Achieving Greater Spirituality

Good news! WE SET ANOTHER BAPTISMAL DATE!!! Yep, that makes four! Things are going so well. We have been watching "The Testament" with investigators a lot lately. In case any of you haven't seen it, it is a DVD that tells the story of the Book of Mormon and the Savior appearing to the Nephites. It brings such a powerful spirit when we watch it. I would highly recommend for one of your upcoming family home evenings! We also had a really good lesson in Elders Quorum yesterday, called "Ten steps to achieve greater spirituality." It was a talk by one of the general authorities. The ten steps are:


1. Read Scriptures EVERY DAY
2. Really "Pray," don't just "Say Prayers"
3. Fast meaningfully/with a purpose
4. Go to bed/get up early
5. Be happy/optimistic about life. Have an "attitude of Gratitude"
6. Work hard/don't be lazy
7. Focus on "How" you serve, rather than "What position" you serve in.
8. Love EVERYONE, even your enemies
9. Strive daily to become the person that you ideally know you can be (or the person that Christ knows you can be)
10. Share your testimony with others, especially nonmembers


I know these are things we all can work on. I certainly need to work on all of them, especially as a missionary. I know that if we focus on these things, and how we can improve them in our lives, we will see our level of spirituality increase. I love the Lord so much. He has blessed us with so much success out here, and I know He continually blesses all of us with success as long as we follow the gospel diligently. He loves and misses us dearly. All He wants is for us to make it back home to live with Him again in happiness forever. I know that we all can. Love you all!

Another Baptismal Date!

Hello Family and Friends! I have hardly any time to write today. I wanted to let you all know though that we set another baptismal date! It was with the husband of the woman we just barely set one with. He said he wanted his family to be saved and that he would do anything to help find the right path. We promised him that if he would set the example for them and be baptized, they would all follow and eventually be sealed to him forever. He said he would be baptized, and accepted the date of March fifth! We are, needless to say, ecstatic for their family. Sorry I don't have time to write anything else this week, but I want you to know that I love you all with all of my heart, and that I hope the Lord blesses you in all aspects of your lives.

"Oh that I were an Angel"

Hello everybody! First off, I found out I'm staying in Ridgecrest with Elder Bennett for another six weeks! I've been here a pretty long time now... By the end of this transfer, it will have been seven and a half months. The mission President told me that this should be my last transfer here though. It looks like this transfer should be a fantastic one too! We set another baptismal date with a large Hispanic family for March the fifth, and we are so excited for them. We are also planning to set another one in the near future. Needless to say, things are going really well out here! We could potentially have three baptisms this transfer. I'll keep you posted on how that goes. Our next baptism should be on Feb. 12! I wanted to share with you all some verses in the Book of Mormon that have touched me lately. They are in Alma 29: 1-2. I'm sure you've heard these verses before. In them, Alma is talking about his desire to be a great missionary. He says: "Oh that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!" In this first verse, Alma talks about "Crying repentance" unto the people. When I used to read these words, I used to think, "Oh, if the people need to repent, it means they are wicked." I thought that missionaries need to tell people to repent because they are all wicked and doing wicked things. Alma then goes on and says: "Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God," So there he talks again about crying repentance, again I would think, "If people need to repent, they must be wicked." Then however, I read the last part of that verse. Alma says: "that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth." That is why we do missionary work. Not because the people are wicked and need to repent, but because we have important answers to life's questions. Every time somebody comes unto Christ, and makes that decision to follow Him, Satan's hold on the Earth gets a little weaker. Someday, there will be no more sorrow upon all the face of the Earth, because of Jesus Christ and His gospel. I am so honored and happy to be a part of that work, to remove sorrow from the Earth, one person at a time. I love you all!

Gifts and Blessings

First off I want to say thank you to everyone that wrote me for my birthday and sent me gifts. It means so much to me to have all of your support. I love you all and I wouldn't be the person I am if it weren't for your example to me. Thank you all. My birthday was fantastic. I got a GPS, The Book of Mormon for the LDS Family, A pillow tie (A tie that blows up so that you can sleep on it during long drives) a bunch of other ties, an electronic key chain with pictures of my family on it, a new wallet, and three cakes! On my birthday, we had three different people surprise us with cakes. By the third one, I was feeling pretty sick, but I had to eat some anyway. I'm sure those of you who have served missions know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. It was worse than Thanksgiving... I was SO full. It was a great day though. As far as the work, this has been a fantastic week. We set another baptismal date! Our newest investigator will be baptized on Feb. 12 (Hey, that's Liam's birthday). We are so excited for him. We have also made progress with many of our other investigators this week. We had an entire investigator family show up at church, and they had a great time. If things keep going well with them, we might be able to baptize an entire family! We have also been teaching a man who has been afraid of praying to ask if the Book of Mormon was true. He said he didn't feel worthy to pray. We had a lesson with him on Wednesday, and we told about the importance of prayer and that nobody was unworthy to pray. He agreed to say the closing prayer, and he asked if the Book of Mormon was true. It was one of the most heartfelt, sincere, moving prayers I have ever heard in my life. Everyone in the room was literally in tears when the prayer was over. What a blessing it was to be able to experience that. I know he is going to receive his answer soon. When he does, it will change his life. It certainly changed mine when I found out this gospel was true. I want you all to know that I do know, with all of my heart, that this gospel is true. It has given me hope, comfort, and strength to keep pressing forward even in my darkest hour. I am so grateful to God for loving us enough to give us the gift of His Son. I am so grateful for my privilege to spread His gospel for two years. Love you all!

The Truthfulness of the Book of Mormon

So... Pretty much I'm turning twenty tomorrow. Twenty. I keep telling myself that and it still doesn't quite feel real. Today is my last day being a teenager... Wow. I'm so old. Anyway, things are going well In Ridgecrest. We received a referral from a family in one of our wards, and things are progressing really well with him. The last time we taught him, he talked about how reading the book of Mormon has been changing his life. He said he felt more peaceful, more hopeful, and happier than he has felt in a long time. We testified to him that The Book of Mormon was the word of God, and that when we read it, the spirit testifies to us of it's truthfulness. I told him that when I was younger that I often took reading the scriptures for granted. I would often go long periods of time without reading anything at all. Now, I kick myself for that. I had the answer to ALL of life's questions in my hands, and I wasn't reading it. I have come to know now, more than I ever have before in my life, of the truthfulness and power of The Book of Mormon. That book speaks directly to my heart when I read it, and I always find ways I can improve or things the Lord wants me to learn. There is absolutely no possible way that Joseph Smith (who was about my age when the book was published) could've made that thing up. The other day, we knocked into a family who was trying to bash with us, and they told us that Joseph Smith was a con man, and that he made up The Book of Mormon. I responded "If Joseph Smith was a con man, then I wish there were more con men in the world, because the book that he brought into the world has changed the lives of over tens of millions of people, including mine." Those people still rejected our testimony, but that's alright. How lucky we are for our freedom to choose. I just wanted to let you all know that I am as sure as I have ever been about anything in my life, that The Book of Mormon is true. I know that it is. I love Elder Holland's words when he talks about Joseph Smith and the Book:


"When Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum started for Carthage to face what they knew would be an imminent martyrdom, Hyrum read these words to comfort the heart of his brother:


“Thou hast been faithful; wherefore … thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father. “And now I, Moroni, bid farewell … until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ.”

A few short verses from the 12th chapter of Ether in the Book of Mormon. Before closing the book, Hyrum turned down the corner of the page from which he had read, marking it as part of the everlasting testimony for which these two brothers were about to die. I hold in my hand that book, the very copy from which Hyrum read, the same corner of the page turned down, still visible. Later, when actually incarcerated in the jail, Joseph the Prophet turned to the guards who held him captive and bore a powerful testimony of the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. Shortly thereafter pistol and ball would take the lives of these two testators.

As one of a thousand elements of my own testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon, I submit this as yet one more evidence of its truthfulness. In this their greatest—and last—hour of need, I ask you: would these men blaspheme before God by continuing to fix their lives, their honor, and their own search for eternal salvation on a book (and by implication a church and a ministry) they had fictitiously created out of whole cloth?

Never mind that their wives are about to be widows and their children fatherless. Never mind that their little band of followers will yet be “houseless, friendless and homeless” and that their children will leave footprints of blood across frozen rivers and an untamed prairie floor. Never mind that legions will die and other legions live declaring in the four quarters of this earth that they know the Book of Mormon and the Church which espouses it to be true. Disregard all of that, and tell me whether in this hour of death these two men would enter the presence of their Eternal Judge quoting from and finding solace in a book which, if not the very word of God, would brand them as imposters and charlatans until the end of time? They would not do that! They were willing to die rather than deny the divine origin and the eternal truthfulness of the Book of Mormon."

Joseph and his brother Hyrum were willing to die, to be executed, rather than deny what they knew to be true. I am so grateful for Joseph Smith and his diligence in bringing us The Book of Mormon, even though the very people he was working to help, condemned him to die. That book is the word of God. The way anyone can know that, is by simply reading it and asking God if it's true. It will change your life, I promise you. I love you all!

Happy New Year!

Happy new year! Can you believe it's 2011? It's crazy. Even more crazy is the fact that I will be twenty in eight days! That is so weird for me. I will be twenty. I will no longer be a teenager. Weird... Anyway, Things have been going really well here in Ridgecrest. We have gotten a few referrals, some of which look really promising. We also had about four inches of snow this morning! Snow in California? It reminds me a lot of home, where I'm sure there is snow right now. New years Eve we aren't allowed to be out any later than seven at night, and that is one of the two nights in the year when we are allowed to watch tame movies. So we stayed at home and watched "Despicable Me." I really liked it, but I was SO tired being up that late. I just am not used to staying up that late anymore. This week, I would invite you all to read Moses 7: 28-33. I really love these verses. This is Enoch, when he sees a vision of all the heavens. He sees the Lord, and he is shocked at what he sees Him doing. I'll let you read to find out. These verses have really helped me see just how much the Lord loves and knows each of us. I hope you enjoy them. I love and miss you all, and I hope you are all being abundantly blessed in all that you do.

Little Christmas Miracles

We had yet another miracle this week. I wanted to share it with you all. Elder Bennett and I were with Elder Hoffman in a trio (he hadn't gotten his new companion yet) and we went to teach this excommunicated member we have been working with. She has been working with the bishop and says she wants to be rebaptized. We taught her a lesson about the Atonement, and how God never leaves our side. We testified that Christ suffered for us so that we would never have to get through trials alone. Right after we said this, she said "That's not true." We asked her what she meant, and she told us that she has had many extremely difficult experiences in her past. Almost all at once. She said that she prayed and prayed for understanding and peace, and she said "I never got any. I never got any answers or peace brought to my heart. God has left me alone." She began to cry as she told us this. The other two elders and I were totally silent for almost thirty seconds. In my entire life I have never gone through anything like what she had gone through, I couldn't relate to her, and I had absolutely no idea what to tell her. I don't think any of us did. I started to pray silently that Heavenly Father could help us know what to say to her, or to help her see somehow that He hadn't left her. Right at that moment, there was a knock at the door. She got up and answered the door, and it was the relief society president. She handed the woman an envelope and said "This is a gift from the ward to make sure you have a good Christmas. The relief society president embraced the sister and whispered "Don't be afraid." After she left, we told the sister that what had just happened was not a coincidence. The relief society president could've come at any time, and she came right at that moment. God had answered our prayers, He had sent an additional witness to show that sister that He still loved her, and that He had not abandoned her. Tears filled all eyes in the room as we testified that God had not left her, and that He never would. I will never forget that moment, for the rest of my life. A few days later, at church, the sister approached us and said "I really appreciated what you told me last lesson. It was really powerful. Thank you." How grateful I am to be a tool in the Lord's hands. I never realized just how often miracles actually do happen until I came on my mission. I am so grateful to be a part of this work, to represent the Savior, and to testify of His love for us all. I am grateful for this time of year that is given to us to remember our Savior's birth. God be thanked for the gift of His divine Son. I hope you all have a merry Christmas and that you all remember who Christmas is really about. Love you all!

Happy Holidays!

Hey everyone! So, many things have happened this week. First, one of our investigators, Bro. P was baptized on Saturday! It brought me so much joy to be a part of that. His wife (who has been an active member for over thirty years) has been waiting her whole life for her husband to join the church. He swore he would never do it; that the church was false, and yesterday he was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. God has been preparing him for a very long time. He used to be an alcoholic, a heavy smoker, and couldn't function without coffee in the morning. He has given each of those things up over the years, just because "It seemed like the right thing to do." he said. God is the foremost missionary in this dispensation. He works with His children for as long as it takes to help them come unto Him. How blessed we are that He never gives up on us. Bro P's wife is so excited to be able to go to the temple with him in a year, and I hope I'll be able to be there when that happens.
The other bit of news I have is... I am staying in Ridgecrest for yet another transfer! However, my companion, Elder Dominguez, is leaving! It's too bad, I really liked that guy. I'm going to miss him. On the plus side, my new companion is one that came out with me from the MTC. His name is Elder Bennett, from Canada. Since we knew each other during our time in the MTC, this next transfer should be a really fun one. We are planning on setting two more baptismal dates soon, and I am really excited to see what else the Lord has in store for us in the coming months. I love you all so much. Thank you for all of your support and prayers in our behalf. They really do make all of the difference in the world. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, and always remembering what (Or who) Christmas is really about. Love you!

Continually Guided

Things are going very well in Ridgecrest! We are continually being led and guided by the hand of the Lord. The elect of God are being led to us, as well as us being led to them. This week we met Roy and Janet, two nonmembers from Lancaster. Janet had actually been taking the lessons from missionaries in Lancaster, and had a baptismal date. Shortly before her baptism however, she and her brother Roy were ruthlessly kicked out of the place they were staying and had to come back home to Ridgecrest. To make matters worse, when they came back to their house in Ridgecrest, they discovered it had been broken into, and been completely ransacked. They were forced to stay in a hotel, because they had nowhere else to go. A member who was a friend of theirs in Lancaster came to our church on Sunday and told us about Roy and Janet and their struggle for a place to live. We did some service for them to clean out their destroyed home, let their bishop know about their situation, and then began teaching them. Things have gone extremely well with them since then. Roy, who had never heard of the church before, started taking the lessons as well. Since we met them, they have come to church, prayed with us, and have been reading the Book of Mormon. They have both said that they want to be baptized. Roy even said "I was raised Jehovah's Witness, and I felt like my entire life I only had pieces of the puzzle of life's mysteries, instead of the whole thing. It's so amazing, the things you have been teaching us have been literally filling the missing pieces of the puzzle." I am so excited for them and can't wait to see what happens with them. I testify from the bottom of my heart that we do have the missing pieces of the puzzle. The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth in its entirety. All of the beautiful truths of God's plan for us have been revealed to us. God lives, as does His Son, Jesus the Christ. They are tirelessly working and fighting for our happiness. How blessed we all are to know the things we know, and to have the things we have. I love you all and hope you are having a great holiday season!

Gratitude

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! Mine was pretty good as well. We had two dinners actually. We had one at one, and one at three. Needless to say, the second dinner was really hard to put down. I was feeling really sick afterwards. The food was excellent though. This past week has been a bit slower than others, mainly due to it being Thanksgiving week and people being out of town. Things are still going well here though. We have a baptism a week from Saturday, which we are really excited for. We have a few more investigators that are progressing toward baptism as well, and I truly hope they can get there soon.

We had a pretty cool experience with one of our investigators on Saturday. She is the wife of an inactive member that we have been working with. At first we taught her husband twice by himself, but then she joined in the lessons all of the sudden! We gave them a church tour this week to help them overcome their anxieties about going to church, and I thought it went really well. At the end of the tour we read some scriptures with them and explained why the Lord wants us to come to church and how it blesses our lives. We then testified of our own experiences at church. We were about to close when she said "I want to share something with you guys. My husband doesn't even know this. About a month or so ago, I prayed to the Lord for Him to help me find which church was true. I really wanted to know, and I asked Him to help me have a sign. Two days later, you guys showed up at our door looking for my husband. At first, I wasn't sure how to approach you, even though I really wanted to. So I just stayed in the other room. I finally got the courage to ask my husband if I could sit in on the next lesson. When I did, I felt like I had gotten my sign. I had gotten the answer to my prayer." It was such a wonderful experience, knowing that we had been God's way of answering her prayer. They still didn't come to church on Sunday, but I have renewed hope for them now. I love being a servant of the Lord. He has really helped us to achieve success out here. I hope all of you are doing well and that you are seeing the Lord's hand in your lives! Love you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone has fun things planned for this week. Its probably going to be a rough week for us because everyone is leaving town for Thanksgiving... Ah well. What can ya do. Things have been going really well lately. We taught the most lessons this week I have ever taught in my entire mission so far. Things have just been getting faster and faster in Ridgecrest. I know that has very little to do with me, and everything to do with the Lord. I am so grateful for everything He does for all of us. Brother P. is steadily progressing to his baptismal date, and he is very excited for it. Everyone in the ward who we've told about his upcoming baptism has been shocked. I guess for years he swore he would never join the church, but over the years, his heart was changed. It brings me so much joy to see his excitement and enthusiasm about getting baptized. The Lord has been working with him for a long time it seems, and I am so glad I get to be here to witness his baptism. What a blessing! During this Thanksgiving week, I hope we can all remember to thank our Father in heaven for everything He has given us. Lately I have been reading President Monson's latest conference talk about giving thanks to the Lord for everything He gives us. If anyone deserves our thanks, it is Him. Literally every good thing each of us has, has been given to us by Him. He works constantly for our happiness and welfare; the least we can do is tell Him "thank you." One thing I have been doing for a while on Thanksgivings past is saying a prayer without asking for anything. I only give thanks for everything I can think of. It really helps me see just how much God has given me, and how much I really do rely on Him. I hope we can all remember Him this week, and thank Him for all that He has done for us, for there are few things that bring a parent more joy than getting thanked by their kids (I know what you're thinking, I know I'm not a parent, but Mom told me so). I want you all to know that I am so thankful for all of you. Your prayers and continued support have given me so much strength and courage. I love you all so much. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and the Lord is abundantly blessing you!

A Baptismal Date!

Hey everyone! I've heard the weather has been pretty cold for the Utah folks. For me, its been around the fifties most of the time. Supposedly that's as cold as it gets here. I guess thats the desert for ya. Things were going pretty slowly this week until last night. We set a baptismal date! It was such a miracle. On Tuesday, we received a call from the Patriarch. He told us he had been home teaching a part-member family, and the nonmember husband had been sitting in on all of the lessons they had been teaching them. He decided to teach them the missionary lessons, and the lessons had a profound effect on the nonmember (Bro. P). He called us and asked to begin teaching him. We had our first lesson with him last night. He and his wife are an older couple. His wife has been an active member her whole life. He had been telling his wife for years that he would never join our church. Last night though, he told us that he had been reading the Book of Mormon, and he asked God if it was true. Tears filled up his eyes as he said "Its true. I've had the truth right in front of my eyes and I never knew it until now." We challenged him to be baptized on December 11, and he accepted! When we left that appointment, I felt so incredible. I haven't felt that much joy in a long time. God had given us yet another miracle. How grateful I am to know that our Father in heaven is a God of miracles, and that miracles have not ceased. I will serve Him forever, with all of my might, for truly that is how He always serves us, from the very beginning of time until the end. I love the Lord so much. I don't know where I would be without Him. How truly blessed we all are to know the truth. I am eternally grateful to Him, and I always will be. I hope you are all continuing to see God's hand in your lives. I promise you, He is there. He never leaves or forsakes us. When we feel the most alone, that is truly when He is the closest to us. I know this is true. I love you all and hope everything is going well for all of you!

Daily Miracles

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing amazingly well. I have been thinking lately about all of the miracles that our Heavenly Father showers us with daily. He truly does, but sometimes we are too busy to notice them. I would like to ask all of you to look for God's hand in your everyday lives, because He is always there. If we just stop and look around for a second, we will see miracles in our lives every single day. I am reminded of the scripture in Moroni chapter 7 that says "Wherefore, my beloved bretheren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven?... Behold I say unto you, Nay. Neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men." I testify of miracles. God has not stopped blessing us. In fact, He has only just begun. One of the powerful blessings he has given us in these last days is the Book o Mormon. There is a talk by Elder Jeffery R. Holland called "Safety for the Soul," where Elder Holland testifies of the Book of Mormon and the peace it brings to us in the last days. I would like to invite all of you to watch this talk again. It truly strengthened my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the fact that God never leaves us alone or unaided. I know that this is true. We are not alone in this life. God is very actively engaged in the work of our salvation. Always remember that. If we turn to Him, He will always help us, because He cares about us all more than anything. I love you all and hope God is abundantly blessing you!

ELDER HUNSAKER SURVEY #2 ANSWERS!

WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON DINNER THAT PEOPLE FEED YOU IN THEIR HOMES? [HILARY'S QUESTION.]

Lasagne and Tacos. Not at the same time, but yeah.

WHERE DO YOU GO TO ANSWER EMAILS?

We have a member who gives us the key to their house. We use their computer to send emails. The computer is located in their office.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO ANSWER EMAILS ON A TYPICAL P-DAY?

Only an hour or two.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS?

Yes. Our neighbor is a mean cop. He bangs on the wall if we make the slightest noise.

HAS AN INVESTIGATOR EVER ASKED YOU A QUESTION THAT STUMPED YOU? [R.J.'S QUESTION.]

Nope. I know everything. Yeah, right. Seriously, though, it's pretty rare. Most people ask simple questions. When it happens, we invite them to ask God that question in prayer. That has worked every time. Because God does know everythig and always answers.

ARE YOU GETTIING ALONG WITH YOUR COMPANION?

Yes. Of course we disagree sometimes...but we usually get along very well.

ARE YOU TESTING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR FOUR TIMES A DAY?

Yes. Let me guess...Mom's question? Just kidding, Mom.

HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY TALKS IN YOUR RIDGECREST WARD?

Yes. Three in fact.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU VISIT THE MISSION HOME?

Never. I have never been there before.

HAVE YOU BEEN FEELING WELL?

Yes. I had a bad sinus infection a while ago, but now I'm good.

WHAT IS YOUR COMPANION DOING RIGHT NOW?

Lying in bed.

PLEASE DESCRIBE A TYPICAL P-DAY.

We wake up and play basketball, then go shopping, then laundry, then emails and appointments for the rest of the day.

WHAT DO YOU EAT FOR LUNCH? [KATHRYN'S QUESTION.]


Usually sandwiches or mac and cheese.


DO YOU EVER GET TO PLAY THE PIANO? [EMILY'S QUESTION.]

Yes. Rarely, though. Twice a month if I'm lucky.


HAVE THERE BEEN ANY HABITS OR QUIRKS YOUR COMPANIONS HAVE HAD THAT WERE HARD TO DEAL WITH? [HILARY'S QUESTION.]

Yes. Sometimes they don't follow the rules very well, but most of the time they are great.

DO YOU STILL EAT AT MEMBER'S HOMES NEARLY EVERY NIGHT?

Yes.

HAVE YOU LEARNED TO COOK ANYTHING? [HILARY'S QUESTION.]

Not really. We get fed every night and only have time for quick things for breakfast and lunch.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY REALLY BAD BOUTS OF HOMESICKNESS?

Yes.

WHAT'S THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU'VE LEARNED FROM ONE OF YOUR COMPANIONS? [LIAM'S QUESTION.]


About different cultures and ways of life. One of the missionaries I lived with is an immigrant. He crossed the border of Mexico with his family. He told me about how hard and scary it was. I never thought about it before.

WHAT'S THE MOST ENTERTAINING THING IN YOUR APARTMENT?

We have a guitar. But we hardly ever get to play it.

ARE YOU READY TO BE PREPARED? [KATHRYN'S QUESTION.]

Yes. Uh...what?

HAVE YOU LEARNED ANY SPANISH FROM YOUR COMPANIONS?

Yes. Mas o menos. No hablo Espanol, pero comprendo un poquito.

ARE THE MEMBERS HELPING YOU GET CONTACTS?

Yes. They are, but most of them don't. I wish we had more help. If you EVER meet someone who you think should take the lessons, LET THE MISSIONARIES KNOW!

DO YOU DRIVE THE CAR MORE OFTEN THAN YOUR COMPANION?

I always drive. One companion is chosen as "the driver," and since I had a flawless driving record, they chose me!

DO YOU MISS THE DOGS AT ALL? [EMILY'S QUESTION.]

Yes. A lot, actually.

IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR YOU NEED, OR WISH YOU HAD? IF SO, WHAT?


Yes. More slacks and short sleeve white shirts. Please!

ARE YOUR SHOES TIED AT THE MOMENT? [LIAM'S QUESTION.]

Yes. Liam is a cobrademon.

WHAT, CURRENTLY, IS YOUR FAVORITE SNACK?


White cheezits. I get to have ALL of them. I don't have to give any to Kyle. Whohoooo! Just kidding, Kyle.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING RIGHT BEFORE YOU OPENED THIS PACKAGE? [LIAM'S QUESTION.]

Planning for tomorrow.

IS THERE ANYTHING STUCK IN YOUR TEETH RIGHT NOW THAT YOU CAN'T GET OUT? [LIAM'S QUESTION.]

No. Once again, Liam is a cobrademon.

HAVE YOU GAINED WEIGHT SINCE YOU LEFT ON YOUR MISSION?

Yes. I'm 165 now.

WILL YOU EVER EAT BROWNIES AGAIN?

Yes. Even the ones with laxatives were good, they just made me sick. I still like brownies!

IN ONE WORD, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS WEEK? [LIAM'S QUESTION.]

Fantastic.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THREATENED BY ANYONE? [R.J.'s question.]

No. No death threats or anything, but we've had people yell at us to get off their porch and never come back. That kind of sucked.

WHAT TIME DO YOU NORMALLY WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? [HILARY'S QUESTION.]

Usually between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m. Never any later than that, though.

DO YOU GET TO SLEEP IN ON P-DAYS? [EMILY'S QUESTION.]

No.

WHAT DOES THE "P" IN P-DAY STAND FOR ANYWAY? IS IT PREPARATION OR PERSONAL? OR BOTH?

Play-day. Just kidding. It's preparation day.

CAN YOU FEEL LOVE IN YOUR HEART? [KATHRYN'S QUESTION.]

Yes. You have no idea.

DO YOU PLAY SPORTS WITH YOUR COMPANIONS?

Yes. Basketball almost every morning.

ARE NON-MEMBERS OR INVESTIGATORS SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT PROP 8 OR BOYD K. PACKERS TALK?

No. Actually, I've never had anyone say anything about either of those.

WHAT IS THE MOST DOMESTIC THING YOU'RE PROUD YOU CAN DO?

Dishes. The ones here are easy compared to what I used to do at home.

[Mom's sidenote: HUH?]

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR MISSION THAT YOU NEVER EXPECTED TO HAPPEN.

I never thought I could love people that are sometimes complete strangers. I feel such love for the people out here, even the ones I don't know.

DO YOU HAVE A BAD CASE OF THE GOUT? [R.J.'S QUESTION.]

Yes. That's why I wear these brown orthopedic shoes.

ARE YOU HAPPY?

Yes. I am without a doubt the happiest I've ever been in my life.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BUSY ENOUGH?

No. I always wish we had more people to teach. That way we could do less tracting and more teaching.

IS TIME GOING BY RELATIVELY QUICKLY?


Yes. Time is FLYING by. It feels like I walked in the MTC two weeks ago.

NOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT PEEPS ARE? [HILARY'S QUESTION.]

What are peeps? Am I supposed to know the answer to this question? Cause I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Sorry!

[Mom's note: Before his mission around Easter, Garrett told Hilary he didn't know what Peeps--those marshmallow chicks--were. So in the package with this survey we included Halloween Ghost Peeps. Obviously he didn't catch it.]

CAN I KEEP GIVING YOU HUGS? [KYLE'S QUESTION.]

You can ALWAYS give me hugs. FOREVER.

RIGHT NOW, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCRIPTURE? [HILARY'S QUESTION.]

John 16:32-33

WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU ARE GOING TO DO WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM YOUR MISSION? [LIAM'S QUESTION.]

Sleep for three weeks. I'm always tired--all the time. I have't been fully energized since I got to the MTC.

ARE YOUR SHOES HOLDING UP OKAY?

Yes. I doubt they will last the whole mission, though.

DO YOU EVERY BEAT BOX FOR YOUR COMPANIONS? [R.J.'S QUESTION.]

Yes.

IF SO, DOES HE RAP ALONG WITH IT?

Yes. Seriously, one of the Elders I lived with loves rap. When I told him I could beat box, he told me to give him a beat, and he rapped to it. He even recorded some.

ARE YOU JUST SO GLAD THIS SURVEY IS OVER?

No. I think these are great. Keep sending 'em.

IS THERE A QUESTION YOU HAVE FOR US RIGHT NOW?

Is there anything I could improve on? Or is there anything you wish I was doing for you that I'm not?

Elder Hunsaker