Email from Nov 17

Things have been so great here! Really, it couldn't get too much better.

On Saturday, I completed 18 months in the mission! It's crazy. I can't even believe how fast the time has just flown by. It's amazing to stop and think about how i've changed as a person as I've been here in Guatemala. The most important thing that i've learned: to love. That's the key to success in anything. If the motive isn't love, the success wanted won't be the success received. My testimony has strengthed so much and my knowledge of the gospel has deepened. I have a focus that i never really thought I'd have. It's all about making goals and reaching them. Not all of them though. We always need to have some goals that are unreachable so that we can try as hard as we can and still have space to improve. If all goals are reached, we didn't expect us to reach our full potential. But, as with the rest of the traditions. I burned my pair of pants to mark 18 months! Here's the picture:

Sunday was a great day. A day of baptisms, to say the least. It was a super long day. We got to the church building at like 9:20 am and we left at like 7:20 pm. We didn't leave the church property for all that time. Church from 10-1, baptismal service, church from 2-5, baptismal service. It was a tiring day. Anyway, the people that we baptized are really special. 

At 1 in the afternoon, we baptized a young woman and young man. For a lot of past history issues and law of chastity problems, the parents couldn't get baptized even though they really like the church and what we teach and represent. But, the kids love reading the Book of Mormon and were really, really excited to be baptized. We had the help of a ward family that had them at Family Home Evenings and everything. Their names are Katherine and Brayan Poou Ramirez. Pictures sent in other email.

At 5:30, we baptized a really special. I imagine I've mentioned a Familia Camey. The dad, Oswaldo, the mom, Angelica, and the kids, Fernando, Bylly, and Flor de Maria. They have found a special place in my heart. Their road to baptism has been a long and difficult one. They met the missionaries 8 years ago. I visited them like 15 months ago and again like 2.5 months ago. Angelica asked for three signs from God before she would get baptized. Ever since I went back like 2.5 months ago, Oswaldo was ready to get baptized, just waiting on his wife to make the choice for herself. Also, the son Fernando was down to get dunked. Now that they've been baptized, Angelica shared with us the 3 signs she received from God through me especifically. It's truly humbling and awe-striking. God answers prayers in misterious ways, but He answers, that's the most important thing. They were so beautiful and excited as they were dressed in white waiting to enter the waters of baptism and come out new creatures, being born again. They have the goal of getting sealed in the temple, and just saw baptism as a necessary step to get to bigger and better goals for the family. This will probably be one of my most memorable baptisms of the mission.

My mission hasn't been easy, that's what i realize as i look back over these 18 months. The Lord has asked a lot of me, and He's helped me to reach it. If my mission was easy, i wouldn't have progressed as far as i have until right now. There's still a long way to go and much more time to be refined by my loving Heavenly Father. I'm not the best missionary or the perfect missionary, but I strive to be obedient in all things that I do. I try to show diligence in all tasks that i'm given. 

This week, it's been pretty calm. Things have happened, yes, but it's normal now. But in about 3 weeks, i'll be in a new area doing new things, so that'll be fun. After all, i've been in Boca del Monte for 14 months of my mission just about (10 transfer cycles). I love change. My mission is not going to get any easier from here on out, and i'm excited about that. I don't want it to be easier, because easy doesn't cause progression how i want it. 

I love y'all!!

--Elder Hunt