A week of miracles and adventures

"It has been a little over two months, but i thought it was perfect!"

Hola!!! How is everyone doing?! I hope all is going well.

Ok wow what a week!!! First of all, we arent homeless anymore! We finally moved into our own house that is actually in our sector and we share it with Hermana Allred and Hermana Purse! We have the best view of the lake and we can see Bolivia and the floating islands from our room! But.. remember how when I was getting my mission call how I said I wanted to shower out of a bucket? Well we didnt have water or a shower in the house for pretty much all week so on Friday I could not handle being dirty anymore so I showered out of a bucket! Oh it was an adventure... Also my companion and Hermana Allred and Hermana Rassmussen left for Lima this morning so I am in a trio with Hermana Purse from the CCM and the cutest Latina Hermana Olivaras. Hermana Purse and I are excited to put our spanish to the test and really learn more spanish since we basically just know Gospel talk.

Ok so I think I told you how we found a woman named Gina with cancer and how it is hard for her someimes to believe in God? Well we finally got anoher appointment with her and a lot of her family was there visiting so we got to teach all of them! It was so cool. We taught about how families can be together forever and what we need to do on Earth in order to be an eternal family. It was such a special lesson, especially after finding out about great  grandma. Gina then told us that she has always seen other missionaries walk past her door but none of them ever knocked, we were the first and it was when she needed us the most. All of us agreed that God had sent us to her at this specific time for a reason. We went back to her house on Saturday with the elders to give her a blessing of health and oh my goodness, I felt myself burning with the spirit the whole time. It was amazing. The blessing told her that if she has faith, she will be abled to be healed to her hearts desire and that she will be able to take care of her family. It then turned to a blessing of comfort that said God has sent her to the earth for a reason and is wants her to participate in the ordinances of the gospel. I know that this is the family we have been praying for. They are all so ready for this message, you can literally see it in their faces. I love this family and I know that the gospel is already blessing them so much. It is the most incredible thing to see people change when they are taught the gospel. I am reminded everyday how amazing and perfect this gospel is. And I know without a doubt it is TRUE.

Also, one night we were looking for this one house and decided to knock on a different door and we found an old man and his wife who are members, but the wife is less active because she cant walk. We asked if we could come in and share a message and it was the most humbling experience by far. They live in the most poverty I have ever seen. Their house is one tiny room wit a tiny bed and a tiny little electric stove that we us for camping and their floor is all dirt. All they have to eat are potatoes and they only have very few clothes. The Hermana told us how she tries to walk but it hurts and she feels dizzy. Sometimes it is hard for her to have faith. She sees other people walking and wishes she could walk and she just cried in our arms saying she cant go to the doctor because her husband doesnt have a job. I just cried with her and we taught how the gospel is the greatest message of joy because this life is so short and as long as we do our part, we will have eternal happiness in the presence of God and with our families.

   

I am so beyond grateful for the gospel in my life, a loving family, a comfortable life, and a healthy body. This week I really have been able to think how blessed I truly am. It makes me want to work so hard and serve with so much love because I have been blessed and I want to help bless the lives of the beautiful people here in Puru. The people in Puno may be hard hearted, but I love them and this gospel has softened many of their hearts.

I love you all!! Remember how much we have been blessed and try to serve as much as you can because it brings the most amount of true happiness!!!

Love always and forever,

      Hermana Hunter

The Mission Week 8

Hi! Oh man what a week... we had zero success some days and a lot of success other days. It is hard opening a new sector, but it is also and adventure! 

So we have been working with this investigador named Moises, he is 25 and so awesome. Our first lesson with him he told us he wants to get baptized but he feels that something is holding him back. It really hurts to see the adversary working so hard on these people with such a desire to change their lives. Well Moises is very hard for me to understand, but I just tried so hard to focus on the promptings of the spirit and it really is the best way! I shared a scripture with him from Alma 32 21 and he told me that it really helped him! The next lesson we had with him we talked a lot about faith and how the right way is not always the easy way. At the end we asked him to have faith and set a date and a goal to be baptized and he said yes! He made the goal to be baptized this coming Saturday! The sad part is, he did not come to church yesterday so he has to wait another week. We had a very serious talk about the sabbath day and I felt so guided by the spirit! I was really involved in the lesson and it felt so good! But he is still getting baptized and we are so excited!

My favorite part of the week was the other day when we had our first lesson with our new investigator Elbia. She is 24 with two kids and a single mom. We were walking to a cita and saw her in front of her little tienda and I felt the strongest impression to go talk to her, good thing because it was the most amazing lesson! We planned to visit another day and then we planned to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but when we got there and started asking her questions we were guided to teach the Plan of Salvation. Oh wow am I grateful for this plan! It was amazing because my Spanish was actually the best it has been and I got to share most of what was in my heart. I kept asking her how she felt about things after we talked about each part like the atonement, the ressurecction and all of that and she would just say I feel better and I feel calm. I was getting so excited! Then I talked to her about the things that she needs to do on earth in order to get to the Celestial Kindom, which she was so excited to learn about. She told us she did not know what would happen after this life and to see her face light up while teaching her that life on earth is not the end was amazing! I asked her where she thinks she is on the steps to returning to live with God and her family and she said faith in Jesus Christ. I then felt so strongly prompted and just asked her... will you exercise your faith and be baptized? she jumped a little then looked up and me and said YES! Ah it was th best because it was the first lesson! It just proved to me that some people are so ready for the gospel and have been waithing for this message of hope all their lives. I really got to reflect on how much I have been blessed in my life. Especially when we walk into these peoples homes that sometimes dont have roofs, dirt floors, sometimes even blankets for walls. It is so poor here, but it has been the most humbling experience for me already.

We also got interviews from President this week which is always the best! We talked about faith in a way that I have never talked about. Have you ever imagined faith as something you could reach over and grab off the table? I had not. But faith is something a lot of us do not have enough of. There are three levels of faith. the first level being a wishful or hopeful faith. Too many of us are at this level. We hope for things to happen or hope for God to bless us with something. This is not enough. The next level is a little better, but still more hopeful. The top level is where we need to be. It is the expectant faith. I expect for this to happen, I expect that I will recieve this. This does not mean we can not do our part or that God will maybe change His mind on something, because all thimgs are according to His will since He is the one with a plan for us, but if we have more of an expectant faith, it will change our lives.

Something else is we are taught to teach our investigators inspired questions, but have you ever thought to ask yourself inspired questions? probably not. But we need to! If we will ask ourselves inspired questions like Am I the manner of missionary, mom, husband, friend, sibling, priesthood holder I want to be? You can ask yourself this question for whatever title you have, You can also ask, have I done something today that has strengthened my faith? Do I have the relationship with my Heavenly Father that I desire to have? If we will ask ourselves inspired questions, it will change our lives!

Well I love you all. This week I have been especially grateful for the family and friends that I have in my life. Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. I pray for you all every day as well!!!

Ps that little old lady I told you about that ignores us, well I shared my favorite scripture with her and every day we pass by her she smiles and strikes up conversations now!!! the gospel changes people!

Love always,

Hermana Hunter

I made it to the field!!

Hi everyone!!! 

Oh my goodness seeing your faces was the best thing ever, but also the hardest thing. The bishops wife just held me in her arms after and gave me kisses so it was nice to have a mommy hug.

Anyways, holy cow I am a for real missionary now!! It is CRAZY here. I was in Cusco for three days where we visited the Christo Blanco and the plaza and got to go contacting in the plaza de armas in Cusco with our new companions! Cusco is beautiful and I hope I get to serve there eventually. Our mission is huge. We have everything from cities to jungles and everything in between. I am in Puno wich is right next to lake Titikaka or however you spell it and my sector is Huanya Capac. It is freezing here, but I am surviving!! the city is worth being cold! We have been warned that the people are a little hard hearted here, but so far it has not been too bad! Ive only gotten one door slammed in my face so far! Lots of drunks here though so at night time we have to be super careful. Also, the dogs here are vicious. Everyone in this mission that has gotten bit was in Puno.. but I have my dog zapper so I am sure I will be just fine!

 

Ok my companion is Hermana Beckstead and she is from Colorado. She has been out for 11 months and she is tall as well so we just tower over everyone here its hilarious. We are very different, but she is so sweet so that is all I care about! 

So we are actually opening this sector which is super cool, but also hard because we have to start from scratch. These past few days we have just been trying to get to know the area, members, and contact a ton. We actually have found some new investigators so I am super excited! One experience we had was we were walking up the mountain and we stopped at a snack shop and started talking to this woman, she had her back towards us and was kinda ignoring us, and then I asked her what is most imoprtant in her life. She said her family and so I told her how the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses families and changes lives and I know this because it has blessed my family and changed my life. I also told her that our message is something very special and that it is ture. She then turned around to face us and started really listening to us and told us we could come visit her! It was amazing to see someones heart be softened just through a small testimony. We also taught a woman named Maribel at her front door. She is catholic and told us she is concerned about her health, we asked if she wanted us to pray with her and she agreed and asked me to say the prayer. I got so nervous, but I really just tried to let the spirit guide me to what I should say and after the prayer I couldnt remember all of the things I said, but Maribel said we could come visit her this week so I knew that somewhere in my prayer she felt something and that is all that matters! I have learned a lot this week to really let the spirit be the teacher because these people probably will not remember all the words we say, but they will remember how they felt so if I can touch their hearts somehow and have them feel the spirit, I have done my job as a missionary because the real converter is the spirit.

Not going to lie, this first week in the field has been tough. My trainer, the bishop, and our District Leader keep telling me I speak better Spanish than most new missionaries, but a lot of times I have no idea what is going on and its kinda hard to not feel useless or stupid when they laugh and say oh greenga, but I have made a point this week to really let the spirit guide me in all things and develop a stronger relationship with my Heavenly Father. I had one of my first experiences where I literally felt like God was talking to me through the Book of Mormon. I love this gospel with all my heart. Every time I start feeling down, I pick up the Book of Mormon or say a prayer and I immediately feel my Heavenly Father close to my side. I love this feeling and I love the little and big miracles I have seen every day since I have been here. I know I truly am in Gods hands and I have made a promise to Him that I am putting ALL my trust in Him. 

I hope everyone is doing well! Oh I was told if you are going to send packages, put mary stickers and crosses on them so that they get here easier and its more likely it wont get stolen! Funny, but true.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! as always, thank you for your prayers. I feel very loved and so close to you even though I am far away.

Love always and forever

     Hermana Kenzie Hunter

Last Week at the CCM

Hola Familia! and friends! How is everyone this week?

Well, I have unsuccessfully escaped the CCm without getting sick... my whole district got a bug, but I was hit the worst. I am so lucky to have these girls as my district though because I was taken care of!

So guess what... this will be my last email I send from the CCM because in exactly one week I will be in Cusco! Yep, the time has finally come to start the real adventure. Id be lying if I said I am not the least bit nervous to be thrown into the real missionary world. I know a ton more spanish than I did my first day, but I still feel like such a beginner. Which I am! I have to tell myself all the time its only been 6 weeks. Theres no way I can be fluent, but it is scary to go out and start teaching for real with very limited Spanish. But I am super super anxious to be in Cusco and experience the REAL missionary life. Its funny to think I have been a missionary for a month and a half, but I only know what missionary life is like in the CCM- not the field where all the real stuff happens! We watched a talk from Elder Quentin L. Cook on Sunday and he was saying sometimes we will feel inaduquate in our callings, he said he even feels like he isnt good enough to be an Apostle and that Elder Packer doesnt even know why he was called to be an apostle, so if they feel like they arent good enough I shouldnt have to worry too much about how I feel as a missionary. I have a testimony, a love for this gospel, Jesus Christ, and my Heavenly Father and a desire to learn and teach people. That is all I really need to be able to then let the Lord stretch me and help me grow into the missionary he wants me to be. For the first little while I just need to be a Christlike example, alway strive to have the spirit with me so that it can work through me, and of course study and work hard.

Tender mercies like crazy this week! At the beginning of the week I was kinda having a trial of not feeling like God was answering my prayers and I just wanted to feel loved and at peace. So one morning I was just not feeling well at all, but I knew I needed to suck it up and teach. Hna. Arroyo and I went and taught an investigator and I tried to lead the lesson, but I started struggling with my Spanish and I was getting frustrated so I stopped and just tried to feel the spirit. I then told our investigator that I would not be here in Peru if I did not think that what I was trying to teach her was true. She looked at me and said that while we were teaching and testifying, she could feel that God is close to us, that he is near and that she can see a light in us. I couldnt help but cry and tell her that she had just been an answer to my prayers. I gained a testimony that sometimes even those that we teach can be the ones to teach us. Another morning my whole district was kinda in a funk and we were all not feeling too good so class was extra hard to pay attention and focus. Then we were told that over 60 kids from different wards around Lima were coming in and we would be sharing our testimonies to them. All of them were in between 7 and 18 years old. Our teacher had us share our testimonies and then some of them shared their testimonies and then we got to go and greet them all and they all just ran up to us and were giving us kisses and asking for pictures and it was the happiest thing ever! My face literally hurt from how much I was smiling! Then some of their leaders would come up and kiss us and just tell us thank you. Afterwards, our teacher talked to us about how here, members look at missionaries as angels to them and their country. It felt so good to hear that and it just makes me want to work harder. She also talked about how Jesus Christ is the light of the world- we are representatives of Christ, therefore, we are the light of the world. So cool to think about!

I have noticed a big difference in my studying the Book of Mormon since I got here. At home I would read my scriptures with the family, for Book of Mormon class, or to say that I had done my scripture study for the day. I have always known that the Book is true, I never really doubted it. However- since I have been here I am studying the Book of Mormon like I have never done before. As I am reading, the stories are coming alive and I just want to keep reading! When I read, I feel like I am gaining witness after witness that there is no way that the Book of Mormon is not true. I can feel so much love from Heavenly Father every time I open the book. This book is So powerful! It really has changed me. I know that anyone that reads it will gain their own witness that it is true through the feelings they experience while pondering it. God wants us to gain a witness of this amazing book, it is meant for us! Those prophets did not write in that book to just write down things that happened to them like an ordinary journal, they were writing on the plates knowing that it was for us in this day and that we need their words to help us in our lives. Whenever I am wanting to feel my Saviors love for me, I open my Book of Mormon and I immediately feel loved and comforted. I just want to go door to door and give every single person their own copy and tell them that book is literally the word of God and it will change their life! No matter what is happening in your life- if you are sick, lonely, need to feel loved by someone, want to know if God is really there, if you wonder if you are where God wants you to be, if you need help in school, if you need to feel self worth, if you just want to know the truth, this book has the power to help you through any situation that you might be in. I PROMISE YOU. The Book of Mormon is true- read it!

Alright, sorry about the novel this week- but I wont email for two weeks so I had to get it all in there! I am so excited to be able to skype or call you soon and from Cusco!!! I love you all MUCHO!!! Have an amazing week! Thank you for all the prayers- for being so far away, I also feel so close. You mean the world to me.

Love always and forever,

Hermana Kenzie Hunter

I can't believe it's been 1 month!

**Hermana Hunter has requested for letters to no longer be sent to her MTC address, but rather her address for while she is in the field because she only has about two weeks left in the MTC!

Hi!!!! 

Wow I love those Easter pictures!! Everyone is dying over my model family.

Ok this week was SOO GOOD!!! We got to go proselyting all day in the Lima North mission! It was about an hour bus ride and I got put with a super cute girl from Argentina as my companion. She spoke different spanish and spoke really fast so it was a little challenging, but I made it!!

So we had two members and a teacher go with us and they were super nice, but I felt so awkward as they were all walking together speaking Spanish and I could only pick out a couple words here and there because of how fast they were talking! So I was walking kinda alone and I started to get really nervous, but all of a sudden this wave of love came over me and I knew I wasnt alone, the Savior and my Heavenly Father were right there with me to help me. And they did! We taught two less actives, and actually got let into three non member homes! My favorite part of the whole day was when my good friend from BYU, Elder Beau Sittion, led us to this home of a family that was on top of the mountain and they always try and visit with, but are never let inside. Side note- the further up the mountain you get, the more and more poor it is. It was the most poverty I have ever seen! So my companion and I went to the door and this little girl came to the window which had bars over it and we asked her if we could speak to her mom and she told us she wasnt there even though I could see her in the kitche. So we asked the little girl if we could speak to her. Her name is Mart and she is 7 years old. My companion looked at me and said, ok you teach her. I had the two members, the ccm teacher, my companion, my friend, and his companion all behind me as I taught this little girl in the limited spanish I know. So I pulled out a picture of Jesus and asked her if she knew who it was, she smiled and said Jesus. Then I asked her if she knows who God is, she just smiled. I then told her that God is her loving Heavenly Father, Jesus is her brother and that they both love her very much. I then asked Marta if she has ever prayed or if she knows how to pray, she said no so I told her that prayer is how we talk to God and that He wants us to pray to him. I then taught this little 7 year old girl how to pray and then we said a prayer together, I gave her the restoration pamphlet and told her to have her family read it together and then she can teach everyone how to pray. I was overwhelmed at how much I felt Gods love for this little girl. I thought of Maggie and how she is a daughter of God, how I am a daughter of God, Marta is a daughter of God, we ALL are children of God.

The last lesson of the day was with a non memeber woman that did not want to talk to us, but still let us inside. We sat down and I asked her what is most important to her, she started talking and I could not understand anything she was saying, I started getting a little nervous and then I felt prompted to tell her that God loves her and that she is His daughter. By accepting the gospel, she can live with God again along with her family for all eternity. This woman then started sobbing and went on to say more that I wish so badly I could understand, but I was confident that the Lord led me to what I should tell that woman. We sang families can be together forever in Spanish and I felt the spirit flood the room. I am so thankful for this Gospel and for the blessings it brings to my life. I was reminded once again why I want to be here serving a mission.

Easter Sunday was the best! We got to hear from so many apostels! There is too much to say, but to sum it up, I felt so beyond loved by my Savior, the prophet and his apostles, and my family and the other missionaries on Easter. For dinner we got the straws and the egg you sent mom and had a super festive Easter dinner! Everyone says thank you Easter bunny momma Hunter!!!!

 

Yo se que La Iglesia de Jesucristo es verdadera. Yo se El Libro de Mormon es verdadero y El Evangelio de Jesucristo fue restaurado por medio de Jose Smith. Yo se Dios envio a Su hijo, Jesucristo y El sufrio y muerio por nuestros pecados. Dios es nuestro amoroso Padre y somos Sus hijos. Este conocimiento ayuda me superar desafios y vivir feliz. Este es mi testimonio.

I love you all and pray for you everyday!

 

Love always and forever,

Hermana Hunter

Third Week Down

Hi!! 

Can you believe it, I am half way done with the CCM! It is so exciting, but so so scary at the same time.

This week was a big test. It was a really hard week with lessons and learning the language. We got two new investigators this week and one of them has really put my companion and I to the test to say the least. His Spanish is the most difficult thing to understand and he asks the most insane questions that I barely know how to answer in English let alone Spanish. So one morning we taught Carlos and the lesson just went in one big circle and it did not feel good. My companion and I walked outside and just started to cry. Its frustrating to feel like you didnt do as well as you know you could have. So I decided to pull out those talks and quotes grandma gave me and I started reading them out loud to my comp. It made us feel a lot better. Our zone leaders elder Livingston and elder Paramore saw us crying and came over to us and started pulling out their quotes and Hna Davis and Purse joined in as well. Everyone here is so nice and knows how to lift you up and make you feel so much better. Satan is going to give us bad days out here to make us doubt ourselves as missionaries, but I just keep thinking that If I just trust and rely on the Lord, especially when things arent going well, I can overcome anything. That night at about 9pm a man walked into my classroom and handed me a package from my family! It was the greatest tender mercy and it was the best day to have recieved that package so thank you thank you thank you!!

No one in my district, or even other districts has gotten anything, so I promised I would share my Easter candy so we can all have a little taste of home on Easter.

So our other investigator is Gisel. He has many addictions but wants a change in his life. So in the third lesson I was talking to him about the word of wisdom and the importance of repentance and baptism, the Spanish was coming to me like never before and it was amazing! Out of no where I just asked him to get baptised and he looked at me with wide eyes and then said YES! It is my third baptism committment here and it feels so good. I just bore my testimony about how God is always there for us and there is no such thing as too much sin to repent for and become clean again. The power that was in that room was awesome. It made me feel so excited to be doing this for 18 months!

We have a new group of missionaries so we got new roommates and guess what, they are Latinas! Our Spanish is really being put to the test. One of the new Latinas is like my best friend. Shes from Mexico and reminds me of a Disney Princess. Whenever Hna Baptista sees me she calls me her barbie doll, never had that compliment before,  and her love. I love her so much.

So the President over all the international MTCs is here! On sunday he spoke to us and my district got to sing the musical number and we sang the song grandma gave me before I left! Its The sisters in zion and Army of helamen mash up for missionaries and it was the coolest thing. Also, on Sunday I got asked by my branch president to be the President of my district since we are all Hermanas. yikes. It is fun though!!

Well That is all for this week! I love you all so much and I hope things are going well back at home! Have a great Easter this Sunday!!!

Love always and forever,

    Hermana Hunter

Intermediate Group!

"I missed you, so I bought a Coke to feel close to you! Love you Mommy!"

Hi everyone!! 

Two weeks down! I am now in the intermediate group which is crazy. Well the rumor is true- everyone gets sick here! I must be extra blessed because I am one of the few that has not gotten sick.. yet.. We even had to take a survey about how much we go to the bathroom. So something super cool is President Monsons grandson has been here at the CCM! He left this morning though for the field so now I can share the secret. 

So this week was crazy. We are basically being thrown into deep water and we just have to learn how to swim. Afte rteaching our first lesson in Spanish, which I felt went horrible, our teacher had us teach the latino missionaries.. yikes. It was so bad. They speak so fast and you just sit there and try and pick out as many words as you can. I felt so frustrated with my Spanish after that and I was feeling down on myself so I decided to say a prayer. I immediately felt at ease and decided for our next lesson, my companion and I should go in with no notes to help us in our Spanish and that we should totally rely on the spirit. I went in feeling super calm and guess what, best lesson ever! It went so well. I bore my testimony in Spanish and felt this burning in my heart that what I was saying was true. I have learned a lot this past week about relying on the spirit and God for help.

So the next day we taught our investigator, Arecelly. I thought that my companion and I did ok with our Spanish, but that we still had a lot of improving. Well after the lesson our teacher pulled us aside and asked how we felt the lesson went. I said I thought we got our message across as best as we could in what Spanish we know. My teacher smiled then said "I sat there in shock with how much Spanish you were using and how very clear I could understand you" Prayer is real, I know that it is because I pray every day that God will help me with my Spanish so that I can be a tool in His hands.

Yes- Conference! Who knew conference could feel like Christmas! It was the best to not have class and just be spiritually fed. Sunday night we had another testimony meeting outside with the advanced group and we talked about what messages we loved in conference. We all noticed that this conference felt like a big warning about how we are truly in the last days and life is going to get scary, we are going to have to defend our faith, and it is so important to keep the commandments read our scriptures and pray. If we do then we dont have to be afraid because we will be "safely guided home:" We dont have to fear when the Lord is on our side!

Something fun that we started doing everyday is all North Americans during physical activity play ultimate football. The Latinos watch and cheer us on. Its one big sports event! It really is so fun. Also, my didtrict and I found a stress reliever.. singing disney in our rooms. We have a keyword for when we just want to let go for a little, its the best!

Highlight of the week was my companion and I got our investigator Karen to commit to baptism!! Best day ever!!

Last night was really sad because we had to say goodbye to the advanced group. Just recently the new president made a rule that we cant sing and a tradition in the MTC anywhere is that you sing God be with you til we meet again. So last night all the sisters and elders gathered on the third floor of our dorms where we just have this thin door seperating the girls and boys and we sang through the door. The lationos sang in Spanish and we sang in English. It was amazing. Its crazy how close we all get in just two weeks. We kinda become family out here because we dont have our real families with us.

I love being a missionary in the most exciting time for our church. The blessing I have felt and recieved are amazing. Thank you for your prayers, I feel them every day!!

I love you all! Until next week..

Love always and forever,

      Hermana Hunter

Girl power! Only district of all Hermanas!

My comp and I!