Elder & Sister Knowles

                                               WEEK 6 Feb 8-14

                You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince

We had a good day at church.  Mary was ready when we stopped to pick her up.  She was dressed in the clothes she got from the D.I.  Before church we went to the V.A. hospital to visit a member.  He broke his back so he is in the spinal care unit.  It seems like if we don’t get lost on the road we do in a big building.  We found the room after lots of help from several people.   In the evening we met with the Ward Clerk, Ward Mission Leader, and a member of the Bishopric.  We finally got our hands on the area book from the last couple here, now we just need to figure out how they organized it.  We did hear from our Mission President.  We report to him each week.  He told us that our Stake President wants us to focus on activating more priesthood holders in our area.   Like R.M.s that are not active.  Easy to say, but harder to do. 

Elders in our ward, Tan, Lopalinein, Maxwell, Russell, Spisbury, Olsen, and Barrett

Monday was p-day so we spent most of the day cleaning and cooking so we could feed the missionaries at 5:00 o’clock.  We did have to make a quick run to the store.  We made cookies so we would have them to take around when we visit.  After the Elders left we went to the ward F.H.E. 

F.H.E.

We met a bunch of new people there.  Many not so active members attend, so it was good to meet them.  Joyce made friends with one that may let us give her and her kids a ride to church, Shonchata Payne, but she told us at first her name was Jennifer.  We will see when we visit her on Thursday.  At first she didn’t want to give us her phone # but Joyce used her charm and convinced her that we were harmless.  One thing we have noticed here is that most of the members are converts, or their parents were converts. We find it fascinating to hear their stories.  Some took many years and lots of sets of missionaries before they had testimonies and would be baptized. The common tread is always reading the Book of Mormon and praying.   Helps us remember to be patient with those we are working with.

Tuesday we rode the train to the far end of our area and worked the streets for most of the day.  We knocked on a lot of doors and found several at home.  We did have one guy yell at us and told us never to come back.  He did calm down when he saw how big Art is.  I think he was looking at his belly. Really, we told him we were sorry to bother him and we would make sure he wouldn't be bothered again. We think we left on friendlier terms than when we started.   He wasn’t even the person we were looking for, just a roommate, we think. Hard to tell what relationship some are.   On the way back to the train station we stopped at a 3^rd generation Italian restaurant (Borrichinni’s) and found an active member there, Susan Walker, that lives in our ward but attends another ward with her husband because of the bus routes.  It will be a big help to make a branch in our area to make it easier to get to church because of the bus routes, but they need more active priesthood. She told us they have to switch buses three time and then walk up a huge hill to get to our building, but only one switch and no hill to get to the one they go to. We also found a R.M., Mark Cabiao.  I wouldn't take much to get him active so it was a productive day.  We stopped at a Lowes to buy a hammer and some nails so Art can fix a step for a member.  In the evening we went to the church so Joyce could learn how to fold money into hearts.

Sisters

Elders

Elder Maxwell, Tan, Nebeker, Polo and Lopalinein

Scott Rockwoods twin bro.

Elder Rodarte

Wednesday, we stated with a service project, in Kent, at a big warehouse called Northwest Harvest, that supplies food banks all over the state.  It's kind of like Welfare Square in Salt Lake.  It was the whole zone. Somewhere around 30 missionaries (Elders and Sisters) and the two Sr. companionships were there helping.  We worked for three hours and boxed up 22,880 lbs. of apples. We won't be eating apples for awhile.

break time

  This has been the first time since we arrived here that we could go out not dressed up, so while we were in work clothes we went and fixed the step for Nola Faka'iloatonga (try saying that fast three times). Art did what he could but the whole stairway need to be replaced.  We made a stop at home to change clothes and then out on the streets.  We found a few at home and one lady told us never to come back, but it was through an intercom, so it wasn’t too bad.  She missed out on the cookies we had for her.  Art ended up talking to a man on the street and gave them to him.  We are back to the church in the evening for our meeting with the Bishop. 

   

 Hope everyone remembered to fast (if you wanted to join with us).  We had an interesting Thursday.  We went to W.W. in the morning and then stopped at a house that we thought we had an appointment at.  They were home but wouldn’t answer the door.  No cookies for them.  We walked to a stand on the street that was selling Seahawk gear thinking maybe the prices would be lower since they lost, but not so.  We did talk to the clerk and we bought a hat from her.  We will go back another day when we have cash and buy us a shirt so we can fit in here.  In the afternoon went to visit a less active member we met, Jennifer, or what ever name she gives us, but she wasn’t home. She had told us that she may be to the dentist, but she lives in the same complex where we were meeting the Elders so we tried to see her.  We met the Elders there to go with them to teach a lesson to an investigator (Mary Harding, yes another Mary) and while we were waiting for them there were gun shots fired across the street and then kids running down the road and people running all over the complex, but not much came of it.  I guess that happens often around here.  We did visit with a Muslim lady for a bit while we were waiting. There are many in our area so it might be helpful to know a little bit about them.   We helped the elders teach, then had to run back home so we could meet with the elders in our area. We have two sets in our ward, three counting the Spanish elders  and five counting us and the seniors sisters.  We needed  to coordinate with them so we don’t cover the same areas, which we did last week.  Elder Tan was told his visa is on the way so he will be going to Taiwan in 10 days.  We will miss him, but the Schwieders will love to have him in their mission.  When ever he comes over, he asks what he can do to help.  He is a a good missionary, always happy and a big Texas smile. He is from Texas.  It was dark by the time they left so we stayed in and made cookies.  Joyce makes them and Art test them to make sure they are good. We go through lots of cookies and hot pads, thanks to Phyllis!

A 12 Advil day

Zone conference was all day today.  President and Sister Eaton are great teachers.  We are blessed to be in their mission!  We did a lot of role playing.  We are getting to enjoy doing this and it does help in what we are trying to do.  It is also a treat to be able to be with all the elders and young sisters.  It really is something to sing and quote scriptures with them and be a part of all that they do.  At the end of the conference they had all the missionaries that will not be around for the next conference get up and bear their testimonies.  He asked that they not be farewell testimonies but what they know is true testimonies. 

Missionaries love to eat!!!!!

It was great but tough for us because many of them are ones we work with.  After the conference we stopped and picked up a few things we need at Wal-Mart and on the way out we stopped and talked to a man and gave him a pass along card.  It's pretty fun when you talk to them, find out what they are doing, (he wanted to sign us up to vote) and tell them what we are doing and why.  We got a great presentation about family history that the Nolan's, (they work in our mission office) had put together so we watched it before going to bed.  I wish all of you could see it.  They used a lot of the Mormon Messages so you can go and watch a few of them and ask yourself how they would apply to family history and missionary work.

Birthday missionaries

 They have a sister from the stake that comes to alter and repair the missionaries clothes. They do grow and once in awhile they tangle with dogs.

 We work with Sister Harrison and Chamberlain in our ward and President McKinney is the counselor in the Mission Presidency over us.

Saturdays are always a busy day for us because we find more people at home.  We stared off the morning with picking up the food bags that we put out last week.  We didn’t find as many out as we expected, then found out that the note on the bags said we would be around after 3 pm so the Elders were going to go back later.  We did take the bags we had to the food bank.  Saturday must be the day when people can pick things up because there was a big crowd there.  Joyce handed the bags she was carrying off to the elders and went to go sit in the pick-up so she could get behind a locked door.  It was a little scary, (sketchy, as the elders say.) 

 Down the street from us is a big Chinese Temple where they are getting ready to celebrate their New Year on the 19^th of this month with fireworks and etc.   We are going to check it out next week.

We are getting ready to go pick up the bags for the food bank.  The middle picture has Elder Maxwell, he is going home in March, Elder Lopalinein, Elder Tan, going to Taiwan next week and Elder Barrett, one of our Zone Leaders.  All of these missionaries work in our ward. They are all very good missionaries!

After lunch we went knocking on doors and met a nice young lady, Jennifer Cabiao, that accepted a Book of Mormon from us and said that she would read it since she was off work because of surgery. We were looking for her brother and he had moved.  He was a member and she is not.We stopped at another lady's house who was out painting her door and Joyce gave her a hot pot pad and pass along card because she was so nice to us.  We had passed her house several times and had gotten directions from her, so we finally stopped and talked to her.  The streets here are crazy.  They will dead end and then start up again four blocks away. We are finding that the nonmember people are nicer to us than the less active members that we are trying to find.  I know it sounds like we get lost a lot, but we sure run into many nice people when we do, so we don’t mind.     We got lost again and ended up at a Cambodian Buddhist Temple. We were asking one of the men there for direction when one of the monks came out and we had a good visit with all of them about their religion, and we wove in some of our beliefs into the conversation. The monk invited us to come back and he will give us a tour.  He also said we could bring the Elders over and help him set up for their New Year’s celebration. Guess what his name is, starts with a P.
We stayed longer talking to the monk than we had planned so we ended up walking home in the dark.  Not the best thing to do, but we made it home safe.  It really isn’t that scary if you walk on the side of the street that has lights.    Since it is Valentine’s Day, we stopped on our way home at a Chinese Restaurant and had supper.  

Lake Washington

Here is our preaching for the week and something to think about:  When was the last time you accepted an invitation from the Savior?  Also a quote from President Monson:   We can rely on the faith of others only so long.  Eventually we must have our own strong and deeply rooted foundation, or we will be unable too withstand the storms of life which are sure to come.   Our question for you to think over: Are you (or we) paying the price now to have a strong foundation?

                                   Love you all and thanks for the cards, letters and packages,

Elder and Sister Knowles