Sister Haley Knight: Happy Valentine's Day Precious People!

(Happy Valentine's Day in Spanish)

Dear family and friends,

We started our day off in the temple at 7am so our day can't get TOO much better! Except I woke up at 5 am to take a shower and it never warmed up so I had a beautiful cold shower. Gotta love the MTC! Also, I am SO sick of the food here...last night they only had steak and mashed potatoes at every food bar. I'm 98% sure they put pink dye in the steak to make it look good and the mashed potatoes looked like play-doh. Sooo I just had 2 bowls of fruit loops and 2 bowls of captain berry crunch. I had a huge stomach ache during class after but it was the best I could do. My poor body. I think I'm most excited to get out into the field so I can buy my own organic, local and fresh food. Everything here comes from cans or it's not ripe or too ripe. And can anyone say mystery meat? Okay I'm done complaining. As Caitlynn would LOLZ. I feel so loved by your beautiful letters and I can't even tell you how excited I get when I get a package slip! Aunt Jill you are AMAZING! I almost died when I saw that you had sent me celestial brownies! Here at the MTC we call anything homemade and fresh celestial! I am in love with my moustache mug mom, how did you know it would make my life complete? Chelsea Nicole Knight Hertig, I was beyond happy when I got those yummy valentine's day cookies and the cutest valentines in the whole entire world- I put them up around my bed :) I'm saving the martinelli's for our last night here ;) Which is in ten days!!

Oh my goodness, I am so scared but so excited to get to Tennessee! I'm only scared because I probably won't know what anyone is saying the first little bit I'm there. My language has already improved so much this week. Hermano Zuzunaga has been drilling into our head that we're not learning Spanish for ourselves, we're learning it for the people we'll be teaching and it finally hit me last week and it makes learning so much more meaningful. I did a language fast yesterday where I didn't speak one sentance of english until dinner time and I was nervous but I actually did it and I was able to communicate all day! I have so much more faith now in my ability to learn and LOVE this language. Hermana Olson and I had such a beautiful lesson with our investigator Mario yesterday. He actually spoke the words "I believe in the Book of Mormon" and my heart lept! He tried to turn us away so many times before because his Pastor told him he wasn't allowed to listen to us. I love being able to see the change in our investigators and being able to see Jesus Christ in them more and more everytime we see them! Our teachers are REALLY good at playing true to these investigators, at first it was really really awkward for me but then Hermano Zuzunaga and Hermano Llund explained that these are real people they taught in their missions or some of them are people in their family. They're really good at making it really difficult for us, which I was really mad about at first but now I am so grateful. I've learned so so much these past few weeks, it's crazy how much the Lord blesses us with in such a short amount of time as a missionary.

Have I told you that I love my Disrict? Because I LOVE THEM. On Sunday we just went around the room and everyone shared why they're here on a mission and the Spirit was so strong and we all have such a greater understanding of one another and a deeper love. Then we went around and everyone explained who they're favorite Disney character was a child and why and then they had to relate it to the Gospel and it was so incredible! Mine of course was Kermit from the Muppets. Kermit is so Christ like and he always helps everyone stay on the straight and narrow and my favorite song is The Rainbow Connection because I feel like the rainbow connection, for me, is just the love of Christ and the Gospel.

(I was the "sorting hat" character for Harry Potter day)

We had Harry Potter Monday this week and we had to dress up as something from the first day at Hogwarts. Everyone thought I was Professor McGeez but I was actually the sorting hat! Hermana Knecht was the Hogwarts Express because she's the cutest. I always hear about how people meet some of their best friends on their mission and I feel so lucky because I've alread met one of mine. Hermana Knecht is one of my favorite people ever. She's super weird and funny and cute and sometimes I feel like we're twins but not really. We sit in my fort/bed sometimes at night and eat treats and talk or read our letters to each other and I just love her! We always talk about how we want to be companions when we get to Tennessee but we know that we would just goof around and never get anything done. I want her to marry Trevor so we can be best friend slash sisters forever! Everyone do whatever they possibly can to keep Trevor single until we get back. Thanks :)

I don't have a whole lot of time because the computer literally keeps freezing every 30 seconds and it's litereally taken me 35 minutes just to write this much! Our devotional was so so good this week. Elder Schwitzer of the Seventy spoke and something that really stood out to me was how The Lord carries his sheep back to the flock. He said that the Lord doesn't chase or scare them back into the flock, he picks each sheep up and places them gently on his shoulder and then he carefully puts the sheep in the MIDDLE of the flock. Brothers and Sisters, are we putting these lost sheep in the middle of our flocks? Are we helping those that are new to the Church or less active feel surrounded by our love and support? Members in the ward are the most important part of missionary work- you are the ones that help those sheep to feel loved and to feel like the Church is somewhere they can grow and develop. Somewhere they feel comfortable and needed. The most important thing we can share with others is our love for them and of the Savior. Love is what helps us to have a converted heart. I want you to know that I love all of you so so much. You are constantly in my prayers. I hope that you are finding ways to constantly have the Spirit in your lives. Make sure you are continually converting your heart to the Lord daily. Thank you for your prayers and love!!! I feel it everyday!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hermana Knight

P.S. at first it was strange to hear everyone call me Hermana instead of Sister but now I cannot ever imagine it being any other way. I feel so blessed to be an Hermana.

Thank you Connor and Porter for the Valentines! I love my nephews!

Thank you Uncle Rod & Aunt Jill & sister Chelsea for the goodies!

Thank you mom for sending my moustache mug

Elder Harris and I

Elder Hjelms, now in Indiana

Elder Golladge, now also in Indiana

Elder Lloyd (favorite), now in Texas

Elder Hunsaker who reminds me of cousin Sawyer

Elders Jensen, Spears, & Young

More of my favorite elders who have already left for their areas: Elders O'Hara, Parker, Walker, & Kelly

Elders Lloyd with his companion Elder Brinkerhoff

Elders Ellison & Mills both now in Guatamala

This is from the day we dressed up like characters from Pixar movies, I was "Edna" from the Incredibles (this is about all we can do here at the MTC lol)