Dear family and friends,

Due to this being Elder Jackson's last P-Day and my time being mostly taken up by emailing my family, this email might be a bit short, so don't get short with me when it's not very long.

Monday, Yolanda and Jade finally met President Cunnane, and we had a good lesson on Tithing, in which we showered Jade with Haribo packets.

Tuesday, We had a good district meeting, and I went to Mullingar to work with Elder Banks. It was funny because we saw a video of him when he was back at home and he had a goatee. It fit him very well, but it was still funny to see.

Wednesday, we had a blitz with Mullingar, in which they taught Sean, the miracle man McGowan. He fasted and prayed about how to get his family in on the fact that he seriously wants to join the Church. We will be seeing him again hopefully in a few weeks. He fasted and prayed, and he's not even a member/current investigator. It's so cool! He says he will tell his wife again soon.

Thursday, we taught Yolanda and Jade about obedience, tatoos, lip piercings, the Word of Wisdom, Church, and baptism. It was very scattered but still ended up as an informative lesson.

Friday, Elder Jackson and I met with a recent convert, and it was super interesting. We were supposed to do Family History that morning, but he called us and asked if we could meet, so we agreed and met at the church. When he walked in, he was visibly drunk. We started teaching him, but it was clear that he wasn't in the right state of mind, and he started getting really pushy (verbally) and saying horrible things about Joseph Smith and things, and was about to get up to leave, but as he did, he staggered to the right, bumped into some chairs, and then fell through some chairs to his left and slowly became unconscious. It just kind of stunned me at first, but after feeling his pulse and making sure he was breathing, we called an ambulance and they came and took him to the hospital. It was pretty scary.

Saturday, We met with Yolanda a third time and taught her about praying often and Baptism and Confirmation. Her understanding is solid, and I think Jade is soaking in a lot, and she retains a lot of information. We decided to wait 'til after she comes to the Church the first time before we set a date with her.

Sunday, nobody came to Church (no investigators or less actives, I mean), but we're still working hard to get people there. We taught a nice Filipino man named Willy who does a thing called Couples for Christ and he is brilliant. He appreciates the Book of Mormon and took a lot from it when we read with him. Expect to hear more about Willy soon. I'm looking forward to teaching him. We also didn't teach Shupai, but we're teaching her again next Sunday.

That's all this week! A lesson learned: never ever ever ever drink alcohol or it will ruin your life.
I know this Church is true, and I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of His children, and He's watching over everyone and gives all of us great gifts every day. I know the Atonement works. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!

The rooftop view from our bathroom window, looking towards the Quay Shopping Centre

Dear everyone,

This week was pretty good, with a few weird ends.

On Monday, we had a Family Home Evening at Sister Holmes home with the Ducusins, Sister Holmes, the Tiernans, Sister O' Leary and her daughter (less actives), and Yolanda, Jade, Malcolm, and Robin (Malcolm's niece). It was awesome! We had a huge dinner of rice, curry to put on top, a nice shepherd's pie type dish, and vegetables. Then we played a game of charades and the guess-the-name-written-on-a-piece-of-paper-on-your-forehead-by-asking-everyone-questions-about-it game. Then we met with Evan, and had a good lesson with him, but he still isn't making as much progress as we hope he will. He recently got accepted into the army this week as well.

On Tuesday, we exchanged with Mullingar and I worked with Elder Banks in the evening. We taught Yolanda and Chris Wren about the 10 Commandments and Law of Chastity, and about missionary work, respectively. Yolanda's lesson went well. Chris took over for the duration until the end when Brother Tiernan blew Chris's concern about the Jews being able to receive the gospel out of the water with a fantastic doctrinal and historical explanation. I couldn't even tell you half of it.

On Wednesday, we ended up working in Mullingar the entire day, and we taught Kira (their baptismal candidate soon, she didn't get baptized yet) and Elder Robison and I went out and had juice with a less active.

On Thursday, we had an amazing Zone Interview Training on the Nature of the Godhead, working with less-actives, and vision in weekly planning. It was very spiritually uplifting (except for the part where the sister training leaders put two headings on the board that read LA and Bury Weapons and I misinterpreted it as Californian gang activity plans.) The interview with President Brown was great. Also, I guess the seed of the Tree of Life in Lehi and Nephi's visions is the knowledge of the character and role of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. My understanding was greatly enlarged in that meeting.

On Friday, Elder Robison and I worked together in Sligo, and we got to go to Eagles Flying and hold more birds. It was a great experience. Elder Robison struggles a lot with depression and stuff, so it's great to spend time with him and try to cheer him up with quality Peregrine Falcon time. I also finally GOT TO PLAY THE SAXOPHONE AT THE O' LEARYS! I played the Tenor Sax with Brother O' Leary, and it was a wonderful experience for me and him! He was delighted and made delighted little laughing sounds after each song. I haven't lost any of my sax magic yet, as far as I can tell, and he wants to have us over every week. After every song that I harmonized with him-- he said ''No bother to ya!'' (translation: that was pretty good!)

On Saturday, Elder Jackson and I worked hard, and had a good day.

On Sunday, Church was great, and the Ducusins brought a huge breakfast for us all at Church which we ate at lunchtime. Then we taught a less-active Zimbabwean member named Goodrich and a 7th-Day Adventist named Shupai. We taught her the Restoration last week and yesterday taught her the Plan of Salvation up until the Fall, which is where we got stuck trying to explain that the Fall was necessary. But she still wants to learn more, and the Ducusins made good friends with her as joint teaches, although we could have used them more in the lesson. I'll work on that. She's a great investigator though!

A special shoutout - Happy father's day, all you fathers who have helped me in my life! You are all wonderful, and have had a great impact on me. Thank you Tyler, for teaching me so much and being a good example. Thank you Papa, Grandpa Gines, Grandpa Larry, Uncle Kevin, and all my other family role models and those whom I love very much! Thanks Bishop, Le-Bryan Hinton, Lynn Baldwin, Brett Young, Brother Munger, Jerre Paulson, Jon Crawford, Lex, Greg Dibble, and many other leaders that have made me who I am when I had no other father figure to turn to. And, thanks to my dad, Cory Larry Hunter, who was a great example of Christlike love, service, helping/loving kids, and who helped me be the man I am today. I love you and miss you tons. I know you are helping me now and that I will be with you again. Happy Father's Day!

Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. Enjoy the summer! =)

Me and Elder Robison, from Apple Valley, California. =) 

''Chips and Salsa''

(That's a garbage can.... Devin can't eat jalepeno's without that effect.)

First of all... Happy birthday mom!!!

Now the rest of the stuff.
I've been out now for 9 months! It's funny seeing everybody's emails in my generation on a mission. Alex Gomez has been out 11 months! Whoa!!!
This week, nobody came to church... again! We tried our best, but Yolanda's niece or some other relative, Kaylee, ended up having a terrible nightmare and freezing up or something and had to be taken to the hospital - you guessed it - Saturday night. We are bringing her to Sister Holmes' place for dinner tonight with Malcolm and his son Colm, and her daughter Jade, and possibly Kaylee. Also in attendance tonight will be the Tiernans and Ducusins. Hot dog.
We had a very cool experience with Yolanda this week. We had a great lesson with her on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized on June 29th. She was a little bit shy at first, but we asked her if we could pray about it with her. She agreed. As we prayed, the Spirit was so strong there. After the prayer, we asked her how we felt. She gave us kind of a funny look and smiled and said, ''Didn't you feel that?'' coolest thing ever!...to know the Lord will come through for you.(translated into Dublin accent - ''Didn' you feel dat?'' It was very cool. We also gave her a baptismal calendar.

Malcolm still is putting along, but says he would join the Mormon church in a second if he could break the word of wisdom. He also recently said if he could find a wife he would join the church then, because his loneliness would be gone, and he wouldn't want to do that stuff in front of his wife. We're still working on him.

We didn't see Shupai again though.

All in all a great week! Also, we got a new missionary, Elder Robison, who has had problems with depression and health problems, and we are going on exchanges twice a week now for him. We also had a zone development day with capture the flag in stinging nettle... I had so many stinging bumps! Don't ever run through stinging nettle. It's the worst. Well, that's all for this week. I know the Church is true, and I know Jesus Christ loves us enough to teach us lessons and put us through what others feel so we can help them. I know he can answer prayers. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. Thanks for the emails this week!
P.P.P.S. Fun Irish phrase: 'What's the crack?' i.e. how's it going, what's the news, etc. :)

  

Here's Lynn and Connie and Elder Jackson and I!

Elder Robison is the front row, 2nd from left with the white shirt, Elder Banks is the one next to him at the left, # MC # fakemustache # greatdance

Me and Elder 'Bames' (Boehme)

Me and Elder Scott, my Zone Leader who is a huge fan of Marshall McDonald, and is a great friend. We are very close to the same type of person, and share a lot of likes, attributes, and skills. He's amazing. :) He also plays piano by ear too!

 Me drinking out of a glass I 'modified'

Elder Jackson's birthday peanut butter cookie and toothpick candle.

 Me and Kayla, a Peregrine Falcon.

Dear family and friends,
I am running out of time really fast this week, but we met with Yolanda, and she is recognizing the opposition and, she told us at her last meeting, that she doesn't feel that way anymore when she prays! She didn't come to church, but we're not giving up or losing faith, even a tidbit. We also met a woman named Shupai who loves the Bible, and knows quite a bit about where it came from. We had a great lesson with her yesterday where we tried to ask her about her background in religion, her questions, and her purposes in meeting with us. She smiled and said '' I am just here for a study! What have you prepared for me today?'' She then promptly pulled out a notebook and her bible and took notes during the lesson on the Restoration. She is very friendly, from Sedan I think, or somewhere in Africa, and is a Seventh-Day Adventist, but is very friendly, and wants to know more! :) We are excited to teach her and help her learn more. Also - a vulture bit my shoe and played and chewed on it a bit while I was cleaning their cage on a wooden platform! It was SO CUTE! Well, that's most of this week. I know that this Church is true, and that God leads His Church and leads us all by the hand back to Him.
Love,
Elder Devin Jay Hunter
P.S. Kirk out!
P.P.S. It's cool to hear Abby is going to Mexico!
P.P.P.S. I can play the guitar a bit now. I love you all!