Week 23 in Uruguay: Greatest Place on Earth!

1/15/18-1/22/18

Greatest place on earth!

Tuesday-Wednesday
     Today was super fun! We had a district meeting with the zone leaders. After we watched the announcement of President Nelson becoming our Prophet. How cool is that! I sustain him with all my heart. Remember his promise about the Book of Mormon, that we will make better decisions if we just read the book.  Afterwards, we found this older lady that looked at me and thought I was an angel. She went around to everyone telling them to come talk to me because I will change their lives. She loved me, it was sweet.  She then asked me a question, no idea what she meant so I nodded my head for yes. I figured out after why she was so happy because she asked if my parents were pioneers lol super funny. Right after that, this guy who was super drunk grabbed my hand and my comps hand and gave himself a blessing. It was the weirdest moment ever. We then taught Julio y Anna and wow the spirit was so strong! I gave him the goal to stop smoking a pack a week. He smokes 7 packs a week now. Pray for him.
     Wednesday was the best day ever! I got the opportunity to go to the Temple with Maria, the lady I baptized from my first area. When we arrived, we took the wrong bus, so we ran for 3 miles in suits so we wouldn’t be late.  There’s nothing better than arriving at the Temple all sweaty from running. The look on Maria’s face made it all worth it. I know that I was in that area for her. She did baptisms for the dead and Elder Guindo and I were the witnesses. The whole thing was just for Maria.  We can receive personal answers in the Temple.  Please go! Go to the Lord’s house and feel the amazing spirit there. After everything, I saw her daughter, Valentina. Oh my, the look on her face made my mission. She was so happy to see me. We talked and told stories. We are now trying to get Maria married. They leave for the states in February. I’m so happy for them!
     Well, before anything else I want to challenge everyone to keep a journal; a journal about the little miracles and tender mercies each day. Please do it, I promise you will be able to not only see but also realize that God is always with us. Also, I want to challenge you guys to keep a priesthood journal. After each blessing write down what you remember. It’s direct messages from God.

Thursday-Friday
    Thursday, I meet with President Eddy for our 6 week interview for about an hour. It was the best ever! I found out so many answers to questions I had. After the meetings we had dinner with a member.
     Friday, we got our shower fixed so we finally have hot water. No more leaks, best ever!  I made pasta for lunch! I‘m legit the cook of the house and after I get to clean up too! I make a mean Alfredo pasta. Well, we found 6 new people to teach.  Then we got to play Jenga with an investigator and his son, so fun!

Saturday-Sunday
     I got a present from a member. She made a pot with my name on it. We taught this older lady and she just doesn’t have a testimony. I bore my testimony on families to her. It really hit her and the spirit was really strong. We have a service project set up for her next week!  After we talked with a member and I showed him pictures of home.  It was a trunky HOT day.  Later I made chicken pasta this time. So good! Who needs cooking classes when you have the mission. haha
     Sunday, I gave a talk. It was on commandments. Nothing better than giving a 15 min talk in Spanish. Lol. After church, we had lunch and I started an argument between Hermana Bouti and Hermano Bouti over spicy food. People in Uruguay hate spicy food. Later, that night, we taught Hermana Anna. We gave her a CTR ring and she asked me to bless it. I just said a prayer for her. I love the people here so much!

     Well, something to think about, we have 730 days as missionaries to serve, a lifetime to remember it, so why not make the most of it! Remember this is a once in a lifetime chance, so give it your all! Love you all!

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 22 in Uruguay: Swimming with the Roaches

1/8/18-1/15/18

Swimming with the roaches!

Tuesday-Wednesday
     This week was a tough week with a lot of doors slammed in our faces.  Tuesday we taught Ruben which was great! He has so many dog racing trophies. We taught him the plan of salvation and I think I totally bombed it haha. I was so thankful the spirit was there to help him understand it. It’s been so hot lately! Like you are just sweating, drenched, like jumping into a swimming pool which feels so gross all the time. My back has been killing me so I asked for a blessing.  Nothing is too little for a Priesthood blessing.  We then taught this couple named Julio y Anna.  Love them! We had a competition who could spin the basketball or juggle the soccer ball the longest, so fun!
     On Wednesday, we had our district meeting and went right back to work. I had a small prompting to go talk to this guy, the spirit is awesome! This guy recently got in an accident, lives alone and has been praying for help. It’s the coolest thing to have the Lord work miracles through missionaries. We had the best lesson and he was smiling at us the entire time. It was pretty amazing! After, we waited for our last investigator, which never showed up, so we decided to sing some hymns. I have to say my voice hasn’t got any better, haha

Thursday- Friday
     Today was sooo hot but I finally got a new bed! I am so excited haha! It’s super moldy, but hey it’s a bed. I had a really good workout and made a milk and eggs shake, but didn’t realize the milk was rotten. I smelled it but thought I was just being a whimp with drinking it. I was so sick most the day! Well, we got rejected and walked 4 hours without any success, but when hard times come so do blessings. We meet these 2 people who have been taught by missionaries before for a while now and they finally want to get baptized! Today was a good day.
    Friday, we did some service for a member and an investigator. We trimmed bushes, raked and cleaned up the whole yard. It was a complete downpour while we were helping. It was crazy! We got to watch the funeral of President Monson, which was so good! After, we worked 6 hours in the rain and not one person let us talk to them. We ended at a member’s home and made tables for him. It was the best just serving!

Saturday- Sunday
    I made alfredo pasta which was so good and my comp loved it! We worked in a complete downpour storm. I was a little kid again playing in the street. We walked for 2 hours to a house to teach this lady that was gone. We then taught the family. They all bore their testimonies, which was so cute. After, we then helped a guy milk cows! It’s a little weird and difficult but I got pretty good at it. He made me try the milk from the utter lol… not that good and so warm!!! We then caught a ride with this random dude that apparently wants to learn more about the gospel. He thought we lived in the church lol. Well, it has been raining here for 3 days straight. Saturday night, I woke up to a huge cockroach on my face that went into my shirt. I freaked! I couldn’t sleep after that. It was so nasty! Got to love the mish! 

Well, remember when hard things come, a blessing is around the corner!

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 21 in Uruguay: 6 Months Out!

1/1/18-1/8/18

6 months Boom Baby!

Tuesday
     Well guys, today was great!  I had this feeling to talk with this family and they were awesome! They have two boys 9 and 12 years old that loved that I played basketball and was from the U. S. They thought I was like 26 or 32 years old, I was laughing so hard. I guess the mission ages you. Afterwards, I got to go see a real horse track and feed a horse. It was the coolest thing ever. It’s has been so hot here with the heat and humidity but it finally rained so hard which was the best.

Wednesday
      Today, we had an intercambio with the zone leaders. I woke up that morning and did a workout with metal chairs; I’m trying to stay creative with workouts haha. After we left with the zone leaders, Elder Lockhart. Holy cow he reminded me of Jack Jowers! Miss you 50! Super funny day! We went and taught this dude and he went off on us saying how we don’t believe in this and that and we don’t walk around with the bible. He went off for an hour and then looks at me and goes you have bad thoughts about me. You need to repent. After he goes, I want Elder Knell to answer my questions, no one else! I was sweating, haha, and he asked the same questions over and over again. I finally was like, Mateus, we understand you believe in the bible but guess what the crazy thing is, we do too! He asked about baptism a 1,000 times and didn’t understand why he needed to be baptized again. I read 3Nephi 27:20 to him. We need to be baptized in the name of Christ with the authority and priesthood of God. He was a tough one lol. Later, we taught this lady and her “couple” haha not married. She is a member and was drinking. She was so embarrassed! I read Mosiah 2:41 and told her keeping even the smallest of commandments, we will be blessed forever. The spirit was super strong! As members of the church, we need to be examples, not just when people are looking. Be the same person in the dark and you are in the light.

Thursday
     I’ve been out 6 months, let’s go! We went and taught this guy named Albedo. He has 29 dogs. I was sharing the first vision with him and the spirit was so strong but Satan always has a trick up his sleeve. His wife came home and had him go inside forever but we ended the lesson really well. We got shut down a lot today but we will just keep pressing forward.  On the way home, I bought a huge watermelon, which was so good!!! It helped with the rough day.

Friday-Saturday
     Well, today we studied 4 Nephi, which is so good. I made spaghetti for lunch, which wasn’t too bad. After, we worked in the rain and taught this lady that told me I have something special about me that is different. She wants to get baptized. We then taught this lady with so many dogs!
     Saturday, I made mac n cheese. Food is so bland here that it tasted so good! After, we fasted. Fasting is one amazing and special gift from our Father in Heaven. We left and taught a guy named Oscar. He was so embarrassed to be with us. We got rejected a lot again. We were exhausted with having so many doors slammed in our faces.

Sunday
     Sunday was good. Our priesthood meeting was so crazy! There were 15 grown men yelling at each other on who is right about what to teach next week. I played, well tried to play the guitar after church. I’m going to learn how to play it. Then we taught this older lady and she thought I was from here. Lol so funny!

    Lastly, remember this one thing for the week, it’s not a sacrifice if you get more in return”

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 20 in Uruguay: Feliz Ano Nuevo

12/25/17-1/1/18

Feliz ano nuevo!

Tuesday- Wednesday

     We had a zone conference and had to wake up at 5am to make it there. I was dead! My Spanish is improving, I made a joke in Spanish and everyone laughed so I’m going with they were laughing at my joke not my Spanish haha. After, we had a lesson with a family and they took notes on everything I said. It was awesome! They were really receptive and I bore my testimony about Joseph Smith and the first vision. The spirit was so strong. After, we taught this other family and this older lady talked all about basketball with me. I was in heaven! On our way home, it’s like 108 degrees outside and this guy tells me how, because of how tall I am, it must be pretty cold up where you are right now, right? Hace frio arriba, I died haha. Everyone makes jokes about how tall I am. Wednesday, we woke up at 4am to make the bus for my comp because he goes home soon. He needed to sign his card for Uruguay.  We ran for a straight ten minutes at 4am. I definitely felt like the toy “wheezy” off of Toy Story lol. We got to this place and took pictures, it was a pretty fun time. We then got to our area and taught this really old lady. I got her to think about baptism and when I was testifying about baptism she goes what did he say about Penerol. Lol. I died! That’s a soccer team here. She is partially blind and made me stand up a 1,000 times to show how tall I am. That lesson was so entertaining!

Thursday-Friday

    Thursday was “April fools” day here so my comp and I had a nerf war haha. I ate a freaking giant fish and worked from 2:30 to 9. We had so many doors slammed in our faces. This area is tough! We meet this older lady and she went off on us with so many words. Haha. I taught this family in English and we had a language study the whole time. They would help me pronounce words and I would teach English. Great trade! Later, we met this guy and he told me my Spanish is really good. Friday, I ripped my pants so BAD! It was like short shorts lol. At night, I got the chance to bless an older lady who needed to feel peace. The spirit was amazing and so strong. I wish you could have seen her face. It was so hot and I was dripping sweat but it was the best blessing.
    Well, I have messed up my back! We couldn’t work at all. It’s been hurting because of my bed. I now sleep on the floor to see if that will help but it’s the life of a missionary.

Saturday-Sunday

    We got our haircut from this barber. It was over an hour long for only me. By far the best haircut I have ever had! The offered my comp and I a free “black masks” lol so funny! It felt awesome.  The people love me there and want to set up a day to play ball. Finally! Afterwards, we walked for an hour and this one guy yelled at us and went off on us for our religion. Fun times!
    Sunday was eventful! At church, our lesson with everyone got super heated. This member taught and everyone was super into it. After church, I was trying to be helpful and closed all the windows. Little did I know you need two people to shut the windows.   I definitely broke a window and felt so bad. Pretty good impression I made my second Sunday here.  After church, we saw this guy lying on the floor so I decided to go help him. He was soaked! He drank like 10 bottles of alcohol and was out. I helped him to his feet and he first tried to kiss me, and then break my hand. It was the weirdest experience of my life! That night we cooked asado, so good!
    Well, Happy New Year! Make a difference and remember Christ is always there! No matter what happens it happens for a reason. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of following the spirit! Choose to be happy, choose Christ!

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