The latest from Paducah

Hola everybody,

This past week has been CRAZY full of miracles!!!! We set 6 baptism dates within 5 days!!! Keep Paducah Spanish in your prayers! The Lord has shown us this week that He clearly wants a Spanish Branch here and he has clearly prepared the people here. We just need to work really hard and be good teachers! We've learned a lot this past week of how we can be better teachers and what things we truly need to be teaching those to come closer to Christ.

A 12 year old boy Sam in our ward was bit by a Cotton Mouth snake Thursday morning and was rushed to the hospital. It was really really bad but the power of the Priesthood is real and their family saw a lot of miracles happen that day and Sam is okay now. He didn't lose his hand and he should heal okay!

We finally got our translation equipment in!!!!! It's so beautiful! Domingo was thrilled on Sunday when he was finally able to understand what everyone is saying during sacrament! I ended up being the one to translate and the Lord showed me that the gift of tongues is REAL! My Spanish was in no way perfect but everything just flowed and I was able to keep up with what everyone was saying. It was such a miracle! I love this language!

I hope all of you have had time to look at or read the book The Power of Everyday Missionaries. It is incredible!!! There is a story that happened in a branch by Harvard in the 1990's that Clayton M. Christensen shares. There was a branch that instead of counting who attended sacrament, they would count who didn't! They would then each have an assignment to go and visit one of those less-actives and invite them to church! Also, the members would sit there and not only think of what members weren't there but they would think about who of their friends weren't there because they had never been invited to church and learned of the gospel. This Branch started with 12 members and within a few short years grew to 120 as they took the time to go and bring back those who weren't there and invite others. I want to ask the members of our church, what are you doing to help bring other's into the gospel? Are you taking notice of those that aren't at church and setting time aside to go and visit them and let them know that they are loved and that they are needed? I would like to invite all of you, I would like to challenge all of you, to go to church in two weeks and take notice of someone who is not there and take the time to go and visit with them. I promise you will receive countless joy and blessings as you make efforts to build up the kingdom of our Heavenly Father.

I also invite all of you to think of a question to have in your heart as you watch conference. How blessed we are to have a Prophet of God in our day. How blessed we are to know that God has not shut the windows of heaven and that He is still communicating with us through personal revelation and through His living day prophets. Take part of this blessing and set time aside to listen to their words because they are truly the words of our Heavenly Father and Savior specifically for us in our day and with our own personal needs.

I love you all so much. Thank you for all of your prayers, love and support!

Hermana Knight

A deer hit our car - not Vice Versa!

All the Hermanas in the Mission!

First things first- last night when we were in a trio with Sister Daines and she was driving, a deer ran full on into our car. Poor thing. Don't worry, it was okay and ran away perfectly fine. Also, the car is okay too. Now it's just a funny story!

Best news ever- JOSE GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!! But the best part is that Domingo baptized him!! It has been such a blessing to see that happening! To see someone that I love and was just baptized 3 months ago baptizing another person that I love! Being a missionary is such a blessing! Being able to help others come to our Savior is the greatest thing.

Domingo and Santa are super nervous but super excited because their son Jose who's 15 just left Guatemala on Friday to start the trek up here to Paducah! He will travel on foot, truck or bus the entire way. We were watching pioneer videos yesterday with them and it just hit me so hard that Santa and Domingo and their family have done the same thing- they travel countless miles to have a better life together. We talked about how part of the reason they were led to come here was not only to provide better for their family but also to receive the blessings of the gospel. I know that Heavenly Father led them here to hear the message of the Restoration of the gospel and to learn how they can be with their family forever.

 Ana and Jose are best friends- it's so cute! He had us put this picture of the two of them on his baptismal program

I know that we can look back in our lives and see that Heavenly Father has truly guided us. I know that in my life especially, I had to travel through some pretty difficult things to get to where I am but I know that it is all part of the plan that Heavenly Father has for me. I know that in the end His plan is for me to return to Him and live with my family forever. We just need to continue with faith and trust in our God. I found out Saturday that I will be staying in Paducah for another transfer. I love this area, I LOVE the people here but for some unspoken reasons I was just really ready to leave and so it was hard to hear that news. I know that the Lord has need of me here whether I can see it or not. He will not put us in places where we cannot grow. I am choosing to look at these next 6 weeks as a time to grow and I am choosing to have joy and to love every second of it. I've already seen so many miracles here in Paducah and I can't wait to see what else the Lord has prepared!

I love you all so much and am so grateful for your support and encouragement.

Hermana Knight

Those are the Sisters from my district in the MTC

Some of us in the district having fun- it was Elder Huffaker's last meeting because he's going home this week!

Kentucky Country

The cutest caterpillar ever!

Ana told me she was an American and not only that- but that she was Hermana Knight!

Ana as santa claus and me as a reindeer!

Jesus Christ is our Hope...tiny kittens

Elder Gwilliam composed and wrote a song about the mission! I asked him to do that so it was of course inspired by me :) 

Dearest loved ones,

This week has been so amazing and so spiritual. We had a lot of miracles and the Lord placed a LOT of people in our path. Whether at the tire place, WalMart or knocking doors- we have met so many people who we were able to share the gospel with in some way! We even had a mechanic chase us as we were leaving to ask us what time our church started. We are beginning to learn that the people here in Paducah have truly been prepared for the gospel and they WANT to hear it! (All of the returned missionaries know what kind of a miracle that is!)

Sister Idso and I did something really neat on Saturday. We very prayerfully looked over a map and after 30 minutes we both felt very certain that we needed to go knock doors on Meyers St. When we plugged in the street into our GPS we realized it was in a direction that we had never been before. As we drove onto the street we saw that there were only TWO houses on the long stretch of country road! We knocked the first door and had a good conversation until we brought up the Book of Mormon and the man slowly backed up into his house and told us he wasn't interested. (If only he knew what this book REALLY was and not what his Preacher tells him it is!-Okay, back to the story) We then went to the second and last house. We walked up to the porch and knocked for a minute or two. No answer. I thought to myself, why would you send us here Heavenly Father? Then as we were walking back to the car I noticed another door on the other side of the house. I was NOT leaving that house until I knocked every single door! We knocked the door and this sweet woman stepped out. Her name was Bonnie and she begun to tell us of her love and faith in God. She then began to tell us of how her oldest grand daughter who she is really close with had just left that morning to move to Michigan and she was having a really hard time feeling alone because her husband had just passed away two months ago. We told her of how we had prayed about where to go that day and how we ended up here. She told us that it was no coincidence and she knows that God sent us to her door. We read from the Book of Mormon with her and left her with one to read. We are going back on Wednesday to visit with her and I cannot wait to see her sweet face again!

The McCraw family had a little birthday party for Sister Idso and I on Friday and it was so fun! They wrapped up boxes of cereal and candy and then they had an amazing batman cake for me! (Brother McCraw calls me Sister Batman because of the whole Dark Knight thing) I love that family so much!

Also- BEST NEWS EVER! Jose Pastor was interviewed this past week and was found worthy to be baptized!!! His baptism is this Saturday and we cannot wait! It is so neat to see the Pastor family growing in the gospel! Jose has a girlfriend and baby girl in Guatemala and so we will be sending missionaries down there so that when she makes it up to America someday they can be sealed in the temple!

I experienced the saddest, sweetest and most spiritual moments yesterday. A young man in our ward passed away this past week. Joel Jones. Joel Jones was 18 years old and had Autism. He was the best person ever. He had such a kind spirit and he had a huge impact on the ward. He excitedly passed the sacrament every Sunday and he always kept PEC meeting interesting by walking in at random moments to show us his happy smile. During the service the Spirit confirmed to me many times that the Plan of Salvation is real. There is life after this time on earth. I know with all of my heart that families really can be together forever. I know that the Jones family will be reunited with Joel one day and will live together forever. I look up to Sister and Brother Jones so much because instead of being angry or upset with God, they held their heads high and shared with us that they know this was part of God's plan. There is so much strength and peace that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How lucky we are to have the knowledge we have.

The most important thing that was be testified to me countless times in my life and especially yesterday is that there is hope in our Savior Jesus Christ. Because of all of the things he suffered and did for us here on this earth, we can have the hope of living with our Father in Heaven again some day and also living with our families forever. The bonds we make here do not have to be lost after this life. I pray that we can all keep this eternal perspective when times get tough and remember the hope that our Savior has brought and continues to bring to us in every moment of our lives.

I bear witness of these things and share them in the sacred name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Hermana Knight

Me in my bedroom

Hermana Daines and me

The McCraw girls and me

The McCraw's grandparent's new kittens

Hola! Our Heritage...

Hi!

This week has been pretty good! We got to do a lot of service for people in the ward and really got to know those members better. I love how service does that!

Jose is still doing wonderful! He has his baptismal interview this Thursday after our Zone Conference and I am so excited for him! I love the Pastor family so so much and I love that we get to spend so much time there teaching Jose. Me siento que Domingo y Santa son mi tia y tio ahora - y Anna es mi prima! Mi espanol es major pero necesito aprender mucho mas!! Tendremos una conferencia de espanol en una semana y no puedo esperar!( I feel that Domingo and Santa are my aunt and uncle now- and Anna is my cousin!  My Spanish is best but I need to learn much more!  We will have a Spanish Conference in a week and I can't wait!)

Tenemos muchos amigos quien quiren aprender sobre el evangelio de Cristo! Ojala podemos conocer mas amigos esta semana. Tenemos una noche de familia esta noche y no pudeo esperar porque muchas familias del barrio estaran aqui con nuestros amigos Hispanicos tambien! Debe estar mucho divertido.

(We have lots of friends who want to learn about the Gospel of Christ!  Hopefully we can meet more friends this week.  We have a family night tonight and I can't wait because many families
will be here with our friends also it's in a Hispanic neighborhood!  It should be lots of fun.)

Queiro compartir una parte en 'Our Heritage' que me encanta... (I want to share a part of "Our Heritage" that I love:)

"During President McKay’s administration, the seeds for the growth of the Church in Asia were planted by Church members serving in the armed forces. A young private from American Fork, Utah, serving in South Korea, noticed that United States soldiers who met Korean civilians made the Koreans jump aside off the path while the soldiers passed by. The young Church member, in contrast, moved aside and let the Koreans use the paths. He also made an effort to learn their names and greeted them pleasantly as he passed by. One day he entered the mess hall with five of his friends. The line to get the food was very long, so he waited at a table for a time. Soon a Korean worker appeared with a tray of food. Pointing to the one stripe on his arm, the soldier said, “You can’t serve me. I’m only a private.” The Korean replied, “I serve you. You are Number One Christian.”

By 1967 missionaries and servicemen had been so effective in teaching the gospel in Korea that the Book of Mormon was translated into the Korean language and stakes and wards soon dotted that land."

I love this story and the simplicity of what this young member did to be an example. It's incredible to read how the gospel was brought into Korea. It makes me wonder about other parts of the world and the effect that members and missionaries will soon be having as new missions are opening. What are we doing in our own areas to help the church grow and reach all of those who have been prepared for the gospel? Are you taking advantage of the Missionaries you have (in a good way) and finding people for them to teach? Or going on exchanges with them? What are you doing to help the Lord's servants fulfill the will of the Lord in the part of His vineyard that you live in?
I challenge you this week to prayerfully find one way that you can be a better example to others and find one new way that you can be helping the Missionaries that serve in your ward with the Lord's precious work.

I love you all so so much and am grateful for all of your examples and testimonies in my life.
Hasta Ver,

Hermana Knight