Week 30 (1st Change - Santo Domingo)

Well.... I finally got to experience having to say goodbye to members, recent converts and investigators:( This week was one full of tears and wasn't too much fun that way but I know that it's for the best. I've grown so close to all the people that were in my ward in Manantial but I know that while I'm here in Santo Domingo I will meet new wonderful people. 

Santo Domingo is in the Coast Area and about 2 and 1/2 hours on a bus from where I was. It is so much warmer here and really humid with mosquito's but I already know I'm going to love it! My new Companions name is Elder Flores and is from Peru. I've heard the mission here and the mission in Quito are very different so I'm excited to learn a lot this change. 

This last week was full of fun and exciting events. On Wednesday we ate at a restaurant that served us soup with a lobster in it.... Just a little bit strange and something I'm not used to but hey at least it was good. We also were able to do more service on Wednesday with a new family we found. We had to put up a barbed wire fence and everything. It was quite the experience!! 

On Thursday we visited another new family we found this last week and all I can say is that I wanted to stay because they really are sooo great! Afterwards we visited Galo (member) and we were finally were able to eat Guinea Pig. It was absolutely great haha but I didn't get to kill one which was a bummer:P On Saturday we had the baptism for Gustavo. It was so great to be able to baptize him and help him out more in his life. On Sunday he was able to receive the Holy Ghost:) 

This week was a good one but it was hard to say goodbye to so many of my friends here! I love being here on my mission and everyday I am learning something new and becoming a better person. I love you all and all of the people here in Ecuador! I know that through Christ we have the only path to return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that through hard work and sacrifice we can achieve the happiness and joy we all want in life. I hope you all have a great week! 

Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt

Us during district meeting sending off two missionaries to their houses

Us eating Guinea Pig (it's about time)

Us eating Guinea Pig (it's about time)

Guinea Pig

Baptism of Gustavo

Baptism of Gustavo

Us with Joel & Brandon 

Us with Joel, Brandon, and family

Me eating soup with a lobster in it haha

Me eating soup with a lobster in it haha

Us with Segovia family

Week 29

Well, what a week it has been! I’m glad it's finally over. To start off, we had two service activities this last week and both of them were to help people move from one house to another. I love being able to do service and help the people here in Ecuador!! It was a little bit hard as there were only 6 of us there on Wednesday but it made it even harder that 2 of the missionaries didn't want to help and were always off hiding or ¨resting¨. Even though I was pretty mad and wanted to do things a missionary can't, I realized that it doesn't matter about other people as long as we are doing the things we are supposed to. 

The other service activity we had was on Saturday. This one also was quite difficult. My companion and I were the only Elders there with all of the Sister Missionaries. They help out so much and it was great but the part that was really hard was that about half of the stuff this family had weighed a lot and the Sisters couldn't lift them, that's when us men came in handy haha. In all, it was great and now I really understand the importance of using the 30 minutes of exercise we have every morning haha. 

This week we were supposed to have a baptism but our investigator fell a little so we have to wait till next week. He was really sad and only wanted to be baptized but we were able to watch an amazing video with him to help him out and now he has the motivation to stay strong this week and work hard through all the temptations. We ended up having a family and Gustavo in the church yesterday so it was a pretty good week! We're going to have to really step it up to have the success that we want. 

This week I was able to read through the talk given by President Uchdorf about being grateful and how important it is to always be grateful for all of the things we have in our lives and to realize that only God knows what we truly do need in our lives. There really is so much that we have in our lives to be grateful for and I've realized that and it's my goal to always show my gratitude to my Father in Heaven through my actions and also in my prayers. 

The challenge that I want to leave with you all this week is to read through the other conference talk he gave this last conference titled "Are we sleeping through the restoration?" This is what I will be studying this week and it's one of my favorites so I thought I would invite you all to read it too:) 

I love you all and hope you all have a great week! Don't forget that tomorrow 19th of August is my Mothers Birthday so please let her know how amazing and special she is I know she will appreciate it very much :) 

Con mucho Amor, 
Elder Hunt!!

**On August 12th Quito Ecuador had an earthquake. I e-mailed the mission Home and the let me know that all of the Missionaries were fine:) Kaiden didn't mention it in his blog e-mail but I asked him about it and this was what he said:

"Ooh yeah I was wondering if you guys would hear about it. Honestly it wasn't big at all but everyone here was freaking out because the houses suck! We were at a members house when it happened and my companion said something about the house moving but I didnt feel anything. It was only a 5.5 but I know that if one hit here that was 9.5 basically all the houses would be destroyed because of the construction. All we got here were a little bit of aftershocks - really nothing at all. Sorry it scared you and that you had no idea but I'm glad that they responded fast to your e-mail. Everything here is great dont worry :) "


                        **Picture overload**
          He's catching up for the last few weeks:)
      He didn't give picture descriptions yet though

Us in action during service project

Us in action during service project

Me and Kayler

Cool chess set I bought so me and Ian can play when I get back :)

Cool chess set I bought so me and Ian can play when I get back :)

Cool chess set I bought so me and Ian can play when I get back :)

Chicken heads and feet,
they love eating every part of the animal here haha

Popcorn with cow intestines (actually really good)

Us eating the intestines :)

 Galo playing with a cow

Galo playing with a cow

Elder Monrroy playing with a cow

Surveying and a sweet view from a members house

Surveying and a sweet view from a members house

Surveying and a sweet view from a members house

Week 28

Another week down. Time really is such a strange aspect here in the mission but I've learned that it goes by faster when you don't think too much about it and envelop yourself in the service of others. 

So, this week wasn't the best as we had a few investigators decide to drop us and it was a struggle to visit the people we did have. We ended up having two investigators in church this week which was good. Gustavo is going to be baptized this Saturday and Jonathan is going to be baptized next week. I'm so glad they are progressing and will be able to receive all of the blessings that come with these Ordinances.

Yesterday Joel and Brandon (recent converts) received callings in the church and Joel was able to give a talk. As he was talking I could see the potential he has and how great of a missionary he will be! It's those moments when all of the hard work pays off and you can see how much better the lives of the people are. 

We had something happen this past week that I believe will affect us quite a bit in the weeks to come. On Saturday there was a report on the news about the Mormons and the Reformed Church of Jesus Christ and how supposedly we are the same. The topic of Polygamy came up and we’ve already had a few problems with it. I know that this is only Satan trying to slow the progress of the lords work but I also know that if we can keep strong and stick to what we believe in nothing will be able to stop us. Satan is working harder than ever right now which means we need to strengthen our families. I’m honored to have the opportunity to help strengthen the families here in Ecuador and know that only through this Gospel can we have all the we need to over come the things in our lives. 

The challenge for this week is to read with your families in Ephesians 6 about the Armour of God and how we can strengthen ourselves. Hope you all have a great week this week!

Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt

Week 27

This week was a pretty good week! It went by super fast! It seemed like we never had enough time to get all that we had to do done, so in that aspect it was hard. We struggled on the lessons this week and had quite a few appointments fall through. 

On Friday we didn't work at all because we had to go to the Stake farthest North in our mission for a Conference with half of the mission. Elder Grow of the Seventy spoke to us. He taught us about how important it is to have everything organized because this church is one of order. He also talked to us about the importance of working with members and with the less active members. Often times in the mission we only think about baptizing, but reactivating is just as important! We are helping someone who has already made covenants with God better there lives and come closer to him. 

Honestly without the members we can't do hardly anything! All the people I've baptized have been references from the members and they are such a vital part of mission work. I really like the saying that "Every Member is a Missionary" Often times we think that we have to be on a mission to do mission work but it's not true. There are so many people around us that need our help and need the blessings we have received in our lives. This is something that I wish that I would've done better before my mission. I have learned so much here and still have so much time left. 

Yesterday was Fast and Testimony Meeting here and I was sitting next to one of our investigators named Gustavo. He started asking me about Testimonies and a bunch of stuff, well long story short he ended up bearing his Testimony. Never have I heard of an investigator bearing their Testimony but the way I felt while he was up there standing at the pulpit was absolutely amazing!! He talked about the Plan of Salvation and how happy it makes him to know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. 

I know that each and every one of you can feel this joy too and that everyday there are people around us that need this Gospel so the challenge for this week is to share with people you work with or who you are normally aquainted with the things that you know are true so they too can know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for them as well. It doesn't have to be long. When we understand what other people have in their lives that's when we can help them. 

We know that this gospel is for everyone. I love the lords work and I love the people down here in Ecaudor and I have truly learned that they are our brothers and sisters. I know the lord blesses us when we are faithful and seek to help others and serve them. I love each and every one of you and pray for your safety and well being. Hope you all have a great week! 

Con mucho amor, 
Elder Hunt