To Families of the Hunt Clan and other Kin

January 27, 2014

**Disclaimer** This is just me venting a little about weather; I really don't have anything to complain about.  Zak has been on a bike up in Idaho and it's MUCH colder up there.  After all, our cold comes from their cold moving south.  (Zak is Graham's friend who is serving a mission in Idaho.)

Dear families of the Hunt clan and other kin,

Yesterday was a warm, nice calm day with a high in the low seventies; the birds did chirp and the missionaries did enjoy.

Then a cold front approached from the north..

Today is a cold, windy day with a high of thirty-eight; the ravens screech as they are tossed to and fro and the missionaries don't enjoy it.

Something about being out in Texas' bipolar (summer one day and winter the next), hormonal (Texas is famous for lightning storms), moody (it's never in the middle, always going from one extreme to another), schizophrenic (once went from overcast and warm with no wind, to clear skies and cold wind in less than 10 hours. Yes, I counted) climate that has caused this Southern California boy (who always thought 66 degrees fahrenheit and sunny was SO FREEZING COLD) to not really care what it's like outside. 

Enough of that.

So last Saturday Elder Sharp and I were tracting and we started talking to one man and he let us in! He has a very interesting belief ideology. He essentially is a Jew (of Levite descent) who believes in Christ and the New Testament. He believes that when Christ said the law (of Moses) was fulfilled it referred only to part of the law (the various sacrifices symbolizing Christ as performed by the holders of the Aaronic priesthood) so the portions dealing with clean and un-clean foods and others he still observes. He also observes Shabbat which is the Jewish sabbath observed on Saturday. He loved talking with us and we will return Saturday to meet with him again! 

So life is great, the work is great, and God is great!

-Elder Hunt

Making a Difference

January 20, 2014

Here in Texas, Elder Sharp and I have been working with some great people.  We have two investigators: Carl and Tim who are both almost to the point of baptism and all the lessons have been taught to them. 

One of the cool things as a missionary is you get to see people learn of the Gospel and you get to see it make a difference in their lives! You see changes in people, although nobody goes around doing miracles like healing physical sickness.  The miracles today are emotional and mental wounds and diseases being healed, it is more subtle but just as profound. It is a blessing to my life to serve God. 

Brandon, I want you to make wise decisions and surround yourself with good people so that you can have this great opportunity of serving Christ should you choose to. If you have not yet decided if you want to or should serve a mission I would recommend that you ask God if you will not be happier in doing so. 

So I have some news for y'all! With transfers this week, some big changes have occurred with Elder Sharp and I . Elder Sharp and I are still together, but we have lost the YSA branch to another pair of elders. We are very sad about that. Furthermore, we lose our car and will be on bikes now. Even more sad. But enough of the downheartening news! Elder Sharp and I now get to focus on the Frisco 3rd ward, we are on bikes- so plenty of excercise and cardio! And Elder Sharp has been made district leader!!! So that makes every single one of my companions district leader while I was their companion (Elders Findlay, Kowallis, and Sharp). 

There are plenty of changes around in the district too. Elder Garner has left and a new elder (I forgot his name) replacing him will get here Tuesday. Carl and Tim (both in the young single adult branch) are both sooooo close to being baptized. Carl even has his interview complete! All that is needed is to make a program and fill the font. And Tim (who was previously fence sitting) told us he wants to be baptized and we are coordinating that. Unfortunately (for us) they are both in the YSA branch so we turn them over to other elders.  

We have no investigators in the Frisco 3rd ward despite spending most of our time this past 6 weeks doing work for that area. Well, I guess it is time to find someone - or be blessed with a miracle referral. 

I discovered something called Museli.  It is oatmeal but has many delicious things like rice puffs, sunflower seeds, almond bits, cranberries, raisins, various chopped nuts and much more! I put it in a bowl with milk before I go to bed,  it sits overnight in the fridge and I eat it in the morning and thus it is quick, cheap AND delicious! So life is great, the work is great, and God is great!

Ta-ta,

-Elder Hunt

p.s. Madre thanks for sending the little gift bag with the Mullins.  It was great talking with them. Thank you for sending me the okonomyaki recipe and other recipes too! I am so surprised that I could live off of oatmeal, rice and beans and spaghetti for 6 months and only just now be getting tired of it. (I exaggerate by the way.)  

Windy, Wet Weather

January 13, 2014

Dear Family,

The missionary choir sounds like fun, I wish I got to do that here in the Texas Dallas Mission.  (Yesterday, we had the most amazing sacrament meeting.  The California Irvine mission has started a missionary choir and the 60 member choir came to our sacrament meeting and presented the most inspiring program through song and testimony.  One of the choir leaders was Elder Risk, an Elder who had served in our ward and had encouraged Graham in his missionary preparations.)  I remember Elder Risk, he is the missionary I look up to the most of all I have ever met, both before and during my mission.

Texan weather is nonsensical.  We went from very cold, humid sprinkling rain that made my hands get thick and hard to move  to humid, almost warmish drizzling rain like Hong Kong during the monsoon rainy season. (Yes, I do remember the way the monsoon rainy season felt from when we lived there.) Then we had beautiful, even cool tempatures with a light breeze and yesterday we had winds so strong you had to brace against them as you stood or walked. Now today, it is not quite as windy, not quite as rainy, not quite as cold, not quite as humid, not quite as wet- back to normal? What even is normal? I don't even know what normal weather is here in Texas in January! 

This month of January is the month I hit my six month mark!  It has come sooner than I expected.  The last month with Elder Sharp has especially flown by.  Time goes by much faster than it did back home...

Love ya,

Elder Hunt

P.S.  On my P-day, we often play disc golf!  This picture is from last week:

From left to right Elder Garner (Frisco 2&6) Alex (from the YSA branch) Elder Sharp (my jolly companion) Elder West (Frisco 2&6 with Elder Garner)

The Greatest Blessing on Earth

January 6, 2014

Dear Family,

I have recently realized just how blessed I am. I feel like I am disproportionately and unfairly blessed more than others. I have been trying to figure out why. One reason I think is because of you - my family. I owe my height, thinness (my curse has turned to blessing - 180 degree flip now that every missionary and their dog is trying to stop the inevitable girth expansion caused by the Texan diet), intelligence, love of the gospel, work ethic, frugality and ability to cope well with stress to my family.  

My  happiness and joy come from my knowledge of the gospel.   I have experience with how when the gospel is lived well it can make the home a refuge and place of safety in troubled times.  Our home has given me a glimpse into the Celestial kingdom (our home is like a Celestial embassy or consulate).

Elder Sharp and Elder Hunt

I have been blessed with open mindedness, good grades, college acceptance where I want to go, travel to far and exotic places, love of many different and diverse foods, and love of trying new food.  I am grateful for the many, many letters and packages, this last email and emails every week- consistency! 

I could keep going on and on and on and on and on until the file gets so big I can't send it all in one e-mail and I have to send this list over the course of 10 e-mails.  To me, family is the greatest blessing on earth, eternal life in heaven. All that I am I owe to y'all. I love you, each and every one of you. 

Elder Graham Hunt