Mormon but she isn't ready to meet yet and says she is too busy but can meet in 3 months. Sad. We will see what happens in 3 months then!  We then got to meet with a less active, Eila Ryyty, we had been trying to get in contact with. It was so sad because the ward has really given up on her coming to church but sister Dixon and I are determined. We went in there and were honestly the boldest I have ever been in a lesson.  We asked her why she wasn't coming to church and she didn't have a reason so we told her that she really needs to come to church with us and sing in sacrament with us.  She agreed to it!  Not this week but the next week!  It was really a good lesson and we really felt like it is exactly what she needs.  We are meeting with her again this week and watching Conference so hopefully we can help her come back! 

Eating Snail and Other Cultural Fun

Saturday was one of the most fun days ever. We had a lesson early around noon with Hai's (from Espoo) friend and so Hai came with us to the lesson. They ended up making a TON of food for us and one of the foods was snail. Yep... I got to try snail.  I will have to admit I had to resort to my usual cut it as small as possible and swallow with juice method.  I am not a fan of snail.  The rest of the food was really good though.  It was crazy.  During the lunch there was a moment were Sister Dixon was teaching Hai's friend's friend, I was teaching Hai, and our member was teaching Hai's friend.  We were all trying to talk over each other, haha, but it worked.  We then up having an amazing lesson with him and Hai's friend who has already investigated. He really opened up about how he wants to be baptized but has a really hard time with the Word of Wisdom.  So we are going to help him with that and he agreed to come to church!  We then had another lesson with Krista which went alright.  It was rough because we were planning to do a church tour but forgot there was a funeral so we ended up meeting at the library.  It was still good though.  After that we got to go with our less active Lelieta to a Filipino party and Mac came too.  It was so much fun and absolutely hilarious.  Lelieta threw in a surprise number and did this whole upbeat dance while singing in Tagalog.  Let's just say we definitely didn't see that one coming!

Sunday, A Really Good Day

Sunday was a really good day. Mac got the Priesthood, a calling as a ward missionary, and a temple recommend!  We are going this week!  Hai came to church and really enjoyed it and we are meeting with him again this week. The young less active girl, Donna, came to church and was so happy to be there and so smiley!  She did it! I love the church.  

The church is true!  Thanks for all your love and support! 

Love, 

Sister Knapp

How Great Shall Be Your Joy

It's Hard To Do On Your Own

This week was a really good week.  We were able to see so many miracles and even though we were stressed preparing everything for the baptism we were able to meet with so many of our investigators and less actives. We were finally able to get in touch and meet with one less active who joined the church alone when she was 12 years old but has not gone to church in a long time. She is 25 now.  Her name is Vanessa. It was so good to get to meet her and talk to her about the Gospel. She is so sweet and so nice and really has just needed someone to invite her and try and help her come back. Its hard to do it on your own. She then asked us all about our missions and if she could serve a mission. Yes!!  We told her that we would love to help her prepare to serve a mission if that was what she wanted to do and she really is starting to think about it. We then invited her to come to institute the next day and she came!  She is great and we are really hoping that we can bring her back and closer to the gospel as soon as possible so that she can serve a mission. It would honestly bless and change her life and be so good for her. 

My First Media Referral

This week we also got to contact a media referral. Someone had found our website and wanted missionaries to come and visit her. We weren't sure what to expect when we got there but we were really surprised when we did. It was a young, really cute Finnish girl that has really been interested in religions. We were able to teach her all about the Restoration and she had so many questions but was really excited for the chance to receive a Book of Mormon and begin reading it. We are really excited about her and hope that she will really have an open heart and be prepared to receive the Gospel. This is my first media referral!! 

It Will Make Them So Much Happier

Our other investigators are doing alright though. We have one investigator Timo that just likes to talk and talk and has so many questions. Its been really hard to stay on topic and members really want to answer all their questions but this week we were determined that we were just going to tell him that we would have to write all of his questions down and that we would answer them next time so that we could get through the discussion about the Plan of Salvation. The lesson ended up going surprisingly well and he got a lot of answers that he was looking for. We are hoping that he really does have the desire to change and learn about the Gospel and take it into his life. We also are teaching Katja. She is doing really well and really praying to know if this is the right path that she should take. It was so sad because she got sick last week and was unable to come to conference but we are hoping to watch some of it with her this week!  Hopefully we can start to really help them both progress so that it can change their lives and make them so much happier. 

The Best Weekend of My Life

This weekend was the best weekend of my life. Mac got baptized!!  I honestly could not stop smiling the whole time. I was so happy for him and the decision that he made to be baptized. He made the best decision of his whole life and it is going to bless him forever. I am so blessed that I got to be apart of it and be an instrument in the Lord's hands in bringing Mac unto Christ. I have honestly never met someone more humble and full of love in my life than Mac. He really is one of my best friends. The baptismal service went so well. The members were so involved and ready to take him in and befriend him and make him feel at home. The talks were perfect for him and exactly what he needed to hear. We also got to sing "Amazing Grace" at the request of Mac. It was pretty funny because I had suggested that we sing that and Sister Dixon was like, "No way...."  but then not even 5 minutes later Mac texted us asking us to sing it. So, thank you so much, Mom, for sending the arrangement that the Utah Valley Children's Choir sang. It was beautiful!  We loved it and though we had to simplify a few parts it was a miracle because we actually got it put together and Sister Dixon, Me, Elder Richards, and Elder Wilson were able to sing it. It went super well... though the last note may have been a little sketchy at first.... But the song was ended up sounding really good and even made Mac tear up. Miracles happen. Mac was then baptized and it was the happiest moment of my life and I am sure it is just going to get better once he goes to the temple. After his baptism and a talk Mac bore his testimony. It was amazing and honestly one of the best parts of the baptism. He talked all about how when he decided to be baptized he was super excited and happy but then when members starting finding out about it he got super scared and was worried that he was getting baptized because members wanted him to or because we missionaries did. He also feared having friends reject him or that he would have to reject his friends but that now he knows that what he is doing is right. That he will be able to help his friends the right way now. That we don't have to sit in a dark room and that God really does want to illuminate our lives.  He thanked Sister Dixon, Me and Sister Ladd for coming to Finland and finding him and teaching him. He told us how much we have changed his life. That was when we all started crying. haha.  I love Mac and I am so grateful that I got to come here to Finland and to teach him.  I love this Gospel. I love it with my whole heart and I would give up anything for it. It really is the hope and light and joy in my life and I am so blessed to have it and to be able to share it with others.  

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I promise that they are answered. I love you all! 

Love, 

Sister Knapp 

The Converting Power of Conference

Fall is here! (Sister Dixon)

Best Week Ever!

This week was a pretty hard one but one of the best weeks of my entire mission. The week started with us having had the BEST planning session ever the week before and having 3 to 4 lessons set up per day.  We were going to be SO busy. Then came the downfall.  Within hours a total of 2 days got completely blanked out.  We had 9 lessons cancel this week. It was the worst.  Blank days are some of the hardest days ever.  A lot of walking, contacting, looking up potential investigators and formers. It was going to be long... and to no surprise it was long.  

The Fun of Metro Contacting

We spent a lot of time just Metro contacting, which is honestly one thing that I don't really mind on blank days. You always get good stories.  We actually met this super funny guy from Italy who was so hard to talk to and really wanted to buy us coffee... uh.... no....  So we tried to come up with some excuse so that we could leave and finally he was going to let us and went to shake our hands. But when we did, he pulled us in and gave us "besos"  That is a first, haha.  Awkward x ten   We did meet this super cool girl, about 25 years old, on the metro and invited her to conference and told her about the Book of Mormon.  As soon as we showed her and told her about the Book of Mormon she couldn't take her eyes off of it.  When we told her that we wanted to give it to her as a gift she got so excited and just hugged the book. We are meeting with her next week to talk more about it! :) Miracles. So when Thursday rolled around and it was planning day we were pretty excited because we got to plan and then we had appointments so our day was full!  But right as we were getting ready to go to our first appointment it fell through.... Noooooooo.....!  We honestly crashed on the floor.  Not again.  Then a seriously tender mercy happened. The AP's called.  They had an emergency they had to take care of and were supposed to go to bishop's house for a dinner appointment but now they couldn't so... we got to!!  Heavenly Father really loves us...an appointment and food! It doesn't get better than that!  Well, actually it does... 

You Can Always Count on Conference

Our investigator, Mac, is incredible.  He is honestly amazing!  We have been so worried the past couple of weeks that he wouldn't be ready to be baptized this week since he wasn't sure if he believed that Jesus was the Son of God or that this is really the one true church on the earth today. Those are some super important things that people have to know!  So we started to put everything on Conference and how important Conference would be and that he really could get his answers there. If you are going to count on something you can ALWAYS count on Conference. This week was honestly a miracle week for him. I think I have already told you how amazing of an investigator he is. Sometimes we worry about information overload with him since he has already read the Gospel Principles Book, Joseph Smith History, True to the Faith, stays up late watching Mormon messages and videos, listens to conference talks all day (practically) while he is at work, and this week he finished the Book of Mormon.  I have never seen an investigator understand the Gospel and the Book of Mormon so well in my life.  Sometimes I think he understands it better than me!  Sister Dixon and Sister Heggie (I was on splits) had a super amazing lesson with him all about the Book of Mormon testifying that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God.  They then asked him if he believed the Book of Mormon was true. He told them, "I feel that it is more than just a book." So then Sister Heggie (who was perfect for that lesson) pointed out that must be his answer then.  Later that night, when sister Dixon and I were back together he texted us telling us that he knows that the Book of Mormon is true and that he was wrong.  Oh my word!!!  I can not express the joy that Sister Dixon and I felt when when we got that message.  We spent practically the rest of the night dancing around the apartment! :)  Then there was Conference.  Oh my goodness, I just love Conference. I gained the strongest testimony of Conference this past weekend.  The Lord really does love his children.  It was so amazing to see so many things said that were perfectly meant for Mac.  Sister Dixon and I turned to each other SO many times with just our mouths dropping open.  We couldn't believe it.  After the session was over Saturday night Sister Dixon felt that he seemed a little down and I immediately felt we need to text him and make sure he was doing ok.  He ended up calling us and told us about his day.  He had a really hard day since one of his best friends is really upset and struggling with the changes he has made.  It was so sad but we were able to help him and he is more than willing and ready to keep changing and growing.  We are so proud of him.  We then got to talk to him all about Conference on the phone.  He talked about how amazing it was because something that he had thought of about 3 weeks before about the Urium and Thumim Elder Uchtdorf talked about EXACTLY.  He couldn't believe it!  How cool is that?  He then really felt strongly at multiple times that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God.  I can't even explain how happy Conference made me.  I almost burst into tears multiple times as I felt the answers meant just for M. go right past me to him.  It was one of the best, most unforgettable moments of my life.  He is so ready.  Plus, he is more committed then I have ever seen him be.  We told him that we needed speakers, someone to baptize him, the priesthood holders to give the Holy Ghost, a musical number, etc for his baptismal service and before we knew it he had already asked and put together his entire program.  Its so nice.  We don't really have to do much of anything!  He also told us that we have ALL the time we need every single day this week to prepare him to be baptized, haha. Yes!  He really knows where his priorities are.  He is going to make an incredible member.  We are SO excited and SO happy for him!

With Gisel in Espoo

Splits in My Beloved Espoo

This week, as I already mentioned above, I got to go on Splits with Sister Neilsen in Espoo!!! I love that place.  I honestly had the biggest flashbacks of my life walking into that apartment where I had lived for 6 months. I never thought I would ever get to go back to good ol' Kilo. It was so much fun to be walking down the street and seeing so many people that I knew and had talked to before. We also got to stop my some less-actives, Yan and Lin, that we had been working with and it was so good to see them.  I love them. I think the biggest shock for me about the whole split was that I realized how much I truly came to love these people. I really love all the members and people I worked with in Espoo, Oulu, and Marjaniemi.  The Lord really knows me better than I know myself because I really have served in places that were just perfect for me.  I also found out that a different family that we were working with, the Jonios, just had a baby!  Sister Fronk and I were there when she told us that she was pregnant and now she has a little baby!  Has it really been that long?  Have I really been on a mission for that long?!  Time really flies by.  The only sad thing was that I didn't get to see Hai.  But I did get to talk to him on the phone.  He is doing amazing and promised me that he would go to all the General Conference sessions. So that was good. I can't believe that he can go through the temple in just one month!  Oh, yeah!  I did get to see Gisel though. So that was a blessing :)

In between conference sessions eating cinnamon rolls

The Atonement is Real

Conference was absolutely amazing.  I am so grateful for prophets and apostles to lead and guide us on the earth today. This really is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He loves us so much that he was willing to take all of our sins and mistakes upon him self and to suffer in our behalf. I am so grateful for his Atonement that really enables me to continue forward each and everyday. It really is from the Atonement that I receive the strength to do everything everyday.  I have started to learn so much more about it and really can't even grasp a small portion of it.  The Atonement is real and it is for all of us.  No matter how many mistakes we make and how many times we fall if we will but look to him and seek his help, his arm is stretched out to us always ready to pick us up.  I love this Gospel.  I love my Savior and Redeemer.  This really is the way to peace and happiness and healing!  Never forget to turn to the Savior and "close your umbrellas" and let the blessing just pour out upon you because they really are there. 

Conference tradition cinnamon rolls

I love you all so much!  Thank you for all of the love and support! :) 

Sister Knapp

Friends in the Gospel

I love Sister Dixon!

This week was painfully hard but still we got to see so many miracles.  I think it will be easiest just to take it day by day:

Monday--A New Healthy Us!

P-day! The highlight of the day was that we started a diet! Sister Dixon and I are basically the same person in every way including our body types and we both want to lose some weight, so we are! And we're really committed. It's exciting. So we got up and went running and then bought a ridiculous amount of healthy food, which included no carbs. All week we were able to eat healthy (We did have 1 day where we caved and ate something that a member forced on us) and we actually ran for 5 out of the 6 days--we don't run on Sunday- and we ate so healthy. Haha. We have lots of encouragement. Out investigator M. just barely sent us this poem:

Its time to go outside and run. Thats how Mormon sisters have fun!

Tuesday--Black Hole

Kind of a black Hole day. I don't even know what happened. Not a very good day.

Wednesday--The Sign 

We had district meeting. Then we met with our new investigator Timo. He's kind of an older guy and has been studying a ton of different churches for years. But he says that for some reason this one feels different. He also feels like he got a sign from God that this could be it. He went into the library and went over to the free book section. He looked down and found a Brigham Young teaching manual, haha.  He came to the church with a picture of it and was really excited to learn about everything! He brings up the picture in every single lesson and how it is a sign from God! Super sweet :) With Mac, that I told you about last week, we went over the baptismal interview questions with him. He's super close, but still has a few things that he really needs to work on. Please, please remember to keep praying for him! Pray that General Conference will be a really good experience for him. Right now he is 100 percent planning on being baptized. But honestly, if we don't clear up a few of his concerns we're not going to be able to let him. We do have faith that it's going to happen, but pray pray pray!!! 

Thursday--Bold Moves

We had a wonderful lesson with Katja in the morning. Despite the fact that she has a really hard time coming to church, she is a wonderful investigator. We did a lesson about how we really can keep the commandments even when they are hard and she promised again to come to church. I felt strongly that we needed to tell her that Sunday morning our phone would be turned off, so even if she cancelled, we would be on her doorstep to come get her. Haha, too bold? No! It worked! It was done with lots of love :) Then we had a great weekly planning session! 

Friday--And That's When Our Diet Failed

We were able to teach the 7 year old, Aaron, who is preparing to get baptized again. We made him some steps of repentance and then found a little guy from the Liahona that we laminated, so he had someone to walk up the steps with. Fun lesson :) Afterwards the member brought us out the BIGGEST ice cream tower I've ever seen. And at the top there was a whole piece of pie, then there was whipped cream all over the top.... That's when our diet failed. It was too hard to say no, when they had already dished it up. It was so much sugar that I felt like I was going to die.  And half way in between they brought out more whipped cream and put it on!  I think it was enough to make me never crave sugar again.  At least for a long time!  Haha, later Sister Dixon asked our BML (as a joke) if he could tell the ward to stop giving us sugar. And sure enough he came into Relief Society on Sunday and made an announcement that the missionaries are more energetic and better able to do the Lord's work if we are fed healthily. Super awesome! We also went over to another member's house and right as we came her less active mother came too. We were finally able to meet her and then share a message that seemed to strengthen them both.

Saturday--Friends in the Gospel

In the morning we went to a baptism in Haaga with Mac so he could see what it was like. It was a really good experience for him. Everyone was so friendly and he made tons of friends. After the baptism we had an impromptu lesson that was so good! His new friend bore the best tesimony ever and Mac almost cried. After we left we found out that Mac stayed at the chapel for another hour talking to a recent convert who bore her testimony with him. :) Then we had another lesson with Timo. It was great. He's super duper excited to see the living prophet at conference. 

Sunday--Advertising General Conference

Katja and Mac came to church and it was a great testimony meeting. After church we made healthy meatloaf. But we didn't have a bread pan, so I called the Elders and told them that if they brought us a bread pan we would return it to them with half a meat loaf in it. They liked that. We didn't have any plans for the night so we went out with some General Conference fliers and started teaching the world. Super fun. We found a ton of great potentials. It was honestly a miracle evening.  We had had a pretty rough start in the week and we needed to be able to meet and teach a lot of people to reach our goals but after praying and going out to do our best to talk to everyone we reached them!  It was amazing and really a blessing.  

The Gospel is true. I love it.  It really is what gets me through each and every day and I don't know what I would do without it.  Thanks for all the love and support. 

Love,
Sister Knapp

How Not to Mess it Up

Hei!! 

Sisters Dixon and Knapp, who actually look like real sisters!

Follow the Spirit
This week was a pretty long one.  I honestly can't remember that much of it or what really happened. Mac, who is preparing to be baptized in a few weeks, is doing amazing.  He is so solid on being baptized and we are so excited for him.  The only thing is that we are both terrified that we are going to mess it up!  But, we are trying to learn and understand more so we really are doing our best to follow the Spirit so that we won't be able to mess it up.  It was just pretty scary this week after a lesson. We had just finished teaching him a lesson and got caught up in a discussion outside where we got so frustrated that he wasn't really understanding and it ended up getting pretty heated.  We felt terrible afterwards.  The Spirit wasn't there at all and we completely thought that we had just messed everything up.  So we texted him apologizing and he sent us the nicest text in return.  He told us that God had sent us to him and how grateful for us he was, that he has sent the perfect people to teach him and help him come to understand more about God.  He is doing great and is going to be so ready to be baptized.  We really can't wait. It is going to bless and change his life.  

Marjaniemi

We Saved a Bird!

I really don't have too much to say about the week... But we saved a bird! The most rewarding part of the day was actually was saving a little bird that got stuck on our patio. We have glass up and everything but the little bird climbed through the rain hole and then couldn't figure out how to get out. So he kept flying right into the glass. Poor little guy. It sounded like it hurt. So I went over and was trying to open the windows so he could get out. But then he smacked right into the window that I hadn't opened yet and fell on the ground and was twitching. It was so sad. We both thought he was just going to die on our balcony. But then after 5 or so minutes he got up and flew out! We saved a life! We included one saved bird in our numbers this week. How rewarding!

Helping the Elders

We also went to the Elder's area a lot this week and tried to contact all of the women recent converts of the past three years for them because they have no time for anything. It was pretty sad though. Two people looked through their peep holes and then slammed the door hard so that we could hear... So sad. Then two others were not home. We talked to some cool Muslim guys though. They were really nice! We also went out to Vuosaari to try and see a less active. But her door was locked. So we went on a walk and met a couple cool people instead. But then a miracle happened. She came to church on Sunday! She came up and hugged us and then said that she saw us outside her apartment. She was really busy so she didn't come say hi. But that we should come by another time. Miracles are happening!

It's getting dark again--this is about 8:00 pm

It still was a pretty good week despite being kinda sick and super tired we were still able to see some miracles. Sorry this is so short! I will write more next week! :) 

Sister Knapp

Elder Bednar's Visit

Missions Are the Best Things In the World

Sister Dixon and I--"We're like the same person"

It was a pretty miraculous week.  First off, I gotta say that I really love my mission.  It is the best experience of my life. I love this country. I love the people. I love being a missionary. I love everything about it.  It really has changed my life.  I will be honest that I never thought I would get to the point where I would feel super sad about leaving and never want to leave.  But it came!   I started bawling like 3 times this week just thinking about leaving this place and the people here.  I love it here.  My heart really is here with these people and I never want to leave. In church this week we got to hear from a missionary that just got home from his mission and he shared a quote from somewhere that said, "It may not be the best 2 years, but it will be the be the best 2 years for your life".  It is so true.  This really has changed my life.  It has made me a better person and I have really come to understand just a little bit better the love our Father in Heaven has for us and that He really knows better than we ever could what we need for our lives.  I never would have gone on a mission if it wasn't for the strong answer I received over a year and a half ago and it has changed my life and I am forever going to be grateful for it.  Missions are the best things in the world and everyone should have the chance to serve one. They will NEVER regret it.

With Sister Nyman, my last comp and
my new one, Sister Dixon

We Really Just Go Out and Make Friends
That said, this week has also been so much fun.  I have learned so much from Sister Dixon in the past couple of weeks. We are seriously like the same person and have way too much fun together.  From movies nights before bed watching the Legacy and drinking smoothies, to ruined cakes and many ruined meals, to finding new friends on the street. It has honestly been a blast. We are almost always laughing and talking and having fun everywhere we go.  My whole mission I been trying to figure out how to be myself and do the work and with Sister Dixon it is just so easy.  We are always ourselves and because of it our investigators have really become our friends. They talk and joke and laugh with us and we really just have so much fun.  And when it is time for a lesson, it goes amazing because they really know that we really do care and love them. It is honestly changing the way that I do missionary work and it is so good and so much more enjoyable. We really just go out and make friends. :)  

The Best Lesson Ever
We have two pretty incredible investigators.   One of our investigators is honestly like our best friend. His name is Mac.  He is from Thailand and seriously mind blowing.  He has read almost the entire Book of Mormon, all of the Joseph Smith History, Gospel Principles, True to the Faith, and is now starting to read the Doctrine and Covenants because they are studying it in institute.  WOW!   I swear that he knows and understands things better than we do!  So we have really been having a hard time knowing how to help him!  He also says he won't be baptized unless his mom supports, it but she wants him to become a Buddhist Monk first so that she can get into heaven.  We didn't know what to say to that so we told him to pray about it and we would talk about it later.  We then had some pretty amazing lessons with him this week.  One was so funny because it was right before institute and we couldn't stay, so when we asked him to pray at the end he prayed that we would both stay, then told us that God doesn't answer our prayers when we said that we had to leave. Hahaha. What a pill!  He is so funny.  We had the amazing opportunity to have Elder Bednar come and do a mission conference with us this week (will talk about later) and we went with questions to the meeting to know how we could better help our investigator progress and feel more of God's love for him. The only problem was that during and after the meeting Sister Dixon and I both had fevers and were feeling SO sick, but we decided that we still needed to go to lesson with Mac anyway and it went so well. The Spirit was so strong and I really just had to rely on it more than ever because my head hurt so bad that I couldn't focus much to understand really a ton what he was saying. But the lesson was incredible and Sister Dixon and I both felt strongly that if  Mac really wants to feel the Spirit and feel the importance of the gospel, that he needs to be preparing for baptism. So we expressed that to him and and after the lesson he told us that he wants to be baptized!  He has decided that he wants to do it no matter what his mom says and that it is right.  He is getting out of the boat and putting his faith in God!  Right now he is really praying to know what day he will be baptized but it will be sometime in the next 3 weeks!  We are so excited for him!  It was the best lesson and experience ever! :)

With Sister Ross, my MTC companion

Miracles in Marjaniemi

We also have a pretty amazing investigator from Kenya, Lincoln, who is 18 and has some of the strongest faith in God  I have ever seen. I have never seen someone pray so sincerely and trust in God so much as this kid.  It has been pretty incredible.  We gave him a baptismal date last week and he is honestly really searching and preparing for it and we know he will get an answer.  He has already even talked to his mom about it and is hoping that as he learns more that he will be able to talk to his mom better about it and that she will understand. We are really praying for him and feel so good about him.  He has so many good questions and is so willing to learn and to trust in God that he will receive an answer by his baptismal date.  It is pretty exciting to see the miracles that are happening her in Marjaniemi.

Mission Conference was amazing!

I LOVED MISSION CONFERENCE

This past Friday was MISSION CONFERENCE!!!!  It was a once in a lifetime experience that is for sure.  I never thought that I would be sitting a room being instructed by an apostle of the Lord.  Elder Bednar was so good and really, you can tell he is so guided by the Spirit.  I received so many answers to my questions on how I can better help each of my investigators individually. The most fun thing was that it wasn't like a fireside where we just sat and listened to Elder Bednar speak to us but it was actually a discussion!  At first he just made us super comfortable and explained that he knew that if he asked us a question that we all knew the answer to, we would all know it until we got asked by an apostle to recite it to him.  In other words he would know that we got intimidated and freaked out when we are asked something by an apostle!  So everything was volunteer and we just talked and learned together. The Spirit in that room was so strong and really amazing. I am so grateful for that experience. One thing he said was the the world is the best it is ever going to be but we need not be afraid. We need to just have faith.  It really is crazy to think about, and even more amazing to see, so many girls and boys serving missions and how much it is going to make a difference.  We all need to be strong and to really learn to trust and rely on the Lord and everything is going to work.  We are going to be safe even in the world where so much bad is happening. :)  I loved mission conference.  It was amazing to be in a room with all the missionaries here in Finland.  Even though I don't know every single one of them, I could just look around and I really just loved them all!  I love the missionaries here in Finland.  They are amazing.  They really are my brothers and sisters and I am so lucky to be serving with them here in Finland.  I also got to see all of my amazing companions and my  MTC group and it was so much fun to see everyone and get to talk to everyone. Some of I haven't seen in almost 10 months!  It's amazing how fast time can go.

Elder Spiers (back) and Nemelka, who I knew in Jr. High

More Miracles

We also had a miracle with contacting a less-active this week. We were in the area where a less-active in the ward lives and were having a hard time deciding whether or not we should go try to see her because her gate is locked and she never answers the phone.  But last minute we decided to jump off the bus and go and see if she was there and you will never believe it!  She was outside!  It was a miracle!  We have tried this so many times and for once she was outside!  She was so nice and we got to really talk to her and see why she wasn't coming to church.  Apparently her husband has been pretty sick.  But she is going to let us come back and do service and she is really wanting to come back to church.  Hopefully we will be able to help her with that!

It was an amazing, fun-filled, miracle week.  I love this work.  There really isn't a better work out there.  Thank you for all of your love and support! 

Love, Sister Knapp

Sister Dixon and getting the perfect selfie

A failed food attempt

Oulu to Marjaniemi--I Love This Country!

In my new Marjaniemi apartment

I Never Want to Leave This Place

It has been a LONG week!  I have never been more sad to leave a place in my entire life. Leaving Oulu was like having my heart ripped out. I have never felt more at home in a place. It is my home here in Finland and I never have loved the people so much as I did there. I made some of the greatest friends in the world and I miss them SO much already and it hasn't even been an entire week yet!  But I am excited to be in a new place and able to continue serving here in Finland. My mission has seriously FLOWN by and I never what to leave this place! I don't want my mission to end and to leave the people that I love so much and a country that really has become my home. But I still have at LEAST 5 months so I still have plenty of time left right?  But then again, if I stayed a missionary forever I would hope that I would get a transfer to Oulu for the rest of my life. There is not a better ward on the planet. They are amazing. So loving and so willing and ready to do missionary work. It was incredible to see the change in them over these past few months and to see how they changed from being people I knew and cared about to people who have being some of my greatest friends.  I love them and miss them.

My new companion, Sister Dixon.  I love her already!

Good-bye Oulu

Monday was insane since it was the last day that I would really have in Oulu with sister Nyman and we wanted to see EVERYONE, which really wasn't possible but if it was I probably would have done it. We literally spent most of the day packing and rushing to as many members houses that we could which ended up only being 3. Kinda lame. But then we had family night and I LOVE family night. A big part of that is probably because it is in English and for some reason I always have struggled with the Finnish dialect in the north. But also because all of my favorite people in the world came to Family Night and we got to play a ton of games. It was crazy. When I first came to Oulu we had like 2 members at family night and then it was us 6 missionaries and the senior couple. But by the end we had about 20 people coming every single week and about half of them were not members!  It was incredible and so much fun. You could tell that all of the investigators just really feel at home whenever they go there and it is so good for them! The hardest thing ever was being able to leave that family night at the end. It was almost unbearable and yeah... we might have been a little late getting home.  

Travel Tuesday

Tuesday was a pretty crazy day. Sister Nyman left in the morning and then I was with the other sisters until I got to take a night train that evening. It was so sad having to say good-bye to Sister Nyman. She was a incredible companion and one of my best friends! She is one of the most loving and understanding companions that I have ever had. I am definitely going to be miss having a million uplifting notes hidden all over the apartment. The rest of the day I was with Sister Lund and Sister Hubner. They are some of the funniest sisters that I think I have ever served with. I would almost die laughing so hard that I was almost crying. So it was a good last day until I got on the train and had to leave Oulu. I love that place and then I had to leave it and I was alone on a train!  Ah!  So lonely!  I have officially decided that I really really don't like night trains! 

I Can Actually Understand the Finnish in the South

The next few days were crazy! I got my new companion Sister Dixon who is just amazing and we are having SO much fun!  We are talking and laughing constantly which in some cases may not be good. Let's just say that people know we are Americans pretty quickly, haha. But we have had some awesome experiences. We met with our new investigator Lincoln this week and had a super good lesson that was kinda crazy all over the place but somehow the Spirit was able to make up for our shortcomings and stutterings, haha, and it became a really powerful lesson and we invited him to be baptized!  He said Yes!  He is going to be baptized on the 11th of October and we are super excited for him!  I also have to say that it is so weird being in the south again!  I can actually understand 10 times better the Finnish they speak down here and it makes it so much more fun to be able to actually communicate with people in Finnish.  So that is definitely a plus for being down in the south. 

Espoo Reunions

We also had Stake Conference this week.  I really could not have come at a better time!  It was perfect!  I got to see all of my friends and members that I new in Espoo and it was so much fun!  It was kinda bad because I was super disteacted literally trying to run all over the place and make sure to say hello to them all, but it felt so good to be able to see them again and to talk to them in Finnish (since I never really did that before).  I love Espoo and I can't wait to be able to go on splits there someday and to see some of the investigators and people that I have met there. Goodness, I just love these people and this country. I really couldn't have asked for a better place to serve. The Lord really does know us better than we know ourselves and when we follow his plan for us we will find that He really does make it better then we ever could!  

Thank you for all of your love and support!! 

Love, 

Sister Knapp

p.s. Here's a tour of my new apartment... It's huge!