August 11th

makin tacti with Constantina!!

Oh my I cant believe I am already writing again!!! Crazy. 

   Well I have a couple fun things to say! First of all,we visited the fam Luque on Tuesday and they told us they had a family night reading the book of mormon, and they watched the restoracion movie! We didnt ever tell them to do that!!! How happy is that?! They are seriously the best. And Ever got the priesthood yesterday and he is going to pass the sacrament next week!! I am so so excited.He has changed SO much! I cant wait for you to meet them. So we also went to their house on wednesday to watch the Testaments movie since they had questions about Christ in the Americas- it was such a fun night! They were so funny, the whole movie they kept saying "This is totally in Peru" "oh this is puerto maldanado" I think they got a little caught up on that part,but it did answer their questions and we ate some cake and hot chocolate! We have been having so much fun with them and making the lessons super fun. But yesterday Ever, Elmer and Nilton all came to church and they sat with me and my comp alñways plays the piano and so I sit with them alone and I somehow always get put in the middle of them. Well the sacrament talk theme was Eternal Marriage and how you need to keep the romance alive. Well that was easily one of the most uncomfortable moments I have had out here. That and their friend kissed me on the cheek yesterday after church. Oh man,I have gotten so scared of men. And to have to listen about romance in your marriage while sitting to my investigators that are all in their early 20s and Nilton is 19. Oh man.

  

 Anyways, cool moment, We were at the TOP of the mountain visiting a family and I told my comp I wanted to go down the mountain a different way this time, well as we were coming down a woman stopped us and asked for help. She knew we were mormons and knew we could help. Well she started crying telling us that she has no money and that her parents sold her while she was younger and now her mom came back and is living with her and needs her to take care of her, but Maria has nothing. She kept saying "I sometimes dont want to live on earth anymore. I just want to be in heaven" so she came to church, we have had two lessons with her that have been so powerful and all of us are just crying and she agreed to be baptized! But please keep her in your prayers. She has a lot more going on in her life too and we really are doing all we can to help her spiritually. We even were asked to cast devils out of her house! It was so scary. My comp and I agreed to not go inside and deal with all that spirit stuff, but we opened the door and just offered a prayer. So freaky!

 So as we were coming down the mountain one day again, it was raining and dark and then all of a sudden HUGE dogs just started running after us. I thought to myself "this is the day i get bit" everyone gets bit in Puno. But I just grabbed a huge rock, threw it at them and me and my comp just started BOOKING it back up the mountain. Oh my it was so scary! The dog was right at my leg and I just pleaded Heavenly Father to protect me and I kept running and the dogs eventually gave up! God has saved me so many times from these dogs!

Ok to finish, we had interviews with President this week and it was so nice. To just sit down and talk with him and have him asking me questions. He asked me what one of my goals was here on the mission and I told him that it sounds silly, but Ive talked to Heavenly Father about it and I realize its what I need to work on right now. I am trying to be more confident. The Lord has called me, McKenzie Alexis Hunter to serve here in Peru and here in Puno at this time. I have let the lack of Spanish overrule my confidence sometimes and I dont say a wholelot in some lessons, but recently with the Luque family I have completely opened up and I have been completely MYSELF. I have noticed the difference it has made when I open up to my investigators and I try to be confident. Because they need me, not someone else. Im a loud, goofy girl, not a shy super serious person! After I told this to President he started to cry! Then he said "If more sister missionaries or even women in general had your goal, the world would be a much better place." I then felt confident in my goal! I even have had more confidence this whole week with everyone and I have seen the investigators open up and even the members of the ward open up andmy relationships with everyone have gotten a lot nbetter. I have even gotten so many compliments on my Spanish! Elmer yesterday said "I belive that Joseph Smith was able to translate the Book of Mormon with the gift of tounges because I have seen Hermana Hunter recieve the gift of tounges" That was an amazing moment for me. To know that my struggles, then overcoming them and progressing have helped an investigator belive in Joseph Smith. so the message is, be yourself, God has created you the way you are for a reason. Be confident!

 I love you all SO MUCH!!!

Hermana Hunter

enjoying solcito in cold puno