Week 18 in Uruguay: Baptism and Transfer

Feliz Navidad!

Tuesday-Wednesday
     Elder Guindo woke up super sick. Apparently he went to the bathroom like 10 times that night.  I was exhausted and was out, lol.  I woke up at 2 because he was like making all these moans so I was “mom” for the night.  We had our district meeting and we talked about Christ like attributes!  I have been studying faith, hope and patience from Christ.  I have learned that Christ gives us hard times to “try” our patience and faith, but if we have hope, we can reach a door.  Faith is the key to open the door and praying or actions on faith, allows the blessings from within the door to pour out!  I shared that with my district and it went well.  Elder Guindo told me my diligence and faithfulness has helped him grow closer and be better. It was awesome and made me feel so good.  Later, I did language study while Elder Guindo slept.  I felt the spirit really strong while giving a lesson to the wall, lol.  It’s how I practice lessons.  I ask questions, wait for a response, lol nothing happens but its way good practice!  The wall’s name was Mateo today but I got him to accept a baptism date, haha.  Today Elder Guindo woke up sick again and slept for 4 hours.  I was so bored.  I did laundry, cooked, cleaned, read my scriptures and watched the movie Joseph Smith, so good!  Watch it!  After, we finally left and taught Maria and Valentina the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. We drew pictures of a family to help her understand. She is nine years old. It was a super funny lesson.  After, we asked if she believed in Thomas S. Monson.  She said no, because she doesn’t know him personally.   It was so funny seeing her mom’s reaction, lol.  She is ready to be baptized on Saturday!
     We had a man come fix our house finally and got a fan!  We haven’t had a fan for 3 weeks!  Hardest and roughest nights ever!  Its like you are swimming in your bed from how humid and hot it is.

Thursday-Friday
     Well, I bought so much stuff for my favorite little kids, like Julio and Mia for Navidid!   I’m super excited to give some stuff to people! They are so poor here and are excited to get the smallest things.  We got new things in our house!  New washer!  I played this member in ping pong like 10 times.  Don’t worry, I didn’t lose!  Almost lost, but the key word was almost, lol.  Afterwards, we went to Julio’s to visit with them.  They are so funny and I love them.  We played a game with rocks and then the whole family joined in!  We also talked to familiar Gopar!  What a great familiar!
     Well guys, I finished the Book of Mormon this week.  The feeling was indescribable!  I got on my knees and it was complete peace!   The spirit was so strong. I wish I could tell you guys everything!  It was amazing! Go read it cover to cover everyday!
      On Friday, we went to a Capilla Abierta open church.  We asked this one lady where we were and she didn’t let us talk. She had a good laugh when I told her we were lost!  I also met this guy named Krell!  He wished we were brothers, lol. He was a super nice guy!

Saturday-Sunday
    Baptism DAY!  Elder Guindo baptized Valentina today.  It was so cool to be on the other side and witness it.  Satan tried to mess with the baptism. The lights and water were mysteriously broken but it all worked out! Nothing can stop the work in action. After, I played ping pong with these two kids who were way good.  It was another ward activity that was so fun.  I smoked them, lol.  They finally beat me one time and they ran around the gym like they had won the lottery. (like my bro  Quaid would).  We ate pig and I sang in the choir, haha.  My ping pong and singing skills are getting better, lol.  Finally, I found out I am leaving my area. I’m getting transferred to San Jose.  The ward/grupo found out and it was so hard, broke my heart!  Everyone was so SAD!  Leonardo came up to me and said how excited he was to have Christmas with me because it will actually be happy.  Yes, killed me.  One emotionally night! He gave me a bell to remember him by and told me it was from when his mother died. I will treasure it forever. Love that guy so much!

Sunday
     Well, I had to give a talk in our little grupo.  We had 17 people here attend haha.  I talked about faith, it was so cool!  Faith, hope and actions can unlock the blessing from heaven.  Leonardo gave me a shout out in Sacrament, super funny.  He was asked to say the closing prayer and started bearing his testimony right before. He called me his guardian angel. The Bishop had to give him a tap on the shoulder to remind him that he was there to say the closing prayer.   After Sacrament, we went to familiar Gopar house.  They gave me a really special gift.  They told me how much they are going to miss me, it was so sad!  After, we went to Julio’s house.  I gave them a present full of candy!  Oh my gosh I wish you guys could’ve seen their face!  Best ever!  After that we gave a blessing to Pablo.  They told me how much better my Spanish is.  Always makes me feel good.  He told me that he didn’t think I would make it there.  This area I’m in now is one of the hardest in the mission!  No one wants to come here!  It’s been closed for months because there isn’t any success.  He said its hard enough for older missionaries let alone a new one!  He told me you are special Elder Knell! It was so awesome! I’m going to miss my area so much! I love the people here! It’s going to be tough to leave.

      I have learned to never give up no matter how hard it is.  HE will always help you!  Read the poem, Footsteps!  God is always there.

Elder Knelly

Elder Trevin Knell
Misión Uruguay Montevideo
Dalmiro Costa 4635 Bis
C.P. 11400 Montevideo
Uruguay

Trevin Knell: trevin.knell@myldsmail.net
Trevin Knell Blog: eldertrevinknell.blogspot.com
Trevin Knell Instagram: @trevinknell 

Week 17 in Uruguay: Summer's Here!

12/4/17-12/11/17
Hola desde el calor y la humedad

Monday-Tuesday
     It is so hot here! It’s about 95 degrees with 95% humidity! Monday, we went back to the beach with a different zone. We got permission from our President and it might be one of the last times we get to go to the beach because it gets a little scandalous this time of year. It was way fun because we played soccer with all the Latinos and one white guy, me! I was pretty proud though because I was picked 5th out of all of them. They are all really good and I didn’t play too bad.
On Tuesday, we had meetings with the Mission President. The meeting was awesome and we talked about life and what he does. Holy Cow, be grateful for what your mission president does for you! They do so much that we don’t see, like our moms haha! We watched a face to face with Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard, which was super good! I want you guys to all watch it.

Wednesday-Thursday
     I got the best souvenir today and can’t wait to show everyone.  My companion, Elder Guindo, and I practiced teaching together for an extra hour today to help my Spanish.  He is helping me so much! Thursday we had lunch with Maria and her abuela (grandma). Her abuela is so funny but has a hard time hearing. On our way home, we helped a girl with her bike that had a deeper voice than me haha. When we got home, we found the biggest spider ever! We both didn’t want to touch it so we lit it on fire, haha

Friday-Saturday
     We taught Flia Gopar and I showed him my photos of my family. They talked about my dog the entire time. We played the “light the world” videos for them. They are so good! My comp had to go to the dentist again and I meet a deaf person! I got to sign with him! It was the coolest thing ever! It was a little different signs because I know American Sign Language but it was the coolest experience! On Saturday, we walked so much! Everyone rejected us and slammed the door in our faces!  We went for 6 hours out in the heat nonstop without sitting! We finally taught a guy that only was interested in the hair of Jesus Christ and why he didn’t cut it. It was a very long rough day!

Sunday
     I spent the whole morning writing out my talk that I had to give in Sacrament meeting! We got to church and the bishop forgot he had asked others to give a talk instead. Well at least I have one ready for the next time.  Our grupo is doing great and growing!

     Well, that’s it for the week, remember with faith everything is possible. Read Ether 12:12, it helped me!

Elder Knelly

Week 16 in Uruguay: Service Service Service

Hola,

Monday-Wednesday
     This week, we were so busy servicing others with anything they needed us to do.  We went to the beach and the arcade for our pday. Let’s just say it was way too fun and I felt like a little kid again. On Tuesday, we had an intercambio and I got to show a new missionary from Peru the ropes of my area. I had a feeling to talk to this one family and it was awesome! We now have 3 people with a fecha (date for baptism).  The new missionary was so excited after and goes “we can baptize all of Uruguay!” Let’s go, I love it! He gave me a huge hug and just talked about how amazing he feels and how he loves working with me. It was funny when we were about to teach, we both looked at each other because we didn’t know who would go first because neither of us are senior companions. So, I decided to start and it was awesome! His face was priceless after!  I found out he likes Frozen so we started belting out the song. He was having a hard time being newly out and it put a smile on his face.

     We got the chance to do a service for Maria, the lady we just baptized. We went to work on breaking concrete that held her bed for her. We worked on it for 3 hours. Inside the concrete was all kinds of random stuff. Mixed in with the concrete was clothing, shampoo bottles, trees, food, a hose, glass, literally everything. I got a piece of glass in my finger but no worries it’s fine.  I was so tried! We got home and I was out!

Thursday-Friday
     Thursday we went on an intercambio with the zone leaders and had a barbeque. After, we then got ready for the service project that was in the morning. On Friday, we cleaned the beach and I roasted! I am a lobster right now and I am going to be so dark by the time I come home. I know I am going to have skin cancer or lung cancer from the sun or the marijuana smoke. Lol We cleaned the beach for 3 hours! We found all sorts of stuff. We then got our “light the world” t-shirts and after we had an activity and had people write their dreams on a paper and let it go in a balloon. Super fun! We were up until midnight the night before making the signs and stuff for it. I definitely was so tired I forgot to shave lol.

Saturday-Sunday
     Saturday was another service project. We cleaned an entire house and the yard for a lady that could not take care of it because she was too old. She was so grateful! After, we taught Maria’s daughter. We used a lot of examples and visuals stuff to teach her daughter about prophets. She loved it! After we went to Michael and Annabelle’s house and they made fun of me for not being able to say the double “rr”. It was a long night! Lol.

     Our church is almost a branch. We have 37 people now coming to church. We had Leonardo bless the Sacrament for the first time. It was the best seeing him in a suit and so exciting to have the priesthood. He calls me his guardian angel haha. I just love him! The grupo also has a primary, it so cool! It’s growing fast! After that we taught a lady and the whole time she just helped me with saying the double “rr”. It’s a struggle! I had so much pizza today, they just kept feeding me! If you don’t eat everything they offer, they get offended. That’s about it for the week. Do something to make someone smile!   Question of the day, how special is the Priesthood to you?

Elder Knelly