April 12, 2017

This week was an amazing week for us in Cleveland. We found some really awesome people to start teaching and then there is our investigator Brother Mike O'bryon. He is super awesome and came to church this week and loved it a lot. He is the one who lives with his mother who has MS and is single. He lives pretty close to the church so that is good too. We have been taking Brother Santiago with us to see him, he is and older retired member who has nothing to do but read his scriptures, say his prayers, eat dinner and do missionary or service work. He is also taking us to the temple next week so it will be a quick email, but I should get one in. We have also been trying to keep in contact with our other investigators and help them read and pray about the Book of Mormon so they can progress to the next step. We also went on exchanges 2 times since Wednesday so that was fun too. 

Something I have been learning a lot is just how to better fulfill my responsibilities and a lot of that comes down to caring more about people ( especially the other missionaries) and trying to motivate and inspire them more. Usually the funny things are just jokes or comments, just trying to have a wonderful time. We helped a member move out on Saturday and it was a really quick move but the Elders Quorum President, Brother Falahola, was just being fun and saying funny things. 

The Wynders were the Kirtland Site Directors, so they would come to our meetings sometimes and they were pretty involved. They are super awesome too. The new site directors are from St. George/Pine Valley, they are Elder and Sister Jennings. The weather really has been pretty good. It snowed Thursday night and then it was about 80 on Monday so all over the place, but it has been good. 

It sounds as things are going well back their and I hope it continues to be like that. We are doing good here, getting lots of biking and talking to people in.  I hope you all have a super awesome week.  Happy Easter to everyone and keep up the good work.

Love Elder Koden Hunt

April 5, 2017

It has been a really good week for our area honestly. We did see the Johnathan's and we did see Mike. It was pretty awesome, on Saturdaywe huddled in Mike's bedroom to watch the Saturday morning session. He is doing good right now, we are working on getting him to church right now. We watched the rest of the sessions at the church. There was so many great talks I thought too. I loved Elder Anderson and Elder Ballard's talks about overcoming the world and setting goals and making plans. I always love what President Monson had to tell us about charity and reading the Book of Mormon, President Uchtdorf is always great and President Eyring is one of my favorites always. We have been working and trying to improve always because there is a lot to work on. One miracle we had was to be able to teach a man yesterday who just was married to a less active lady, but now we are able to teach him. We also were able to talk to an older lady about doing her family history and she was super excited about it. She also said something like " sorry for the teeth, my doctor has them" because she had dentures of course. I thought that was funny.

 So Grandpa Terril can give all the advice he would like because I have learned that I sometimes think I'm pretty awesome and know a lot but I quickly figure out it is about opposite of that. I will take advice for sure. We also have some others we are working with, but Mike and the Johnathan's are progressing along the best right now. It has still been hanging out about 40's or 50's this week with lots of clouds and some rain too. Ohio gets somewhere and likes to stay in the same spot weather wise for sure. It sounds like everyone is staying plenty busy so I appreciate anyone who takes some time to let me know how it is going. So thanks to everyone again.

 I am glad to hear North Carolina won, they are one of my favorites for sure. March really did fly by. Thanks for all you do, I truly am grateful for that. i hope you all have a great week.

Love Elder Koden Hunt

March 29, 2017

Another wild week here in the Ohio. Last week was transfers and so Wednesday, we drove Elder Brinkerhoff to Kirtland to pick up his new Trainee because he doesn't have a car, the we did our planning the next day. Next we had exchanges and I was with Elder Carroll and it was super great because it was about 70 and sunny and we were outside talking to people most of the day. The scouts had a fundraiser that Bishop payed for us to go to and was super good Saturdayy and we were talking to Brother Mckenzie who is the high councilman for our ward who was there. He is super awesome and originally is from Idaho. He was telling us some crazy stories about where he went on his mission in the Micronesia wherever that is, like he didn't bring a pillow so he used his scriptures his whole mission as his pillow.We went on exchanges again yesterday with the new missionary we picked up Wednesday and he is pretty good already. It helps that I think he is older than me, at least graduated the same year I did. So we are staying super busy that is for sure. We are still working with Johnathan and family, but they went out of town this past week. We are able to start seeing some progression with a man named Mike and it all comes back to service is really important and softens hearts. All we did was shovel his driveway when it snowed and visited his mother when she was in the hospital and it is just super cool to see him progress slowly. We met a man named Cleveland this week, so that was interesting. It has moved up into spring weather now, mostly in the 40's which we will take for sure. Keep up the work and have lots of fun and a marvelous week.
Love Elder Koden Hunt

Picture Update

Elder Stephens and Elder Hunt

March 21, 2017

This week has flow by super fast since I emailed you last. We had Zone Conference in Kirtland and it was super awesome. We had to combine with one of the Kirtland zones so President's schedule could all be worked out. We went on exchanges with our district leader and they dont have a car, like a lot of missionaries in our zone so we rode our bikes, buses, and even a train. We found out that Elder Stephens and I are staying together here for another transfer. One of the more solid people we are teaching is a man named Johnathan and his sons Johnathan (8) and Joe-nathan (7). They are super funny, the dad wants to be serious and learn and the two boys are super excited and ask lots of random questions and so their dad is always trying to have them listen. Their step mom is around sometimes too, but we aren't really teaching her yet. They, at least the dad has been reading the Book of Mormon really well and is getting close to coming to church, we are planning on this week. They live up in Cleveland but they have a car so that is a big bonus.
It is starting to show some signs of spring, still in the 30's mostly, today might be about 40. It hasnt snowed to recently so we are getting their.
I think I can tell pretty soon after we talk to or even after we start teaching someone if they are ready or not. There are lots of different factors, especially commitment, but you usually can tell after not to long. Sometimes it seems people are like one of the parables in the new testament, about the seed that springs up fast and then quickly either by the sun, or because their roots cant got down because of rocks or hard ground they wither away. We talk to many who at first shows signs of progression, but for one reason or another fall away, they aren't ready then but maybe a little later down the road.
Glad to hear all the updates, I cant believe how time just goes right by. Thanks for all you do. I hope everyone has a great week.
Love Elder Koden Hunt

March 15, 2017

This week Ohio let us know it isn't quite spring yet, but it has been another wonderful week. It has been about 25 and some of the time snow pretty much he whole last week.We went on exchanges again this week and Elder Miller and I were on our bikes pretty much the whole day and it was not the warmest day ever. We were trying to find someone to teach, and we did teach a couple less actives but no investigators. Elder Stephens and Elder May had all their appointments cancel on them except 1. As Elder Stephens puts it "we went hard in the paint", but not a whole lot of luck. We were being looked out for though, because the next day we were able to contact 3 referrals and we started teaching them all. We also still have James and a couple others we are blessed to be able to teach so it is really great. There is also a less active man who his daughter is getting home from her mission in April and we have been able to teach him, take him teaching with us and he will be feeding us dinner twice in 3 days. He whipped up some pretty good food too. his wife is super picky and doesn't really eat anything he cooks. We also have been learning that people just cant sit around and wait for things to fall in their lap. One man we are teaching sort of has that mentality and we cant help him much if he doesn't want to do anything, but he is starting to change, slowly.

Things are going good here. We have a whole lot of blessing all the time. What I learned the most... that is a tough one. Honestly, it is that it all comes back to Jesus Christ. There is a lot of stuff, but it is really simple too. Faith in Jesus Christ so we can repent and then make covenants and keep going. You always have some help when you need it from Christ, I know that too. I can tell you for sure that through Jesus Christ we can be happy and peaceful. Many people have it temporarily, maybe, but we can have it all the time now and beyond. Christ is the Savior, Joseph Smith was called of Him, The Book of Mormon are Christ's words.

I just get pumped about everything these days so I am just excited for everything for sure.  We have zone conference tomorrow and then exchanges and transfers are next week so I will be talking to you Tuesday. I would assume I am staying here with Elder Stephans, but you never know for sure. Thanks for all you do.
Love Elder Koden Hunt

March 8, 2017

This week we have been blessed in more ways than one. Of course when we hit March then it starts acting like winter a little more, snow then melt again, and proabaly more snow this weekend as well. We had some really awesome days in the past week teaching people. One of the people we are working with is getting ready to go to the temple for the first time, so that is pretty cool. His wife has already been before, but he hasnt. We also found a man and his 8 and 7 year old sons who are very interested. We got to see James again, his foot which was broken is good enough to come down the stairs and let us in now, I will have to get a picture with him next time I see him if I remember. We have stayed very busy ourselves, we had interviews yesterday and President Brown was in a really good mood so it was lots of fun, but we have much still to do. These days we usually get our bikes, drive for a ways, and then teach and ride or walk around trying to talk to as many people as we can. It is always good to have good conversations with people and we ahve had a good amount of those lately so that has been good too.
 I am doing well, we are still building our teaching pool up but we are having a grand time. Elder Stephens is great, we get along good. The apartment is doing good. They do their own thing most of the time and they are good missionaries. Transfers are in 2 weeks, so coming right up on us again. We do jump forward Sunday so we are excited about that too, sometimes people are scared of the dark it seems.   Thanks for all the updates as well, it is good to hear about what is going on in Enterprise. It is funny you mention the wind because I don't mind the wind a all out here because it doesn't blow very hard or very much compared to Enterprise. Sometimes I like the wind here which kind of sounds crazy. I learn so very much each and everyday which is always good, now I just have to not forget all I learn everyday. Thanks again for all that you do. I hope you have a super solid week and have lots of fun while your at it!
Love Elder Koden Hunt