October 9th, 2012

Hello Family!

Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving and we ate over at the Hatton's.  They're a really great family and it was fun being there.  

 So this week was pretty great. We were able to visit Peggy's Cove, a very big tourist attraction, but a very beautiful and amazing place. 

Also, there are quite a few motorcycles out here...I've had the pleasure of sitting on a bunch...(since we're not allowed to ride them...darn). 

Other than that though, the only exciting things happening pertain to General Conference this past weekend!  We are blessed to have been able to hear the words of an inspired Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and from divine Apostles. I really enjoyed General Conference. However, I managed to get some sort of food poisoning or something because I was vomiting literally every 25 minutes throughout conference Saturday.  I hate throwing up!  But I'm alive now and all is well.  (In an audio file, Elder Hunt said he makes sausage, eggs and toast every morning to serve his companion.  Yeah, I’d say that’s service!!  But it also might be where he got the food poisoning…*_*)

We were shocked as missionaries to hear the ages for young men being able to serve missions is now 18, and young women is now 19. It is such an exciting thing and really makes me so happy every time I think or talk about it! Much good will come of it and there will be many more young people serving.  (He also said, “A ton more girls will be serving now that they can come out at 19 years old.  Everybody should serve a mission.  It works wonders!!”  Love that he has discovered this fact already!!)

The picture book my mom gave to Sue Hampson when
serving her mission here 35 years ago!  Yes,
this is definitely a "ripple effect!"

 Well, first off, I'm a Mormon. I know it, I live it, I love it. I enjoyed many talks throughout conference, but will choose to focus on missionary work. Russel M. Nelson talked about how serving a mission will effect many generations down the line of your family. It will have ripple effects that we can't even imagine. Do we want our family to be rippled into the Gospel? I vote yes. He also talked about how our desire to serve a mission is based on how converted we truly are. If we don't desire to serve others...well, we need to try a little harder. J  Each person/missionary has unique gifts that allow only that specific person to help specific people in a way that no other person ever could. So, if you ever have any question pertaining to the Gospel, or really anything at all....

ASK THE MISSIONARIES!

David A. Bednar related one thing that I really liked. A testimony is essential, but conversion is what truly brings us to the point where we will never turn our back again on our Heavenly Father. We need to "go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded."  And that includes serving a mission!

I love you all, and hope to see more missionaries out in the field, as well as missionaries in your individual wards and lives.

Love,

Elder Hunt

Sheila's Baptism

Well today, I'm emailing later than usual because President Leavitt just took us to go TV shopping for the new smart TV he needs in the mission home. So we did that for a while, helped him set it up at the house, and then he took us out to Montana's, a nice restaurant where we had some big 12 oz steaks and mashed potatoes...I was right at home. So it's been a really good day, other than now I don't get hardly any time to email home. But oh well, it's a mission.

 

This week, we had Sheila Jordan's baptism! She is such an amazing lady and I am so happy that I was able to teach and work with her. Her baptism was so spiritual, as well as her confirmation at church the next day. She became emotional during her confirmation, and it was hard for the rest of us to hold it in, but we were all just completely overjoyed with her and the decisions that she is making.

Thanks Mom, Dad, and Papa K and momma Trish. The digital photo frame is the best thing ever to have. Now I don't have to pull out my picture book! They can just cycle through all on their own, and I really love it. So thank you!!

Other than that, i'm just loving it out here. Not too much time to write this week, but know that I love each and every one of you. Even you random people that are checking and reading this from who knows where...love you all!

Remember to stay strong in the faith, and always trust in our Heavenly Father. Someday we will thank Him for cutting us down, so that we can grow even bigger.

Take care!

Elder Hunt

September 24th Letter

This week was just amazing.

I tried a new thing called a donair, which is probably the most unhelathy thing on the face of the planet to eat, but sure is delicious.  (Donair was introduced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 1970s.  Sliced meatloaf made from a combination of ground beef, flour or bread crumbs, and various spices, and the sauce is made from evaporated milk, sugar, vinegar, and sometimes garlic. The meat and sauce are served rolled in pita bread with condiments such as tomato and onion.  Not too unhealthy, unless you eat them ALL the time, Elder Hunt!!)

Bill Thompson showed us more of his military stuff and let us try on a couple of his swords.  This week, was Linda Thompsons baptism. It was amazing to be apart of and see her husband Bill baptize her. She has M.S. and is in a wheelchair, so when Bill baptized her, he was holding her in his arms and both of them had to go under the water to be fully immersed. It was a very symbolic thing and such an amazing thing to be apart of. I've been playing the piano quite a bit too, and enjoyed playing all the music for the baptism.

Remember how I hated reading anything before I left to come out here? Well....the Lord works in mysterious ways. Now reading is my favorite thing to do. I can't ever get enough time to read the Book of Mormon, and other church books. One I'm reading right now is Our Heritage, and it's an amazing book describing things that pertain more to our day.

Elder Robert C. Gay of the Seventy visited us this week. He taught us so much and was so inspiring. He will be speaking in the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference in a couple weeks, so be sure and watch!

Spiritual thought for the week:
Going throughout our lives, there are incredible people that help us along the way. Especially our Bishop. If we develop a strong love and relationship with him, it will be one of the greatest blessings we can have in our life. He will be there for you if you are willing to go to him, and allow him to help you. As I've personally experienced that, I found someone who changed my life forever. So, if you haven't already, go to your Bishop and develop that relationship. Allow him to exercies his authority, and guide/council you in your life. As you do, I promise he will help.

This IS the one and only true church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. Don't waste away the time that you have here on earth. Take that time, and use it for good. Use it to learn more about the Gospel, by reading the Book of Mormon and studying those things that prepare you to serve our Heavenly Father. Use this time to strengthen your relationships with others. First, strengthen your family and your home. The family is so important to God and as we serve and love our families, we will receive more blessings. Charity is one of the biggest and most essential Christlike attributes. The more you serve others, the more you will come to find the Light of Christ, and will see the blessings in your own life. I promise it will bring amazing things into your life.

If you take nothing else away from what I've said, remember this:
1)   Utilize those people in your life who are there to help you. (e.g.,. Bishop, Family, Jesus Christ)

2)   Time is a blessing, not a curse! We often find ourselves looking ahead, and end up wasting the joys of the present by focussing on a far-off distance. Take advantage of the time you have!

3)    Charity. Use charity and love to strengthen your family, others around you, and those you may not even know. That Christlike attribute alone will provide you with blessings you cannot comprehend.

As you think about these things, don't just take my word for it. Kneel down and ask Heavenly Father what he wants you to be doing. No matter what is happening in our lives, each one of us can benefit immensely from doing these things.

I am a witness that Jesus is the Christ. I can testify and know that He is my Redeemer and knows exactly how I feel. He goes through my joys, as well as my sorrows and pains with me. That doesn't mean my trials will be easy, but they will always be worth it, and Christ will always be there with me. I hope everyone will strengthen and develop that personal relationship with our brother, and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Elder Hunt

Missionary Snail Mail. . .

What a fun surprise!  We got a snail mail letter from Elder Hunt today!  Way to make Friday an even BETTER day of the week!!  He included notes from a Zone Conference that he wanted me to include, (and I noticed on the program that he was asked to say the Opening Prayer.)

Mom, thanks so much for the package with the Ryan's Lion in it.  I love it!  (This was the blue lion we had been given from the Mapleton Bartons when Denzel died...a very special "trackable" lion...which reminds me, I better update it. . .  http://ryanslion.org/)


Also, thanks for the journal entries! They were great to read and relate to. (I had copied and sent the first week of MY mission journal entries when I got to Canada, and also sent my father's entries that he had sent me when I was new to the mission field...)

How's everyone doing back home?  I really miss everyone, but especially the nieces and nephews...

Things are really starting to pick up here.  Time is flying by, and by the time you get this, I'll have two, maybe three, baptisms already.  So the work is great!  :)

It costs $1.05 per stamp to send letters to the USA, so I want to write everyone but I won't unless I get a letter from them first.  

So here's a quick note saying I love you and dad so much!  Thanks for preparing me so well to be a missionary!  You've done your job well!  :)  Hope you and dad are having a good time!  Love you guys!

Love,
Elder Hunt #4

1.  PRAY for Missionary Opportunities
2.  LOOK - Anytime, anywhere; always be open to finding someone to share the gospel with
3.  SPEAK - Open your mouth...it doesn't have to be doctrine, it can be something like "Hey!  How's your dog!  Talk to people.  Don't be so focused on yourself that you aren't aware of the people around you.
4.  INVITE - This may seem hard, but many people don't know about the church, or simply don't come because they haven't been invited.  ASK them to come.  It doesn't have to be complicated!!

Elder Hunt's Eventful Week

Hello Everybody!

This week was truly inspired. 

Earlier this week, we were tracting up in a pretty sketchy area, and we turned a corner to see a ton of police and whatnot. turns out someone got shot right where we were tracting...crazy stuff. But anyway, then we had a strong feeling to go tract this street called Grumpy Lane. There were only three houses on the street, and I felt we should start at the top of the hill, rather than at the bottom where we were. So we start at the top, and the first two didn't answer. So as we're walking to the third, a car pulled in and a lady went into the house. We knocked on her door and on of the first things she said to us was, "you just knocked on my daughters house, and she's not ready for the Gospel. But I'm ready to hear the Gospel, Elders." She is not a member, but has defnitely been prepared by the Lord to be taught at this moment. I'm so excited to be able to begin teaching her and help bring her closer to Christ.

A few nights later, I went on exchanges with another Elder, so I was tracting down along the waterfont right by the big Halifax Bridge. It's really a sketchy neighborhood, so we got done a little early when it was dark, and went to take some pictures down on the boardwalk of the bridge and the city lights. A cute couple occupied our ideal lookout spot, so we had to move over to a much less satisfying one. Had those obstacles not been put into place, we wouldn't have had such an amazing experience as we did. 

As we stood there admiring the view, I heard a tune of Called To Serve being whistled. Long story short, It turned out to be a man by the name of Ryan Oliver. We talked for a short bit, and he ended up taking us to dinner at a seafood restaurant right there on the waterfront. 

Now, if you know me, I don't like seafood...of the little that i've tried. But that night, Ryan ordered me a "Seafood Platter" with assortments of callamari, shrimp, salmon, haddock, and scallops. Surprisingly, I ate it all and it wasn't too bad at all!; a few fishy bites here and there, but nothing too horrible! Hooray! Anyway, as we sat there and ate, Ryan taught Elder Sloan and I so many different things. We literally felt like what he was telling us was truly inspired and what we needed to hear at that time. I don't have too much time to go into all the details, but I will say one thing. As little of a "coincidence" as it may have seemed, Ryan Oliver truly changed my mission and my life. I will always remember the things he taught me and the truth of his message. Ryan lives in Highland, Utah, so I can't wait for the day when I come home and can go see him again. Thanks for everything Ryan.

Other great things/events that happened this week:

I fell asleep in the car and Elder Deem is hilarious, so he slammed on the brakes and screamed, as if we were getting into a car crash. I woke up, mid-heart attack and punched him...

Linda Thompson is getting baptized this weekend, and her husband Bill had us drink a cup of water with a spoon full of Cayan pepper in it...It's very hot, but is supposed to help your blood flow and pump better...So now Elder Deem and I do it nearly every day. who knew? Also, Bill, reminds me so much of John Locke off of the TV show Lost. He looks and acts like him and is just great! 


I was able to have dinner over at a family's house on Saturday, and celebrate Mexican Independence Day! It was one of the most fun things i've ever experienced! Viva!! We had so much good authentic food, a pinata, and so much more. It was such a great time!

Well, I truly cherish the time that I have to read the Book of Mormon each day. Before my mission, I read it, but didn't really read it. Now, I am learning and understanding so much more, and it is really the highlight of my day to be able to dive in and learn more! I am learning so much! 

There is a talk that I am including in this email. Go to http://www.mediafire.com/?37xdrke0pycc7e7  .  Go to that link, and download the talk. The talk is by W. Cleon Skowsen, and is one of the best talks I've ever heard and learned from. Please take some time to sit down and listen! And mom, you could even post this talk on the blog or something. It's amazing!

Take care!

Elder Hunt

Whistling in Halifax!

This is Mom talking...

Elder Hunt and Elder Deem were supposed to have a lunch appointment with Sue and Bruce Hampson on Thursday of this week.  They were going to take the Elders to "the best fish and chips place in all of Nova Scotia" on the last day it was open for the season.  But the Elders never showed. . . Sue was very disappointed!  They waited for 45 minutes, then made the 20 minute return drive home, wondering what had happened.

Turns out the Elders had gotten a new planner, and hadn't transferred all of their appointments into the new planner.  Oops!  And knowing Elder Hunt, he is equally disappointed, but feels even worse for "messing up."


Then, I received a phone call last night (Friday) that went something like this:

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Ryan Oliver.  I happened to be in Halifax today, happened to see some Mormon missionaries, and happened to take them out to dinner.  You wouldn't happen to know anyone out here, would you?"

(After I stopped laughing he told me the rest of the story...)

Ryan (from Highland, Utah and was in Nova Scotia on some real estate business) saw these two elders standing on some rocks by the harbor, in their suits, so he kind of casually walked by them whistling "Called To Serve."  He said the elders kind of looked at him, he made an "investigator" comment, which got their interest piqued, and then confessed he was LDS and from Utah.  And he took them out to a "very nice seafood dinner...Elder Hunt's FIRST (in Canada) as I understand it..."

Anyway, we had a long talk as he told me of his impressions of Elder Hunt and what a fine young man he is. Ryan was impressed.   And it was a very nice phone call to receive.

LOVE that Elder Hunt is having some very cool experiences!!

We can hardly wait to hear HIS reactions to his week!!

First Email from Nova Scotia!

Welcome to Nova Scotia! The land of hurricanes, spiders, and fish everywhere you go!

SO after my long escapade of travelling in New York and everything, I've finally made it to Canada! I am loving it out here already and know there's a lot to look forward to. 

On my first night of tracting, this guy slammed his car door shut as we walked past him, so we asked him how he was doing... this was his reply: "How'm I doin?! I wanna get a machine gun and blow all yo religious heads off! Tha's how i'm doin!"  OH boy i can't WAIT for more missionary work. So i've already had some funny and crazy experiences, but all is well.

Let's see, so many things to cover so it's just gonna jump around a lot:

-My companion has a haircut kit, so I will just be giving myself haircuts to save on time and money. I didn't do too bad with my first one..but did miss one little spot in the back... (thinking of you mom!)

-My companion is great! His name is Elder Deem, he's from Gilbert Arizona, and has been out for 8 months now. He's a solid missionary and i'm really glad to be getting trained by him. We boh have faith and set some pretty high goals, but we work hard and can get them done. It'll be an awesome time together.

-Oh! he has a digital photo frame...I WANT ONE! it is so nice because he has it on his desk and it can just go through the pictures for you and you can have them right there. That way i wouldn't have to pull out a picture book every time, and then you wouldn't have to print pics either. You could just attach them through dropbox and i could put them on the usb and straight into the frame. SO if you get a digital frame, make sure it can have a usb plugged into it. It would be really nice... (:

-The ward we are serving in is amazing because it's the ward Bruce and Sue Hampson are in! We have dinner appointments every single night because the ward mission leader's wife coordinates it for us and does a fantastic job. Not to mention we are having fish and chips with Bruce and Sue on Thursday for lunch. Woohoo!

-So they have this store up here called Bulk Barn. It's the most amazing store ever. Everything is in separate bins, and you just scoop out how much you need of whatever it is, and then pay by the weight. I love it!  

-The music rule up here is i can listen to anything that brings the spirit...so definitely put some music into dropbox! (:

-We went to a place called 2 Boys Meat Smokehouse. Best meat i've ever had in my entire life! such a low price, about the price of subway for a footlong sub, but theirs is about 5 times the size...it's great! Not to mention they sell bones there for dogs that they get their meat off of...and they are about 2-3 feet long and massive! There's a picture in dropbox with one in it.

-Literally...Spiders. EVERYWHERE! Forget South America...this is the place where all the spiders are. It's kinda ridiculous. I have a little friend that lives in my office in the apartment..There is a small hole in the wall right next to where I sit, and he comes and goes as he pleases. I figure i don't wanna make him upset since he probably has his army throughout all the walls...so we're on good terms for now, but it could turn into David vs.  Goliath up in here...and I wouldn't be Goliath. 

-There are tons of accents up here...this is definitely my kind of place! There's British, Scottish, Irish, etc. You name it, it's here. I love it!

-Church here is SO different than back home in Utah. It was a little weird being a missionary in the Gospel Principles class because the teacher asks questions, and then looks at you, expecting you to know it since you're a missionary! Ha! far from it...

-I'm SO tired.....ALL THE TIME!!! it's exhausting doing this stuff...i always fall asleep during personal study, it's ridiculous. It'll just take time to get used to it I guess.

-I don't know if you were able to watch the CES Fireside on Sunday that was actually down at Dixie State College with Elder Holland speaking. I saw a few people in the crowd that I knew so it was great.

-So i guess a hurricane is supposed to be rolling in...right now it is pouring outside...not like st george pouring...like crazy downpour i've never seen before. So i guess i should go buy a raincoat today! oh, and we got lost driving back to our place last night because we couldn't see the exit signs on the freeway...that's how thick the fog is.

Other than those exciting adventures, the work here is great. There are always challenges of course, but we have two investigators named Sheila, and Linda. Sheila is a golden investigator. We taught her a second lesson this week, she came to church, and will have a baptism date this coming week. So exciting. and Linda has MS, can hardly move or talk, but has such a strong testimony. She will be baptized on the 29th, so that's also exciting! I love the work more and more each day. The challenges and trials get harder day by day as well, but it's all abou your attitude. So I just keep chuggin along and doing the good work the Lord has prepared for me.

  

I hope everyone is doing well, and makes time for the Lord in each of their lives. It really is the most important thing we can do on this Earth! Love and miss you all!

Love Elder Hunt

P.S.  The things Elder Hunt forgot to mention:  He is in the Cole Harbour Ward which is in Dartmouth, the location of the Mission office.  The Halifax Canada Temple is located right next to the Dartmouth Stake Center where the Cole Harbour Ward meets.  The elders' apartment is pretty close to the temple.  And Sue LOVED it when Elder Hunt came up to her at church the first Sunday he was there and gave her a BIG bear hug!