Elder Santiago and his companion, Elder Aragon
Zona 1
Some of what Elder Santiago sees
More of his area
Elder Santiago loves handwritten letters from home!
Something from home
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Email from Aug 11
So, this week, I'll complete 3 months! Wow! Already 3 months. It really is crazy how fast this has been.
Also, it's crazy how fast i'm learning Spanish. I'm getting pretty good at understanding what people are saying to me. I'm even better at reading. But my speaking isn't the best, and I need a lot of work with writing also. But i'm making such great progress, it's amazing!
This past week was crazy!! Aragon was so sick. Anything that could go wrong with him, went wrong. He was congested, throat hurt, body ached, bones hurt, headache, vometing, fever, and diarrhea. Crazy! But we worked through it. I had one day that I was quite sick, but it was just one day. (don't be excited to read that page in my journal, even though it makes me laugh). But we didn't have time to rest, we have souls to save. And we have to prove to the Lord that we're committed 100 percent!!
We had a crazy experience with dogs one day. We were just walking, minding our own business. Next thing you know, 7 dogs came charging after us! 7! wild dogs! So we started grabbing anything we could off the ground and throwing them at the dogs. It was crazy! We were throwing rocks the size of softballs. I felt like being a part of the Nephites fighting the Amlicites and Lamanites in Alma 2 and 3. Fantastic!
We confronted a couple Jehovah's Witnesses the other day. It was awesome. They have lines in their Bible where verses should be. Important verses! like Marcos 11:26 (Mark 11:26) and Hechos 8:38 (Acts 8:38). We asked why they had lines. One thought he had the answer, but it wasn't fulfilling. The other was so confused, he had no idea. I feel like we raised doubts in his mind... Awesome. There wasn't contention, we just know the Scriptures better than they do. Yea!
On Sunday, we had 2 dinners. It was hard. We went and visited one family, so Elder Aragon could use their bathroom and ask for medicine. They offered us food, so of course we accepted, we're missionaries. They gave us black beans, rice, eggs, and bread. It was good. I'm a fan of black beans (what a blessing!). Then we went to visit another family. They fed us tamales (not a fan...). These tamales were made with plants that they went out and cut from a field by their house. I was full after the first dinner so it was hard to force these tamales that I didn't enjoy. But we're so blessed by these awesome members!
I'm going to come home a different person. If I came home now, yall would be surprised how different I already am. If the mission teaches me one thing, it's going to be how to be the best roommate and spouse. Before the mission, I NEVER made my bed. Now I do it EVERY day, i have to, i feel like. And the other day, I washed about 95 percent of all our dishes. BY HAND! Also, at the store, i didn't buy any cereal. Just OATMEAL. Yea, I bought oatmeal. I never expected to say that. It's just more economical and it's healthier. I even enjoy it...wow.
I had a little bit of an embarrassing slip up with my Spanish. The word for bones is huesos. The word for eggs is huevos. I was trying to ask the guy at the store for 5 eggs. But instead, i kept repeating ¡cinco huesos, cinco huesos! instead of cinco huevos. How embarrassing.
I've started to read Elder Aragon's copy of Our Search for Happiness (Nuestra Busqueda de la Felicidad) by M. Russell Ballard. It's in Spanish. I understand it. The book is amazing! Written to non members so it's full of simple words and testimony. Really powerful and awesome.
I've been thinking a lot lately of Alma 32:14-16. About being humble. Be humble not because you're compelled to be humble by your poverty, but be humble because you love the Lord and you know why you have everything you have-by the grace of God. I've never felt so humble in my life, the most amazing feeling.
Also, i've read Mormon 9 again. Mormon 9 has always been my favorite chapter in all of the scriptures. It's so direct. So powerful. So clear. LOVE IT!
Anyway, I love yall so much! I feel the strength of your prayers. I've never been happier in my life. I pray for yall often.
Yo se que la Iglesia es verdadera. Jose Smith fue un profeta y por medio de Jose Smith, la iglesia de Jesucristo es restaurada. Yo se que el Libro de Mormon es un otro testamento de Jesucristo. Yo se Jesucristo vive. Yo lo se.
¡Se Cuida!
--Elder Hunt
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Email from August 4
Encourage every single Youth, especially Laurels and Priests to go out with the missionaries! They need the help of members! Also, tell the missionaries that you could be open to hosting a FHE if there is a family that lives close, as long as you guys have a big heads up. Members plus Missionaries equals converts for life! I definitely know the problem with being a 'cute missionary' ;) hahaha. Just kidding, kind of. Since I'm a Gringo (Norte Americano), people just like to talk to me. Especially the young women when we contact doors and stuff. It's really hard to focus on the Spirit when they're focused on something else. But oh well, that's why we focus on families!
So, I've been reading all of the Conference talks (in Spanish). They are fantastic!!! Elder Cardon's 'El Salvador Desea Perdonar', Elder Clayton's 'Marriage: Watch and Learn' (for all people, especially my siblings and parents! ;)), for the Young Women, the talk by Sister Dalton, and the talk by Elder Bednar 'We Believe in Being Chaste'. Yea, I love these conference talks.
So, we found these two ladies, Gladys and Claudia. They live in these apartment type of buildings. We taught lesson 1, about the Restoration. At the end, we invited them to church. Claudia was like yea, i'm going to come, for sure. then gladys said that she wasn't sure because she had her own church. Claudia turned to Gladys and said, i'm going to this church, and you're coming with me! and i'm bring my husband. we're all going to go to this church, ok? Then Claudia turned back to us like we couldn't hear anything and said, calmly and collected, we're coming. It was so funny! So I felt they had a lot of promise to coming to church. We visited them Sunday morning before church, and they said they were coming. When church came around, nothing. They didn't even show. Awesome.
We have church at 2 in the afternoon. This past Sunday, there was a Stake Priesthood Meeting at the Stake Center at 4. So we only had one hour of church! Then we went out and worked, because we're not allowed to go to those meetings unless we're specifically invited.
One day, we went tracting in the rain. It literally ran steady for straight hours. And, of course, I left my umbrella at home. So Aragon and I were out knocking doors, having no success, being soaked!! We were both so cold. When we got home, I was soaked to the bone, literally. It was crazy.
So, I don't remember if I told you about Marina Carvajal. She lives in Boston but was down here visiting family that is a less active family. We taught her lesson 1 and what not. Then the second time we went and visited her, she basically said that when she gets back to the states, she will find the church, attend, and that she has a desire to be baptized. Of course, someone that doesn't live in our area says this. But that's ok!
People here love to wear shirts from America. Like one day, I saw a little girl, 2 or 3, wearing a shirt that said 'The Chicks Dig Me'. Uhh, I don't think you know what that means.
One day, we taught 20 lessons!! 20! That's the new record for this District. The old record was 16. 20 is crazy!
I've been teaching Aragon some slang English. He really likes the word 'Dude' and the frase 'dude, that's sick!' It's so funny.
On Sunday, the guys on the bus didn't ask us for bus fare! Yea! we tried to pay but they denied since it was Sunday and we're missionaries. I love it!
Yesterday morning, we found out about transfers. WE'RE NOT BEING CHANGED! We have 6 more weeks together here in Caminero. Which is good, I want to baptize in every area on my mission, so we're going to work hard.
Luis Pablo, an investigator, is amazing. He has had a really hard life. He's only 25, his wife has passed away, he has a little kid, and he has done some bad things in his life, made a lot of mistakes, and has a lot of guilt. We went to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End). We ended up teaching this, and the Plan of Salvation. Luis was crying during the lesson, and the Spirit was so strong. We really explained that this is a Gospel of Hope. I love that, because it really is.
I ate liver last night! And it was so good! Super tender and everything.
I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, without a doubt. I read DyC 78, and DyC 130. So beautiful. He was a prophet that received real revelation. I have never really had a doubt, especially since the trip to Palmyra. DyC is beautiful!
I love you guys so much!
I am so thankful for everything yall do. I pray for you often, and I feel the strength of your prayers!
Love yall!!
--Elder Hunt
So, I've been reading all of the Conference talks (in Spanish). They are fantastic!!! Elder Cardon's 'El Salvador Desea Perdonar', Elder Clayton's 'Marriage: Watch and Learn' (for all people, especially my siblings and parents! ;)), for the Young Women, the talk by Sister Dalton, and the talk by Elder Bednar 'We Believe in Being Chaste'. Yea, I love these conference talks.
So, we found these two ladies, Gladys and Claudia. They live in these apartment type of buildings. We taught lesson 1, about the Restoration. At the end, we invited them to church. Claudia was like yea, i'm going to come, for sure. then gladys said that she wasn't sure because she had her own church. Claudia turned to Gladys and said, i'm going to this church, and you're coming with me! and i'm bring my husband. we're all going to go to this church, ok? Then Claudia turned back to us like we couldn't hear anything and said, calmly and collected, we're coming. It was so funny! So I felt they had a lot of promise to coming to church. We visited them Sunday morning before church, and they said they were coming. When church came around, nothing. They didn't even show. Awesome.
We have church at 2 in the afternoon. This past Sunday, there was a Stake Priesthood Meeting at the Stake Center at 4. So we only had one hour of church! Then we went out and worked, because we're not allowed to go to those meetings unless we're specifically invited.
One day, we went tracting in the rain. It literally ran steady for straight hours. And, of course, I left my umbrella at home. So Aragon and I were out knocking doors, having no success, being soaked!! We were both so cold. When we got home, I was soaked to the bone, literally. It was crazy.
So, I don't remember if I told you about Marina Carvajal. She lives in Boston but was down here visiting family that is a less active family. We taught her lesson 1 and what not. Then the second time we went and visited her, she basically said that when she gets back to the states, she will find the church, attend, and that she has a desire to be baptized. Of course, someone that doesn't live in our area says this. But that's ok!
People here love to wear shirts from America. Like one day, I saw a little girl, 2 or 3, wearing a shirt that said 'The Chicks Dig Me'. Uhh, I don't think you know what that means.
One day, we taught 20 lessons!! 20! That's the new record for this District. The old record was 16. 20 is crazy!
I've been teaching Aragon some slang English. He really likes the word 'Dude' and the frase 'dude, that's sick!' It's so funny.
On Sunday, the guys on the bus didn't ask us for bus fare! Yea! we tried to pay but they denied since it was Sunday and we're missionaries. I love it!
Yesterday morning, we found out about transfers. WE'RE NOT BEING CHANGED! We have 6 more weeks together here in Caminero. Which is good, I want to baptize in every area on my mission, so we're going to work hard.
Luis Pablo, an investigator, is amazing. He has had a really hard life. He's only 25, his wife has passed away, he has a little kid, and he has done some bad things in his life, made a lot of mistakes, and has a lot of guilt. We went to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End). We ended up teaching this, and the Plan of Salvation. Luis was crying during the lesson, and the Spirit was so strong. We really explained that this is a Gospel of Hope. I love that, because it really is.
I ate liver last night! And it was so good! Super tender and everything.
I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, without a doubt. I read DyC 78, and DyC 130. So beautiful. He was a prophet that received real revelation. I have never really had a doubt, especially since the trip to Palmyra. DyC is beautiful!
I love you guys so much!
I am so thankful for everything yall do. I pray for you often, and I feel the strength of your prayers!
Love yall!!
--Elder Hunt
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