Hope everyone's doing swell! Not much has really changed this week.

Transfers are happening again though! Elder Kuehne and I are staying as the Zone Leaders of the Orange Zone and we are getting two new companionships! Everyone already here is staying except Elder Savainaia. (Ça-va-ee-noi-uh) I don't know how to write out how to pronunciate things. If I tried to explain it it would just confuse everyone. We had stake conference yesterday. A kid sneezed all over the back of my head. It was pretty nasty nasty. That was probably the most exciting thing that happened this week! a super short thought for the week.....

A lot of people are under the impression that 'Mormons' are extremely secretive. Surprise! Not really. This is usually brought up when we discuss Temples. Our Temples are Houses of God where we 1. make covenants with Him to keep his commandments, 2. Make covenants with our spouse (can't wait for that) for time and all eternity, and 3. Make those covenants for deceased persons. It's not that all of the details are secret. They are sacred. In Stake Conference, our Stake President pointed out that in the interview to receive a Temple recommend (yes, members of the Church if Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints must pass an interview. Not just anyone can go in) one of the most important words in the interview is "strive." "Do you STRIVE to keep the covenants that you have made?" You don't have to be perfect, but you do have to do your very best. That's what the Atonement is all about. We do our very best, and then Christ makes up all the difference. So that question could possibly be rephrased to say, "Do you use the Atonement if Jesus Christ?" I know the Atonement is real.

It has the power to change human nature and the lives of individuals.

I love all of you so much! Have an incredible week!

Elder Hunter

Here are a couple pictures!

1. One of the districts in our zone. The sisters are not actually part of the district. Neither am I. The ZL's usually split up and the sisters were just fed up with the other district meeting. From L to R starting on the front row.....Elder Nye (Trainee), Sister Fulton, Sister Fernandez, Elder Savainaia, Elder Ryrie (trainee), Elder Bauman, my own good self, Elder Ader, and Elder Hamby! My MTC comp and the district leader.

2. Our massive zone! L to R starting with the front row....I will omit the elders and sisters....Ader, Fernandez, Fulton, Nye, Bauman, Savainaia, Kuehne (my comp), Ryrie, Fauatea, Westover (also a trainee), E.Z.J (Elder Zachary Johnson), Gentry, Meself, and Hamby!

3. This is the map of our entire mission. All the areas are numbered in the order I've served in them. My current zone is outlined in Orange because it's the Orange Zone. As you can tell, I have the biggest area in the mission. Disneyland is basically right where the 'x' is in my number 2 area.

Here are some other journal gems Hunter sent this week:

Jeez, I like simple rafts and kayaks. Material things really don't bring happiness. We were at dinner with some members earlier this week (they had some other members of the Ward over as well) and they were just going on and on about their boats and private river houses and how so and so was selling their $150,000 boat for $40,000 and this family should buy it....I was just so uncomfortable! It's as if they had nothing else to talk about except their money and what they do with it! So at one point of silence I interjected, pretending to contribute something of equal proportions to the conversation...."yeah so, back at home....we've got this four man....inflatable raft....that we use to go fishing and stuff.....it's pretty great." It was funny. :) but jeez, holy smokes! I was fed up with all the rich talk after a couple minutes.

Quote from Elder Mark E. Peterson Hunter studied last week and shared with us:

"I have a friend whose name is Kenneth. He has a lovely wife and four young children and is a good citizen and a generous provider. His family is united. They do things together, go places together, have fun together. Some people may wonder what more they possibly could have. But they do lack one thing--and it is a serious deficiency. They do not have that something which could make their happiness and togetherness permanent. They are so satisfied with the present that they never have considered the possibility that someday it may all stop and that they won’t have this happiness, this togetherness, any longer and that their present enjoyment may become but a pleasant memory. Kenneth and his wife, Lucille, are good people, honest and upright. They don’t go to church, though, and they feel they can be good enough without it. They teach their children honesty and virtue and they tell themselves that is about all the Church would do for them. And, anyway, they insist that they need their weekends for family recreation. Saturdays and Sundays are the only days Kenneth has free from his work, so church-going would really get in their way and would be an obstacle to their plans for each weekend--so they tell themselves."

Reading this, and thinking about what we could share with this family, I thought back to growing up. Without doubt both of you are right behind me as some of the most imperfect people in the world! But you know what matters most. To this day the greatest compliment I've ever received is "I hope that my daughter(s) can grow up and marry someone like you." At lunch with the Weidners last week, they told me that someone, in a church talk back in Burke said, "I hope that my girls will grow up and be able to marry boys like the Johnson's." Or something along those lines. I had to try really hard not to cry. The most influential thing in all of our boys lives is the example that you both set for us. Little things like wearing your suit coat to meetings. Watching every General Conference session. Helping set up and take down chairs. Having scripture study. Family dinner. Family movie night. Keeping the sabbath day holy. Writing in your journals. Doing your personal scripture studies. Having family prayer. Saying your personal prayers. These are just a few of the small things the prophets have asked us to do to have strong families. I'm so grateful to have been raised in a home centered (or at least attempted to be centered) on Jesus Christ, and where these teachings have been exemplified. It's made worlds of difference to me. I would rephrase Alma 56:48..."And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers and fathers lived it." I love you and the example that you've set for all of us.

Lots of Love!

Hunter