June 17th

Well I am happy you made it to Elder Warners homecoming. Hes such a good kid. Haha the funny thing is is that hes lost a lot of his spanish haha. Like by the end he couldnt really speak it too well. He had gotten a lot slower and we all made fun of him about it haha. Like we gave him a spanish preach my gospel and it was just super funny.

I can recieve pictures in my email. All my friends send me pictures like every week. I dont really know what your talking about haha.

Well nothing really is new here. Didnt have anything too exciting that happened. Like the lady I told you about last week has been super busy and we havent been able to teach her too much. She hasnt been able to come to church yet either and its been super frustrating. This was probably the most discouraging week of my mission. Just nothing happened and like we have no investigators and now Cristina is going to start attending in Lexington and like I really dont know what to do. Like President wants us to start a branch here, but how are we going to be able to do that when everyone we teach start going to the lexington branch and all of our spanish members are starting to go there as well. I feel like I know everyone here in this area already and they all attend a church called "The house of the Restoration" Its the only spanish church in all of Georgetown so every person we meet tell us they go to that church and dont want to listen to us. And they have church services like 3 days a week and so its just super hard.... Like I dont know what to tell Elder Torrico cause he is always like "well, now what?" And I have no idea. We have knocked every door where spanish people live in our whole area and I am just starting my 2nd transfer here.  Its rough for sure.

This week was just a blur. Like we go to the exact same 3 places every day. Its like 15 miles that we ride every day as well. Were working hard, but man its hard.

Its so crazy how fast time is going now though. Like when I got with Elder Baker he was just starting his 10th transfer. I just started my 10th this week. And now Elder Baker has single digit P-days!!! LIKE WHAT!?!?! All my missionary friends are dying haha. Like Sister Pasquale will be going home in like 3 1/2 months.

I hope you all had a great fathers day and I hope dad had a good Birthday. I promise I didnt forget about it. I had it written in my planner and I was going to say something last week, but I totally forgot to write it. I also got the package and the package from Grandpa so thanks for that.

Love you all

Elder Knudsen

June 10th

Wow this week was so amazing I have no idea what happened. It is weeks like these that everything is worth it. So the baptism was so amazing of Cristina. She insisted that I baptized her, and so I had the wonderful privilage to do it. She was so amazing. We had a very big program and it went so well. It was so powerful to see her enter into the waters of baptism and to able to allow the full effect of the Atonement work in her life. It was super hard for her to walk into the font, and was almost in tears as she did. Then as I raised my arm to the square and baptized her, she was washed clean and she just broke down crying right there in the font. It was so powerful. She is so amazing. She also brought 2 of her friends and they really liked it, and a member named Frank got his whole family to come who are less active. And the daughter started crying afterward and told her husband she wants to start going to church again, and the husband is not a member so were going to start teaching him as well. And Franks sister came and shes not a member.

We had an amazing miracle this week. Like wow.... I really have no idea what to say. So we went to the trailers and it was like 1:00 pm and usually no one is home at that time. We just go to a street corner and just sit there wondering where we should go. We both decided we should knock doors. Elder Torrico asked me where and I had no idea, so I said a prayer in my heart to lead us to someone in need. We begin to ride and I feel like we need to knock this one street. Its a street that we had already knocked, but not many people answered. The first door we knocked a hispanic lady named Nancy opened up. (Like our tracting approach now is to offer to say a prayer to bring the peace and blessing of the Savior in their home) and so thats what we did and we asked her what we could pray for and she didnt really tell us anything. I offered the prayer and I honestly have no clue what I said. As I looked up tears were streaming down her face.  We then asked if we could teach her and she said yes. As we began to talk she told us she had been praying to find peace here on earth and havent been able to find it in years. She had just gotten back from the court and had prayed to God to send her something or to help her find peace. Within an hour we showed up at her door and she said she knew immediately it was an answer from God. She told us she had never felt so at peace in years and that she knew that we were sent from God to help her. She accepted to be baptized. We then went over on Saturday and set a baptismal date with her whole family. Shes single and has 3 sons whose ages are 14 10 and 9 and they are all going to be baptized at the beginning of July.... WHAT A MIRACLE!!! I dont know what is going on here. Like.... no clue...

So Elder Torrico confirmed Cristina on Sunday as well so that was really cool. Like I really dont know what else happened this week. I saw Elder Howard and Elder Singleton. They came out to do Cristinas baptism interview and they said she was the most ready person they have ever interviewed. Like just so penitent. It was super cool.

Oh ya I had saviche Saturday. So we go over and its the ward mission leaders house and he wanted to make it for Elder Torrico because thats his favorite thing. So they have fresh raw tilapia and they put it in lime juice for about 4 minutes with some cilantro and onion and then we ate it haha with some sweet potatoes. It was actually pretty darn good.

Thanks for the package it was great. I think thats about all for me. I dont got too much time today. Love you all

Elder Knudsen

June 3rd

Hey this week was pretty good. Cristina is for sure getting baptized this Saturday so thats really exciting. We had a really powerful lesson with her, cause like before she was just super iffy about it and stuff, but at the end of the lesson I was like so will you be baptized on that date and shes like, Yes I will. It was so legit. She has been so prepared and shes already been inviting her nonmember friends to come to her baptism on Saturday. She wants me to baptize her, but I want to have Elder Torrico do it, so we will see what happens. We have a lesson with her tonight and then we will find out for sure who is going to baptize her.

Ya its so crazy Elder Warner is going home. I talked to him last week cause the Zone Leaders told me to call him to see if he could come out to do the baptism interview just cause there arent any spanish leaders any where close and he said he was busy so to have the lousiville central zone leaders to come out and I was like man Elder Warner this means I will never see you again. And that was that haha. Its super crazy to think about.

So isnt it crazy to think I am officially under 10 months left. Ya I know exactly what day I am coming home, not going to tell you, but we are officially under 10 months haha. Like that is not a lot of time at all!

There wasnt really too much that happened this week though. Like I really dont even remember what we did. It absolutely rained a ton on Saturday. We got straight up drenched! It was super funny cause Elder Torrico was like freaking out haha it was a good time though.

Oh ya haha funniest thing ever. So we show up to our investigators house and we like walk up to his porch and we see a bucket in front of his door with something hanging out of it. So it was a huge snapping turtle that he had caught and put face down in the bucket and tied its tail. I didnt have my camera with me because of the rain, but man I really wanted to show it to you. It was like at least 3 feet long and just these huge spikes on his tail, it was like it was a dinosaur. Our investigator was going to kill it the next day and eat it haha. Only in Kentucky!!!

We found 2 really cool investigators this week that I feel like could be baptized in July. So we knocked on this mans door and offered to say a prayer with him and he invited us in and he said he really needed one cause his wife just had had a seasection and his mom was really sick in mexico and they had just moved into the house and so we prayed and taught the restoration and it went really well. Then we taught a guy last night that had some crazy weird questions and thoughts, but we committed him to read the BOM and he said yes, and we asked him when and he said right after we left, and then was like, how bout we just read it right now. So we started reading and like 7 verses in hes like wow this book is amazing. Can we stop and can I read it by myself because right now were going too fast and I just want to take my time and think about the story and how it will apply to me and all this stuff. It was super amazing!

So if grandpa hasnt sent out a package, if you could send me a new towel that would be super nice cause man they are pretty expensive, if not its ok.

I think thats about all. I am trying to really get in shape now haha. We have been waking up and going running or waking up early at like 545 and going to play basketball and i have been eating super healthy lately haha. I am hoping to shed a few lbs before I get home haha. I gotta look good if I want to find me a good wifey haha.

But thats about all from me. I hope dad feels better. Love yall

Elder Knudsen

May 28th

So this week went by really fast actually. I dont really know why, but it did. There isnt really anything too much to tell yall I am not going to lie. Like we are having success with our investigator named Cristina. She is going to be baptized next Saturday so thats pretty exciting. She told her work she couldnt come in because she was going to church and then her boss asked what church and she said the mormon church and he was like I thought you were Catholic and she was like ya, but this is where God wants me. And then like people always ask her why shes choosing the Mormon church and stuff and she just always tell them, Well why dont you ask God and then he will tell you why. Like shes super legit. Last night we taught the word of wisdom and she drinks coffee and she was like thats kinda weird, but if its a commandment from God that means I have to obey it so ill do it. Like shes so prepared its not even funny!

We had Zone Conference this week. It was the last time ill see Elder Warner!! Crazy right!! So always at your last zone conference you get to bear your testimony so there was a lot that bore there testimonys and man. Warner straight up made me cry! So I have never seen him cry my whole mission, like with Eufemia or anything. Hes not an emmotional guy, but at the end of the testimony he just starts talking about his companions and just starts breaking down, like man. I dont know why I was so lucky to have him as a trainer. I was the only companion he had had that was in that room. He said you better go to his homecoming and hes going to look for you, like you have to say hi to him no matter how many people are there. But it was a super powerful moment.

Nothing really too exciting. We have been having a lot of food from other countries though. Like this week we had a dish from Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ireland, and Mexico. Like its been super good. I have actually been eating salads lately for lunch haha just some spinach with some ranch and maybe some chicken, ya no bigs. I had to buy some more spinach this week cause like I went through a whole bag last week.

We went to the most amazing house last night. Its in the middle of no where. They own 35 acres of just like straight up forest and you have to go on a gravel path for 2 miles to get to their driveway and  then their driveway is like a gravel path through the woods for another mile. It was super legit. We had hamburgers and brats and orange salad and potato salad and all that good stuff. Like I really want to just live in the middle of no where in Kentucky haha. But like he paid for it all in cash, like he built his house himself and everything. Hes pretty nuts. His son is going to Brazil on his mission. But man do I have a story for you. ONLY IN KENTUCKY. So we are sitting at the dinner table with them last night, they go and pull out 2 baby racoons and start feeding them milk from a bottle and the dinner table haha. It was so dang funny. Can only find it in kentucky. And then they have like 4 snakes as well.

Elder Torrico is super funny though. Like today we saw a pretty big truck and he was just like man!!! Elder Knudsen look at that and asked me to take a picture of him in front of it. But everything is going really well.

Thats nuts about all that has happened with Dad and everything. Ya translation was pretty rough on Sunday. Like all it was was about memorial day and soldiars (wow I dont know how to spell any more) and so it was super hard to translate. Like when you try and translate and english talk, it usually makes no sense in spanish because english people just ramble on and on about things. Its the worst haha.

Well I hope all is well. Love you all

Elder Knudsen

May 20th

So I dont really have too much to tell you this week I am not going to lie. My companion is doing really well and its been really fun. Its fun to be able to see him try like some stuff for the first time. Like he had never had Peanut Butter before and lots of other stuff haha. Its super great. Hes a really good kid though. Hes a really good teacher.

So we set a baptismal date this week with Cristina. She said she already knows the church is true and this is where God wants her to be. She reads the Book of Mormon every day at work and there are jehova witnesses that always ask her why Mormons and then she tells them why dont you ask God haha BAM!!! Shes super legit though. She didnt come to church this week because her son was sick, but she will be getting baptized on June 8.

This week has been super hard though. I have been super tired and no one will let us in to teach them. Like I have never had such a hard problem of getting in doors. Usually its been cake to at least get in a door and teach, but usually they dont do anything, but here I cant even get let in. Like I literally have been begging them to let us in and they just wont. They are just hard hearted out here and I dont know what to do. I have pretty much knocked everywhere there is spanish already and we maybe have 3 people that we are teaching. I am going to ask President today if he could give us a car and make our area bigger and like give us Paris, cause really right now there is not enough work to do in Georgetown.

So I got my package so thanks for that. You couldnt have added a treat or anything or a letter? haha jk but thanks and yes they all fit fine.

So we just had a lesson with a lady named Lupe like an hour ago and she lives in a horse farm haha shes pretty legit though. We met her at a bbp at a members house and like all of her friends/family is members and so she is for sure going to be baptized soon. But that was pretty cool as well. Oh is grandpa is going to still send me a package like i could use some zebra pens and like there is a cracker barrel here if he wants to send a giftcard to there or I dont really know where else there is.

So Spanish Conference was pretty good. Its so weird that I will only see Elder Warner 1 more time before he goes home. I will be seeing him this week at Zone Conference, but after that hes dead! Like you want to know whats crazy. So the at the last Zone Conference you have you bear your testimony.... I only have 2 more Zone Conferences left after this one until I have to bear my testimony..... THATS NUTS!!!!

Oh man I feel so embarassed. So Elder Torricos card didnt work this week so I had to buy food for the both of us and I didnt have too much money, but we had enough. Well this week we had an apartment check from senior missionaries kinda and like she went through our apartment and was appauled cause we didnt have food and so she called the ward and the ward brought over like 10 bags of food for us. And then like the whole ward was asking to feed us and stuff, but like we had pasta and eggs and bread and some ramen and so we had enough to get through the week, but apparently they didnt think so haha.

Well I think thats it for me. Love yall

Elder Knudsen

May 13th

Well Ill be honest I dont really have too much to tell yall cause I already talked to yall yesterday. Nothing has really changed from 12 hours ago or so haha. But everything is going good. We dont really have any big plans for the day. Were going to go play basketball with the English Elders here in a couple hours so we will see how that goes. I actually bought some new shoes haha. So there was an Elder that bought them and he decided he didnt really like them so he bought some new ones haha. He bought them for 130 and gave them to me for 50. Yall probably wont like them but they are so sick haha. They are pink haha. But you know how I do, I gotta go a little flashy with my game haha. Ill have to take a picture of them and send them to you. They are like pink and grey with like hot pink laces haha.

So like I told you all this week was pretty good. We are seeing some good things. Like this week we got a really good referral from a member. Like so we went to a carne asada bbq with some members and there was a lady there that wasnt a member and she just started asking us all these questions and now wants to learn more and like all her family/friends are members and so its should be super great. We have a lesson with her on Wednesday.

And then the lady from Honduras will probably be baptized in June. I am going to let me greenie set the date with her haha it will be a good experience for him in the first week of his mission. Shes super ready because once you feel the spirit testify that these things are true, nothing else really matters.

I have been reading Jesus The Christ a lot lately and its been super great. I have been learning so much more about my Savior. I started it about 2 weeks ago and I am on page 300 now haha I just read it at night before I got to bed and I have gotten pretty far haha. Its super crazy though. Like even if I didnt know the church was true, reading that book would have to give you interest in the church because there isnt a man on this earth that could expound the bible in such a way without the help of the Holy Ghost.

This week we have Spanish Conference. That should be pretty good and be able to see Elder Warner and Singleton and Baker and everyone so I am excited for that. Its going to be weird though cause we will be doing a lot of role plays and stuff and me and my companion will have not taught a single thing together yet haha so we will see how that goes for sure.

We also have like 2 meal appointments. Ill be honest I have really missed American food. Like I love hispanic food so much, but when thats like all you eat, some good home cookin is really good. So I am excited for that. And like Josue and Norma will give us spanish food whenever we want. Like last week we had a bbq with them and had carne asada and carnitas and chorizo and it was super good. Its super funny cause like in Honduras they dont eat spicy food and so Elder Castillo was like dying because of the salsa and stuff. Its the same way in Peru so we will see how my companion handles it. His name is Elder Torrico.

I think thats about all for me. I hope everything is going well over there. Love yall and talk to yall in 7 months haha.

Elder Knudsen

May 6th

Hey yall so its been kinda a crazy week to say the least. Georgetown is a super cool town. Its super small and old, but super pretty. Its like all horse farms and stuff, but its super fun. So my new address is 125 Hiawatha Trail #10, Georgetown KY. I am serving with an Elder named Elder Castillo, but thats going to be getting changed. So Elder Castillo is from Miami, but President called us yesterday and told me that I am training starting today.... So ya.... But then he called and said he misread the letter and he wont be cominguntil next Monday. So I will be with Elder Castillo for one more week and then I will be training. His name is Elder Torrico and he is from Peru!!! Like straight up wont even speak much english haha. Like hes not going to the MTC really cause his English is good enough apparently and hes been waiting to come out for like 6 months but hasnt been able to get his Visa. So our apartment is like an hour and a half away from the mission home so you can just send it to the apartment. Its a pretty safe area.

 Its pretty nuts though. So there are now 6 Elders in Georgetown, and 5 of them are new to Georgetown. So there is an english companionship who is whitewashing and then the other one got transfered and so its been super hectic cause nobody knows the area and the one that does is super lazy. Like I really dont like the other elders that we are serving with cause they dont do anything all day. But oh well. Elder Gonzalez is now in my District haha so thats pretty exciting. But everything is going pretty well.

So I am really not sure what time I will be calling home. I am pretty sure I will be skyping and I think we are going to go to a familys house from Chile. They are super legit. But I think I will call you Sunday to let you know when I am actually going to call. I think it will be around like 4 or 5 our time. Like our church gets out at 1230 and so ya, something like that. I dont really know. Cause this week was Stake Conference and so we didnt even get to meet really any members and so we havent been invited to any houses, but then we were talking to a member about it and he probably would be fine for us to come over, but we will see.

WOW. There is this place called Franks Doughnuts!!! Best EVER!!! And... HES A MEMBER haha. Hes gives us free doughnuts whenever we want and hes actually from Honduras. Wow they are so great though. But I dont really have too much else to say this week. Like its just been a lot of bike riding and a lot of knocking doors to try and get something going. We would have actually had an investigator that we found come to church, but since it was stake conference it was in Lexington and so thats like 30 min away and so she didnt want to drive out there, but said she would come this week. Shes from Honduras and seems pretty legit though.

There are like 2 spanish areas in our whole area and they are on opposite sides of town. Like one of them is like 4 miles uphill one way and then the other one is like 4 miles the other way haha so we have been riding probably a good 15 to 20 miles a day, but its been good. Elder Castillo got his first flat tire haha. He was like what do we do?? And I was like.... we start walking haha. We had to walk like 2 miles home haha. It was super funny though cause hes never been in a bike area and got super scared.

Can you believe Elder Warner only has 5 weeks left in his mission!! WHAT!!! Its nuts haha. But ya our apartment is super nice. Like we have the same as the english elders do, but all 4 of them sleep there and only 2 of us in our apartment and its super new. Like its pretty big and a lot nicer than Okolona, but Okolona will always be my home haha. Oh and the size of pants just get what you got me at the beginning of my mission.

Love

Elder Knudsen