The Wedding - December 12, 2016

Hello everyone!

So for those of you asking I'm feeling way better today than I was last week.

So this week was another normal week until Friday, because we had a wedding Saturday! It was super hectic and crazy trying to get everything ready. We borrowed a truck from the mission because in some areas the roads aren't very good so the mission has a bunch of trucks for missionaries to drive instead of cars. It was so nice top drive it for a couple days, it was a big Isuzu kb 250 double cab bakkie (a bakkie is a truck here) the trucks are smaller here than back home but it is still a big truck. We had to use it haul a bunch of chairs and a huge tent. It was super super tiring. Weddings are a lot of work but it was super awesome to see 2 of our investigators getting married so they can be baptized.

Then on Sunday we attended church in a different branch then where we are serving because one of the senior couple missionaries was going home so we went to their last Sunday before they leave SA. It was super crazy because the guys there were only halfway through their mission when I came. I guess it just means I'm starting to get old on mission.

It's crazy that Christmas is just 2 weeks away, I hope every has a great Christmas season and remembers the true meaning of Christmas and remembers the birth of our Savior.
 

I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder K

The Flu - December 5, 2016

Hello everyone!

So this week was an interesting one. Things got slightly better this week but I got super sick this weekend. It was probably the sickest I have been in my whole life too, I wont go into detail but lets just say it was not fun.

We taught some good lessons and found some good people this week. December here though is really tough for missionary work because everyone goes out to party and drink and nobody is ever home because everyone gets time off work. Its the start of summer here so the weather is super hot too.

I want to thank everyone for emails this week. I'm super sorry if I forgot to reply to you but I read everything that was sent and loved all of it.

I'm still kind of sick and my brain isn't quite working well, so this email will be kinda short but just know that I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder Knutsen

I'm so sorry - November 28, 2016

So first let me apologize for not emailing everyone the past two weeks, things have been kinda crazy lately and I haven't always felt like sending a group email which I am sorry for.

So let's go over the past couple weeks, first we had a baptism 2 Sunday's ago which was super exciting. It was the first person I had found, taught, and baptized, so it was super awesome.

2nd we will be having a wedding for 2 of our investigators on the 10th which I am super excited for, the Sunday after we will have like 3 or 4 baptism so I stoked for that.

Those are kind of the big events that have happened, but we have done fun stuff along the way.  

Today we had like 30 missionaries come and play soccer together which now will be a weekly thing, it was so much fun but it was so HOT!!! It is like 35 today and very very humid so you feel hot all the time. It's nice but sucks at the same time.


Sounds like things are going great back home... here not so much. my new comps name is Elder Thandi from Zimbabwe, and lets just say we aren't getting along very well. I have no idea how I'm going to make it through this transfer, it's been three days but it feels like its been forever, everything he says to me is super negative and it's always his way or the highway, he doesn't negotiate at all. I have also learned that companionship relationships aren't always prefect. I've known that, but this transfer has been really tough so far. It has helped me grow a ton though which I am grateful for.

I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder Knutsen

Friends

Brett recently asked me to log onto his Facebook and confirm a friend named Aphelele Mzimela.  Shortly after I confirmed their FB friendship, she posted the following:
 
"If friends had price tags,I wouldn't afford someone as great as you ••Brett••"

With pictures.............

 

 

Stake Conference - November 7, 2016

Hellooooooo!!!!!

So this week was pretty awesome mostly because one of our investigators passed their baptismal interview this last Thursday! it was so exciting because I was one of the missionaries who found her so it is super cool to see someone you found progress all the way to baptism.

Also, this Saturday and Sunday we had stake conference, it was neat because we got a new stake President. Also stake conference is held here in Durban city hall which is this HUGE building, google it sometime. About an hour and half before the meeting started Sunday morning all the missionaries from Durban stake went to city hall and sang hymns and passed out pass along cards and copies of the book of mormon, it was super fun to be doing that with 20 other missionaries.

Besides those two major events nothing else really happened, we found some people who seem like they are ready for the gospel which is also super awesome.

OH, I just remembered a story I have to tell, so for what ever reason here people think that if you have a bad memory you have diabetes, no idea why they think that but they do, so this week I could remember where I put something and one of my companions said to me "maybe you have diabetes". it was the funniest thing ever, it may not be funny to you all but it was to me..... haha.

I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder K

Goodbye - October 31, 2016

So yesterday was a happy/sad day because one of the missionaries who lived with me for the past 2 months finished his mission - the assistants came and picked him up from our house after church, its always weird to see people go home, and every transfer since I got on mission I've known someone who went home. You kinda just sit there and think one day that will be me and there will be some other young missionaries sitting here seeing me pack up and head home.

Other than that though this week was great, we have one of our really powerful investigators getting ready to be baptized, her interview is this week so we are super excited for her. the baptism though wont be till the 13th because this next week is stake conference. stake conference is kinda different here but ill talk about that next week after it happens.

Because one of the missionaries went home I am now in a 3 some with another missionary from Utah named Elder Marshall. He is a pretty cool guy and its crazy because we had almost the exact same jeep back home, except his was green and mine was white.

Other than that, I don't think there is much to talk about this week, just working hard and getting ready for another transfer to come to a close. We find out our new companions a week from Friday so it's exciting to see what will happen to me since my companion will be going home at that time.

I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder K

Zone Conference - October 24, 2016

Man this week was awesome!

 

So we had a big meeting with a ton of missionaries this week, I think there were like 20 of us there. It was great because I got to see guys I had served around in Ladysmith and some of my former companions Elder Razafindrakoto and Elder Chapo. It's always great to see people you shared great experiences with. Its crazy because soon Elder Raza goes home so I will be an orphan.

 

At this meeting we got to hear from our mission president, President Thompson and his wife, also a General Authority was there, his name is Elder Palmer from New Zealand, his wife spoke as well.

They gave some great talks about missionary work and how we can be more effective in everything we do. It was great to hear their opinions on things and how we can do better.

Besides that though the week was the same as always, teaching investigators and helping them progress in the gospel. Its so much fun to get to know all the different people I meet here and become part of their lives if only for a short time.

 

This next week will be 7 months which is crazy, its weird not to be the young guy anymore but its very nice at the same time haha.

 

I love you all and hope you have a great week this week.

 

Elder Knutsen