PICTURES!

June 25th

Well I don’t really know where to start this week haha. Monday was great. We went to Churchill downs and it was pretty legit. We had a lot of fun there. It was Elder Warner and I, then the Zone Leaders and then the trio in Arcadia. It was kind of crazy and it was not how I had expected it at all. But I’ll be sending pictures today so you’ll get to see a little bit of our fun, Oh and ill send a few pictures on our ride to Holiday Park. It’s my favorite ride because it’s beautiful. And we usually go there at night right when the sun is setting. It’s pretty legit so ill have pictures of that too. Oh mom by the way, that was not our house, I told you we lived in an apartment haha so it’s on the other side of the street.

Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday. Kind of a ridiculous day I’ll be honest. So we decide to go tracting for the first time, and the area we choose is the area we got shot at. I bet you can imagine my joy haha. We started knocking and we didn’t have much success. But then on like the 10th door, it was actually open and there were 2 kids inside (Cuban) and we asked if their parents were here (in Spanish) and they went and got their father. Immediately he tells us to come in. Like this was my door to do, and he said come in, and I was kind of taken off guard so I do the whole were missionaries and he was just like come in come in. So we walked in and just started to get to know him. His name is Carlos. He’s married and they have a son Javier that's 13 and then the cutest little girl that’s like 6. She’s adorable! But the little girl went and played outside and the mom wasn’t home so we taught Javier and Carlos the first lesson. They were really interested. They were like ya... that really makes sense and they were flipping through the book of Mormon as we were teaching and then we read the introduction, like the last 2 paragraphs and he was like whose Moroni so then we took him to Moroni 10 3-5 and showed him its very much set up like the bible. Me and Javier got a long good because he loves his baseball haha. But they were just like ya I know that if I read this and pray that god will tell me if it’s true and just had great questions. Pretty much like super star investigators. They ask if they could come to church. We type in the coordinates into their GPS and tell them the time (sadly they couldn’t come cause Carlos on the weekends work overtime for extra money so he works 12 hours Saturday and then 12 hours Sunday. Like its from 6 at night till 6 in the morning) Anyways, Elder Warner and I were just feeling like champs at this time, so we decide to be done knocking in that place and to go see Jose. Um... THEN I GOT ANOTHER FLAT TIRE!!! And it’s pretty much like kind of the edge of our area almost so were about 11 miles away from our apartment. So we set off in that direction. There is a bus stop and the bus arrives while were walking, bike rack is full. So we keep walking and get to another area that we could catch a bus that would save us a lot. So at this point we have walked 4 miles more or less. Then the bus took us about 3 miles. Then we missed the bus to our house. So we walked about 5 miles and just decided to go to the bike shop because my tube was shot. So at this point, I’ll be honest, I was kind of complaining haha it had been like 3 hours and 92 degrees and I had ran out of water like 2 hours before. We get my bike fixed and about to walk out, when... CARLOS and his 2 kids walk in! Like it was really a miracle! Like they don’t speak any English cause they have been here less than a year so we had to translate for them and then gained a stronger bond with them.

But after this experience like wow. Elder Warner and I knew that we were being led by the Holy Ghost and that the Lord really does play a part in all that we do. We call it our "Walk of Faith" now because really it was hard. And now just imagine if we would have decided to stop at a McDonalds for a water or sit down for 10 min. We would have missed them. Like I felt really bad too that I was complaining. I felt really selfish and really weak at that moment, but I was obedient and did what I had to and the Lord blessed Elder Warner and I and it was a moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Now what we want is a baptism with them haha we havent seen them really since cause they have been busy but were planning on going over there tomorrow. Ah I already love that family so much!! They are just great.

Um honestly I don’t really know what happened the other days. Just normal stuff. We pretty much got dropped by Jose, our baptismal date, cause he said he can’t come to church and he won’t be willing to come and so it’s pointless for him to work towards baptism, were going to try and get in touch with him soon. Like not to be mean, but I think he could come to church. So his job is he goes to dumpsters and finds things he could sell/ give to the metal company for money and so I think he is self employed so I bet he could come to church but I don't know... It’s just really hard.

This week has really just been kind of a funny week. We have had some fun times. We will start with... Friday night haha so... I hadn’t contacted as many people as I should have that day and so I was trying to get my numbers up and we were in Holiday Park. There was 2 men that I stopped and talked to them in Spanish you know just saying were missionaries and we have a prophet and it’s good to have a prophet cause the world is changing and so he can let us know the will of God, I’ll be honest, it was a really bad contact haha, but that guy just pounced on my Spanish. Like so he’s a very religious man and we got in our first bible bash haha and elder Warner was just killing it haha he was pulling scriptures out I have never heard. But all and all it was about an hour conversation that was pointless, and elder Warner was just like that was an example of what not to do haha. He was just saying he’s read the book of Mormon so we asked him about it then he said he hadn’t then he said that we don’t need prophets cause God changed the way he talks to men so then we used the scripture in Hebrews that says he’s the same today yesterday and forever and like it really was just making me mad. Then I just decided to end by testifying and all were doing is inviting, and so I shared my testimony of the book of Mormon and how it changed my life, then he goes off saying that a book can’t change your life, only the spirit can. So then I asked him if the bible changed his life and if he can feel the spirit from the word of god... he wouldn’t answer my question but yaaaa haha had my first bible bashing experience. Not good. Elder Warner and I just had to laugh it off.

Saturday was the real fun day haha so we go to the hospital with Joel to see his friend David. David is the most legit man ever. He’s actually in a different branch so I have never really talked to him, but he has hip problems so he can’t walk well so he can’t work so literally he reads the book of Mormon for 12 hours a day!! Every day!! We walked in and he had just had surgery, double hip replacement, and he’s reading the book of Mormon. Like he’s crazy. I think elder Warner said he almost has it memorized. But ya so we did that then we back to our apartment to do our studies and such. We go to the bus stop because we had correlation meeting and it’s far away so it’s about 2 hours on a bus. So were at the bus stop and this man walks up to us. Asks us if we were Jehovah Witnesses (oh and we talked to one of those this week... that was... fun...) but anyway we say no and he asks if we will pray with his family. We say yes of course. They come over and put their hands in like were a football team and just get mad cause we won’t. Eventually we pray. Then he says he’s thinking about being a pastor ( oh he’s white by the way) and were like that’s cool and he’s just like ya, and we all know God doesn’t have a face so I want to dress up in all black so no one can see me so it’s like god talking. Then he pulls out a scream mask asking if he’s scaring us haha and were like no, then he starts dancing with a scream mask on like at the cars haha then right as were about to get on the bus, he says you know god don’t judge you for your works. He only judges you for how much faith you have haha it was really funny. So then we get on the bus. And the next stop 2 people get on.... they start just making out in front of us... it was sooooo awkward! Like wowww haha

Um so  then we played futbol... or soccer haha and it got really intense this week. Like my comp is going to probably play college, he got recruited by Ohio State, so he just destroys people so then the investigators get really mad and physical. Then just some random people came and played and they were getting way serious then My comp made a move and this good guy that plays in a league that just came and played with us got in his way and he stepped on his leg, haha the guy just starts chewing my comp out in German. It sounded really creepy but it was kind of funny. So that was our Saturday

Then Sunday... we didn’t have any investigators come again... I don’t know what else we need to do. Elder Warner and I are really frustrated. But Sacrament was kind of empty... so the Branch 2nd counselor comes up to me and asks if I can share my testimony/give a talk if the person doesn’t show up! Ah scared me to death, and me being the missionary I was like ya.... haha and he’s like is your Spanish ok so then I told him I had just started learning it but he was like you’ll do fine. So I’m scared out of my mind going into sacrament, but then he announces the program after the sacrament is passed, and I guess the person showed up so I didn’t have to.... thank goodness.... like my comp has never even had to do that and he’s been out a year haha. Then Sunday night we went out with Joel the new branch mission leader. He is great. We went and saw Tino. He’s this legit like 24 years old. And then his roommates showed up and listened too. It was a good lesson and we're leaving when... Joel backs into his roommate’s car.... like he felt soooo bad but the guy was totally fine with it like it was amazing.

I’m so happy to be speaking Spanish. The Spanish people are so much nicer... no offense. Like Spanish people won’t slam doors in your face. They will at least listen to what you have to say. Every English house we’ve knocked on... BOOM in our face haha

Oh then I got fed so much at Pablo and fabiolas house. They are an inactive family we’ve been working with and they said they want to feed us every Wednesday night. They cooked a feast. They cooked like a huge bowl full of chicken and then this really good spicy sausage. And then you just make tacos with it. It was dang good. You would be so proud of how much I eat now haha I can’t turn down anything so like raw onions in my food and corn and lettuce and everything haha but like I was stuffed and we had maybe got a third of the way done with the meal haha it was really good. They made fresh salsa and had this really good drink and then Hispanics love corn in there rice, kind of weird right?? But ya... way good!!! Can’t wait to see what they cook this week haha.

Well that’s all I have for you this week because I still need to write the mission president. Hope all is well. You should post on facebook to write me haha oh and I’m going to send some pictures real fast in a couple emails.

Love Elder Knudsen

June 18th- Another Week Down!

I have so much to say and I don’t really know where to even start haha you’re not going to believe what has happened to me this week!

Well let’s start with Monday. That was pday and it was great. We went to the Louisville Slugger museum and it was way legit. Sad thing is they won’t let you take pictures during the tour, I don't know why but it was way cool! Then elder Simms and I got kind of a special free tour where we got to go into the bat vault, they had every bat of every model so we could like hold the same bat as babe Ruth and Roberto clemente and Barry bonds and jeter. It was pretty legit. They had a lot of cool things there and we watched a video about baseball there and it just made me really miss baseball haha but our pdays end at 6 so then we had to go back to work, but it was really good.

Tuesday was the hardest day I think I have ever had in my life haha. So first of all we biked more than ever. Like we biked more than 20 miles so it was a really long day. We went to Albertos house; he’s a recent convert preparing to go to the temple. We might actually get to go through with him so that would be exciting. He’s been in the US for less than a year. He’s from Cuba and I can’t understand a word he says haha after that Jose Emillio called and he needed help so we had to ride up this huge hill to help him. Really we didn’t do anything but he just loves the missionaries. Like he’s 80 and he needed someone to translate when he went to the pharmacy, but we didn’t have a ride there. He said he would ride his bike.... but that would have taken a million years. He’s a great member that loves the missionaries. We were there foreverrrrrr he wouldn’t let us leave!! He told me like an hour and a half story of how he almost got killed and an army coming after him and stuff. He’s from Cuba too, so I couldn’t understand a lot of him, but I really am getting a lot better so ya. He then fed us. I guess he usually feeds us a frozen ham, like he pulls it out of the freezer and cuts off a piece and just gives it to us. I guess it’s pretty disgusting. But he made Yuca.... (not the greatest, tastes like paste) and then like 5 cups of rice which turned out like 10 quarts, and then chicken with the bones and skin and so it wasn’t the greatest and he wanted us to eat it all)  Then we went to the other side of our area to try and get in touch with this lady that we had contacted, but she wasn’t home. But then we saw Jose outside. Elder Warner had taught him once before and it had been about 3 months since we could get a hold of him. We asked if we could share a lesson with him. He said he was about to leave so we asked if we could just share a short scripture with him. He let us in and we got to talking about how everything was going. I taught Joseph Smith and the first vision and it brought the spirit so strong into the lesson. We then taught the gospel of Christ (usually the 3rd lesson) but it was so strong.... THEN I COMMITTED HIM TO BE BAPTIZED haha so I got my first bap date on Tuesday. Since we have tried to get in touch with him every day, but just haven’t had any luck really.

Wednesday Elder Warner had a leadership training from like 10 until 3 and then we just contacted and taught lessons so not too much that day that I can remember. We contacted in Holiday Park. It’s the trailer park. I love the bike ride over there. It’s beautiful because it’s really in the middle of nowhere so we ride this little road and to our left is just like a river and trees and so green. We always go there and night cause it’s a gorgeous sun set. I’ll send pictures of it one day. Um we had a good lesson with Fabiola and Pablo and their kids. We taught them about Lehis dream cause there inactive so we were just trying to get them to come back to church. Their kids really want to come so were going to try hard to get them this week. We were supposed to eat pollo asada, or chicken asada and apparently it is really good, but they ran out of propane so they just made this chicken with corn and tomatoes and cucumbers and salsa and stuff with beans and rice. It wasn’t too bad. They said they will feed us every week if we want haha.

Thursday.... Hm Thursday we biked even more than we did on Tuesday and it was just so humid. We talked to Darely (our bap date) and I just don’t really know what is going on there. She’s from Cuba and she has a strong desire to be baptized and she’s reading the book of Mormon, but she just doesn’t want to come to church. Technically she only has to come 1 more time to be eligible for baptism but elder Warner and I aren’t going to baptize her unless she comes 2. Cause she really needs to get in a habit. She has to come this week or we decided were going to drop her, which will be the hardest thing ever. But she’s an eternagator. She’s been taking lessons for like 6 months. After her we had a lesson with a new investigator named Beatriz. She’s great. I wanted to kill her kid though I’ll be honest. He was being so disruptive. It was our first lesson with her so we taught her the restoration. I thought it went well, but my comp thought it could have gone better. I SET ANOTHER BAP DATE WITH HER haha so I got 2 this week. This one we need a miracle though. So her husband got deported and she never divorced him, but is with a new guy, or something like that. Her date is for July 29 and before that she has to divorce her husband that’s in Mexico and then marry her boyfriend, so were praying for a miracle with her. But she has a really strong desire to get baptized and I know the Lord will always provide a way so that’s good.

Friday was just normal. Hispanics are really hard to work with I decided! Like they are really accepting, but they are flakes. Our appointments always fall through and it’s just awful. Like we really will bike 3 miles, then they won’t be home, so we will get back on our bike and go to see someone else, biking another 5 miles, then there not home. Like it wouldn’t be bad if we had a lesson with someone every once in awhile. It’s really frustrating, but I feel like my Spanish is coming along a lot better than it was last week. I can understand the Mexicans pretty easy, but those are rare, the Guatemalans are a little easier, and then it just depends on the Cubans weather I can understand them or not. But ya Friday nothing really too exciting happened. Like we had our weekly planning and correlation meeting with the branch mission leader. He’s really legit. His name is Pablo and he owns like a big restaurant our here. Like its top of the line and Mexican so we went there and he fed us. Wow I was stuffed haha and then I had to get back on the bike so that kind of sucked.

Saturday.... haha this is what I’m excited to talk about haha. So we were supposed to have a service project with Pablo and it was supposed to be for 5 hours and then we have soccer on Saturday nights and so we have to get on the bus at like 430 so that was going to be our whole day. Um the service fell through and so we decided to finish our studies and then contact for about 2 hours. We went to an apartment complex that’s kind of in a sketchy place, we don’t really ever go there much and there was an African American lady just asking us about what I believed and she was really interested. Like she wants to come to church and see how everything is and she wanted a book of Mormon, but we only had Spanish so we told her English missionaries would be stopping by, but we hit the main points of the first lesson and she thought it all made sense. We were talking to her when we hear.... BANG BANG BANG BANG.... 4 gun shots from about 50 feet behind us. We don’t really know who he was shooting at and then he just ran away. Then I had a flat tire....so.... I don’t know if he shot at us or not but it was very scary to say the least!!!! Haha then we didn’t have any more bike patches so we just had to walk home. Were on the sidewalk when we hear another BANG come from inside the big apartment complex haha it was pretty sketchy I’ll be honest. So then we just waited for the bus and then went to soccer. Oh I bought a way legit soccer jersey haha it’s pretty legit. Um... ya that are pretty much all that happened on Saturday haha

Sunday was a pretty good day at church. It was pretty much all about missionary work and I could understand pretty much all they said. But.... none of our investigators came again. Like we have 3 bap dates and none are coming to church so we really need to work on that, Then because it was father’s day the women in the ward made dinner right after church for all of us. It was good to have some actual coooking haha but, my bike was still flat, so we had to go out with a member to contact/teach lessons. We went out with a man named Joel. He’s really legit, but just like always no one was home so we said he could go home so then we just went and contacted on foot haha

So that was my week. I’m safe though haha and we have been having somewhat of success. So we have 3 bap dates, the sisters and 1 bap date, and then the ZL have 1 bap date. So our district is doing pretty good. I don’t remember if I told dad I’m sending him something for his Birthday and I’m sorry he probably hasn’t got it yet, but he should be getting it soon. It’s addressed to Knudsen Family, but it’s for him so I’m sorry to get your hopes up haha um things I could use...Um maybe some stamps haha and I might have you send my baseball glove out here too. I’m probably going to be sending a lot home, because even on pday I can’t wear normal clothes, and we only work out in our apartment so I don’t need as much stuff as I have, but it’s hard to get to the post office with a package on bikes haha. Oh and we do have a microwave just so ya know.

Today for pday were going to churchhill downs. So that’s pretty exciting. I know were hitting all the good spots right when I get here, but our zone leader has been in the country his whole mission and he got to this zone the same day I did so he’s wanting to do all the stuff so it’s kind of fun. But that’s all from me this week. You need to tell my friends to write me because it’s kind of seems like I’m forgotten now that there isn’t a dear elder haha but oh well

I love you all and I hope you have a good week

Elder Knudsen

June 11-First Week in Kentucky

Well this week was a very eventful week to say the least haha it was probably the hardest week of my life so ya.... Um.... Where do I even begin haha. I know you probably aren't going to want to hear everything.... but I'm going to tell you anyways. I'm in the zone Louisville Central, branch the rama quinta, or the 5th branch and I'm in an area called Okolona. Um.... hate to break it to you.... it is a very ghetto area. It’s the 2nd most dangerous area in the whole mission behind Arcadia, but I’ll probably go there later anyway haha because most Spanish people go there for a bit. Either a few weeks before me, or before my comp got in, I don't remember, and I don't remember if it was in Okolona or Arcadia, but a man went into a school and killed 4 people, so it’s kinda scary here, but I absolutely love the people already. My companion is fantastic!! I love him already. His name is Elder Warner. He’s been out about a year and he is from Morgan Utah. He’s our district leader out here too. Our district is weird haha so my comp is the DL and then the other elders are the ZL and then we have a 3 hermanas. So we have a great district.

My apartment.... ya.... haha.... worst apartment in my whole mission. I'm being dead serious. They’re thinking about moving us, but not anymore. They talked to the owner and there going to come do some things for us. We have cockroaches everywhere in our apt. We kill probably like 10 a day, but apparently it has gotten better so maybe they’re starting to die off, but who knows. They came and sprayed our apt the other night. Our neighbor is a drug dealer, so the smell was hard to get used to say the least haha but all is well don’t you fret!!! I'm a biking missionary, you probably saw that from my bank account haha. I actually thought there are more biking missionary, but my mission is transitioning to cars. There is only 1 other area besides mine like for Spanish that has bikes. I was a little sore the first few days to say the least haha and I feel bad like I'm working really hard, but my comp is just fit as can be. The part that's the most sore is my bum haha. Oh and then... Saturday I think it was... hm... maybe Friday... I don't remember, but I got 2 flat tires in the same day!! It was awful. So we had rode to a trailer park which was about 4 miles away and I was fine, then we were going to try and find an investigator, and I get a flat tire. So we have probably been riding for about 6 miles by now. We then have to walk probably 2 miles to a shop to get my bike repaired, like just to get some air. I ran over a nail so it was a huge hole. Then we were riding, and honestly, something amazing happened. It’s crazy how the Lord works. So since we had to walk somewhere else we decided to go to this little apartment complex that we never go to just cause it was close. There was a man there that ran straight up to us begging for help. He had a beer bottle in his hand and just begging for help and so we talked to him in Spanish and just saying that Alcohol was really bad and that the best help he could get is God, not beer. He agreed and let us throw his bottle away. We asked to teach him, but he was just too drunk to really want to, but we gave him a card and said he could call us if he ever needed anything. Oh and the bottle was pretty much full haha so it was great. We haven't got a call from him, but it was still crazy, like if I hadn't gotten a flat tire, we wouldn't have gone there, and he wouldn't have heard our message and something bad could have happened.

Another amazing thing happened yesterday... first time it’s ever happened to elder Warner. So we were sitting just getting ready for church and our phone rings. It was a random guy just saying he really wanted to go to church. We had never talked to this guy and he had never talked to missionaries, he just felt like he wanted to go and he found one of our cards. Needless to say, me and elder Warner were really excited because we really just wanted something to go  our way because our area has been really struggling of late. But when we got someone to go pick him up.... he had left and I guess was drunk, but were going to go find him tonight and talk to him, so hopefully that will be successful.

Spanish is really hard here. I can understand and the Mexicans, but we don't teach Mexicans, all we have is Cubans. You should look up on youtube and look at a Cuban talking.... ya... it’s not Spanish to say the least! It’s really ridiculous!! Like I just sit there and have to ask my comp any time they ask me a question cause they speak so fast and have a lot of slang and don't say all the words and kinda mumbles.... AHHH haha but if I can understand a Cuban.... I can understand anyone.

We have one lady with a baptismal date. We had 2 up until yesterday and cause you have to come to church 3 times to be baptized and there was a man that had his date on July 1 and now there are only 2 Sundays left and he hasn't gone once. The other lady I absolutely love to death. Her name is Darely and she is great. She needs to come to church 1 time in the next 2 weeks to be baptized. Were praying for a miracle. The missionaries have been teaching her for 6 months and she just kinda gets lazy, but she is really one of the funniest ladies ever haha even though I can’t always understand her. She’s Cuban too. But her mom had surgery this week so we have been in the hospital with Darely and her mom 2 this week just seeing what we can do. Honestly... I don't want to say this, but she hasn't gone to work in like 6 days cause of her mom.... so she might get fired.... THEN SHE CAN COME TO CHURCH. It really is amazing how the Lord is in all that we do.

We never get dinner appointments in this area I guess. Maybe 3 times if we’re lucky in a 6 week period haha so... were poor to say the least. We get about 120 for the month. My comp has about 15 dollars left to last him the rest of the month. So I might have to help him out cause he has bought a lot of stuff that we both use. We are going to the Louisville Slugger museum today so I am really excited about that!! I can’t wait. The zone leaders are going to come pick us up.

You can send things to our apartments. I’ll probably be in this area for about 6 months. That's about average for the Spanish missionaries. Um my address for my apartment is...

Elder Kyle Knudsen

508 Markwell Crt

Louisville, KY, 40219

It would be much appreciated if you sent us some food haha I told him about your brownies haha so hopefully you can find some time. You can send things to my mission home. It won’t take much longer unless you send it UPS or FEDEX then it will take longer because they can’t redirect it to our apartment. Like if you send it to them, it will take about a day longer, but either way you should be fine. Ill update you if anything else changes.

I had a really cool experience my first day out! We went and visited a lady named Mora. She’s from Cuba. I couldn't understand her and then my comp started talking and I could understand him and so then I added some things and then she just broke down and cried. She’s a member, but not an active member. But like I guess my words really touched her so that was great. My comp said my Spanish really is amazing for just coming out of the MTC like he said it’s much better than his, but understanding will just take time and stuff like that.

I don't really have much to add. We’re really going to hit it hard this week and try and find some new investigators because summer is the hardest time out here because they are all working in construction. So they don't get home until night and so we can’t see all the people we would like to. They are all really nice though and will listen to what you have to say.. Honestly the hardest part is getting them to come to church because Sundays are usually there day off and so they just want to sit and home and be lazy. This week I have decided there are really not enough time in the day. I still have some jet lag I think haha or I'm just really tired... I kinda dozed off in priesthood yesterday and the teacher Joel made fun of me and then we went and talked to a recent convert that loves us, and I kinda dozed off at his house. He almost fed us frozen ham!!! GROSS!!! Like I guess all the time he will just pull out this frozen ham and cut off some pieces and then give you crackers.... I guess it is disgusting. Also the Cubans love there mayo haha they put in on everything. Corn on the Cob, they will dip crackers into a whole jar haha it’s kinda really funny but ya...

We have our first dinner appointment on Wednesday with some inactive members. I guess they can cook really good. There cooking authentic Mexican food so hopefully I can handle it. You’re never going to believe it haha I had lettuce on my sandwich like the first day we got into the field because they all gave us these sandwiches.... AND I DIDN'T DIE!!! Amazing huh!!!! Um all I eat here is... PB&J um cereal... and frozen pizza.... and ya I think that is about it haha oh and I had mac and cheese one night

Oh and we get to email longer now that were in the field but my time on the library computer is about to expire but I would love some letters every once and awhile but I have to go and I love you all and I love Kentucky!!! Oh and pretty much where we all teach is in like the ghetto apartment complexes you see on TV. I haven't been into a house yet. Closest thing was a trailer. Everyone is always outside drinking and like look like gang member and just giving you a bad look haha but really I know I’ll be fine

Love

Elder Knudsen

Letter from the Mission President's Wife

Dear Brother and Sister Knudsen,

Just to let you know, your wonderful son arrived here in the GKLM (the Great Kentucky Louisville Mission) safe and sound on Monday, virtually beaming from ear to ear from the moment we saw him.

After getting the bags and loading up the GKLM trailer (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission) the missionaries hopped in the Mission van or other cars for the short ride to the Mission Home. President Woodbury began interviews while I conducted an orientation meeting and the Assistants to the President took individual pictures to be used on the Transfer Boards at the Mission Office and Mission Home. We were joined by the two couples from the Mission Office and sat down to a home-cooked dinner of stuffed shells with meat sauce, strawberry spinach salad, Frog’s Eye fruit salad, garlic bread, and Skor bar cake for dessert.

The two couples left after the meal and the rest of us went downstairs to the Training Room (aka the family room) to have a “Welcome to the Best Two Years” skit by the Assistants, and Testimony Meeting. What a spiritual feast! Your wonderful son bore a strong and humble testimony. We're looking forward to great things with and through him...      Then, it was off to bed with chocolates on his pillow for sweet dreams.

Tuesday morning we had a hot breakfast of egg and ham casserole, muffins, and fresh fruit, followed by Companionship Study and orientation regarding finances and vehicles. By 10:00 we were at the church adjacent to the Mission Office for Transfer Meeting.

After the song and prayer, the outgoing missionaries gave their departing "Words of Wisdom" and then it was time for new missionaries to be in the spotlight. Each stood as he or she was introduced, along with the name of their Trainer and their first area.  After Elder Knudsen stood, Elder Warner, a strong and dedicated missionary, hurried over to hug his new companion and take him to the area in the chapel reserved for them. "Called to Serve" was sung, GKLM style, and then President Woodbury announced the rest of the transfers. Following the meeting, the new missionaries and their Trainers met to be introduced to the new 12-week Training Program, after which they and the outgoing missionaries had lunch there at the church before having their pictures taken by the sign at the Mission Office. That was it - After pictures Elder Knudsen took off with Elder Warner to his first area, charged and raring to go!

President Woodbury and I appreciate you sending your wonderful son to us. I know that you will blessed for your support and the sacrifices you are making to enable him to serve.

            Love, Sister Becky Woodbury

Week 8-May 31st

Well this week has been just a normal week. Nothing too exciting just getting ready to pack up all my gear and head to Kentucky! I bet you cant wait to hear what time I will be calling you... but... I'm going to lengthen that out for a bit just to kinda torment you :) haha I'm so funny aren't I!!! Well the people in my district who are going to Argentina didn't get there Visas and so Elder Green is going to SLC South haha and then Elder Magnesen is going to Nashville Tennessee and then Hermana Pasquale is going to Washington DC so that is really exciting! Elder Green and Elder Magnesen leave Monday with us but Pasquale leaves Tuesday. I really cant wait. I'm kinda jealous cause since they got reassigned they get to call home. You won't believe it but guess who I'm talking to right now as i type this email!! ALEC Starkie! haha ya I thought he taught Spanish but he actually teaches English. Um I also saw Talita haha that was last week haha so that was excting oh and I also saw Shelby Ostler yesterday. Its kinda crazy that I am about to leave this place that I have called home for the last 2 months! Its kinda sad, but I really cant wait to get out to Kentucky! Sorry this letter is all over the place cause my computer keeps freezing and so then I forget what I was going to say! Um all is well though! The new district that we got is way sweet I really like them a lot and there great examples. We have another elder go home this week so that was kinda sad he's from Taylorsville and he knew a lot of people that I did.

 

I am really dreading to pack though! I don't know how I am going to fit everything in my suit case haha so I think I might be sending home a package today just of some things that I really wont need! Don't be offended if I send my louisville hoody home just cause I really don't have room in my suit case and I really don't want to be over weight cause that is a lot of money like they encourage us not to be over weight so ya I'll try and send it off today, but if not hopefully tomorrow cause I don't know what is going to fit and not. Also I loved the package you sent to me but I probably wont be able to take a lot to Kentucky so I'll probably just have to pass it down to the other Elders. It was weird doing a session for the last time today! At least the last time for awhile! I don't really know what else to say about this week cause pretty much we're just coasting along, not coasting like were still working hard but its just always the same every night! Um we didn't get an apostle on Tuesday so it looks like I'll only be getting 5 apostles while I'm at the MTC. I feel like my teaching ability has gotten a lot better this week! Like I feel like I'm really grasping the concept that they want us to have while we teach so that's been good and exciting.

 

So I told you about Hermano Toone in my last email... Um ya yesterday... He informed us that we are going to teach him this week as himself cause he wants to learn from us... I'm not really scared, but really this is the guy I have looked up to for the last few weeks and I just feel like I don't have much to offer him, which is kinda true, but if I can bring the spirit into the lesson then he will learn something and I will have done my job! I have a lot to do today. I went and got a hair cut like 10 minutes ago and then I have to go pick up my dry cleaning and I think I am going to write a letter to all of my teachers I have had since being in the MTC cause they really have helped me a lot and then I have other letters to respond too.

 

Well the moment you have all been waiting for.... Cuando yo voy a Kentucky yo empezo... haha JK haha I crack myself up haha but really so Monday I have to report to the Travel Office at 4am!!! Ya I know that is wayyyy too early, but it will all be worth it! Um then we go to SLC and my flight will leave at 730 from there so I might be able to call home for a bit just to say hi before I leave.... haha jk and then I fly to Colorado and I have a 2 and a half hour layover there before I head off to Kentucky. I should be arriving in Colorado around 8:50 and then my flight for Kentucky leaves around 12:30 so don't worry I'll be able to call for around 2 hours if everything goes as planned and then I will be arriving in Kentucky at 3:30 or something like that and I'll stay the night there and have interviews and then be off with my trainer on Tuesday!!! AHHH can you even believe it haha!!!

 

Um please just send me an email when you get this cause I'll be checking my email later on today to tell me if there will be people at our house or if i need to call like dad and grandpa and all of them separately just so I know. I don't really have much else to say!!! I am really sorry this is such a short email.... Cause there really is nothing new in the MTC haha. Hopefully all is well at home I really cant wait to talk to yall but just think only 22 more fast sundays and I am home!! Its kinda crazy to think about that huh! Possibly only 21 cause this will be my 3rd fast sunday in the MTC technically. It just depends on what day I leave.  Um my reading has been going good. I'm almost done with 1st Nephi in the Book of Mormon in Spanish and i can pretty much understand everything it is saying and then my English study i have one more Chapter in Mark and then ill be moving on to Luke. Its been amazing the blessing of being a missionary and just all the things that come to mind and all the deeper meanings of scrips, like an elder showed to me what he learned and it was crazy like in 1st peter hes talking to Christ and Christ says that he is going to have to suffer as he did kinda, and he gets kinda upset because John doesn't have to taste death, and this was kinda peter in his younger days, then later on he bares his testimony and it is so strong and amazing and the end of his life and just knowing all that is true, and then we find out that peter was crucfied also, but upside down. I never really knew that it was a cool story/ insight.

 

But i love you all and miss you

Elder Knudsen

Week 7-May 24th

Do you just want to know what is crazy!!! You get one more email besides this one until you get to talk to me!!! How exciting huh!! Oh before I forget!!! I really want my volleyball warm up underarmour shirt so if you could send that that would be great!! Hope you liked the recorder!! I know it was really random haha I'm sorry about the Spanish message haha we just try and speak Spanish all the time!!

I don't even know what to say this time!! Like I usually bring my journal to email and so then I can remember everything, but today I forgot so pretty much I'm just going off of whatever I remember what happened! Um we got a big district yesterday so that was kinda exciting. We got 8 new elders and 4 new sisters so that's really exciting! They seem like really nice guys. One of them knows Moses!! And he loves volleyball haha so I think we are going to get along just great! I really am just loving the MTC right now haha like it is so much fun!! I'm going to miss bits and pieces of it so its kinda sad!! But I really cant wait until I get to Kentucky! You should be very grateful that I type really fast cause really there was one elder that could only write a paragraph in the half hour that we have haha so be grateful!!!

I cant wait for tomorrow! I get my travel plans so that's really exciting so next email I'll be able to tell you when I'm calling cause I don't know if your going to have people be at home depending on what time I call or if I just need to call everyone cause I really want to talk to you and dad and Chris and I know Lindsay might still be on her cruise and I really want to call grandma and grandpa!!! Tomorrow it kinda becomes real for me! Like I will have a paper telling me when I arrive in the field! Like Tuesday I will be off with my trainer doing the work! I am kinda getting nervous cause what if I get a straight up native companion that doesnt speak English?? That will be pretty dang hard, but it will force me to learn Spanish that's for sure!!

We had a great talk from Elder Rasband who is part of the presidency of the quorum of the 70!! Like he was really good and he just gave us keys that we need to do to always have the constant companionship with the Holy Ghost! It was a great talk and I just kinda thought that the Holy Ghost is my 3rd companion and I need to be having comp inventories to know how to better have the spirit with me! I really liked what his wife said though. She compared us to windows and said that we are the thing that is allowing Christs light shine through us and through the members of our missions so that was really cool and she applied it to a scripture in 3rd nephi but I honestly don't really remember which one.

  

But I'm thankful for all of your blessings and for all the letters!! I love you all so much!! My district is amazing haha we have had some really fun experiences this week like haha I don't even know where to begin. Like today they make fun of my accent cause they think I have a southern accent so that's fun and then we tackled elder green on the bed and then they ran after me with a squirt gun and stuff and really the mission is going to be so fun! Its kinda sad thinking about in the field I'm not with this many elders at one time, but i really do love it!!! Its so funny.

The thing I have been most concentrating on this week is losing myself in the work of the Lord. It says in Mark that if you lose yourself in my Name you will find yourself. I watched a movie on sunday night called the Character of Christ by Elder Bednar and it was amazing! Like he just talked about Christ always turning out when the natural man tells us to turn inward. Um he also said that if we lose ourselves in the work that is when we find ourselves, but when we are looking for ourself is when we get lost! I really have been trying to focus on the work and it has really helped me to not worry about anything else except being prepared to teach the people in Kentucky!!!! AHHH 10 more days!!!! HAHAH YAYYYYYY

Well I need to send off some more letters so I love you all and I really cant wait to talk to you!!! Haha I'm already preparing myself for the water works but thats ok haha

Love you all

Elder Knudsen