Letter to the Bishop and the Ward - written November 18th

Dear Bishop Claybaugh,

Hello! Sorry I haven't written until now; I know you like to have something from missionaries to read over the pulpit, so I thought I'd write you and tell you about my mission and you can read what you want to the ward.

I'm currently in Segovia, a city an hour north of Madrid and best known for its two thousand-year-old Roman aqueduct, built in the time of Christ! The branch here is tiny, but faithful. In many ways, the contrasts between here and the Northridge 14th Ward are incredible, but at the end of the day it's all the same Church and the same Gospel, and that's what's really important.

The "missionary lifestyle" is excellent! I love the work and I love the message.

The food is good, but very oily and a little more on the unhealthy side. If anyone ever tells you that the average Spaniard eats healthier than the average American, don't believe a word of it!

Christmas is coming and I'm enjoying the appearance of many rich traditions and cultural treats. One thing unique to Segovia and the surrounding area is a little instrument called the Dulzania, which resembles a shortened oboe. It has a very happy but incredibly loud and piercing sound. My companion and I joke that if a Dulzaina is played, everyone within a mile radius will instantly know. When accompanied by a snare drum, the music of this instrument draws out the older Spaniards and they dance a traditional folk dance called the Jota. It's very fun to watch!

I have already seen miracles happen in this work. I have seen lives changed. I have seen hearts healed. I know this Church is everything we know it to be; I know it's true, and that's why I love this work so much. I'd invite all the members of the ward to think about how they can personally help the work move forward. Members of the Church are much more important to missionary work than I think many of them realize.

Thank you, Bishop, for helping me get where I am now and for helping me prepare to do what I am now doing. I'll keep working as hard as I can to help these people see the truth. Take care!

Elder Knorr

SNOW SNOW SNOW SNOW SNOW!!

Yep, you heard right. SNOW!!!!! It has snowed twice here in Segovia now. It snowed yesterday night, leaving about an inch for us to trudge through that morning, but it all evaporated by the end of the day. Then, today, it snowed again! It has left a nice layer which gives an almost numinous [mysterious] frosting to the Aqueduct and the Cathedral. I don't know if it's snowed in Madrid, but up here in Segovia we get a bit more than them. According to the old Spaniard buzz, the weather is acting much differently this year. Supposedly it snowed in Andalucia in the south of Spain where it hardly ever snows. Segovia, however, gets snow every year, up to a foot at times.

The next big thing also has to do with the color white: Baptism this Saturday! Luis Enrique had his interview this Monday and now is all good to go to get baptized. We'll be filling up a "portable font" in our little church with cold water (because we don't have hot water in the church building). Presidente Galera and Patricio were both concerned about the coldness of the water, worrying that Luis wouldn't like it. On the contrary, however, Luis is a very tough man. He served in the Peruvian military as a young man and is just all around tough. In fact, he showers with cold water every morning. So I don't think the cold water will be a problem...for him at least. When we asked him who he wanted to baptize him, he looked at me and said "You want to go in the cold water with me?" We all laughed, and of course I agreed. So I'll be the one doing the baptism.

We've been enjoying the many typical Christmas foods here. There is of course Turron, in all it's varieties. They also have Polvorones, which literally translated means "big dusts." They're golf ball sized chunks of compacted almond powder and sugar, mixed with a variety of spices like cinnamon and lemon zest. They live up to their name and are very crumbly, so you have to eat them with care. Figs or "Higos" are popular around this time of year as well, and I've grown quite fond of them. They taste just like fig newtons (no surprise there). I've found that pretty much all of their Christmas treats are made in some way or another out of crushed almonds. I don't mind; they're delicious! :)

Besides all this, we're still teaching Itso the Bulgarian. It's hard because of communication but it's fun at the same time. And he has a great desire to follow the gospel and continue to learn, which is nice to see as a missionary.

Elder Kap and I are getting along great. We're trying all kinds of strategies to keep the apartment warm (our normal heating units are disfunctional so all we have is a little box heater). But it's fun!

Well, I've got to go. We've got a crazy amount of stuff to get done this preparation day and naught but a few hours in which to do it. I love you all! Take care, and I hope your holiday season is great!

-Elder Knorr

Letters to Dad and Ethan dated December 2nd

To Dad:

Hello! I got the Christmas package...thank you so much! It truly is the Christmas season now! I especially like the fold-out paper nativity. It occupies a prominent place on my desk and I love looking at it. And there is now a nice stack of presents on top of the wall-mounted heating unit (not exactly under a tree, but whatever!). We don't know exactly how to use the heaters in our apartment anyway, and they're not very effective, so it's a perfect spot!

As for a Knorr-Ogden companionship, chances are probably no. There's probably one more chance left, but I've been happy just seeing him every now and then so I'm not all that upset. We'll just see what happens.

Things have gone well here in Segovia lately. We're witness to a surge of new investigators, lessons taught, investigators at church, and investigators progressing. We're just being very blessed as missionaries and doing our best to be worthy stewards of Segovia.

To Ethan:

Things are going great here in the missionfield. Going on a mission is the funnest thing I've probably ever done. Do whatever it takes to get out on a mission! It will take you where you need to go in life. Make going on a mission your goal. It may seem like a long ways away now, but if you don't set yourself in the right direction now, it could be tough later on. Love you, bro! Take care of the family. Your missionary brother, Christopher Knorr/Elder Knorr

From a Missionary who feels VERY LOVED!

Hello one and all!

I think I'll just let you all know right now that I got a great, amazing, wonderful package yesterday!!! And guess who it was from? Kristen! It was a marvelous wonderful thing with many roborant [restoring vigor or strength] contents. I will most definitely send a more thorough thank you to the sender herself in a letter very shortly, but I wanted to just let her know that I got it safe and sound and that I am enjoying it very much!

Well, Elder Zollinger is history now. He'll be flying to California today. From what I understand, he'll be spending a few days there and then flying to Salt Lake, where he will then drive home to Idaho. It sounds like you've already gotten in contact with his parents and figured out all the information you'll need to know to catch him there. As for the presents, they are all in a bag and are individually wrapped so there's no need to worry about "seeing too much". The turron should be eaten before Christmas, however. I wouldn't want to postpone that. :)

I have a new companion! His name is Elder Kap and he is very different from any companion I have yet had. He likes skiing, singing, and has tons of energy to do the work! He has a good singing voice, so we recorded a bit of singing this morning on the tape for you to hear! He has only six weeks on me age-wise in the mission, so we're about equally experienced. It should be fun to learn how to work together and figure things out here in Segovia!

As for the area, things are doing marvelously. We have 3 progressing investigators. Among them is a man named Itso, who is Bulgarian. He loves the Book of Mormon and started reading it from the beginning before we told him to! He has a copy of it in Bulgarian, and from that he's understanding the principles of the gospel very well. He can communicate with us well in Spanish, but his understanding is much better in Bulgarian, so we use as many scriptures as possible when we teach him lessons. He is a very different character, and it is quite amusing to teach him! Also, Luis Enrique still has a date set for the 19th. We continue to teach him and his family and things are going smoothly. I'm sure he'll be ready for baptism on the 19th to join his family in the Church.

Good to hear that the family is doing well in all aspects! Ethan, good luck with your Space Center adventure!

Today, we received extra money from the mission to go out and buy new dishes, utensils, and cooking supplies, along with cleaning supplies. We're refurbishing the apartment! It should be fun.

That's all for now, family! I love you all and I wish the best for you. Thank you once again for the wonderful packages and letters. They truly warm my heart and get me into the Christmas spirit! I'm healthy and happy here in Segovia so don't worry about that. Till next time!

-Elder Knorr

P.S. Just received word that we're only allowed to speak to immediate family during our Christmas call. I appreciate everyone's willingness to let Kristen come for the occasion but it looks like that won't happen now. I know this is kind of a bummer after we were all thinking that it would be ok, and I'm sorry for that. This is the rule and I must follow it. I love you all! and thank you for understanding.

December! and 8 months too!

Whew, wow, I just had a very hard time trying to get something printed out at this locutorio (internet place). You see, we're having a Christmas Talent Show in the mission and I decided for my talent to write an arrangement of "Stars were Gleaming" for a singing quartet and then perform it. Hermana Watkins, the mission president's wife, took what I wrote and scanned it and sent it to the four of us through email but now it can't be printed out. So...I just spent a good amount of time trying in vain to print it out but it's just not working. Frustrating...I hope the other missionaries are able to print it out. I already know my part by heart, so I won't be too bad off.

Anyway!! Thanksgiving was very fun. We cooked up all the Thanksgiving-y foods that I got in my Thanksgiving package and then ATE THEM! We also made the Bisquick Biscuits that were sent to me by Grandma and Grandpa Knorr, and we enjoyed them very much! :) Be sure to tell them that their package did indeed arrive and also "Thank You" from me for all the wonderful treats they sent.

We had interviews yesterday and I got several letters and also a PACKAGE!!! :) I haven't opened it yet because then it would be harder to carry around Madrid on the way home, so I've decided to wait until we make it back to Segovia before I open it and see what's inside. I think I'll be able to resist the urge to open the presents in there, so no worries! I also received a letter from the Dentons! It contained messages from all the members of the family and was very nice to read. Thank you Dentons!!! I'll respond soon.

Now, as for the Christmas package that I want to send y'all: My companion is going home very soon, in a matter of a few days, and he'll be taking a bit of a detour to get there. He'll fly in to California, where his parents will be, and then they'll all fly to Salt Lake City and then drive home to Idaho Falls from there. What I thought might be good is if someone from the family drove up to Salt Lake and met him there in the airport. He's said that he'll have extra room in his luggage and will be able to just take my package to you guys with him. I thought this would be good because we'd save on postage, you'd get the package before Christmas and you'd also get to meet my ex-companion! He'll land in Salt Lake the Saturday after this Saturday somewhere around noon. His parents' names are Steve and Jerry Zollinger and I have both of their phone numbers here so that you can call them and get more details and plan things out. I'll be sending the package with Elder Zollinger though, so be sure not to miss him or else you won't get nuttin' for Christmas! ;)

As for our area, it is getting cooooold out here! Well, probably not cold by Orem standards, but I'm starting to get softened up by being here. I've been trying out my rain gear and cold gear and I'm pleased to say that everything has been working without a hitch! I'm especially pleased with my coat, which not only keeps me warm and dry but looks quite classy. :D

We've been developing a good relationship with the extended family of Alfredo. We've taught his aunt, Meri, several times and we've gone over many times to eat as well. This last time, we ate and then made Brownies together. It was way fun! Meri is among the most polite, ladylike, kind women I know! She is very loyal to the Catholic church though, but we'll keep working on her! She's told us many times that she always tries to follow her heart, so we know that she'll eventually come to know that this Church is true.

Other than that, I'm excited to see who my new companion is next week. Elder Zollinger and I are an intrepid companionship but I'm sure I'll get another companion who's just as good. We have another visit planned to Avila this week and we'll continue to work hard here in Segovia, searching out the elect wherever we go! I love you all so very much, and I'll talk to you again!

-Elder Knorr

An Adventurous Week, for sure

Since so much has happened this week, I will begin by sharing experiences, then I will answer questions.

Something unprecedented and truly remarkable happened in Segovia this last week: We hit mission goals. The standard of the mission is to teach at least 20 lessons a week, make at least 105 contacts a week, and invite 2 people to get baptized a week. Last week began normally and we didn't notice much of a difference until mediodia Saturday, when Elder Zollinger realized while looking at our plans that we were closer to teaching 20 lessons than we had ever been before. We carefully planned out every hour, confirming as well as we could every lesson and doing everything in our power to complete our plans. By the end of Saturday, we had taught 4 more lessons, an incredible day in Segovia by anyone's reckoning. The following day, Sunday, we stuck to our plans and taught 5 lessons. The last lesson was taught at 9:20 PM, after which we had to practically jog to the other end of the city to make it in the apartment on time. But we did it. We taught 20 lessons.

Allow me to give a brief history in order to help everyone properly understand the meaning of 20 lessons in Segovia. In the Area Book that we keep updated and maintained in our apartment, there are records of the work that missionaries have done dating back all the way to early 2007. After reviewing these documents we found that the average number of lessons taught in Segovia weekly was under 10. There were two notable instances: one time when 19 lessons were taught and one time in more recent history when 18 were taught. At those times, the mission standard was lower: 10 lessons a week, which later became 15, so these statistics do indicate reaching that goal. But sometime around April 2008, the standard was raised to 20. The majority of the areas in the mission, helped by the vast pool of members in the wards and larger branches, have been able to reach this goal consistently, especially since President Watkins came in and made it a focus. Segovia, however, having a smaller branch with only two active members that can be taught, was never able to make the standard, though we tried every week.

What made this week different was that we found new investigators, 5 of them, all in one Bulgarian family, and were able to teach them thrice. This, including teaching all of our other investigators and members, was just enough to give us 20. This has never been done in Segovia in recorded mission history. Working hard, Elder Zollinger and I had been able to bring Segovia to a somewhat steady level of 12 lessons a week, and we even broke through and got 14 once, but never higher. This time, not only did we reach the mission goal for 20 lessons, but we had record breaking numbers in almost every other aspect, including having 4 investigators at Church. This has been the most successful week I have had in my mission thus far!

But success is not without trials. Saturday in the late morning we discovered that our water heater was not working. Having been told by the mission to not touch water heaters as they are too complex and breaking them would be very costly, our only option was to call the landlord and ask him to come take a look at it. However, we didn't want to deal with it that same day because we were going to be too busy with lessons and didn't want to give up our dream of 20, and the landlord would indubitably be inaccessible on Sunday, so we consigned ourselves to calling him on Monday to come and fix it. For the next two mornings, bereft of hot water from the tap to shower with or shave with, I heated up pots of water on the stove top and, standing in the shower, poured them cup by cup over myself to get clean. I then did a similar thing to heat up water for the shave, just dumping a pot of hot water into the stopped-up sink. It was truly an adventure and it worked just fine too. I am, however, glad to have normal hot water back.

Another development: Luis Enrique, one of our investigators, has a baptismal date for the 19th of December. His wife and son, Carola and Luis Guillermo, are already faithful members. For a long time he didn't want anything to do with us, but recently he's come back and we've had many good lessons with him, together with his family. When we invited him to be baptized, he said yes and all five of us started to cry. It was a very sweet experience and I am sure that the date will go through this time. Missionary work can be so rewarding!

Alright, now, on to the answering of questions:

Elder Zollinger has been here in Segovia for one transfer more than I have, but he's scheduled to go home halfway through this transfer, so it's still possible I'll get moved out this next one. They "whitewashed" Villalba this last time around, meaning that there are suddenly 2 new missionaries in there: Elder Butterfield and Elder Vause. They have had a trying time this last week, getting lost a lot and even getting a bit of food poisoning and having to stay in for a couple of days.

Things have been going well here for me. It's getting cold at last. I've gotten good use out of my coat as well as my gloves, and I've drunk a lot of "Leche con Miel" which is nothing more than warm milk mixed with honey. Spaniards seem to think that it has some kind of magical healing and sickness-prevention qualities, but I remain unconvinced as I came down with a sore throat after trying it for the first time. To me it is but a feckless [ineffective] beverage.

Today, we have plans to do a lot of Preparation Day souvenir shopping right here in Segovia. During the course of the day, I hope to stop by a photo shop and get the pictures onto a CD, along with purchasing other knick-knacks and whats-its to send home. My companion and I have also had another idea: Weird Fruit Day. We plan on buying all of the strange, exotic, weird and otherwise foreign fruits that we've never tried and try them, taking pictures all the while to send home to intrigue and gross-out our families and friends. How does that sound?

Well, we've got to get going; there's a lot to accomplish today! I hope everyone is safe and healthy and I wish a hearty "Bon Voyage" to the Knorr family as they embark on yet another California Thanksgiving trip. I love you all! Thanks for the support you've given me, in these emails, letters, packages and prayers!

-Elder Knorr

[Note from webmaster: We finally discovered what’s with the occasional obscure words that Christopher uses in his messages home. His friend Kristen sends them to him with a challenge to use them in his emails. It’s been educational for all of us!]