March 4th

So I dont even know where to start this week. It was a really weird week to say the least. Like all the days went by super fast, but the week went by soooo slow! But it was absolutely amazing! So on Monday we had a zone activity where we played basketball and volleyball and a bunch of other stuff and so that was really fun. Like I love just getting out of the apartment for a few hours and just letting loose haha, but it doesnt happen very often.

 

So then Tuesday we had an exchange with the Zone Leaders. In the morning we helped a family move and it took a good amount of time. I feel like missionaries are the officail movers of hte church. But it was ok. After that Elder Duran came to Okolona and Elder Singleton went up to North Side. We had a pretty successful day. We set a baptismal date with this couple from Cuba. They are the most amazing couple ever. They are for sure going to be baptized. They went to stake conference this weekend too. We set it for April 6... and we forgot that is conference weekend and so its really hard to get baptisms to go through that weekend, and so we might move it up to the last saturday in March or maybe the 13 or April. They are so amazing and so prepared. They are so much fun. Cutest couple ever. They are like early 30's and they have been here about a month and so they arent working, but just going to school to learn English and are just loving life.

 

So then Wednesday we had Zone Conference. It was super good. Its super weird to see Elder Warner as the AP and giving us training. Haha but it was super good. They talked about serving our companion and we talked about contacting everyone and also how to help people overcome the Word Of Wisdom. It was a really good day though. Its super weird cause like the missionaries that are going home share there testimony at the last Zone Conference and Elder Duran shared his today. Like he was barely out a year when I came in and now hes going home in 2 weeks!! This next year is just going to fly by!! I am just loving the mission life right now. I feel like im at my prime!

 

Then Thursday I had a meeting with the Zone Leaders because at the end of every month we have to do a District Leader Report, and so they come over and just talk about how the district had done that month and things like that. It took like 2 hours. Oh and I got like my first flat tire this week since being in Okolona. It cost me $16 to get it repaired cause it was a bad one, but ya so I wasnt happy about that.

 

Then Friday is our weekly planning day, but we really wanted to work. So we only did about half of it and then went to work. We had a pretty good amount of success that day and taught some really good lessons. This area is just so white. There is so much work here and it just kills me. Like we dont tract in neighborhoods cause its a lot harder to find spanish that way and its not really using our time effectively and so we tract apartment complexs. But it just kills me cause I know there are hispanics ready for the gospel that live in neighborhoods, but its just super hard to find them and teach them.

 

So Saturday we had the Mission Conference and it was so amazing. Like they told us they couldnt remember the last time they had that many general authorities in a meeting that was as small as ours. So we had Elder L Tom Perry, Elder Quintin L Cook, Elder Clayton (Presidency of the 70ty) Elder Munds (Area 70ty) President Lund (Former Lousville mission president and now Temple President) President Woodbury, and then likr 6 stake presidents! It was so powerful just to hear their words. Before the meeting started we got to shake all of their hands. I guess Elder L Tom Perry came here because his grandson is actually serving here and its the only grandson he hadnt visited yet that was on a mission. But Elder Cook talked about how importand we are because of the serge of missionaries. Cause we have to be better than everyone else before us or else this serge is just going to bring mediocre missionaries and thats now what the church needs right now. It was a really powerful talk and really helped me cause a lot of people thing I am going to train in 2 weeks. Then Elder L Tom Perry talked about the organization of the church and talked about how the Prophet is called and it was just super cool and then talked about his mission experience and gave a really powerful testimony. Oh and Elder Clayton talked about D&C112 and it was super cool. All and All they were there for about 2 hours and it was amazing.

 

Then Sunday we had a special Stake Conference where Elder Quintin L Cook spoke. It was super cool. He just talked about how keeping the commadments is what brings us peace and happiness and how its such a blessing for us to be members of the church and how we have to do a lot of things to maintain this happiness. He talked for about 45 min. Hes a really powerful man. Its just amazing to see a Special Witness of Christ. The amazing couple came and they absolutely loved it. Elder Duran had to translate, but it was actually something really cool cause it was something that was on his bucket list, was to translate for an Apostle and he got to do it haha.

 

So another big thing that is happening this week is Pablo, Fabiola and Marcela are getting baptized again. So they werent able to find Pablos records in Mexico, and since he baptized Fabiola and Marcela, they have to be baptized again. I am super sad for them. They were so ready to go to the temple and now it looks like they are going to have to wait another year to do it. Like were going to try and do all we can to try and pull some strings to get them there faster, but were going to have to see. This means ill be able to go to the temple with them if they go during my mission now, but I just love them so much and want the best for them.

 

So we had a pretty successful week, but not as successful as last week but I think its because we didnt really have as much time. Its been really hard to get in contact with our investigators and so we havent been able to see them as much as we would like. Like Renberto is trying to find work and so hes always in the street just looking for jobs. And its been super hard.

 

Then I had a really cool experince with Elder Duran on Saturday night after the Mission Conference. So we went out to a taco place and we were sitting down and Elder Duran looks over at me and is like Elder Knudsen will you come with me for a second and I said yes. So we walked outside and I asked him what was going on. He said he had a feeling that he needed to walk down the street. So we start walking and we find ourselves in a parking lot and we see a Cuban in a corner. We go and talk to him and he was super nice and excited to talk to us and we set up a return apointment for today so we will see what happens. It was just super cool though.

 

There is not really anything else I can think of for this week. Everything is going really well. I am sick of the cold for sure. I am just waiting for it to warm up when I can where short sleeve shirts outside and not my suit. Thanks for all that you do. Love yall

 

Elder Knudsen