MAY

                                        Hello!

A Book of Mormon Each Day And The Brat Fest 

May 27, 2014

Hi Family!!

We were very busy again this week which was yet another huge blessing! This week we were asked by our Zone Leaders to hand out a Book of Mormon every day this week, even on P-day so Sister Shelton and I worked really hard and pushed each other to accomplish this goal. Sister Shelton is such an example to me and I love the way she pushes me to do and be better. It's so incredible to see how the Lord truly does place people in our paths when we are out searching for them. We've been able to meet incredible new people this week and we're very hopeful that we will be able to start teaching them.

 

Monkeying around 

We have a new investigator named Ray. He actually approached us a bus stop. He had met sister missionaries before and just started asking us some basic questions about our religion. He told us he was really interested in learning more and wants to start taking discussions! We gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to come to mutual this week so that he can meet some of the youth in the ward. He's such a neat kid and we're really excited to be teaching him!

This week we were able to meet with Darnella and her kids! She is very excited to start coming to church again, however she wasn't able to this week because she had to work. She told us how excited she was because her husband is actually interested in coming to church now after talking to us. Apparently he never went before when they took discussions. She told us she didn't know what we said to him, but something about us has him interested! Her kids all came to the activities Wednesday night so Destiny came to mutual, James Jr. came to scouts, and Jamaya came to activity days. It was so great to see them getting involved with the youth in the ward and seeing how much fun they were having! They all told us that they really loved it and are excited to come again!

 

A beautiful spring day with Grandma Madison (Maralie)

Latoya came to church again this week! It was so neat because this week she got all ready and even wore a dress. She already seems like a completely different person than the Latoya I met when I first got here. We're meeting with her this week and we are really hoping to be able to set a baptismal date for her.

Nichole came to church as well but she's is still concerned about baptism. She said she still doesn't feel like she knows its true and she doesn't want to get baptized for the wrong reason. There is baptism this weekend though, and we are planning on going to it with her! We don't think she has actually been to one and we really hope that she can feel and recognize the spirit that is there!

So yesterday we got to volunteer at Brat Fest! It was quite the experience! Ha lots of drunk people everywhere.. I had my first brat since being in Wisconsin.. Not sure I understand why they make such a big deal about them but I guess it was good, ha it was cool though cause we met some members from Utah and the dad actually served his mission Wisconsin!

Volunteering at the Brat Fest 

I'm so grateful to be out here serving! I know that this gospel is true and there are so many people who need this gospel in their lives! We have a lot of work to do in this area but I'm so excited to work hard and see the work progress!

Love you all and miss you!!

Love,

Sister Hunter

We

Great Week!!                                                           May 19, 2014 Hello Family!! This week has definitely been an incredible week! We've been crazy busy which has been a huge blessing! We made a goal this week for each of us to have a lesson with at least one person on the bus each day. Sister Shelton and I really pushed each other to accomplish this goal. P-day at the Zoo      The blessings that have come from striving to reach this goal have been incredible! We got 7 new investigators this week! 5 of them are James and Darnella and their kids. We were able to meet with them at their house this week and have a lesson! They are such a great family! They have actually been taught by the missionaries before and were really close to baptism. They first took the discussion when they were in Minnesota and then started meeting with missionaries again about a year and a half ago. They love the Book of Mormon and their kids loved when they would come to church and really enjoyed the activities. We committed them to read the Book of Mormon as a family every day. Sister Shelton and I are both really looking forward to meeting with them again this week! We really hope that they will commit to coming to church this week! A day at the zoo with Marilie aka Grandma Madison ( she asked them to call her that)  We have a new investigator who we met on the bus. His name is Clawd and he came to church yesterday! He told us that he has never been baptized in a church and really wants to learn more. He was only able to stay for sacrament meeting and gospel principles class because he had to go to work but we have an appointment with him this week and are excited to be teaching him. Haha we found out that he even paid tithing yesterday; we'll be explaining that he doesn't need to do that quite yet but at least we know that won’t be an issue for him! Latoya's been asking us a lot of questions about callings in the church and how she can be more involved! We were very excited to hear that! We're hoping and praying that she will commit to a baptism date when we meet with her this week! favorite umbrella broke   Janet has been struggling the past month with her testimony we told her to just keep reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it and that we knew she would get her answer. She finally came to church again yesterday and it was so great! She's been extended a calling in the primary and is so excited about it! Sister Shelton and I both think that her having a calling in primary will help her to better understand things and recognize how simple the gospel really is. She even told us yesterday that she wants to make it to the temple so we will be working hard to get her ready for that! Janet has the sweetest testimony and it strengthens both Sister Shelton and I every time we are with her. I know that there is so much power in the Book of Mormon and this experience has strengthened my testimony even more of that!  I'm so grateful for all the blessings that we've seen come from this week! Each week I learn so much and my testimony grows stronger and stronger! This work is incredible and I’m so blessed to be a part of it! I love you guys and miss ya!! Love, Sister Hunter Splits                                                                                                                May 12, 2014 Hello Family!!! What a crazy incredible week!! We had Zone Conference on Thursday which was great!   There was a lot of focus on the Family. Our whole mission has been focusing on family history and now we've been asked to work really hard to find a family to teach. Our mission president always says eternal life is family life. I love this and it is so true! I'm so incredibly thankful that my family is eternal! I don't know that I would fully understand and appreciate that if I hadn't experience losing Steph. As hard of a trial that was to face I know that it is a big part of the reason that I have the testimony I have. It's one of the biggest reasons I'm serving a mission.  There are so many families who don't have the knowledge of eternal families. I want to be able to share with them and help them to have these incredible blessings in their lives. We were actually able to get in contact with a family who used to take the discussions! Sister Shelton and I have both felt very strongly the past few weeks that we needed to stop by their apartment. They agreed to start reading the Book of Mormon as a family. I'm so excited to meet with them again this week and hopefully start teaching them. Splits...Sister Shelton, Sister Martin, Sister Johnson, Sister Hunter  We had exchanges this week as well so I got to go to the east side of Madison for a day! It was really great and fun to be in a new area for the day. Oh and I got to be in a car instead of on bus for the day which was awesome!! I was with Sister Johnson and she is so great!       I learn so much from her. She really helps me to just have more confidence in myself as a missionary. It can be hard but I see myself progressing each day!   Sister hunter, Tina, Sister Johnson  So we had a lesson with a less active girl named Tina at a place called Ella’s Diner.  Basically it’s like a fairy tale explosion in your head! It’s such a cool little place! Ella's Diner ("fairy tale explosion")  While I was on exchanges Sister Shelton and Sister Martin (the other Sister Training Leader) had a lesson with Nichole and found out that she has been living the word of wisdom, law of chastity, ten commandments, and keep the Sabbath day holy, basically all the laws since march!!!  Ahh she is so prepared it’s ridiculous!  She came to church again and even went to the relief society activity on missionary work and loved it!   She kills me but I love her! Our goal is just to help her recognize that she is so prepared and does know that the Book of Mormon is true. I think she is waiting for some huge moment for her to know but really it’s not always going to be like that. So another huge thing that happened this week is that Latoya, our investigator who dropped us a month ago, called and had us come over on Saturday. We had a simple lesson with her and then she came to church yesterday!! Heavenly Father truly does hear and answer prayers! Her allowing us to come again was such a blessing and an answer to our prayers! It was so great to be able to see and talk to you guys yesterday! I've missed you all but I wouldn't change my decision to serve for anything! I know this church is true and I love sharing it with others! Love you all and miss you!! oh by the way if you haven't had a chance watch the Mother’s Day video on mormonchannel.org It's such a great video!! Love, Sister Kendra Hunter  District Meeting                                            May 5, 2014

Hello Family!!

It's been another great week here in Madison! It rained pretty much all week so that part wasn't very fun but it was still great!    

At district meeting this week we talked about family history. It's crazy to me how much emphasis they have had on family history! It makes me realize how important it really is! After district meeting Sister Shelton and I made it a goal to use family history as a way to street contact. It's incredible how many people we have been able to talk to in the last week about family history and use it as a way to bring up the gospel with them. We've had so many times where people don't want to talk to us but when we mention family history they are more than willing to stop and talk. I know that as we continue to use family history while contacting we will be able to find those the Lord has prepared to hear our message!

District Meeting (looks productive ha ha)

 

The District

Our lesson with Nichole went so great this week! She hasn't been willing to pray in any of our lessons so far or in any of the lessons with her previous missionaries. We've been praying all week that Nichole would be willing to pray in our lesson. When we brought it up of course she told us no, but talked about what her concerns were and we were able to help her feel comfortable enough that she prayed at the end of the lesson! This was such a huge step for Nichole! I know that as she continues to pray and ask her Heavenly Father if these things are true that she will receive her answer! She agrees with everything we teach her and says that she likes the way she feels during our lessons and when she reads the Book of Mormon, but she doesn't feel like she knows for sure yet. She really wants to know though! She comes to church every week and a lot of people think that she is already a member it’s pretty funny haha. I just love her so much though and I know that Heavenly Father will answer her prayer. It may not be right away but he will when he knows that the time is right!

Last night we had dinner with a lady named Marilie. She is so funny!

Sister Hunter, Marilie & Sister Brewster 

She's 89 years old and about as perky as ever I feel like. She reminds me of the lady in the Incredible’s who makes the superhero outfits... but . with grey hair. Her son was an atheist who ended up joining the church and she says that she's never figured out what changed his mind..haha so we visit with her and teach her a little bit each time. She tells us that she is our Madison mother and just wants to take care of us. She is lending us her bike to use for the summer. Its really old and is going to need to be fixed up a bit but we're excited she is willing to let us use it.

This week we have Zone Conference and I’m really excited for it! I can't wait to take what they share with us and really apply it to the work we're doing! I really love this work and I’m so glad that I made the decision to come out and serve! I love you all and miss you tons!!

Love,

Sister Hunter

APRIL

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM

&

STAKE CONFERENCE

April 28, 2014

Hello Family!!!                                              

This week has been a great week! Kind of rough the first couple of days because our appointments kept falling through but it turned out to be a great week still! Oh and in the middle of the night on Thursday our carbon monoxide alarm kept going off. Its done it before but not in the middle of the night... Its a good thing I have my companion because she was able to get it to stop and had enough sense to open the windows just in case.

I pretty much slept through the whole thing... haha but no worries we're alive, no carbon monoxide poisoning!

(A Mother's note ...  Here is written proof that it took an act of Congress to get Kendra out of bed in the mornings!!!!!)  

 Our investigator Eric has started making huge progress towards quitting smoking and drinking coffee! This week he worked towards cutting the amount he smoke and drank each day in half. He went and bought herbal tea's to drink instead and lozenges to suck on when he wants to smoke. There were a couple of days where he didn't quite make it but he's trying really hard which is so great! He is also reading the Book of Mormon and praying every morning which I know will help give him strength to quit. We have fasted for him and we pray every day and it's just so neat to see how much progress he is making.

It is totally a Hobbit House!!  Check out the little book sharing box in front 

 Our investigator Greg agreed to be baptized if he comes to know that the Book of Mormon is true so we are working towards May 31 for him. He has a lot of faith in God and knows that he can receive and answer. We're hoping to get him to church this week. We know that it will help him even more to know that this church is true!

We had stake conference this week and Nichole came! Everyone thinks she is already a member, even our mission presidents wife thought she was already a member its pretty funny. Nichole is great though and we get along so well and she makes me laugh so much! We figured out this week that she is nervous about praying. She has never prayed in any of her previous lessons and we don't think she has actually prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true. We know that if she sincerely prays she will get an answer! Heavenly Father isn't going to leave her unanswered. I'm so glad that she came to Stake Conference because a lot of the talks were specifically about becoming converted. They talked about how everyone receives there answers in different ways but that its important to listen to our hearts and the way we feel. It couldn't have been more perfect for her to hear!

So at Stake Conference a family came up and talked to me whose last name is Hunter! I don't think we're related but it was fun to talk with them. They have an eight year old daughter who wants to go on a mission so I put my name tag on her so she could see what its like. haha she was cute and was fun to see how excited it made her. (Ignore how awful I look in the pic)

Sister Hunter and Sister Hunter 

I love you all and miss you! I love being out here even though its hard its so great!! I know that this gospel is true and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to be a part of this great work!

Love,

Sister Hunter

EASTER WEEK

April 21, 2014

AWESOME WEEK! Hi Family!!,                                                          This has been so great!! I've about hit my six week mark from coming out so we got to go to Oshkosh on Wednesday for the 1-6 week training. It was so great! I got to see everyone I was in the MTC with! It was great to see Sister Elkington (MTC Comp), and the other sisters who were in my district. We were all way close to each other so basically it was just the best!       The Old MTC Sisters Gang The training was really great though especially to see that I'm not the only who has struggled. Something that my mission president’s wife said that really stuck out to me was that we need to be patient, haha I think I have struggled with having patience my whole life, but it really is so important. I think sometimes I feel like I need to be this perfect missionary right now but I forget that just like everything else in life it takes time. The things that I experience each day will build upon each other and make me better. I'm never going to be perfect but I can strive to be the best I can be.   Old MTC District  So we have a new investigator and she is amazing! Her name is Nichole and she has actually been taking the discussions since July, but hasn't had a lesson in about 4 months because of work and moving. She moved to Madison from a town called Platteville about a month ago.  She's been reading in the Book of Mormon and is almost to Alma! She is so excited to have sister missionaries teaching her now and already I just love her so much! Sister Shelton and I have connected with her really well right from the start. She really wants to know for herself that this gospel is true but she struggles with recognizing the spirit. Our goal is to help her feel and recognize the spirit so she can recognize her answer! She is so willing though and has such a strong desire. She came to church on Sunday and is going to come to Stake Conference next week as well! I'm so excited to continue teaching her she really is just so great!  We weren't able to meet with Terrance this week but when I talked to him on the phone he told me that he was finding truth in the Book of Mormon! We were so excited to hear him say that! We will be seeing him tonight and we're hoping to set a baptismal date for him! Easter Package & other essentials from home arrived!!!! I hope your Easter was great and I hope you took the time to watch the Because of Him video on Mormon.org... if not do it! Its great and it really makes you realize all the things we have in our lives "Because of Him".  I love and miss you all, Sister Hunter    Love my New Anchor and Wheel Necklace

TEACH BY THE SPIRIT

                           April 14,2014                         

More Mission Stuff!

Hi family and friends!

 This week has been another great week! On Tuesday at our district meeting we talked all about having the spirit with us when we teach; listening to it, and really letting it guide us in our lessons. In Preach My Gospel it talks about how the two most important things in conversion is the spirit and the Book of Mormon and so since then Sister Shelton and I have been really focusing on having the spirit with us when we teach.

We've put a lot of emphasis on making our personal studies really meaningful and having an equally meaningful companion study. It’s so crazy how different our day goes based on how our studies went in the morning. Our lessons go so much smoother and the spirit is so strong in them. This experience has strengthened my testimony so much and I know that the spirit is so powerful and can do just incredible things.

We have a new investigator named Terrance.   We met him when we were actually looking for previous potential. Turns out she is his cousin but she wasn't home at the time. So we got talking to him about how much our Heavenly Father loves us, and we gave him a Book of Mormon. The spirit was so strong and he told us that he knew we didn't find him by accident that day! We had a lesson with him on Wednesday and it too was such a powerful lesson. It was so neat because we planned to teach him the restoration, which we did partly, but the spirit most definitely lead that lesson. We focused the whole time on the love our Savior has for us and the comfort that we can receive through the Book of Mormon. He committed to read the Book of Mormon each day and to pray and ask if it is true. We will be seeing him again on Thursday and we are really excited to see how he's been doing with that!

Sister Hunter and Sister Shelton

We have another new investigator named Greg. He actually talked with a member on his flight home from Utah and decided that he wanted to learn more so he requested that missionaries come visit him on Mormon.org. We met with him on Friday. He loves the Bible and knows it really well, but he is so sincere about wanting to learn more and he committed to reading the Book of Mormon as well and praying to know if it’s true. The spirit that was in both of these lessons was so strong!! The fact that our district meeting this week was all about inviting the spirit was such a huge blessing! It just played into our week so well.

Latoya had her baby which was very exciting. She called us and asked us to come by and see her and the baby on Friday. He is such a cute little baby (and don't worry we didn't hold him because that's against the rules). She asked us to come back the next day so we did and then that night she text us and told us that she didn't think this church was for her and basically dropped us. We aren't really sure at all what happened but we're hoping that she will let us come by and talk to her one last time. We included her in our fast yesterday and since then we have both felt a lot of peace about her. We know that things will work out!

So next Sunday is Easter Sunday and what better time than now to really ponder and reflect on the sacrifices that our savior made for us! Our Sister Training Leaders invited us to read through the words to "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" this week and really ponder about our Savior throughout the week, and then on Sunday take some time and write down our testimony of him. I thought this was a really neat commitment and so I wanted to invite all of you to do it to! I know that it will strengthen your testimony and help you to feel closer to your Savior! There is also a Mormon.org video out this week that would be great for you to watch as well its Mormon.org/becauseofhim

I hope that you all have a great Easter and know that I love you all and miss you!

Love,

Sister Hunter

See Mom I'm eating my veggies!