Transfers

After six months of being in New Paradise, they are finally kicking me out. I have transfers tomorrow!! I`m still not sure where I´m going or with who, but I´m sure it will be great. I am sad to leave such a good ward!

This week a lot of miracles have happened. I have seen how the Lord´s hand is in everything. We get frustrated--we frustrate ourselves--because we do not see the big picture. We don´t see things how the Lord sees them. A few weeks ago, we were frustrated because we had a really awesome baptism planned for Brother A, had already talked to the bishop and our ward mission leader, and invited a lot of people to the baptism. A few hours before we were to start, we recieved a phone call from the Assistants saying that the baptism would need to be moved to another church at a different hour. We didn´t understand why, but we followed what they said and the baptism went well. 

This week, one of the families in our ward sent one of their daughters on the mission to Chile. When they were right about to leave for the airport, one of her luggages broke. They had to hurry to buy a completely new suitcase with only twenty minutes to catch her flight. They ran to the store, but when they had picked out a suitcase, they found there were seven people in line in front of them! They asked for mercy from one of the workers there, and he ran them up front to check them out when their entire system went down and they were not able to purchase the suitcase!!

Long story short.

The man that was helping them to purchase recognized them from A´s baptism, and recognized that they were members. They let them go without putting a dime down for the luggage, trusting in them that they would return in a few hours to pay for the luggage after dropping their daughter off for the mission. Their daughter made her flight on time and she is now in Chile in this very moment.

How crazy it is that litte things always happen and we don´t even realize it. We get angry, we get frustrated, when really it is God´s plan for us. We just don´t see the big picture. I know God loves us and is patient with us, even when we don´t see what He wants for us.

Have a wonderful week!!

Hermana Hunt

¨We need to learn how to lead and how to be lead¨

¨Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with faith have courage as well.¨ President Monson

i will miss these ladies.

member missionary work.

separation is a hard thing.

No one told us about daylight savings time, and we woke up at 5:30 on Sunday. We left the house for church at 8 at 6:50. The good thing about all this? The Elders gave us some eggs. Hahahaha :D Note the really expensive Elder´s dwelling place in background one street above compared to the sad Sister missionary´s dwelling place you have seen photos of one street below.

This Was a CRAZY GOOD WEEK!

Hey family and friends,

I have been informed that I can no longer speak english, which is pretty sad because I´ve got an american companion. She´s been trying to teach me english. Hope it doesn`t keep you from trying to understand what I want to say today :D 

This week was a week full of miracles. 

First off, we met a man so prepared to hear the gospel that I cried. Here in mexico, they have police that roam the street and then they have some big military man who roam the street as well. They are a bit scarier. They drive a giant, military truck with somewhere around 20 military guys just hanging out in the back. Everything is open so that you can see that they are big and powerful, and they are. This week as we were walking a little bit scared by one of these big trucks, the driver stoped us and started asking us questions about why we are here and what we are doing. I´m not gonna lie, I felt a little bit anxious. We answered his questions trying to listen to the Spirit to help us out.

Then all of the sudden, his face changed. He started telling us a beautiful story about his only fifteen-year-old daughter. His wife was not able to have children when they were first married, and they tried five years to have a child, including moving to Chihuahua to find better doctors here. They were faced with a decision shortly after and they had to chose between an expensive procedure and buying a house. They chose to buy the house, knowing that it would mean they might never have a child. That night, this big, tough military guy knelt down and begged that they would be able to find a way to adopt a child that would not cost very much. The next day he went to work only to recieve a phone call from his wife shortly thereafter. ¨I´M PREGNANT!!¨ she exclaimed. They were able to have a beautiful daughter, and sixteen years later this military man still remembers how much he felt in that moment that God really does exist. That He really does listen. That He really does care. We told him about how families can be together forever and he cried. He said that his church teaches that families dont last longer than this life. He was completely ready to do whatever it takes to have an eternal family.

I don`t know why it hit me so hard. I think it´s becuase I had already judged him like, oh jeez let´s try to pass by without creating any attention... that it suprised me so much. It also suprised me that he knows so strongly that Heavenly Father lives becuase of the tender mercies He gives us. It taught me a lot. I saw another tender mercy this week when we went to watch a baptism with one of our investigators, A. It was the most beautiful service I have seen in my entire mission and one of the most spiritual experiences I have had in my life. The man that was baptised was so incredibly happy and he felt so clean. It was a miracle to see. We also saw progress in one of our investigators, R, that we were thinking about dropping a few weeks ago. He was not progressing, but something told us to hold out. We found his need, and he is progressing like crazy. The other day, he prayed in front of us and prayed exactly the way Jesus taught us. It was a little miracle that brought us a lot of joy :)

I am loving this.

Hope you have a great week!! Love you!!

Hermana Hunt

1. These are green prickley pears. We eat them every night. They are deeeelishus.

2. This is our friend. He was watching us this morning so we started barking and he freaked out like--where is this coming from?!?!

Funnythings.

The word body (cuerpo) here is very similar to the word pork (puerco). Yesterday we had the Primary program and one of the kids said ¨My pork was created in the image of God.¨

A random dude in the street said ¨Hey young laides!¨ with such a good accent! Everyone who knows English here tries to use it with us when they see two Americans walking down the street. It gets pretty funny sometimes.

Little Things Make Big Things Happen

This week we were blessed with another miracle as we found a family that really needs Christ´s help. 

As we were talking to one of our investigators, R, a group of young people walked up and wanted to buy pan de nata. My companion started talking to one of the youngsters because he had a knotts farm sweatshirt on from California. He expressed his concerns for his mom who is really sick, and they all invited us to go to their house and talk to them. They didn`t remember their address very well because they had just barely changed houses, so they told us the street and the number that they could remember and took a pamphlet home with them to read. 

The next day we went to look for their house, found it, knocked, and it wasn`t them!! We were devastated!! They had given us the wrong house number. The next few days we spent our time asking everyone in the street if they knew a teenager named E that lived around that area. Nothing. We found some other investigators and learned our area a little better, but nothing. 

The other day we were with member and we had to stop to explain him something, and an old man came out of one of the houses exactly before we were about to head for another appointment. We were already late because of a situation in the afternoon and a different member we stopped and talked to for a little while, but we took advantage of the situation with the old man to ask him if he knew a teenager named E. HE DID. It was E´s grandpa!!! We passed by Sunday to visit them, thinking we had just seen a miracle, but little did we know...

E told us Sunday that he never wears sweatshirts. His mom made him put on a sweatshirt because it is getting a little cold here, so he put on a plain, black sweatshirt. Just before leaving the house, he stained that sweatshirt and had to put on another. The knotts farm sweatshirt. We were able to help them feel better with their mom, teach them Heavenly Father´s plan for us, and make plans with them for baptism. Maybe the biggest miracle I have seen in the mission so far.

Everything we did that day and he did that day lead up to us meeting each other. The sweatshirt, the pan de nata, the lateness of us meeting. If we had not had a catastrophe in the afternoon, we would have passed by there earlier. If we had not stopped to talk to the member for a little bit, we would not have been in that spot at the exact time we needed to be there. 

I know Heavenly Father works in miracles. He is a loving God who wants us to return to Him. I know this gospel is true. I know it for the Book of Mormon. I know it for a prophet on the earth today. I know it for the little blessings I see each day that turn into big blessings.

I love being a missionary :)

Hermana Hunt

Funny things:

Hermana Lowe looked up the word ¨maya¨ this week (which means nylons) and in the dictionary it says ¨mesh, mail, leotard.¨ She read the definition to me and I heard ¨MESH MALE LEOTARD.¨ That´s awkward.

Hey yall! Just want to share a really cool experience with you from this week.

A few weeks ago, we were carrying around a Book of Mormon to give to one of our investigators. That same day, we contacted a man at his work and he accepted pretty fast. As we were talking to him, I felt the impression to give him the Book of Mormon that was meant for our other investigator. I was like: no way jose! This book is for R. I tried to make myself feel better by giving him a restauration pamphlet, but I still felt like I needed to give him the book I was carrying around. Finally, I gave in to the impression and gave him the Book of Mormon. My companion looked at me like: what are you doing? That book is for R! haha we ended up having to give R his Book of Mormon the next day.

This week, we passed by that same spot on our way to an activity. As we got closer to this man, we saw a book in his hands. As we got even closer, we realized that it was the Book of Mormon that we had gifted him!!! He was reading it and is almost in 2nd Nephi!! When we asked him about the book, he got really serious and said: It`s marvelous. It is wonderful--it. is a miracle.

I know the Book of Mormon is true! It is marvelous and wonderful and definitely a miracle. A man can get closer to God by following what that book says than by any other book on this planet. I loved what Elder Lynn G Robbins said in general conference--¨Which way do you face?¨ Do we tolerate satan with fear for what the world will say, or do we seek the approval of God? I have seen in the mission that if we seek the approval of God and not that of man, we recieve the blessings. As we read the Book of Mormon (more important than sleep or a job), we will recieve God`s approval. 

I also loved what Elder Jorg Klebignat said about our weaknesses--that we might have the same weaknesses we have battled against all our life for our entire life, but when we make the effort to overcome them, the Atonement will cover us. That gave me a lot of comfort with some silly little things I keep doing even when I want to change. 

I know Jesus Christ will cover us with His wonderful cloak of the Atonement if we just follow Him. He is asking us to just follow Him! That`s all you have to do! Just follow. Never again follow the wrong voice. His voice is where we find peace. I know it`s true.

Have a great week!

Hermana Hunt

The Spirit

This week was a week full of miracles from our Heavenly Father. A few weeks ago, a friend wrote me with a spiritual experience he had when he was listening to the missionaries. They stopped the lesson and asked him if he could feel the spirit. We have an investigator right now that is having a hard time knowing if she feels the spirit. We were able to stop in the middle of the lesson to see how she was feeling. She said she felt super calm. We testified to her that it was the spirit testifying that our message is true. If I had never heard my friend´s missionary experience, that one investigator in Chihuahua might not have understood the spirit like she does now. It was a really spiritual night that made all the difference with that investigator.

We saw another miracle yesterday as we went to bring one of our investigators to church with us. Our Sacrament Meeting starts at 12 in the afternoon, and it takes us about 30 minutes to walk to church, so we arrived at his house at 11:30. He wasn´t home, but one of his friends came out so we started to talk with him. At 11:35, he took a shower and got ready to go to church. The same day we contacted him, he went to church!! Milagrosamente, a few members passed by to give us a ride and we got to church on time. After Sacrament Meeting, he turned to us and said: ¨I feel really good right now. I feel really peaceful. Next Sunday I´m gonna come back.¨ It was a wonderful experience! We testified that he felt the spirit there.

I learned a litte about how the spirit speaks with ME this week too. Friday night, I had an impression to not go where we were headed. I felt...uncomfortable. Something in my heart that just didn´t feel right. Because it was not in any way convenient to follow the impression, I unfortunately didn`t follow it, and we fell pretty hard that night. After repenting, Saturday, I saw the complete opposite. As we were sitting in the church listening to the women´s conference, I felt the tranquility of the spirit testifying to me that what the speakers were saying was right. I realized that the spirit has never spoken to me in a loud, thunderous voice and has never yelled at me, but has prompted me with little, quiet feelings. It has never came in the thunder of a storm or the loud, harshness of the world, but has spoken so quietly that I have never realized it was the spirit.

I´m grateful for a miracle-working God who loves us and sends us the Spirit to comfort and teach us.

I love you all!! Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Hunt

PS I learned how to make pan de nata this week. DELICIOUS.

Giant shopping cart. Why didn't they think of this before?

pictures

1. so there is a street here called Babylon....obviously i am saying goodbye. Audios o Babylonia!!! I`m so cool.

2. awkward family pictures.

3. this is what we walk in sometimes here. It rains for five minutes and the water goes over the sidewalk banks.

4. surprise! One of our investigators made us a smiley face pan.

5. beautiful chihuahua!!

6. these are called prispas and takis. eat them. they will make you happy. 

I am so happy!

I am so happy!!! The mission is wonderful. Serve one.

Before in the mission, I made little mistakes. I would start my studies one minute late or leave the house one minute late. I would eat chocolate more than two times a week. Little things. However, this week I learned that those little things really do matter. I repented of all the little things I had been doing and started to strive to be 100 percent obedient. I left all my errors behind me and started to be better in every way. This week, I have seen the difference. I have felt closer to the Spirit. We had more success with our investigadors, and I feel better about what I am doing. Little tiny things make all the difference!! I see now that as we are obedient and have a completely clean heart, Heavenly Father blesses us. 

Yesterday we had 5 investigators go to church! Three of them have dates to be baptized! We are seeing the fruits of our labors! I know Heavenly Father blesses us for the extra we put in. To make water boil, all you need is one degree extra (youtube has a great one more degree video of water boiling...in spanish). Water doesn´t do anything until you give it just one more degree of heat, and then all of the sudden it´s boiling. It´s the same with our strength. If we just strive a little bit more to do a little bit more than what we were doing before, the miracles will come.

I didn´t know I was holding back the work from progressing like it should have. When I prayed to see what I would be able to do better, Heavenly Father showed me the way. He helped me to see how I could improve, and He blessed us for the changes that we have made to be better.

This week we went to visit the most beautiful site in Chihuahua with the leaders of the mission. It was a dream!!

Have a great week!

Hermana Hunt

pizza. in a chinese restaurant. in mexico.

This week. Whew. I have learned so much!! My new companion is a boss. We get along really well. We try not to speak english, unless we want to say ¨sup¨ or ¨don chu be takin ta me like dat.¨ We have found that we have absolutely no time to do anything anymore as we´re working kind of like zone leaders for the sisters in the mission. We get back to the house and call them or plan something for them, and then we have to report how they´re doing. We´re always doing something now. haha

Siser L is teaching me how to follow the Spirit better. She searches for the Spirit´s guidance all day long and has the courage to follow what she recieves. We have learned this week the importance of being obedient to the T so that nothing bad happens. Two Americans walking around here attracts a lot of attention. However, when we follow the Spirit, we see miracles!

We had a lesson SO AWESOME with one of the families we teach. Brother R has stopped drinking and smoking and he wants to be baptized so bad!! However, he is still married with one woman and living with another. We are working on his divorce so he can marry the woman he is living with, but she doesn´t want to marry him! He treats her pretty badly sometimes, so I understand her fear in marrying him. They have been together for 10 years and have two kids. We taught them all about the family, and at the end of the lesson Brother R told her that he loves her!!! It was so awesome and we all went our separate ways edified by the Spirit.

Someone told me to think of the biggest miracle I have seen on the mission and how that miracle has changed my life. I searched through all the miracles I have recognized, and finally I thought of Brother M, who was baptized with his whole family. He was in a gang and all that crazy stuff before their baptism. I remembered how he changed so much and began to recognize how important his sons are to him. He is completely different now!! That miracle has changed my life. I know that families are SO important! I know Heavenly Father placed us in families for a reason, and that in the family, we can find the most joy. I am grateful for the oportunidad, big or small, to help the families of these people down here. I hope to give them the opportunity to have a family kind of like the wonderful family I have.

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

Hermana Hunt

Pictures. 

President took us out to eat at China City. A Chinese restaurant in Mexico that sells pizza.

This dog is our friend. He protects us. I´m not sure why, but he is always barking at others and super happy around us. Sometimes he tries to break in to our house also just because he wants to be loved.

cambios

This week my district leader forgot again to tell us when we have to go to the mission offices, so we have a good 20 minutes to write. Just enough time to tell you all:

ELDERES.

Oh well :) It`s enough time to tell you all that I love you!!! Today my companion leaves and I`m getting a new companion, Hermana L. I`m still in this area where the hills are huge and the views are beautiful. We`re going to be sister training leaders. I think we´re already facebook friends. Two American sisters strutting around in Mexico. Gonna be sweet.

I got sick this week and wasn`t going to go to the hospital until my companion woke up sick one morning too. We both went off to the hospital, and when we arrived, my companion was all: oh, no, I`m perfectly fine, just wanted to get you to the hospital!! Hahaha. Evil. But I feel much better now. Everyone has been sick here. I think it`s for the heat. It`s been pretty hot these last few days.

I know that God lives and that He loves us! I have seen His hand in my life this week, and I am grateful for His perfect love. He knows just when to lift us up and when to help us see our weaknesses so that we can change. This week, we saw one of those weaknesses as we didn`t have anyone in church yesterday. That`s a pretty big downfall. However, I know that we will be better this week so that every one of our investigators will go to church. I know that soon, we will see the church FULL of people who are prepared to recieve our message. Full of people that will convert to this wonderful gospel.

Do your missionary work this week! The Lord is waiting on it!

I love you very much!! Have a great week!

Hermana Hunt

9 months

Hello.

We fasted as a district this week to see miracles in our district. We had names of people that could be baptised, but they needed a little push to get to that point. Every companionship had names. I haven`t seen the blessings in the past as easily when it comes to fasting, but I agreed to fast with our district. Seriously, we saw miracles this week. MIRACLES. It was a wonderful week. Every one of the people we fasted for was baptized last week or will be baptized this week. Not only are they being baptized, but they are wanting to do more. They have the vision of the temple in their minds and the Spirit in their heart. 

A few weeks ago, they gave us an example of missionaries who help their investigators be converted and missionaries who only help them to be baptized. I liked the example they used. They had two Elders carry an Elder between them every time he asked a question. Every time he asked  question, the elders would carry him a little bit further. When the time came for the elders who were carrying to leave, the elder inbetween couldn`t walk. He couldn`t take his own steps because the missionaries had always taken the steps for him. They taught us how to help others to be truly converted and find their own answers, not just answer every question just because we can.

I learned this week how to follow the Spirit better so that we can help others to understand our message. I learned how to ask questions and be very direct so that there are no questions and they understand perfectly. Watch out--when I get back I`ll be telling everyone everything super directly without mercy. :D

This week I went to Parral. That is all.

Love you!!

Hermana Hunt