7/7/10-10/27/10

10/27/10

Dear family,
WOW THIS WEEK WAS SO AWESOME I WISH I COULD DO BACKFLIPS TO SHOW MY EMOTION!!!!! okay so I'll answer your questions first. Elder Zenger and I are still together and I think we will be together for a long time. Maybe for christams again!! All the Necies and Nephews look so awesome!!
So at saturday the familia Ramos (the ones who were teaching) came to an activity with their kids and everything and even participated in bringing things. They are getting along with the ward very well. Then on Sunday the whole family showed up. Actually a lot of people showed up it was hard taking care of all of them again but we had a lot of help from the ward! Anyway as I looked around they were like so put together in the church with there arms around eachother and listening revently and everything. Anyway after church sunday the mom went up to my companion and said I found where I want to be and I want to be baptised with my husband and two kids so start focusing on my husband!!!! Its a good thing I didnt here that right there in the church because I would have probably done a backflip!!! It was so cool!! Sadly we havent had time to see them this week yet. We have been stuck in the mission office helping some elders out and in meetings and stuff all week!! Its been really tough but it was totally worth it when the new elders arrived on tuesday and we had the chance to all take out on and go work!! They are so awesome and so humble!! They want to share the gospel so bad that they try and try and try to comunicate with the people and they are so innocent and humble the people cant deny them.
I love this Church. It is true! I know the book of mormon is the word of God and I know that Jospeh smith is a Prophet. I challenge all of you to read and pray about the book of mormon frequently!! I have had countless answers and they all just keep strenghtening me!! I love you family and hope you have a great week!
Love Elder Knudsen.

10/20/10

Dear family,
Wow it sounds like a lot is happening!! 3 new babies in 2 months!! Thats crazy!! Make sure you keep sending me pictures of them! Also Justin and Lindsey just up and going to New York and having like the best "New York" trip ever! And all the trips for that matter to St. George and to Las Vegas. Wow it sounds like a lot is going on!! Its funny on the mission I feel just Kinda numb. Ha ha I'm sure you all can relate to it. Like a lot is happening but its almost like its not really happening. I dont know it is weird.
This week has been super cool! I love it when you at church and your running everywhere to try and make sure all the people there know what is going on and feel good. It is super stressful but honestly I wouldn't have it any other way!! The family came to Church this week. They didn't bring there kids though but I think after they saw all the other kids screaming and running around and throwing toys and stuff they decided its okay to bring the kids. They Loved the Church! They Said it just filled them up!! They are really progressing. The wife more than the husband I believe it is becuase she is probably reading and praying when he doesn't really have time to do it. But we will help him more, his name is Nelson if you could pray for him and the kids as well to participate, they are Angel and Jose. Also a few other people came to church, A less active and a investigator that we taught a while ago showed up and I guess he has been going to Seminary!! he loves it too. We are also teaching a part member family. The non member is Jose as well.
It has been a super sweet week. A lot of work and trying to follow the spirit in everything. yesterday we were pretty guided. We were going to go find some people and we didnt know where so we said a prayer and looked at the map then decided on an area and as we were pulling into the area we saw a member there helping his recently married son (nonmember) move. So we jumped in and helped them and after helping them they said "I'm going to go to chruch this week because you helped us" haha I am really glad they are willing to give it another chance because the first time they didnt like it. Then later in the night we were guided to a house where one of our investigators was!! It was super sweet.
We are starting to have succes among the poorer people. Not the super poor but the lower class! it is awesome because they are always outside and they are with there families and we just go up and talk to them and usually teach them right there! they are more accepting.
I have to get going but i love you all family!! even the ones I dont know yet Carter Audrie and Dane and I miss ya but I know the Lord wants me here and This is were I want to be right now. I cant believe how much I have grown. There are so many amazing example around me and the Lord is blessing me! 2 nephi 2:26 is awesome how it explains that we need to choose to act!! Have a great week!! Love you all.
Elder Knudsen


10/13/10

So Family how are you all doing?! It sounds like things are going crazy there at home.. Well at least a lot is happening. It sounds like Stacey has a lot of pressure to have the baby soon because everyone is going to seem them this week! I'm glad that everything is going good for Audrey Lynn and Britt. Its good that I finally know her name so I can pray for her ha ha. Justin and Lindsey are in New York?! What?! That came out of nowhere ha ha I guess there are more Puerto Ricans that live in New York then here in Puerto Rico so I hope they enjoy being there with my people ha ha. Wait wait wait I heard that BYU lost to Utah STATE?! Uh oh. But then they are doing better now? I hope so!
Anyway things in the mission are awesome! The Family didnt make it to church this sunday... That killed me but I'm sure they will come next week! They are awesome and the mother even barrowed a dress from someone so that she could come! We are still looking for a lot of families. President Alvarado said that we should baptised 5 families this month..(He gets really excited sometimes) but I know he is called of God and we can get it if we work hard!
This past week we went with the President to the other side of the island (where I have been basically all my mission except this transfere) to help him out with teaching a few missionaries. It was cool the place where I went and worked was super flooded and people were trying to take things out of there house and everything so we just decided to do some service and eventhough nobody would let us we showed them we were serious by just walking down into this dirty muddy water with our white shirts and ties and everything on!! It was fun.
It was super cool to be able to be with him and his family and to scripture study with them and everything. Because I am the youngest I never got to see things from the perspective I was seeing President Alvarados' family. It was really cool. But then we got a ride home from a senior missionary and didnt get home till super late but its funny How much respect I have for these senior couple out here giving all there time and effort and how patient they are with the missionaires and the good actitudes they have and everything!
Anyway I think I'm just mumbling while I wait for the other missionaries to finish but I have to get going. I love you all so much family. Thank you for all that you do for me. Amo esta Iglesia, Amo esta familia, amo el Libro De Mormon y tengo confianza al saber que puedo ser limpio por medio de la expiacion de mi Salvador. Esta es la Iglesia verdadera. Dios nos conoce y nos ama a cada uno especifica.
Love Elder Knudsen
P.S. Thanks for the new white shirts and the halloween candy.



10/6/10

Dear Familia,
Wow the weeks are flying. Thanks so much for your prayers! They are really helping out here. CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS AND BRIT!!!! That is awesome. I am glad to hear that everything went well on the birth. What is her name?!? Hang in ther stac! ha ha It sounds like you are all doing great. Mom what is this about going on a feild trip with your grandson.. Is that even allowed? haha
Thanks for sending the shirts, I havent gotten them but the other ones I gave to some missionaries who really needed them.
This week was awesome!! The confrence was sweet! We got to go to all of the sessions because we made the goals we had set! It was really really good. I felt the main focuses were faith, preparing your family, following the prophet and staying away from any temptation. I really really enjoyed the talk by Brother Kearon ( I think that was his name). Basically all of priesthood session was really good.
We were running everywhere this weekend. Between all the conferences we had to go teach as many people as we could! The Lord really blessed us for doing it too. A less active showed up to conference with his daughter after we visited him and as well we invited the parents of 2 to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptised on the 30 of october and they said they would prepare for that date!!!! There names are Milagros and Jose. Their kids are a little special but we came up with some sweet lessons to help them out too.
Elder Zenger and I are loving our time together as usual and have hopes to still be together at Christmas!! Ha ha we'll see.
I was thinking back, during one of the talks during conference talks, to the teachers that have made a huge difference in my life (aside from mom and dad and all the family) and I was just thinking how thankful I am for all of them. Obviously right now as a missionary I am focusing on becoming a good teacher but it is something that the whole church needs and if we dont have it the church will weaken. Have you ever noticed how the Lord calls people who are great teachers to be with the youngmen and young women and primary. Its because if we can teach simply so people understand and are interested the people we teach will stay strong in the church. I just want to invite all of you to study chapter 10 of preach my gospel with me so we can all keep building the church together. (as well as that talk from confrence) Thankyou for everything you all do for me. I pray for you all, all the time. Please keep praying for my companion Elder Zenger and I that we can become better teachers and master spanish. I love you all and have a great week!
Love Elder Knudsen


9/29/10

Dear Family,
So this week is good just like all the other ones!! Our ward is the stake center of the biggest stake in Puerto Rico so it is super cool!! The members here are really ready to help us out in the work as well!! We were both put here new so we just need to find some people to work with so we can involve the ward but I think you all must have been praying for me because this week we found like 6 families we can teach. We had another 2 day training but our area is close enough to the mission office that we got to work in our area and we had some extra misisonaries work here too!!
So Monday night after the meeting I got the chance to work with Elder Oden, my Hawaiian companion from the MTC in the Dominican Republic. It was awesome because we knew we were going to get the chance to work together eventually. Anyway we just went out to work and we worked hard. the president said we cant go in for the night until we teach 2 families (I think it was a joke) but we went out and taught 3 families and one of them had like 13 people in the family!! It was so awesome!! We sang really good and them taught them and they all loved it and want us to come back and teach with them, the lady asked me if you could put there rebellious son on the prayer role his name is Adrian Jose. I told her you would for sure. The days are going so fast lately! I get to P-day and think back on my week and cant remember where it all went but I think that's a good thing because I know I am working super hard and the Lord will bless us. If you could all just pray for the families that we have found and for the ones that are still out there that need to find us. Please keep praying for my spanish too haha.
I want you all to know that I love the Book of Mormon. The book testifies of families! Everyone wants to find peace and happiness in this life and I know that my peace and happiness is with all of you. I love the book of mormon because it has blessed our family so much! From the first verse that says I nephi having been born of goodly parents and then later when nephi explains why we talk of Christ and rejoice in Christ and Preach of Christ and Prophecy of Christ, Its so our kids can know of him. When Jesus Christ was here in the Americas He told us to Pray Always in your families so your wives and children can be blessed. I love you all and thank you so much for all you do for me!! Have a Great week and we will talk to you next week!
Love Elder Knudsen


9/22/10

Dear Family,
It sounds like everyone is doing good there! I got the baby blessing announcement and it was awesome!! I also got the shirts!! Thanks so much!! ... they are actually a little big... ha ha I'm a 15 1/2 It also sounds like Chris Loves doing his scouting!! And Jared's seminary class is awesome! That is so cool that he is a seminary teacher!!
This week has been good. It is crazy because this is the second time in a row that I have been put into an area where we are both new to the area so we have to find eveything out ourselves. Its going good though. Elder Zenger and I are doing really good. and working hard. The ward we are in is awesome and I can't believe the size of the Church here. It is a little rough because we are living outside of our area so we have to travel a bit to get there everyday but Elder and Sister Pietz are helping us find an apartment as you heard. We have been really blessed here! We have been praying loads and fasting to find a family. When we were together the last time we found a family right at the end of the transfere. We think that the family is going to come from a reference from the members so we have been working a lot with them. President Alvarado also said that his house is open to us and the family we find to teach with them when we find them. We have been visiting the bishop the stake president the Elders quorum president and all sorts of other leaders to find this family. If you could please pray to help us be where we need to so the family can find us.
At church this sunday an 18 year old guy showed up and I began to talk to him and found our he is not a member but just comes because he likes it at Church!! So we set up a cita with him last night and it was awesome!! We shared a very powerful lesson about the Restouration and invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. He understood like everything and really had some great questions and HE HUMBILY, SINCERELY WANTED TO KNOW THE TRUTH AT AGE 18. Then we got into our car and looked at the map and found out... He doesn't live in our area!!!!!!! I was so sad that we cant keep helping him on his way but there are good Elders and Sisters in his area that will do awesome.
Thank you so much for everything you do for me family. I hope everything is still going good. I love you all so much and I love this work!! I felt the spirit so strong when I was teaching about the restoration and I know that we all need to be continuosly studying and strengthening our knowledge about the gospel. Remember that active members in the chruch isn't just coming to church every week it is members who are willing to work and are continually growing in their understanding. Thanks for being such great examples for me. I pray for you ALL the time! have a great week and talk to you next week. Good luck in the stake choir. Is dad directing that?
Love Elder Knudsen

9/15/10

Dear family,
What a week!! We just got transfered and guess what... My best friend is my companion again, Elder Zenger!! And we're not zone leaders!! They are giving us an opportunity to just work an focus on our area. I am so excited!!
So this week was pretty crazy. We had the chance to help start training a senior couple. We felt the spirit so strong when we were all learning together! While we were practicing teaching their branch presidente about family prayer we found out that his son isn't really praying that much and so I started directing the lesson at him and just before we left I looked him in the eye and made sure that he really promised me he would pray that night and he said he would. On the way home we got a call from the brach president saying his kid wants a way to stay in contacto with us and so we just set up a cita for the next day where we taught about scripture study. The spirit was there so strong and he felt it!! We are going to help him get on a mission!! He admitted to us that he felt the spirit and that he prayed and he got teary eyed when he talked about it. I ve faith that this kid will serve a mission!!
Also on our way out of my area a couple called us that we had been working with. They are a less active couple that were married in the temple and he served a mission. Anyway they called and said they went to church and took the sacrament together (we didn't know becuase we were invited to a stake confrence in ponce where Elder Coleman of the area presidency was speaking) and that they are moving to Texas and are going to the temple agian together. They called to thank us for rescuing them. It was all the Spirit. It just flooded their home when we would talk about families and they felt it and changed. I can not explain how happy I am for them.
I have some other experiences but I really don't have time. Elder Zenger and I have to go find an appartment and figure out where our area is, We are both new in the area called Trujillo Alto. We just want to go work. Thank you for everything family. Thankyou SO much for the scriptures and the case they are AWESOME!!! and yeah keep sending things to the same mission address. I love you all and keep strengthening your foundation in Christ with me!
Love Elder Knudsen


9/8/10

Dear Family,
Wow, what a week!! So last week after I wrote you we had to run to Bayamon for a ZL council which was suppose to only last one day but we didn't get back to our area until Saturday really early in the morning! It was really cool though because my companion an I were asked to make some plans for the future of our zone and how we can help certain Elders develop leadership skills for the mission and later for their country as well as plans for how we can make a really big movement in the islands that are in our mission. Thursday night President Alvarado had us come over to his house and his wife cooked for us while we finished planning. He lives in a cando in San Juan that is super nice. I figured it our when we parked next to a ferrari before we went up the Elevator. Then we went and stayed at the mission office and prepared for the next day talking about the islands. I was with Elder Oden as well. he was my companion in the MTC in the Dominican Republic. It was nice to get to spend time with him again. Finally we got home saturday super early in the morning and we worked SO hard do get the goals we had planned for our area in the two days that we had left. Honestly it was a miracle that we made it. We had to get these goals so we could invite our zone to do it as well and we did it!! It is crazy to see the change in the zone for having been the example. Everyone is doing better now.
We have been doing something interesting lately, I dont know if I have already told you about it or not. We go up to people and talk with them a little and then just say well you have a beautiful family.. I'm sure you have heard of "family night" and the people are usually like ummm no... and so we go into explain it and how it helps the family and then we invite to have a family night with them sometime this week and believe it or not we are having a lot of success with it!! We found two families in like an hour that we are going to have family nights with!!
I have been focusing a lot in establishing my testimony on the rock of our savior and this morning I read The Proclamation "The living Christ" and I felt the spirit so strong!! It was awesome!! I know this Church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true!! I know that we as a family can be together forever!! I love you all so much and am extremely excited that we can be together after this life!! Have a great week!
Love Elder Knudsen

9/1/10

Dear family,
This week was awesome but there was a sad moment. My english Book of Mormon got ruiened in the rain!!! All my markings and revelation and everything just gone!!! I have dried it out and am still using it but it just looks like I dont respect the scriptures. Maybe if you can find that Leather book of mormon case that Chris brought back from argentina for me and send it to me that would help ha ha I think eventually I will have to get a new one.
Anyway the work is going good! We had the chance to go on some tradeoffs this week and help some other elders and it was awesome!! I got the opportunity to go to work with 2 missionaries that came out into the feild with me and they are so cool Probably the up coming leaders. The president gave us some special opportunities to plan some changes in the mission coming up and it was super cool to see how we make the planes the best we can and then present them to the president who presentes them to the Lord and then the changes are made so they are in accordance with his will. It is so awesome how in the end it al works out to be the way the Lord wants.
They cut church short this week for the hurricane and so it was pretty crazy and we had to make sure all the missionaries were in early but we were all prepared with water and food. The morning of the hurricane my companion got out these 2 machetes and started sharpening them and then when they were sharp he wrapped them up and put them in the car and I was like what are you doing and he just said, just in case we have to do service. I was just like okay whatever. Come to find out on our way to a cita we found that a driveway blocked my fallen down bamboo and so we jumped out of the car and started going crazy with these machetes on these HUGE branches of bamboo!! they were like 40 foot bamboo trees and we just went out with our shirts and ties and machetes and cleared the way for the cars!! It was awesome!!
To explain a little the ward I am in hasn't had the best missionaires in awhile and so we have been focusing on gaining the trust of all the members lately but FINALLY they gave us a chance. This sunday they gave us a chance to share a class for the first hour and the members LOVED it. We talked all about families and that we all should have a temple recommend, do family night, ready pray and go to chruch as a family to strengthen the families. We had lots of particapation and ran it in a way that was like "we dont have our own kids or wifes yet but we have studied the family proclamation a lot with leaders of the chruch and with the help of you all who have your own families we can com to a lot of great conclusions" It was so good.
I hear there are a few more hurricanes comeing but dont worry about anything they take really good care of us out here and i would love to get more opportunities to serve!
Would you all pray for Joel and Joann they are a couple who are investigating the church and seem super interested. They would strengthen the Ward SO much here. Also if you could pray for me to get my spanish down I would really Appreciated it. thanks for everything family and let me know if there is anything I can do for you all.
Love Elder Knudsen
P.S. that is awesome about BYU!!!!!!!!! Raise and shout the cougars are out!!!!!!!!!! nah nah nah naaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh nnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh nnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaahhhh naaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh nah.


8/25/10

Dear Family,
Well this week was great!!! So saturday and sunday we had stake confrence and Elder Andersen of the area presidency came and also the president came. It was super good I really enjoyed it. Just before the first congrence session our car died like a football feild away from pepboys and when we asked if they could check it out they said we would have to call a tow truck to tow it to the garage because they have tried pushing it and it is way too hard. So we ended up getting super sweaty en our suits pushing this car accross a parking lot right before the confrence. I Usually love pushing cars but usually its not our car ha ha but it was good preparation because yesterday it rained loads. I guess a lot like it did there in Utah but the streets were flooded and it was like crazy. The semi's were just cruzing through these lakes and sending like huge wakes going everywhere and people just stared going into the oncoming traffic to get through. Anyway when we were driving by this big lake in the freeway there was a car stuck in the middle and these semis were just covering this car with water as they went by. We qucikly found a place to park and ran over to see if we could help and come to find out this lady had gotten really scared and was going crazy in the car so we just jumped in the water and pushed her out. It was awesome! We just got soaked that day from head to toe!!! But I loved it. the area presidency came out with a letter that said that the missionaries need to be at a level that they have never experienced. They said that we need to work very very hard and give a BONE WEARYING effort to this work. We are focusing on getting people in church weather they are investigators or they are less actives our number one goal is the attendence at chruch. We are also focusing on finding younng successful men that can strengthen the chruch here. I love it and I loved watch a family that we are teaching return to chruch this week! Elder Andersen said that if we get a family to return to chruch and take the sacrament they are returning to Christ and being baptised again. he said that people returning to the church is just as important as baptisms. I love it!!
The Lord has really blessed us to find some young families this week that we can work with so I will let you know how things go with that. We also had the chance to put up mormon.org in our city. Our president told us to go get a can of spray paint and paint the town with mormon.org. He said I dont know how your going to do it without getting in trouble... Anyway I think he was kidding but he does want it up and people seeing it because it is a great cite. so we found a really noticalbe fence and used cups to spell out mormon.org in it. It was fun.
I love this work it is awesome. Today when I was ironing my shirt I was thinking about the family and how I dont believe that you all understand how big of example you are to me. Thanks so much. I know that we need to establish our testimony on Christ Like it expains in Helaman 5. And if we do we will never fall. Have a great week family and I'll talk to you next week.


8/18/10

Dear Family,
Hey hey I hope everything is going good. It sounds like it is getting hot there!! I'm not really sure what hot is but I know when it is like 80 or something I get cold. This week has been pretty crazy. We had our zone confrence with Elder Vines, Our area president and that went good and then the next day he invited all the zone leaders to a meeting with him to talk about the struggles in the mission. It was so cool except for the fact that we decided we were going to try and take public transportation to bayamon (like a hour and a half car drive) And we got packed into this big van with like a huge subwoofer going in my ear for like four hours. The driver was pretty crazy and we stopped half way to get lunch and have a bathroom break and we were just picking up random people wherever they untill there were people sitting where the lugage went. I soon realized when I was on the bus that I couldn't feel the spirit. Someone once told me that being on a mission is like being in a bubble. You just always have the spirit.. Obviously stronger sometimes than others but it is always there with you. So I put my head down on the seat in front of me and just started praying. I still couldn't feel the spirit. It was probably the first time I had to experience that in a long time and i did not like it. We ended up getting to the Appointment late and being very embarassed but it really showed me the importance of always living a life where you can feel the spirit weather it be make sure your house and car are clean and organized to listening to music that invites the spirit. It is something that I am going to work on in my life.
We also were invited to the high councel meeting with all the stake leaders and all the bishoprics and wow it was awesome. We were really privleged to be there and see all these organized, powerful men that are leading our stake. It was very cool to be in a council with them.
We have been doing some work here in the university trying to have some success with the students here and also working with some less active families and we have had some really cool experiences. We are teaching and testifying about the family. We shoot for bringing the spirit really strong and then leaving them with that. It is usually about 15 minutes long and then we hit the road to work more. the members are really gaining respect for us (the missionaries before didnt leave on a great note) and now we just need to earn their trust. Sometimes it is hard to really testify and bring the spirit super strong super fast but you are all helping with your thoughts and testimonies of the family a proclamation to the world. Thanks so much!! You are all helping. But I love the mission and I love this family. Thankyou for everything you do for me and all your prayers. I will continue to pray for you all the time but let me know if there is anything else i can do.
Love Elder Knudsen
P.S. Mom I got your letter, Thank you so much I really enjoyed it. Oh yeah I also played the piano again for church and.... It was bad ha ha I couldnt hear the singing really and I could barely see the director and i guess i was just playing super fast and didnt realize it and there was a time when I skipped a chord and I got lost so I just stopped and I looked at the director (my companion) and he was lost to so he tried just jumping in where he thought we were and his voice squeeked and he was the only one singing because basically everyone stopped... It was humbling ha ha but hopefully I do better next week

7/28/10

Dear Family,
So yeah this week and a half have been pretty crazy. Monday after I wrote you all we just took off to bayamon to start our training and it takes like 2 hours to drive there so it was like a little road trip. All of the leadership in the mission was there basically for 4 days. We learned a lor of things. Basically things that are already in Preach my gospel but things that we arent using in the best way we can. But wow it was a lot and it was very spiritual!! After I talked to the president because one of the District leaders in our zone was told not to come and the president just said to me you have 48 hours to teach him everything that he needs to teach to his district so on the way home from our 4 day trip I just got dropped of with this district leader and re went over everything!!! It was really good and fun. I loved teaching him! However I was tired because we have been having to get up at like 5 for the training and we usually didnt get to bed untill later because we stayed with the assistents and they always had a lot of things to do. But to be honest with you.. I love getting up early in the moring and reading the scriptures or exercising!
When I finally got back in my area I found out that the family that we found. The younger ones are awesome!! They are so cool and I feel so good when we teach them and after the lesson as well. Also we have 3 return appointments with other families!!! Thank you so much for your prayers!! speacking of prayers this week I read about when the sons of mosiah and alma the younger were visited by the angel because they were trying to destroy the church and I was reminded of a really cool experience that I had befor the mission. In that chapter it talks about how Alma's father had been praying hard for his son who went wayword and the angel said because of his fathers prayers (verse 14) he visited him. Before the mission I was talking to my student ward bishop once and he basically asked me why I didnt give in to the sins that are so easy to fall into at college and I said I'm not sure... I have gotten close and he said what stopped you and i said again I dont know and then he testified to me that it is because my mother is praying for me... (I'm sure you were too dad) I am SO thankful the the prayers of our parents because they are said with love and humbly and with the heart. We have all enoyed these blessings before and we should never forget to pray for each other. I personally am very thankfull for all of your prayers!! You are all awesome!!
Anyway things are going good!! We just need to keep working hard and to be honest that envelope that dad sent me is awesome!!! It has so much motivational stuff in it!! I read through it a lot and it just gets me so pumped to go out and work and forget about how hot it is or how hungry I am or all the swet in my eyes ha ha I love this work. I know I will totally be able to teach these families better when you all send me those testimonies or stories or whatever so when you get a chance please send them.
I love hearing about Brody and Mark If you get a chance try and send me one of their letters or something ha ha And wow nelsons mission is going to be a HARD mission but dont tell him that ha ha We tried a lot of dutch people but only got taught like two people. The language is kinda cool though but tough as well. He will totally rock there though!! The Lord knows what he is doing!!
Anyway I love you all and hope everything is going good!! I love the mission and most of all our savior Jesus Christ. Have a great week family and I think I will talk to you next wednesday!!
Love Elder Knudsen

7/14/10

Dear Family,
This week was so good. We are really working hard to find people!! We just need to be patient. We have spent a few days now with just straight finding for like 3 or 4 hours. The members are helping us find as well. They are praying and looking for families for us. We sent knocking doors the other day in straight pouring rain!!! We were soaked inside and out from head to toe but we basically just wanted to see if we could get anyone to let us in and it felt a lot better than the sun!! We did see a little success out of it too.
On one of our trade offs the elder that came to our area had hear that the best Pineapples in puerto rico are in our area so when we saw a guy selling them we stopped and picked on up but this thing was HUGE!!! Like 10 lbs And just loaded with juice!!
We also ran out of miles on the car so we dusted off the bikes and went out into the mountains!! Our area is beautiful!! It is just green hill after green hill!!!! But to say the least Elder Zenger is 6 foot 4 and he hasnt been on a bike for three transferes so it got a little crazy!! He caught his knee on his handle bar on our way down a hill and could barely walk after!! ha ha He is okay just has a really brused knee.
I love you family and wish I had more time to write but I dont. But Things are going good. We are really really working hard. Please keep praying for us to find a family and for my spanish!! I love this work!! I love the Savior and I know that he really suffered for me and I am so thankful that because of that I can be here right now. Stay strong family!!
Love Elder Knudsen


7/7/10

Dear Family,
Another sobrino!!!!!! That is awesome!!! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope things have settled down a little bit and everything is being handled. It sounds like everyone is doing good and moving forward!!
My week was crazy!! Our new mission president is awesome!! All of Puerto Rico ended up getting together friday morning to meet him. We had to get up at like 4:30 to get to the meeting in time. But I got to see all my friends from the east mission and it was so cool!! A lot of them are the same and some are in the islands but it was still cool to see them. The spirit in that meeting was SO strong!! He talked a lot about love and building up the families here in Puerto Rico so they can get a temple here. I was very impressed by our president. He is very smart!! When I went and talked to him for the first time I said I think you talked to my Grandparents in the MTC and he said Yes I did and they told me to take good care of you... Where are you at? What is your Responsibility and are you baptising. He is really straight forward and SO many things are changing. it is actually pretty intense to be a zone leader right now because he hasn't given us any like set directions just to study the DOCTRINE of Christ in 2 Nephi 31 and teach it. My whole mission has changed and I love where it is going!! I am so excited!! It is really cool to be with Elder Zenger too. we talked to President Marineau right before he left and he gave us some very good complements about the way we work together!! But things are going good and a lot of things are changing!!
We will always have P-day on wednesday now too. But Family if you could pray to help us find a family!! We are looking really hard for families!!! We can only receive exaltation if we have an eternal family!!
I was reading a talk today and came across a section that was really interesting. It talked about an old canadian coach who said that so many people in and out of athletics are "hold outs" and what he was trying to say is so many times we don't put all of ourselves into the things we are doing. We go into things to just to do them and finish when we could be so so so much better if you just put everything into everything we do. We SHOULD NEVER BE HOLD OUTS on God. We should always magnify our callings!! We would do ANYTHING for our mortal life. If we had to we would give anything we have for one more week of mortal life. IT is the most important thing for us. Now if Mortal life is that important then think how important Eternal life is and if we dont magnify our callings we will be held responsible for taking the eternal life of the people we could have saved if we would have magnified our calling!! I know that God loves us and wants the best for us. He loves us like our fathers love us and is just waiting for us to ask him for help when we need it. We also have shared a lot about the family. I want to invite all of you to read through the family proclamation to the world with your families and to put in practice family pray and scripture study (daily) and family nights!! It will bless your family and you can establish your families on the rock of our Savior. And if you do your family will not fall. Read Helamen 5:12 and put your family in the verse!! I love you all and pray for you all the time!! Have a great week!!!
Love elder Knudsen