What to expect when you're not expecting

This week we met a teenage girl who didn't know she was pregnant for the entire 9 months and found out the night she was going into labor. Here is the crazy thing, She is short and super skinny! Don't ask me how that happens, apparently she had a back pregnancy? So anyways, Later the evening I told S H2 she should write a book called "What to expect when you're not expecting" and I laughed really hard at my own joke- like I was crying.

Another fantastic week as a missionary! Can you believe it's already a month into my second transfer?This one is going by faster that my first transfer.

2 P-days ago S H2 and I swore of Chick-fil-a because we don't want to gain weight but last P-day we decided it was okay and we would ignore our oath. As we were eating there S H2 said "I think we need to be at Chick-fil-a every Monday. These workers know us and soon they will be curious and want to join the church." We concluded that if we come back fat it is becasue the Holy Ghost prompted us to go places with really good food. Also we went home to take a 30 min nap and accidently woke up 2 hours later. 2 hours of precious P-day time gone :( We won't make that mistake again.

On Tuesday we were trying to see an investigator and there was a mom and daughter in their apartment cleanig so we offered to help and chatted for a little then they let us come in to share a message. As we were teaching the Restoration they said some pretty interesting things. They were telling us about all the signs of the second coming they had seen. They asked if we had heard 3 of the 4 trumpets becasue they had. I don't even know that sign but I was just like "mhm. awesome. cool." And then they showed us a picture of some puffy clouds and excitedly asked "What does that look like to you?" And S H2 and I looked at it blankly and said "um. I'm not sure..." And they went on to explain that one was Gods face and the other was a tiny little angel. And that no one would believe them that it was a sign. Good times as a missionary. Then it got awkward when we had taught about Joseph Smith but not the Book of Mormon yet and they start talking to us about all the religions that have other books "...and the mormons have a book...." And so I was just thinking, this is about to get really awkward because you haven't made the connection that we are mormon and we are going to give you that book. haha!

-side note- Ali Chumbley: When are you getting married? I want your announcement! If you don't read my emails, mom can you ask about that? Thanks!

Thursday was a slow day where all our appointments cancel and we can't teach a whole lot. After about 50 billion cancelations I just drove off epicly shouting "Onward Christian Soldiers!!" We were able to teach the gf of one of our investigators who is less active and I think the lesson was really helpful, she was able to open up more without her bf there. At night S H2 was really discouraged that we had only taught one lesson but I told her never to be disappointment in a hard day's work. Even if we didn't meet goals, we did our best to spend all day inviting people to come unto Christ. Goals are important and help motivate us but they aren't means to discourage us :) ALSO! Two things I do now that I never did before: run and floss. Sorry if me never flossing was gross but really, no one does it anyway. Also we run every single morning! excpet Sun and Mon. Not very far but we do it nonetheless. Mom and Dad- can I use money to buy a journal? Or should I use my own. Either way is cool with me just thought I'd ask :)

One Friday we did service at the Arts and Culture Center here is Thornton and the volunteer coordinator was asking tons of questions! I was with S H2 and S G (S H1's new greenie) and they did a great job answering her! She asked how we get to Colorado and S G told her about prophets and then later S H2 slips in "well we believe that this is the same gospel Jesus Christ had when he was on the earth..." I was such a proud mama ;) Later we committed M to live the law of tithing and even though she really has no money she said she would :) I always feel bad for S H2 becasue by now the whole ward knows I love potatoes so they ALWAYS feed us potatoes. It's awesome. Melanie- I still read out of that temple journal you gave me. It is really specail to me that you took notes on my baptism and confirmation. I love reading it and also you are such a good writer. I was reading it like "wow- that was poetic."

Saturday morning S H2 and I woke up and she said "do you want to-" and I said "not go running?" So glad we can read each other's minds. We still have to work out for 30 minutes so we decided to "stretch" and that turned into "yoga" which consisted of us laying on the ground in different positions and naming them so we felt like we were working out. Some examples were "ashamed dog, I want my back scratched dog", and many others. Emma Phipps!- Did you leave on your mission yet? I suppose I could check but if you haven't I want you to know that I use those stickers you sent me with my younger investigators :) We had dinner with S Peel and her daughter and grand kids came over and it was SO FUN. We love S Peel. I told her she has to call my mom after I leave her house ;) And she said "I never even thought of that!" Then she also told us that we are never allowed to leave or she will be making a phone call to the mission president.

Sunday was M's first time in the Malley Ward because she had been going to her brother's ward. She got up in sacrament meeting to bear her testimony- oh man talk about a missionary pay day. She told the ward how her whole life has changed within a month and when she was walking down the two ladies next to me were both like "wow..." People kept coming up and telling her they were coming to her baptism and it made her feel really special. We told her we try to see people getting baptized everyday the week of and she said "Are you kidding?! I've been trying to get you guys to come everyday this whole time!!" M's baptism is a gift from Heavenly Father to the Malley ward. We have been working a lot on helping the members do missionary work and I think this is getting them more excited. S H2 and I set up appointments all this coming week to teach the members the message of the Restoration. We already did it twice this weekend and it helped a ton! After we teach it we give them a BOM/Family Proclamation, have them pick a person (through the spirit they felt in the lesson), a day that they are going to give out the BOM, invite them to meet with us and then we follow up. I'm excited to see how it goes! We focus most of our studies on new ways to find and work with the members. We are trying to get a missionary choir going. Also I'm singing in Zone Conference tomorrow! I don't know what yet. And I'm singing with S H1, G, and H2 at M's baptism. Bishop also asked me and an Elder in our ward to sing in church so we will probably do that soon too :)

I had a cool experience with a lady we meet with. I've probably mentioned her before- her name is A and she lives in a nursing home. She suffers from schizophrenia but is the sweetest lady you'll ever meet. She has met with missionaries for a while and they always stop coming by eventually so she puts in a media referral so we come back and that's how we found her. If we don't sing in a lesson she says "Well are you going to sing me a song?" It's cute. We taught her the Plan of Salvation before (she's heard all the lessons but still acts like it's new information) but this time I had a special experience with it. Since she isn't accountable I've wondered if it is a good use of our time meeting with her weekly and decided that she needed love and visits so we should continue. When we were talking about the resurrection and how our bodies will be perfect the Spirit reminded me that A and I would meet after this life and she would no longer be mentally ill. As I looked at her with that thought I wanted to cry because I know that we will be good friends and she will appreciate the time we took to come talk with her about the Savior. It was a very memorable moment and I can't wait to meet her after this life :)

2 hours is not enough time!!! AHH can't I email all P-day?

Lately I'm obsessed with marriage and family. I find every excuse to bring it up in lessons, study about it, talk to S H2 about it. I don't know what it is, but I can't wait to have a family. S H2 and I have A LOT of fun together. We laugh so dang much. We absolutely love listening to our music and try to resist blasting it but sometimes I just can't. OKay I gotta send pictures! Did I mention I love taking pictures? I'm sorry I send them weekly I feel like I'M THE ONLY MISSIONARY THAT DOES BUT i CAN'T HELP IT! dang Caps. I'm too lazy to change it...

I love you all more than you can ever imagine and I think about you every single day! thank you for your prayers and letters. I thrive off of communication with y'all.

read the BOM, pray for missionary opportunities, I love you!!

Sister Collette Knowlton