He's Home

Well, he is finally home! We are so proud of him and what he has accomplished. It is so great to have him here! His Homecoming is on Sunday at 12:30. Leave your e-mail if you need the address to the church.

4/20/11-6/1/11

4/20/11
Dear Family,
Well guess what! We are having an easter confrence this week and so our P-day is short and I have -9 minutes to write you! But everything is good! I am happy! The Project is sweet! It was super cool seeing all the faces of the members when 18 misionaries showed up at chruch! My area is awesome! We are just visiting all the members, teaching them about faith and telling them exactly what we're doing and what is expected of us and then tellling them we love them and asking if they have any refrences! Its going good! I love this gospel and I love you all thanks for all your doing for me and they examples you are! Have a great week! Sorry i didnt write more! I have loads to say but no time!
Love elder Knudsen
4/27/11
Dear family,
Wow so it sounds like things are pretty cold there. whats that like again?? Its getting pretty hot here and I'm back to my old self who just doesnt stop sweating when on a bike! I love being on bike! The work is so much better and more exciting! Thats awesome that Justin and Linds are having a Boy!! congrates!! It sounds like everyone had a great easter too!! Thanks so much for the package U really apreciated it!
We had a huge celebration here for Easter! First we had a concert with all the missionaires in the mission singing for all the less active and investigating families who wanted to come! And then the next day (saturday morning) we all went to this huge stadium to do service! That was awesome! Some guy came up to me that was walking and looked around and saw over 100 people working on this parking lot and said,"I have been going to church for 3 days in the Catholic church and finally today when I didnt expect it I saw the Real Ressurected Jesus Christ in all you young people. I'm going to take that to my church and tell them That I saw the real resurrected christ in the Mormon church!" It was super cool. Its so true to. We share of a Christ that LIVES and not that lived. He did ressurect and he does love us and direct His chruch today on the earth! I Know that that is true! And I love the chance I'm having to go around and share that with EVERYONE!!
Anyway after the service we went and did the "FLASH MOB" in Las Americas plaza. The biggest mall in the carribean. We all and and arrangement of 4 hymns picked out and memorized in parts! So we were all there eating and then about 4 people stood up and everyone was wondering what was going on and then a few more and the after the fist 2 verses there was over a 100 people standing in the middle of this food court singing these songs and it sounded GOOD! and when we finished we just all went back to eating lilke nothing happeded. it was sweet! then later that night we had a Luau (hawaiian BBQ) We had a pig cooked in the ground and everything!! It was EXTREMELY GOOD! I didnt know rocks could cook a pig so well! And while there the hawaiians had like three of us do the HAKA (hawaiian war dance) with them in front of everyone!! It was crazy, I was hitting my legs so hard that I gave myself some bruses haha It was sweet though. I have never realized how special Easter really is!
We have been working super hard to make some things happen in our areas!! I was called to be the District leader of the 14 of us who are all living to together in this project and it is pretty intense to coordinate the work between the members and all of us! I'm working super close with the ward mission leader and we're learning our responsabilities together! It seems like we might have found 2 families that are good prospects but we still need to find two more and help them experience conversion before 10 weeks! If you could pray for the familia of Santa and the family of Carlos that would be great. Especiall the husbands in those families. Also pray to help us find the families please! I love you all so much! I have to get going but have a great week!

love Elder Knudsen
P.S. Mom for mothers day, if you want to talk over the computer again like we did on Christmas just tell Justin to get connected with the Pietz and figure it out with them again or if you just want to talk over the phone that is fine too. Whatever you'd like we'll do!!

5/4/11
Dear Family,
Well this week has been great!! Its super hot here on bike but I love it!! I hear its pretty cold there still!! That is crazy that you had 8 inches of snow on saturday!! Thanks for praying for the families we are teaching its really helping!! With Carlos and his family we set 3 baptismal dates and Mario and Sandra are progressing super quick!! She actually got up durring fast and testimony meeting and bore her testimony saying that she knows the chruch is true and that she had tried another chruch but just felt horrible there and left running and came back to our church!! It was a cool testimony.
We are also working with the Patriarchs grandson who has been inactive for awhile now and actually is living with a non member and they have a kid together but we stopped by and to start the lesson we sang a primary hymn an after about the first few lines he started singing from memory the song!! The spirit was so strong after his wife was seeing this new side of him and his baby was smiling and laughing!! The spirit was so strong!! The project is going good. I have been working SUPER SUPER hard to try and make sure the members are helping us and that we are working under the keys and everything but its going kind of slow because we can only meet like once a week. The thing is the Time is clicking. We have over 20 baptismal dates in the ward for right now so we're on our way but we still need A LOT more and if the members help it will go A LOT faster and be more lasting! Please keep praying for Carloses family and Marios family (Sandra) and Orlandos (Patriarchs grandson) family those are our main investigatores right now and please include me in your prayers to get the ward on board!! Things are going good!! I love this work and I Love the fact that I can just go and testify to whoever about my beliefs and what I have come to know is true!! I love you all thanks for all that you do for me and I'll talk to you on mothers day!!
Love Elder Knudsen

So I was thinking about 7:00pm my time would be a good time. I think thats like 5:00 Your time but I think the best way to do it is I will probably call you right around that time and then you can call me back on the number I call you from. If you want to use skype Elder and Sister Pietz would love to get it organized just have justin give them a call on it one day.

5/11/11
Dear family,
So it was so good talking to you all this sunday!! that was awesome!! I cant believe my neices and nephews are already memorizing the articles of faith!! It sounds like everyone is doing good and healthy. Things here are going great! We're all working super hard!! Its been really cool trying to keep us all relying so much on the Lord. We meet together all of us every night and make sure we're on the same page and then we share a testimony and then we say our nightly family prayers over all the people who have baptismal dates and today everyone is sending their families a few names to put into the temples (because we dont have one here yet) So here is a list of names if you could put them in the temple: Luis Andujal, Margie Andujal, Manuel Andujal, Edwin, Josle, Carlos, Jomaris, Bryan, Laika. Cliford, Mirella Guzman, Mikael Guzman, Maeoli Guzman, Jose Guzman, Elder Knudsen, Elder Oden, Elder Oviatt, Elder Zenger, Elder Radmall, Elder Radmall Elder Ward, Elder Crawley, Elder Teusch, Elder Ralston, Elder Carlson, Elder Burton, Elder Jackson, Elder Bailey.... I hope that is appropriate to put that many names in the temple. If not let me know.
Things are going good and we're happy as can be! Thank you all so much for the gifts! Thank you aswell Grandpa (Elder) White and (Sister) Grandma white and also grandma Knudsen as well that was so nice of you. Anyway I better get going but I love you all and hope you all have a great week! Talk to you next week! The chruch is true and there is a TRUE Prophet on the earth today and I know that if we follow him we will not stray!!
Love Elder Knudsen
5/18/11
Dear Family!!
Hey everyone!! It sounds like everyone is busy with playing tennis, yard work, going to soccer games, dance recitals, School and being pregnant!!
The work moves on here in Puerto Rico. This last week the Lord really blessed Elder Oden and I. We found a number of new families and we just keep inviting them to be baptised!! Its going great! Its really been great making sure my district stays focused and working hard!! We are all growing a lot. It was really cool the other day when we stopped by the patriarchs house and he has a daughter and 2 grandkids and all there families that are all inactive. Like 6 or so people that have just really gotten off the path. Anyway we have been working with them and we passed by the other day for the Patriarch and the daughter was losing faith so we just said to her straight that we have 14 missionaries that are praying for you and your family everynight. Then we shared about faith and left them with a pray and the Patriarch (the most humble guy in the world) looked up with teary eyes and said thanks for everything you are doing elders. On sunday everyone but one was back in chruch!!! it was sweet!! I love this work! Everything is really going great! It is super hard but super worth it. I have to go but I love you all. Thanks so much for writing and for praying for me!! before I forget here is the list of people to put in the temple as well as all the ELDERS I put on the list last week: Fam Andujal, Fam. Alisea Virvet, (Alberto Maria, Karolin, Karolee Garcia) Sasilia, Joel, Cristian, Laika, Claribel, Taero, Juan Jose, Jose Junell, Franjeri Luzmaria, Moises, Stalin, Mable, Glaendalis, Juan Carlos, Gilberti Marcos, Nicol, Jadiel, Jay. Thank you so much family your a huge part of this work!! Have a great week and I will talk to you next week! Let me know if I can do anything for you all!!
Love Elder Knudsen
5/25/11
Dear Family.
This work is AWESOME!!!! Sometimes I feel like I should prepare myself for the 18 of June but I think I'm just going to let it hit me like a tone of bricks!! I cant lower the pace at all, in fact I need to step it up!! We just got in contact with one of our converts from Curacao and he said he has baptised 5 people and is looking to meet us at the Salt Lake temple July 25!!!!!!!!! He is a great man! And I will let him know about the offer to stay at our house thanks mom and dad! I think elder Zenger would enjoy the offer as well but I doubt either of them will take it because I'm sure they dont want to be a bother.
I was really looking forward to meeting with Pres. Smith after the mission because when I left he told me to go straght to the mission president and say 3 things, 1-I'm here to be obediente, 2- I'm here to work hard and 3- you dont have to worry about me president. I wanted to report to him on the as well as get a picture of the painting he had in his office with the horse!! Anyway I know that President Kiszerian is called of God and he'll do great. He actually has a son my age I belileve. Oh and about the suit... I found one that someone left behind here and its not too bad.
The Elders that are coming in with me are.. Elder; Oviatt (Orem), Radmall (Eden), Burton (Cottonwood), Crawely (Orem), Radmall. But I'd really only be able to make it to maybe Elder Burtons homecoming and maybe Elder Radmalls.
Anyway the work here is awesome!! We are working super hard and it is raining super hard too! I think for the first time in like two years I was Cold and I mean REALLY cold and it had to be like 70 degrees still. We Have been working hard to meet our own goals and the rain has been trying to stop us!! My Companion Elder Oden from Hawaii is awesome and is pretty funny on a bike. he's one of those that just loves pain. Anyway While we were out working his breaks went out and there were number funny things that happend where he would just chose to run straight into a way to avoid hitting some and times where he lost controll going down some hills and then he got so dirty that he bought a bar of soap and tried washing his clothes as we went around soaked in the rain and finally we went finding in an appartment building for awhile and so we dried off, Cleaned up and went back out and then he just got SOAKED by a passing car. I just saw his siloet get swalled by this mountian of water. He said he felt like he was in Hawaii again!! But because of all that the Lord is really blessing us! An investigator came up to me during chruch and said, " Listen i want to be baptised I know it is true and i cant deny it." and so I said how about the first of june and she said Perfect. Not only that but she has a family. And another family came to chruch that same day and the husband wants to be baptised as well!! Keep praying for those names and especially us and this district!!
I love you so much thanks for your great example!! Good luck with the Block party!! That sounds sweet so everyone can get to know each other!! great tool! This chruch is true!! All it has is good fruit and by there fruit ye shall know them!! Have a great week!
6/1/11
Dear Family,
So everything is going good! We are all at the presidents house doing email. They just roasted a pig for all of us. It was delicious. Dad you baught a cadillac? Thats sweet!! I guess things arent going too bad there at home then! Thanks for all you love and support family!! Things are goijng so fast her and we're working super hard and trying to bring some miracles out here. We should be able to reach our goals if we keep doing things right. I know your prayers are really helping out!! If you could add Edwin and Frances to your prayers they want to get baptised on the 18 of june!! I bet go so all the other missionaries get there chance to write too. If you get some packages from me there at the home dont worry I'm just sending some things home so I dont have to worry about them. I love you all and have a great week!
Love elder KNudsen

Mothers Day
Talking to Darin on Mothers Day was great. He is living with 18 other elders all working together to reach some huge goals...

Christmas Phone Call

The Phone Call Was AWESOME!!!!

1/4/11-4/6/11

1/4/11
Dear Family, So what a great week right? I enjoyed it so much!! I love the mission its great! Saturday night we a less active member called us and said he needed a blessing and this suprised us because we have been working with him for like three months now and haven't seen too much success. Infact I was about to just give up. This man had served a mission ten years ago and his father died while he was on his mission. Then he had all sorts of health issues on his mission and had to come home a little early. When he got home the ward gave him a calling of course and put him to work because they needed him. I guess something happened and he got affended. He was also on some kinda of church disinaplary action. Anyway today he is 30 years old and hasn't been back to chruch for like 7 or more years. His mom goes every Sunday and prays for him and invites him but he wont come. Anyway he called us over to give him a blessing. When we got there we had it all planned out. We were going to share about how if he wants a blessing he has got to have faith and he has got to show his faith by coming to church and all kinds of things. Anyway when we got there and sat down he started out by saying, I have made a promise to the Lord and I need help to keep my side of the promise so I need a blessing. He said in the year 2011 I will got to church EVERY sunday and pay my tithing.... We all were stunned and after a couple of seconds my two companions and I stood up and just screamed out of happiness for him!!! I couldnt believe it. he went on to explain how this week he feels the spirit has just kicked him in the but and shown him that his life isn't very happy and he explaied that he misses the sacrament and wants to have that again. Anyway this last sunday after 7 years a return missionary put on his old suit (which most people dont have here) and came to church with his mom. It was SO AWESOME!!!! I loved it!! The mission is awesome!! I miss you all so much but I know this is where I need to be and if i end up extending I know we will all be blessed for it!! The president had us over for dinner new years and we enjoyed the time with him and his family. He really takes good care of us ha ha if you ever get a chance feel free to call him up and tell him thanks for me haha. I met someone who served in Buenas Aires oeste the other day. His name is Sambrana. Elder Sambrana. I dont know if you remember him Chris. I think he remembered the TV show you did though. If you can send me one of those DVD's you have of that TV show you did in Argentina please. I hope nobody is dying of the cold there. I actually felt a little wierd the other day and just realized I wasnt sweating and actually I was a little chilly. I think it was like 65 of 70 ha ha Anyway everything is going good!! If I can do anything for any of you let me know!! The Chruch is true and have a good one!! Love Elder Knudsen
1/12/11
Dear Family, This week was aweomse!! Josue was baptised and it was sweet because he had his friend baptise him!!! When we got to the baptism his friend was already there so I started talking to him. His name is gabriel and he is sweet!! They seem like kids that have been out in the world but are just trying to do whats right but they are realy down to earth and they remind me of me before the mission. Anyway as I was talking to Gabriel I asked if this was his first time baptising someone and he said yeah, I'm so nerveous!! He then went on to tell me how Josue asked him to baprise him and he was like "we were just sittin playing some X-BOX and josue was like hey gabriel I think I'm going to get baptised. and I was like, what yeah right, and then josue was like yeah really I think I'm going to get baptised and I want you (talking to Gabriel) to baptise me. Then Gabriel stopped playing and looked at him and was like comeon man shut up your going to make me cry!" Josue is 18 and Gabriel is 20 and for either one of them to say something like that is SWEET!! Anyway the church was full! There has been a miracle in Puerto Rico and that is that the Young single adults program here in the two stakes by me has increased so much!! Sorry the Institute. I think they went from like 40 people to almos 100 this year and SO many showed up to the Baptism!! It was crazy! The Bishop said he thinkgs its the most attented baptism they have had! It was and awesome experience. So its offical My new date to come home will be 18 of june so dont worry mom I will be home for your birthday!! Things are going good here. We will be changing our area soon so that will be exciting! Except we are teaching a couple really good familias and a soon to be Priesthood holder. IF you could pray for the familia Mercano, he works on sundays and is working to get it off. Also the familia ortiz and also Hector. The work here is awesome!! I just wish that my body could work harder! I feel like the days are too short!! I'm super excited for you all to go to mexico!! I hope you enjoy the spanish!! You'll have to have a Piña Colada for me. We were walking through a parking lot the other day and i passed this guy that i thought about talking to but then didnt and then the spirit told me to go back and talk to him so I did and this guy just broke down and started crying I guess his mom is sick and he is super worried because his family is falling apart. I had the chance to once agian testify that this is the true church and that the family is ordained of God!! Its so crazy how thick the spirit is out here!! I love this work and I love every one of you back at home!! Keep up the good work and dont stop learning more and more about the gospel. We should always be continually learning!! Have a great week and enjoy paradise!! Love Elder Knudsen
1/19/11
Dear Family, Thats great the Mexico was so good!! I hope someone drank a Pina Colada for me. ha ha So Justin is getting a Tercel? Thats awesome!! I totally recomend it!! Everyone has one here!! Just remember 20 dollars a tire!! CHRIS NEEDS TO GET ME THOSE DVD'S HAHA ASAP. Anyway I really want to here from Brody! I hear he is totally different. Chris and Jared still longboard? Aren't we getting a little old for that... Ha ha just kidding. My week was awesome!! Super fast and hectic because transferes were this week and it seems like it always gets down to the wire before we finally figure out what it is that the Lord wants. The President was in the islands this weekend along with all the office staff so Elder Zenger and I had to plan things out and hope that it was okay with everyone. We also had Stake conference and it was sweet. Elder Oaks spoke super clear saying that in the carribe a lot of people do not pay their tithing, People are wearing imodest clothes, and they dont undetstand the importance of getting married. It was really intense. It was also all about families and youth. Exactly what we are focusing on as a mission! Its really cool to see whats going on here. All the zones are the same as the stake boundaries and the zone leaders are suppose to be like the stake presidents right hand man so we can work together and work under the keys of the stake president and the bishops. Its really really cool to see how the confidence of the stake presidents is slowly growing and they are slowly putting more trust in the missionaries and the mission president. Its really cool to see the difference in the work when we work under the keys as well!! Anyway family I love ya so much and I hope you all have a great week Let me know if you need anything! Love Elder Knudsen
1/26/11
Dear family, Congrates on the baby blessing Jared and Stacey, thats awesome! This week was awesome!! We had 122 people in church and that is a new record since I have been there I think. I have been there for like 4 months or more now!! So it was packed and another one of those stressful Sundays that i love! I don't know if I told you about Hector. The guy who just showed up to church a little bit ago because the member invited him. Anyway recap if I didn't. He came to chruch we got to know him and taught him and then set a baptismal date. He is super cool and at that point was telling us that he has a daughter thats 15 and she is like a rocker he would say. She paints her nails black and everything. He was really worried about her and wanted her to come to chruch and everything but didn't really think she would. Anyway this last Saturday we went to teach with Hector again and his daughter was there so we got to know her and she sat down and listened and the member that was with us just rocked. he committed her to come to church!! The next day the Hector her dad woke here up at like 5 to start getting ready haha and obviously she was just complaining and saying she didn't want to go and all this but finally the showed up at church that started at 9:30. The young women in our ward are awesome and the relief society is as well. After Church this Girl was like totally different!! She loved it!! you should have seen how happy hector was!! That night we went by to teach them and it seemed like everything had changed. Hector and his daughter were joking together and laughing together and everything!! These two love the chruch and are praying right now to make sure that it is the true chruch so please pray for them. they want to get baptised feb 12! The Gospel Blesses Families!!!!!!! There is this other family that we are teaching that just loves everything! They are not very wealthy but it is a family of 5. we have been going over for a some time now and they are doing great. They would Probably be baptised already if the father didnt work on sundays!! They live on the 8th floor of a building that doesnt have elevators and last night when we left and were going down I just heard someone yelling KNUDSEN!! And I went back up and The father,Luis said you forgot something really important... when are you coming back!! they love the gospel! This work is awesome!! I love it!! And good news is Elder Zenger and I are also going to be working with two missionaries and so i might get to go back to bike!!!!! Finally!!! I love you all so much thanks for everything!! I hope everything is going good!! I know Eric is going to love that song at his farewell! I've been singing it throught my mission and nobody knows what it is ha ha anyway have a great week!! The Church is true! Love Elder Knudsen P.S. Has anyone been to WOODYS lately. One of my really good mission friends is back from his mission now and his family owns it so he is probably working there and I would love it if someone went and said hi to him!! Oh and has anyone talked to Robby gray or DevinHerd?! I think they are back from there missions already and I havent heard anything from them!!
2/2/11
Dear Familia, How is everyone?! It sounds like everything is good. no news is good news right?! ha ha This week was aweosme!! Like always ha ha I dont think there will ever be a bad week in the mision. I dont think there is ever a bad week ever. "nothing is ever as good as it sounds or as bad as it seems" haha Anyway yeah FINALLY they let me ride bikes again. I love it!! The work is SO much better! You can get places faster and still be among the people and the whole day you have energy because your always moving... Its awesome!! We also have like a passanger train that goes through our area and we got passes to jump on thatwith our bikes so we got this whole travel thing down. Sometimes I have to be in the car becasue Elder zenger likes the bikes too so I let him take them every now and again. Basically what happened is we are in a foursome. two missionaries that went home like 6 months ago to work some things out CAME BACK and with more fire then ever. Its interesting because you can tell that they now understand how lucky we are to be on the mission. So the ward I am in right now is awesome!! When we have families come to chruch and they are always like a little unsure at first, well by the time the mother leaves relief society and the church is over these families are diferent. Hector's Daughter went to a stake dance already having only been to church once and then they both came to church on sunday and then we went over to President Alvarados house for a family night with him and his family and all the investigator families that live close including Hector and his daughter.!! It was super cool because Hectors daughter is like the same age as the Presidentes daughter and they are already friends! Keep praying for them. Also the Familia Marcano that lives on the 8th floor of this building.. He is looking for a new job so he can start coming to church on sundays. We are going to pray and fast with him so if you could pray for him to find a new job that would be awesome! As a part of the non spiritual things my comanion just reminded me that we had a pretty cool day yesterday when he started a greese fire in our kitchen and Elder Zenger was fumbling around trying to put it out and broke a number of things in our house then we finally got it out by putting all our flour on it and later that day elder Zenger got pulled over and then in the night a big old metal dest almost squished him in the car. Meanwhile I was with my other companion from guatemala on bikes in a pretty ghetto area where there were a lot of drunk people and bums around and when we took the train bake home in the night one of these Drunk kids started saying things to my companion like you know I could just take that bike from you and take it home, my companion just ignored him and then the guy said HEY give me one of them books you have and so my companion was like okay an started to open his bag when this guy Grabbed the bag out of his hands. We are told that when people try and take things let him happen so he did just that but everyone else in the train wouldnt let it happen!! People started yelling at his kid and standing up for my companion and everything ha ha it was super cool! I got really mad but it was just a teenager that was drunk or somehting Finally he just gave it back because everyone on the train was getting mad at this guy! The people love us here in Puerto rico. And the Lord is in front of us and behind us and his ageles are around us always so we are pretty much always ready for anything!! Anyway family I love you so much I have to go but I hope you are all doing good and have a great week! Love elder Knudsen Tell Chris I'm Still waiting for those videos and he needs to send them quick if he can so we can use thme here if the President wants to
2/9/11
Dear Family, So it sounds like everyone is doing great and super busy like always!! Thats good! I think something might be wrong if were't anxiously engaged in a good cause!! Yeah so I called Presidente Alvarado yesterday and he said Elder Knudsen I bet your not as excited as I am.. and I said try me and he said I just talked to Brother and Sister Knudsen!! ha ha And he went on to explain how excited you sounded and how happy he was for me to have parents like you. haha So I'm glad you got to talk to him. He's a good man. Oh yeah and I got those videos!! I will have to see if maybe we want to do something like that here in Puerto Rico. Thats quite the responsibility to have the originals. I'll see if the Sienor couple the Pietz can figure out how to copy them for us. And thanks for the Valentines letter ha ha I didnt even realize it was close to valentines day! Did you happen to check into my schooling by chance? This week was pretty cool!! We've been doing trainings monday and tuesday however saturday to sunday we actually fasted with one of our investigator family so that he could find work were he doesnt have to work on sundays. It was really cool! Even down to the 11 year old did it. We started saturday at like noon and went till sunday at like 1 or so and they were going to have us for lunch to break the fast together so at like 12 they called me and said ELDER KNUDSEN we have a problem and I was like uh oh what happend and they said I have been fasting for so long now and I dont want to ruin it but I have to make sure the food still tastes good! I felt relief that it wasn't anything bigger ha ha The whole family fasted and then when we broke the fast.. Kneeling in this very humble living quaters, the spirit came so strong! It was awesome!! I think they will be baptised in march. The familia of Hector and his daughter are going to be baptised this saturday and are recieving a lot of oposition lets be honest everyone does and when they make it through it they are just that much stronger! We just have to help them through it and I know everything will go great! Sadly I might not be there for the baptism because the President and I and another missionary are going to go to Dominica this weekend maybe. So we'll see. IT should be really cool. Anyway family I have to run but I love you all so much and thanks for the great examples you are to me. The Church is true! God loves us and will always be there for us no matter what! Jesus Christ suffered everything so that he would know how we feel always and he could truely comfort us! Please dont forget to read daily and pray daily in your families and personally!! It has blessed me SO much! Have a great week! Love Elder Knudsen
2/16/11
Dear Family, wow this week was crazy!! And I really have like no time. This week we are going around
the island doing zone conferences and it is awesome but I dont really have too much time for a P-day. So I will get straight to the point. As far as going to the islands.. We got to the airport and the main reason for going was because I was taking this Latin missionary out and going to try and get back in with more days on his visa so he could extend with us. As we were sitting in the airport waiting for our plain that got delayed we started chatting about the feelings we had because we didn't feel that great about what we were doing. So we counciled about it and decided it would probabaly be a better idea if we didn't risk it and just stayed happy with the time he already has on his visa. Just then a guy from imigration came by the president started talking to him and come to find out if we would have left with that missionary he would have been deported because of the new laws with the visa. It is so awesome how the Lord is protecting us here!! But I will be heading out on tuesday next week to go anyway with the President. It will be super cool. The people there speak Englilsh, they are super black and its really hard to understand them because they talk with a thick accent.. Like Jamaicans. So there was a lot more to the story but there it is in short. As far as school goes I think I want to major in business and I want to get in to BYU as soon as possible. I know Some of my buddeis are going to BYU Idaho but I dont want to go there unless I dont get in to BYU provo. I'd like to get in as soon as possible but if its better to get my assoc. first then I'll do that maybe at SLCC or wherever, thats not very important. I dont know if that will get you anywhere. Just let me know the possibilities and I'll probably just go with what you all think is best after reading this. Also Hector and Itzamara were baptised and it was SO SO SO cool!! We have sisters missionaries in our area so we were having them work a little with the daughter and thursday night the daughter called the sisters telling them that she didn't want to be baptised.. I guess her other side of the family was really giving her a bunch of trouble. So we prayed for her super hard and then the sisters went over and talked to her and they knelt in prayer with her and finally at the end of the prayer she said alright I am going to be baptised I feel the spirit i know it is true! She and Her father were baptised and the ward came out HUGE!! The young women did an awesome musical number and everything was taken care of! We just sat back and enjoyed the baptism. The president also came! Okay next subject.. This zone conference that were doing has a lot to do with the book of mormon actually Everything to do with the book of Mormon and I was wondering if the story I Heard about Grandpa Knudsen is true.. Where he just found an Old book of mormon someone and read it really quick and was converted or something.. If you could let me know that would be =greatly Apreaciated. Wow so much has happened and I just dont have too much time to tell you all sorry. But everything is good!! Keeo prayig for the Familia Mercano.. they have slowed down little bit. We have a lot a lot to do so if you could pray for us that would be awesome!! I know the Book of Mormon is ture family. Think about how much are family has been blessed because of it!! Think of your lifes blessing because of the Book Of Mormon and THink about how sad it would be without it. This is the True Church. THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE!! We are starting a 100 club. Basically meaning that we are going to read 100 minutes everday out of the Book of Mormon outside our personal study. So basically We will be reading at lunch, in the street and just everywhere!! We will always have one in our hand so we can find time to do it all and I wanted to invite you all to do it too!! Its going to be hard but we need to make sure we are not taking for granted one of the biggest gifts God has given us!! I love you all so much! Love Elder KNudsen P.S. Someone needs to go to WOODYS and ask for Jason wouden and tell him that I say hi!! He was a GREAT missionary!
2/23/11
Dear Family, So here I am in Antigua. Its sweet!! We got here last night and right now Elder Zenger and I are in the Hotel writting you all. The people here are super cool. Its English speaking but their accent is super strong but I love it. Its just like you Imagine Jamaica. I was Suprised to see the Church here. It is super nice and new and pretty big. The Island has about 45,000 people here and it just feels like everyone knows everyone. At times it feels rough becasue everyone is black and we're two white guys walking around in a place were everyone is basically close desendents to slaves but the Lord always protects us. Oh and everyone drives on the Left side of the road its weird. So this last week was crazy! We finished the Sone conferences and Elder Zenger and I had 2 days to finish our foundation. To explain really quickly the foundation is made up of two promises from apostles. One is if every missionary cotacts 10 more people a day the baptisms will douple and the other is if you teach 20 lessons a week your baptisms will double. So en like July only 4 or so companionships were doing it. Now Everyone does it every week! So we have added on to that with families. We try to contacto 140 families a week and teach 20 lessons to families a week. Right now only like 8 or so missionaries are doing it. It is really really hard. Anyway we had two days to do it and it was just expected of us and so we prayed really hard and set hourly goals and we pushed ourselves SO hard. I think harder than I ever had in my mission (It could have been as well because we were running a low sleep) but the Lord blessed us and we did it!! He also blessed us at church when we had an attendence of 129 people! I believe thats a new record for our chapel, it is the second highest en Puerto Rico.. The first being an english speaking ward with all return missionaries basically. The Lord really blesses us. Anyway I just felt like it was a little more preparation for the project that the president has for all of my group that extended. If I looked haggered when I get home its because I am. I am going to leave EVERYTHING out here! So yeah we were just sitting in the airport and the President started talking about how we can use those videos here in our mission and he said he wanted to talk to Chris about them a little so I gave him Chris's number thinking he would just call him another day but he just called him right there. It was kinda funny I just kept reading. Anyway I have to get going but I love you all so much and thank you for your great example!! I do challenge you to be part of the 100 club with us. Just study the Book of Mormon everywhere! Wherever you are in whatever moment. I know it is true. Think about how much it has blessed our family. We are the only Church that has it and if it is true them this is the only true Church and I testify that the book of Mormon is true and anyone who reads it, ponders over it and prays will know it too. Poeple hae been trying to discredit the book of mormon for years because if they can then our church falls but they CAN NOT DO IT, it is true, It is the keystone of our religion Joseph Smith would not leave his Wife a widow and his Children Fatherless and the saints to be persecuted by guarding with his life something that he made up. He would not do that. I put my testimony along side that of Elder Holand and many others that the book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith did see God the father and the Savior of the World Jesus Christ whom I testify lives and loves us. Lets not take for granted The Book of Mormon. I Love you all family and I hope you have a great week. Love Elder Knudsen
3/2/11
Dear Family, I was begining to think you werent going to write this week! So this week has been pretty crazy. A lot of work and then we had transferes and that is always super stressful to plan how everything is going to happen. So to say the least we really to take advantage of this p-day. So It sounds like your all doing well. Everyone is going down south to get into the heat... You know what we are actually enjoying the heat every now and again because we just moved into this house where they dont have heated water and so we just get up and work out really hard and then jump in! I actuall love it! The Book of Mormon reading is going awesome and my Knowledge is really growing. I love this gospel. This week we have had a lot of stuff going on. We had zone leader council on Sunday and Monday and then Tuesday we had the new missionaries come in and we worked with them all day and then today we had transferes and then tomorrow we will get to work in our area but then Friday we have a visit from Elder Coleman of the first Quorum of the seventy and so we have to plan for that and then we will have the weekend in our area. It is all going good! It sounds like the ward is doing good and all the missionaries are representing Telford Ward well. I cant believe Brody has a serious girlfriend. He seems like he has changed a lot! I cant wait to talk to him! You all sound great I love you all but have to get going to see what I can get done. Have a great week!! The Church is true!! Love Elder Knudsen
3/9/11
Dear family, Hey everyone how is it going?! Things are going great here in the mission. Just working hard. So pretty crazy what is going on with BYU right? some member shared that in our ward consejo yesterday for like a spiritual thought.... It was interesting. I think our family travels more than anyone. Every letter it seems like someone is going somewhere or someone is coming or who knows what but that's cool. What do you mean the missionaries weren't in a hurry to get somewhere?! That's crazy!! I guess your right I don't have to deal with snow here. So This week has been great! We had a really cool experience with the family that we are teaching. We went by the other day and the dad Came to the door wrapped in a blanket, which is weird here because its super hot, and come to find out he was super sick. We was hunched over and just looked miserable. Anyway we taught him what a blessing of health is and at the end of the lesson he decided he wanted a blessing. So we gave him one and headed on our way. Well we returned the next day and he looked a lot better. So we started teaching them and then his wife just said, "Look did you notice my husband? He is better! He said to me yesterday that I don't know what those guys did to me but when they took their hands off me I just felt like everything was better!" So we invited him and his kid to be baptised by the same authority that healed him and they of course agreed but the thing is he has to stop working Sundays and stop smoking which he can do. It was sweet! We also had the blessing of having Elder Coleman of the first quorum of the seventy come to our zone Leader council and it was awesome!! He has been serving for something like 18 years and when he got into our council he started by saying something like, "Elders this is one of the most powerful groups that I have been with." and then he went on to explain the doctrine of the Priesthood and everything but when he said that my eyes just filled up because i know how hard we have been working and Every time we lead a Zone Leader council I look around at all of the Zone Leaders and think wow these are men of God that are really young but are here for the same reason as me. They are the ones that Elder Zenger and I Have to directly minister to and we have seen them all grow so much. The thing is in the middle of April President Alvardo is losing about 10 leaders because they were all in the group that came into the mission with me and he is going to get us all together and send us on a 10 week project! There is like 16 of us but 10 of us are leaders right now and we are super super excited to just go and work as hard as we can for the last 10 weeks!! It will be cool. I was studying this morning about our family history and the impact that the Book of Mormon has had on all of our family. I felt the spirit so strong when reading about my distant relatives and how they feel the same as I do about the Book of Mormon. I invite all of you to check it out. Its awesome. Anyway everything is going good!! Thanks so much for everything you do. IF you could pray for the Mercano family and that we will find more families and better ways to work in the Universties that would be awesome thanks so much. Love Elder Knudsen
3/16/11
Dear family, Wow BYU is really doing good!! Thats so awesome!! Is Jimmer a senor? But that all is super sweet!! The work out here continues!!! Its awesome!! Last week we actually had a lot of time to work in our area it was so nice!! I loved it. We actually found a lot of cool families as well. We now just need to go back and follow up with them!! If you could pray for Daniel and Minelva, they are Dominican and they are reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it. Also keep praying for the family Mercano, we taught them last night with the President. It was awesome! They are a great family and they want the President to perform their marriage. I don't remember if I told you but the President is having us work in the Universities and it is intense. I love talking to the youth but when we are on campus and with white shirts and ties we totally stick out and that is fine, i actually love that because everyone is looking at us but as soon as we start talking to one of the students then it makes that student feel super weird. But it is awesome and totally different then the missionary work I have already been doing for like a year and a half. We have seen a little success though. A group of kids came up to us last week wanting to know more and then they had to go to class so we set a return appointment there in the University and we taught them this week. it was awesome!! They are going to read and pray to know if what we said is true then we're meeting again the next Monday. Also we taught this 19 year old kid who actually wanted us to come to his house and he lives with his parents and brother in a very nice house. They are very well off and he is really interested. Its so cool working with all these youth they usually are very accepting but to be honest walking into that university is like walking into Babylon. We also have a group of teenagers that we teach on Mondays at a members home. Its like 7 or 8 teenagers that seem to be straight off the street but we have been getting them interested and they keep coming back. So the work continues to roll forward with the families and the next generation. We're building a temple here in Puerto Rico. Anyway family I love you all so much I hope your all doing good with the Book of Mormon reading and everything and I hope every ones family is good! If you need anything let me know. Love Elder Knudsen P.S. Did you sale all of the farm? Including the picnic area?
3/25/11
Dear Family, WOW BYU ROCKS!!!!! Thats so awesome, this church is so true! It sounds like everyone is super super busy! I think everyone is getting more and more busy lately!! I had an AMAZING week! It is going to take a long time to explain but I will try. So a few weeks ago I went to the Island of Antigua for one day and had the chance to talk to a young man who was undecided about a mission. We talked to him and bore strong testimony and just explained how cool the mission is. Anyway Friday the President called me and asked if we could delicate everything that we were going to do that week because he needed us in the islands again. He said I have 6 young men who you need to send on missiones. SO we went to work delicating and were on a flight the next night. I went to Antigua with Elder Sinclair who is a black elder from England. We got there and spent the first night with a senior couple and went to church the next morning. The Church there is beautiful even though it is just a branch but there is like 93 people in church. When church got over President Alvarado came over to me and said this is your new companion for 4 days (a young man named Teran Giddings from Antigua) and he looked me in the eye and said hymn number 77 (let the holy spirit guide) then he shook my hand and with tear filled eyes said I love you and left. He was flying to another island. So there I was on an Island that was complete strange and that I knew nothing about, without food and without a place to stay and with a young man for a companion and another missionary with a young man that I was expected to watch over. I just kept thinking okay let the spirit guide and send 6 kids on their missions, which six kids i didnt know and where they lived I didnt know and what their names were I didnt know. The people there talk so broken of english I honestly cant understand them a lot of the time. They are all really big muscular guys which I am not used to. HOwever everyone is extremely nice. They have the attitude that everything is good and alright and they have no worries but for that same reason drugs are really big there so you never know whats going to happen. Anyway the relief society stepped up and fed us every single night and a recent convert opened his house to us and so we just went out to work! I took this youth and we were just like Alma and Amuleck we walked around the whole island i felt visiting people that he knew or remembered from the church or all kinds of things. I made sure he was converted and then taught him the importance of converting our bretheren once we are converted and so we made a list of all the young men and went and visited them. Come to find out only 2 were actually thinking about putting in their papers, the two that were on splits with us. So we worked hard on converting the others. One of them when we got there was not even thinking about a mission. We talked to him about Alma the younger and helped him understand that he didnt recieve his testimony when he saw the angel but he had to fast and pray to feel the spirit and to be converted and then we asked this young man to pray about if he should serve a mission right then. So he said a very humble prayer and after I said how do you feel and he said he felt Great. We invited him to pray one more time by himself and then if he wanted to meet us at the church that night to start his papers. We did this visiting and converting sunday and monday and tuesday was the night we called a meeting with the young men and the Branch President (all who i am just meeting). The meeting was so powerful. The Branch president shared his experience on his mission and then I asked if they had any question and them we went to the computer. Well the Branch President was called on Sunday so he wasn't registered and to make a long story short we couldnt do the papers that night so we set up another day to come back and do it and we finished with me bareing my testimony and then Elder Sinclair and then the youth started getting up to bare their testimonies. 4 of the 7 we Found showed up to start their papers and one got up to encourage the others and then the next got up and with tears coming down his face explained that to go on a mission is the hardest decision he is ever going to make because he is the only member in his family, he lives with his mom and she doesnt understand why he has to leave her and possibly lose his citizenship but that he was going to do it and then the young man who had been praying about the mission got up and bore his testimony for I believe the first time in his life even though he has been a member for about 16 years or something and he said he has let every oportunity in the church just pass him bye and he has watched everyone change but him and this time he wasnt going to let it happen. His prayers were answered and he is going to get rid of his corn rows and dew rag and serve a mission. I can not believe the spirit I felt there. I felt like I was helping others enjoy the same blessings I have had. When my first friend left on his mission he called like six of us out and got us together and said that if we didn't go on a mission he was going to kill us and that he wanted to be at each of our homecomings and we had the spirit of unity. I also explained that some of my biggest regrets is that not everyone of my friends felt that spirit of unity that night and made the same decision we made and now they aren't as happy as I have been and as I told them this story they started thinking of ways they were going to have the other 3 young men there to all start the papers together. The spirit was so strong. Other than that we just walked around the island with my local companion visiting all kinds of people. Everyone there thinks we're racists too and that the LDS church is a "White Mans Church" and so we showed everyone that we are not all white in fact I was the only white one ther so They would come up yelling at us and all that but then my companion would just talk to them in there own dialect and explain that he is from there and then they would have an eye opener and would want to come to church. I dont know how the missionaries survived there without black companions. The place we stayed was just another story but I dont have time we have to go So much more but no time but I love you all so much and am so thankful for all you have done to me. I have been very humbled lately and I am just VERY grateful for everything I have. Love you all so much and the Church is true!! Love Elder Knudsen
3/30/11
Dear family, All is well in Zion. I'm back in Puerto Rico talking spanish again and its good to be back but I'll be honest i love those islands! The people there are so humble and so nice. It was a great experience and I'm really thankful to have had it. I think President Alvarado is going to send me there a couple more times in the next little while so we'll see. This week has been good!! Just working really hard to get all our goals by saturday so we can enjoy the confrences. Also getting everyone really animated to come watch a living Prophet and Apostles. Its been great. GOOD NEWS!! The family that I have been writing you all about for the past like 4 months are making some big steps! he skipped work last week to come to church with the whole family! The ward loved seeing a big family with lots of little kids!! Also they are talking about having President Alvardo marry them and then be baptised! Thank you so much for your prayers they really help!! Right now we are focusing on passing the mantle to the upcoming assistants and them getting ready for our 10 week project with all the Elderes that came in with me. We came in to the mission in a really big group of like 13 and we all decided to extend a little together. All these Elders are like my best friends because we have served our whole mission together and we have all progressed so much! The thing is almost all of them hold a lidership position right now in the mission and so we have been working hard looking for the upcoming leaders of the mission. President Alvarado is going let us all live together in a house and work to explode and area. We will all probably be on bikes (FINALLY) but we'll have the big mission van because probably 2 days of the week we will all travel to a zone and minister to the missionaries there. Its a pretty huge project! So we are focusing on getting ready for that as well as we have been in interviews this whole week. We are also going to have an easter Confrence like the Christmas one I told you about and I think we might do a FLASH MOB agian but in the biggest mall in the carribean. So we are all practicing singing too. Anyway i love you all. I have to get going, we decided to cut our P-day a little short so we can finish our goals before confrence! I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord. I know we have a living Prophet today who recieves revelation daily. I know the Book of Mormon is true and Love how I can learn more and more about my Savior as I read it! I love to testify of Christ and this great work. I know our Heavenly Father knows and loves us and is watching over all of us. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen
4/6/11
Dear Family!! It sounds like everyone is doing good!! All these mission reunions seem pretty intense!! Thats so cool I guess it would be a little awkward for all the wives of the missionaries. It also sounds like everyone has their hands full with there families and work and school and everything! I hope everyone is excited for easter! So everything is going good here!! Confrence was awesome!! I hope you all enjoyed it!! I love it how they do it here! They come to the stake center to watch it and sometimes between sessions everyone brings loads of food and everyone shares and all kinds of stuff!! Its really cool! So... I learned a lot of things in confrence that apply to the people here and things we can do better and all kinds of things but it was kinda hard to ignore that fact that I need to get married soon after I get home... Keep your eyes peeled! It was a great confrence. The Mercano family came and enjoyed it!! They are in the process of getting married right now and they told me that they didn't have rings and they she found an old one that they could use and so I just gave the father, luis, my CTR ring to use. I explained what it ment and everything and told him to use it for his wedding. I guess we'll see. We are also working with a new family that is so good! They have seven in the family and they are already getting ready for baptism. They seem to be golden because they just accept commitments like nothing. We taught a sweet lesson to them last night and really got the kids involved! So anyway probably in about a week I will be moved to a different area and will be there for the rest of my time! It will be in the most populated area of Puerto Rico basically because we are having all the Missionaries that came in with me move to that area too. We all extended together and so now we are just going to go explode an area. There is 14 of us and we will live together in a house! Also 2 days of the week we will all travel in the big mission van to different zones to help train missionaires. Almost all of the 14 missionaries were leaders in the mission so president Alvarado is going to squeeze us for all we got and I am so ready to just get out on a bike again. We have some pretty high goals for the 10 weeks so if you could just start praying for me now that would be great!! Anyway family I love this work!! It is so true!! I know that we can all be togethr forever!! What a statement right? But it is true the family is ordained of God! I know He loves us and sent His Son even Jesus Christ to Atone for us! Remember scripture study, prayer, temple attendence, family night and being an active learner in church!! I love all and hope you have a great week! Love Elder Knudsen

12/29/10

Dear Family,
So that was super sweet to be able to talk to you all. You all look great!! I can not believe how big our family is. It was super motivating to talk to you all! It gave me the desire to just go crazy working!!!
So things here are going super good!! We have a family preparing to be bapised in January and also the 18 year old who is going to be baptised here soon!! Its really hard to get everything done in our own area when we have so much other stuff to do like for instance this week we have been traveling the island doing training and we will only have like 2 days in our area and we have to still get all our goals!! It will be crazy! The president told us to keep all of the 31st free, I guess he has something planned.
i'm really glad you got to go to Micheals homecoming. He is a great missionary. I heard he didnt really get to talk that much but I'm sure he did great! The last two days we have been in Mayaguez and Ponce. Those are the farthest away zones but we have been going on splits and practicing teaching and everything!! It is so awesome! I have had some great experiences. It is cool because I can go like to a lot of different areas and still know a lot of people. When we were going around to all the stake conferences, i got to see all the people that I got to know while I was serving in all the different areas. its super sweet. While I was on a trade off with some of the missionaries they ran out of things to do and didnt plan very well so I just decided to go to teach someone that we had been teaching more than a year ago. Come to find out we found the old investigators 23 year old son who was in the army when we were visiting them. The missionaries had lived right next to these people for a super long time but they had never invited him to the church and he is interested!! So we invited him to church and taught him and i really think they are going to see some success from it!! The spirit is so strong here! Well not much else has happened since Saturday.
I love this work and I love the Lord!! I love what he has blessed us with!! We have been blessed with one of the few united families!! I love you all and am so happy to be part of such a great family!! I hope you all have a great week and we will talk to you next week!! Please pray for the Mercano family and Josue.
Love elder Knudsen

11/3/10-12/15/10

12/15/10
Dear Family,
Well another crazy week!! I have just a little more time today. I read your email from the presidents Iphone and then the rest of it from his IPad because we were on the road and now I'm using his daughters laptop to right ha ha. Pretty much just squeezing it in wherever. It sounds like everyone has a lot going on as well. From Recitals to choir performances all over.
My week has been super crazy but extremely fun. First off we learned the haka (the dance that BYU does before there games) and we all performed it at an activity we had at one ward. To be honest we learned it in like one hour because we have no time to sit and learn something like that but the president wanted us to and so we did and it was awesome!! I messed up a lot but it was jsut super sweet to be screeming and hitting yourself and almost feeling polonysian. Then the next day they invited us to sing in a stake Christmas conference. We did alright but my voice was kinda gone because of the haka and then yesterday we were invited to a Mall to go sing at the mall. So we one of the zones together and went and sang in the middle of this huge mall. Again my voice was still horse but we did alright. I'll try and send some pictures. Just so you know the president was there for all of these activities so they were all good no worries.
Also this week we had four people decide they want to be baptised so we are working with a family and a soon to be missionary!! Its going awesome!! Please Keep praying for us and the family Mercano and Josue. Next week I probably will have very very little time to email but just to let you know the Christmas call is going to be a little different. We have to call from a members home so I will probably call you with their numbert and have you call me back. Or I could by a calling card. I just dont really know what is the best idea. Let me know if there is something specific I should do but what I do know is that it will be saturday around like 6 ish our time ( 3 your time )and it will be from a members house. So Just write me a quick email and tell me what time if that doesn't work. I love you all so much and thank you so much for the Christmas package and the Money. I really apreciate it all you are all so good to me. The chruch is true and talk to you soon.
Love Elder Knudsen


12/8/10
Dear family,
So transferes were today and they were super crazy but we had to work super hard to make sure it went well. Basically what I'm saying is I really dont have very much time. Thankyou for those encouraging letters they were awesome. This attribute this week on knowledge is awesome!! I have so much room to improve!! I love this gospel I love you all and hope your all enjoying Christmas as much as me!! Please pray for the family ramos and that we can find more families in our area, Less active/ partmember or investigators. I love you all have a great week.


12/1/10
Dear Family,
How is everyone doing?! Mom and Dad you are on a cruz!! What in the world ha ha I'm glad you are enjoying it!! It sounds awesome. Everyone was around for thanksgiving?! Thats awesome! Thanksgiving is so great. The President had us over to his house to celebrate with him!! It was pretty cool!! We had to help an elder out on thanksgiving so we were super busy. It was nice to just sit down and eat!! I feel like i dont do that too much anymore haha We have so much to do and this work is super important that I just feel like eating is a pain now. Its good because I'm starting to get back to my skinner self haha.
I hope everyone is enjoying the Christ like attributes!!! I LOVE THEM!! Right now is virtue and it says that what you do when nobody is around and you believe nobody is watching is a strong messure of your virtue!! What do we do when nobody is around and nobody is watching?! It is a great question for all of us to think about!! We have also been talking about how important it is to make sure you have control over your mind. Such as how a lot of missionaries or people think they cant do things so obviously they dont. We are trying to figure out how missionaries can better control their minds not to just be more virtuous but also to have more success and faith. I couldnt help but think about the book that Clint gave me for one of my Birthdays, "As a man thinkinth" and also the poem that Dad always says. "if you think your beat then you are. If you'd like to win but think you may not its almost a sinch you wont......"
The mission is awesome and right now we are looking for a HUGE change in Puerto Rico and my companion and I and the President are the ones who have to make it happen. We need to figure out the Lords will and put everything on the line to follow his will. Please pray for this mission!! It is doing awesome right now but still not to the point where we can have a temple here and there are SO many people here that need a temple!! I love you all so much!! Thanks so much for your examples! Thanks Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa for Always writing me. you all are super Great!! I hope you have a great week and I'll talk to you soon!!
Love Elder Knudsen

11/24/10
Dear family,
Uh oh I think i beat you to the email this week ha ha. Anyway how is everything going? Is everyone preparing for thanksgiving? I totally almos forgot ha ha Everyone here is already preparing for Christmas!!! we took a stand. We're not singing Christmas songs until december 1. But today we're making sure to play a Turkey bowl!! Our president is super funny about P-day. Even if we have a billion things to do he makes sure that we have a good P-day and enjoy it. He just makes sure we have fun as we work. Like last night Sister Alvarado invited us to come and eat with them for thanksgiving dinner but I expalined to president that that is like a perfect time to find families and he said just wake up early go and work and them como enjoy dinner with us. He really take care of us.
So this week was AWESOME!!!!! Wednesday or thursday president told us he needs a report and powerpoint to Present to Elder Martinez of the 70 by saturday. The report had to be about thinks going on in the mission and how we're following the vision of the first presidency and the area presedency. we had to have all types of specifics and everything so we were up to our necks getting that done and as well making sure the family Ramos is ready for baptism. We were able to balance it enough to the point were we could work in our area and on the report and we finished just before his presentation. It ended up amazing. We werent there but elder Martinez Loved it and said that everyone should be doing reports like that and now all the stake Presidents are using it and everything. It was a huge Relief.
The real news is that the familia Ramos all got baptised!! All 4 of them and it was amazing. I dont have loads of time so I'm just going to have to copy and paste from my letter to presidente. You might have to have chris and Justin and stacey help you translate sorry. (sorry for the bad spanish too)
Primero el obispo bautizo a la mama. Cuando ella estaba entrando en el agua ella tenia mucho asthma y el agua frio no la ayudo pero ella nos explico despues que nada iba a pararla de entrar en el agua!! Ella ha querido ser bautizada hace como un mes ya. Despues el papa se bautizo por Hno Nelson Vasquez. cuando el salio de la agua yo pense que algo mal paso porque el subio y se quedo alli con sus hombros levantados y por fin se viro para salir de la pila. Al ver esto yo fui al bano para segurar que todo estaba bien y el estaba alli sonriendo mirando sus hijos ser bautizados. Despues que los ninos salieron de las aguas, el papa los coloco y les abrazo, los dos, a la vec y les dio un besito en la cabeza con lagrimas en sus ojos. Yo estaba alli entonces despues que el Miembro les junto en esta abrazo yo tambien les abraze. El papa miro a el miembro y le dio un abrazo diciendo gracious.
Al hablar con El papa despues, yo lo pregunte si habia mucho frio y el me dijo a lo contario. Hacia un calor emenso. El compartio eso con Los miembros despues como su testimonio. Fue una experiencia marvillosa.
We're being blessed to find more families too!! Please pray for the families to progress and to find us. Also if you could pray for my spanish still.
How is the studying of the Christ Like Attribute going? The Charity and Love section. I love it!! Its awesome!! Charity makes you feel SO good!! We were totally ment to serve other people. That is how we found the Ramos familia. They were cleaning there Patio and we asked if we could help but they said no so we just did it anyway and now they are all super happy in the chruch. They showed up on sunday with all white shirts and ties and the father and the oldest son recieved the Preisthood!!
Anyway I love you all so much and pray for you about a billion times a day!! I hope you all have a great week.
Love elder Knudsen

11/17/10
Dear Family,
So it sounds like everyone is battling with all the kids and everything ha ha sounds fun. Thats what the church is about is families. I have learned that these last few days as we have studied the restoration. I'm glad to hear everything ended up okay with Patrice. They just keep getting unlucky!! Dont worry I'll pray extra hard for ya haha oh yeah and it sounds like BYU is back on track. Is Mendenhal the defensive cordinator as well still?
This week has been crazy!! We have been around the whole Island. We had to go do zone confrences but luckily we only have five zones right now. Still Elder Zenger and I have been driving this huge 15 passanger van all around. Its awesome!! We had about 2 and a half days to get all our goals in our own area this last week and the Lord really blessed us, We were able to do it and then some. The Zone confrences were on the Restoration and they were awesome!! I got the chance to talk at them and I'm super thankful that Joseph Smith Sacraficed so much so that we can all be together forever! We watched "Joseph Smith: the Prophet of the Restoration" and it was awesome!!
These coming weeks before Christmas We're doing and activity as a mission and I want to invite you all to do it too. Its about becoming more like Christ and studying the Christ like attributes. Here in Puerto Rico the Christmas season doesnt stop until like the 16th but this is what we're doing:
Nov.15-21 Hope
Nov.22-28 Charity and Love
Nov.19- Dec.5 Virtue
Dec.6-12 Knowledge
Dec.13-19 Patience
Dec.20-26 Humiliy
Dec.27-Jan 2 Diligence
Jan 3-9 Obedience
Jan 10-16 Faith in Jesus Christ
In Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel you can find all these and in that same chapter it has a section on the best way to study each attribute with a bullet list. We are going to study each atrtribute doing all the bullets so we can become more like our Savior. So anyone who wants to do it with me is totally invited! 3 Nephi 27:27 "What manner of men ought ye to be? verily I say unto you, even as I am."
But that was basically my week!! It has been super busy with SO much stuff to do.
I love you all and want you to know that I know this is the True chruc, I know that Joseph Smith saw our heavenly father and his son and if we study it we can see that so many events in history lead up to that point when the father and the son finally appeared. I know that familys are the basic unit of Gods plan. I put my testimony along side Darwin Knudsens when he quoted that faith is a hope for things that are unseen but that are ture, and then said I hope and long for an eternal family and this is the only gospel that makes that possible for me.
Love

11/10/10
Dear Family,
Sounds like the cougars are back to there old selves. what do they have to do now... win seven straight? Anyway about the baptism this week. We have been out of our area a lot and haven't had the time to teach the Family a bunch and so we have had to move it to later on. keep Praying for the Family Ramos!!
This week was pretty crazy. My companion had to go get to know the Islands with another missionary who knows them so I went on a trade off with a brand new missionary! It was awesome!! We had to get like there whole week goals in just 2 days because they had some troubles at the beginning of the week but the Lord really blessed us after a lot of fasting and prayer. This missionary is from England and keeps saying things like boot for trunk and flat for apartment and trousers for pants. Its so Funny!! He lives like 20-30 minutes south of Londan.
It was really cool because neither one of us could be in our own ward on sunday but the members stepped up and took charge of being with our investigators.
This week we're going everywhere!! It is zone confrence week and so we will be around the whole island by the next time I talk to you. It is really cool because we are watching "Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restouracion" movie and it is so powerful. This church is so true!! I know it!!
Sorry I really dont have too much time but I love you all. I hope the baby boom isn't killing anyone!! I pray for you every night ha ha
P.S. Patrice and Clint I think there is a missionary here from your ward. Elder Curtis is his name. He says he knows you two!!


11/3/10
Dear Family!!!
How is everyone doing?! It sounds like everyone is doing good!!! Especially Craig who is getting married tommorrow!!!!! Thats so crazy!! I love hearing about the missionary work that your all doing!! Its SO COOL RIGHT!!
This week we had a lot going on! Missionaries leaving and Elder Zenger and I had to direct some senior couple this weekend and the familia Ramos and the zone leaders council and everything else!! It has been a crazy week. I cant even begin to say all the things we did. Anyway the zone leader councel was awesome because right in the middle President just stopped and was like okay who wants to take some of their P-day today? And I tried explaining that we had somethings to do and all that but then he got my companion and I and two other missionaries to go play basketball with him and some of the senior couples. I was still a little reluctant but he just said Elder Knudsen you have done a lot this week and men are that they might have joy.. Its your decision. So we went and played against all these older missionaires and it was awesome! !! One of the guys was 72 and would move so slow but he could still beat me!! It was super humbling! They were all really tall but were like the all stars when they were young. Anyway they beat us twice and we beat them twice and then the third game we decided that its hard for them to bend down hahaha so we beat them with the strategy of keeping the ball low. Anyway it was a good time but even better than that was when Nelson (the father of the family) came to us and said I think My wife and I and the kids will be ready for the 13 of november to be baptised!! it was so cool he has really been thinking about it hard. Please pray for them to get ready. We also want to find another family if not today than at least this week but we'll see because we have some more things to do this weekend! I love this work family!! It is awesome. I go the biggest fire today just to go out and do it all when I was studying but I understand that we all have to lift where we stand and its not where you serve but how. Family the Book of mormon is true!! pray about it everytime you ready and meditate what you are reading and then remember that it was translated by a young man! I love you all so much and am so grateful for your great examples!! I have to go and not worry about anything except the people here and binging them unto Christ by whatever means I can. I love you all so much and have a great week!
Love elder Knudsen

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