Remember This?

The things I will miss about England

1. How pretty the country sides are.
2. The charm of the little villages.
3. The nice people.
4. My friends.
5. My ward.
6. Coming to dads office.
7. Being able to relax every day and not have anything to worry about.
8. The chocolate.
9. My house.
10. The trees.
11. The experience of the first few months we were here.
12. London!
13. The accent. (a little)
14. Being around my family every day. (and at the same time I won't)
15. Learning how to figure out things. (more specific, THE HARD WAY!)
16. No homework!
17. Watching my dads company grow here population wise and money wise.
18. Traveling through Europe.
19. Learning about history in Europe.
20. Reading Harry Potter in England.
21. Eating at Mcdonalds.
22. Watching people at stores try an figure out how our credit card works.
23. Feeling the need to pray a lot more. (which I will still try an do at home)
24. Working through hard things.
25. Living off terrible food.
26. finding out what time 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00, 24:00, and 0:00 is.
27. Figuring out what time it is in Utah.
28. Having some time in the morning to like do my blog and email people and have them not be awake yet. (if that makes sense to you, like not feeling the pressure to have to email them back right after they send there emails)
29. Writing on the phone with Bamma.
30. Figuring out the temperature in Celsius.
31. finding out what words not to say and the words that are okay to use here.
32. Finding out the English language in a way that I didn't know you could use it.
33. Making fun of the over priciness of things here.
34. All the stars at night.
35. The bread.
36. Writing songs every single day.
37. Talking to Ty on the phone at 11:00 p.m. which was right when he got home from school.
38. Being so exited to get emails or comments.
39. Learning how to entertain my self by my imagination.
40. All the birds around our house.
41. Having a little privet street.
42. The way houses are made.
43. People asking a million questions about the United States
44. Getting the chance to teach people the gospel in a place that doesn't have as many members of the church.
45. Going to totally tennis.
46. Chatting with friends at the same time but not the same time (ha ha that sounds confusing) :)
47. Jeremy, David, Mark, Steph, Dan, and some other guys that work at my dads office.
48. Getting candy from my dads office.
49. Always looking at prices first in pounds and then immediately trying to find out if that's to much in dollars.
50. The way the clouds move so quickly.
51. The beautiful warm days. (sometimes)
52. Going to tourist area's and hearing so many different languages.
53. Learning to not be afraid of people that are different and finding out that they really aren't that different even if they speak a completely different language. (Like in Italy, I could not understand a word anyone said but they were so funny and so nice)
54. Knowing people from church that are from all over the world.
55. When people ask me if I want a tomato (tom-awe-tow) And I say sure i'll have a tomato (tum-ay-tow) or things like that.
56. The pretty beaches.
57. The hilarious sarcasm and humor of people here.
58. The way people make you feel welcome and always make sure your not feeling shy.
59. The way our ward would do anything to help us.
60. Having to face my fears.

Those are all the things, I think, That i'll miss about England!

We are THAT much closer to being famous

I just found out from Miss Christoferson that the person emailed back and they are going to put our book on the server! YAY! I can only give her one copy for now but in the next week I will be able to give her two because one of my two is in the Art Expo.

This and That

I love that you are writing a play. And yes, being with your friends is really lucky. Keep at it and keep thinking about making it hang together like we've learned. I'll love to hear about it as you go on.

I forgot to tell you yesterday that Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805. Isn't that interesting that you share the same birthday? Only 192 years apart?

Today we stopped for a minute on the street where he lived when he was a little boy. A shop across the street sold all kinds of memorabilia about him. I did buy his book of Fairy Tales. So now I have something wonderful to read. I will look carefully at how he crafts his words. Even though it is in translation from the Danish.

Tonight I am sleeping in Copenhagen. My room is wonderful, on the fourth floor, big windows, and lots of Danish modern furniture. I love it. So clean.

We rode here on the train with the sun setting behind us. Twilight lingered for about an hour. It's just barely vernal equinox time on the 21 of March, so in Utah the day will be 12 hours long and the night will be 12 hour long. But here, it is so far north, the day is already longer than the night. So interesting how that works.

We fly to Oslo, Norway tomorrow. Our training today with the Center couple in Odense went very well. I talked about the brother of Jared and how he saw the finger of the Lord. I love that part of the Book of Mormon. And it teaches so well about praying. About asking Father in Heaven for the things we need. The brother of Jared SAW.

Much love,

Bamma

Drama

In drama at my school, we are writing our own plays. Me, Connor O'Neil, Tyler, and my good friend Tsuebasa A.K.A. Brigg (he's from Japan) are in a group together. Isn't that LUCKY?
Each group was assigned a topic and ours was, A kid is trying to convince his parents to get a snake. At first we didn't like that topic but, we got it to fit! We are making up our own funny raps, and going from real life, to dreams. It's all pretty funny.

Odense, Denmark

I love your blog about Grapevines. I had no idea that several of your friends are reading it. Let me know if the person the librarian emailed lets them put it on in there to be checked out. How interesting!

This morning we flew to Copenhagen, Denmark and then took a train for an hour out to Odense in the west part of Denmark. At one point we went in a tunnel under the sea like we did when we crossed under the English Channel, but this one wasn't as long. It's beautiful here. Spring. Flat. Green fields already growing. Beautiful water. Remember this would be near the place where Baldwin and Heidi's mother escaped Germany to to get on the boat.

We walked through the old part of town and found a statue of Hans Christian Andersen, the famous teller of children's stories. He wrote The Little Mermaid. In fact, I must get a book of his stories just to read. I'll try to do that tomorrow, it would be fun to buy it here in the town where he was born.

Don't we have wonderful plans ahead of us? A book about slaves sounds so very interesting.

I just had to tell you about this beautiful place today. I loved your happy blog. And I love happy you!

Bis spaeter.

Bamma

Grapevines

It's funny you should mention that, because a lot has been going on with Grapevines. First, it has been going around the school from person to person reading it. Every day I get a new person who says that they like our book. The librarian, Ms. Christoferson, wants Grapevines to be "check-out-able" to kids at the school. I said that she would be able to use two of the copies and she emailed a person asking if that would be OK. She said that she will let me know by this weekend! Is that not the coolest thing ever?! Also, I put Grapevines in the Art Expo. My friends and I made a poster together as well.
Another cool thing is that, in my science class, we have to look at the moon every night to study the different faces (I know that that is not the right kind but I don't know how to spell it) of the moon! Is that Ironic or what?
Also, I thought of a great idea for a new book idea that we have to write when you get back. It's about slaves! We were studying that at school today and I thought, "I wish Bamma was here, we have to write about this!" I can't believe that we haven't thought of doing that yet!
I love you Bamma. Keep me posted on all of your adventures in Europe. Norway should be fun! Love you,
-Zach

Adventures

I keep thinking about things we might like to write about. The intrigue that flows through a city like Bucharest would be amazing. Can you imagine being raised as a gypsy boy, taught to steal, lie, cheat, be afraid. Yet now some gypsys are trying to be good citizens. What if a boy met the missionaries, for example, and wanted to learn English, say, but learned about Jesus on the way.

Now that I am in Frankfurt I think again about Heidi and Baldwin. We have some important parts of a good story there. It would be fun to return to it again.

Tomorrow I'm going another place I haven't been, really. I went through Copenhagen, Denmark once, but this time I'll be in a city called Odense. Elder and Sister Meng will teach other senior missionary couples about helping the young adults who come to their Center to be in a clean place, learn about the Gospel, and bring their friends who will learn about the Church. Cool, huh.

Then on Friday we'll go on to Oslo, Norway. I have never been there. I can only imagine that the trees aren't blooming there yet and that the grass isn't beginning to be green like it is here.

I am impressed with your basketball performances on Saturday. That must have been great fun for you to play so well. I imagine that I am there watching you. Good job!

I love you. Keep smiling. Keep being wonderful.

I take my stone with me when I travel.

Love, Bamma

Look!

Dear Zach,

Tonight, just at dusk, I walked down some steps and about a block along Main Street of Bad Vilbel to the store where I bought shampoo, bar soap, toothpaste, and lotion. When I came back along my street, this is what I saw.

It was almost dark, darker than the picture looks, so it was hard to hold still. But you can see that the beautiful moon was peeking through the rainy misty clouds. I imagined it was shouting out your name and it made me smile! I hurried to get my camera.

It will be fun when the trees have spring leaves, I think.

I love you!

Bamma

Fun

I have been having fun. It snowed today and is still snowing... I don't really like the snow. I want it to leave. How is the weather in Germany? Your house looks amazing. I wish that I was there!!! I had a good day at school today and am enjoying my new lunch working job, selling the milk! I get to just sit there drawing and writing and then give juice and milk to people!!! And then at the end I have to put all the left over milk in the walk-in fridge!!! It's so much fun.

I'm Here!

My wonderful Zachers,

I made it. The flight seemed to me to take forever, but I think it was because for my body it was daytime, though we were flying over the ocean in the pitch black night. So I didn't feel like sleeping much.

But yesterday was wonderful. I am in a little village of Frankfurt called Bad Vilbel. Bad means "bath," so it means there are some sort of springs nearby. Lots of places in this area are "Bad" something or other. In fact, the state is called Baden-Wuertemburg. Cool, huh?

It's now the middle of the night here, but I just barely got my computer to work on the wireless. Someone told me yesterday that they left the code on the bulletin board in my little apartment, and it works! Yay!

Here is a picture of my bedroom.

And here is a picture of the front of my house. My door is the second from the left. Other people live behind the other doors. Cool looking, huh.

This is a wonderful place to be. I miss you.

Bamma

What was the flight like?

Hi Bamma, tell me everything! Was the flight really long and tiring?

I like this

Zach, I discovered this quote a couple of weeks ago at Church. I love it. Tell me what is your favorite part.

Elder James E. Talmage, who served in the Quorum of the Twelve, shared thoughts about how his ordination to the office of deacon affected him:

"As soon as I had been ordained, a feeling came to me such as I have never been able to fully describe. It seemed scarcely possible, that I, a little boy, could be so honored of God as to be called to the priesthood. . . . I felt strong in the thought that I belonged to the Lord, and that he would assist me in whatever was required of me.

"The effect of my ordination. . . entered into all the affairs of my boyish life. . . .When at play on the school grounds, and perhaps tempted to take unfair advantage in the game, when in the midst of a dispute with a playmate, I would remember, and the thought would be as effective as though spoken aloud---'I am a deacon; and it is not right that a deacon should act in this way.' On examination days, when it seemed easy for me to copy some other boy's work. . ., I would say in my mind, 'It would be more wicked for me to do that than it is for them, because I am a deacon.'"

Isn't that cool? I am so excited that you are getting so close to being ordained a deacon. I am so sorry I won't be there. But I am counting on you to tell me about it. It is a serious thing to be called to act in God's name. That's what I am called to do on this mission. Act in God's name. I carry His name on my badge.

I love you. I pray for you every day.

Bamma

Hi Bamma 3/3/08

Today at school we had no math or centers! WOO HOO!
That is the worst parts of my day so... I'm happy. I am working on our patriotic program. It's crazy. I have to do so much. I have the introduction speaking part (the same part as tyler) and then have to hop onto the stage with the show choir (the first to do the songs) and then I have to go get a kid named Elijah Labit. I sing 9 songs in all! CRAZY!!!
I love you

Zachary T. Knell

One Week Down

My marvelous Zach,

I've finished a whole week at the MTC. They have taught me how to use Preach My Gospel, a wonderful book, to prepare lessons to teach people. Now this week I have training on my specific job with the young people.

Mostly I want you to know this is a wonderful thing. I can feel Heavenly Father's spirit here in the MTC, even though sometimes I remember that people are imperfect. (Even me).

I loved seeing you on Saturday. I hope your visit with Ben went well. I love your good friends and your working to be kind and caring to them.

I love you.

Bamma