What Goes Up Must Come Down

September 12, 2016
I guess that’s true for missionaries too because I was so excited last week but this was a haaaarrrrd week. Lots of new changes and challenging things that made it a rough week. I have had days when my Portuguese was just awful, spent days in crazy wind and freezing cold, knocking on the same doors that have already been knocked on before, and I’m just so tired and exhausted. Sooo tired. And I don’t think I have literally ever been so cold with nothing to do about it in my whole life walking home some nights. The weather here is really bipolar! Also, with only Portuguese speaking roommates around me I have to focus so hard, which is hard because I’m exhausted. They talk so fast now that Sister Clark is gone and more people can understand. Ahh this is going to be rough getting used to. I want to understand and I want to help people! 

But there were good things this week too.

-We taught a lady that told us a story how sometimes she sees us around and she always knows it us because of how we are dressed. I thought it was a pretty cool story and, again, shows that we have all of our rules and that things are the way they are for a reason! We had a great lesson with her!

-We took a 2 hour bus ride to Novo Petropolis, which is so pretty! Also, I love bus rides because it is time to sleep, to sit and do nothing without feeling guilty, to get away from our area for a bit. It was really nice.

-We were in Novo Petropolis to watch a broadcast of Elder Anderson speaking just to our mission. We stayed with some other sisters in a nice apartment (very jealous) and though we thought we were going to have to sleep on the tile floor, a member ended up giving us his children’s mattresses. What?! Sooo nice!

-The devotional with Elder Anderson was good! He knows Portuguese but isn’t fluent so he would sometimes speak in Portuguese and sometimes in English. It was nice! I understood like 98% of the whole thing! My problem is that I understand gospel lingua in Portuguese but I have a hard time with normal things…but I don’t know how to study “normal things.” Haha, I’m trying.

-One thing Elder Anderson said that I thought was interesting was that we will know more about Christ than everyone we talk to. Very interesting because I feel under-qualified! So our purpose here is to help people increase in knowledge and faith of Christ and then repent and come to Him. Very special that we got to hear from an Apostle of the Lord directly for our mission.

Sao Chico Branch Conference

All good things, but overall, it was a rough week. I had some really hard days. In the midst of my sorrows though, I read my patriarchal blessing and the note I have from my setting apart blessing. It helped me to feel at peace and I through pouring my heart out to the Lord, He blessed me with one of the most comforting/spiritual experiences I have ever had. I know it will get better. One day at a time. One word at a time. Pray for me to understand more! And to be patient with myself!

Perfect quote for this week: "...the storm fronts that come into our lives will not last forever. We can surmount the drifts of difficulties and we can hold out if we maintain our perspective and faith. But while we are in the midst of all these things, the experiences that can be for our long-term good are very, very real. We may feel that such are simply more than we can bear. Yet if we have faith in an all-knowing and all-loving God, we understand He will not give us more than we can bear."

Love you all,

Sister Knapp