Happy Memorial Day everyone! This week was full of lots of small miracles in the form of people answering their doors or phones and lots of crazy stuff. Let's start with Elder Meyers's iPad. We were helping someone move some things in our tiny Corrola. Elder Meyers set his iPad on top of the car. He forgot about it. We drove off. Yes, elder Meyers's iPad is no more and we believe that it is in the hands of a dastardly Italian man that was to dishonest to give it back when we asked for it. We even bribed him with some bags of popcorn we got from the library. Moral of the story? Never trust an Italian man over the age of 65.

Next interesting story. We went to teach someone last night. When we got there he was eating dinner and had very recently taken a hit from the bong sitting on the floor.

We had some awesome lessons this week. There were only 8, but the quality was great! Some of the miracles that happened were as follows....we had three people come to church! And even more exciting was that Allen passed his interview for baptism! Elder Meyers and I were a little worried about it because he is very unconventional, not necessarily in a bad way or good way, but he makes others feel uncomfortable. I literally had nightmares all last night of being in church and having him run up and start yelling at everyone. This week was a tough one, but all the hard work was worth it! We spent lots of time organizing our area. That was exhausting. The pictures are as follows.

1. Stopped by a family's house we'd never visited before. This sign was there and it was funny. We talked with the lady about it and she was saying how frustrating the mailmen were....just sticking packages on the ground....here they will get stolen in a couple seconds.

2. We noticed this sign as we were driving to the mission office. Cali life!

3. That is Elder and Sister Fowles. They serve in our Ward with us as missionaries and we're just released. Elder Fowles in one of the funniest guys I know. When it was announced that we placed in the chili cook off he was crying he was laughing so hard!

4. This is why you don't drink and drive. But actually this guy was mad at us for parking in 'his spot' (notice the Guest parking only sign) and tried to box us in with his truck so the towers could tow us. I backed up and we peaced out. We were both pretty mad about that. The guy (with the bong) we were teaching after that offered to have his sister slash the guys tires. We are loved by our investigators!!

To polish this off, I want to share a quote with all of you from Marion G. Romney, a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles.

"That man is a child of God is the most important knowledge available to mortals. Such knowledge is beyond the ken of the uninspired mind. Neither logic, science, philosophy, nor any other field of worldly learning has ever been, or ever will be, able to find it out. Those who limit their search to such learning techniques will continue to be as they have always been, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”" 

I want to add my testimony to this. There isn't any way to find out the truth of Gods personality and being except for the way God has provided. That is studying, pondering, and praying. 

"To know thyself is to come to know that you and I are literally the offspring of Deity." The joy that comes from a correct knowledge and understanding of our Father and His Son cannot be matched. How do we come to this knowledge? By studying what God has provided for us, namely the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Many people wonder why we need any book, or why we need the extra book of the Book of Mormon. God provides an answer. "Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also. And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever. Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written. For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written." 

I know we are all sons and daughters of God. I know that anyone can come to a knowledge of that better by reading the Book of Mormon, pondering, and praying about it than by any other means. I leave these things with you all in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Hunter

picture above is Brother Cunningham from the Braun Heights Ward who personally delivered a cookie et al package from home!

This picture on the right is of someone from our Ward directory......it very much epitomizes the Anaheim 4th Ward!

 The picture in the center of the letter is of Hunter before leaving on the mission when his brother Justus called for mother's day.  We couldn't get a good picture of Hunter's mother's day call but we loved talking with him!

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't written in a few weeks! This week has been the best one for the past ten weeks! I gots a fun story. So we were teaching a lesson about the Plan of Salvation and when we went into this lesson, the older sister who is about 23 was dressed up super nice in a casual way and the house was all cleaned up. So we go in and notice this and were like hmmmmm. Then when we finished, she said something along the lines of, umm, if you maybe have any time next week do you think maybe you could go clubbing? It's my graduation, and were having a big party..,so yeah, we got asked to go clubbing!!! I was extremely flattered to say the least, but we won't be going. Other than that, this week was full of miracles and other wonderful things! In the gospel essentials class in church, we had to sub and teach the lesson, and I had to leave ten minutes early to go play a violin in another room. I left elder Meyers all by his lonesome to teach. Afterwards he told me he had no idea what to do and was freaking out that I was leaving. It was adorable.

I want to share something with you all that I found this week in regards to the Book of Mormon. In D&C 84:54-57 the Lord says "And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received.

Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written." The saints at this time were under condemnation for not taking the Book of Mormon seriously enough. President Benson in 1984 said, "As I participated in the Mexico CitTemple dedication, I received the distinct impression that God is not pleased with our neglect of the Book of Mormon." So the church was still under condemnation. He closed his remarks by saying, "We do not have to prove the Book of Mormon is true. The book is its own proof. All we need to do is read it and declare it! The Book of Mormon is not on trial--the people of the world, including the members of the Church, are on trial as to what they will do with this second witness for Christ." I can promise that what this prophet of God said was true, and would like to invite everyone that reads this to ponder these five questions that President Benson posed.

1. Is the Book of Mormon the word of God?

2. For whom was it meant?

3. How important is this volume of scripture?

4. What is its major purpose?

5. How are we to use it?

I promise that if you seriously consider these things and make it a matter to ask God for answers, he will not disappoint. 

Love you all!

Elder Hunter

Hunter didn't send us a letter to publish for Everyone this week so we are giving you what he wrote to our family:

Kumen, I'm sure you did great! Stop being such a worry wart!! Did you not finish your email there......? Anyhow, it was great seeing and talking to you!

  

Mom, thank you so much for fixing up my lama skin! Just please be gentle with it.....and by that I mean just keeping it away from the other kids because I'm afraid they will play with it until it is ripped apart....thank you so much for your efforts! I love you so much! People in California are very much like Texas soil. People here can be so humble, and seemingly ready to accept the gospel, but then they reject it. Just last night after we finished talking, we went and fixed an investigators bike. We found a new axle, and fixed up the chain so it would work. Afterwards (this was the Jehovah's Witness that we taught last week) she asked us if she could ask us a few questions! And now they are so much more willing to listen to us! I'm super excited about that. I'm glad the spirit reconfirmed the importance of the Book of Mormon to you. Did you know that the church was under condemnation for taking the Book of Mormon to lightly when Joseph smith was on the earth, and that condemnation was repeated by Ezra Taft Benson I think. It's so true! The other day my comp told me he was talking to a guy at the soup kitchen he was serving at (we were on exchanges) and he was talk into a guy about the restoration of the gospel and he said 'and the Book of Mormon is proof of it' which is what I always tell people. And he heard himself say that and thought nooooooooo, I'm turning into Johnson!! Which is a good thing because it means I'm doing at least something right! Mommy I love you! I will share my testimony when I skype again next Christmas! Jk, I will write it at the end of this email. How is everything going with the thing that I sent? Have you talked with Mike about it? Has Elder Meyers's mom friended you on Facebook? She is AWESOME! Lemme know who you want me to email to because I didn't see anything in this email! Also could you please make photocopies of those 2 pieces? I need them for Sunday...Love you!

Avery, I loved your talk!! It was amazing!! You are so cute I loved hearing you sing yesterday and I loved seeing ranger!!

Ammon, great job, you're almost there! The little heart you put in somehow ended up on where you said lovable and nowhere near where you meant it to be. I was looking at the calendar, and it turns out I will most likely be coming home at the beginning of August. The last transfer ends August 1 2016, and I will hopefully be able to stay a couple more days past that. But right now I'm looking at a 16 transfer mission because of when I came out, and when school starts. Hopefully we will have an 8 week transfer so I have two extra weeks. I've still got 12 more months before I need to start thinking about that though!

Zenock keep doing well in school! Enjoy your summer! You only have like 3 weeks of school left now! Craziness! Have a fun summer too!

Dad, I'm glad you were able to talk to Sandy a bit. Tell her I miss heeeeeer! Has Grandpa gotten his results back yet? We are doing the best we can to use the Book of Mormon as much as possible. Promise! It was wonderful talking to you guys yesterday! I absolutely loved it!

I know the church is true. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, because the more I study the Book of Mormon the more and more I become convinced that a 14 year old boy could not have written it. This church is Gods Kingdom as He has organized it on earth. Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Older Brother and He loves me and everyone. I know He lives. I know my Heavenly Father cares about all of us. I know families can be together forever! I love you all, and I leave this short testimony with you, in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Hunter

P.S. The talks I was thinking about that you could share with Sister Valdez was The Only True and Living Church by Boyd K. Packer, given in October 1971 and What Will the Church do for You, a Man by Gordon B. Hinckley in April 1972, and Why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Marion G. Romney given in October 1972. These are all super good ones. They would be good to watch with her maybe. Hope they help!

New stuff this week....we taught ten whole lessons this week! That's two more than our record in this area. Other than that....there was a stabbing kind of close to us. That was exciting.

It's the 2nd time I've seen red homicide tape on my mission! I did an exchange this week with my district leader. We had 3 member present lessons this week! That was insane. Members here don't know how to teach at a lesson. They kind of take over. O well. At least we were able to get them to come. That's the most work our Ward has been doing in ages! 11:00 sounds good for skyping on Sunday! Love you all!

Hunter

Adendum: Not much happened this week. We did find a 'Murica pillow pet that we bought and gave to a girl for her birthday.  It looked really cool.

 But here is a video my companion took!

The moon looked really cool. And a couple pictures of some parrots.

1-2 :These are pictures of me and my companion.

3: I dyed some pasta I was cooking for him green just because I love my companion. 😊

4: we found this great and spacious building in our area. It looked pretty cool.