Monday, May 25, 2015

I Do What Others Won't Today, So I Can Do What Others Can't Tomorrow

Elder Farias and Elder Hunt, companions and good friends

President Farnes gave us a scripture in Mosiah 28:3 that defined this week for us.  This week we worked even harder than last week. We left the house every single day at 9am and got home at 9pm or later. We worked as hard as we possibly could, but did still not get the results we wanted as a companionship and as a zone. But I’m still as happy and motivated as ever! ;)
       
I love Grandpa Faust!


I’m going to follow my best pal Elder Drake Marley’s example, and today I will also share a little of my own personal mission development. 

July 9th is the year mark for my full time missionary service


The CTM (MTC) was a time of speaking a ton of English with other Americans, struggling through Portuguese classes, and 6 weeks that felt like an eternity. 

Cool Street Art


Brasilandia was a time of long, tough days not knowing Portuguese with a companion that didn’t know a lick of English. Shortly after it became "Só agua", breaking the mission record with our 17 baptisms in a transfer. There I was learning how far I can push myself.

More street art in Sao Paulo


After my Chilean trainer Elder Medina left, the smooth Elder Augirres taught me how to gain the confidence of others. Also living with three Brazilians improved my Portuguese a ton, living with 3 Brazilians is quite an experience!   ;) All I can say is that Brazilians are just "MORE."



In Cachoeirinha, I learned how to make things happen despite difficult circumstances. I learned how to help others change with love, not force or anger. I learned to rely on the Lord; I learned to lose myself in the work; and I learned to suffer a little, appreciating Christ's atonement even more. I put more of a focus on the Gospels, how Christ taught and lived, I learned to lead, to love, and lost 8 pounds from Dengue Fever. -haha. 

In Itu

Everything is bigger in Itu


In Itu, I am learning how to be humble, how to serve, and how to fully consecrate every aspect of myself, my time, my thoughts, my body. 

I know how important missionary work is and how post mission, this same fire to save souls cannot diminish. 

"The standard of truth has been erected: no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, persecution may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

Transfers are next week, so we will see if anything changes. 

Love,

Elder Hunt <3 :)


Elder Hunt and Elder Jacobs on a division



Elder Hunt doesn't have much time for exercise these days but he does what he can.

Still looking pretty buff Elder Hunt, at 10 1/2 months in! 

Monday, May 18, 2015

I'm Working Harder Than I've Ever Worked in My Life


Even the phones are bigger in Itu

Monday- Good p day, tons of work!!! We played some football too! 
That night we were leaving an appointment in an outdoor ceramic tile factory and a crazy wild dog came out of nowhere and violently mangled my leg. It left a whole in my pant leg and in my leg! It bled a lot, but I’ve got my shots so I’m all right!!

Downtown Itu


Tuesday- We had district meeting, which was great and then we did a division with Elder Ribero and Elder Taveira. Elder Ribero was with me in Itu and we knocked a ton of doors and followed up with a ton of investigators.

Elder Hunt and Elder Ribero, doing divisions in Itu


Wednesday- We took the challenge to knock as many doors as possible in 1 day. We worked extremely hard, found many elect amazing people, and ended the night with 400 doors knocked! Every day is an exhausting day, but especially today aha!
My Nana's awesome package arrived!  

Thursday- Today was our Multizone Conference with President Farnes! Sister Farnes talked about faith and even brought bread from The Lion House from Salt Lake!

Motivation from the Multizone Conference

We talked about how to be more efficient with door knocking, a ton of that classic President Farnes motivation which I love! It was an amazing conference!   And in the end to make it even better, President Farnes took us all to an all you can eat steakhouse! 

The steak here is so good.  President Farnes took us to eat at this all you can eat steakhouse!


Friday- We left early in the morning to work more with the wedding, which should happen soon. We worked a ton and by nighttime we headed to a super special appointment. 

Elder Hunt and Elder Farius, comps and best friends 

We went to visit a family who was a reference from a member (we went with the member) and we had an amazing first lesson with a SUPER Elect family. It is a family of 5, mother, father, teenage son and daughter and grandmother. They are so open and receptive; they are honestly searching for the truth. They also live in a super nice country club, which is different than the favellas I’m used to.  Lol.

F and H for Farias and Hunt


Saturday- We had our super event! We made tons of popcorn, soda, everything. We started of with a slide show about The Restoration given by the Stake Presidency, we watched Meet the Mormons, and at the end with the Spirit extremely strong, we invited the 6 investigators who were there to be baptized and they all agreed. 

We were only sad because we hoped to have way more people there then we ended up having. We had some members but only 6 investigators.

Sunday- Our baptism fell.  We had lunch, Ward Council and then we went looking for a miracle.

Elder Hunt and Elder Farius


That night we felt inspired to go visit a man who had been taught by tons of other missionaries before us, but he was never very interested. We began and at the end we powerfully invited him to be baptized that night...and he accepted! But he has a bladder problem and has to use a bag to pee so his active member wife tried to prevent him.

We decided to give him a blessing that depending of his faith he would be cured, exactly how Christ cured with the same Godly authority and power which we hold. I began the blessing and at one point I said ‘arise and thou shalt be cured’ and then he literally arose from the chair and pleaded to be baptized! He was cured and he arose from the chair a changed man, the blessing and his faith changed everything.

He put on his clothes to be baptized, but his wife flipped out and blocked his baptism. I literally saw Satan in that woman.   I witnessed a miracle that night through the power of the holy priesthood and that I can’t deny.  We went home sad that that man hadn’t been baptized, but in amazement due to what we had seen and taken part in. 

Elder Medina and Elder Hunt


I invite all who have not yet been baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to talk to the Mormon Missionaries, read part of The Book of Mormon with this in mind:

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”


This is a Godly promise, and with what you find and learn, you will find true lasting peace, love, and happiness in your lives.   As a servant of God who was called by a Prophet, and as a representative of Christ, I say these things in His name, amen. 
Elder Hunt

Elder Hunt in Itu

Monday, May 11, 2015

Everything Is Bigger In Itu

Everything is BIGGER in ITU

Monday-I don’t really have a p-day anymore being a zone leader, but I love it. ;) We go to sleep getting numbers, wake up getting number, and follow up with the districts and individual numbers. We then give our numbers to the Assistants and do a follow up with them about the zone. We plan and plan and plan and plan and analyze what went wrong, what went right, what to change, what to keep, divisions and trainings for the week, etc. We do a lot, but it’s great! 

We bought groceries, cleaned a bit.   Elder Farias and I worked 1.5 hours putting up my Olympic rings and pull-up bar. I taught Elder Farias how to throw a football, we went to email, we went out to work at 6pm, and that was p-day. 

A famous church in Itu


Tuesday-So we live 3-4 miles away from the bus station. The bus to district meeting takes about 20 minutes, and we have to get 80lbs of Books of Mormon to District meeting by 9:30am. We rushed, found someone’s old abandoned suitcase in the house, put the Books of Mormon in it and we were on our way. Less than half way there both wheels broke, forcing me to put the Book of Mormon filled suitcase on my back to carry it.
The streets of Itu


Due to the complications, we missed our bus, the only other bus to where we were going wasn’t to leave until after district meeting would end...the only option was to pay for a taxi, but hey, at least we arrived to district meeting in style. ;)

Elder Patterson in Morada do Sol


At the District meeting we gave a zone training about what we learned at leadership counsel. After, I went on a division with Elder Patterson to his area in Morada Do Sol. We ate lunch and got to work. We knocked SO many doors and made many contacts. By the end of the day we had talked to over 250 people! Great, tiring day!



Wednesday-We woke up and took twp young couples to get married! But relax, this was just to get the papers to get them started. But we are hoping to help them get married as soon as possible, to then baptize them after.

We had lunch at a great all-you-can eat place for super cheap. This day we followed up with a lot of elect investigators and knocked doors.



Thursday-We woke up early to do interviews for the sisters. We took the long trip. I ended up interviewing a guy who has killed 4 people and was heavily involved in the drug trade; it was one of my more interesting interviews. 

The sweet family of 11 that made Marcus dinner and gave them ice-cream


Today we found a family of 12 and another family of 11 with 8 kids!  With the family of 11 we taught a super powerful lesson and afterward, out of nowhere they made us dinner and gave us a carton of ice cream for the road!  It was so nice!  :)

007 car ai sim!


Friday-We planned, went to do a division once again with Morado Do Sol to help with interviews. We worked a bit in the area and then went to help all the sisters with their interviews. I did interviews at a house, the chapel, and then back at another house! It was wild and we didn’t get back home until late.

Overlooking Itu


Saturday-We finished the division in the morning, worked a ton on our activity for that night, and had lunch. We did follow up and tried to get interviews done in our area, but no one was home. :(

Meet the Mormons in Portuguese!


Everything was good and ready for our event 7pm Saturday night at the church. The PowerPoint, practices, everything, the only thing missing was the members... and then no one showed up... It was going to be a huge training for the members to help them be more confident in inviting people to the huge event on the 16th to watch "Meet the Mormons."   They will be able to learn more about the church.

Elder Hunt with Elder and Sister Clayton


Sunday-Good day, but church was very empty. My comp and I bore our testimonies due to the stake event with Elder Whitney Clayton last week. We had four people at church and all four of them have a baptismal date for next week. 

We had a good lunch, then talked with our families for a little bit. The connection was bad so I didn’t talk long and I was skyping on someone’s cell phone, but it’s alright. 



Having a little too much fun with Elder Farias' leather coat



After we went trying to baptize two teenage girls who had baptismal dates for Sunday, but it didn’t work out. 

This morning Elder Farias and I played football for about an hour so that was fun. I’m doing well. I have a great comp, great area, great ward, and a great future ahead!!! :)

Com muito amor,
 Elder Hunt



Monday, May 4, 2015

The Best Week of My Life, But Seriously

Best week of Elder Hunt's life

Tuesday-Starting off with transfers. We arrived and my companion was not there, I later learned that he stayed in Itu with other missionaries to work and he would be there that night waiting for me. Always transfers are great, I get to see my great friends. :) President Farnes spoke to us, and the most important thing we need to do is act and think as if it were impossible for us to fail. Also our mission is the second highest baptizing mission in Brasil, only behind Mission Curitiba. So, in a way to get ourselves in first place for saving souls through baptism by immersion and the gift of The Holy Ghost in the best country in the entire world, we are knocking over 100 doors every single day, talking to everyone, and using our efforts and time with people who want to be helped, the people who are ready NOW, not the people who do not want to be helped.  

Elder Hunt's new house in Itu



I got on the bus to Itu, it was about 1 hour and 30 min ride. We arrived that night and I met my comp Elder Farias, and then, there, my life and mission changed. 

A map of Itu 

Their Baptism Goal!


Wednesday-We had district meeting, but it turned into a zone training because we used up the entire time. It was great, our baptismal goal as a zone for the month is 37 and we have 9 companionships. It was a great meeting and everyone left happy and excited! 

Itu


That afternoon we started on our 100 doors, we found many amazing people! In the night we met with 2 people who had baptismal dates marked for this weekend. We found out that we had to go to the neighboring city because of the leadership counsel the next day. We were so lost in the work that we ended up having to run 4 miles without stopping to catch our bus to the city of Sorrocaba. We arrived that night and slept in the house of other missionaries. 

Elder Hunt and his new comp Elder Farius


Thursday-Leadership counsel was amazing! All the zone leaders ad assistants were there. President Farnes taught us many new things, and we discussed how we can make the mission better! It was a great experience! :)

Elder Hunt on the streets of Itu


Friday-We got the amazing pleasure to hear from Elder Whitney Clayton of the 70. It was our mission along with mission Sao Paulo East. Every missionary introduced himself or herself to him, and when I introduced myself he told me how much he loves Papa and about how such great friends they are. In the end of the meeting he called me out of the crowd to take a picture with me. 

Saturday-We did divisions to do baptismal interviews and I went with Elder Galeano, a Columbian Elder who has less than 2 years as being a member of the church; he is amazing. 
Itubaina, the soda of Itu

Elder Hunt set up his pull-up bar and rings

Weight room in his new house


Sunday-Elder Whitney Clayton came to our stake in Itu and did another amazing talk :) Our baptisms fell, but that day we worked harder than I ever have in my entire live and it was amazing. 

Elder Hunt and Elder Farias



My comp Elder Farias is the most humble and powerful missionary I've ever met in my entire live. He is so obedient and amazing. We work SO hard and push one another to give all we have every second of every day. This is exactly the companion I've always wanted and he is making me better and better every day. We motivate and serve each other, which is the best. He is amazing, I am so, so thankful to be here in this area with my companion. I've never been happier in my entire life. Expect greatness!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Elder Hunt is so happy in his new area, the happiest he has ever been in his whole life he says!

Elder Hunt