January 31, 2011

Hi Mother,

So life out here is great. The snow is nothing with that big coat it is like walking with fur on like the animals, I don't feel a thing. We are smart about planning so we aren't outside when it is too cold. I'm glad that everyone is doing well at home that is funny Tyla and her friends throwing gummies on the ceiling. We always would throw them on the wall and we never were smart enough to get them stuck on the ceiling. And Mckay is a rockstar. He always seems to have a game winner every year. He is so awesome. Bryson should keep on working on grades.

Well today so far we went to the DMV so Elder Yim could take a permit test. He wants to get his drivers license here so I went and he failed. I felt so bad for him. He has been reading the book at night and lunch and dinner for like a month. Oh well he is awesome.

This week has been a really good week we have a new investigator that I am so excited about his name is Joel and he is from Israel. He is so cool and every lesson that we teach him is just amazing. He tells me lots of things about Israel and the history there. It has some quite interesting things there and now I want to go there and see all of the things there. Well that is my favorite thing that happened is that we are now teaching him. He has to work with his work schedule first before he can come to church but I think he is in tune enough with the spirit to get baptized.

We also had our first English class and only 3 people showed up, but it was still way fun we just talked about ourselves and I brought those pictures of our family that you sent and showed them. They thought it was amazing I had siblings because they are all from China and have the one child policy. We had a lot of fun and are expecting more people to come the next time we meet for English class.

This morning we went to the sports museum in the TD Garden it was cool. Elder Yim has been wanting to go since he has been here so we went and he loved it. He doesn't know how to play baseball or football so I have to explain to him the rules. Another funny thing that happened (well it was kinda funny for me) was that Elder Yim got sick. Well the reason that he got sick was because he was eating everything that I was eating and I ate like 6 or 7 meals that day and he couldn't move the next morning forever. Poor guy he is too small to eat like I do.

The snow here doesn't melt so there is like 3 feet everywhere and covering everything. It is crazy!! But the people here are nice and I am learning a lot of how to be the best missionary that I can be. Recently I have been studying about the Holy Ghost and answers to prayers, but I think you could share about Christ healing everyone in 3rd nephi 17 and apply it to how he can heal us of any pain not just physical pain if we repent and come unto him. Well that is just a thought. I find that when we teach with Christ as the center you can never go wrong.

We got some interesting news today that the Hartford Conneticuit mission is closing down in July and merging with our mission. I think that is crazy we will have a huge mission with a lot of things to do and places that I could go. I am excited to expand the mission but it is sad to see one close down. We have an apostle coming out here at the end of February and I also am very excited for that.

We saw a huge demonstration to free Eygpt or something. It was crazy like 3,000 maybe, I don't know exactly, but it was kinda scary. This email is kind of everywhere but I thought that I would just write real quick everything or at least some of the main things that happened this week that stood out to me while thinking back on it. Well thank you for everything that you do for me and I could never thank you enough your the greatest. Take care and I will write next week.

Much Love,

Elder Hunter

January 24, 2011

It is good to hear about everyone and it seems like they are all doing well. It is absolutely freezing here. I guess that today and yesterday were the coldest days they have had in years. It is 0 degrees with a wind chill making it feel like 25 below 0. or something we only hear the rumors on weather. There is a frostbite warning to not stay out too much today either. But the coat keeps me plenty warm and we are always walking so we stay warm enough.

This week was good we are still working like crazy but we only had one investigator at church. It is hard with all these foreign students because they are here for only one year and they are locked in labs from like 8 in the morning till 9 at night it seems like they want to make the most of their time in the labs studying. They make time to meet with us though which is good. We have so much to do and different things that I feel like I barely have time to think. I am learning how to be more organized though which is good. I definitely needed to learn that. Also we had interviews with President this week and they went really well. President is the nicest guy ever! He just is so humble and when you ask him a question he gives the best responses. It is a priviledge to meet him and serve with him.

Everyday though still I see miracles and think I am learning how to be a better missionary slowly but surely. It is funny because right as I feel like I am getting the hang of something out here I get a new companion or have to cover a different ward and I learn that I know nothing. But it is great how much courage I have to talk to people on the street now. I used to have some fear but now I try to talk to everyone. It is exhausting though trying to talk to everyone I really have to make sure to spiritually prep myself and sometimes I don't do the best. I know I could've but I try to improve everyday and have to repent a lot. I think that serving in Boston is the best place for me to serve where I can learn so much. Being in the city for 6 months is quite the challenge though because it takes so much effort and you always have to be on your toes to be ready to talk with the next person. I am trying to keep my enthusiasm up and make it grow rather than ever to let it die down.

One really really cool thing that happened this week was that Jessica was finally baptized! She was an investigator in my first ward that was investigating for 2 years. I forgot my camera but wanted to send a picture. It was great all baptisms are so awesome I love them all they are great spiritual experiences.

Well I am doing great and I think that if you sent banana bread that would be wonderful:) Or any of your cookies. But you don't have to send anything I don't need anything. Well I love you. Thanks for your love and support. Take care and talk to you soon.

Love

Elder Hunter

January 18, 2011

Hi Mother,

So I emailed last Thursday so it hasn't been too long but I feel like a lot has happened and I am going to try to tell you everything that happened. Well Elder Black was transferred to the LP1 Ward and moved just down the street and he covers the singles wards of everything south of the Charles River. So now Elder Yim and I have just the LP2 ward which is just Cambridge and everything north of the Charles so mostly just Harvard and MIT. I am glad that we are now just covering one ward. Having two wards was hard especially since they met at the same time for church. Especially for me because I feel like I know nothing about how to do missionary the best most effective way.

Only having one ward will be fun to try to experiment on some new things on how to really get the work moving and the members motivated. We have the best ward though they are all great people and great missionaries. This week was funny so Elder Yim and I stop every Chinese person on the street till Elder Yim can talk with them and get their phone number. This week we had 5 Chinese investigators at church and our ward just is all of their best friends and they love it. One of the guys at church was really cool. We had a dinner appointment with Eric the ward mission leader of Charles River ward and he thought maybe I was going to get transferred so he had us over for dinner. We ate there and then left kinda late. Right as we walked out of his apartment building we saw a guy and I kinda called after him to see if he wanted a card. I gave him a card and he was from Taiwan but had very good English. He then told us that he had about 8 of those cards and didn't know what to do with them. It was sweet! We ended up inviting him to church and giving him a Book of Mormon. He came to church and really liked what he saw and said that he wants to learn from us. It was a cool experience that if we make the little extra effort that we will be blessed and the Lord will provide.

Also we have another investigator that we are working with he is from Seattle and met Elder Koerper on the bus and he is such a nice guy we have taught him 3 times and set a baptismal date for him. He still needs to read and pray about the Book of Mormon but he is super cool. We were able to get him to a dinner appointment on Sunday night with us at a members so he could meet some people in our church and I think he really loved the atmosphere there.

Also we have 3 other lessons projected to non Chinese investigators this week of people that we met on the street. Hopefully they turn out well. It is amazing how a ward like LP2 could go from having nothing to having so much in such a little time. Elder Yim and I are just having a blast and are working as hard and as smart as we can. At the start of this transfer we set goals of obedience to help us with the work and so far we have been doing a pretty good job and seeing success. I have decided that this area has tons of people ready to receive the gospel we just have to be willing to show the Lord that he can trust us. I don't know if I have fully done that but it is what I am striving for.

We are also in the process of starting a class where we teach English. We talked with some of the Chinese investigators and they said that they would love to come to an English class where we just talk English and they can practice. The good thing is that they all live with other Chinese and they all will probably bring a friend with them. President said that I can learn Chinese so I have been studying on how to learn it. I can kind of share my testimony in Mandarin but pronunciation is so much different then English. Elder Yim just laughs at me when I practice. I hope that I can stay in this area my whole mission it is a lot fun.

The weather this week isn't looking so promising. It is snowy today and supposed to turn into an ice storm and tomorrow it is suppose to snow as well as on Friday and Saturday it should be like 17 at the high. The cold isn't too bad when we are talking to people so hopefully we can talk with lots of different people to keep us warm. Also a member from LP1 ward gave us a bunch of hand warmers it was so nice of him.

Two nights ago we had a fireside that brother Clayton Christensen talked at. He is so awesome, he talked about missionary work and how to do it when you aren't a missionary. He gave some simple things that he used on people and different ways to be successful as a member missionary. One thing that really struck me was that he said that people often separate work and church. Like it is two different languages. Then he said that the gospel of Jesus Christ will never tell you to not learn anything that is not true.

Well Thank you so much for everything that you do for me you are the best! Also I had dinner with a senior couple named the Excells they are from Ogden and are the employment specialists in the area and he coached at Ben Lomen high school in Ogden and is good friend with Coach Drury. He said that the team seems to be doing bad this year. It is sad that they aren't doing good, but I feel like you always learn the most when you aren't succeeding. Tell Bryson to keep working hard and not to give up but to just have fun at the same time. He is a stud. Well I hope that everything is going well you guys are in my prayers!

Love you tons.

Elder Hunter

January 13, 2011

Hi Mom,

Well, as you already know I am not getting transferred. I am so blessed to be able to stay in the city. Singles wards are hard but they also have a ton of potential. I think that I will figure this out better and have more success. I feel like I am slowly getting the hang of things and it is a lot of fun. This past week we had 4 investigators at church. . . all of them Chinese. It is funny because I always try to jump in front of any Asian people till Elder Yim is close enough to talk to them. They are all looking for religion. And since Elder Yim and I are together another transfer I am going to try to persuade president to let me focus on learning Chinese since we teach almost all Chinese. It will be really cool if I can. . . . if not I will still learn for as much as I can during my spare time and the Lord knows what is best. . so I'm not worried.

So the storm yesterday was crazy we had tons of snow like almost two feet. The snow here is super heavy and really wet. It is crazy like 4 inches on the power lines and the trees. There were broken branches everywhere. Today there are ice pieces falling from the trees everytime the wind blows it is really crazy.

We haven't had too much done lately cause we were stuck in the house yesterday and just left in the morning to the apple store for a second because we didn't receive the text that we couldn't leave yet. We had a huge snow ball fight and that was so much fun. Except poor Elder Yim kept getting hit by Elder Koerper I felt so bad for him. I think that I won't be in a trio anymore at least I hope not it has been so much work and patience. I learned a ton from it but don't want to do it again. It will be a lot easier to keep the apartment clean with only 4 of us and not 5.

Well with new transfer starting we have set some good goals dealing with obedience. It will be good for us. Mostly just the daily schedule like going to bed on time and being ready for studies. I have realized how important having studies are especially for missionaries in the city. All day long everyday we are surrounded by temptation and the world and when you have had a good study you feel more ready and optimistic to take it head on and do your best but when you don't have good studies then it isn't so good.

It is good to hear that everyone is staying so busy. The more you have to do the better I think. And it is cool to hear Mckay's team is tearing it up. And as long as Tyla s team works hard and does their best everything there should be good and it is all worth it. As for Bryson tell him to keep playing in JV and to have fun. To go and play with a smile on his face and enjoy the moment for they don't usually last very long.

Also this morning I read Elder Hollands talk on gratitude from the past general conference. I think that one is my favorite talk in conference just because of how Elder Holland talks with so much passion and authority. He talks about how his dad and mom paid for his mission and that his mom took a job outside of the house while he was gone and she had never worked outside of the house her whole life. She did this so he could go on a mission. It made me think of you and dad and how much you guys have done for me my whole life. You guys have always been there to give me whatever I needed or wanted, so I wanted to say thanks for everything. Well I love you a ton Mom .

Take care and be safe.

Love Elder Hunter

Januarty 12, 2011

HI mom! I just thought I'd send another quick email. I didn't get transferred which is good. I love the city and things are starting to get going. Elder Black is getting transferred so I don't know if I am going to be in a trio anymore (hopefully not). Also it is snowing like crazy outside like 1 and 1/2 feet and more is falling it is supposed to snow till tomorrow morning. I will probably write more tomorrow if not I will for sure on monday.

Love you tons take care. Elder Hunter

January 3, 2011

Hi Mom:)

Well that is great that everyone is working hard and still staying busy. You are getting crazier and crazier now that I am gone. I think I was the one who kept you and dad sane. (haha just playing). Well I will admit that this week was the hardest week of my mission. I have been feeling sick lately and have a huge headache every day I think I am getting a cold then I was getting up at six to work out and that wasn't helping too much either. So I decided to go to bed early this whole week like around 10 or 1030 and get up at 630 to work out. It helped some and I have been eating a lot of oranges to try to boost my vitamin C. Today i feel better which is good and a great start to the week.

The more I look at it, sports doesn't mean anything it just teaches lots of life skills and how to deal with them. Tell Mckay and Bryson to hit the books hard that is where you can accomplish the most. That is what I am learning out here with all the smart MIT and Harvard students. Also I told Tyrell I would write him a letter. I will send it to him probably this week or next. Hopefully this week. He wanted me to send him a letter when I was out for a while and let him know how it is and how hard it is and what not.

So this week is the 4 week of the transfer and I won't email till next Wednesday. It is crazy at how fast the transfers are going by. I love my two companions but I really am hoping that I only have one next transfer. It is so hard having 3 different opinions on everything I have really learned how to humble myself and realize that my opinion is not always right and that I don't always get everything my way. We are working hard and I have been doing my best to serve my companions as much and as often as I can. It is hard sometimes when I don't feel like I am getting anything in return but I realize that service shouldn't expect a thanks or anything in return. It was a lot of fun on New Years. Elder Yim and I made dinner for the whole apartment. We got some chicken legs from service that I cooked then Elder Yim made rice and deviled eggs. It was cool to eat. I am a pretty good cook I think, but I am working on eating healthier and limiting the oil and meat that I consume.

Well I have so many things to tell you that happened it is crazy. One new thing that I have started doing is that every night I write down a miracle that happened during the day it is a pretty good habit and a super eye opener to how much we are blessed by Heavenly Father. I will share some of the miracles that happened this week. First was Anatoly who was just baptized we hadn't heard from him since his baptism which was 2 weeks and he wasn't at church but we received a call from him saying he was in New York and that he found the church there and went there and that was just a small miracle of something that I had been praying for.

Another thing that happened was so cool. There was this guy I met on the street it was like a 30 second contact where he said he wanted to come to church and what not. I got his number and he couldn't make it to church and I have so many numbers in my planner I sometimes lose track of people or kind of give up. I had called him the night before and he didn't answer. Then it was Sunday and I went on splits to the Charles River Ward my first ward and it was a last minute emergency type thing for splits and as I went to the bus stop I ran into this guy. He was super cool and remembered me and was telling me about how he had a rough life and was trying to change he was going out of town and said he would come to church next week. It was another small miracle.

The last one I will write about happened on Thursday it was a super hard day and I was dead by night we were traveling home from a dinner appointment and I was just talking to Elder Black on the subway how we could do better with the ward. Then this lady came up to us and asked for a Book of Mormon. She said she went to the opening of the temple and that it was beautiful and she wanted to figure things out for herself. Nobody has ever approached me on my mission for something like that. Then that same night I ran into a guy that I had talked to like 3 or 4 times. He was from Germany and only here for 3 months for a research team. He was super cool and nice but had no interest in the church the first few times I ran into him. He wouldn't even take a card. Well he was on the subway too so I talked with him for a while and asked how things were going he said he was going back to Germany in a couple days and was excited. He then started asking about missionary work and what we do and what not. I considered him my friend by then and talked with him then at the end I was prompted by the spirit to give him a Book of Mormon. I was able to share my testimony with him and how the book has helped me in my life so much. He gladly took it and said that he would read it.

There are so many miracles that are hard to see if we are thinking about ourselves all the time. Miracles happen everyday. I don't have enough faith to expect them like I should, but I am working on it. It is a lot of fun seeing the reality of the church and the gospel. We can all just get our priorities straight then the world will be a way better place. Also so for you too read the Book of Mormon by June, all you need to read is 1 chapter a day and 2 chapters on the short ones. We read it in 6 months as a mission with one chapter a day and it is cool being constantly reminded of the faith building stories and doctrine contained in the Book of Mormon.

Well I love you so much mom and the rest of the family. I have received lots of Christmas cards recently and it has been really nice to hear from people family and friends. I have been blessed to have such amazing people in my life. I will write them all back soon hopefully I am behind on letters like 10 and wont have much time today. :-/

Thanks for everything we have been blessed this week with weather in the 40-50s haha it is very nice :) I don't need anything.

Love Elder Hunter

December 28, 2010

Hello Family,

Well I talked to you recently and I don't have too much to say Sunday and yesterday it was snowing like crazy and we were red dotted and weren't supposed to leave the house. We got like 18 inches of snow and today it is sunny and like 35 degrees so it isn't bad anymore. It is pretty fun I love the snow. Also we had dinner on Christmas night with a family from a different ward in our stake since we have like 4 people total in our wards home right now because they are all students. The family was super cool. It was some really good food and they were so nice and wonderful people. Lately we are just trying like crazy to find people that are interested in the gospel I think that is what I am going to do a lot of for the next two years haha. But I meet so many cool people that it is fun now and just natural for me to try to talk with everyone.

I am trying to listen to promptings of the spirit lately and it is hard to figure out if it is just me or the spirit. I know that if i am trying my hardest and having fun and being obedient then everything will be fine and I will be lead. Also I have realized that I judge people too much before I really know them and I am working super hard at fixing it. I didn't realize how much I did it. The mission is great and I am learning so much so fast Well I hope you have a fantastic new years with lots of fun. I love you guys and really enjoyed talking to everyone they all seem like they are doing so great.

Also I have started to wake up at 6 to work out harder I am pretty sure I want to walk on somewhere when I get home I don't know where yet though.

Also grandma sent me some chocolates and money for Christmas. I am going to write a letter to her soon but tell her that I got it and thank you if you get a chance to talk to her.

Well I love you ,

Elder Hunter

December 27, 2010

Short e-mail about the weather in Boston.


There is a blizzard outside and the library is closed so I am in the apple store just dropping a line to you and hopefully we will be able to email tomorrow there is like 17 inches of snow and it is still coming down it is crazy just tons of snow and wind it is freezing. Well love you and will tell you more tomorrow I loved talking to you guys for Christmas.

Love Elder Hunter