Monday, March 21, 2016

Hello!
This week will be pretty short because we spent most of our time in
the apartment because elder Harvey has been sick since Tuesday. But we
still had a good week. We had Distrikt meeting on Tuesday and we
talked a lot about commitments and why they are important which was
good. I taught about asking direct questions and did a few role plays
and it was really good. I like Distrikt meeting a lot. But then we
came home and Elder Harvey was feeling really sick so he went to sleep
and I just did some studies and started reading "Our search for
happiness" (which I ended up finishing that day) haha it was a really
good book for members and non members alike to gain a good knowledge
of why we do what we do and are who we are as a church. It's pretty
short too so it's an easy read. I also this week have been listening
to a lot of talks from back in the 1980s and on and there are so many
good talks from so long ago that still are so effective today. I
really like the older talks because in a lot of them they are very
bold and straightforward which I really like. One of my new favorite
talks is from President Gordon B Hinckley and it's called four Bs for
boys. I believe it's from April 1981. But it is so good. I would
really encourage you to read it if you have some time. But the four Bs
are Be smart, be clean, be fair, and be true. I really liked it
because it is really just for very basic things we can all do to be
and become the people God wants us to be. And it starts of with a
pretty funny analogy. Haha
As for investigators we are still struggling to find new
investigators. Hugely because we couldn't go finding this week since
Elder Harvey was sick, but we did get in contact with David again when
we went to dinner for Fabrizios birthday and we talked to him and he
said he was really sorry he had been avoiding us and that his dad
called him and said if he heard he was even still meeting with us that
he would cut communications with him and so he was scared to talk to
us. We just told him that it is okay and we understand and just
invited him to keep reading and praying and told him if he ever needs
anything to let us know. So that was sad but at least we know where we
are with him now. Everybody else is just continuing with very slow but
always good progress.
I am doing really great and even though I hate being inside and not
out working I have tried to take advantage of the time and study the
lessons more and familiarize myself with the doctrines and everything.
I also got some good language studies in this week. We also had to
play a couple games of zug um zug to pass the time haha. But then we
had a really good day at church, we finally made a return appointment
with the Dax family who is a new convert that has us over once every
couple weeks to teach his mom and brother. It's pretty cool to see his
new testimony so strong and in action and they are both very open to
it. So hopefully that goes well this week.
That's really all that happened this week. Not a huge week but still a
good but different week. I'm just praying to get back out and work
hard this week. I love you all and I really hope you have a
wunderbares week!

Liebe Grüße,
Elder Hunter




Monday, March 14, 2016

Hello!
This week was really good! We had a lot of special stuff this week
which made it interesting. We had Mission tour and also stake
conference this week so we spent pretty much all of Friday through
Sunday in Salzburg. But it was way fun! I learned a lot this week
which was awesome. We have not had a ton of progress with our
investigators and we have been trying really hard to find some new
investigators but finding here is pretty dang hard. But we keep
trying. This week we spent a total of 11 hours finding. Haha which in
a bigger stadt would not be that bad. But in a bunch of small dorfs
it's a ton. Haha on Tuesday we doored for 6 hours straight. We almost
doored a whole dorf. Hahaha in that 6 hours we found one PU. Haha but
we are keeping our heads up and working hard to find new people.
We also went through our whole area book and called a whole bunch of
people and cleaned out the ones that the numbers didn't work and had
no addresses or anything. We found a few people there that we may
start teaching. Hopefully those work out.
On Friday we had Mission Tour in Salzburg and our zone and the Wien
zone came together which was way fun. It was great to see Elder
Cornetta again and catch up with him, then I also saw Matt Lyman! He
is the zone leader now in Wien and it was way fun to talk to him and
catch up and talk bikes a bit together. He is awesome. It was cool in
mission tour we actually talked a lot about the Articles Of Faith and
it's cool there is a very cool organization to them that I had never
recognized. It's 4x3+1.
1-3 talk about the plan
4-6 talk about structure of church
7-9 talk about resources
10-12 talk about activities in church
13 is
It was pretty cool to see that. Then we also talked a lot about
following the rules and how exact obedience brings blessings. It was a
pretty good meeting!
Then on Saturday and Sunday we had stake conference which was way
awesome. There were some really good talks and it is so cool because
the focus all around the church right now is on Member missionary
work. It just goes to show how important and truly vital it is to
missionary work. One thing I really liked that was said in conference
was that nothing we do in this work is ours. My two years of serving
no matter how many lessons I teach, people I baptize, people's lives
we bless, etc.  it is not for my own glory. It should all be done in
the glory of God and for him. This is his work. I thought that was
really cool. And at conference I saw and talked to Jakob Schenk for a
bit. He said to tell the Leishmans hello! He is way cool and he
actually was one of the first fellowshipers for our investigator
Horst. It was fun talking to him for a bit.
It was another good week and I continue to learn so much from
everybody around me every day. We had a companionship stay at our
apartment for conference and one was a brand new missionary this
transfer and I was thinking finally I'll know more than somebody in
the mission, but as I talked to him I swear I learned more from him
than a lot of other people. Haha but it's good. It was humbling. :) I
love my mission! I hope everyone else has a great week also.

Liebe Grüße,
Elder Hunter
                                                     So fun to see Jacob Schenk again!
                                                           .... and Elder Matt Lyman
The gazebo from the sound of music
Funny video clip

Monday, March 7, 2016

     Wow this week was crazy but so good. It is already my second transfer
here in the field which seems absolutely crazy to me. But I am so
stoked about it all right now. Seriously the mission is so hard and
very hard work a lot of times when the last thing you want to do is
work but it is so worth it all. But anybody that is considering
serving a mission, it is so worth it and I can't even explain how much
and how quickly you learn.
      Now speaking of learning quickly I'll start
of about how I learned being familiar with your scriptures is
important. We had a lesson last week on Monday with a lady that
invited us back after we did an Umfrage (survey) the Saturday before
and so we were teaching her for the first time and we were teaching
the restoration and she was asking why there are so many different
churches and I had the great idea of sharing 2 Nephi 28 15-18 which
talks about the great apostasy.. Oh no I lied its 2 Nephi 28 3-5. But
I told her the previous one. Of course I accidentally pulled out one of the
very few scriptures in the Book Of Mormon that says the word whore and
talks about burning in hell.... Luckily she understood that I made a
mistake and happily read the correct verses. But yes, I now know I need
to know my scriptural references a little better... Haha sadly she was
very happy with where she was at and was not interested in learning
more but we left her with a Book of Mormon and our phone number and who
knows maybe she will change her mind. We made contact and introduced
it and invited and that's all a missionary can do.

     Then on Tuesday we had Distrikt meeting and that was really good we
spoke a lot about how the Book of Mormon is the keystone to our
religion and how once you know the Book of Mormon is true then you
really can know everything else is true. It all falls into place from
the Book of Mormon. One thing that I learned and have been practicing
is not just praying for an answer if the Book of Mormon is true once
but to continually pray about it. Pray about every chapter. Pray to
know what you should learn from this certain verse. Pray to feel
comfort. I have really been learning how helpful the Book of Mormon
really is in every way and when investigators read in the Book of
Mormon it's crazy how much more progress they make and honestly just
their countenance even changes. It's so cool!! But then it was also
cool because it just so played out that in almost every lesson this week
that subject became very relevant.  It was cool!
     Then on Wednesday we had to go to the doctor because Elder Harvey
dislocated a rib during Frühsport so now we have to go to Salzburg
once a week for physical therapy. Haha we also met with a member
family that is part of the ward missionary team and it is seriously so
cool here in this ward how dedicated they all are to missionary work
and helping us and giving us referrals and joint teaching and
everything. It is truly incredible how much more smoothly this work
goes when the investigator is introduced into open arms of people that are
really actually welcoming them. This ward when we bring a investigator
to church we have members greeting them people sitting next to them
even people inviting them to their house for dinner. It is amazing. I
would really like to invite everyone at home to take any opportunity
you get to really reach out and help people and make them feel
comfortable. Invite somebody to dinner, ask someone if they want to
hang out, it doesn't even have to be church related just reach out and
be a good example of standards and you will be doing missionary work
already.
      Sadly this week we have completely lost contact with David. We call
him but he never answers and he doesn't answer his door if we come
by.. I think he is just scared to go any farther with his dad being so
upset about it so we have backed off a bit and just praying for him.
Sonja told us that she really just is happy about her life and that
she doesn't really have a desire to know more truth and we talked to
her about spiritual potential and showed her the video of the guy
going on the cruise and just sitting in his room the whole time
because he doesn't realize his ticket includes everything and that
seemed to have sparked it a little but we will see. Patrick is doing
awesome he has been praying every day he says and he tries to read
every day he is the smartest kid ever but sometimes it makes me worry
that he relies on his own knowledge more than knowledge from the Holy
Ghost. But he will get there, and hopefully pull Sonja along with him.
Cassandra has made some good progress finally! She came to church this
week and she actually read this week she actually had a cool
experience with receiving an answer in the Book of Mormon and so she
was excited. I made a deal with her that next fast Sunday I'll bear my
testimony if she will bear hers. Haha those are the main people right
now.
      After church we went to cassandras house and she fed us and holy crap.
I have never been so full and sick in my life. A Romanians diet
consists of meat, meat, and more meat. We had like this meat soup,
then schnitzel and like 5 of that, then they brought this huge salami
plate out. Man that was too much meat. I never thought I would say
that. It's funny I get a taste of everything here. I have had greek
food, African food, Argentinian food, Romanian food, Turkish food and
German food. Haha hopefully I don't get too fat.
    It's also cool. Our zone this transfer challenged us to every day try
to find a miracle in the day and write it down. It's cool to see how
fast that list adds up. And it's not just all the big crazy miracles
but all the little miracles that if you weren't thinking about it you
would totally miss.  God really is in our lives every day and helps
us. It's really cool to realize that.
     Then last thing I wanted to talk about that we talked about in church
this week is talents. Everyone has talents and we are all so blessed
to have been given the talents we have. I know that we have all been
given the talents we have in order to bless our lives and bless those
around us. Use your talents and work on them and improve them. But the
coolest part is that the places where we aren't "naturally talented"
if it is important and we are humble we can be made strong.
Ether 12:27                                                                                                                                        "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men
weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all
men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves
before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become
strong unto them." I really like that!

Well I love you all!

Liebe Grüße,
Elder Hunter

The two pictures are of Mondsee, which is one of my favorite places in our area. The church in the picture is in the sound of music

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Hallo,
     Wow my first transfer in the field is already over. It's crazy how
fast it actually went! We got our transfer calls on Saturday and I am
staying here with Elder Harvey! Which is sweet! Elder Harvey's last
transfer!! My second and his last. Haha but I'm stoked to be staying
with him.
     This week was fun because we got to mix it up a little bit and do some
different stuff. On Tuesday we had Distrikt Versammlung which was
awesome. Elder Storrer went off on how Muslims and other Christians
Faith's believe a lot of the same things as us but that a lot of their
doctrines conflict themselves and he went deep haha like a 5 page
booklet comparing stuff. Pretty funny. But then after we had district
meeting we did a district finding day which was seriously way cool
cause we all traded companions and so I was with our zone leader Elder
Samuelson and it was just so interesting to get to see another persons
approach to finding. It wasn't better or worse than what we do
normally but it was just one more way to know. He was so good at
pulling out scriptures to answer people's questions right there on the
street and I thought that was so cool. It makes me want to be better
familiarized with the scriptures!! But that was way cool and I learned
a lot.
     Then here comes the crazy part. Then they made me and sister
whiting who is only one transfer older than me go together and it was
hard. I went from being able to always fall back on my companion if I
got stuck, to being the one saving. Sister whiting had never been
street contacting and I think she is scared to just throw herself out
there in German.
     But we talked to a few people and struggled through
the language barrier but succeeded not to get Englished but no real
interest from anyone then sister whiting stopped somebody for the
first time and I was kinda finishing talking to somebody else and I
heard her stop him right as I was saying bye to the other then just
silence... She didn't know what to say. Hahaha so I hurried and
started talking and he was the coolest guy. I explained to him that we
were just in Salzburg today and simply wanting to share a message
about Christ and faith. He was very open and I asked if he had a
religion or faith and he told me he didn't really have a certain
religion but he has faith in Christ and knows he is our savior. We
explained that we know he is our savior as well then we shared mosiah
3 5-8 and that lead into us talking about the Book of Mormon and we
explained that we believe in the Book of Mormon as well as the bible
and that we use them hand in hand and he loved it. I gave it to him
and invited him to read from it and had him read Moroni 10 3-5 and he
said he would give it a shot and then he told us that they have a
group that gets together for bible study every Tuesday night and that
he would love for us to come and talk about the book! Sadly I had to
go back to Neumarkt so I didn't get to do that but he was so ready for
the gospel and I hope that he will accept it as the Salzburg elders
begin to teach him.  He was so cool!
     But it was seriously so cool because just in those short few hours I
learned so much from both Elder Samuelson and Sister Whiting, I feel like
my mission is helping me learn that no matter who I am with I can learn
something from them. Or at least that has been the case every time so far. Even if maybe
it's somebody you are not so open to learning from... I have learned
that too.
     But then we started our austausch so me and elder Nebeker headed back
to Neumarkt and we taught Sonja the gospel of Jesus Christ lesson and
it was really good. She opened up to us a lot about her childhood and
how it was pretty rough for her and yeah it was good. Then we had a
member appointment and sport abend where we just played some fußball!
It was pretty fun me and Elder Nebeker had a pretty good time together
and had a good day then we tausched back the next day about 12 and it
was fun being with Elder Nebeker but Elder Harvey is the best! Haha
     The week in between that was pretty average. Nothing big. But then
Friday we were going 90 miles per hour all day. We had ward mission
council then a lesson, then a lunch appointment, then apartment
inspections, then one lesson, two lesson, then a dinner appointment.
Holy crap. It was awesome though!! In our Distrikt the Ehepaar has a
competition that whoever has the cleanest appartment gets to go out to
lunch wherever they want with them. We got 100 percent on our cleaning
check and he goes hard. Like checks everywhere. Haha he checked the
blinds for dust. But yeah so we ate
​a great Asian buffet today. :)
     Then Saturday was pretty cool. We got to be the witnesses for a
baptism in Salzburg and everything there went well. It was cool to see
a convert baptism as I have actually never been involved in one. It's
cool to see someone so excited about it. It was this African guy named
Peter! He was way cool! Then we just played some basketball with the
kids at the baptism.  All in all it was a great week!!
Liebe grüße,
Elder Hunter