Week 4! Or is it 5? Actually I think it's 5

Hello everyone! 

It's kind of weird writing these letters since it's one really big one and I don't expect a response but at the same time I feel like there is a response? I don't know. Anyway! This week:

I've decided to bring my journal with me now so I can actually remember what happened. Written every single day throughout the entry is: I am so tired. I'm tired. Wow, I'm tired. So, if you happened to be wondering, I'm tired. Huzzah missionary work!

This week we had about 500 cancellations. Which may sound like an exaggeration but it's not. Well, it is. But only by about 480 maybe. Well, we probably didn't actually have 20 cancellations, but we had a lot. 

To fill this time we went finding. The nice thing about dear Bowling Green and our surrounding areas is that people are incredibly nice. Most of them aren't interested, and if they aren't they politely say that. So far my favorite has been a woman that opened her door about an inch so all you could see was one eye and said no thank you as soon as Sister Hodson was about to open her mouth then shut the door with force. I would say slammed but you can't really slam a door that is only open an inch. So, you know, polite. 

Our same investigator that we had to call 911 for the first day I was here had to go to the hospital again when we came over to teach him. This time a member that was with us called her husband who took him, so a little less dramatic than the ambulance. If you would like to know more email me but I won't say all the details since this is on the blog. I would say he's okay, but we don't really know. Keep him in your prayers, familia. And friends. 

Oh, and here is a story about how all of your prayers for my safety have helped! So, we were driving back from Kirtland last week, a trainer for another sister was driving, and she realized while we were on the highway that she missed the exit. So, obviously the thing to do at this point is to come to an abrupt stop. On the highway. In the left lane. Dead stop. On the highway. This is what happened. Not continue on and turn around where we can. Your prayers come into play in the fact that no one was near us at the time so there was no accident, but she had to be told that a) we shouldn't be stopped right now and b) we can't make a u-turn on the highway so you're going to need to move before cars come. Needless to say I was panicking, but we lived. 

Another fun driving story: a completely different sister on our way down to district meeting thought the emergency break might be on. Which it wasn't, but she thought she should probably push it to make sure that it wasn't. While we were driving. Once again, nothing happened. So, thank you for your prayers. 

Oh, and I have been memorizing the first vision in spanish. You ready? Vi una columna de luz mas briliante que el sol directamente arriba de mi cabeza ....dos personajes cuy fulgor y gloria no admitten descripcion. Uno de ellos me hablo llamandome por mi nombre y hijo, senalando al otro, "este es mi hijo amado escuchalo!" BAM. Did that from memory. Not that you know since none of you are sitting here, but there you go. And it's not all of it, as Jon could tell you, but I'm learning! I know there's an al reposar vi la luz en el aire arriba mi and something something in the middle there that part is actually just the "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun...2 personages whose brightness and glory defy all description. One of them spake unto me calling me by name and said pointing to the other, "this is my beloved son, hear him." I don't know if I'll actually need this out here or anything, but if we ever run into someone that speaks spanish I'll be able to tell him/her the first vision! I tried practicing teaching the restoration to my companion in spanish, who speaks absolutely no spanish, so it was extra special. And probably made no sense. But I tried! And it made it less intimidating that way. Mainly because she had no idea what I was saying, but there you go. 

Now I think I will move on to pictures. 

My 'greenie (green-y? green-ie?)' meal. 

Sister Hodson and I at Kirtland. Everyone only had a few minutes to take pictures, so that's my only one of us

I really wanted to get the House of the Lord bit, but I couldn't very well as I was taking that picture as I was running to catch up with everyone. 

Sister Hodson and I

Sisters Frampton and Mitchell gave us a chocolate frog for Valentine's Day! (and a ton of other candy), but the witches/wizards card was mysteriously missing from it

My camera sucks, but that is me in all my winter gear in some awesomely thick snow one night. 

My awesome squirrel friend that hangs out in the tree by our apartment 

Us in all our beauty

The best sign 

And that is all for now. I love you all and miss you a lot! I hope you're all straying strong and making it through all the things you all have to do! Love you all much!

Sister Hunter 

Week something something.

Hello everyone!

I have yet to read your emails because I figure I should probably get this out of the way first so I am not typing the exact same thing 40 times. But, I assume they are marvelous. And thank you for writing them!

In exciting news, your memory tends to leave you while you are on your mission of everything that does not have to do with what you need. I was trying to explain to one of the sisters how amazing Alkaline Trio's lyrics were by saying some of them, and I couldn't remember. It took me half an hour to remember the song I have had as my ringtone for the last 3 years. Pretty special, right? 

In other news, this week has been pretty crazy. We were able to go to Kirtland on Friday which was an incredible experience. You all should go. It was awesome. And wonderful. And go. 

One of our investigators came to church on Sunday with 5 of his children! (He has 12 total, but they live with their mom elsewhere so he only had 5 of them this weekend. Sorry Grandma, you have been beat). But it was really great. It was the first time he was able to stay for all 3 meetings and only the second time he had made it to church. I didn't realize it would be so nerve racking waiting for them to come through the door. You're hoping and hoping and then suddenly they are there! It was wonderful. 

Last Monday we did some service for one of the less active members in the ward. His name is Brother Morris. We helped him roll a thousand pound thing of hay out of the back of his truck. Which sounds super hardcore and awesome, but it's actually not. Partially because one of his friends was pushing it in the back, so pretty much you're just avoiding getting knocked over by it as it comes out of the truck. Which is a talent in itself. I may have yelped. But you'll never know for sure. 

Other than those exciting things I don't believe there is a whole lot to say. It was really great to see Sister Mejia again and the rest of our Cleveland sisters when we went to Kirtland. While we were there we said a prayer in the school of prophets about how we would like our mission to go and what we hope to accomplish from it. Apparently we then go back our last day here and 'report' so to say. So we 'start' and end our mission in Kirtland. (Technically we were a little thrown off since we went a week after we'd been in the field, but there you go). I wish I could express how wonderful and spiritual Kirtland is.  

Oh, P.S. according to my ecclesiastical card thing (I think that's what it's called) my last day will be August 6th. At least that is when it expires. 

I would send pictures but there is not the time today. We are having to use the university's computer lab since the library is closed due to the holiday. So, with that I shall depart. Enjoy your weeks! I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Sister Hunter 

Week 3!

Hello everyone!

Again, thank you all for your letters! I miss you dearly! But it has been really great. So, the best news of all? Technically we have unlimited email time. Unlimited in the sense that we have 8 hours on Preparation Day (we've been told not to call it Pday), but that also includes shopping, washing the car, doing laundry, etc. So, unlimited in the sense that it does not only have to be an hour. So I don't have to rush through things, which is super awesome. But yes, ANYWAY. 

Are you ready for the city I am in? It is Bowling Green! And guess what? It's super farmlands wonderland. Though maybe you all already know that because I know the Chase's sent mother a beautiful picture of me at the Chili Cook off on Saturday. And hopefully they'll be sending you the dinner they made for us yesterday. It was all green. EVERYTHING. And they had me put on this green wig and glasses. It was super special. But great. They're good people.

Anyway, a lot has happened since I was not able to email last week. We had our last days at the MTC which was incredibly bitter sweet. I am going to everyone so much. The elders and the sisters in my district. I'll be including pictures in this one so I will let you know who all those people are and you can actually see their faces! 

They were really great though. I miss them. Though my companion is super great now. So that is also awesome.

So, to begin actual mission life. Our very first night in Ohio there was a big storm so we weren't able to go to Kirtland the next day like they typically do (instead we'll be going this Friday. Valentine's Day! All of our companions were super happy because the majority of them haven't been since their first days). So, we stayed in the mission home and learned stuff. Like we should. Then on Thursday we met our companions and went to our new locations. Bowling Green is apparently the furthest west that the sister missionaries go, so here I am. I have been told it is also the second flattest county in the country. Oh, how I miss the mountains. And knowing what direction I am facing. So, first exciting story, my very first night there one of the investigators wanted to meet me so we went to his house. He has diabetes and heart problems and had to have an operation on his toe so my companion also wanted to make sure he was doing well. So, we went and while we were there he was having really bad heart burn that would not go away. Because of his heart problems my companion was really concerned, and to make a long story short we ended up calling 911. It turns out he has a blood clot in his lung. The doctors released him but it's still there and if it moves it goes straight to his heart, so we're all praying really hard for him. So, yeah. That happened. First day. Way to begin the mission, right? My companion has assured me that is not typically how it goes, but we shall see.

The second day, we got a brand new investigator! Her name is Marie, she is incredibly sweet. The very first visit she said she would like to be baptized. First lesson. So, yeah. Very different experiences. It's only day 5 for me actually in the field, so I guess there's not a whole lot to report otherwise. It's super freezing, but my jacket and boots are proving to be marvelous. I don't know.

Pictures: The first one Is some random elder that was among the many of our 700 cameras to take our big group photo who then decided to take one of himself. I had no idea he did so until I was looking through the pictures and had to know who is this random man?  

A nice picture of our district. From left to right: Sister Byers (my companion), Me, Sister Thomson, Sister Wright, Sister Mejia, Sister Jarvis.  

908: They have a whole bunch of pictures in the MTC of missionaries in their various places. This one was my favorite. It was England in I think the 60s. 

Sister Byers and I

My favorite picture of Sister Mejia

Sister Mejia, Elder Palmer and I

We gave Elder Palmer a beard and moustache to match our moustaches. 

That is Sister Mejia and I hugging a pole. Like champions 

I couldn't not include this picture because our faces our so attractive. But that is Elder Linford and me. 

Sister Mejia and I made sure all the Broncos supporters were wearing blue and/or orange on Sunday so that we could make an angry picture against the Seattle fans. But apparently we're missionaries and aren't supposed to be angry so we're happily opposing. 

Our beautiful district

Elder Linford can't take a jumping picture to save his life. This was the best one. 

The best district. Top to bottom left to right: Elders Linford, Hamman, Searle, Phillips, Palmer, Stocking, Sisters Mejia, Jarvis, Byers, Thomson, Wright, Me, Byers

All the zone before we left

Our wonderful teachers Brother Norman and Brother Quick with us

Our other wonderful teacher Brother Alder

Our other other wonderful teacher Brother Flinders

Sister Mejia, me, Sister Hunt, and Sister Byers the day we left the mission home to head to our separate places in Ohio. 

And there you have it. I sent 400 pictures. Be happy. It took forever.

I love you all, I miss you dearly. 

Love,

Sister Hunter

Sister Hunter in Bowling Green, Ohio

To the Family of Sister Hunter --
 
Sister Hunter has arrived safely in Bowling Green, Ohio.  There was a slight delay in transfers this week due to the mid-week snowstorm, but we wanted to let you know that she is here and doing well.  She and her companion, Sister Hodson, will be joining us for dinner tomorrow, where we will be happy to welcome her with our traditional greenie meal.  
 
We look forward to getting to know your dear daughter.  My husband and I are both converts and have a deep appreciation of the missionary program.  If there is ever a way that we can be of assistance to you or Sister Hunter, please let us know. 
 
A picture of her, taken at tonight's chili cook off, is attached.  We'll send more pictures after tomorrow's dinner :)

-- Julia A. (Von Deylen) Chase

 

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)