My dear Family & Friends...

(-Dafne and I traded backpacks last night)

Querida familia,

This week has been going great. I feel good, really good about the work right now. The last couple of weeks had been a bit difficult, ups and downs, for a lot of reasons. But it seems like this whole week has just changed completely. I'm doing my best to be so much more obedient, in even the smallest things. Not that I'm breaking the rules or anything. I'm trying to make my studies more effective, by studying for our invesigators and follwing the mission study guide that we've been given for companionship study.

My new companion, Elder Rodríguez, and I are getting along very well, he's way chill, and speaks a bit of english, so we can joke around in spanish and even english too sometimes (something I have missed for a while haha). The only problem is when he asks me for help sometimes in english, and I forget, its pretty well embarrasing. But I get over it. I really feel so much better this week, like we have had the spirit with us everywhere we go. Elder Rodríguez doesn't talk loud or make loud jokes, even sometimes I can't hear him when he says something. Now that I think of it, he reminds me of Dutch haha, like he is way funny and down to earth when you get to know him.

-Rodolfo broke our door window hahaha (thanks for the duct tape!)

We are working super hard, talking with everyone we come into contact with. Last week we counted 37 lessons that we taught, in homes, in the streets, in patios, in front doors, in the bus to Coatzacoalcos, in every situation you can possibly imagine. And the best is that we really do not feel alone. I know that because of our obedience, the Spirit is with us, and is guiding us to His children who are ready to hear us.

I love you all, you are all in my prayers. Hope you don't miss General Conference this weekend. Prepare yourselves. Pray, fast, study the last conference. As they say here in Mexico, I'll write you in "8 days."

Con amor,

Elder Knight

-Shaved ice activity with the youth in the branch

Short message this week...

Well fam, I love you all.

No time to write you today, my companion,Elder Andrade, is preparing his stuff to go in the morning, and we still need to go to lessons today.  We are having changes this week and I'm getting a new companion.

My new companion who comes tomorrow is Elder Rodriguez. I'm not sure which, as there are like 4 in the mission, so we'll just see when he gets here... haha

Love you, keep reading your scriptures! And don't you forget about the temple! Everyone has to go to do baptisms TOGETHER before conference, think ya can do it?

Love, Elder Knight =)

Querida familia,

Wow, what an awesome week that just went by. I don't think a week has ever gone by so fast either, I feel like I have missed so much.. Well, I love your letters tht you have all sent to me, I really feel your desires to make yourselves closer to the Savior, and it makes me feel so happy to know you are progressing spiritually at home.

First, a few updates:

-This last week I bought a pillow, I haven't had one in about all my mision. Easy to say best purchase of my life, and dumbest year of my life wasted sleeping with folded tshirts and sweaters as pillows haha. enough. bastante.

-We had the youth activity this week to prepare for EFY coming up this fall (Especially For Youth). It went really well, lots of their friends of the young men and women came to support them. They sang and shared quotes from the Prophets and apostles and stuff. Cool stuff. And we had Carne Polaka, one of my favorite plates here ;-)

-I found my wallet! So great to have her back. Without money, and a dead credit card, but I got'er back. Yeahhhh

 Some kid in Cuichapa Viejo had it, found it on the ground I guess :/ woops

-María del Carmen was baptized yesterday! Ahh it went so great. Miguel is such a stud too, he has helped us in teaching his mom so much to prepare her for her baptism. She is great, we're going to visit her tonight to have a family home evening and eat fish filet. Yummm

-Oh! I got your package with the ties dad! Thanks so much, they're rad! And I got your letter

 ¡Felicidades Pedro! Está creciendo MUY bien, Batteries Plus. Estoy super orgulloso de ustedes, ¡adelante! (O, y también para Pedro, ya me gustan los tomates, como me dijo que usted también no le gustaba antes de la misión... ¡Ya me encantan los tomates! Jjajaja)

-And we went to the Soteapan Cascades for a zone activity this morning. It was legit, I got to catch up with Elder Vasquez who I haven't seen in forever. But it was pretty miserable being so close to that beautiful water, without being able to go in it... =( Awww

Anyways, Dad. I want to write to you today, as head of the family.

Saturday night after the youth activity, I was getting ready for bed, and began to say my prayers. While I was praying I was thinking an awful lot about our family, and about the temple(crazy huh, that you mentioned the temple in your letter to me!). And I got up and turned the lights on to write down what I felt before I went to bed. I felt the strongest impression that our family needs to go to the temple. Everyone together. (Without me of course) Before General conference if you do all you possibly can. I don't know why, but as I was praying for everyone by names, I felt like an answer for each and every one of you is to go to the house of the Lord, and pay attention to what the Spirit tells you. I know these can be hard times in your lives right now, and I feel so bad that I can not be so close to console you all personally.

The Spirit of the Lord resides in His house. The work we perform in the sacred temples is the most important work we can do here on the Earth for the eternal welfare of all human beings. If we want the world to be a better place, we should take anxiously to the work of the temple. In there, we perform the sacred ordinances necessary not only for our own salvation, but for the salvation of every soul that has stepped foot on this Earth. Although I am on a mission, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and saving living souls; you can be doing an even greater mission if you go to the temple and submit yourselves to the will of our Father in Heaven. He has provided for these temples to be built so that we can use them. Every temple has been dedicated, so that the Spirit of the Lord resides in every hallway, and touches the hearts of all those who enter. We can honestly feel His holy presence when we are in His house. And not only His, but those of our ancestors. As we perform this sacred work for those who have past, they are there to console us and guide us.

I cannot even begin to tell you all the numerous stories of spiritual accounts I have heard that have passed in the temple, most of them from my own family members. You know it is the house of the Lord, you know how sacred it is, you all know how important it is for you to assist regularly. Don't EVER forget. I know as you, my beloved family, strive to assist the temple, the Spirit will more abundantly guide you in your lives, He will be your constant companion as you are worthy holders of His light. One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite prophets: "If you want to be happy, forget yourself in this great work of salvation." Be happy. I love you all. I know Jesus Christ loves you all. I know He is watching over you, and anxiously waiting for us to do His will. I know every single one of you is important to Him, and He needs you. And I share this with all my love, I would never hold it back from you. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Trevor Knight

re: Jesus Cristo (Jesus Christ)...

Dear family,

I want everyone to know how important Jesus Christ is for us.

As I have been living this week in the mission, and working in the Lord's vineyard, I have had plenty of time to think about how grateful I am for Jesus Christ. I can say without a doubt that every time in my life, every moment in which I have pleaded for His help, He has always answered me. I know that sometimes He has not answered me in the way I had expected or wanted, but I know that what He has done was according to His will. His will is to make us happy. His will is to bring us salvation. His will is to make our families into eternal families. His will is ultimately to bless us.

As I have read your emails and what is happening at home, it makes me so happy to know you are all together, I hope you all really appreciate it. As I am very far away, I can't tell you what I would give to be with you all, that is if there wasn't such an important work to be done here where I am. Don't forget to take care of yourselves, everyone together. We are a family, never feel like you are alone. Satan wants you to think that these are hard times, think that you can't do this, that you should give up. But Christ promises you that you can. That He will help you, bless you, comfort you, and support you in every moment. So, do what is right.

It has becoime very clear to me that the times in which I have lived in a way according to His will, I have coasted through the mission with complete happiness and success. But the times in which I have put myself unteachable, prideful, or disobedient have been very tough times. Because the mission is not so easy at times, I think its pretty well understandable to relate it to our entire life. After all, many say that the life of a returned-missionary will be according to how well he (or she) served his (or her) mission.

In thinking about before my mission, I think about how blessed I have been all of my life. I have always had everything I needed, well with such loving parents and such, I was very well maintained. I also was very blessed to be raised in a Mormon home, in which I learned since my childhood gospel principles and have received much instruction in how to live in a Christlike manner. I've always had good friends, none of them have ever pushed me over the edge in sin or such things. But I have learned much from experience that, always in the end, Christ's way is the best way. A question that I have always overlooked and underestimated "What would Jesus do?".... And this question, along with a quick prayer, can solve ALL of our problems in every day.

Well family, friends, and you random people reading an Elder's emails to his family, I hope we all can live a life more focused in doing "what Jesus would do." If only we could pause in time, and ask ourselves this question in every moment of every day. Before we say something to another person. Before we write something down. Before we type something in the computer. Before we buy anything. Before we go anywhere. Before we read something. Before we think something. Before we look at something. Before we do anything. Ask yourselves, "What would Jesus do right now?" and pray to receive further instruction.

I testify to you, as a representative of Jesus Christ, that our happiness depends on every action we make in every moment of every single day. Everything has its consequence which MUST be paid, whether it be good or bad.

The good news: Jesus Christ.

As we search to live every day more in line with the will of our Heavenly Father's plan, we can achieve true happiness and joy in this life. Although we make errors and mistakes often, as we change ourselves more towards Christ and His gospel, these mistakes all disappear. Thanks to the Atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, all things can be restored to its perfect state: Our bodies, our spirits, and our eternal happiness. Imagine the love that He has for each and every one of us. Such love that motivated Him to live a perfect life, denying every temptation that came across His path, to love those who scorned Him, and suffer the inexplicable process of the Atonement for us. I know that this love is the same our Heavenly Father has for us, in which His begotten Son exemplified through His atoning sacrifice from the Garden of Gethsemane to Calvary. I would like to share with you one of my favorite quotes, one from our great President Joseph B. Wirthlin:

"Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming."

I invite you all, within the sound of my words, that you can come unto Christ, and be free. Free of every spiritual wound that you might have, or might be developing. Free of the bonds of sin in which we find ourselves in after it seems 'too late.' Free from the misery which Satan desires for us to suffer. Free, within the arms of the great Shepherd Jesus Christ. Within His reach. Closen yourselves to Him, and leave all your troubles behind. Verily, He invites all to come unto Him, and live happily. I KNOW that as we strive to live according to His every word, really STRIVE to do so. Not only when it is convenient, but even when we do not see the benefit. In doing so, His will that is, one will find a true hapiness, perhaps one never experienced before. Leave your past behind, starting now, 10 minutes ago doesn't mean anything to Him. Repent, and move forward. Jesus Christ loves you. Our loving brother is desperately waiting for us to accept His help as we live His gospel. Strive to be BETTER. Do the right thing, even when it seems difficult. As Christ said to the woman found in adultery, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Go, and sin no more. I leave my testimony with you that Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God, who came down from His throne in Heaven to literally save us from both physical and spiritual death. To save us from the hardships that we face in every single day. There is no such thing as impossible... I know that He cares for us, every single one of us, with a love so strong which no other person can offer us. He loves you. He wants you to accept Him as your Savior. He wants you to be happy. Let yourself be happy: Come unto Him.

I share this with you, with all my love. And I hope you may be benefited in some way, that I could help you to understand really how much you mean to our Father in Heaven. No matter how small you may think you are, you are everything to Him. And I do so humbly, in the name of our beloved Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,

Elder Knight