Hola Familia,

First, I want to give thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement that they give me. I am so grateful to have family and friends. What would I do without them?

Well, My first Christmas here in Mexico! It was awesome! Christmas Eve my companion and I bought cohetes (fireworks) and because we had to be in the house by 8, we decided that part of the house was the roof also so we went up on the roof and decided to throw our fireworks from there. That was such a fun experience! (Note from Mom: Hopefully they were safe, I guess nothing burned down) I absolutely loved it!


On Christmas day we had a devotional with our bishop's family and that is where I ate my first chicken foot!

Above: Elder Hunter with Bishop

Above: Tennison with the chicken foot (EEK!)

They really aren't that bad! Then we worked like usual until it was time for my family to call. Oh man the time went by like ten seconds! (Note from Mom: It was actually one hour). It was way too short but it was an awesome time talking with them. The Hermana in whose house we were talking said it was so cute because I was just smiling so big while talking to the fam! It was great!

Well I have a new companion. I still haven't met him. I'm still waiting here at the bus station for him to arrive! yeah por fin I'm going to have a Mexican companion so I'm finally going to learn spanish!!!!!! (haha)

Tyla, I have a favor. I was wondering if you want to be my pen pal and write me every month and let me know how everyone in the family is doing!? Let me know if you are down with that!




Love you guys a ton!
Cuidense mucho

Elder Hunter

Below are some pictures of Elder Hunter at the branch Christmas Party


Picture of Elder Hunter helping friends flip hamburgers.

December 22, 2008-

Family,

I'm super stoked to be able to talk to you this week! Its going to be so fun!

Well we had the wonderful opportunity to attend the temple this week which was absolutley mazing! Yeah, I did it all in Spanish even. How amazing is that? Kind of scary, but I actually learned a lot. It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life! You would never believe it! Oh and if you ever really want to have an awesome experience when going to the temple, I promise if you fast before going and break your fast afterwards, Wow, you'll have an awesome experience. I can't even put words to what I was able to experience when I was there! Also we ran into a drunk guy last night, well, actually that's nothing new we always run into drunk people but usually we just put them off because they are so drunk they have no clue what they are doing. But my companion and I really felt something with this guy so we went to his house and I think we ended up finding an absolutley golden family! But we'll see when we go to visit with them on Wednesday. Well I love you guys. Don't forget to call at 6 your time on Thursday!

Merry Christmas! I love you all so much!

Elder Hunter

This was Tennison's e-mail on December 15th, 2008 (I'm a little behind on the postings).

Hola Familia,

My week was absolutly Amazing!!! Well, first, I got the Christmas package that wasn't suppose to arrive before six weeks. That was a miracle. I absolutely loved it!. Thnaks so much for all the little things! We hung the snowflakes and bells up in the front window so it makes it look like Christmas! And I know I probably was suppose to wait for the letters and presents (at least that's what President Nancollas said) but oops, yeah, they were opened the second I had the package in my hand. Don't worry it's just an early Christmas present! Thanks a Ton!!!

Oh, the blister, good thing you reminded me I should probably check it tonight when I go home. It hasn't been hurting or anything so I have kind of forgot about it. Regarding the grasshoppers, every single one of you would have loved them if you didnt know what they were, they actually tasted amazing.

That's cool to hear that Hayley still goes over to bug you guys! (Note from Mom: By the way Hayley, you never bug us, we love having you!) I'm sure I'm tanner than she is! haha! O.K. yeah, I doubt it. Tell Hallie "Hi" for me!

So Hali Jo is engaged!? Tell her I better get an invitation also and that I want info!!!! So yeah, I'm expecting a letter from her!

Hawaii!!!! You guys better have a blast!!!! and take some pictures for me. Oh and Mom and Dad make sure you take the time to enjoy it. I'm sure you will. But just in case.

I wanted to send pictures this week because I have a ton of really cool ones but we don't have time this week as you can tell I'm writing a little late.

Regarding the phone call: Tonight we should have that figured out and I'll give you all the details next Monday. I think we are going to use an hermanas phone and I'll give you the number and the time to call. But like I said, I'll have for sure details for you next week.

This week was super sweet! Why? Well i gave my first discurso in Spanish on Sunday and it was awesome! Everyone said they actuallly understood what I was saying. What a miracle!!!!! Oh and I didn't even write out my talk word for word like usual. I just put the bullet points like you and Dad have tried to teach me to do since I was like 14. It works awesome that way!!!!! We were also teaching this awesome family but the mom has a problem, she has to get divorced from her first husband and married to the one she has now. Yeah divorcement takes a lot of time and money! So we probably won't see her baptism but she's an awesome convert already even though she isn't really a member. This life is really a huge war against Satan! Its amazing all the things he does to try and keep our investigators from progressing! It really makes us have to work really hard but nothing is impossible with the Lord! Also as Kanye West says "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!" (At least I think it's Kanye who says that!) I dont really know I've been out of the music loop for a while, but it's all good.

Have an amazing time in Hawaii!!!!!! Im trying not to be to jealous! haha!! Oh yeah we went to the pyramids again today and i got an awesome mask thing. It's freaking sweet!

¡Guardalo Real! ¡Los Amo Muchisimo!Elder Hunter

Mom,

Happy Birthday!!!! How old are you now!? 40!? Wow, you're getting a little old, if that's the case. (not really) haha I Love you Mom!

Well first I loved the pictures of Beau and Bryson. Figures Beau wanted to make a funny face. That's probably exactly what I would have done, well not that face, something like it though. Bryson why are you flexing your bicep when you are working out on the peck machine!? haha just giving you a hard time. I think my muscles are still bigger, but keep trying maybe one day you'll be bigger than me! haha

Well I absolutely love the newspaper articles about Beau and if B-rice happens to make it in any I'd love those articles as well also. Tell Tyla that I am thinking about her lots also!

O.k., So where to start with all of the stuff that happened this week:

First I had the opportunity to go on cambios with the assistants. The assistant that I went with was named Elder Hilario. He's freaking sweet and hilarios. I really learned a lot from him with how to teach and just be a missionary. It was an awesome experience that I had. Also, while I was with him on cambios, I had the opportunity to eat grasshoppers. Yes mom they were still, no they were dead! haha They really weren't that bad. They just tasted like salt and limon! (Comment from Mom, GROSS!)

Also we had interviews with the President this week. He's awesome. I love talking with him!

So the most interesting part to this week. First, my hands started doing the weirdest thing where they started peeling and getting really really dry! So I went out today and bought lubriderm lotion! Sister Nancollas said that that's what the doctor recommends for that and it should go away within like a week or so!

Also, I got a huge blister on my foot. On top of all of that I've just felt like totally exhausted everyday but its alright its so worth it. (Note from Mom, He's had some stomach issues but I edited out the details to save the rest of you. I feel bad for him, but he assured me he will be O.K.)


Yes im still working just as hard as ever. Well actually I feel like I'm working harder than ever but it's Awesome!

Hey, remember when you go to Hawaii to make sure and relax because it sounds like you and dad are running around like crazy! But thats the normal life no!? haha

Oh yeah and I found out that My companions Brother Taylor Francis works with Dad! I thought that was pretty cool. Tell me if Dad really knows him or how they work together and what not!

Well I love you All. Keep working hard!!!

Elder Hunter

Familia,

Don't worry mom lizards love me so even if they were poisonous they wouldn't hurt me! (Haha) Well, the weather here is still hot. Some days, in the morning, I might have to wear a jacket while a study but generally it's great. Thanks for sending the package. I hope that I get it soon. I'm so excited for it.

So, I hear Beau is an absolute animal on the court. Hey, if there are any news articles on him or their team send them to me por favor. Sounds like Bryson and Mckay are following right in his footsteps with basketball. Dang, I wish I could be there to watch, just send me the highlights and I think I'll live!

So this week was so sweet. First, my companion had a district leader meeting for like all day on Tuesday so I worked with a joven from the ward which was way cool! I had to do like everything which was sweet but kind of hard. (But yeah it was an awesome experience!)

(Above, the joven who worked with Tennison)

I also finally gave my first blessing in spanish on Friday which was really cool. I also have realized how lucky I have been to be blessed with awesome companions! All of my companions have been great!

(This is Tennison on top of his apartment complex)

(Tennison and his companion Elder Francis)

O. K., so about Thanksgiving, we asked this hermana if we could have a Thanksgiving dinner with her and she was so happy to make us food and have her first Thanksgiving. It was way fun! It's the Hermana that washes our clothes every week. We did the usual, we went around the table and told everything what we are thankful for. It was an awesome experience.

(I think Tennison is telling us he is not starving in this picture. Thank you Hermana!)

Oh, and the best part of this week is that we had the oportunity to baptize this couple that is freaking awesome! You would never believe their past! He is an ex-gang member that has totally changed his life around and the way he found his wife is even more interesting. They are so awesome!

Below is the little girl. Tennison loves the little children (if you can't tell.)

I love this work! Im so excited for this week because we have interviews and its always so fun talking with President! He's an awesome guy!

Well I love you guys! Keep working hard because I sure am!

Elder Hunter

Familia,

 Mom thanks for all the e-mails.  That's crazy that you ran into Rob. I hope that you told him "Hi" for me.  That is crazy that Truly and Elder Romney's sister cheered together. Wow! A small world it is! Well you should send me updates about what is going on at home. I really wouldn't mind that maybe cosas like the BYU/Utah game and how that went and whatever else you think would be good.  Because I would really like to hear some things about what's going on at home!  

So first things first, my companion is freaking awesome. He really works super hard and really knows how to teach. I've learned a ton from him already. He's sweet! I'll send some photos dont worry! So this week we baptized the rest of Miguel's family (his wife and daughter).  The thing that stinks is that they moved today so I won't see them here anymore.  I did get their address and they have mine so hopefully we can keep in touch at least! His family was so cool! It's sad to see them leave but at least they are all baptized!

 So my companion and I were talking and I told him that Ive never worked so hard, been so tired, but yet felt so good! Yeah, we're working like crazy right now and I absolutly love it! 

O.K. So today, it was awesome! We have done so many things today! We hiked to the top of the mountain Sincoque which was way fun! WE hiked with the other Elders that work in the same ward as us and two converts Yael and Mayra and two jovenes Hector and Angel. It was way fun.  They have been bugging us forever to do something with them so we decided to today.  It was awesome! I'll send pictures don't worry!

Above, Tennison was pointing at a bull and his companion poked his head out at the right time.

 Those who know Tennison, he loves lizards, so this is quite the find. . . I just hope they aren't poisonous.

Well it was another awesome week! I hope everyone is doing awesome back home! I just want you to know I'm absolutley loving it here.  

This is the best work ever! I Love you guys! Thanks for all the support! 

Elder Hunter

Family,

I`m so glad to hear that everyone is doing awesome. Tell dad and Beau that I`m just as excited as they are to hear everything about the basketball season and I better get all of the updates because I want to live through it with you guys!

O. K. So I had the coolest experience this week, well last Saturday. I was standing in the center of the field in the biggest stadium in Mexico in front of at least 100,000 people. (Probably way more but thats just to be safe). Well I received revelation that I think I need to be playing soccer right now instead of being here!

O.K not really!!!! It was the coolest feeling ever being a missionary and having over 100,000 people in the stadium cheering for me. This is so what I´m suppose to be doing right now. So much better than playing soccer in front of that many people because I`m here doing what the Lord wants me to do. Oh man, I Love this work!

So the reason I was standing in the middle of the field in the biggest stadium in Mexico! Well they rededicated the temple in Mexico yesterday which was the coolest thing ever! They put on a cultural event to celebrate the reopening of the temple and it was held in the Estadio Azteca! Huge staduim! The Prophet and his sidekick Elder Eyring were there also. It was so cool! The wards put together a bunch of cultural dances and then I knew we were going to have to do something but I didn´t know what. The dances were related to the history of the country and they intertwined the gospel with it. So it was cool! Then all of the sudden like half way through the missionaries started leaving and I was like what the heck that's dumb we can´t even watch the whole thing! But come to realize we were the grand finale of the whole show! We walked out onto the pitch singing "Called to Serve" and all the members and the Prophet were waving their white pañuelos in the air! Oh, The Coolest Experience Ever!!!!

That was awesome. And can I tell you our Prophet and Pres. Eyring are so amazing! They truly are inspired men of God!

Well I got my new companion. Elder Francis is his name and he`s tight. I can already see that we are going to have a lot of success because he wants to work hard. I´m excited! It was sad seeing Elder Romney leave though! But its cool. So yeah my week for ya`ll!

Love you!

Elder Hunter

P-Day with the district.

Family,

That's cool to hear that B-Rice is still a beast. Always wanting to be the best at everything he does. He´s awesome! Tell Beau and Bryson to work their rear-ends off at tryouts!

This week was really exciting! We had zone conference and President Nancollas showed us clips from Michael Phelps races during the Olympics which was really inspiring! He showed us the one from the butterfly race where he had almost lost it but the reason he won was because he gave it that last half stroke! He said we need to always give 100 percent! We can´t return home with regrets that we didn´t give it all we got out here! So yeah, it was way cool to hear something about the Olympics and see some of it. He also showed another clip about his team and how the won the 4 by 1 and never gave up hope even when it looked like they were going to loose and because of that they were able to pull off another gold medal! It showed how Michael Phelps was an awesome cheerleader for his teammates and we need to be like that for all the other missionaries out here cheer them on to the finish help them to finish strong! I was figuring Beau could apply these things because it's his senior year this year in basketball! But yeah really cool!

After that we received mail. It was so exciting! I got the letters you sent me and the stamps. Thank you so much. You guys are all so awesome! I also got a ward newsletter from August or September. I can´t really remember, but it was cool! I also got a letter from Hayley which was cool! Its kind of frustrating because I sent a letter to her like two months ago and it still hasn´t got there. Hopefully they arrive sometime! But she´s still Hayley. It is great to hear that she is still always happy about everything!

In one of the letters dad wrote me he said he talked with a Mexican that's from just north of here (well he probably lives in our mission boundaries) and he said that he couldn´t understand him! Yeah, there are some people that are really hard to understand down here but it's becoming easier to understand the majority. (Some like don´t even speak spanish, I swear.) But it's awesome!

Oh yeah, this week we pulled off 3 baptisms out of nowhere! It was so cool! It was honestly a miracle but it was so awesome! The water was like ice again but they still did it. It's so awesome to see people totally change there lives around and come into the gospel!


The video we made this week is so sweet! You better watch it on Elder Romney's Blog (There are two video's see last week's video first and then the one for this week.) and well if possible see if Elder Romney's Mom can e-mail it to you so you can post it on my blog. It really is so cool! O.K. just funny!

Well Love you All! Tell everyone to keep up the hard work!

Elder Hunter

Letter from Mission President

This week we received the attached letter from Tennison's mission president. (Note the date.)

Well, I don´t know where to start! It sounds like everyone is doing great back at home. So far I´ve only been able to open the picture of Mckay. Wow it looks like he´s grown! I´m assuming I can´t recognize him because of all of the make up he´s wearing!

That's cool that you and dad got to have a night kind of to yourselves. That really is a miracle how that happened. Well everything is going great here. Unfortunately we didn´t get to baptize Dana´s mom. It's so difficult with her because I can see in her eyes that she knows it's true but she just won´t get baptized! One of these days she will though.

My favorite thing this week was being able to help make our food with this one hermana! she is so awesome! We made enchiladas verdes and oh they are so good! I think they are my favorite food and they are so easy to make. You should try them!!

Also my companion and I kind of started a workout program. For the first day we did as many pushups as we could and now we do just one more a day. I´m up to 103 as of today! But I usually do another 100 after that just for fun! So let B-Rice know I´m still working out. HaHa

You know how you told me that dad was thinking about writing a thank you letter to Teresa and Edgar? I think that would be such an awesome idea! They would totally love it! Some info you might want to include is they hooked up our gas for hot water, she gave us curtains for our windows and she also invites us over once or twice a week to cenar! So if you could write a letter that would be so awesome they would totally love it! I can just print it off.

Also something cool happened. During one of our lessons with this guy (who has like totally changed his life around) I was bearing my testimony to him about prayer and usually I have to think about things that I´m saying and I can´t really speak fluently but while I was testifying to him I didn´t even have to think about what I was saying it just flowed! I think it really impacted him because he knows I have a more difficult time trying to express myself. So yeah the gift of tongues is true. It's Awesome! I definetely had some help from the spirit for sure!

Here' s a picture of our hitch hike ride home from our district meeting last Monday. It's my whole district except for (the sisters) our bishop and some family in our ward. Bishop is on the left he is just a happy jolly old fellow!

Here is one of the temple.


Well I love you all! I still haven´t gotten an e-mail from Beau make sure he has the correct address maybe that's the problem! Oh, also Mckay forgot to e-mail me this week.

I Love you!

Con Mucho Amor
Elder Tennison Hunter

That's awesome to hear about Brandon. BYU is hard but they give athletes private tutors so he doesn´t need to worry too much. Hopefully Beau isn't discouraged. Í know Beau usually has a good attitude about things so I´m not too worried about him!

Well, the most exciting thing we did this week . . we had the opportunity to go to the temple on Saturday! We didn´t get to go through it because it's an open house and we had to work. I had the job of counting every single person that came and dividing them into groups of people like men/women; members/non members; and adults and children. I don´t think they realized that it was going to be as busy as it was because I think I counted over 4000 people while I was there and I was there for like 5 hours. Yeah, my head still hurts from all that counting. I don´t think it helped that I had to get up at 3 in the morning in order to go! But it was really excting!

I think I found a computer that will cooperate with my memory card so I´m going to try and send pictures!

Ok so the reason I´m not e-mailing you until now is because we have this pyramid in our zone and our zone decided that we were all going to go and see it. (Note from Mom: I didn't get an e-mail until later in the day . . hmmm.) That is where we went this morning. It was really cool! I´m going to try and send you pictures of it as well. It was also freezing. It looked like it was going to be a normal day so I didn´t take a jacket, but to my surprise it was freezing. It made the experience just that much better! (Note from Mom . . that sounds so much like his dad.)


Also there is this factory that puts out tons of polution so I thought I would take a picture of that and try to send it as well! We've been pretty busy this week with lots of things to do!




Here is a picture with Dana and I! She is the cutest little girl! We´ve baptized everyone in her family except her mom. Which is sad. But I think we might be able to baptize her this week which would be so awesome!

That's cool you were able to meet Elder Romney´s mom this week! He´s awesome! We had interviews with president this week and president told me that he was going to be sending Elder Romney somewhere else so I´ll probably be getting a new companion next change which I´m kind of scared, because Elder Romney and I get along great! But it´ll be great whoever it is!

Oh yeah, I meant to tell you this like three weeks ago, but you know those shoes you told me to just take and wait until there gone to get new ones, well they can pretty much speak better spanish than me now because the front part of the sole came unconnected! But don´t worry I found some glue that holds it together pretty well. I think they´ll hold up for a little while! Ha ha!




The mission is great. Make sure all, that well . . . used to be ´little brothers` are preparing in some way or another to go on a mission because "wow" I didn´t realize how much I didn´t know about the gospel until I had to start teaching it. It's so awesome.

We now have beds, fridge and a stove! So it's pretty much awesome being able to eat something more than peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches with water everytime I wanted something to eat!

Well I'll keep you all in my prayers! Tell Beau I´m still waiting for an e-mail!

I love you all!!!

Elder Tennison Hunter

Family,

Well I´m sorry that I don´t have as cool of a story as Chris does, but I´m sure glad to hear that he is doing well. That's so crazy!

Well I´m glad to hear that Taylor is preparing to go on a mission. It really is awesome. This week we finally got in the water. We baptized Ulyses' family of 3. We were also suppose to baptize Arturo's family but only him and one of his daughters were baptized. We are hoping to baptize his wife and his other daughter this weekend. I had the opportunity to baptize our convert Teresa's daughter Celysmar. That was cool! Basically it's been a busy weekend for us. I love our converts, they take good care of us. Teresa brought us curtains because we didn´t have any. She also comes over like every night to make sure we have eaten dinner because we don´t have a fridge or a stove. Arturo´s wife, Reyna has given us dinner twice this week. She probably makes the best food I have eaten down here. She sells hamburgers at night and gave my companion and I each one. They are called Hawaillana hamburgesa´s its basically a normal hamburger patty, piña (pineapple), ham and put on tomatos, onions and well if you think you can handle the heat throw on some jalepeños! Let me tell you those chiles are nothing compared to some of the things we´ve eaten. Oh and you can´t forget the cheese, catsup and mayo or whatever. Oh they are soooo good!
My companion and I had the chance to be marriage counselors. Ha Ha! Yeah 19 yr olds who know nothing about marriage. This family that we are teaching, the dad saw us in the street and said that he is missing something spiritual in life. We started teaching him and he goes to church every Sunday and wants to get baptized, but he´s not married so we told him he has to get married. So him and his wife each wanted to talk to us and hear our advice for them. It was sweet. It's amazing how much people really look up to us and just want to hear our advice on things. I think the people here recognize something different about us and know that what we have to say will really help them in their lives. I Love missionary work its so great!

¡Los Amo!

Con mucho amor

Elder Hunter

October 13, 2008

Familia,

That's so great to hear that everyone is doing so awesome! Tell Beau that I know it really sucks pushing carts sometimes but he has no idea how much it will help him when he gets out in the mission field! One thing I have learned from home is how to work! I want to tell Dad thanks for that, it's definitely an advantage I have here.

That's so cool to hear that Chance got Baptized! I´m so excited for him! Tell him Congratulations! That is such an important step in life. He probably doesn´t realize how important it is but one of these days he will.

This week has been great. My companion decided that we were going to start knocking doors separately so we can cover more area faster. It's really fun, but kind of difficult at times. The best is when I say something and the person just looks at me with a weird look. That's when I know I didn´t say something right! Well going along with that, I still am no where near fluent but I understand so much when people are talking. I can have a conversation with people. It really is so cool!

My companion and I finally moved into our new casa and this is what the secretaries brought us: We have a fridge that is locked because they forgot to unlock it after bringing it to us, WE have an iron that if you put water in it, it spits out rust (luckily i didn´t have to experience that), and a sandwich maker that doesn´t work. But we do have desks with chairs so we can study and mattresses without frames. So yeah, we´ve been bugging the secretaries a lot this week trying to get them over and get the rest of our stuff. Oh and also we had a gas tank and a boiler but nothing to connect them. But thank goodness to our wonderful convert Teresa, her husband came over last night and got it all hooked up so this morning we actually got to shower with hot water!!!! Oh man you don´t know how much I love hot water showers!!! He is an awesome guy! I hope we can get him baptized before I get transfered. That would be awesome!!! Oh and the weather here is perfect! My companion complains about it being too cold! (Note from mom: Tennison's companion is from Mesa, AZ and Tennison is warm blooded so it may not be too warm.) But really it has been great weather here!

Oh yeah i saw at one of the banks yesterday that you can exchange one dollar for 13 pesos now its sweet! oh also my companion and i didn´t spend near as much as we thought we were going to it´ll probably be around sixty but thats cause i bought some mouth wash and a case for my camera today also.

Oh also we have this one investigador who is like amazing! He has the best attitude ever. He has this disease where it's like paralyzing his body so sometimes he can´t move his right leg or left arm. It's a really weird disease. But yeah when we talked to him he had the most positive attitude ever. We went to talk with him on Saturday and he was laying in bed because he couldn´t move, so we just said a prayer with him and it was awesome! WE haven´t had time to go back and visit him since. I sure hope he´s doing better!

Well I know that this church is true, and that anything anyone ever feels - - Jesus Christ has already felt it, and because of that he can help us through any problems that we will ever face in life! Always remember that!

¡Les Amo!

Con Amor

Elder Hunter

P.S. Familia, ¡Guardalo Real!

¿Conferencia General?

Well, do you want to hear a miracle? I haven´t had a single bloody nose since I´ve been here. (A little background from Mom - -Elder Hunter was getting bloody noses about once a week at home), and well, my allergies, all I have to say is that it's a bit chilly in the morning and nights but I have medication, so mom don´t worry. About a jacket- - I think it would be easier for both of us if i just buy stuff here, it would probably be way cheaper and way less of a hassle for you.

My companion and I are moving out which I´m so excited for. We decided we are moving out today no matter what, which means that we might have to take cold showers for a while! ahhh Oh well, it's not really anything new!

On General Conference - - We totally got to watch every session! But guess what? Only in Spanish. I didn´t understand a whole lot but some of it I did! For the Sunday morning session they had a little T.V. for the missionaries with English subtitles so I liked that, but it's hard to read straight from a T.V. for two hours straight! If you haven´t tried it I highly encourage it! It is quite the challenge! (Ha Ha) I think my favorite part was being able to sing songs in English when everyone else was singing in Spanish. They all loved it! (The Members) Oh yeah and if you didn´t know WE have to go to the stake center to watch every session which is like forty minutes from our house. We don´t have the luxury of sitting on our couch in the living room with a RootBeer or something and watching conference!
Man do I miss that! But I really did enjoy it!

A mis Hermanos: Este es por Elder Dallin H Oaks Él dijo algo así: No usan sus celulares durante el reunion sacramental. Este es un tiempo preparar para tomar La Santa Cena. (Dad, I hope that makes sense, my sentence structure still isn´t the best in Spanish but its definitely improving a lot.)

I would encourage Beau, B-rice and Mckay not to use their cell phones until at least after they have taken the sacrament. I would say all of sacrament meeting but I don´t know if that is possible for B-rice. (Ha Ha).

O. K., so we are teaching the coolest family ever! His name is Ulyses and has a wife, two daughters, and a son. I love going over to teach them and they love when we come over! They always get on nice clothes when they know we are coming over and just get all ready. It's awesome they even dressed up for church! This is a family that really has nothing but to see them trying so hard it's just amazing! He is a security guard and used to be a police officer. He told us that he wants to get baptized and endure all the way to the end!!! I was thinking dude that is totally my purpose as a missionary- - your not even going to make me work. It's so awesome! People really are just ready for the gospel here in Mexico!

So my Spanish is coming along quite well. I think if I was stranded in Mexico (not saying I want to be) but if I was, I could get my way around now! I can actually speak with people, but still it's really hard to understand everything they are saying. But, hey, I´m doing great compared to when I had first arrived here!

Today was cambios (changes) but my companion and I are still the same! WEll he is actually District Leader now but we're still companions! He is awesome! He really loves to put me into situations where he can´t really help me (with Spanish) and make me figure it out on my own! I love it! It has really helped me a ton! I think that's why I´m getting so much better now!
I love it here! I´m glad to hear everyone at home is doing awesome! Tell BEAU He Has To E-Mail me. Oh and tell B-Rice he won´t even be a challenge for me when I get home. I get to work out every morning its awesome!

¡Los Amo!

un Abrazo

con Amor,

Elder Hunter

Happy Birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGIA ON OCTOBER 3, 2008!!!

Love, Elder Hunter

September 29, 2008

Family and Friends,

I´m so glad to hear that you are all doing so great! Remember to stay focused on what is really important in life! More importantly make sure you know what is most important in life!

On Mexican Independence Day - Well, I´m in a really small town and yes, we had to be in our apartment by 6 on Mexican Independence day. Lots of people had fireworks, well actually they were more like loud bombs. It wasn´t like huge celebration where I am at. I´m sure in a bigger city it was.

This week I felt really inspired that I needed to tell Beau to work on getting his patriarchal blessing. It's something that will have great power and give him much guidance in his life. It's funny I´ve already seen many things start to come to pass that are in my blessing its so amazing I absolutely love it.

Once I get into a big city I might be able to find a cord for my camera, but until then I won't be able to send pictures, but don't worry about it mom its not that big of a deal. If possible, please ask for pictures from my companions' mom for now and I´ll find a way to work things out with pictures.

We went to D.F. this week which was sweet. I got to eat more Burger King which was awesome! In pesos its way expensive but comes out to be what would be normal in the U.S. I think it was like 60 pesos which is only 6 bucks but 60 pesos can get me a long way here in Mexico.

There was a meeting with President Nancollas which was sweet! It was for the future leaders of the mission. It sounds like he is really depending on our generation of missionaries to basically lead the mission because other missionaries are lazy or just don´t like to follow the rules. President Nancollas is such an awesome man. President and Elder Holland are like good friends! Who Knew!!!

So this week was great. We didn´t knock on a lot of doors, but we did teach a lot of lessons. WE have this one family that was going to get baptized on Sunday but during their interviews we found out that the parents aren´t married, so we´re working on getting them married right now, which is a fun experience! Hopefully they will be ready to go the week after conference. Also we are teaching this family, well its a husband, wife, and a niño and they are so ready but we havén´t been able to get them to church because he has to work every other Sunday and things have come up that haven't permitted them to go. But they love talking with us. Its funny how fast people start to hear rumors about the church once someone starts investigating. I think that this guy has heard every rumor there is about our church but he just knows its true and doesn´t listen to them. It's such a sweet experience! Well I just want to tell you that every day my testimony is growing stronger and stronger. I would suggest that you read the Book of Mormon daily if you can it really is so amazing! It contains answers for just about everything in life!


Con Mucho Amor

Elder Tenni

September 22, 2008

Family,

I know that you really want pictures and I really want to send you some. My companion
sends pictures and it takes almost the whole time to send them, so I´m not sure if I will be able to but I´m going out hunting for a cord today so I will be able to send some to you because I really want to!

(Elder Hunter doesn't know, but Elder Romney's mom was kind enough to share a few with us.)

Here's a sneak peek!

Bishop, Verbica, Hunter

Romney

This second picture is Teresa with her son Eduardo and her daughter who will be 8 in two weeks! What an adorable family. (Further explanation below.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Elder Hunter's e-mail cont.)

I asked Elder Grow if he remembered Grandpa Jensen and he said he remembered the name and told me to tell him "Hi!" He is a great man!


President Nancollas asked me in our interview how your job was going mom. I told him great! I´m assuming thats how it's been so hopefully I wasn´t lying! Oops. President is awesome he absolutely loves my companion and I for some reason. He gave both of us the permission to break the rules and e-mail his son to try and get him to come on a mission. It's sweet!

This week was great! I had the opportunity to baptize Teresa and it was so cool! The water was freezing because we had to fill the font up with the hose because the other water system was out of water. She is great! It was so exciting! Also, we were searching for a reference one day and this guy came up to us and asked if we were looking for him. We asked who he was and it wasn´t who we were looking for but he said that he was lacking something spiritual in his life which was perfect! So we have been teaching him and he came to church with us this week which was great! Also, this other family came and we are going to try and get them baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. The father's name is Arturo. Arturo and his daughters, Estrella 13; Karen 11; and little girl who is like two seem really interested. The mom, Reina, kind of worries us but I think she´ll come through also. President Nancollas is having a leadership meeting tomorrow and he invited my companion and I to go. It is going to be sweet!

That is all for this week!

Con amor

Elder Hunter

September 15, 2008

RAIN!!

Family,

Wow it sounds like you have had quite the week this week! That's awesome that Beau is eligible to play! I´m sure that he is working hard to be good! They better take state! I´ll take it that B-Rice is working like an animal if he was player of the game and wasn´t even suppose to play! Crazy child! But that's awesome, make sure he stays focused. I know he will be amazing! How's McKay and Tyla doing!? I´m sure they are doing great!

I received dads letter on Friday. It was awesome! I also got one from Hayley so it was cool! I could actually understand everything that dad had written in Spanish which was way sweet!
If you want to send a package, send them down to Texas and they drive them here from there! I think you just do it through the normal post office but here's the address:

Care Package Express
2149 Del Rio HWY #102
Eagle Pass TX 78852

I think they´ll ask or you tell them which mission it's going to and they send it there! But I would really appreciate any type of cookies that you would like to send me! Cookies are great here but I hate wasting money on buying snacks!

It has been raining a ton aqui. I should have brought a jacket but since its not cold, it really isn´t that bad. Yeah, I could go and buy one, but soccer jerseys are so much more interesting and worth the money! Ha ha! This week we actually traveled to the actual city which we call DF and got legalized to be here. Also, when we were there, I was able to eat Burger King which was awesome!!! But I have to say the Burgers that the Members make us are so much better than any burgers I have ever eaten. Maybe it's because I haven´t eaten one in so long. They put like ham on the burgers and this great cheese! It's my favorite!

We only wear our suits on Sundays to church and to zone conferences. It is such a pain to wear because it's so dirty and rains all the time right now. So yeah just a pain! I think I´m buying another suit soon. I forgot the brand but its some fake really expensive brand thats gonna be sweet!

You're probably thinking that I´m on a mission, but not telling any mission stories . . . well, we are teaching this lady named Teresa and she is so awesome! We taught her the plan of salvation on Saturday and everyone ended up crying in the lesson but me! Probably, because I didn´t understand a whole lot of what everyone was saying, but I could definitely feel the spirit there! She went out of town for the weekend but came back to go to church for an hour! She is so awesome! I think we are going to baptize her on Sunday! It's going to be awesome!

We have this other investigator who is pretty cool. He found us on the street one night and was trying to speak English. We just started talking to him in Spanish and he was way surprised. He told us he wanted to find god and because he was speaking in English we did not think he was being serious. But then on Friday he saw us on the street, stopped his car, and ran over to us to seen when we could meet with him. When we met with him, he had his bible out on the table and was totally ready for us to teach him. He´s awesome! The only hard thing is that he works like all the time so it's hard to find a time when we can teach him. Pretty much of the rest of the week has been lots of knocking doors. My companion still makes fun of me for my door approaches, but they are getting much better. I still can´t say everything I want to say but I can understand tons already! Its great!

Well the streets are paved but there is just lots of dirt everywhere, so the streets might as well be dirt roads. Ha ha! We eat with members ever day for what they call la comida which means the food we eat at about two o'clock everyday. It's about the only real meal we eat because we don´t get time for dinner. La comida usually consists of a soup then a main dish then a gelatina afterwards. The worst thing I´ve eaten so far is mole which is . . . I don´t really know what it is it's like a no tasting sauce on chicken with rice. If the chicken is really dry it just makes for a gross meal but I eat it anyways to be polite. Eat it with a smile that is! Ha ha!


Love you all! Until next time!

Con mucho amor!

Elder Hunter

September 8, 2008 -

Well the food hear is great! Don´t worry mom, I´m doing my best to stay away from anything that I think will make me sick. But it really is great. I love it spicy!

So I am living in Santa Teresa. It's just totally houses so its really easy during the week to work. It's awesome. To get the internet we come to an internet cafe which is right behind our house. Its great. So, from what I have heard about letters and packages. . . I only receive them once every transfer during our zone conference. Which means every six weeks (I believe), and that's only when I can send letters also. I heard you can send packages through the address that they have in the packet. So don´t really expect letters from me except for once every six weeks or so, but that's why we get to email.

So anyways this week was good. We did a lot of knocking doors and my companion totally makes fun of my spanish because I'm not the best yet but I´m improving. It's funny because I usually notice when I say something wrong or in a terrible accent. Oh yeah, my companion is way funny, he's not a complainer which I really like.

I´m starting to be able to understand a lot more in spanish but still can´t say a whole lot which can be difficult at times, but I´m rapidly improving. We met this lady this week and got her to come to church with us it was awesome! She has a daughter that turns eight in October and she totally reminds me of Tyla. She´s so cute! I think that they would make good friends. We also found this family on Friday that was way sweet! We thought they were going to go to church with us but they didn´t. It was disappointing but I think they will this week.

I really wish you could see what it is like down here. It's so crazy. . . but awesome. When we were flying into the city you honestly could not see the end of it we flew over it for like thirty or forty minutes before we actually landed. I took some pictures out of the window of the plane. I´ll send some to you either when my card gets full or next week just depends on how long it takes to upload.

Con Amor,

Tenni