True meaning!

What a great week in Cincinnati! The weather here has been crazy. It was about 65 for a couple days and now it is about 32. I never know what to expect here in Ohio. We had a super good week. We are teaching a guy from India he is awesome! He has come to church 2 times now and he really enjoyed the Christmas program we had on Sunday. We also had a miracle! It was Saturday night and we were out Christmas caroling (which is very effective, everyone here loves it, seriously though) and we knocked on one door and we sang to her. She is from Florida and she recently moved in, we invited her out to church and she came!!! It was awesome. We will be stopping by soon to see how she is doing! I am so happy to be here in Cincinnati at this time and I love serving the Lord during this Christmas season, it is such a blessing! Being on a mission has really helped me see the true meaning of Christmas. Its not only to celebrate the birth of Christ but also his life. His perfect life! He is the way back to our Father in Heaven. He is our Savior and Redeemer, through Him we can become clean of our sins.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Snow !

This week was awesome! We started the week off with a snowball fight last p-day! A lot of the missionaries are from California so it was new for them, but it was a ton of fun! This week we were walking around our apartment complex and we talked to a man from India! He invited us in and we invited him to church and he came yesterday, it was awesome. He is a very funny guy! He was so fascinated in the fact that we could move the pulpit up and down, he loved it ha ha. We met with the family from Congo and we are still teaching them, I love them, they are the coolest family. The spirit of Christmas is in the air. Our trio companionship sings all the time, we have so much fun together! I love serving a mission especially around this time of year, its such a great experience! We have our mission Christmas get together on Tuesday and I am excited for that. The work is moving forward and the Lord is blessing us with so many miracles everyday!

Snowball fight!

Christmas Caroling!

I had another great week here in Montgomery Ohio! We had a pretty crazy storm this week and we got quite a bit of snow. Actually it wasn't that much but for the people in Cincinnati it is a lot. It snowed like 4 inches or so, it was awesome. We only had sacrament meeting yesterday, the other classes got cancelled. Yesterday was really fun, we went Christmas caroling to a couple of the members of the ward. We also had the ward Christmas party on Saturday and the family we have been teaching was able to make it! They had a great time. We are teaching Racheal, Ngula, and we call her Momma. They are from the Congo. They are the sweetest people on earth and I am excited to teach them this week. We are actually going over today to help them paint. I am doing great and having a lot of fun. Miracles are happening everyday and I get to be apart of this great work, it truly is amazing. The Lord is blessing us in so many ways! Thanks for all the prayers and all the support. Love you all!

"He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies.  He fills my life with good things!"    Psalm 103:4,5

Montgomery!

Sorry I don't have much time today. I am now serving in Montgomery Ohio. I love it here. I am in a trio with Elder Foster and Elder Moore. We had a great week this week. I got to be a part of Tony's baptism. They have been teaching him for a while and I got to teach him the last couple days before his baptism. It was awesome! He is such a stud and has a super good testimony. We are doing well. Thanksgiving was awesome, I ate a ton! The Lord is blessing us and I am seeing more and more blessings everyday. Love you all, thanks for all your prayers and all your support!

"A grateful heart....comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives."  

9213 Deercross Pkwy. Apt. 1A

Blue Ash, OH 45226

Trio (Elder Foster & Elder Moore)

Baptism of Tony!

Thanksgiving!

Another great week in Ohio! I got the call this morning and I am being transferred! I can't believe it, I feel like I just got here. I don't know where too yet but I will find out tomorrow morning. I am sad but also super excited! I have loved serving here in West Chester, but I am up for a new adventure. This week we got the chance to teach Bob, he is the man that we found when we randomly knocked on one house and he said he was interested! It was a super good lesson and I am excited for him. I am really excited for Thanksgiving, it will be awesome. I don't know where I will be yet but I am excited. This week at church we spoke in sacrament meeting, it was awesome, I spoke on Our Purpose as missionaries and I tied it in with the members, it went well. We had a family show up to sacrament meeting, it was so awesome!!!! It was John and Teri's family. They had us over for dinner a couple weeks ago and they made it to church yesterday, it was so cool to see them there. The church is true!! There is nothing better then missionary work! Love you all. Thanks for all the prayers and all the support. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

"God's love is shown in the way we live....in the acts of kindness we willingly do for others."

Tornado Watch!

Another great week in Ohio! The weather here is crazy. On Tuesday it was about 20 degrees and then the next day I swear it was 75. Its unpredictable! So yesterday there was a tornado warning. It was awesome. We were at a members house and we were told to stay indoors because the winds got up to 60 mph! I was hoping a tornado would happen, I think that would be so cool, but at the same time it would be very bad. The storm passed by and a tornado didn't happen, but it was exciting. We had the chance this week to teach a family! They have heard of the church before and they are somewhat familiar with it. We talked about prayer and the Holy Ghost with them, it was awesome. We have an exciting week planned ahead of us! I am working hard and the work is hastening. 

Led by the spirit!

This week was great! We had a super good leadership training on Wednesday and I learned so much and it has changed the way I view my mission! It was awesome. President Porter is a very inspired man, I love him. We have been teaching Dustin and things are going well with him. We had a super cool experience the other day. We were riding over to the bishop's house and we decided to stop by a random neighborhood, we didn't know why we should go there but we did anyways. We rode around for a bit and then decided to knock on one house. We started talking and the guy that answered the door said he was interested!! It was awesome, we are going back on Tuesday to teach him, we were led by the spirit. Its amazing what happens when you really trust in the Lord to lead and to guide you. He will perform miracles if you let him and I am seeing that more and more everyday. funny story: Sunday morning my companion was taking a shower and he just yells... We got a problem!! He unlocks the door and the hose to the toilet broke loose and was spraying water everywhere. It was super funny! So our apartment was flooded! We fixed it, and things are good now. This week was great! I am excited for another one, thanks for all your prayers and all your support. Love you all!

"He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them."

Beautiful Ohio sunset!

Halloween!

This week was great! Halloween was super fun, we had dinner at a members house with 8 missionaries, it was a lot of fun. Monday we carved them with our investigator Dustin, it was great! We had zone training this week and we were able to receive training from President Porter. He is a super powerful man and very inspired. We had the coolest experience the other night... we stopped and talked to this lady sitting on her front porch. Then a bunch of kids ran up to us and asked us to play some kick ball. So we played with them for a bit (my team won by the way) and then we were able to share the message of the restoration with the whole family. The parents are from Mexico and they have 5 kids. They were so cool and it was such a great spiritual experience. We are hoping to meet with them again on Tuesday! Things are going great here in West Chester. I love it here! It is getting colder and colder but the leaves are changing colors and it is absolutely beautiful! Thanks for all the prayers and all the support. Love you all!

carving pumpkins with Halle.

Recognize the Lord's hand!

This week was great! It is getting colder and colder, the humid cold is a lot different then the dry cold in Utah. I usually wear my PJs under my pants which keeps me nice and warm! But this week was sweet. We had a chili cook off and a trunk or treat on Saturday. It was really fun, there was a lot of good chili and a lot of good desserts, they even made some homemade ice cream! We invited everyone to that, all our investigators, less active members, anyone we came in contact with. A couple hours before the cook off we thought it would be a good idea to stop by a family that we have only talked to once before... we invited them and they showed up! It was awesome, the ward did a great job of making them feel welcome, it was a great activity. The missionaries were the costume judges and we had fun doing that. We have a great opportunity tonight to carve pumpkins with our investigator Dustin! I am super excited. The Lord's hand is in every aspect of our work and the more faith we put in him the more blessing we receive and recognize. We had some amazing experiences last week and it is because we put our faith in the Lord. I am looking forward to another amazing week here in West Chester. Thanks for all your prayers and support. Love you all!

"Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly in the distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand."        Thomas Carlyle

Service!

Another great week in West Chester! Tuesday some elders moved in to our one bedroom apartment, it is fun, we are having a good time. So we finally got some elders in the district, exciting news! This week we helped a guy put up siding on his house, we helped someone move, and we helped a member dig up her yard, so it was a good week of service. We are still teaching Tim and things are going well. We have a chili cook off this Saturday in the ward and I am super excited for that, its going to be really fun. It is COLD in Ohio, the wind goes right through you, its crazy. Especially on bikes! I was not expecting this kind of weather, it is definitely getting colder and colder. Its all good though. I am learning and growing so much everyday, I love being here in West Chester, there is no where else in the world I would rather be then here serving the Lord.

"We cannot make others do the right things.  We can only show them by our example what "doing the right things" looks like.                            

"The sistrict"

New Elders!

Testimony builder!

We had an interesting week. We are working with a couple of investigators right now and we are having fun. Yesterday we were in an apartment complex and some big white dude started yelling at us, telling us to leave and saying there is no God.... We stood our ground and kept moving on. There is a God. We did not just appear on earth. We have a Heavenly Father and he loves each one of us. Everything around us denotes that there is a God. We are put in families, we have the ability to think and to choose, and we have a beautiful world to live in. After that experience we kept walking around and he kept yelling. Pretty soon he went inside. Then we were about to leave and a couple people came up to us and apologized for his actions. Then a couple more people came and apologized and said that this usually does not happen. There was about 7 of us talking in a circle and they all had our backs, it was awesome. Then we told them what we do and we got there names and numbers, so we will go visit them soon. It was a really cool experience and a testimony builder. I love serving the Lord and I love bearing my testimony. I am excited for another week. I got the transfer call today and Elder Shirtz and I will be staying another transfer here in West Chester! I am excited for that. Love you all, thanks for all the help and support!

Conference Weekend!

Conference weekend was amazing! A member put it best when she told us... "General Conference is like the Super Bowl to missionaries." that is so true. I have been super excited all week and there were so many amazing talks. One of my favorite talks was Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  During the Sunday morning session. He said "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." It was such and amazing talk. And that is so true. Sometimes we focus on the things we doubt or things we don't know. We need to focus on what we do know and work from there. Do not let doubt take over. "If you are tempted to give up, stay a little bit longer." It was an inspired talk. Another great talk was Edward Dube... He spoke on not looking back. Look forward with faith, there is always work to be done. Faith is always looking to the future. The Lord looks on where you are willing to go, not where you have been or what you have done. Keep on moving forward and serve the Lord. We watched most of conference at our ward mission leaders house which was pretty fun. They didn't make abelskebers but that's OK we had some delicious lasagna. I missed going to priesthood with grandpa and dad at Bear Lake. That is a memory I will cherish forever.  Conference was great, it takes a whole different meaning when you are out here in the field. There were many talks on missionary work and I am excited to see the work hasten. The time is now! We had another great week in West Chester, we are working super hard and relying on the Lord with everything that we do. It is getting colder and colder as the days go on, we are on bikes so hopefully it doesn't snow too soon. And if it does... oh well, it will be super fun. Love you all, thanks for all your support. 

"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% what we decide to do about it."                         Thomas Edison                                                                                   

                                               

Happiness!

Another great week in Ohio! We ran into some very interesting people.... We ran into 3 German people and we were actually able to teach one. It was funny because at the doorstep we were talking, I recognized her accent and I asked her about it. Then I said oh yeah I am German too... Then we talked about Germany for a while.  I asked her to say Koln or whatever that town is she sounded German and I thought it was pretty funny, I started laughing after she said it cause Grandpa would always try to teach me but I never got it down. She was a very sweet lady and we had a good lesson with her. Then a couple days later we ran into a guy from England. I told him my brother was there right now. We started talking and we asked him what makes him happy. He said nothing. We asked him again... nothing makes you happy? He replied yes, there is nothing in this world that makes me happy. Then we asked him about his family... he said they are more of a burden then a blessing. Then we asked him what he thought the purpose in life is.... he said nothing. It was very sad. The guy was very nice to us he just had a bad view of life. We talked to him about God and how he wants us to be happy. He nicely said good bye and went inside. This was a testimony builder... it really made me step back and view life and the gospel. God sent us here to be happy, and that is why he created the plan for us. Yes, at times life gets hard but there are so many things in this world that can bring us happiness. The Gospel of Jesus Christ does just that. It brings happiness to everyone that embraces it. God has blessed us with so many things in this life and we sometimes need to look at things a different way. The gospel is true and this church is true. Love you all, thank you so much for all your prayers and support. 

Soaked!

Another great week here in Ohio! We are doing well, the weather here is very random! On Saturday in the morning we were burning hot and then later in the evening we started knocking doors, it started to get chili and then it started raining, and then it started pouring! The rain was coming down sideways and we were soaked, it was as if we went swimming in our church clothes, it was awesome! We were on bikes and far from home. So we rode our bikes to McDonald's and dried ourselves out in the bathroom with those hand dryers, it was pretty funny. We got somewhat dry and then headed back out and we were able to find a new investigator! It was awesome.  We are working hard and trusting in the Lord with everything that we do. We have been doing a lot of finding and talking to everyone. I love being here in Ohio, its the place to be!! I love you all, thank you for all your prayers and all your support!

"Smile well and often.  It makes people wonder what you're up to."       Sachel Paige

Experimenting on the word!

Ohio is awesome! Cincinnati is famous for their chili and we were able to try some on Wednesday, it was pretty good!! The work is coming along, we are doing a lot of finding! The area is pretty spread out and we are doing our best to find those that the Lord has prepared for us. We actually ran into a man that did not believe in God. We were able to talk to him and we read to him Alma 34 when it talks about just experimenting on the word. So he said he would. We gave him a Book of Mormon and we are going to see how it goes, I am excited for him, he was willing to listen and to try it out. My first district meeting was last Wednesday and it went well. In the middle of it President and Sister Porter came in which was pretty intimidating, but it went well. The Porters are the best, I love them. This week we did a mission wide fast and we have been seeing so many miracles! Its amazing, we have seen them as a companionship and the Lord is blessing us greatly. We also received a challenge from President Porter to start over the Book of Mormon and finish by November 4th! So we are excited about that and I am keeping up on my reading. This week was awesome, I am excited for another! The Lord is blessing us in so many ways, I am doing well and I am super happy to be here in West Chester!!!

I'm in Ohio now!

This week has been crazy. I am in OHIO now!!!! I live in a town called West Chester. It is beautiful! Rolling hills that can be really fun or a pain to bike on. The area is very wealthy. The ward is awesome! I love my new companion, he is from upstate New York! He is actually a visa waiter.... he is heading to Brazil once it comes.  We got double transferred into the area and I am the district leader of only sister missionaries! Crazy stuff! It will be fun though. I am looking forward to a great week! We are getting used to the area and we are riding our bikes everywhere, we do not have a car, its good though cause we will be in shape. This has been a big change but with change always comes growth and I am growing so much and trusting in the Lord in everything I do. I am super excited to be here in Ohio and I am excited to get the work rolling.The work is progressing that is for sure! We had 40 new missionaries and 40 more are coming next transfer! Its so awesome, the work is hastening and I am right in the middle of it, I am so lucky to be serving at this time. Thank you for all your help and support. You are in my prayers. The church is true!

"When we are united in the gospel, the Lord shows the world His character through us."

                                                                         Lorenzo Snow

New Companion!

Elder Hanks new address is 6736 Lakeside Dr. West Chester, OH 45069 Apt. 101E

Power of the Book of Mormon!

This week and a half has been awesome! So many things have happened and the Lord has really been blessing us. We have been working with Rusty ever since I got to Muncie and he is going to be baptized next Saturday, I am super excited for that. He is doing so good and he has seen the Book of Mormon help him out and bless his life, it is awesome. We went over one day and he hadn't been reading the Book of Mormon, and he had questions and he really didn't look or sound like he wanted to be baptized. So that lesson we focused entirely on the Book of Mormon, the next time we went over his whole countenance changed... it was unreal.  The Book of Mormon has that power and that effect on people, its awesome. So I got a call today from President and I am being transferred tomorrow!!! I will no longer be in Muncie. Crazy stuff, I felt like I just got here. I am also going to be training a brand new missionary! I am a bit nervous but its all good. If I put my trust in the Lord everything will work out. I know that to be true. I will let you know where I am on Monday. So I will have a new address! Its good hearing from all of you. Thanks for all your help and support. Church is true.

"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."  Anatole Frances

First Baptism!

This week has been the best week of my whole mission! We had a baptism on Saturday, Lester was baptized and it was the coolest experience ever. Let me tell you a little about Lester. He is a big black guy that has been investigating the church since 1998!!!! I was 4 years old when he started investigating. So one day out of the blue he called us to help him out... this was about 2 months ago and Elder Wagstaff has only met him once and I finally got to meet him. So we helped him clean his house for about an hour and didn't think much of it. Then he called us back to help him again... so we did. He was so appreciative of what we did for him, he was so happy we helped him even though we really didn't do much. Anyways we started talking about the gospel and he said he wants to start coming to our church. So we began to teach him and things went well.... really well. He stopped drinking coffee and tea right after we taught him the Word of Wisdom. It was so cool, he did so good. He was finally baptized August 24th 2013!!! It was the coolest baptism ever... the spirit was so strong in that room, it was unreal. I felt it like I never have before. It was so amazing. A member named Bruce baptized him... Bruce was less-active.  Bruce and Lynn (his wife) have picked Lester up every Sunday and now Bruce's family is on fire and they are coming to church and everything, it was two birds with one stone, it was so amazing. The Lord knows what he is doing. Lester is a pretty big guy though so they sent me in the font as well to help Bruce out. It was so sweet, I got to help him out of the water and man,  it was an experience I will never forget!  I was so happy and Lester was even happier. Lester's conversion is a miracle! It really is and I couldn't be more happy for him.

Yesterday Elder Oaks came and talked to us. We drove 2 hours and 30 minutes down to Cincinnati and listened to him speak. It was amazing. An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to us. It was the coolest thing ever. He was so powerful you could tell he loved us, he had that pure love of Jesus Christ and we could feel it. He spoke about the Holy Ghost and it was unreal. The spirit was so strong, I was overwhelmed, it was the best feeling in the whole world. Then we sang a song as a mission. "Armies of Helaman." Jeez that just got me.  These past 2 days have been the best two days of my whole mission and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have never felt the spirit so strong and I have never been so happy or felt so good, it indescribable.  The Book of Mormon is true. The church is true, Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer. Joseph Smith restored that same church that Jesus Christ originally set up and we have that priesthood authority back on the earth today and it is truly the power of God. I love you all, thanks for all your help and support.

Lester's Baptism!

No time!

No time today so sorry. Lester is getting baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!!!! I am super excited. This week went really well! We meet with Dallon H Oaks next Sunday, and I am pumped.

Preparation Day!

Birthday!

I am the big one nine now!!!! Birthdays are definitely different on the mission. It was good though. I went to ward council, sacrament, and a priesthood meeting at night, but they were good. A member in the ward asked me what I wanted for dinner so we had chocolate chip pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and watermelon! It was awesome, exactly what I wanted. She was so good to me yesterday, she made me a chocolate cake too, it was a great dinner. Four other sets of missionaries were there too and they all sang to me, it was awesome! Then I opened my package from my family at night, it was fun! This week has been good though. We were knocking on some doors one night and were having no success whatsoever. Then just about when we were ready to leave we knocked on one more door. They let us in and we taught The Restoration, it was awesome, it was such a great experience and the spirit was so strong! The mission is awesome. The church is true! Thanks for all the letters and all the support!

Birthday Package!

Families!

This week was a good one! I have been in Indiana for 2 months now, its crazy to think that. We have 3 people on a baptism date this month, we are super excited! Lester is doing really good, he reads 5 chapters out of the Book of Mormon everyday, he is such a good guy! The work is progressing, I am lucky to be in Muncie Indiana, I love it. It is hard at times but it is definitely worth it! We had a lesson with this guy that really likes dragons, he had pictures and little statue things every where, it was pretty funny. We meet very interesting people out here that's for sure. We are doing good though! Phil's family sent me letters the other day and I loved them, thank you so much, they meant a lot! I love hearing from the family. Being out here makes me realize how amazing and how blessed I really am to have such a great family. I miss you all! I love you all, choose the right. Count your many blessings! Church is true, families can be together forever.

The church is true!

This week was good! The new missionaries in the zone are really cool, I love them! We were able to give service this week to a guy named Tom. He is so funny! He goes from garage sale to garage sale just buying stuff and keeping it, he has so much stuff, its crazy! We emptied out his shed, it was full of toys, vacuums, clothes, everything and anything. We actually were able to snag a dumbbell which was sweet! So I checked yesterday and I have already gained 5 pounds since I left! That is not good, but I am eating healthy, for the most part. Its probably 5 pounds of muscle ha ha. Anyway we taught Danny a lesson this week and he had a crazy experience while he was traveling! He told us all about it and he said this Book of Mormon is different... Its got some power that really helped me out as I struggled in my travels. He is such a great guy, I love him.  We are working on getting him to church!!!! I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. The church is true! Thanks for all your help and support.

"To do today's work well and not bother about tomorrow is the secret of accomplishment."       William Osler

Book of Mormon is true!

This week has been sweet! A crazy story. We talked to this 18 year old kid and taught him the first lesson a couple days later. He didn't seem that solid so we didn't think much of it. Then we stopped by his house yesterday. We asked him if he read the Book of Mormon and he said yes. We asked him if he prayed about the Book of Mormon and he said yes. Then we asked what he thought about it. He said its true.... My companion and I were like wait what? He said I think the Book of Mormon is true. It was sweet!!! My companion and I were a little surprised, people don't usually listen to us. But like we promised him, the Lord will answer your prayers and he answered his prayer! It was so cool, people are usually to lazy to read and pray about it, but this kid did, it was awesome! We were so excited!!!!! The Lord answers prayers!  We had interviews with the new mission president, he is so awesome, he is exactly like Jim Woodward, he looks like him, talks like him, acts like him, and is as powerful as him. Its awesome! He is such a good guy. He reminds me so much of Jim Woodward its funny!  Sister Porter is so cool, we talked for a while, she is the sweetest lady. I am lucky to have them! Don't have much time today though.... got to go ball up in the park. This week was awesome. The church is true!

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."           
                                                                                    

The Lord answers prayers!

I was able to meet President and Sister Porter this week, they are awesome people, I love them! They set a new rule that we are to run 30 minutes every morning. It is awesome, I actually like it, it wakes me up. This week has been a good one, we have been teaching and finding! One guy named Lester has met with the missionaries for about 10 years on and off.... he invited us over and told us he is ready to change and the Mormon thing is the right thing to do!!!! I am super excited and I sure hope everything works out! He is a big black guy, but he is so nice and is just a big teddy bear. For the fourth of July we had breakfast at a members house with the ward, it was awesome. The missionaries helped make dutch oven.  We played corn hole, I have never played it before, its a fun game though! It is way popular here in Indiana!  Crazy things happen everyday, we run into the most interesting people, I love it! We ran into some dude the other day that is mad at God cause his 2 dogs died! He vowed never to go to church again, he prayed that they would stay alive but the Lord didn't listen to him, so he is now mad at God. We told him that it is God's will.... we go through these things to become closer to him, he strongly disagreed, we talked some more and testified of trails and how they bring us closer to the Lord. We are going to go visit him soon, so that will be good, he is a good guy, just a little confused!  Yesterday I fasted for guidance to meet people that the Lord has prepared for us.... fast Sundays are a lot more difficult on the mission because you cant just sleep through them.  That night we were riding our bikes and we ran into a couple that actually stopped and listened to us!!! They seemed very interested, I am super excited for them, we are going back to see them on Wednesday! 

The Lord answers prayers! I have a strong testimony of fasting, it really does work! It has worked for me every time I fast with faith! 

"Pray as  if everything depended on God and then work as if everything depended on you."                                                                                                                                                                                    

We drive past this corn field everyday!

Lightning strikes!

We are officially part of the Cincinnati Ohio mission today!!!! Our area covers Indiana, Ohio, and even some of Kentucky! I am super pumped!!! I will stay in Muncie for a while though... I love it here. I don't have much time today. We are going to go play some ball in the park with some neighborhood ballers. We are playing real street ball!! This week was good, we didn't have that many lessons, we are always searching for people to teach! The other day we were walking home after visiting a house and it started raining on us bad!!! We were soaking wet! From head to toe, like we just got out of a pool. On the way home lightning came 2 feet away from my companion and I, it was insane! We jumped so bad and started screaming it was sweet. It was so nice though, I love the rain especially after a hot day. Then the other day we were talking to this lady and her dog started sniffing my leg... no big deal. We kept talking and then my companion yells and looks down... the dog peed all over my shoe ha ha. The mission is awesome, the people here are great, I love them. We really are so blessed everyday and I see that more and more on my mission. I love teaching the first lesson about Joseph Smith, it is my favorite. I look forward to teaching investigators about that every single time! I am learning and growing so much, I love you all, thanks for all your support and help!!!

Serving!

Indiana is sweet, I love it, it gets better and better every week. It is starting to get hot though and very humid! We were tracking the other day and we saw a guy that needed a little help. So in our shirts and ties we lifted like 20 logs into the back of his truck. It was awesome. He was very appreciative and was interested in what we were doing and why we helped him. We explained we were missionaries and we had a message to share with him, we asked if we could stop by and teach him. He told us no... he did not want to become a missionary!  So we explained to him a little better about what we do and that he doesn't need to become a missionary like us. It was sweet though, I never thought I could be so happy serving and helping someone else. It makes a big difference if you desire to help people out instead of just helping people out because your told to do so. After that we were soaking wet though, it was a hot and humid day. Yesterday was the mission president broadcast and it was awesome. I have never been so excited to hear from the apostles and prophets! That's what we teach and talk about all day everyday and actually getting to hear from them is such a blessing. I love being out on a mission, it is stretching me and changing me into the man the Lord wants me to become. I would rather be out here serving the people of Indiana than doing anything else!!! Even Lake Powell or Bear Lake. We meet our new mission president soon, and I am pretty excited about that. Thanks for everything!!!! Thanks for the love and support and the prayers.

Muncie Indiana!

Muncie Indiana is awesome! So many great experiences this past week, I love it! We were on bikes this week and my butt got a little sore and it reminded me of the trip to Lake Powell. We are doing a lot of tracking, going door to door. The members here are taking good care of me. They feed us well. I had to give a talk yesterday at a fireside. Its called "why I believe" it went pretty well, I didn't know I was talking till an hour before so I didn't have much time to prepare. I have to give a talk in sacrament meeting next Sunday, I am excited for that as well! I am learning so much everyday its hard but I am putting my trust in the Lord! Teaching and being with the people in Indiana makes me realize more and more how blessed we are, its amazing.  The work is going forth and I am excited to be part of it! The Lord is blessing my life and I couldn't be more happy. God speed the right!

My address is 1307 S. Meeker Muncie Indiana 47302. 

"Do not go where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path, and blaze a trail."

I'm here!

I'm here!!!!! Indiana is crazy, I love it. They are splitting the mission and I am going to the other mission crazy huh!? As of July 1st I will be part of the Cincinnati Ohio mission. I am serving in a town called Muncie right now, its in Indiana so I will be here for a while. The new mission covers some of Indiana, Ohio, and even Kentucky. In July I will get a new mission president, President Porter, I am really excited. So much has happened this week I wish I could tell you all about it.  I did see Dillon Smith but we will no longer be in the same mission. My companions name is Elder Wagstaff, he went to Jordan High School, he is tight. We get along well. Teaching people and being a missionary is awesome. I am still trying to get used to everything but I love it!!! We have met so many great people, they are all so nice. Being in Indiana though has made me realize how blessed I really am. The people that we come in contact with have been through so much and its just crazy to see how blessed we really are. God is preparing people to hear the word, its sweet. We were knocking doors the other day and we came across this lady that was prepared to hear the gospel, she asked the best questions that we were able to answer with our doctrine, it was cool. She is not in our area so other missionaries will be talking to her, but it was a great experience. I have taught 4 lessons already, its awesome stuff sharing the gospel. I am just trying to love everyone and be like grandma D! Sacrament meeting yesterday was good, it was actually the best part of the week, i met a lot of the members. The bishop had us come up and tell the ward about ourselves... it was sweet. I am learning so much and I have so much to learn, it is a process but I am super excited to be here!!  I am seeing the Lord's hand more and more everyday.

"I can only thank my Father in Heaven for wonderful and unusual opportunities.  I know where much is given, much is expected."

One week!

I am the old guy, its weird once you have been here a week its like you have been here one year. But my companion name is Elder Peterson, his ankle is healing slowly. Sunday and Tuesday devotionals are freaking awesome. I used to look forward to devotionals so I could get some sleep, I have a whole different perspective now, I love them. Sunday's devotional was seriously an answer to my prayers. I am learning and growing so much, its awesome, I still have so much to learn though. My testimony is so much stronger and I see the hand of God in my life everyday more and more. I leave to Indiana Tuesday morning at 4!!!! I am so excited to get there so i can actually teach real investigators. The MTC has been good and I have only been here one week, but I already can't wait to go and serve the people of Indiana. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

MTC!

My P days are on Friday! So much has happened these past two days its unreal. I met my companion and he is 6 foot 8.  He however does not play basketball, and yesterday we had gym time. He went up to block a shot and landed and sprained his ankle ha ha. So we had to go to the BYU facility to check it out, I have already been off campus and we missed some class because of it!!! So we are the newest branch in the MTC!! We didn't have district or zone leaders, so yesterday we met our branch president and we all got interviewed by him. After that, my companion and I were called as zone leaders!!! I have no idea what I am doing, so I'm just going to put my trust in the Lord. This work is tough, a lot harder than I expected, but I am doing great! I love the work! Waking up early really isn't that bad, I just cant fall asleep at 10:30, that's my problem, my body is not used to it. I have seen Elder Orgill, Elder Pinegar, and Elder Ostler, thank goodness, it is always so nice to see them, they are such great friends. I love all you so much and thank you for all the help and support, thank you for the prayers, I am definitely helped because of them! The MTC is awesome!

The best 2yrs.

Hunter left for the Indiana Indianapolis Mission on May 22nd 2013. He started his best 2 years at the Provo MTC.  We are excited to hear from him and his experiences.  Hunter, we love you and support the work you are about to do. You have always been a good friend and an example to many and we know that you will touch the lives of the people in Indiana. May God bless and watch over you always.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father; Ye shall have eternal life."
                                                                                      2 Nephi 31:20