Email from June 16

I've already had a month done of my mission!! That's so crazy! Only like 23 more fast sundays to go and then I'm home! Also, i can't believe i only have 7 days left here en el CCM. It's almost like I need more time because of my spanish.

So much has happened since i last emailed yall. For instance, we had missionaries already leave. Elders from the Districts of Job and Isaiah. I really like them a lot. Especially like Elders Saunders, Webb, Trone. Also, new missionaries have come in! It's so fun to see their faces and remember when i used to feel like them. But a friend of mine from BYU got here, Hermana Jennifer Bodine. She brought me some pictures of our year at BYU, some pictures just off of Facebook. She's serving in the Teguccigalpa, Honduras mission.

We also had P-day. The pday that we go to Wal-mart. Before walmart, we went to a chapel for like 2 hours to play. We played ultimate frisbee. 2 weekers vs 4 weekers. they (the 2 weekers) outnumbered us like 50-25. It was crazy, but so fun. then we went to walmart. we had 40 minutes. I got some good stuff that i needed (like a nerf gun, tide to go, and some other things) but they didn't have vital things! Como lint rollers! Shoe laces! American stamps! Zebra pens (F-301 series). I need ink inserts for those. and i need new tennis shoes. I'll just buy some here. The ones i have are literally falling apart because our Deportes area is a big concrete slab and is tearing up my shoes. I wrapped the toe of my right shoe with duct tape. Then we were supposed to have lunch at a food court in a mall. We thought we were in the food court mall area, but we hadn't quite made it that far. It showed me how bad my conversational spanish is. When ordering I said, ¡Puedo obtener yada yada yada (whatever the food was)? meaning, "Can i obtain yada yada yada?" It was so fun though to be out in the real world.

Anyway, we've gotten kicked out of our classroom en el CCM because they are doing major construction. So our class is at the church. It's so nice to leave the gates several times a day.

Also, i get to do personal study outside. I've gotten some good sun over these past couple days! I'm starting to get darker and darker like a Latino. woo!

My teacher, whenever he hears us using spanish (I think Elder Santiago meant using english...because wouldn't using spanish be a good thing?). Tells us to do 10 despechados (pushups). So, i've done quite a few pushups here! hahah, but i like it. Speaking of working out, i workout with guys after deportes. We do this things called ABB Club, for our Abs. It's a really good workout and i'm the leader of it all. But last night, we got busted by a supervisor for being too loud, since we were laughing a lot and stuff.

Also, the other night, at deportes, i got in trouble. we have a volleyball net here that is relatively low, not incredibly low, but quite low. and i like to swing hard. an Hermano pulled me aside and asked me to stop hitting the ball hard because there are hermanas and he doesn't want anybody getting hurt. what the heck?!?! But i disregard that and swing hard now :)

This goes to everybody: Kneel beside your bed. I've found great power in prayers as i kneel down instead of just laying in bed and saying them. You're showing humility to our Father in Heaven, your demonstrating your supplication to the will of the Father. Then just pour out your heart to your Father. I find this easier to do before hitting the sheets. Sometimes i just stay there and kneel with pauses in my prayers. My night prayers now and never under 10 minutes, i have so much to say to my Heavenly Father. If anybody is feeling like they aren't being heard by God, do what i do. Give a prayer of solo thanks to Heavenly Father for todas cosas. Then, before ending, bear your testimony to Him. I always feel the Spirit so strong when i do that, and i know that if you do it, you will to. The power of prayer is real and is literally direct communication with Heavenly Father.

Today, thursday, my district is doing a fast from English. I've been doing so well! I definitely see the Lord's hand in my life always. It's so great and I'm so blessed.

In church this past Sunday, i had to speak AGAIN!!! Because we switched branches this week, they had no idea who had already spoke, so of course i was called again. I think it's totally random. But my talk was a lot better this time than it was the first week i was here, that's for sure. And also, it's a good thing i prepared a little bit.

So i've been playing quite a bit of hacky sack during my free time. And i've already busted my shin while doing it. I'm going to get so good eventually!!

People are crazy about their tie traditions here. There's this thing called "Tie of the Chosen". It's where a guy obtains a tie from someone that's about to leave. It's super ugly, but i think it looks pretty cool. If you've been in possession of the tie, you sign the back with a sharpie. The tie I have has about 20 names on it. That means it's been here for quite a while. The tie is not allowed to leave el CCM. Also, I've started a tie tradition. I have that really cool tie that kind of changes between blue and red. It is THE coveted tie among everyone here. I'm going to only wear that tie on the 15th of every month. So then it won't get beat up and it will be less likely to get stolen.

DearElders are great!! And they work out in the field! The more of those that are sent, the happier I am. Also, written letters are sweet! I want to start doing handwritten letters, but i have no American Stamps.

I leave in just a few days!! I'm about to be in the field doing real missionary work!! That's so exciting to think about.

We had a devotional Tuesday night. It was a Zone Conference (meaning all the CCM) and Elder Duncan was there. We sang "Come Thou Fount" and it was so sweet! Even Latinos were like, that song was so good. We asked if they know what we said. They said, not a single word, but it was beautiful and i felt the power of the words. I love music!!

In my district, i've gained the rep of being a scriptorian! Which is kind of cool, whenever people want to find a scripture, they ask me where it is and i help them find it. I really do impress them and it's awesome. A few of my favorite scriptures recently are DyC 6 and 93, Alma 38, 2 Nefi 4, Mormon 9, DyC 101:16/Salmos 46:10. Read those. Pray about them (on your knees). I promise the Lord will testify to yall of the truths of these things.

Sometimes, i try to pray in English to say specific things clearly, and I can't. I automatically revert to Spanish. That's such a good problem to have!

Remember, Remember, PRAY ON YOUR KNEES!!

I love you guys so much, and i thank God everyday for yall. ¡La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias es verdadera! ¡Jesucristo vive!

I love you guys, and i pray for yall often!
--Elder Hunt

Email from June 9

We didn't really tour the town, we just kind of drove to the market. and got to look at town as we drove there. Market was crazy, but i loved it. i love different cultures! 

We've had crazy rain here. it surely is the rainy season. the mornings are so beautiful then, next thing you know, right after lunch it just rains. until about two days ago, it would rain and lightning, but no thunder would happen. then like two days ago, the loudest thunder ever cracked. it was awesome!! now it lightnings and thunders whenever it rains. i like it.

Tell your young women to never be embarrassed or scared or nervous to ask a Priesthood holder for a blessing. The power of the priesthood is real, and i testify of that. it has a healing power in it that is manifested through the faith of the recipient and the Priesthood holder. I haven't asked for any yet because i haven't been sick. and i'm not one to ask for one anyway, but like the last night before we leave, we will all be getting blessings. That's going to be such a cool experience. Whenever someone does give a blessing, the Spirit just floods into the room and testifies of truth. 

Also, in church, i got to pass the sacrament to the congregation with 3 other guys. it was really cool. seeing how different people serve the sacrament. the latinos to the nortes to different parts of America. but everybody got the pan y agua, so esta bien. Tomorrow (tuesday) we go to Wal-Mart. We also get to go to a chapel and play sports for like 2 hours. and we get to go to the mall and eat at the food court. I'm excited to be liberated from behind these bars!! 

I apologize for my email-day being so inconsistent. i think that it's only en el CCM because of the new missionaries coming in this wednesday, email day is monday. it's crazy and hard to keep track of. 

Only two more weeks en el CCM. These past two weeks have literally flown by. I can't even believe it. I feel like the new missionaries just got here like 2 days ago. And i'm sad to see some of the elders leaving tomorrow to go. I've become pretty good buds with a couple of them, which is really neat. 

Anyway, i have become really good friends with an Elder Saunders. This country guy from Morgan, Utah. He told me to write his female cousin, so of course, i did. It was kind of weird seeing as how i've never met her. but i have seen one picture of her, so it's ok. It was a handwritten letter that he helped me construct. He also wrote her a letter to her talking about me. like things i wouldn't say, mainly physical features because i don't want to seem like the kinda guy that just talks about myself. It's going to be really interesting to see if she writes me or anything. haha. I'm kind of excited because i may be getting a pen pal! 

So, i indirectly got in trouble. but that's ok. everynight before bed, after prayer with the whole room, i go to the window and say "¡buenos noches, mundo!" Three nights ago, i said it. then like 4 different rooms responded to me. It was awesome. Two nights ago, i said it, and an hermana in my district yelled, ¡Buenos noches, Samuel! (the name of my district). So we got scolded yesterday and were told not to say that anymore out the window. But i did it again last night because it's a tradition of Room 222! and i will keep the tradition alive. and they can't really catch because i do it first so they aren't suspecting it. Now, just nobody replies because we don't want to get busted. It's super fun, i think. 

we've been playing volleyball. i'm going to sum up my favorite volleyball experiences in just this one paragraph. Around the basketball courts and vball net are fences that are like 25-30 feet tall. I went up once and just crushed the ball. nobody really moved, unless it was to try to get out of the way. it bounced off of someone's foot (without them kicking it) and hit the top of the fence. we almost lost the ball forever. it was incredible. i felt so good, haha. Another time, i went up to swing and it nailed another Elder right in the gut, but he was fine. The very next time the ball came over, my friend set me. I drilled that ball and it nailed an hermana right in the back of the head. i felt really bad, but also good since it was an awesome swing. The next day, she commented that her head hurt when touched...sighh... it was still cool. And the third time, happened just saturday night. I went up and swung, and it was on it's way out but someone touched it. yay, free point. then the very next swing, i aimed at this Elder that i'm buds with. And i swung pretty good. He literally jumped out of the way. and the ball landed right where he was. It was so funny. I was dying laughing and i make sure to bring it up all the time. 

My district wants to do a special musical number the devocional before we leave. we're going to sing Come Thou Fount. We've been practicing and it's been awesome! that song brings the spirit always. Also, we sing the words to Oh Mi Padre (Oh My Father) to the music of Come Thou Fount and it works so beautifully. so we might mix those two together, but we're not sure. two Hermanas in my district have such great voices, it's amazing. the other hermana has a good voice too, but she's just really quiet. I love music, songs definitely are prayers of the heart, as it says in DyC 25. 

I love getting letters and emails from people.I've been praying for all you guys all the time. Prayer is my best friend these day. That and the scriptures. 

Speaking of the scriptures, i've been reading every day from the Libro de Mormon. I feel like the scritpures are so much more beautiful en Español. It's wonderful. the word choices and such. I love it. It's like one of my favorite things. 

Anyway, time here sure is flying by. i'm no where near ready for the field, at least my Español. But it has progressed much more than i thought it would. It's been a miracle. I know it is. The Lord has his hand in my life everyday. I'm starting to recognize it more and more.

Anyway, the days here en el CCM all kind of flow together. but i'll try to keep you updated.  

Also, something that has been on my mind a lot: John 14. Talks about the First and Second comforters. Especially 14:18 or 19 that says "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you". Relating that to the Atonement. While in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ was completely alone. His Father withdrew from him. He knows what it's like to be comfortless. He never wants us to feel that way. He WILL come to us. I testify to you, as a Representative of Jesus Christ, that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. And in it there is a cleansing power that is magnificent and an enabling power that is uncomprehendable. I will be eternally indebted to mi Salvador, Retentor, y Amigo Jesucristo.  

I love you guys so much. i thank Dios for yall all the time, for your examples and your love for me. I pray for yall always and love to hear from yall.  

Elder Hunt

Email from May 27

PAST THE HALWAY POINT OF THE CCM!! crazy to think it's already been three weeks of this. time doesnt even exist here so it's crazy. i'm excited to get out of the CCM though, because then it'll be nice to walk around and get fresh air to clear my mind. 

We have this thing called CRE here (pronounced cray). it's where we go and teach less actives or innactives. we get a profile before we teach so we can prepare a spanish lesson for them. we were told that our person didnt go to church because like 2 years ago they got in an argument with someone. when we asked ¿por que no asiste la iglesia? they're response? because of work. Welp, there went my lesson plan! but, because of another tender mercy of the Lord, i was able to understand everything the guy said. and i was able to clearly convince him to talk to his boss and attend church. it was amazing! we conversed in straight up espanol and i knew what was going on!! my companion felt useless afterwards because he didn't know what they were saying. He's from Cali. 

Since the last time i emailed you, we had missionaries ship out and new ones come in. the night before all the missionaries left, we gathered in the hall at like 10:30 and BELTED Ye Elders of Israel in espanol. Everyone was just screaming all the words. so powerful. so moving, so strong and amazing. i do love missionaries, especially when they all gather and sing songs like that. my new roommates are pretty cool. i don't see them much at all because of the very different schedules that we have. the Latinos in my room are funny guys. it's a hoot trying to talk spanish to them because it's so hard!! 

we went to market last week for P-Day. it was awesome, i actually felt like i was in a third world country. but i bought a hacky sack, a t'shirt, and sweet pj's. i'm going to get so good at hacky sack by the time i get back, i'm determined!! remember, i'm coming home a Latino. 

me and fellow missionaries have started this thing called wall-talk. where we just line the walls facing each other and converse. from like 9:30-10:15. It's awesome. we talk about anything and everything. there's this guy named Elder Saunders that i'm pretty good buddies with. he's a big 6 foot 3 inch guy about 230 or so, former football player. he's country. so we were talking about country music (i miss it so much!!) and we discussed how America is better than any other country. We love America round here! 

Everybody here is asking me how i got so ripped. they all want to know my workouts and stuff. a couple guys asked me for my diet. other guys want me to work out with them all the time. It's awesome. 

Like 2 weeks until my birthday!! This is crazy, i don't feel like it even matters here in the CCM. everyday is a fiesta!! sike, it's like prison. with the Spirit everywhere. 

Tell people to email/dearelder/handwrite me letters. as long as letters say Elder Harold Hunt, they should get to me. I love handwritten and dearelder because those are things i can keep with me and read whenever i want to. 

Anyway, things are great here. i love my district and my companion is awesome. my spanish is a miracle, and that's no exaggeration. the Lord is aware of everyone's situation and i am so blessed by that. When you feel alone, read John 14. Christ will not leave you comfortless, he WILL come to you. I feel your prayers and your love, and it gets me through hard times. I love you guys with all my heart. Dont worry about me, i'm lost in the work. I pray for yall daily. ¡La iglesia is verdadera! ¡Jesucristo vive! --Elder Hunt

Elder Santiago's Email

May 20 because my schedule is all off here, nothing is consistent besides the meals. i can't believe it's been almost two weeks. 4 of my roommates are leaving tomorrow. seems like the latinos just got here and so did i. my daily schedule consists of this. waking up at 6:30, deportes (scripture study), desayuno (breakfast) at 8:15, class at 9-12:45, almuerzo (lunch), class 1:30-6, cena (dinner), then some more class from like 6:45-9. then district meeting/planning. then head to the room at 9:30 and lights out at 10:30 (or whenever room prayer is over). i really like room prayer, i feel like it brings us all closer together which is cool. another cool moment, was when an Hermana (Hermana Blackmer) asked me to give her a blessing. it was so cool that she asked me and i was able to give it to her. my district's the best, nobody's afraid or embarrassed to ask for a blessing. my goal for my mission is to return a latino. so i've started to brush my teeth with the tap water! mainly because i saw another norte doing it so i've been doing it too. i've learned so much spanish. this week, we've been challenged to speak solo espanol (only spanish). today being the first day. i've surprised myself how much i've still talked. i thought i would be silent all week. the Lord is definitely helping me out right now and i constantly thank him. something more powerful is strengthening me. i feel yall's prayers. also, tell anyone to send me a dear elder letter because those are really fun to have and be able to look at whenever. how's life back in the states? i literally have no idea. i need sports updates and big news updates. tomorrow is p-day and we get to take a tour of the city/surrounding area and then go to the market. the market is like underground!! and today i exchanged USD for qetzalas. the rate is 7.7 qetz to every 1 USD. anway, i love you guys so much. i pray for yall everyday. i'm learning so much here--a lot about the gospel, the language, and tons of other life lessons. my maestros (teachers) are awesome, my district is the best. I love yall so much, and these two years are going to fly by!! also, i think i've lost weight. my pants already seem bigger than they were when i left. i need to eat more, but i can't!! i already have the hermanas hooking me up with their leftovers, but it's not enough! last night we watched a devotional by David A. Bednar called Becoming a preach my gospel missionary or something.   You guys are the best. They keep me too busy to realize how much I miss home, but there's no way i'm coming back. i love latinos, they're all so happy. i've made really good friends with this one guy in my district named elders burt and caton. my and my companion don't seem to be the best of buds. he's been like super shy and i haven't been, but we're not interested in any of the same things...anything. but it's ok,it's not like we hate each other. i can't believe only for more weeks of el CCM!! the time is flying by. anyway, dearelder me/email. i have no idea when i'll be back on here, but it will probably be sometime next week.Love you!! --Elder Hunt Also, it has started the rainy season this past week. when the rainy season starts these huge flying ant-looking bugs come out of the ground. it happens once a year. they are nasty!! i can't even remember what happens from week to week here. days just run together. time doesn't even exist here... Love you! --Elder Hunt