9/11 Remembered

(This has been a difficult post for me to write.  My brother Andrew was killed in the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001.  He was in the first airplane highjacked and exploded into the World Trade Towers.  I think of my dear brother Andrew and all the years that we have lost with him with great sadness.  Through the years, my faith has been my anchor and my comfort and has given me strength beyond my own to help me through the grief and pain.  I am so grateful that my son carries this same faith in his heart because I know it will sustain and strengthen him in his journey through life.)

September 11, 2013

My Dear Mother,

Today is the anniversary of Uncle Andrew's passing and I thought I would lift your spirits with a letter, although doubtless this letter will not reach you the same day.  Today we went to the Fort Worth Mission to meet with Elder Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  The meeting was good and I know that he stands as a special witness of Christ and his atonement.

I admire you and Grandma Pat for forgiving those who killed Uncle Andrew.  I imagine if I had to forgive someone for killing Brandon, it would be the hardest thing of my life.  I pray that never happens.  I give you my testimony that through the atonement and Heavenly Father's plan of salvation, we will be united and gathered as a family in the Celestial kingdom of God.  Although there is temporary separation in this life, Christ's victory over death in Gethsemane trumps all.  How great is his victory!  I thank God for the peace of mind and spirit given by that joyous news!  I love you Madre!

                                                 - Elder Hunt

Liquorice Allsorts

September 9, 2013

My loving family -

I just received your "Gold" package and am writing this letter while enjoying liquorice allsorts.

I am so thankful you think of my companions as well.  Please send them something as well as I in each of these fun boxes.  Brandon, thank you for the artwork.  I have it hanging on the wall above my bed at my feet so I can see it when I go to bed at night.  My dear family, you have been so good to me.

Good news!  I have found my scripture for my missionary plaque. It is 3 Nephi 27:16:

"And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world."  

There it is.  Christ's own words plainly telling the simplicity of returning to live with God.  (Each of the missionaries from our congregation has a wooden plaque that hangs next to the Bishop's office.  This plaque has their picture, their favorite missionary scripture, and a map of their mission.)  

I am doing well.  There is a young man who we are teaching.  He is very sincere and he is a great kid.  The work is going slow but sure and I love it!  I love y'all and hope you are all doing quite well.

                                                                  - Elder Hunt

Texas Toast

September 2, 2013

My mission is going well albeit slow.  I am in the richest area of all of my mission and all of Texas, too.  The area has its drawbacks and benefits because of this.  Most of our area is untractable as we get thrown out by security guards.  But, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.  We have an amazing ward which is very missionary minded.  They feed us often.  Oh, man, I have had some goood food here in Texas.  I know I'll gain weight down here.  Although it is hard to effectively contact/tract here the Lord still blesses us and guides us to the right people.

Texas is toasty!  (Graham has been biking around in 100 degree plus heat and humidity for most of August!) It is so Texas toasty that Elder Findlay and I have our apartment at 80 degrees fahrenheit and it feels cold.  At 90 degrees fahrenheit it feels cool and at 100 degrees it feels comfortably warm.

I love the mission, it is awesome!
- Elder Hunt

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

August 24, 2013

Hey Y'all!

Your young 18 year old missionary is doing well!  Fun Fact:  The man who wrote "I Hope They Call Me On A Mission" is in our ward.  It is funny I should meet him right as I begin my mission!

Today Elder Findlay has done some figuring and figured that today (8/24) is my one month day!  Since I have been out a month I figured I'd write to y'all.  I was doing some thinking myself and have determined that when I get home in 23 months the first thing I want to do is go with y'all to the beach and drink Bundaberg while watching the waves and the sunset.  I will prepare a spiritual thought to share.

This thought will be a culmination of all I have learned and experienced on my mission.  I don't know exactly what it will be yet, but after two years of learning and service for the kingdom of God, there WILL be something profound I will desire to share with you, my eternal family.

                                                    -Elder Hunt

Note:  Graham refers to watching the sunset and waves while drinking Bundaberg.  Bundaberg ginger beer is a family favorite soft drink from Australia.  The Bundaberg company is located in Graham's grandma's hometown in Australia.

What Is Love Anyway?

August 15, 2013

The mission is going well.  Today we had a special once-a-year Texas Dallas Mission Olympics!  Elder Findlay and I got the silver medal in the referral event.  YAY!!  So I'm sending the medal home for fun and a memento for you, family.

Madre, I love you.  It is because of your love and guidance to me that I can do the same for others.  Thank you for your loving, thoughtful and imaginative gifts and notes.

Fadre, I love you.  I know with a surety that you love me.  It is not just because you daily looked me in the eyes and said, "Graham, do you know I love you?"  "Yes, Dad," I would reply.  But now I better understand love.  When you have love for a person, you serve them, you make personal sacrifices for the other person's benefit.

One example of pure love is Jesus' atonement, which I am working to truly understand.  Another is your sacrifice to allow me to come on a mission.  You and Madre had me work hard in school so I wasn't able to raise a large enough sum of money to serve a mission.  Rather, you saved since I was a child, forgoing nice cars, a bigger home, better TVs all so that I might serve the Lord on a mission.  So when I wake up in the morning and think, "Ugh, I'm tired," I remember that I'm not the only one who's sacrificing for Elder Hunt's mission.  Thank you for that.

Brandon, my brother I love you.  You may not believe me but you are the one I miss the most.  This is true.  I am looking at the picture of our family.  I look at it daily down here in Dallas.  With me gone, you have to give twice as much love to Madre and Fadre.  But love is not just about hugs and verbal proclamations.  It is about reaching outward to others and fulfilling their needs as much as your own.  When Fadre comes in after a hard day at work and bishop duties, go greet him.  Do the dishes for Madre, unasked and uninvited.  Make these things not chores but expressions of love through service.

Your brother and son forever,
Elder Hunt

Howdy

August 12, 2013

Nobody has said howdy to me yet, but y'all is quite common.  I am in Plano, Texas!  I am in the wealthiest area of the entire mission in the entire state of Texas.  Most of our area consists of wealthy neighborhoods and nice apartments.  Sports cars and huge trucks are common.  There is a Ferrari, Audi, Lamborghini, and a couple BMW dealerships in the area.

Did I mention that I don't even get a car?  Elder Findlay and I ride bikes in the 90+ degree heat plus humidity every day!  Cars aren't the only expensive things around, most of the area Elder Findlay and I cover is high-end apartments and neighborhoods.  They say everything is bigger in Texas, and it is not a joke!  By the standards of Plano, our home in California is tiny!

I've seen incredibly gargantuan mansions in some neighborhoods, and with the heat and humidity of this area, the AC bill alone would kill most people's finances.  Air conditioning alone!  To appreciate the size of some of these mansions, take our church building, place a second one on top of it, then double the size of it all and put it on a yard the size of a football field -- I'M NOT EXAGGERATING HERE!  That is the size of an average mansion -- they get bigger than that.

Being in such a wealthy area does have it's difficulties, however.  Most of our area is not tractable; we cannot go around the wealthy neighborhoods door to door or else we get thrown out by security guards.  The same goes for the apartment complexes.  This leaves us with very few places to contact people.  Thus, the area I am in has the extremes of being the wealthiest area of the mission and on top of that the hardest area in the ENTIRE mission!!  Which is awesome!

Thankfully my trainer, Elder Findlay, is a great person.  He is optimistic, we get along very well together, and we have the best conversations - whether it be duck hunting or deep gospel doctrine, we always strike up engaging conversations.  Our ward is great, and the food they feed us is just as the legends describe.  I promise I'll be coming back much heavier and filled out than when I left.

We met a new investigator a couple of days ago.  Tracking out investigators is unheard of in Plano so we have truly been blessed to have found him.

I love you all.
Elder Hunt

Letter from President Durrant of the Texas Dallas Mission

August 12, 2013

Dear Brother and Sister Hunt,

We are grateful to have your son, Elder Graham Hunt, serving with us in the Texas Dallas Mission.  He arrived safely, and I have enjoyed interviewing him.  His companion is Elder Findlay.  We have given him a strong trainer to help him get off to a good start.  He seems happy and eager to do the work of the Lord.  We will meet with him regularly.

Our mission covers the northeast part of the State of Texas.  It takes in a little portion of Oklahoma and goes east to the Louisiana border.  Nearly three fourths of our missionaries are in the "Metroplex" of Dallas, serving a population of almost four million people.  The life of a missionary is not always easy, but it will be a growing experience for him, one that will set him on a firm foundation and help him gain habits that will serve him well for life.

We extend our love to you and thank you for sending your son into the mission field.  We unite our prayers with yours for the well-being, success, and happiness of your son as he serves the Lord in this great work.

Sincerely,

Devin G. Durrant
Texas Dallas Mission