February 11th

Well this week has been super weird to say the least!! So the first news is.... ELDER WARNER IS AN AP!!! Haha it was so crazy! So AP's get picked up on Thursdays and like we were riding our bike and Elder Duran called us and was like freaking out and said he had to be with us for a few days and then Elder Baker was super nervous, he was like What happened to Elder Warner and then I was like AP? And thats what happened. Its kinda super sad cause now I wont be able to see him very much and he is an English Elder now! He came over Thursday night with the 2 AP's and Elder Duran to drop him off and he wasnt excited to be an AP cause he loves the 5th branch and like because they get picked up so early he didnt get to say goodbye to any of the people that he loves. Like he served in the 5th branch for over a year!! Hes an amazing missionary though! So then we were with Elder Duran, but then one of the Visa Waiters got sent to his mission and so then Elder Duran just went with Elder Singleton for a bit, it was just a super weird week!!

So whats happening with Elder Baker and I??...... Well he is getting transferred. I am staying in Okolona and I am going to be the District Leader. I am going to be here so long!!! Cause like the Elder thats coming in will be going Zone Leader next transfer and so I will be here for at least another 2 transfers. Im going to be with Elder Singleton and I will be the District Leader and Senior Companion but yet hes been out 17 months. He was in Arcadia as a District Leader and they just shut down his area, so hes coming here with me for a transfer, and then in March im pretty positive that he will be going zone leader. So I will be here until the middle of April probably, unless something really weird happens haha. So thats pretty exciting. It breaks me heart to see Elder Baker leave. He loves this area so much and was devastated to leave. And his next area hes not going to be a District Leader so he just keeps feeling like he did something wrong. I feel really bad.

We have some really cool things happening in Okolona though. I think we might have a lot of baptisms next month. So we just got a referral from Amiley and Darely. We taught a lady named Teresa, her mom named Elvira, and then Teresas son named Javier. They are all so ready for the gospel and they will for sure be baptized. They are cubans. I have never had such a good first lesson, usually there are kids screaming or just something happening, but they have a super nice apartment and were just super quiet and it was so amazing!! I loved it so much!! She just got a job and so its going to be harder to see her, but we will get it done. She couldnt come to church yesterday for a stupid reason, but she said she will be there with her whole family next week. It was such an amazing experience.

So we have a baptismal date with a man named Cesar. His wife was baptized in Peru and she wants her husband and children to be baptized. The hardest thing is that they arent legally married yet, she is trying to divorce her husband in Peru and so shes in the process right now and then they will get married and we will baptized him and 2 kids. But we had a super cool lesson with him this week. He actually read his reading assignment and then we were just sitting there and he asked about the 10 commandments and then we talked about Sabbath Day and he was pretty much just teaching himself. He just looked at us and was like Man I really need to go to church dont I?? And committed to come yesterday with his whole family... it didnt happen though... so were going to have to go over and see what happened... But they are super cool. Hes from Mexico and shes from Peru. They have 4 kids.

So last Monday we went to a taco place with some English Elders that serve in our area and it was super good. I got tacos de Lomo and then Al Pastor.... And then we went and hung out with them at there apartment. Then.... I got food poisioning!!!! They had a bad batch of Al Pastor and Elder Clarke and I got super sick!!! Im so sick of tacos now haha 2 times in a row!!

So I havent got your package yet cause we couldnt go to the mission office this week, so ill probably get it tomorrow when we go to transfer meeting. Elder Baker is going to Shelbyville. Oh and we have a car right now!!! We have had it for like 3 days so thats been super nice!! We might get to keep it for the whole transfer because they closed Arcadia. President said we can just keep it until something comes up and he needs it, so I hope we can keep it for a little while.

So one of the most exciting annoncements this week is that at least 1 member of the quorum of the 12 apostles is coming to our mission on March 2. There might be more. Cause apparently they have a meeting with an arc bishop of the Catholic Church and so there might be more than one. And then March 3 is a special stake conference where at least 1 will be there. I kinda feel like it will either be Elder Holland, Elder Bednar, or Elder Oaks. Cause Elder Bednar is from Kentucky, but like Elder Holland seems like he would be the one to go to a meeting like that and then Elder Oaks is just super smart so I feel like he would be good to go to it too. But its super exciting!! And I think Elder Munds of the 70ty will be there too.

So I cut my finger pretty good last night so that kinda sucked haha. I was using a razor blade and I was just being kinda stupid, and it dropped right on my finger and cut me pretty good. Im fine though haha. Elder Bakers mom is so nice. She sent us a Valentines Package with like 2 of everything so we got ties, Arizona Shirts and then just a ton of candy. It was super nice of her to do it!!

Its been pretty warm here in Kentucky. Not too bad lately. I think Thursday was like up towards 60 and then today were in the 40's so it hasnt been too cold lately. Its still a little cold on bikes, but I think were past the worst of winter. I sure hope so. But thats about it for me.

Love yall

Elder Knudsen