Email from Jan 19

This week has been incredible. Where do i begin?

Dogs have it out for me, i'm 100% sure of it. So up til this email, i had been bitten two times by dogs. Now, i'm reporting the third time! Yes, you read that correctly. A dog has bitten me again. Can you believe that? This time, he went in with a little more vengeance. He wripped my pants right there on the ankle! So, there's a new hole in one of my pants. woo!

Cool Experience. Remembered how like a year ago, i received a new missionary and became his trainer? Well, yesterday, i worked with him again! It was incredible. He was not the same person that I trained. In all forms of the word, he was different. A lot more happy and confident. We really enjoyed the day because we chatted the whole time that we worked. Being able to see his progress over this past year made me reflect a lot. What changes have i made? What will my friends and family say has changed about me when 2 years have past? I hope they say good stuff. I've seen quite a few changes in me, i hope other people will see them too.

Interviews with President Markham! Usually, interviews last for like 15 minutes max. Mine went for 40 minutes. Why? He talked to me as though I was still his Executive Secretary. I loved it. The Spirit was really strong and he told me a lot of stuff i needed to hear. I asked a question that's been on my mind. What can i do in my last three months to really accelerate my Spiritual Progression? His answer, "Seek the Spirit, Fast, Pray, and Obey". So we chatted about that for a second. Starting February 1st, i will start a complete santification and purification process. What does that mean? Fasting every weekend for 3 months. Why? To offer myself as a sacrifice to Him. The mission is not a sacrifice. It's an offering to the Lord. A principle taught by Sister Markham. My last 3 months will be a 100% offering to the Lord. That way my first fast back home will be absolute thanksgiving for the time here in Guatemala. It's going to be a crazy three months, but it'll be worth it.

I feel like the week has been incredible, but i don't know what else to say. My mind is drawing a blank. Everything tends to me the same daily routine that wouldn't really interest y'all at all. For me, it's my normal life. For y'all, it's a life unknown. I haven't been taking pictures, because there's not time to stop and take out the camera. There are souls to bring to Christ!

Did somebody say i only have 99 days left? What?

I hope everything is well and everybody's happy. If you're not happy, you're not doing something right.

"Always Be Happy, Never Be Content."

-Elder Hunt

More pictures

 Carmen Rivas baptism

Mosquito nets around Santiago's bed

Email from Jan 12

Well, things are going incredibly well. It's hot. Not much more to say than that. Right now, i'd say it's almost unbearably hot, but the truth of the matter is that it's only going to get hotter for the months of February and March. I'll be here for those months. It's not really something to look forward to, but we'll see what happens.

There was another baptism this week! Carmen Rivas, 77 years old. She's got a crazy story. On the14th of December, an old man was baptized. These two were husband and wife. They had 3 kids together. Then, she turned a little bit crazy. So, Victor, the old man, started to just take care of her. So, he looked for a new wife and found her. This change happened like 40 years ago. But, all three of them live together. It's as though the Victor guy has two wives. It's great. But they all see Carmen Rivas as Victor's sister even though they have children together. It's a great story. But now, Victor is married to the other one, named Delfina, that was baptized on the 28th of december.

I've set a goal for this year: to stop biting my nails. I have talked to a lot of people to quit their addiction to smoking or coffee or alcohol or something, saying that it's possible. When i haven't been able to stop biting my nails my whole life. This year, i'll do it. This time, i have the determination needed to do it. Another one of my goals is to stay under 200 pounds. That trial will come after the mission, but i'll keep it up. Right now in my area, i'm gonna be losing weight.

Time has been going by so fast recently. It's weird to think that Ben only has like 1 month left, and i have like 3.5. It's animating to make me work harder and really appreciate what all happens while here in Guatemala. On Thursday, i complete 20 months in the mission. I never really though this day would come, but it has. So, 3.5 months to give it all i've got and really make the most of it. I'm excited.

When i first got to this area, nobody gave us food. Now, everybody is giving us their food. It's always the same, egg with beans and tortillas. They make you eat til your full then make you go out in the awful heat. Whenever i sit down, i am just nailed with a wave of sleepiness. But, this means that the people love us. It also shows that they didn't really love the missionaries before.

We have a baptism lined up for this Sunday, so that's incredible. We're really searching for the miracle to baptize on the 25th of this month. We need to baptize every weekend, because that's the goal that we've put. We've done it so far, but we don't really have anyone progressing for the 25th. But, we'll find the person that needs to do it. God won't let us down because we'll do all that we have to.

Really, this email has been random. But life is random. The mission is random. It's the best.

Love y'all!!

-Elder Hunt