"He is the Gift"

December 30, 2014

It was great to talk to y'all Christmas day!  It was an event which has come sooner than I thought. Thank you for the Christmas gifts- they were delightfully.. different.  Elder Witkowski is convinced that Japan is odd. 

Thank you for the camera.  I am trying this Wi-Fi magic out as I type. I sent a photo to your e-mail of Elder Witkowski in front of Henderson's big water tower (every city in East Texas has one, all with the city or town name on it!) 

Henderson took a dive with the temperatures about 38-45 deg during the day with almost constant precipitation of some sort or another. It seems to be warming up today though it is still cold and cloudy. Life is great. 

This past week Elder Witkowski and I were tracting, sharing the "He is the Gift" video and message. We met a young man, Kyllar, with whom we shared the message. He liked it so much he wanted to go door to door with us! Elder Witkowski and I, not quite sure what to do or say in that situation, decided we should be ok if he came with us for a short time. This turned out to be a blessing as Kyllar volunteered the use of his phone for showing the video. We were able to share the video with so many more people because of that! Then set return appointments with anyone who accepted.  We also helped two neighbor families rake up the leaves on their lawn. While he is out of town at the moment, we will be meeting again with Kyllar too. 

Love,

-Elder hunt

Blessings of the Sacrament

December 23, 2014

Dear Family,

My heart is a bit heavy- we just got back from teaching a friend of a ward members. I don't claim to know everything but I feel she knows the restoration is true, that God desires for her to join His church, yet she does not. Each week we partake of the sacrament, a renewal of the covenant of baptism. If we allow, this ordinance from our Savior performed each week prevents us from procrastinating the day of our repentance. But unless we really do as the prayer spoke at the altar directs, it is a missed opportunity to take another step towards perfection.

Can't wait to see y'all and hear from y'all and speak to y'all-- I shall call in the afternoon and then we can arrange video-conferencing-technology-amazing-rejoicingness!

Love you so much,

See you very soon!

-Elder Hunt 

Thankful!

December 16, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

Tomorrow we make the long haul to Dallas.  There I will meet my new companion and return to Hendy.  We will also be having the whole mission there!!!  There will be trainings and meetings so the day will be long. 

This past week has been great.  Elder Clark is a bit apprehensive about going home but I think he will do just fine. Anytime I am a missionary's last companion it helps me keep perspective and reminds me just how short a mission is. To say time has flown by is a lie, it has disintegrated before me. 

Good news- we found some new people to teach last Monday at the evening. We have not been able to meet with them again since, nonetheless, we feel there is potential. With the on-coming of Christmas, I am so thankful for the wonderful childhood and youth I spent with you. Thank you for teaching me and living the Gospel!

-Elder Hunt

Face to Face

December 9,  2014

Dear Family,

Pretty soon we will be able to talk face-to-face on Skype!!!!! Ahahahahahahh!!! 

*and there was much celebration*

Elder Clark is leaving for home next week and so I will be making all the Christmas plans and finding computers to Skype from. Because of this, I can arrange to call you at what ever time you would like! You said later would be better. I want to call y'all at the time that is best, most convenient, funnest, cherry-on-top part of the day. 

Since you mentioned calling at 3:00pm in Dallas translated to 6:00am Tokyo, I will plan on making the call at that time. However----- Please PLEASE let me know the bestest, bestest, bestest, [bestest isn't a word] bestest time for y'all!! 

I have to say- just now I was thinking that it feels as if it were two seconds ago we were chatting on Mother's Day.  My mission has not felt long, rather it has passed thus far like a dream. 

Just think- halfway around the world from one another and we will be able to see each other's faces and hear each other's voices! Truly we are so blessed by God to have inspired these technologies.  Truly the communication methods and technologies are of God for the furthering of his purposes. 

We have been proselyting this past week, directing people to look into the "He is the Gift" video in addition to what we normally do. This is a great initiative and direction from higher up in the church and I love it!

Something I have come to love about the restored gospel is simplicity. People here in the bible belt throw around terms such as "born again", "chains of hell" (really just "heaven" and "hell" in general), "judgment" or "judgment day" and so many others. As I have studied the Book of Mormon, I have found these terms plainly and simply explained- so that a child might understand. I love it! 

Talk to you soon!  See you face to face, too!

-Elder Hunt

He is the Gift

December 2, 2014

Hello,

Yesterday Elder Clark and I gave talks in sacrament meeting. Elder Clark spoke on Ammon, his motivations for serving and the service he rendered, and I spoke on the subject of "if ye are in the service of your fellow man ye are only in the service of your God." We both were a bit anxious on how we would do but are both very pleased with the addresses we gave. 

Thanksgiving was good.  We ate at the Georges with the Gages and the Hillmans joining us as well as even more people I couldn't quite all keep straight. (For Elder Clark and I, it was the first time really meeting some of these people.)  We are very blessed as missionaries because we had a few families ask if we had a place to eat and even the day of Thanksgiving we received two calls asking if we had been invited to a Thanksgiving meal. 

Life is great.  I'm still improving and having to improve especially in gratitude. Really gratitude is what defines our happiness. Bad things or great things can be going on, yet reagardless of it all our attitude will determine our joy. 

I thank God for the gift of His Son 2014ish years ago.  Especially I am grateful for the message that "He is the Gift."  There is a new video clip sharing the message that the first gift of Christmas was and is Jesus Christ Himself!  Y'all might already have heard about it.  If you want, you can see it on  Christmas.mormon.org or #sharethegift can get you to it.  Make sure you watch the video!!! It's awesome!!!!!

Love Y'all!

-Elder Hunt