Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The DR #2

Alright well I have 10 minutes. What has happened?! So this is probably going to be short because I only have ten Minutes and I was told to watch my spelling and capitalization so it will not go very fast.Thanks for the letters y'all. I get so happy when I get on Thursday morning and I have mail. I guess I need to cut straight to the points. This week has been fast. Yes, I am still sick but I just choke the food down then pop some Pepto Bismoal and some Tylenol for the cramps and I'm good. Yeah email is probably the best way to get me so spread the word. They said that if someone was going to send you a package to tell them to not send it because you probably won't get it.
So that return appointment at the university was on Monday and our man Victor came through and brought five of his friends. The problem was they were more interested in learning English then the gospel so we shared our testimony, passed out some pamphlets and bounced. Our time is important. What else?What do you guys like to hear about? let me know. Picture hour is this Tuesday so I'll try and send my memory card home sometime next week. Thanks everyone for your support and your love and your letters you all mean so much to me. I think i got to go. Peach out!I love you all.Love, Darin
P.S. I will give my scripture to the bishop, I have to write him back

Monday, June 22, 2009

THE DR

Dear fam,
Okay so this is crazy. This place is so poor. Good thing the church is loaded and I live on temple grounds because as soon as you leave the 15 foot wall around us its crazy!! I don't know where to start. The food here is horrible. It is like top of the line food for people here but for me it is horrible. Lunch is the big meal and we usually have LOADS of rice with beans on top and some chicken then some mystery meat that nobody knows what it is, also we have some hard bread a banana and fruit punch. I usually fast lunch ha ha I´m so sick of this food. I have had diarrea for about 2 days now. Breakfast is usually pretty good, the milk is sorta salty though its weird. But breakfast is actually the best meal for me. What else, So this MTC is a little bit more lazy but I´m still pushing myself way hard. I´m still way stressed out about time all the time so I think that's a good thing. My new comp is Hawaiian. He red shirted last year for BYU. He is pretty cool and 100% obedient, and works hard as well. He is pretty smart. Its funny to hear what happens in the BYU locker room and to hear about all the guys we watch on TV. Dad you won in quipt toe huh wow good job I didn´t think the day would come when mom or grandma or Stacey didn't win. And mom you cleaned out the gutters eh that's impressive. yeah it does stink and it gets all over you. Thanks everyone for the letters I´d write you back but I don´t have very much time. So I´ve had some missionary experiences... I told you about the one with the born again lady, but then on the plane to here, the DR, I sat next to this guy that had a go-T and was black and dressed well and wore a lot of rings and stuff and had sunglasses. To say the least he was scary. Finally by the end of the flight I worked up the courage to talk to him. I found out he has a family and he is catholic but everyone says their catholic and it doesn't mean anything. He found out I was nervous to go through customs because my Spanish is bad but as we were getting off the plane I bore my testimony to him and game him a pass along card in Spanish, he then said if I need any help with customs he has my back. I felt cool that that guy had my back. Also while waiting for the plane that day I practiced my Spanish with a lady and did the same with her even though she said my Spanish is horrible. Here we go to the university that has about 120,000 students and practice making contacts once a week. Its on Mondays so this Monday my comp and I made 5 contacts and got their numbers and addresses and set a a return appointment for us. which is weird because we are getting these referrals for the full time missionaries here but the guy, his name is victor said he wanted to meat us again. So why not, we´ll probably baptize him while in the MTC. So I´ve seen 2 stray dogs and been hit on a lot. This place is crazy. I´ve seen the sinks that Chris and I´m sure Justin as well washed their clothes in and everything. everybody drives crazy. like the traffic lights here mean nothing. Oh yeah and the classes are all taught in Spanish so its super hard to learn anything. Whats new at home? I´ve gotten one DearElder from Jared this week but I think they only give them out once a week, Don´t send packages here because I won't get them. I would say number one thing to do is email on this or write on dearelder. What is everyone up to, tell me whats going on there. oh and we´re not allowed to take pictures so I don´t know what I´m going to do about that. Maybe sometime later they will let us take pictures and after I do I´ll send my memory card home, maybe even with some voice recordings on it. I love you all so so so much. Thanks for everything. I couldn´t ask for a better family. Sorry I didn´t get to talk to everyone on the phone as much as I wanted so sorry but there is always Christmas right. Anyway that's that and i hate the food, I´m surviving on the candy from the packages in Provo except my comp eats a lot so there are diminishing fast. LOVE YA ALL
Darin Knudsen

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Talking to Darin

So the Family got to talk to Elder Knudsen on Friday and also a quick call on Thursday. He was supposed to leave the Provo MTC on Thurdsay June 11th, but after he got to the airport at 5:30am he found one of his flights canceled because of a storm. So he called and told my mom so she wouldn't worried. Then on Friday during his layovers he was allowed to call us. Here is a list of some of the things we talked about;
  • Going back to the MTC was hard because his district and everyone sang goodbye to them and he didn't want to go get clean sheets just to take them off again the next morning so he just slept on the mattress with the bed spread.
  • His companion and all the other elders he knew went on earlier flights so he wasn't flying with anyone he knew, but he didn't feel too bad because there was also a sister without a comp.
  • He loved all the pictures in the MTC hanging on the walls of the family. It kept him going and gave him motivation.
  • He loved the MTC food and probably had 3 cups of chocolate milk and 5 glasses of orange juice a day, however, it wasn't treating his system very good.
  • He was excited to leave the Provo MTC and be in new surroundings
  • He worked out harder than he ever had in the MTC. His District Leader was all about physical fitness.

Anyway, we talked for a while and he seems like he is doing well.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

MTC 6/5/09 Swine Flu

So I hope this works and I hope I got the right e-mail address!! Anyway what up fam!? Hows everyone doing?! So from the story of the cabin it sounds like Chris and Justin still haven't grown up yet. It sounds about like chris to blame a rock for starting the fire. Ha Ha just kidding. So the MTC is crazy! I'm doing a lot better now and I'm not really homesick. I mean I still love you all but I think I can actually concentrate a litte better now. > Have you guys heard about the swine flu?! Ha Ha its like a zoo here! Nobody dares do any bodily function for fear of being sentenced to 4M!!! (4M is like the prison for all the sick people. they have taken a whole residence building and made it isolation!!! Its crazy, our zone leader said he felt a little bit sick and we haven't seen him all week! Its the same building as the barborshop so today when I got my haircut we went up one flight of stairs and signs were saying DO NOT ENTER UNLESS YOU LIVE HERE. MISSIONARIES STAY AWAY. I talked to someone who talked to one of the missionaries in there and he said they had to talk through a small window but the kid in isolation said I feel fine but they wont let me out!! They are all so lonely in there. they just stare out the windows ha ha you can see them at night. we actually got a letter form our district president from the inside that said its like a zoo in there. A lot of the Missionaries are not keeping the rules!! ha ha I was actually way sick last week but i never told anyone for fear of 4M. Whats the news in the outside world on the swine flu. I'm not worried i'm tough as nails. Its actually way way funny!! Its totally helped lighten the mood here. And they equiped us with inhailers ha ha to fight sickness!! Its pretty serious. you can't even leave your room if your sneezing or coughing or anything!! Its funny. Oh and it helps that mom sent me with all this allergy medicine and EMERGEN-C's so thanks mom.) Sorry this letter is kinda scattered, this little red clock in the corner that is counting down is stressing me out!!!! > Anyway, my flight plans and travel plans have stayed the same. originally they weren't going to let us out of here untill the 15th but I think they know it would be best to get out of this MTC de Muerte!! but they gave me a call home pass to tell you this so let me know if you want me to call home and when. It can only be five minutes though, but when I travel I can call whoever whenever so make sure EVERYONE is by there phones on the 11th!! So how is everyone?! Is my dog still kickin? does bode still like me better then justin? Thanks so much for the packages everyone!! The spanish is so bloody hard for me!! I can't get it but I know it'll come and even if it doesn't I'm leaving for the DR on the 11th so I will be fully sumbmerssed in spanish!> I love you all. I really am SO SO lucky to have such a tight family!! Everyone is such a great example to me. Mom and Dad you really did it right! You should be proud!! I'm Going to try and write some hand written personal letters if I have time so be looking for those! And justin the eagle has not landed. I would be totally in but it might be hard... anyway I know I have so much more to say but this little red clock in the corner is killing me!! I'll try and write some hand written letters!! I love you all Thanks so much for all the great examples and for all you do for me. I will always be greatful for you all. My love for our family has been so magnified being here. Oh year and my hair..... chou! I look so goofy. I will send pictures as soon as i can. And i got a digital voice recorder to listen to the BOM in spanish so i might be able to send some voice clips. DAD i'm getting really good at singing base!! My whole district is Way good at singing and I'm doing what I can. Thank you so much for everything!! I'm doing great now. I can now look at pictures of the family and read letters and write letters without it affecting my whole day. LOVE> Elder Knudsen, Darin Dar Darwin "D"

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

First Letter MTC 5/21/09

Mom, Dad, Everyone
5/21/09
Well, I’m here. It’s CRAZY! I was supposed to write you a letter last night but I have been crazy stressed and I haven’t had time for anything! I have so much to do and zero time! Anyway I’m super homesick and really stressed out, but that’s about it. (I only included that so you would pray for me…) I am staying positive and trying to have a little fun! It’s hard to have fun when you have so much other, more important stuff to do.
Stuff that I want to be sure to say in this letter is as follows:
My companion is pretty cool and same with my district.
Tell everyone to check out dearelder.com (I hear I can get same day letters)
I am thankful for every person individually in our family and love everyone VERy much!! (I will expound when I have more time)
Grandma knew what she was doing when she hung the pictures of our family up they keep me going!
Time is short so I would be able to write very often. Sorry
Thanks for the Journal! (I haven’t read it or looked at the family pictures yet because I don’t want my comp to see me cry, yet)
I love the FOOD!!
Tell Chris and Justin that not only do I always hear the “Welcome to the jungle” sound track but I heard the “Star Wars Theme” today during class and it was awesome! (They will know what that means)
I could write for pages but have no time. I love everyone, thank you so much!
Love, your son

Darin Knudsen