April 26,2017

Well, another crazy fast week for us here. The temple was really awesome, there was a lot of other missionaries from the mission that knew the man that was going through the temple for the first time. It was super great and we even made it home in time, barely. Right before we got home maybe the biggest rain storm I have ever seen came and it was like it just picked up some water off the lake and dumped it down. We then had exchanges with our district leader in his area on Friday, were all over the place until Monday then we had Zone conference in Kirtland again. It was super awesome, a lot about talking with everyone and teaching everyone the gospel of Christ. We gave a little discussion and helped out with some other little things. We then went on exchanges yesterday and it was good. It is starting to feel more like summer than winter around here, most of the trees have leaves now. Elder Stephens saw Mike O'bryon yesterday and he is doing good, his mom is starting to get over some health issues she had. The other family was so busy they couldn't meet last week so we are going by them later today. We have been able to talk to all sorts of people on our bikes lately and we have meet some really awesome people, we are always just trying to see them more than once.  Transfers are next week so I will be emailing on Tuesday. Elder Stephens has 2 transfers left, he is actually going to run track at Utah State when he gets home so that is cool. It is tough to predict this transfer, it is a toss up if I stay for 1 more or get transferred. Transfers are always exciting for all the missionaries. I will have an update next week for sure. 

Time really is flying by, I am not sure where the last transfer went for us either.  My favorite place to eat in Cleveland, we haven't really made it to any  local places to eat. Handel's ice cream was super duper awesome for sure, so that might be my favorite. I did have a donut from that donut place once at a members house. It wasn't the best kind of donut so I didn't get to good of a feel for it.   

 My favorite scripture is a lot of them these days, but I always have to go back to Alma 26: 12, because it is a great reminder to me that we can only have the strength we need if we rely on the Lord and his strength. With his help we can accomplish what we need to, even all things. I hope you all have a wonderful one!

Love Elder Koden Hunt

April 19, 2017

This week has been full of miracles. For Easter, nothing out of the ordinary happened really. We went to church and ate dinner with the Simbeck's. The really awesome part of the day was that we contacted a referral who, her and her family, are super awesome and we are teaching them now. They like basketball and this lady was telling us to leave her and her kids with challenges and how they want to take time everyday to dedicate to God and she said that would help their family. I will; have to telly ou more next week. Mike O'bryon came to church again and he is super nice, he doesn't have much money but he listened to what they were saying in church and he gave us a little dinner one day. We have been marvelously blessed with amazing weather lately and we have been trying to get out and bike all we can and we have been able to talk to lots of wonderful people. We had interviews this week and those are always good. We always have something going on where we are running all around it seems, but it is good.
We are headed to the temple right after this, it is just Elder Stephens and I that are going down as far as missionaries. I always love the earlier sessions, but someone Elder Stephens taught in his last ward is going through the temple for the first time so we will cruise down and back with Brother Simbeck and his daughter today. We are going to the Columbus Temple this time, it is about 2 hours and 15 minutes away.
I am doing good, just trying to do my best. I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Love Elder Koden Hunt

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