Miracles in Escondido!

Wow! We are being so blessed! We dropped like 15 investigators because they just weren't progressing. So we had ZERO. Needless to say we've been working our faces off with Finding and PRAYING HARDDDD! And God sends the miracles! :D First though, C hasn't developed enough faith to get Sundays off from work in order to come to church. So her bap date is pushed to the 25th of May. We'll keep working with her and praying for her.
I can now run the full 30 mins a day. It's true i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me hahahaha I had an amazing spiritual experience with my trainer the other day. We're practicing the Restoration lesson lately so I can take the lead in teaching it. In our practice I was doing the best I could with the Spanish and then got to the first vision and got out of character and just started saying it super fast cuz I knew it. My trainer was like slow down practice it for real. I backtracked and started over and oh my gosh the spirit came so strong. As I was saying the first vision in Spanish my trainer and I were both holding back tears from the overwhekming spirit that was there. The church is so TRUE! In any language!
We did a finding trick of "chalking" on a busy sidewalk. It was so fun! We wrote mormon.org and scriptures and questions of the soul. On the way we contacted everyone we met, gave out a BOM in English, and everything! It was great! Then we went tracting and a Mexican woman actually let us in and we taught her a short lesson and gave her a BOM in Spanish. 2 Boms in one day! WOOO! We're working with an inactive girl I think I can help a lot. She's going through a lot and I know my experiences will help her. I'm excited to talk to her again tonight. We do so much inactive work here.
Cholos, gangsters, they're insane! We have two inactive boys 12 and 14 all about the thug life. So we shared part of the Stripling Warrior story with them and asked them to relate it to their lives. The 14 yr old said you know I'm fighting a battle everyday with my friends in gangs but I never doubt my mom or God. IT'S SO SAD. We actually have a man in our ward who's story is in the movie Freedom Writers. He's the one that saw his friend get shot in the gas station. Glad he found the gospel!
I ate a Mexican popsicle with chile in it. Weird. lol We taught M and J!!!!!!! Our MIRACLE is becoming an even bigger MIRACLE! M investigated the church awhile back but J never did. We went to visit them again and C, the recent convert, came with us. We briefed her on who they were and what we'd be teaching and went in and SHE KNOWS J! J told us he was always busy and never home but every time we visit he just happens to be there. The last time we visited they were home but we couldn't teach him cuz we needed another woman. It was hard to turn around but we knew God would bless us for our obedience and HE DID. So because C was there I think was the only reason J stayed, he looked like he was on his way out. So we taught them and his little sisters the Restoration. M didn't seem too interested but J did. When we shared the JS story we asked him what he thought about is and he said "I really don't know what to say" The spirit was strong. Praying for more miracles with this beautiful family!
We went to visit A who has been a member her whole life but her paperwork got lost in Mexico so she has to be re-baptized. She's been struggling a lot with money and everything. She's been so upset and worried and depressed lately we decided to share Pres Uchtdorf's talk with her Forget Me Not. It was a great lesson. Most of it was in Ingles because the talk was in the Ensign not the Liahona. I bore testimony to her of my experience coming out of depression and learning to be happy and she cried and grabbed me and Hma Schwegler into her arms and we all just sat on the floor hugging and crying. She thanked us a million times for sharing that with her. I gave her the Forget Me Not bookmark mom sent me. I figured she will use it more than me. ;) MORE MIRACLES!
So we fasted on Sunday for member referrals because we need new investigators! Fasting works y'all. I have such a strong testimony of it BECAUSEEEEEE we got to church and were practically HANDED a baptism! They told us that our inactive family we've been trying to work with wants their son to be baptized on May 4. He barely turned 9 so they didn't realize he's considered a convert. So we get to teach him all the lessons before then! He's a sweet little boy, A, who has a learning disability. So hma Schwegler and I made an ugly little book with pictures to tell the story of the restoration. Him and his mom loved it! It was so awesome! So we're looking forward to his baptism. Seriously though, fasting, we got a member referral baptism just handed to us on a golden platter! Miracle!!
I've also been blessed with nice people on all my contacts and door approaches lol But we did get a basher the other day we wanted to bash his face in a wall. I'm glad I have such a strong testimony or he would have made me shake. It was rough. I regret not testifying to him because I knew I couldn't control my anger at that point but I repented and will testify to every basher I find from now on! And I'm praying for patience lol Well that's my exciting adventures for this week! Stay tuned for more! ;)

LOVE YOU ALLLLL!!!! :DDD

You know you've been at the MTC too long when..

Triangles make you crazy

Fake. Contagious. Coughing. Between pauses make you CRINGE.

Knee caps are considered scandalous…

DEM KNEECAPS!

You judge girls by the length of their maxi skirt.

Microwavable food is considered gourmet compared to MTC food.

You make this list…

Chewing gum is rebellious.

TALL= Naptime! (Lang. learning comp. thing)

Funeral potatoes are heaven…ha see?!

Gym time is like recess.

Walking across the street feels like jailbreak.

15 minutes of free time is equal to 1 hour in real life.

You see the skirt you’re wearing 4 times a day. Sister missionaries sponsored by DownEast.

Papa Johns never looked so good!

You pronounce is Papa “Juans”.

Everything is funnier in Spanish.

Mormon jokes. All day. Every day.

Saying “guys” is a swear word.

You come in contact with an Elder other than a handshake- feel like you committed adultery! SINNER!

Waking up at 5 am on PDay is perfectly okay.

Your name tag is lost- you feel naked and as if you lost your child. Neither of which are good feelings FYI.

Packaged sandwiches are the secret to making through the MTC…alive

The real world is so close yet so far away – Spiritual prison

Not knowing what day it is because every day is Sunday!

Nail polish is considered “Worldly”

You go to alterations for a spiritual thought.

Girls think shower time is Mormon sing along.

A testimony is never enough- “True conversion”

English speakers are lazy!

You rationalize “Teaching by the spirit” because it sounds better than “winging it”

You use a sharpie to touch up clothes and shoes.

You laugh at people who leave their dork dot on.

English and Spanish make a baby in your brain and come out your mouth.

You treat the Elders from “The District” like celebrities.

You measure time in weeks.

You think running to catch the door takes less effort than swiping the card.

Your clock radio accidentally plays Neon Trees and you feel like you need to repent.

You stand outside in the cold for an hour waiting to go into Devotional

First names are a weird mystery.

You consider non-missionaries “real people”

You sing Dora or Blues Clues at least once a day

Wearing sweats is a gift from God.

“Swiper no swiping!” means not eating today.

You tape up 12 pictures of Jeffery R Holland.

In the 3 hour classes you check your watch and warn everyone else not because you want to die.

You plan weddings for your elders and their girlfriends.

You’re not fazed by girls crying every day.

You stalk the District Leader for letters.

Your mind gives out and you start thinking some of the MTC food is actually good.

You get in trouble every day for calling missionaries by only their last name.

You figure out which showers have hot water.

btw: they get travel plans today!!

I cannot believe I've been out a month already! I'M NOT READYYYY! Hahahaha I'm excited to get out there though, just wish I could learn Spanish in 6 weeks ;)

So Hermana McBride finished the BOM in 20 days, her testimony has been strengthened so much it's been amazing to watch! I am in Moroni and I want to finish in the temple and put the promise to the test again. :) Her knee is fine! Thank you all for prayers in her behalf. We went to see a specialist and he took some xrays. She's had double knee surgery previously but her knee cap is too high and sitting for long periods of time is causing problems. He called it the "MTC knee" so he referred her to physical therapy. She's gone twice now and it seems to help. The doc puts cocoa butter on her knees and scraps them with this metal tool to break up the scar tissue. She said it's the most pain she's ever been in. :/ She had me hold her hand and I now understand the pain of new fathers whose hands are practically broken off when their wives are giving birth hahaha It was sad to see her in so much pain. Learned the true meaning of companionship though! ;) We had to take a shuttle to the doc and be out in the real world and I got a small taste of the realness of being a missionary. I've always admired missionaries and held them to a high standard in my mind. Whenever I see them in public I get excited. At the doc I overheard a lady say "Oh, theres sister missionaries" and I was like HEY THAT'S MEEEEEE!!!! hahahaha I don't know it makes me happy. It's still hard to believe I'm really a missionary!

One of the Elders in our district was diagnosed with MONO and STREP. So. It goes without saying, keep him in your prayers. And us that we don't all catch it. haha

My calling as Online Portal Trainer isn't that cool but it's special to even have a calling in the MTC, not everyone does. :) It was kind of cool because the 2nd counselor came in our district and asked who the most computer savvy person is and everyone pointed at Hermana McBride. Then after we got the calling Pres Bowen told us they had already picked us before they asked that. And by picked I mean inspired to extend the calling to us. haha anyway so we just get to train the new districts in our zone on how to use the online portal for missionary assessments, weekly letters to the branch pres, and TALL (Spanish Learning Program). It's fun I love helping the new districts because I remember vividly how I felt my first week. *shudders* And because the elders who WERE the Online Portal Trainers didn't train us when we were new. We had to figure it out on our own. See, if you want something done right you get the sisters to do it. ;)

We didn't see Music & Spoken word live /bummer/ but it's still so much better on the big screen in Utah! And I like to find Brother Richan in it :p

So fun fact: I love the Spanish language... Sometimes. When you're speaking to others you either use the Tu form which is for friends or the Usted form which is more formal. As missionaries we must always use the usted form to show respect and dignity. BUT my favorite part! Tu is used for friends and royalty, when we pray to God we use the Tu form because he is our King and our friend, and we want that close relationship with Him. Isn't that awesome? :D

We had a revelation in class that seems silly but I never even put together after all these years. So we have the Bible that contains the Old TESTAMENT the New TESTAMENT and then the BOM ANOTHER TESTAMENT of Jesucristo. Cool, huh?

Idk if I mentioned yet that I can recite the First Vision in Espanol now. And I helped a sister in our district learn it cuz she was having trouble memorizing it. I helped her learn it in English first so she could connect it with what she was saying in Spanish and gave her some fun ways to remember a couple lines that were hard for her. She thanked and praised me in class saying I was a great teacher and she couldn't have done it without me. I know she could have but it makes me happy to help... in SPANISH! ;) The choir sang Joseph Smiths First Prayer on Tuesday and I have never felt the spirit so strong before. It was incredible. The choir director said how many other times will you have to bear your testimony of Jose Smith with 700 other missionaries? Cool way to think of singing! And he said that someone prophesied that every nation would have Jose Smiths name for good and evil (or something like that I don't remember) but he had everyone stand up who is learning a new language. ALMOST EVERYONE. And he said we are literally fulfilling that prophecy by preaching in new tongues.

Brother Alexander, one of our teachers, said that something he loved about our teaching is our energy and smiles. He said he remembered when H McBride and I were both in bad moods but we came in all smiles and happy. I'm glad he saw that! Cuz I didn't feel it hahaha

We had a devotional the other day on the most important thing. Can you guess? The Atonement. Duh! Afterwards,Bro Doman (1st counselor in branch pres) asked why people were astonished by the Saviors teachings. Because of the great love He had for the people. People were astonished by His love. We still are! Sis Doman tied it into missionary work that we have to love people like we've never loved before. People wont CARE what we KNOW until they KNOW how much we CARE. I love that!!!!

3 Nephi 5:13 is about who I am now!

I was having a hard time the first couple weeks here because I felt like I wasn't progressing spiritually and I felt like I should feel the spirit more often here. Bro Alexander gave an object lesson about it yesterday that comforted me alot. He turned off the lights and turned on a flashlight and said this is the spirit. It can light up the room pretty well. Then he turned on the lights and said is the flashlight any less bright? No but it seems like it in comparison to the big light. He said that's what it's like here because we are constantly fed the spirit that we may not recognize it as much. :) LOVE IT! It's so true though.

Something tells me it snowed in Provo this week..

 Hermana Gutknecht ran into a Elder Matt Gainer from on home on Wednesday!

BONUS LETTER!!!! (:

We got a bonus letter this week! I didn't find it in my email until today. So here it is! 

Sunday was awesome, we got to watch Music and the Spoken word. They sang all my fav songs! Did you think to pray? Called to Serve, Come Thou Fount, etc. Then we had RS with alllllllllll the Sister Missionaries and we sang As Sisters in Zion and can I tell you how much of a beautiful sight we are. It brought me to tears!

In the devotional we also talked about how people feel when they get home and their Stake Pres releases them and takes the missionary mantle from them. I want to serve my misison with all my heart, might, mind and strength, Full force with no regrets. I want to work hard every day so when that time comes I want it to hurt. I want it to break my heart when they take the mantle from me because then and only then will I know for a fact I did all I could do, I served the Lord with my whole soul.

Hermana Gutknecht

LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Week 4!

Hola familia y amigos!
I am now the Senior Companion in the MTC which really doesn't mean anything haha Hermana McBride and I were called on Sunday to be the Online Portal Trainers, we're the first sisters to have this position! We got our first batch of newbies on Wednesday and trained them yesterday :) Elder Gainer found me in the cafeteria on Wednesday when he arrived! Good to see him! I got Sammy's Easter card best ever. Bunny riding a unicorn made my day. IT'S SNOWING!!!! I'll send pics next Pday. I wrote David but don't know if he got it or not. Hermana McBride has been working on her testimony and we are reading the BOM together she already passed me!! Her testimony is getting stronger every day and she has discovered a love for reading the scriptures. Please keep her in your prayers as she has been having knee trouble and is worried she may be sent home for surgery.
I'M GOING TO BE ON CONFERENCE. Well kinda... The lady that does the segment in between conference sessions on Saturday had someone compose Ten Thousand Legions Marching specifically for the MTC choir and they had it recorded and will play it in between sessions on Saturday SO LOOK FOR ME!! I'm on and aisle seat wearing my flowery dress I wore with the cowwboy boots. It's awesome!
The MTC is great I love it here. It's like being fed the spirit with a golden spoon. It's also very difficult and frustrating. As my Branch Pres would say "It's the most wonderful, awful experience of your life." Pretty much sums that up! We've had some great devotionals. Elder Scott D. Whiting of the Seventy spoke about how the MTC is like an incubator "controlled environment with desirable conditions to encourage growth and development. I agree! He also talked about how we had certain comforts like family, friends, music, food, etc. and we were asked to leave all those behind in order to rely completely on the greatest Comforter provided, the Holy Ghost. The good times here outweigh the hard times. My teachers are amazing and whenever we get frustrated with the language or our testimonies they help us come up with a plan so that we can overcome our weaknesses. I'm doing much better with the language but I know I can do even better. I'm understanding a lot more and I can read and understand some scriptures. Btw, dad I looked at your first letter and could read the spanish scripture you sent and knew it was 1 Nephi 3:7 thank you!  :D Our lessons are doing a lot better. We taught Jose (our teacher) a few days ago and after he said it was the best lesson so far. I felt inadewuate in the language so I was frustrated and didn't feel like it was as good as he said. But the spirit was there and I bore my testimony in the language and THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! And last night we taught Jose again, we taught the Restoration and I went in with a really good feeling about it. Our teacher said it was another best lesson so far. So things are getting better! I'm very happy, I still have hard days and struggle time to time but I know it is for my growth and I know it will help me in the field. No matter how hard this work is I know its where I need to be and I couldnt do anything more worthwhile in my life than this. I love the gospel and I love being a missionary nothing has ever brought me such pure joy than being a servant and representative of our Savior Jesus Christ! I love you all and love hearing from you.
Hasta Luego
Te amo

Hermana Gutknecht