Só Felicidades - Only Cheers :)

Elder Hunt with Elder Nunes, Easter Week

Just to start off, this has been an amazing week! This truly has been one of the best weeks of my mission and of my life! :) It’s cliché, but EVERYTHING truly starts with one's mindset and one’s attitude- the good, the bad, the easy and the difficult. Life is all about how we respond to what happens to us. It’s about trying to be a little better everyday and knowing that when we screw up, Christ’s Atonement is ALWAYS ready and waiting for us to use it. There is no sin too grave or problem too big that the Atonement can’t heal. Remember that you are loved immensely, to a point that we can’t even understand, and this is an unwavering, unlimited love that is, was, and will always be there. Always think, "What would Jesus do?" Also think to always put other’s needs in front of yours.

Elder Hunt and Elder Anderson

For those at home, do your home and visiting teaching. Just visiting many people is honestly one of the most important things we can do to baptize and reactivate more people, therefore hastening this grand work in these final days. Don’t be afraid to share the gospel! Also, I’m sure your missionaries are working hard, but kick their butts a little and tell them that someone doesn’t need to wait 6 months to get baptized so they’re "100 % ready- "where is the faith?!?!?!” Get the whole ward involved, have ward members make daily contact with investigators and recent converts, always encouraging them to help them stay firm. Why can’t wards in the U.S. baptize a ton of people and have them remain firm? WHY? And yes it’s hard sometimes, but SALVATION WAS NEVER EASY, so there you go.

'President Farnes with us as his army of missionaries.  

He is the greatest guy and is just the BEST!'

Preach My Gospel specifically states our purpose as missionaries is for us to "make disciples of Christ," baptizing and confirming members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints. Don’t be afraid and don’t make excuses, just do it. Visit and help more people become Disciples of Christ; lose yourself for His cause and find your life in Him and His work. There is nothing more satisfying in this world. 

As for the week...

Tuesday-I started off this week promising myself and my comp, that this week would be the best week of our lives, ready, go.

Good district meeting, I shared various things, but something important that I really liked was a study schedule my Aunt Elise shared with me about Christ’s last week on earth. I studied it this past week and it truly changed me. We also talked about how we can use the parables in Luke Chapter 15 to help our members get more involved in the work. I also started a competition in my district, every day there was a different challenge and whoever won the challenge won a chocolate. For example, Tuesday was baptismal dates, Wednesday was action of member (visiting an investigator etc), and so on. This created an amazing atmosphere of good, healthy, competition between our district members! It was a grand success!!! 

Today we fasted and President Farnes called me to motivate me! I really appreciated it; he is the best! :)

Elder Hunt and Nunes

Wednesday-I got an emergency transfer call telling me that I was being transferred to be an Assistant to President Farnes! :) .....April FOOLS haha.  We had good visits, a good lunch; I also finished the book, The Power of Everyday Missionaries. 

Also that night I decided we should visit our Bishop to get a better relationship with him and his family. His wife recently had surgery and has been recovering. Also, I decided to bring them a pie and they loved it! :)

Thursday-Another great day, great lunch, great studies, everything. Hugo's baptism is 100% good and firm for Friday! :) We put in great work today!

           

Friday-We had weekly planning. We filled and cleaned the baptismal font. We got Crunch chocolate Easter eggs. The weather here the whole week has been exactly like Southern California, it has been marvelous, a breeze, sun, a little clouds, it’s even to the point where my hair is starting to get bleached blond because of the sun, but don’t worry, I’m still a Vegas boy by heart. 

Hugo with his family on his baptism day

That night was Hugo’s baptism! His ENTIRE less active family came including his grandmother and aunt who live very far away. I now know why Hugo was baptized on this very special day and not that other day before. 

Elder Nunes, Hugo and Elder Hunt on the day of Hugo's  baptism

It was such a special service and everyone there felt the Spirit’s presence. This was also the day Christ was crucified and it was a National holiday in Brasil. My comp even said "Brasilians do whatever it takes to have a day off so they don’t have to work." 

Saturday-This was the first day of General Conference!!!! It was amazing!!! Because of the holiday, we had some of our other planned baptisms fall unfortunately. But Conference was amazing. From Saturday, I especially liked Dale G. Renlund's and Michael T. Ringwood's talk’s.  I felt like especially Elder Ringwood’s talk was directed at me.

The Americans together watching General Conference in English

All the Americans and I watched in English, but during the Priesthood session when Elder Ulisses Soares spoke we all ran from the other room- to the chapel -to watch it in Portuguese! It was sweet! 

Brasilians love their chocolate and so does Elder Hunt

Sunday-Happy Easter! I probably ate too many chocolate Easter eggs, but it’s whatever. I loved Brent H Nielson’s talk and Jeffrey R Holland’s talks! Super powerful!!! Today was an amazing day! We didn’t have as many baptisms as we wanted but we had a few investigators come to Conference so that was good! :) 

This week I learned how to make your own happiness. You don’t have to be reliant on other people, physical items, or events to make you happy. One of the secrets of life is finding how to be happy for YOU. This search is individual for every person, but when it is found it is an important lesson for the rest of life. I also studied everyday about Christ and his final week on earth, it gave me an increased understanding about what He went through all because of his great love for us and his obedience to his Father in Heaven. 

This was an amazing week and next week will be as well! :) 

With love,

Elder Hunt