Dear family and friends!This has been maybe the craziest week of my mission so far! And by far the strangest, schedule wise. So, as you all know, Elder Boehme has left to Dundee to be the zone leader. It also turns out that he is training a new missionary! That wednesday we went to Glasgow Queen Street Station and I met my new companion, Elder Christensen.
Elder Christensen is just coming from Irvine, and he's been out for 4 and 1/2 months, so we are both fairly new and young missionaries. I am actually older than him, but he is my senior companion. He is very excited to work in Cumbernauld, and due to a month period where he and his previous trainer, Elder Clement, did nothing but finding every day, he has a strong love of door chapping. So we spent a few days chapping and introducing him to investigators. AND THEN THINGS GOT EVEN CRAZIER. On Saturday night, Elder Van Den Bron and Elder Sewell gave me a call and Elder Van Den Bron asks me ''Elder Hunter, do you know anything about the choir situation?''
''What?'' ''Oh, I'm guessing that means no. You will not be in your area next week.'' At this point, my heart sunk. I thought I wasn't going to be in Cumbernauld anymore. Then Elder Van Den Bron tells me that I am going to be touring Scotland in a Missionary Concert Christmas Choir all of this week! He also told me I needed to be packed up and at Queen's Street Station at 4:00 p.m. the next day. There were so many emotions and thoughts running through me. I was (a bit still now, but I've prayed and felt ok about it) a bit nervous about leaving Elder Christenson to watch over Cumbernauld in my absence, because he doesn't know the area very well. I was also super excited about running all over Scotland to sing! So on Sunday, I packed up and headed to the mission home. It has been great here! I have made many friends, including Elder Hewitson, who can play the piano by ear like myself, and Elder Barney, who plays the piano very well and is a great friend. It turns out that I will be playing the recorder and singing with 5 other elders ''O Come O Come Emmanuel'', and singing in the other songs. That is why this email has been very short.
In most important news, Joe is now off the drink, and is a progressing investigator of the Church! Woohoo!!! It was also great because we were working at the Charity Shop, and we met this young woman named Terry, and we were talking to her about missionary work, and Stephen said ''You should meet the missionaries. It really helps!'' (Or something to that effect) It was a great week, and Elder Christenson and I found a new man named Martin to teach together. He seems really interested, and we left a Book of Mormon with him to read. Elder Christenson is very focused on the Restoration, the Book of Mormon, and, as he loves to exclaim, ''BAPTISM!!!'' Anyways, I definitely will tell you more about it next week, but I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! I'm really sorry I didn't get to write more. I know the Church is true. I know the Lord sends the weak, humble, and simple missionaries to do His work. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, and I share this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Dear Family, Friends, Acquaintances, and All You People Who Got Lost On the Internet and Are Reading My Blog At Random,
A lot of changes are happening right now! It is pretty crazy what is going on. And I might say that every week, but that is because it is true! So we are hopefully teaching Mary and Ryan for the 1st time tonight FOR REAL! That's the hope. We've had a bit of trouble meeting her when she's in, or feeling well, or having a joint teach there. But tonight Brother Cattell, our ward mission leader, is going with us!
I think this Sunday was the longest time I ever spent with an investigator! We picked up Stephen Beattie to go to Church at about 9:15, and it was a good three hours of Church. Stephen ended up downloading the Gospel Library on his phone so he could read the scriptures whenever he wants to. After Church ended at 1:00, Bishop had a few errands to run, and Stephen was supposed to come right over after Church for a meal, and he was our only ride to his house, so we ended up at the Church for about an hour and a half. In that time, I shared with him my talent of playing songs by request on the piano. He loved it! Then, by the time, we all got down to Bishop's house (it was two trips of about 20 minutes each I think), had dinner, shared a message, and Sister Black (Bishop's wife) dropped us off in Abronhill, it was 5:30. So we spent about 8 hours with Stephen! We all were a bit shattered after that.
As far as Nick and Lee go, we haven't been able to get a hold of them, and we are still praying for them. It was super exciting, because John MacCormick called us this morning, and left a voice mail that said he was sorry he hadn't gotten back to us for a while, and he thanked us for our concern, and asked us to call him back! YIPPEEEEEE!!!
As for this upcoming week, I have some really big news... I'm staying in Cumbernauld! And Elder Boehme is moving to Dundee to be a Zone Leader with Elder Neilson, a now-former Assistant to the President! He is such a great leader and hard worker, and I am glad to see him moving to leadership positions so quickly. As for me and Cumbernauld, we will be receiving Elder Christenson, who's been out for 4 and a half months and looks like a pretty happy guy in the ''facebook''! Elder Boehme and I decided to start a tradition for moves' call night, which has officially taken on the name of ''Fortnightly Fortnight''. :) It basically looks a lot like this:
Elder Boehme and I built a fort and slept in it. It was super fun! Read 1 Nephi 2:15, it's talking about Elder Boehme. It is a truly humbling and sorrowful experience to see Elder Boehme go. We have become such great friends, and I have grown a lot because of him. I know that Elder Christenson will have a lot to teach me as well, but it's hard letting another companion go, especially since he is my first in-the-field companion. I will be leading out the area of Cumbernauld, and I hope to be able to gain the trust of the ward more as I work hard to bring souls to the knowledge of their Redeemer and eternal salvation. I know great things are going to happen here after this transfer.
Last Thursday I had a very Spiritual and testimony-building experience. As we were praying before we left the flat, I specifically prayed and asked Heavenly Father if He would send us someone new to teach. That morning, our appointment fell through with an Indian man named Ali who we have not yet taught, and so we chapped 5 aside on both sides, and when we came to the bottom of the close, a young man was looking through his door and we had a short conversation at the door, after which he invited us in! We taught him about the Restoration and invited him to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if God is there. His name is Jay Smith, and Elder Boehme connected very well with him. They were both fans of Iron Maiden and other bands, and his brothers had many similarities with Jay. I also learned that Jay and I are both fans of Doctor Who! He is super prepared, and he is 19 years of age, just as we are.
There are some great things going on in Cumbernauld, and I will make sure to tell you about Elder Christenson next week! I love you, and I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know He leads the work. I know there are people pulling for us on the other side of the veil. I love you, and thank you so much for the continuing letters and love and support and stuffs that I get from you! Stay strong in the gospel, and as Stefan would say, Peace my brothers (and sisters)
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
A lot of changes are happening right now! It is pretty crazy what is going on. And I might say that every week, but that is because it is true! So we are hopefully teaching Mary and Ryan for the 1st time tonight FOR REAL! That's the hope. We've had a bit of trouble meeting her when she's in, or feeling well, or having a joint teach there. But tonight Brother Cattell, our ward mission leader, is going with us!
I think this Sunday was the longest time I ever spent with an investigator! We picked up Stephen Beattie to go to Church at about 9:15, and it was a good three hours of Church. Stephen ended up downloading the Gospel Library on his phone so he could read the scriptures whenever he wants to. After Church ended at 1:00, Bishop had a few errands to run, and Stephen was supposed to come right over after Church for a meal, and he was our only ride to his house, so we ended up at the Church for about an hour and a half. In that time, I shared with him my talent of playing songs by request on the piano. He loved it! Then, by the time, we all got down to Bishop's house (it was two trips of about 20 minutes each I think), had dinner, shared a message, and Sister Black (Bishop's wife) dropped us off in Abronhill, it was 5:30. So we spent about 8 hours with Stephen! We all were a bit shattered after that.
As far as Nick and Lee go, we haven't been able to get a hold of them, and we are still praying for them. It was super exciting, because John MacCormick called us this morning, and left a voice mail that said he was sorry he hadn't gotten back to us for a while, and he thanked us for our concern, and asked us to call him back! YIPPEEEEEE!!!
As for this upcoming week, I have some really big news... I'm staying in Cumbernauld! And Elder Boehme is moving to Dundee to be a Zone Leader with Elder Neilson, a now-former Assistant to the President! He is such a great leader and hard worker, and I am glad to see him moving to leadership positions so quickly. As for me and Cumbernauld, we will be receiving Elder Christenson, who's been out for 4 and a half months and looks like a pretty happy guy in the ''facebook''! Elder Boehme and I decided to start a tradition for moves' call night, which has officially taken on the name of ''Fortnightly Fortnight''. :) It basically looks a lot like this:
Elder Boehme and I built a fort and slept in it. It was super fun! Read 1 Nephi 2:15, it's talking about Elder Boehme. It is a truly humbling and sorrowful experience to see Elder Boehme go. We have become such great friends, and I have grown a lot because of him. I know that Elder Christenson will have a lot to teach me as well, but it's hard letting another companion go, especially since he is my first in-the-field companion. I will be leading out the area of Cumbernauld, and I hope to be able to gain the trust of the ward more as I work hard to bring souls to the knowledge of their Redeemer and eternal salvation. I know great things are going to happen here after this transfer.
Last Thursday I had a very Spiritual and testimony-building experience. As we were praying before we left the flat, I specifically prayed and asked Heavenly Father if He would send us someone new to teach. That morning, our appointment fell through with an Indian man named Ali who we have not yet taught, and so we chapped 5 aside on both sides, and when we came to the bottom of the close, a young man was looking through his door and we had a short conversation at the door, after which he invited us in! We taught him about the Restoration and invited him to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if God is there. His name is Jay Smith, and Elder Boehme connected very well with him. They were both fans of Iron Maiden and other bands, and his brothers had many similarities with Jay. I also learned that Jay and I are both fans of Doctor Who! He is super prepared, and he is 19 years of age, just as we are.
There are some great things going on in Cumbernauld, and I will make sure to tell you about Elder Christenson next week! I love you, and I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know He leads the work. I know there are people pulling for us on the other side of the veil. I love you, and thank you so much for the continuing letters and love and support and stuffs that I get from you! Stay strong in the gospel, and as Stefan would say, Peace my brothers (and sisters)
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
Monday, December 2, 2013
Dear family and friends,
It has been quite a crazy week, like usual!
Our friend Joe Lochrie was having trouble with drinking again and depressive thoughts, so we invited him to Games Night at the Church on Friday, and he actually went to it! He had a great time, and felt very relaxed in the building and with the people. He connected well with Brother McGuinness because of their shared drinking past, but Brother McGuinness was able to share with Joe how he overcame the addiction and how he became a member of the Church. It was very good for both of them! Brother McGuinness is showing much more activity again, but we just need to maintain his progress and continue to support him and inspire him to keep getting better! Then, to our surprise, Joe was able to make it to Church on Sunday! He asked me if he could bear his testimony, and I told him what a testimony is, and why we share it. So he bore his testimony of the happiness of the people in the Church, and I know he feels the Spirit there! He wants to be baptized, and to know that the Book of Mormon is true, so we need to help him stop smoking and drinking. It was a miracle without a doubt and testified to me of the power of the Spirit. We'll continue to teach him!
We are planning on teaching Mary and Ryan tonight, and we're going to teach them the Restoration by cups and answer their questions. I hope we can instil in them a desire to learn and that they continue to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. They are such an awesome family! Oh yeah, so we met them last week, and had a FANTASTIC conversation with Mary. She has a few doubts about tithing and a few other concerns, but she would love to share the doctrine of temples because it is beautiful to her. Then she called Decklan (her 6 year old son) to meet us, and he is really intelligent and lots of fun! Then she called Ryan (her 11 year old son) to meet us at the door, and he had some good questions for us. We taught them the hand signs for the Ten Commandments, and they quite enjoyed that as well! So they invited us over for tonight! Craig is still having some doubts about us, and seems to have some enmity towards us, but we hope to overcome that as he sees the blessings that the gospel brings to his family members' lives. Nick and Lee are still on track to be baptized on January 25th, and we gave them baptismal calendars to help them see their progress. They are also super prepared, and I hope that they will be able to come to Church next week!
We also met Stephen again, and we invited him to be baptized on February 22nd. He is still moving forward, and I have faith that he will continue to grow in his desire to learn and be baptized.
We are almost done with the groceries that my mom sent us! This week we will be getting more groceries for 2 weeks time, because moves' call will be this Sunday. I have a feeling that Elder Boehme will be leaving, so I might be training or receive a new companion this next transfer! We will see. :) I have learned so much from him, and it has been a humbling and fantastic opportunity to work with him and come to know him and about his righteous desires and his life. The Christmas Season has started! Which means, time to go caroling! :) (Depending on the willingness of my next companion, should I have one...) Thank you for writing me! I love to hear from all of you every week! It is a blessing and rekindles the flame to go out and work every week! I know that the gospel is true. I know the Spirit can help us know the truth of all things. I love the Lord. I love serving him. ALWAYS pray and don't feint.
How is everyone?
Love,
Elder Devin jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. How was Thanksgiving?
It has been quite a crazy week, like usual!
Our friend Joe Lochrie was having trouble with drinking again and depressive thoughts, so we invited him to Games Night at the Church on Friday, and he actually went to it! He had a great time, and felt very relaxed in the building and with the people. He connected well with Brother McGuinness because of their shared drinking past, but Brother McGuinness was able to share with Joe how he overcame the addiction and how he became a member of the Church. It was very good for both of them! Brother McGuinness is showing much more activity again, but we just need to maintain his progress and continue to support him and inspire him to keep getting better! Then, to our surprise, Joe was able to make it to Church on Sunday! He asked me if he could bear his testimony, and I told him what a testimony is, and why we share it. So he bore his testimony of the happiness of the people in the Church, and I know he feels the Spirit there! He wants to be baptized, and to know that the Book of Mormon is true, so we need to help him stop smoking and drinking. It was a miracle without a doubt and testified to me of the power of the Spirit. We'll continue to teach him!
We are planning on teaching Mary and Ryan tonight, and we're going to teach them the Restoration by cups and answer their questions. I hope we can instil in them a desire to learn and that they continue to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. They are such an awesome family! Oh yeah, so we met them last week, and had a FANTASTIC conversation with Mary. She has a few doubts about tithing and a few other concerns, but she would love to share the doctrine of temples because it is beautiful to her. Then she called Decklan (her 6 year old son) to meet us, and he is really intelligent and lots of fun! Then she called Ryan (her 11 year old son) to meet us at the door, and he had some good questions for us. We taught them the hand signs for the Ten Commandments, and they quite enjoyed that as well! So they invited us over for tonight! Craig is still having some doubts about us, and seems to have some enmity towards us, but we hope to overcome that as he sees the blessings that the gospel brings to his family members' lives. Nick and Lee are still on track to be baptized on January 25th, and we gave them baptismal calendars to help them see their progress. They are also super prepared, and I hope that they will be able to come to Church next week!
We also met Stephen again, and we invited him to be baptized on February 22nd. He is still moving forward, and I have faith that he will continue to grow in his desire to learn and be baptized.
We are almost done with the groceries that my mom sent us! This week we will be getting more groceries for 2 weeks time, because moves' call will be this Sunday. I have a feeling that Elder Boehme will be leaving, so I might be training or receive a new companion this next transfer! We will see. :) I have learned so much from him, and it has been a humbling and fantastic opportunity to work with him and come to know him and about his righteous desires and his life. The Christmas Season has started! Which means, time to go caroling! :) (Depending on the willingness of my next companion, should I have one...) Thank you for writing me! I love to hear from all of you every week! It is a blessing and rekindles the flame to go out and work every week! I know that the gospel is true. I know the Spirit can help us know the truth of all things. I love the Lord. I love serving him. ALWAYS pray and don't feint.
How is everyone?
Love,
Elder Devin jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. How was Thanksgiving?
Monday, November 25, 2013
Dear friends and family,
What a great birthday I had! Thank you so much for the letters and words of kindness, support and encouragement. It was a great day full of many surprises! :) To my surprise, early in the morning of November 20, a man with a Tesco brand on his jacket and a tub of Oreo ice cream and a DOCTOR WHO CAKE arrived on my door. I was so happy!!! :)
Stewart and Teresa had a great week this week. When we went over, we had a good lunch and were sitting down to have a lesson. As I am reaching to take a Book of Mormon out of my jacket, Stewart walks around the corner of the kitchen with a cake and candles and everybody sang happy birthday to me. I was so surprised and grateful! Stewart was also able to make it to Church this week, which was great for him because he has not been for over 2 months! He also went and taught a less-active member named Nikki (you might remember her from a month ago about) with us! We have committed them to read the Family Proclamation and pray about it as a couple. I am so excited to see where they go in the future. They are a great family, and they are ready to start on the path to becoming sealed in the temple as a family after they are married and Teresa is baptized! :)
As for the Anghel family, we are still working with them. The marriage box went well for a few days, but they told us on saturday night that their children destroyed it. So maybe we should get them something less... destructible. :) I hope they will continue to work to move forward in the gospel.
We haven't been able to meet with Stefan and Rodica at all this last week because they haven't been home or have been busy. Stefan needs to know at this point in time the importance of being baptized because he knows the truth of the Restoration, and he needs to work on gaining a testimony through reading and prayer. We are praying that he will be ready to move forward and follow the path we have laid before him!
Nick and Lee weren't able to make it to Church, but we had a great lesson with them on tuesday, and then with Nick last night. The Spirit was so strong there! He has been reading and praying, and he was unsure of what to pray for. So we taught him from the scriptures about what Zenos prayed for and taught us to pray for, and he was able to recognize why he prayed and what he can pray for. He is on the path that Heavenly Father wants him to be on, and it is great to see his progress because of his willingness to do the things that God asks of him and his humility in learning and in asking. He is very kind and even offered to give us one of his old phones with google maps on it so we could find our friends that we are teaching. :) I have faith that the Lord will prepare him to be baptized and will help him to come to Church because of his faithfulness. I hope Lee will do the same as well as we teach him!
It is really crazy what happened when we went over to teach Mary and Ryan. Unfortunately, they had forgotten about our appointment with them. What was our surprise when we knocked on their door, and Nick's brother, Craig, opens the door! I have no doubt that the Lord has prepared Nick and Craig's families to come into the fold at this time. He was a bit surprised as well, because he knew us and that we were teaching Nick, and he knew that someone was coming to teach Mary and his two sons, Ryan and Deckland, but he didn't make the connection until we opened the door! It was pretty confusing at first, but once we had an understanding of the situation, it all clicked! SO COOl!
Also, Brother McGuinness made it out to Church this Sunday again, for the 2nd Sunday in a row! He is making such great progress, and I look forward to seeing him become a faithful, worthy member of the Church again! We also helped him paint his new game room, stairway, and upstairs hallway on Saturday morning. He was so jumpy and energetic on Saturday and at Church, it's a joy to behold.
On my birthday, also, at dinner, (which was at the Footes), I was yet treated with another surprise birthday cake! Elder Boehme is the best! :) As a side note, last P-Day I went and got a recorder. I talked to Sister Brown (President Brown's wife) about it, and she said it is ok to have a recorder. I have made sure not to let it distract from the work, and when I do play it, it helps me quite a bit. It's not a Saxophone, but it'll do for now. ;)
That pretty much wraps it up for this week! Thanks again for the birthday wishes, and I look forward to hearing from you all again soon!
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. No snow yet, but it's STILL pretty freezing cold. :)
What a great birthday I had! Thank you so much for the letters and words of kindness, support and encouragement. It was a great day full of many surprises! :) To my surprise, early in the morning of November 20, a man with a Tesco brand on his jacket and a tub of Oreo ice cream and a DOCTOR WHO CAKE arrived on my door. I was so happy!!! :)
Stewart and Teresa had a great week this week. When we went over, we had a good lunch and were sitting down to have a lesson. As I am reaching to take a Book of Mormon out of my jacket, Stewart walks around the corner of the kitchen with a cake and candles and everybody sang happy birthday to me. I was so surprised and grateful! Stewart was also able to make it to Church this week, which was great for him because he has not been for over 2 months! He also went and taught a less-active member named Nikki (you might remember her from a month ago about) with us! We have committed them to read the Family Proclamation and pray about it as a couple. I am so excited to see where they go in the future. They are a great family, and they are ready to start on the path to becoming sealed in the temple as a family after they are married and Teresa is baptized! :)
As for the Anghel family, we are still working with them. The marriage box went well for a few days, but they told us on saturday night that their children destroyed it. So maybe we should get them something less... destructible. :) I hope they will continue to work to move forward in the gospel.
We haven't been able to meet with Stefan and Rodica at all this last week because they haven't been home or have been busy. Stefan needs to know at this point in time the importance of being baptized because he knows the truth of the Restoration, and he needs to work on gaining a testimony through reading and prayer. We are praying that he will be ready to move forward and follow the path we have laid before him!
Nick and Lee weren't able to make it to Church, but we had a great lesson with them on tuesday, and then with Nick last night. The Spirit was so strong there! He has been reading and praying, and he was unsure of what to pray for. So we taught him from the scriptures about what Zenos prayed for and taught us to pray for, and he was able to recognize why he prayed and what he can pray for. He is on the path that Heavenly Father wants him to be on, and it is great to see his progress because of his willingness to do the things that God asks of him and his humility in learning and in asking. He is very kind and even offered to give us one of his old phones with google maps on it so we could find our friends that we are teaching. :) I have faith that the Lord will prepare him to be baptized and will help him to come to Church because of his faithfulness. I hope Lee will do the same as well as we teach him!
It is really crazy what happened when we went over to teach Mary and Ryan. Unfortunately, they had forgotten about our appointment with them. What was our surprise when we knocked on their door, and Nick's brother, Craig, opens the door! I have no doubt that the Lord has prepared Nick and Craig's families to come into the fold at this time. He was a bit surprised as well, because he knew us and that we were teaching Nick, and he knew that someone was coming to teach Mary and his two sons, Ryan and Deckland, but he didn't make the connection until we opened the door! It was pretty confusing at first, but once we had an understanding of the situation, it all clicked! SO COOl!
Also, Brother McGuinness made it out to Church this Sunday again, for the 2nd Sunday in a row! He is making such great progress, and I look forward to seeing him become a faithful, worthy member of the Church again! We also helped him paint his new game room, stairway, and upstairs hallway on Saturday morning. He was so jumpy and energetic on Saturday and at Church, it's a joy to behold.
On my birthday, also, at dinner, (which was at the Footes), I was yet treated with another surprise birthday cake! Elder Boehme is the best! :) As a side note, last P-Day I went and got a recorder. I talked to Sister Brown (President Brown's wife) about it, and she said it is ok to have a recorder. I have made sure not to let it distract from the work, and when I do play it, it helps me quite a bit. It's not a Saxophone, but it'll do for now. ;)
That pretty much wraps it up for this week! Thanks again for the birthday wishes, and I look forward to hearing from you all again soon!
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. No snow yet, but it's STILL pretty freezing cold. :)
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Dear family and friends,
Another week gone by, and there are miracles happening left and right! The Anghels are making some good progress, and we introduced a very cool two-in-one secret weapon that Elder Boehme, Brother Foote, and I, came up with! It's called........................... The Marriage Box! Basically what it is, is it's a wooden box that cannot be opened except with a key, and there is a slot where the Anghels deposit money they would have used for cigarettes that week. That way they can save up the money to be married! I hope to see great results from this, because I feel it has been inspired of the Lord! We are also going to introduce tonight the Povestiri Din Cartea Lui Mormon, or the Stories in the Book of Mormon picture book to Stefan and Mihai and their families so they can come to understand the contents of the Cartea Lui Mormon a little more fully. And we are planning to teach Rodica (Stefan's wife) and resolve her concerns so Stefan CAN BE BAPTIZED! Also, do you remember Mary, the woman with the dog named Skye? Well, we went by her house, and we had a super positive conversation on her doorstep about learning about the Church. She told us her husband doesn't feel comfortable with us coming into his home and teaching them. She stated, however, that she had been researching our Church's beliefs to see if there was anything she would have trouble doing, and what was important to us. She really wants to read the Book of Mormon, and learn what it is all about, and she wants to text us or call us when she has a question or wants to contact us. She even acknowledged after we read a scripture from the Book of Mormon, she said she had a good feeling. She totally felt the Spirit while we were there. I can't wait to hear from her in the very near future! John McCormick (I don't know how McCormick is spelled yet, but we'll get there soon) invited us into his home for our scheduled appointment last week, and he was really struggling. He said he was feeling really sick, but still got us bottles of water and invited to give us food. We left after about 15 minutes because we saw he needed to rest and be alone. As we were descending the stairs in the close as we left his flat, I heard some of the most revolting, violent, and rather loud throwing up sounds I have ever heard in my life. It showed me his commitment to meeting with us, and his kindess to talk to us even though he was feeling really bad. We plan to meet again with him soon, under better circumstances hopefully!... :)
We also met with Nick and his flatmate, Lee, this Sunday and are really excited to establish a regular meeting basis with them, because they have felt the Spirit, have seen the happiness, joy, and calm that the gospel brings to our lives, and they are ready to receive it! We also met with Teresa and taught her about the THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD. She agreed with the things we discussed and read, and was able to recognize and follow the Spirit in learning truths. But this week, we committed Teresa to read THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD with Stewart and to pray about it together. They may seriously be considering marriage in these upcoming weeks! So don't forget them. :)
There is a lot going on here, but if I were to relate to you all that is happening 'the now' then I would probably take way too much space and of your time. :)
Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! I really appreciate it, and it brings a special happiness and love to my heart! The emails I received this week were absolutely fantastic and uplifting. Thank you!!!
BTW, Brother McGuinness made it to Church this week! HURRAH! It was really great to have him there, and he is making some great progress in the hand of the Lord! I have faith that the Lord will bring him back to activity and full confidence in his independence of harmful substances in the near future.
I have been studying 2 Nephi this month mostly, and it is really neat to see how much truth is found inside those chapters, and how many of those prophecies have been fulfilled! It is really amazing how much studying the scriptures every morning with a journal in hand can inspire you to receive revelation that will help you!
Again, thank you for the emails and scriptures and memes. I love you all SO MUCH! I love the Lord and His work, and I know the Gospel can bless the lives of families in ways that they cannot comprehend. It creates change in lives that is so obvious I sometimes can't help but laugh for joy because it's too cool. Stay strong in the gospel, because it changes hearts and brings families closer to God.
Love, Elder Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. Does this part even get added to letters?
Another week gone by, and there are miracles happening left and right! The Anghels are making some good progress, and we introduced a very cool two-in-one secret weapon that Elder Boehme, Brother Foote, and I, came up with! It's called........................... The Marriage Box! Basically what it is, is it's a wooden box that cannot be opened except with a key, and there is a slot where the Anghels deposit money they would have used for cigarettes that week. That way they can save up the money to be married! I hope to see great results from this, because I feel it has been inspired of the Lord! We are also going to introduce tonight the Povestiri Din Cartea Lui Mormon, or the Stories in the Book of Mormon picture book to Stefan and Mihai and their families so they can come to understand the contents of the Cartea Lui Mormon a little more fully. And we are planning to teach Rodica (Stefan's wife) and resolve her concerns so Stefan CAN BE BAPTIZED! Also, do you remember Mary, the woman with the dog named Skye? Well, we went by her house, and we had a super positive conversation on her doorstep about learning about the Church. She told us her husband doesn't feel comfortable with us coming into his home and teaching them. She stated, however, that she had been researching our Church's beliefs to see if there was anything she would have trouble doing, and what was important to us. She really wants to read the Book of Mormon, and learn what it is all about, and she wants to text us or call us when she has a question or wants to contact us. She even acknowledged after we read a scripture from the Book of Mormon, she said she had a good feeling. She totally felt the Spirit while we were there. I can't wait to hear from her in the very near future! John McCormick (I don't know how McCormick is spelled yet, but we'll get there soon) invited us into his home for our scheduled appointment last week, and he was really struggling. He said he was feeling really sick, but still got us bottles of water and invited to give us food. We left after about 15 minutes because we saw he needed to rest and be alone. As we were descending the stairs in the close as we left his flat, I heard some of the most revolting, violent, and rather loud throwing up sounds I have ever heard in my life. It showed me his commitment to meeting with us, and his kindess to talk to us even though he was feeling really bad. We plan to meet again with him soon, under better circumstances hopefully!... :)
We also met with Nick and his flatmate, Lee, this Sunday and are really excited to establish a regular meeting basis with them, because they have felt the Spirit, have seen the happiness, joy, and calm that the gospel brings to our lives, and they are ready to receive it! We also met with Teresa and taught her about the THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD. She agreed with the things we discussed and read, and was able to recognize and follow the Spirit in learning truths. But this week, we committed Teresa to read THE FAMILY: A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD with Stewart and to pray about it together. They may seriously be considering marriage in these upcoming weeks! So don't forget them. :)
There is a lot going on here, but if I were to relate to you all that is happening 'the now' then I would probably take way too much space and of your time. :)
Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! I really appreciate it, and it brings a special happiness and love to my heart! The emails I received this week were absolutely fantastic and uplifting. Thank you!!!
BTW, Brother McGuinness made it to Church this week! HURRAH! It was really great to have him there, and he is making some great progress in the hand of the Lord! I have faith that the Lord will bring him back to activity and full confidence in his independence of harmful substances in the near future.
I have been studying 2 Nephi this month mostly, and it is really neat to see how much truth is found inside those chapters, and how many of those prophecies have been fulfilled! It is really amazing how much studying the scriptures every morning with a journal in hand can inspire you to receive revelation that will help you!
Again, thank you for the emails and scriptures and memes. I love you all SO MUCH! I love the Lord and His work, and I know the Gospel can bless the lives of families in ways that they cannot comprehend. It creates change in lives that is so obvious I sometimes can't help but laugh for joy because it's too cool. Stay strong in the gospel, because it changes hearts and brings families closer to God.
Love, Elder Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. Does this part even get added to letters?
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Family and Friends!
This week has definitely been another crazy one. We are still meeting with the Anghels, and had a few meetings with them and Fanel and now Maruis' father-in-law Vigorol or something that starts with a V. We were discussing about Sabbath-Day observance and him and Mihai the older had a problem with worshipping on Sunday. We showed them Acts 20:7 and he absolutely loved it. He said it was beautiful and invited us over to his house to teach him more. Mihai the older and Florica are heading to Ireland very soon, they might have actually left yesterday or today. We are hoping to get a hold of the missioanries in Limerick so we can keep them in contact with missionaries while they are away. Now the only Anghels left at home are Pupa, Zorinca, and their kids, and Elizabeth and David (Mihai and Florica's kids). I don't know if I told you, but in Latin pronunciation, David is pronounced DA-VEED, as in 'ought' and 'tree'. And we are still teaching Fanel and his family. Stephen from the charity shop is also making good progress. We have a great friendship with him, and he asks us questions and concerns he has, and he shares what he remembers from primary school.
We haven't been able to meet John MacCormack for a week and a half, but he has been really busy with his working schedule because he drives lauries. He still wants to bring his daughter to church and keep learning. We also met with Blair and Yolande, and Blair has recommitted to read the scriptures and pray. He will hopefully make it to church in 3 or 4 weeks. Brother McGuinness is also making great progress! He is going to go over to Brother MacDonald's 2 or 3 times a week, and he is becoming happier and more physically active. We are seeing him change as we meet with him every week, and we hope indexing with Brother MacDonald, praying and keeping the Lord's commitments we give to him, and meeting with us every week will help him to give up smoking and return to Church.
I exchanged companions with the Zone Leaders and ended up leading in Cumbernauld again with Elder Andrus this time. It was great, and I learned from him to always be kind and look for the prepared people. I also had one of the scariest experiences of my mission.
You know those huge fireworks that explode in the sky? Well, I was walking with Elder Andrus to Millcroft to teach the Romanians, and suddenly 15 feet above our head a firework exploded. It was so scary! Suddenly the ground and air shook, and I turn around and see sparks flying everywhere. It was so terrifying and cool. It was quite a nerve-wracking experience.
The reason there were fireworks was because it was Guy Fox day, where they celebrate the death of a terrorist, or something to that effect. Everywhere in fields and on random grass stretches in neighborhoods, people (usually Neds) make huge bonfires and burn all kinds of stuff in it and set off fireworks. We always go out on holidays though, 'cause missionaries don't have holidays. :) Except for Christmas. On Christmas, we will go to members houses and share messages and just hang out and have meals and such. This is what Elder Boehme has told me.
We are getting along pretty nicely, and are still trying to get better at the schedule. It is difficult with the Romanians, but we will try to leave earlier this week.
Last night I also had a great testimony builder that the Lord prepares His children to receive the Restored Gospel, and I know He plans everything perfectly. As Elder Boehme and I were in Condorrat, we decided to visit our friend Stephen and see what was up with him that Sunday, because he didn't show up to Church. On the way, we met a woman named Mary who was walking her dog Skye, and we started talking to her about the First Vision and the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth. She shared a special experience about how she knew God was there, and wanted her son to believe in God as well, but would leave the choice up to him. We talked about how, just how Joseph Smith prayed to Heavenly Father and received an answer, so can we, and the choice doesn't have to be made alone in blind faith. I have learned this week that faith is like a seed - we don't know if it will produce anything good. Many people say we cannot know the things we know, but I have felt and seen the seed of faith I planted in my heart long ago grow and produce great fruit and knowledge which is sweet and dear to my heart. We also shared with her the promise in Moroni 10:3-5 and it was a moment full of the Spirit of God. We are going to meet Mary and her two sons, Ryan and Deckland, on Friday at 4:00. What a great and spiritually uplifiting experience it was for us both.
The weather is also getting very interesting here! It is ''spitting'' today, where it is kind of raining, but it is very lightly. It's not quite like walking in a cloud though. It's also getting close to snow! I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL SNOW! How is the weather at home? Sister Foote's son, Wayne, gave Elder Boehme and I a red telephone box blank page journal. He said he wanted to give us a present, just in case one or both of us left before Christmas. It melted my heart, just like the pictures of Rusty and Karli I have on my wall at the moment. :) Cumbernauld is great! There is going to be some marvellous work done soon here.
Thank you for your prayers and your letters, they are such a significant help to me. I love you all and can't wait to hear more from you! I hope everything goes well, and I want you to know that I pray for you often. My family, my friends in the mission field and at home, and my ward family. I know the Church is true, and I am pretty much past the point of being able to deny it. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that He cares for all His children, and has a plan for each of them. I know that the gospel brings happiness to families. I know the little things, like reading scriptures every day with family and individually and praying with family and individually can bring us much joy and hope in this life. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter.
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. Thank you for missionary work at home!
This week has definitely been another crazy one. We are still meeting with the Anghels, and had a few meetings with them and Fanel and now Maruis' father-in-law Vigorol or something that starts with a V. We were discussing about Sabbath-Day observance and him and Mihai the older had a problem with worshipping on Sunday. We showed them Acts 20:7 and he absolutely loved it. He said it was beautiful and invited us over to his house to teach him more. Mihai the older and Florica are heading to Ireland very soon, they might have actually left yesterday or today. We are hoping to get a hold of the missioanries in Limerick so we can keep them in contact with missionaries while they are away. Now the only Anghels left at home are Pupa, Zorinca, and their kids, and Elizabeth and David (Mihai and Florica's kids). I don't know if I told you, but in Latin pronunciation, David is pronounced DA-VEED, as in 'ought' and 'tree'. And we are still teaching Fanel and his family. Stephen from the charity shop is also making good progress. We have a great friendship with him, and he asks us questions and concerns he has, and he shares what he remembers from primary school.
We haven't been able to meet John MacCormack for a week and a half, but he has been really busy with his working schedule because he drives lauries. He still wants to bring his daughter to church and keep learning. We also met with Blair and Yolande, and Blair has recommitted to read the scriptures and pray. He will hopefully make it to church in 3 or 4 weeks. Brother McGuinness is also making great progress! He is going to go over to Brother MacDonald's 2 or 3 times a week, and he is becoming happier and more physically active. We are seeing him change as we meet with him every week, and we hope indexing with Brother MacDonald, praying and keeping the Lord's commitments we give to him, and meeting with us every week will help him to give up smoking and return to Church.
I exchanged companions with the Zone Leaders and ended up leading in Cumbernauld again with Elder Andrus this time. It was great, and I learned from him to always be kind and look for the prepared people. I also had one of the scariest experiences of my mission.
You know those huge fireworks that explode in the sky? Well, I was walking with Elder Andrus to Millcroft to teach the Romanians, and suddenly 15 feet above our head a firework exploded. It was so scary! Suddenly the ground and air shook, and I turn around and see sparks flying everywhere. It was so terrifying and cool. It was quite a nerve-wracking experience.
The reason there were fireworks was because it was Guy Fox day, where they celebrate the death of a terrorist, or something to that effect. Everywhere in fields and on random grass stretches in neighborhoods, people (usually Neds) make huge bonfires and burn all kinds of stuff in it and set off fireworks. We always go out on holidays though, 'cause missionaries don't have holidays. :) Except for Christmas. On Christmas, we will go to members houses and share messages and just hang out and have meals and such. This is what Elder Boehme has told me.
We are getting along pretty nicely, and are still trying to get better at the schedule. It is difficult with the Romanians, but we will try to leave earlier this week.
Last night I also had a great testimony builder that the Lord prepares His children to receive the Restored Gospel, and I know He plans everything perfectly. As Elder Boehme and I were in Condorrat, we decided to visit our friend Stephen and see what was up with him that Sunday, because he didn't show up to Church. On the way, we met a woman named Mary who was walking her dog Skye, and we started talking to her about the First Vision and the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth. She shared a special experience about how she knew God was there, and wanted her son to believe in God as well, but would leave the choice up to him. We talked about how, just how Joseph Smith prayed to Heavenly Father and received an answer, so can we, and the choice doesn't have to be made alone in blind faith. I have learned this week that faith is like a seed - we don't know if it will produce anything good. Many people say we cannot know the things we know, but I have felt and seen the seed of faith I planted in my heart long ago grow and produce great fruit and knowledge which is sweet and dear to my heart. We also shared with her the promise in Moroni 10:3-5 and it was a moment full of the Spirit of God. We are going to meet Mary and her two sons, Ryan and Deckland, on Friday at 4:00. What a great and spiritually uplifiting experience it was for us both.
The weather is also getting very interesting here! It is ''spitting'' today, where it is kind of raining, but it is very lightly. It's not quite like walking in a cloud though. It's also getting close to snow! I CAN'T WAIT 'TIL SNOW! How is the weather at home? Sister Foote's son, Wayne, gave Elder Boehme and I a red telephone box blank page journal. He said he wanted to give us a present, just in case one or both of us left before Christmas. It melted my heart, just like the pictures of Rusty and Karli I have on my wall at the moment. :) Cumbernauld is great! There is going to be some marvellous work done soon here.
Thank you for your prayers and your letters, they are such a significant help to me. I love you all and can't wait to hear more from you! I hope everything goes well, and I want you to know that I pray for you often. My family, my friends in the mission field and at home, and my ward family. I know the Church is true, and I am pretty much past the point of being able to deny it. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, and that He cares for all His children, and has a plan for each of them. I know that the gospel brings happiness to families. I know the little things, like reading scriptures every day with family and individually and praying with family and individually can bring us much joy and hope in this life. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter.
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. Thank you for missionary work at home!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Ahhhh!!! I love hearing from everyone every week! You have no idea what a blessing it is for me!
This week was a kind of weird week, but a good one nonetheless. You remember Stephen from the Charity Shop? Well, we finally actually met with him, and he is progressing well! He kept the commitment to come to church, and I think he enjoyed it! He made some good friends, and I think he was able to feel the Spirit. One lesson I learned this week was that you should always bear your testimony. Stephen arrived kind of late to sacrament meeting, and when he came in, it was about 10:45. The thing is, there were a smaller number of people at church than usual, and it was fast and testimony meeting, so it became readily apparent to me that unless people bear their testimony, than nothing good is happening! Which reminded me of the scripture Moroni 7:17 and the emphasis placed on what we might not do good instead of what we might do evil.
Steffan, the Romanian father in Airdrie also came to our church building this Sunday to help translate for Mihai the older so he would feel less left out during our meetings. The Spirit was strong, and it was amazing to see Steffan's and Mihai's testimony amongst the members. He is ready to be baptized, his wife just needs to get there too. We're planning on a giant teaching appointment with the Anghels and the Carpacis (Mihai and his family and Fanel and Marius' families, respectively) so that the Carpacis can hear the Anghels' testimony and learn and grow from it. It truly is powerful seeing a recent convert to the Church (albeit not baptized yet) bear their testimony and become more truly converted to Christ. Hopefully this week we will see miracles with the Anghels and Carpacis!
John McCormick is doing really well as well! He has read a lot of the Book of Mormon, is expressing concerns about abusing the priesthood, and he recognizes the next step is to come out to Church or a Church activity and see what it feels like. He is following God's plan for him to learn the gospel. We hope to keep moving forward quickly; we just need to teach him the definition of ''transgress''. He even shared with us some Opera and Stevie Woodwind. He's fantastic! I also played the sacrament meeting hymns on the piano because our ward organist is in the hospital and our really good piano player, Sister MacDonald (coincidence? I think NOT!), was not feeling well. So I played 100, 124, and 169. It was a humbling experience, because I was constrained to play the simple arrangements for each hymn so I wouldn't play something really epic (maybe ;) ) or really wrong and drive away the Spirit. Because I couldn't play 169 very well, I played only the right hand. It made me realize that the beauty of the Hymns is not the arrangement, or the skill with which it is played, but the Spirit of it. (see D&C 25:12 for proof) I just heard from my companion that the Red Sox won the World Series. Woohoo! Also, Brother Buckle also told me that the BYU Cougars beat the Boise State Broncos for the first time in a long time! YES!!! What a great moment it was for Brother Buckle and I.
I want to thank Aunt Lish again for the thermal garments she got me. They're really pulling me through the coldness so far! I've been telling Elder Boehme that I want it to snow so bad! And then I read Karli's portion of the e-mail... and Brock's portion of the e-mail... and I totally realized that they're my family. And that I love them SO SO SO much. (They referred to wanting snow in their letters too.)
Our friend Teresa returned from her 3-week holiday this month, and now we can start meeting with her regularly again. It's time to get her married and to the baptismal font. We're making such great progress! I hope to keep working hard and never stop!
A message to any and all members of the Church reading this: WE NEED YOU! At this conference in Elder Ballard's talk and from the mouth of President Brown (our mission president in the SIM mission) we have learned that the members are so crucial in finding God's prepared children and it is largely their responsibility to find those families and individuals who are ready to receive it! Please give your missionaries someone to teach. I promise you as you look for these individuals who are ready and refer them to the full-time missionaries, you will blessed with success! For the Lord has promised it.
How is the ward doing? I really would love to hear any progress or good success / any updates from the ward! I love you all so much! Please keep working hard, and stay strong in the gospel! I know that it is true with every ounce of my heart, and I cannot deny it, because the changes in people, the promptings and feelings of the Spirit, and the blessings I have received from the Lord are too numerous and special to my heart.
I love each of you, and hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. If I don't respond to you, please remind me: I don't want to leave any unanswered or feeling as if I don't care about them.
Devin's apartment
This week was a kind of weird week, but a good one nonetheless. You remember Stephen from the Charity Shop? Well, we finally actually met with him, and he is progressing well! He kept the commitment to come to church, and I think he enjoyed it! He made some good friends, and I think he was able to feel the Spirit. One lesson I learned this week was that you should always bear your testimony. Stephen arrived kind of late to sacrament meeting, and when he came in, it was about 10:45. The thing is, there were a smaller number of people at church than usual, and it was fast and testimony meeting, so it became readily apparent to me that unless people bear their testimony, than nothing good is happening! Which reminded me of the scripture Moroni 7:17 and the emphasis placed on what we might not do good instead of what we might do evil.
Steffan, the Romanian father in Airdrie also came to our church building this Sunday to help translate for Mihai the older so he would feel less left out during our meetings. The Spirit was strong, and it was amazing to see Steffan's and Mihai's testimony amongst the members. He is ready to be baptized, his wife just needs to get there too. We're planning on a giant teaching appointment with the Anghels and the Carpacis (Mihai and his family and Fanel and Marius' families, respectively) so that the Carpacis can hear the Anghels' testimony and learn and grow from it. It truly is powerful seeing a recent convert to the Church (albeit not baptized yet) bear their testimony and become more truly converted to Christ. Hopefully this week we will see miracles with the Anghels and Carpacis!
John McCormick is doing really well as well! He has read a lot of the Book of Mormon, is expressing concerns about abusing the priesthood, and he recognizes the next step is to come out to Church or a Church activity and see what it feels like. He is following God's plan for him to learn the gospel. We hope to keep moving forward quickly; we just need to teach him the definition of ''transgress''. He even shared with us some Opera and Stevie Woodwind. He's fantastic! I also played the sacrament meeting hymns on the piano because our ward organist is in the hospital and our really good piano player, Sister MacDonald (coincidence? I think NOT!), was not feeling well. So I played 100, 124, and 169. It was a humbling experience, because I was constrained to play the simple arrangements for each hymn so I wouldn't play something really epic (maybe ;) ) or really wrong and drive away the Spirit. Because I couldn't play 169 very well, I played only the right hand. It made me realize that the beauty of the Hymns is not the arrangement, or the skill with which it is played, but the Spirit of it. (see D&C 25:12 for proof) I just heard from my companion that the Red Sox won the World Series. Woohoo! Also, Brother Buckle also told me that the BYU Cougars beat the Boise State Broncos for the first time in a long time! YES!!! What a great moment it was for Brother Buckle and I.
I want to thank Aunt Lish again for the thermal garments she got me. They're really pulling me through the coldness so far! I've been telling Elder Boehme that I want it to snow so bad! And then I read Karli's portion of the e-mail... and Brock's portion of the e-mail... and I totally realized that they're my family. And that I love them SO SO SO much. (They referred to wanting snow in their letters too.)
Our friend Teresa returned from her 3-week holiday this month, and now we can start meeting with her regularly again. It's time to get her married and to the baptismal font. We're making such great progress! I hope to keep working hard and never stop!
A message to any and all members of the Church reading this: WE NEED YOU! At this conference in Elder Ballard's talk and from the mouth of President Brown (our mission president in the SIM mission) we have learned that the members are so crucial in finding God's prepared children and it is largely their responsibility to find those families and individuals who are ready to receive it! Please give your missionaries someone to teach. I promise you as you look for these individuals who are ready and refer them to the full-time missionaries, you will blessed with success! For the Lord has promised it.
How is the ward doing? I really would love to hear any progress or good success / any updates from the ward! I love you all so much! Please keep working hard, and stay strong in the gospel! I know that it is true with every ounce of my heart, and I cannot deny it, because the changes in people, the promptings and feelings of the Spirit, and the blessings I have received from the Lord are too numerous and special to my heart.
I love each of you, and hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. If I don't respond to you, please remind me: I don't want to leave any unanswered or feeling as if I don't care about them.
 |
| Sunset in Condorrat |
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Steffan, unfortunately decided not to become baptized this week. He seems to be lacking in his testimony of the Book of Mormon. Hopefully he can realize that this is the right thing for him to do, and he will become baptized. But for this week, no.
And, it's almost been 6 weeks out here in the field! It has been fantastic, and it definitely feels like I've been serving the Lord for way longer than that. Elder Boehme and I joke around whenever we talk about our families "You have a mom? You're a missionary! Missionaries have moms?" It really is kind of surreal sometimes. It really cheers me up when I have the opportunity to hear from all of you! This week we met with Duncan, Isabella, and Kenny again, and they accepted the baptismal date of December 18th! How great is that!? We are also meeting with some more Romanians, the Carpacis, and they are quite a handful. Fanel, the older father, is somewhat accepting of our teachings, but wants to read and pray to find out for himself if it is from God. Marius, the younger father, is having trouble accepting the fact that God has a wife, and requested that we teach him about David and bible stories instead. We want to help them progress, so it will be interesting to see where they go from here.
Great news! Pupa, who is Sorin's wife, came to church with her family this week! She is the only adult who came, and this was a great surprise to me. She normally is in the kitchen cooking and preparing food (not our idea, but it's their culture) and then, when she's done, she'll come in and listen. But she was the "man" this week and came to church all by her lonesome! It was a real miracle. We are hoping the Anghels will get married soon, and hope they find a good job, so they can find the means to do so.
This wednesday, for Moves day, Elder Boehme and I are planning on buying Kilts in Glasgow! I hope they make them with Hunter tartans, which I'm pretty confident that they do.
Prayer also really does work as well. I have had so many experiences where I didn't know what to plan to teach an investigator, and during or after kneeling down to pray to my Heavenly Father, I have had impressions come that have turned out to be great experiences for the investigators and for myself. Also, a man named Jaime in Airdrie said to me as we were having lunch in McDonalds... "I know you from somewhere." It's really weird, I want to spell that MacDonalds.
My language has also changed a bit from being in America. I find that I speak a bit faster at times, because that's how many people speak here. It's Aye instead of yes, and a wee bit or a wee child. I thought that the weather would be a whole lot harder to deal with than Utah, but so far, it's pretty similar! :) I can't wait for when it gets colder and hopefully, snowier! As Karli said she is wishing too. :) My confidence is waxing stronger everyday, and I am always striving to become a better missionary and rely on the Spirit so much more! I learned this week that relying on the Spirit doesn't just mean listening for thoughts and impressions that come to mind as we're teaching someone. It also means putting your faith in the Lord and relaxing a bit. Relaxation will be my key focus this week - Learning how to teach calmly, collected, and with the Spirit.
I am really hoping that as we work hard, we will see more miracles this week, and I know that the Lord blesses us according to our obedience. I am so thankful for all the letters I have been receiving, and the e-mails! I appreciate them, and I hope you will keep mailing me, because it helps more than you realize. Love you all! I know the Church is true, and that true happiness and strength is found inside it. I know Joseph Smith was a Propther of God. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God on the Earth today. Stay strong in the gospel, be kind to your family, and don't eat Romanian pork fat bars, because they're disgusting.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
While I was on exchanges to Airdie on friday, I happened upon this sign inside a taxi... I could'n't let this one go undocumented. :)
And, it's almost been 6 weeks out here in the field! It has been fantastic, and it definitely feels like I've been serving the Lord for way longer than that. Elder Boehme and I joke around whenever we talk about our families "You have a mom? You're a missionary! Missionaries have moms?" It really is kind of surreal sometimes. It really cheers me up when I have the opportunity to hear from all of you! This week we met with Duncan, Isabella, and Kenny again, and they accepted the baptismal date of December 18th! How great is that!? We are also meeting with some more Romanians, the Carpacis, and they are quite a handful. Fanel, the older father, is somewhat accepting of our teachings, but wants to read and pray to find out for himself if it is from God. Marius, the younger father, is having trouble accepting the fact that God has a wife, and requested that we teach him about David and bible stories instead. We want to help them progress, so it will be interesting to see where they go from here.
Great news! Pupa, who is Sorin's wife, came to church with her family this week! She is the only adult who came, and this was a great surprise to me. She normally is in the kitchen cooking and preparing food (not our idea, but it's their culture) and then, when she's done, she'll come in and listen. But she was the "man" this week and came to church all by her lonesome! It was a real miracle. We are hoping the Anghels will get married soon, and hope they find a good job, so they can find the means to do so.
This wednesday, for Moves day, Elder Boehme and I are planning on buying Kilts in Glasgow! I hope they make them with Hunter tartans, which I'm pretty confident that they do.
Prayer also really does work as well. I have had so many experiences where I didn't know what to plan to teach an investigator, and during or after kneeling down to pray to my Heavenly Father, I have had impressions come that have turned out to be great experiences for the investigators and for myself. Also, a man named Jaime in Airdrie said to me as we were having lunch in McDonalds... "I know you from somewhere." It's really weird, I want to spell that MacDonalds.
My language has also changed a bit from being in America. I find that I speak a bit faster at times, because that's how many people speak here. It's Aye instead of yes, and a wee bit or a wee child. I thought that the weather would be a whole lot harder to deal with than Utah, but so far, it's pretty similar! :) I can't wait for when it gets colder and hopefully, snowier! As Karli said she is wishing too. :) My confidence is waxing stronger everyday, and I am always striving to become a better missionary and rely on the Spirit so much more! I learned this week that relying on the Spirit doesn't just mean listening for thoughts and impressions that come to mind as we're teaching someone. It also means putting your faith in the Lord and relaxing a bit. Relaxation will be my key focus this week - Learning how to teach calmly, collected, and with the Spirit.
I am really hoping that as we work hard, we will see more miracles this week, and I know that the Lord blesses us according to our obedience. I am so thankful for all the letters I have been receiving, and the e-mails! I appreciate them, and I hope you will keep mailing me, because it helps more than you realize. Love you all! I know the Church is true, and that true happiness and strength is found inside it. I know Joseph Smith was a Propther of God. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God on the Earth today. Stay strong in the gospel, be kind to your family, and don't eat Romanian pork fat bars, because they're disgusting.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
While I was on exchanges to Airdie on friday, I happened upon this sign inside a taxi... I could'n't let this one go undocumented. :)
Monday, October 21, 2013
Sorry about the rubbish letter last week! This one should be much better! What a crazy week it was! The best news of the week is... Steffan is getting baptized! (who is the cousin of Mihai the younger and Sorin!) Such fantastic news, and it's a huge help to us because it sets a good example for his family in Cumbernauld! We are going to invite them to his baptism this Saturday, and hopefully they will have renewed determination to get married and progress towards baptism!
I apologize right now - my mind is a bit muddled from yesterday because Elder Boehme and I were suddenly wrought upon by the flu Sunday morning. :( It helped me see the difference between a day spent in the service of the Lord and a day spent immobilized at home. So my mind is still pretty muddled. It was a great week though! We were sent a lot of prepared children by the Lord, and I could tell the Spirit was directing many of the conversations we had with strangers on the street. We met one lady named Linda who said she had recently turned to God and she wanted us to come by again. She believes that our showing up at her door could be no coincidence. Saturday was probably one of my favorite days the entire mission so far! We were checking out former investigators and less actives in the Kildrum area and we met a woman from (mom, you're going to love this) Portugal! I told her I knew obrigado and sim, por favor. It was cool! We taught her about family home evening, and she said she holds something like that every week! She also said she was a Christian, and she would like for us to come by this week! She also has an adorable son named Thomas who is very open, honest, and full of energy! He told us we were boring, and kept asking his mom when they were going to go. She reminded me a lot of my mom at home though. When we asked her if we could pray with her, and asked her if there was anybody in her life who could use a prayer, Thomas jumped in and asked us to pray for his goldfish. He's not been looking too good. :I The only barrier that we could see so far was that Kristina explained her husband might not want us over. He drinks, and Thomas even asked us to pray for him that he would not explode because of his belly... Sometimes it's hard not to laugh. But I can't wait to teach her and her family! We also met a man named Duncan Drew. He is the father of a less-active member Isobella Drew, and she is currently in the hospital. We had a good conversation with him about the priesthood and priesthood blessings, and he was very interested and was accepting to the truths we taught. He told us that Isobella had received a blessing before, and he thought that it had helped. We offered to give her a blessing, and he said he would discuss it with Isobella, and then text us. Later, we received a text from him inviting us over to give her a blessing and asked us if there was a service at our church that he could atttend! It was also really cool, because he said he had seen me before, and was trying to figure out where from. We taught him about the Pre-Earth life, and I suggested that he might know me from there, and it meant that I was supposed to come here and teach him the gospel. He accepted what we taught and agreed that might be the case. It's been a GREAT WEEK! Well, my brain is hardly functioning right now, so I'll end my letter there! Thanks so much for the letters and for all your support! I promise to write back everyone next week when I am feeling well enough to do so!
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
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| His lunch |
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| At the library, where they email. |
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Well here goes! This week has been super crazy and fun and stressful and full of awesome things! We are teaching a man named John McCormick who found a ''Truth Restored'' card and he was very inspired by it. It uplifted him, and when he saw us walking in the street, he asked for a pamphlet, and we were barely able to get an address from him. Well, we taught him again, and he seems to be accepting of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We extended a baptismal invitation for November 23rd. He accepted tentatively, saying he wants to be fully committed to it before he is baptized. He doesn't want to commit to something he doesn't believe in, which is exactly what we want! So we have faith he will come to know the gospel is true and be ready to be baptized by Novemeber 23rd! It's SO EXCITING! We are also still teaching Blair, the boyfriend of our less-active friend, Yolande, who is recently becoming interested in the gospel again. Blair honestly wants to learn more, and find out for himself if the gospel is true, so we are teaching him more and more this week.
We are also teaching a man named Peter who is interested in learning, a woman named Lynn who is currently helping her nephew in a tough situation, and the Romanians as well! We are meeting the Romanians at 2:00 at the church this week on Tuesday with the lds employment missionaries to help them get a better job situation so... they can afford to get married! :) They are a great family, living humbly, and lots of fun. They also accept the gospel and the Book of Mormon as the Word of God. They even know that living together is a sin. So... we invited them to sleep in different rooms until they were married. But, no surprise from the Romanians,... they already are! :) They are great.
We are also teaching a couple, Richmond and Winnie, who are Seventh Day Adventists, and they gave us a book to read about how the Sabbath should be on Saturday. It's pretty much their main thing, it's even a part of their title. That seems to be his biggest concern, but Winnie seems more receptive to the truths the Spirit teach her, and even stated or observed that the Book of Mormon and the Bible go hand in hand. I really hope and have faith that they will accept the truths of the restored gospel.
Love,
:)
Monday, October 7, 2013
Time for the weekly letter! Where to begin? I am making a lot of progress this week, and I am much more confident in my ability to teach! Elder Boehme and I are working in unity a lot more than last week, and we are good friends now. I feel like we have a good, honest relationship, and we work and talk well together. He is a pretty funny guy!
I'll be honest, something has been bugging me this week, something vitally important to my soul.
Dinner. :)
We often wait until 9 o'clock to eat dinner and it cuts into daily planning time a bit, and then we get to bed late, around 10:40-11:00. I think it affects my health when we do that too, but I'm not sure. It's interesting, because the Lord sends us the most interested and prepared of His children during those times we skip dinner. I know he recognizes the sacrifice we make, but He still wants us to obey the rules He has give us. So I'll try harder to eat this week.... I mean.....
The Romanians are doing really well! We are still hoping and praying for them to find the means, one way or another, to be married! We taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Sunday, and the Word of Wisdom earlier this week on Tuesday. They are willing to stop smoking and drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol, and we have faith that they can do this as well! Stewart and Teresa headed to Florida yesterday, and we won't see them for about two weeks! I'm secretly hoping that Stewart is taking Teresa to Florida to propose... unlikely, but it's a good thought. :) We will see them two mondays from now! We are also meeting with a kindly woman named Lynn. She had knee surgery two thursdays ago. When we first met her, she was moving to a new flat. We learned she was having surgery later that week, so we followed up on it afterwards by giving her a call. Elder Boehme has taught her once, and she is really nice and receptive to us by what he tells me. We also met this cool guy named Peter who is really interested in learning about the prophet, and we hope to meet with him soon! It's amazing because we have so many less-active members who are re-activating! Yolande, a Jamaican member who hasn't been for a while, has faith in Christ and I think she's starting to realize that she does have a testimony. We just started teaching her, and this week we started teaching her boyfriend, Blaire. He is knowledgeable about Bible stories, and is interested in learning about the gospel and going to church. He and Yolande came to the 5:00 (Sunday morning) session we broadcasted at our church building, and they seemed to really like it. Yolande is taking a driving test tomorrow, which I believe decides if she gets her license or not. She was really nervous before General Conference before she came, and after watching it, she said she felt more at peace about her test. I have confidence she can pass it.
And now I indent, because I know how long paragraphs tend to cause people, especially myself, to skim them.
Life is still good! I am getting better at football, and had a few awesome saves as the keeper! (We play football every saturday morning, and invite investigators and less-actives to come join in the fun and fellowship with other members and elders [and the stake president!]). I am a bit sore today, but that is totally fine. I love looking at the pictures I have of home. It's a blessing to be able to see someone's face when they are miles and miles and miles away. I have found one of the best ways to start a meaningful conversation with anyone is by talking about family history. We found this guy who was basically a kind, caring, genuine version of Al from Al's Toy Barn. We hope to talk to him more later!
So the reason I said that Elder Boehme taught Lynn is because this week was exchanges! I went with Elder Parsons, who works in Airdrie, and we taught a girl named Kayleigh, who is hopefully going to be baptized on the 12th! I can see how the gospel has influenced her life. We also taught Stephan (stef-FAWN) and his family, who are related to the Romanians in Cumbernauld (Stephan is Milhai the older's son) and he is ready to be baptized as well!
I find a lot of my reporting to you all is about the people I am teaching, and I hope it means I am applying Matthew 16:25 like I'm supposed to! I love you all, and I thank you for the letters and other news that I am getting from you! I hope to hear more next week!
Love, Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out
P.P.S. Tell Papa I love him!
I'll be honest, something has been bugging me this week, something vitally important to my soul.
Dinner. :)
We often wait until 9 o'clock to eat dinner and it cuts into daily planning time a bit, and then we get to bed late, around 10:40-11:00. I think it affects my health when we do that too, but I'm not sure. It's interesting, because the Lord sends us the most interested and prepared of His children during those times we skip dinner. I know he recognizes the sacrifice we make, but He still wants us to obey the rules He has give us. So I'll try harder to eat this week.... I mean.....
The Romanians are doing really well! We are still hoping and praying for them to find the means, one way or another, to be married! We taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ on Sunday, and the Word of Wisdom earlier this week on Tuesday. They are willing to stop smoking and drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol, and we have faith that they can do this as well! Stewart and Teresa headed to Florida yesterday, and we won't see them for about two weeks! I'm secretly hoping that Stewart is taking Teresa to Florida to propose... unlikely, but it's a good thought. :) We will see them two mondays from now! We are also meeting with a kindly woman named Lynn. She had knee surgery two thursdays ago. When we first met her, she was moving to a new flat. We learned she was having surgery later that week, so we followed up on it afterwards by giving her a call. Elder Boehme has taught her once, and she is really nice and receptive to us by what he tells me. We also met this cool guy named Peter who is really interested in learning about the prophet, and we hope to meet with him soon! It's amazing because we have so many less-active members who are re-activating! Yolande, a Jamaican member who hasn't been for a while, has faith in Christ and I think she's starting to realize that she does have a testimony. We just started teaching her, and this week we started teaching her boyfriend, Blaire. He is knowledgeable about Bible stories, and is interested in learning about the gospel and going to church. He and Yolande came to the 5:00 (Sunday morning) session we broadcasted at our church building, and they seemed to really like it. Yolande is taking a driving test tomorrow, which I believe decides if she gets her license or not. She was really nervous before General Conference before she came, and after watching it, she said she felt more at peace about her test. I have confidence she can pass it.
And now I indent, because I know how long paragraphs tend to cause people, especially myself, to skim them.
Life is still good! I am getting better at football, and had a few awesome saves as the keeper! (We play football every saturday morning, and invite investigators and less-actives to come join in the fun and fellowship with other members and elders [and the stake president!]). I am a bit sore today, but that is totally fine. I love looking at the pictures I have of home. It's a blessing to be able to see someone's face when they are miles and miles and miles away. I have found one of the best ways to start a meaningful conversation with anyone is by talking about family history. We found this guy who was basically a kind, caring, genuine version of Al from Al's Toy Barn. We hope to talk to him more later!
So the reason I said that Elder Boehme taught Lynn is because this week was exchanges! I went with Elder Parsons, who works in Airdrie, and we taught a girl named Kayleigh, who is hopefully going to be baptized on the 12th! I can see how the gospel has influenced her life. We also taught Stephan (stef-FAWN) and his family, who are related to the Romanians in Cumbernauld (Stephan is Milhai the older's son) and he is ready to be baptized as well!
I find a lot of my reporting to you all is about the people I am teaching, and I hope it means I am applying Matthew 16:25 like I'm supposed to! I love you all, and I thank you for the letters and other news that I am getting from you! I hope to hear more next week!
Love, Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out
P.P.S. Tell Papa I love him!
Monday, September 30, 2013
It is SO GREAT to hear from you all! This week has been very hard, but very rewarding! We're hoping to make big progress with the Romaninan family we're teaching, the Anghels. Mihai the elder just needs to stop smoking and drinking (which I hope will come quickly because Mihai has great faith, and he only smokes in small moderation, and he only believes that alcohol is to relieve pain for when you are sick. Joseph Smith story time! =) ), and get married to his very long time partner, Florica. Mihai the younger is ready to be baptized, but wants to be baptized with his wife, Zorinca, who needs to learn and grow just a little bit more, and get married too! Sorin smokes and drinks a little bit, but we hope to help him stop too!...and get married to Pupa. We joke about the Romanians having a big fat Romanian wedding! XD Their only beef with getting married is that they don't have the money, and accepting money or help with preparing for the wedding is considered, in Romanian culture, to be an embarrassment. So we have faith that the Lord will either soften the heart of Mihai, or provide a way with which they can be married! I am glad that the Lord is on our side, though. :)
Stewart and Teresa, a less-active member and "investigator", respectively, just need to get married and then Teresa is ready to be baptized! I say Teresa is an "investigator" because she has had many lessons from the missionaries, and is practically an active member of the ward! She just needs baptism. I hope they get married soon too! :) We have a few other investigators we are starting with this week, a man named Steven who we work with in a Salvation Army charity shop, he asked us to pray for him, and we taught him that he could pray for himself anytime, anywhere, and we invited him to let us teach him more. And he accepted! So that's later today!
Bishop Black is amazing, he helps a lot with the ward and with the work! Members are always volunteering every week to joint teach (we teach an investigator/less active with a member present) and they are such a blessing and help to the work! Bro Cattell (who loves to be called by his first name, Fraser) is our ward mission leader, and always is a big help in organizing the work and joint teaching! We love him. He's very funny too. When he reads scriptures, he emphasizes certain points and it's nothing short of hilarious. Imagine reading something slowly in an exasperated, and impatient way. Now imagine that emphasis but without the exasperation and impatience. For example: "And it CAME to pass, that THOSE who didn't do the WORK, did NOT receive an INCREASE to their KINGDOM!
I am getting a lot better at talking to people on the street, and at the door. I have had a few embarrassing moments, but me and Elder Boehme are working together a lot better in unity. I am continuing to learn and increase in confidence and faith! The flat is rather a mix of the London and Scotland one. The flat is nice, not like Scotland, but like...maybe Grandma Betty's house? Except it's only one floor. It is a comfortable place with the normal commodities of life, except for a drying machine. We hang it on a stand up rack. I'm not only in the foreign food club, I'm also in the foreign people and really foreign food club. Scotland is like a big melting pot for Europe, especially for Romanians, Poles, and Germans. The food is not bad! I still haven't been kebab-tized, as they call it here (which means eat a kebab), but for the most part, we buy, eat, and make most of our food! It's pretty good! The summer's actually been super great in Scotland! Which means that the winter might be more mild, than extra harsh and cold. But who knows? Well, someone does, but let's not worry about that.
I have also heard about some Hunters living in Airdrie and they were just sealed in the temple! So that would be fantastic if we were related! I want to do more family history work SO BAD!!! It's unbearable. Ish.
Thank you for praying and thinking about me! I know I am being blessed by the Lord because of it, because I would not be able to do the things I do now if it weren't for the guidance of the Lord through His Holy Spirit. I would love to hear from you individually, because I love you all individually, and I have been blessed to hear from many friends and family this far out! I had 12 emails from people this week. It melts my heart. :')
So I pretty much walk everywhere. We cover a whole lot of Cumbernauld: Seafar, Carbrain, Kildrum, Balloch only ocasionally, like yesterday, Millcroft is a street we cover where the Romanians are (it's very dangerous at night, and there are some unfriendly people we have had persecute us verbally, asking for our badges, swearing, and I just feel bad for them), Greenfaulds where we are, and a few other unrecollectable areas. We do take buses often if the place is rather far away, but it's not too bad! Yesterday we walked from Greenfaulds through Condorrat, Westfield, and then to Ben Venue, Balloch. Then we walked back over the red spire bridge, through Seafar, and then home to Greenfaulds. There are so many awesome people out there to teach! We are working hard to find them and teach them, and I think this week we are setting up for much success and a few new investigators to teach and bring to the knowledge of the truth of the gospel this week! Who What When Where is always a big help, and when we have faith, they always show up.
We have so much fun! Our talents and interests are very much alike, and I think I'm with Elder Boehme to learn to work in unity and develop strong companionships. He's a great singer, a good listener, and good teacher, and a great friend. He's definitely someone I will strive to meet up with after the mission is over. A glad but unsavory thought. I love being a missionary! Blessing lives is a blessing. I am learning a lot about being a mature adult and friendly person. It's hard to resist the urge to go run down a hill, or goof around and play on things or act silly, but we still have a lot of fun! I am glad for the opportunity to be so immersed in the gospel, and hope to use this opportunity and environment to teach and work the hardest and best that I can! My testimony has grown immensely too. I feel sorrow for those who say "it's not for me" or "all roads lead to heaven" and reject the gospel without knowing it! I know that the Lord blesses those who open their mouth, and will not lead them astray.
So barbecue sauce pretty much fixes everything. We have chicken patties, barbecue sauce, and mayonnaise in pretty much every lunch and dinner. It's great! :) I've never loved BBQ sauce more ever than now. It's truly a lifesaver.
I miss you all so much, and you are in my thoughts and prayers! I love you! Please write me back, or write me initially. I enjoy hearing from you!
Love,
Elder Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
Stewart and Teresa, a less-active member and "investigator", respectively, just need to get married and then Teresa is ready to be baptized! I say Teresa is an "investigator" because she has had many lessons from the missionaries, and is practically an active member of the ward! She just needs baptism. I hope they get married soon too! :) We have a few other investigators we are starting with this week, a man named Steven who we work with in a Salvation Army charity shop, he asked us to pray for him, and we taught him that he could pray for himself anytime, anywhere, and we invited him to let us teach him more. And he accepted! So that's later today!
Bishop Black is amazing, he helps a lot with the ward and with the work! Members are always volunteering every week to joint teach (we teach an investigator/less active with a member present) and they are such a blessing and help to the work! Bro Cattell (who loves to be called by his first name, Fraser) is our ward mission leader, and always is a big help in organizing the work and joint teaching! We love him. He's very funny too. When he reads scriptures, he emphasizes certain points and it's nothing short of hilarious. Imagine reading something slowly in an exasperated, and impatient way. Now imagine that emphasis but without the exasperation and impatience. For example: "And it CAME to pass, that THOSE who didn't do the WORK, did NOT receive an INCREASE to their KINGDOM!
I am getting a lot better at talking to people on the street, and at the door. I have had a few embarrassing moments, but me and Elder Boehme are working together a lot better in unity. I am continuing to learn and increase in confidence and faith! The flat is rather a mix of the London and Scotland one. The flat is nice, not like Scotland, but like...maybe Grandma Betty's house? Except it's only one floor. It is a comfortable place with the normal commodities of life, except for a drying machine. We hang it on a stand up rack. I'm not only in the foreign food club, I'm also in the foreign people and really foreign food club. Scotland is like a big melting pot for Europe, especially for Romanians, Poles, and Germans. The food is not bad! I still haven't been kebab-tized, as they call it here (which means eat a kebab), but for the most part, we buy, eat, and make most of our food! It's pretty good! The summer's actually been super great in Scotland! Which means that the winter might be more mild, than extra harsh and cold. But who knows? Well, someone does, but let's not worry about that.
I have also heard about some Hunters living in Airdrie and they were just sealed in the temple! So that would be fantastic if we were related! I want to do more family history work SO BAD!!! It's unbearable. Ish.
Thank you for praying and thinking about me! I know I am being blessed by the Lord because of it, because I would not be able to do the things I do now if it weren't for the guidance of the Lord through His Holy Spirit. I would love to hear from you individually, because I love you all individually, and I have been blessed to hear from many friends and family this far out! I had 12 emails from people this week. It melts my heart. :')
So I pretty much walk everywhere. We cover a whole lot of Cumbernauld: Seafar, Carbrain, Kildrum, Balloch only ocasionally, like yesterday, Millcroft is a street we cover where the Romanians are (it's very dangerous at night, and there are some unfriendly people we have had persecute us verbally, asking for our badges, swearing, and I just feel bad for them), Greenfaulds where we are, and a few other unrecollectable areas. We do take buses often if the place is rather far away, but it's not too bad! Yesterday we walked from Greenfaulds through Condorrat, Westfield, and then to Ben Venue, Balloch. Then we walked back over the red spire bridge, through Seafar, and then home to Greenfaulds. There are so many awesome people out there to teach! We are working hard to find them and teach them, and I think this week we are setting up for much success and a few new investigators to teach and bring to the knowledge of the truth of the gospel this week! Who What When Where is always a big help, and when we have faith, they always show up.
We have so much fun! Our talents and interests are very much alike, and I think I'm with Elder Boehme to learn to work in unity and develop strong companionships. He's a great singer, a good listener, and good teacher, and a great friend. He's definitely someone I will strive to meet up with after the mission is over. A glad but unsavory thought. I love being a missionary! Blessing lives is a blessing. I am learning a lot about being a mature adult and friendly person. It's hard to resist the urge to go run down a hill, or goof around and play on things or act silly, but we still have a lot of fun! I am glad for the opportunity to be so immersed in the gospel, and hope to use this opportunity and environment to teach and work the hardest and best that I can! My testimony has grown immensely too. I feel sorrow for those who say "it's not for me" or "all roads lead to heaven" and reject the gospel without knowing it! I know that the Lord blesses those who open their mouth, and will not lead them astray.
So barbecue sauce pretty much fixes everything. We have chicken patties, barbecue sauce, and mayonnaise in pretty much every lunch and dinner. It's great! :) I've never loved BBQ sauce more ever than now. It's truly a lifesaver.
I miss you all so much, and you are in my thoughts and prayers! I love you! Please write me back, or write me initially. I enjoy hearing from you!
Love,
Elder Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
September 23, 2013
Hey y'all!
The work is going forward quickly! The bus ride to the mission home (not a train) was about 3 hours long. On the way there, we stopped for breakfast, and I ordered a "breakfast bap", which is basically two buns with 4 ingredients in the middle. I ordered black pudding. It looked like a little chocolate lava cake, like the ones from dominos. Much to my surprise, it was made of meat. Elder De Vries (from Edmonton, Canada) was very surprised that I ordered it, and refused to tell me what it was and what was in it until I finished it. Much more to my surprise, it was blood pudding, or blood sausage. And, to my super duper uber surprise, it wasn't that bad. :) I also had Haggis my first night at Bishop Black's house. Can you believe it? The first night? It was actually very good! Apparently, the sheep's stomach thing is kind of an ancient days thing, more of an old-fashioned tradition. Sister Black just cooked it in a pot, and substituted some spices in for other ingredients. The food isn't bad, but be grateful for what you have! Our meals are a more rushed experience. :' (but it's to give the time we have to the work of the Lord.)
I have never missed anyone more than in the last 5 days of my life. It's hard not coming home to family, or to friends, or to Aaron or Braun or Jake or Alex or Colby or Preston or Ryan or anybody else! It's just me and my companion. My senior companion/trainer's name is Elder Boehme, and he is a very spiritual and compassionate person. He prays for long stretches of time, and in 5 minutes of study, he can pull out so much insight on one small passage. He is from Mesa, Arizona. He is a very hard worker, and is a super good missionary. He is good at street contacting. I'm not. That is something I am struggling a lot with. I am good at saying hi and being friendly to people on the streets, but I am struggling with keeping a conversation and sharing the gospel. It is difficult because a lot of people reject us just because of the badge we wear. A lot of people lie and make excuses just to tell us no politely. Elder Boehme is very good at catching them in their lies though. Very good. :)
So I am in.... drumroll............
Greenfaulds! Which is in...
Cumbernauld!!! Which is in...
Glasgow!!!!! It's sweet! (which is in Scotland by the way). The train ride over was about 2-3 hours i think, but it's almost directly west of edinburgh, where the mission home is. The ties we wore in the picture are the mission ties. On our ties it says "SIM" (scotland/ireland mission) and under that is our mission motto, "act well thy part", which basically means whatever you were sent to the Scotland/Ireland mission for, whatever specific reason that is, do it well. This motto is a huge help because it gives me courage that the Lord sent me here for a purpose, and that I can be successful if I follow His commandments and look for the people that He has prepared. Many people just accept a card or have a small conversation with us, but as Representatives of Jesus Christ, we not only teach those that are ready, but plant seeds to prepare people for when they are ready. So I live in a flat, and it has 5 rooms-- the kitchen, the living room, the big closet room, the bedroom, and the bathroom. It's not bad! We have plenty of space. The people of Scotland are amazing! The older people I feel are more hard-hearted and set in their ways of living, and are unwilling to change. MOST of them, not all, but most. The younger people are more willing to learn the truth for themselves, and are often much easier to talk to. They are more honest, and even though the neds try to take a mick out of us, we still end up teaching them something about the gospel. I hope I get better at street contacting! It's a struggle, but I know I can do it! 1 Nephi 3:7, also 2 Nephi 2: 8-9. Those have helped me a lot. I am so hot though! I wore the clothes Aunt Lish gave me, and I was sweating very hard! It's actuallly pretty nice right now in Scotland. What else.... oh yeah, we are teaching a lot of families from other places in the world. There is the Romaninan family, who is the best flippin' ever! They are very well versed in their scriptures (especially Mihai their dad), and so is Elder Boehme. They are very accepting of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are receiving it with understanding from the scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Without the spirit, no missionary work would happen effectively. Non! Bro. Catell is quite funny. He's the ward missionary leader, and he helps us with a lot of joint teaches, which is lessons with a member present. I love you all, especially my family! Say hello to my friends. I love the gospe, I love the work, and I love the Lord!
Love,
Elder Hunter
ps kirk out!
Hey y'all!
The work is going forward quickly! The bus ride to the mission home (not a train) was about 3 hours long. On the way there, we stopped for breakfast, and I ordered a "breakfast bap", which is basically two buns with 4 ingredients in the middle. I ordered black pudding. It looked like a little chocolate lava cake, like the ones from dominos. Much to my surprise, it was made of meat. Elder De Vries (from Edmonton, Canada) was very surprised that I ordered it, and refused to tell me what it was and what was in it until I finished it. Much more to my surprise, it was blood pudding, or blood sausage. And, to my super duper uber surprise, it wasn't that bad. :) I also had Haggis my first night at Bishop Black's house. Can you believe it? The first night? It was actually very good! Apparently, the sheep's stomach thing is kind of an ancient days thing, more of an old-fashioned tradition. Sister Black just cooked it in a pot, and substituted some spices in for other ingredients. The food isn't bad, but be grateful for what you have! Our meals are a more rushed experience. :' (but it's to give the time we have to the work of the Lord.)
I have never missed anyone more than in the last 5 days of my life. It's hard not coming home to family, or to friends, or to Aaron or Braun or Jake or Alex or Colby or Preston or Ryan or anybody else! It's just me and my companion. My senior companion/trainer's name is Elder Boehme, and he is a very spiritual and compassionate person. He prays for long stretches of time, and in 5 minutes of study, he can pull out so much insight on one small passage. He is from Mesa, Arizona. He is a very hard worker, and is a super good missionary. He is good at street contacting. I'm not. That is something I am struggling a lot with. I am good at saying hi and being friendly to people on the streets, but I am struggling with keeping a conversation and sharing the gospel. It is difficult because a lot of people reject us just because of the badge we wear. A lot of people lie and make excuses just to tell us no politely. Elder Boehme is very good at catching them in their lies though. Very good. :)
So I am in.... drumroll............
Greenfaulds! Which is in...
Cumbernauld!!! Which is in...
Glasgow!!!!! It's sweet! (which is in Scotland by the way). The train ride over was about 2-3 hours i think, but it's almost directly west of edinburgh, where the mission home is. The ties we wore in the picture are the mission ties. On our ties it says "SIM" (scotland/ireland mission) and under that is our mission motto, "act well thy part", which basically means whatever you were sent to the Scotland/Ireland mission for, whatever specific reason that is, do it well. This motto is a huge help because it gives me courage that the Lord sent me here for a purpose, and that I can be successful if I follow His commandments and look for the people that He has prepared. Many people just accept a card or have a small conversation with us, but as Representatives of Jesus Christ, we not only teach those that are ready, but plant seeds to prepare people for when they are ready. So I live in a flat, and it has 5 rooms-- the kitchen, the living room, the big closet room, the bedroom, and the bathroom. It's not bad! We have plenty of space. The people of Scotland are amazing! The older people I feel are more hard-hearted and set in their ways of living, and are unwilling to change. MOST of them, not all, but most. The younger people are more willing to learn the truth for themselves, and are often much easier to talk to. They are more honest, and even though the neds try to take a mick out of us, we still end up teaching them something about the gospel. I hope I get better at street contacting! It's a struggle, but I know I can do it! 1 Nephi 3:7, also 2 Nephi 2: 8-9. Those have helped me a lot. I am so hot though! I wore the clothes Aunt Lish gave me, and I was sweating very hard! It's actuallly pretty nice right now in Scotland. What else.... oh yeah, we are teaching a lot of families from other places in the world. There is the Romaninan family, who is the best flippin' ever! They are very well versed in their scriptures (especially Mihai their dad), and so is Elder Boehme. They are very accepting of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are receiving it with understanding from the scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Without the spirit, no missionary work would happen effectively. Non! Bro. Catell is quite funny. He's the ward missionary leader, and he helps us with a lot of joint teaches, which is lessons with a member present. I love you all, especially my family! Say hello to my friends. I love the gospe, I love the work, and I love the Lord!
Love,
Elder Hunter
ps kirk out!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Yeah, I got to see Grandpa and Grandma when I arrived here! It was great! I have learned so much in my experiences here so far! I took a few pictures, so I'll try to send those to you! I've introduced some of the missionaries to him, and they were a bit surprised! :) i know why missionaries never capitalize, at least in europe! the left shift key... agh! anyways, that makes sense, i was wondering why the old audio-visual presentation was playing, that really confused me. we've roleplayed a lot, and you'll have to tell me if your experience was different, because we don't teach memorized lessons and stuff. we learn the material under (basically) bullet points, if you read preach my gospel, it will basically tell you everything! chapters 3 and 10 are basically the bomb. oh yeah...... sister loynes ( one of our teachers {she's from ireland!]) gave me a study journal... aka notebook. :) no time for napping though! you are right. so my companions are elder wrenger, from germany, and elder defriez, from, willard utah (not elder de vries, who i mentioned earlier was my flight companion buddy, and their names sound exactly the same!) they are the best! elder jens wrenger (whose name is pronounced, YENZ VRANGER) speaks english very, very well! he does not think so, but he does. and elder defriez reminds me a lot of aaron because he is calm, collected, intelligent, fun, and kind. ok, so the old aaron taylor was more calm and collected, but he's still a better man than he was! anyways, sorry, sidetrack! I find that using the caps lock key is a good substitute for shift. I might be able to get used to that! :) life is good here, and i am feeling the spirit like never before! i love it! anyways, i've got to go, i'll email karli in a little bit. i love you all!!!
Love,
Elder Hunter
p.s. kirk out
p.p.s. teaching by the spirit!!! i love it!
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Tuesday, September 10, 2013
England MTC-- Here's where Devin is staying
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| The MTC is on the left, Grandpa's building is directly ahead. That's how close they are. |
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| The cafeteria |
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| View from the back |
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| I don't know why it's blurry. That's the temple behind the field and MTC is to the left. |
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| These benches are in front of the MTC and in front of Grandpa's bld. The sidewalk connects the two. |
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