8/13/17- See you soon!

Hello Everyone!

It's kind of crazy that this will probably be my last missionary group email... I will be finishing my mission August 22nd (next Tuesday) and speaking the following Sunday (August 27th at 9 am) at the church on Val Vista and Adobe in Mesa for those who would like to come.

This week was pretty average here in Citrus Ridge. We were finally able to get in contact with a sister who hasn't been to church in years, and she was excited to see us! They have been meaning to come back, but haven't because of some health and work challenges. Hopefully we'll get to meet with her again this week. 

We were also able to meet with a family Sister Jensen had worked with, but I hadn't met yet. The father wants so badly to help his daughter have more direction in her life. When we first got there, she was a little rough around the edges with us, but as we talked about God's love for her and reminded her that she is a child of God, her countenance changed. It was special to feel that difference in their home.

In other news- Patrick (in Venice) was baptized! I got a letter from him this week letting me know he would be "baptized and Mormonized" on the 12th. I was excited to get a picture from Sister Alder, who forwarded it from a member there. I'm so happy for him!

I am grateful for the things my mission has taught me, most of which I did not expect. A scripture I am sure I have shared here before, I'd like to share again: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). I know He has strengthened me to do His work here, to invite others to come unto Him. I know that His church and His gospel are true.

I'll see you all soon!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

7/31/17

Hello Everyone!

This week was a bit of a blur, but there were a few good highlights!

Tuesday we had zone conference. We talked about the Book of Mormon and practiced answering questions and helping others by using passages from the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and the direction it has given me and my family. I know that it is the word of God. 

Also at zone conference, each of the missionaries who will be returning this transfer shared their testimonies. I was able to reflect as I shared that I know that this gospel is true, that Christ really did come to the earth and suffer for each of us so we can change our lives and find peace. I know that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ spoke to Joseph Smith and brought back the church Christ established during his ministry, and that they called Joseph Smith to be a prophet. 

Another big highlight this week - Susan was baptized! Since I just transferred in, I didn't get a chance to work with her long before her baptism, but it was special to see her faith in following the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. The confirmation was especially good for her, and she said she felt chills run through her as she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Yesterday I gave a talk in church about the importance of personal testimony. I referenced the story of Paul, writing from prison, encouraging the early saints to  stay faithful, as it would be increasingly more important that they have personal testimonies (Philippians 2:12). I also referenced the story of Nephi, and the story of Moroni, who both had to rely on their testimony of Christ to continue in faith through difficulties (1 Nephi 2:16, Moroni 1:2-4). I echoed our prophet, President Monson's challenge, and I'll share it with each of you as well: "If you do not have a firm testimony of these things [knowing that the Book of Mormon is true], do that which is necessary to obtain one." Taking on this challenge has blessed my life.

In other news, I've been working on some return preparations. There are a lot of goals to set and things to finish. It's been an adventure. 

Hope you're all doing well!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

7/17/17

Hello Everyone!

It's been a crazy last few weeks! We had zone activity day a few weeks
ago, then it was 4th of July, then Sister Alder went home. So I've
been busy!

Sister Alder was an awesome companion and I miss her, but she is going
to do great things at home! Sister Felt and Sister Swanson (past
companions) also went home this transfer. They've each been great
examples to me.

With Sister Alder going home, I assumed I would be staying in Venice
and receiving a new companion. Instead, Venice closed this transfer
and I transferred up to Citrus Ridge (in Davenport) which is the exact
opposite corner of the mission. Sister Felt's companion (Sister
Saunders) and I packed up the whole Venice apartment, transitioned all
the people we were teaching to the nearest missionaries, and got on
the road in about a day and a half. That was a miracle! Sister
Saunders is a saint.

My new companion here in Citrus Ridge is Sister Jensen! She is from
Utah and we are guessing she will finish her mission here since she
goes home 2 transfers after me. She's been sick this week, so we've
mostly been inside.

Today we went shopping with some members. They are so nice and take
the missionaries every week to save miles.

Since Sister Jensen has been under the weather, I've had some
additional study time this week. My favorite was the insight I gained
in Moroni. He is the last one from his civilization, and yet he holds
on to hope and teaches future generations about the Holy Ghost, or
Comforter, which must have been a great strength to him.

I hope you are all doing well! Feel free to email :)

Love,
Sister Brittany Hunt

(Pictures: Sister Alder and I on a "Sisters" bench, Sister Saunders is the redhead that helped me pack up, Sister Jensen is my new companion)

6/19/17

Hello Everyone!

The highlight of this week is that we went as a zone to the temple! It was awesome. We drove up to Sarasota Wednesday night to stay with Sister Felt and Sister Saunders, then got up at 4 the next morning to get ready and drive to Lakeland. From there, we drove with some other missionaries to Orlando, past Disney World (little do they know the real happiest place on earth is a few more miles down the road). Lots of driving, but it was a good day! I love the peace that we can feel in the temple, and even on the temple grounds. Afterward, we drove back to an area that is a little closer to Orlando and had zone conference. The focus of the conference was on obedience, and how if we want to ask for the Lord's blessings, we have to be doing what He asks of us. 

We spent the rest of the day driving back and stopped with the Sarasota sisters at a barbecue to get dinner. While we were in line, we were able to talk to a couple people about our message to the world as missionaries. It was really fun! 

We've had some good clouds and sunsets, and a few more storms. The area has been needing more rain, so it's been good.

Have a great week!

Sister Brittany Hunt 

Brighton's Baptism!

Hello Everyone!

This week started out a little slow, but it was a great weekend! All week the clouds couldn't decide if they wanted to rain or not. As a result, we didn't bike much and stayed close to the car just in case. The area has been needing the rain though, so we're not complaining. 

Highlight of the week: Brighton was baptized and confirmed! Her baptism was really special. Her mom and sister are working on coming back to church. Her mom was very emotional. Though she has been away from the church for so long, she always knew it was true, and we knew it was a day she had been waiting for. There was a really good turnout, with almost all of the young women there to support Brighton. 

I gave a talk on the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which Brighton received at confirmation yesterday. I shared these scriptures from 2 Nephi 31: "(17) Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. (18) And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive." I  know that the path Brighton set herself on at baptism will lead her to her Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ. I also know that she has a loving Heavenly Father who provided the Holy Ghost to help her on that path.

We had three of our investigators there for the baptism. Someone jokingly told one (Patrick) that it would be his turn next week. He told us he didn't know if he'd be ready next week, but that he was looking forward to his own baptism. He's hoping to be baptized next month, so we're excited to help him with that goal.

After the baptism, Sister Alder and I had a little pancake party to celebrate.

I'm grateful for the tender mercies we've seen this week. I hope you all are doing well!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

5/5/41

Hello Everyone!

We had a lot of cancelled appointments this week, so we knocked on doors a lot. We are working on finding new ways to meet people. The ward members here do great missionary work, so we've been visiting with more of them to help them in their missionary work.

Brighton had her interview this week! We are so excited for her to be baptized this Saturday. She has developed a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel on the earth, and it has been so fun to watch her and her family progress. 

Patrick, the man we met on Memorial Day, came to church. He had a great experience, and set a return appointment. We're excited to start teaching him!

We got a ward mission leader this week! And his wife was called as a ward missionary. They moved in recently and are ready to get working. It'll be fun to work with them.

We're having a hard time believing it's already June again. May went way too fast.

Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt 

5/30/17

Hello Everyone! 

It's been a pretty good week! We got transfer news yesterday and Sister Alder and I will be staying here in Venice another transfer. Which means we'll both be here for Brighton's baptism!

Tuesday we went to visit a member who is working on coming back to church. We often meet on Tuesdays, and she's a little further north than we usually drive because of our mile allotment. We got there, and she didn't come to the door. We gave her a call, but she had left her phone out (so we were closer than she was). Finally, I said a quick silent prayer on the doorstep that the dog would bark so we could keep the appointment and not have to drive all the way back. Just then, the dog barked and came running out, followed by the sister we came to visit. Prayers are answered! It was a good visit, and we'll be going back tonight.

Wednesday and Thursday we had an exchange, and I was up in Sarasota with Sister Felt. I've now been in 3 areas with her (which is all of her areas). We read the Book of Mormon with some of the young women in the ward. We promised each of them that they could receive an answer to a question they had been pondering while we read. Each started with a prayer. Two of the three were a little more hesitant, but accepted the challenge. They each picked where they wanted to read (one randomly opened, one used the index, and one picked a chapter from a book she liked). I watched as each, no matter the question, was able to find her answer. It built my faith that the Book of Mormon answers questions, and our Heavenly Father answers prayers. 

Memorial day was great yesterday! We tried contacting on Venice Island, where more people would be out for the holiday. We met a nice older veteran, Patrick, who had met with missionaries years ago, and had been meaning to go to church but never did. We talked with him about the importance of the family and how God designed families in order to bless us. He said he'd come to church and meet with us again this week.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

5/15/17

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all had a good Mothers' Day! It was good getting to talk to family. Here are a few highlights from the week:

The part member family we are working with are doing well! It was especially fun this week when we met with them and one of the sisters (who is a member) was answering questions for her sister, who is getting ready for her baptism. They've faced their share of opposition, but it is inspiring how they have determined to hold strong to their choice to come back to church.

We spent half the week inside, as Sister Alder has been sick. She's been a trooper though and it's been good to get some things done here that we haven't had time for in the last few weeks.

Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

5/8/17

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all having a good Monday. Fun fact: Sister Alder and I reported to the MTC together 15 months ago this week. She made gooey butter cake to celebrate, and it was pretty good!

 This week we have been working really hard to talk to everyone we come in contact with. I set some personal goals not to miss a single person, and it has been fun to watch the miracles that have come from that. This has changed my mission than most of the other goals I have set. It makes more sense how it is possible to find yourself as you lose yourself.

We had some pretty defining lessons with investigators. We had one sister we've been meeting with summarize all we've been teaching her, and we realize she has soaked in a lot more than we thought. She is going to be totally on board as soon as she has her "aha" moment. That was a pretty big highlight this week. She's awesome, and we're grateful for the work she's putting in to know for herself that this gospel is true.

We had a lesson with the young women we hare helping prepare for baptism all about how to study the scriptures. She is starting to recognize the Spirit through peaceful feelings as she reads. We're excited for her progress! 

We went back to try to share more of our message with a woman we met, but haven't had super consistent contact with. She listened, but was a little distracted by her grandson. Her husband came out at one point, and seemed a bit standoffish, but listened. He interrupted at one point to tell us that while he was in the hospital this last time, he read from the Book of Mormon (someone must have left a copy) and he had some very personal experiences that helped him know the parts he read are true and real. We hope to see them again this week.

I hope you all have a good week, and a happy Mothers' Day!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

4/17/17

Hello Everyone!

This week was transfers. We drove two hours up to Tampa to get Sister Alder and drop off Sister Felt's luggage in Sarasota on Tuesday, Sister Alder and I drove back Wednesday, and Thursday we drove back up and down to swap out mission cars. So road trips have been fun.

Just before the first trip up, Sister Felt and I had a great lesson with an awesome family we've been working with. We talked about the Book of Mormon, and the mom was able to teach her daughters more about the significance of Christ visiting the people here in the Americas. One of the daughters picked for herself a date to be baptized. We're all pretty excited.

I'll miss Sister Felt a lot, but it's fun to be companions with Sister Alder! Not very many missionaries get to be companions with friends from high school, so the ward has got a kick out of that. We're using it to our advantage to work harder and support each other's teaching better. 

We had a really good Easter. We didn't have a basket so we used a mixing bowl instead. Sister Alder and I sang "Christ the Lord has Risen Today" at the ward Easter Brunch. I love the message of this holiday, that Christ died for us and rose again, and because He did, we can live again. If anyone hasn't had a chance to watch "Prince of Peace" on mormon.org yet, go watch it! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Sister Brittany Hunt

4/10/17

Hello Everyone! 

I realize I haven't written a group email in a while. I've been in Venice this last transfer (I went from the northernmost sister area to the southernmost sister area) with Sister Felt, who I served with in Tampa 2. 

We just got transfer news today! I will be staying here in Venice and Sister Felt will be transferring to Sarasota and training a new sister. I will be companions with Sister Alder!

We had a pretty good week. A lot of people we've been working with came to church. 

I am super excited about the Easter video the church put out, "Prince of Peace." I encourage you all to watch it and share it! It's at the top center of mormon.org right now. It is all about how Christ brings us peace. There are other things connected to the video (principles of peace) including videos and scriptures about forgiveness, compassion, prayer, etc. I've been studying the scriptures suggested for each in context of the chapter referenced (many are out of the New Testament, about the Savior's life) and as I have been doing that, I have been learning more about how to develop those traits myself. I especially loved studying about forgiveness. I have been impressed that even though Jesus Christ had many opportunities to react to His circumstances around Him, He never gave in, and turned outward to help others even when hard things happened in His personal life.  

We've been sharing this video a lot. We went to contact a media referral (people who request online  a visit from missionaries) who turned out to be more interested in telling us what we think is wrong than in hearing what we think, and knocked on doors in his area afterward. We got talking to some people who were fixing a house, and after a minute one of them invited us to come talk to his daughter. We shared the Prince of Peace video with her, and it really touched her. We told her that the same church and gospel Christ established has been brought back. She felt the Spirit and agreed to meet us for a tour of the church building the next day. During the tour, we showed her a picture of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane next to a picture of Christ after He rose again and talked with Mary when she came to visit His seplecure. She asked when He rose again and we taught about the Resurrection. We testified that He really died for her and rose again for her. The Spirit was strong and confirmed that what we said was true. 

Another highlight- we got to teach mutual! We showed the young women how to share the video and other messages from church that are meaningful to them. It was a lot of fun. 

I hope you all have a good week and a Happy Easter!

Love,

Sister Brittany Hunt

2/27/17

Hi everyone!

Sorry it's been a while since my last email. It's been a pretty crazy transfer. We had a good week though! We are now living in our area, which is nice for miles.

This week we had zone conference. One of my favorite trainings was given by Sister Cooper, my mission president's wife. She showed us the picture of a building after an earthquake. The person who came to see it at first noted how it looked a lot better than the other buildings, but a local told him that it had lost the entire first floor. This was because an extra floor (hence extra weight) was added to the top without strengthening the foundation before the earthquake. In the same way, we need to strengthen our foundation as life piles up on us. I also liked the scripture that was shared: " And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12).  When we build our foundation on Christ, no matter what happens to us, we will be alright.

We went to deliver a Bible for a lady who requested one, then changed her mind, then contacted the church again. We were hesitant at first, but she was actually quite open and it turned out to be a great experience. 

The ward members are awesome. A lot of them are pretty excited about missionary work right now. It's fun to see others excited to share the gospel.

I hope you're all doing well!

Sister Brittany Hunt

Fw: 1/30/17

So... Not quite sure what area I'll be in next Monday, but I hope you all have a good week between now and then!

Love,
Sister Brittany Hunt

She was having technical difficulties sending a group email with the mailing system, so she asked me to forward on a message:)

Thanks for you for your support, friendship and encouragement!! 

With Love,

Lari Hunt

On Monday, January 30, 2017 2:19 PM, Brittany Christine Hunt <brittany.hunt@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hello Everyone!

This week has been kind of crazy! Last Monday I got the transfer news
that I would be opening Hudson C (yay whitewashing!) in a trio. Hudson
has a part of the area I started my mission in. Tuesday, we had a
special missionary broadcast in which we heard from apostles and other
general authorities. They talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ
(faith, repentance, baptism, receiving he gift of the Holy Ghost, and
enduring to the end) and introduced some missionary schedule changes.
After the broadcast, everyone transferred to their new areas. Prior to
seeing them at the broadcast, my new companions hadn't heard we would
be going to Hudson... so we were all a little surprised to learn we
would be going back to Odessa (their current area, my old area) and
eventually moving over to Hudson. It is super weird being back in an
old area... But it's been fun.

We taught part of 3rd hour in church. The topic was the 2 great
commandments (love God, love your neighbor) found in Matthew 22:36-40.
We shared this quote, one of my favorites from Elder Holland: "My
brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is
to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength--that's
the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity
is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.
That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the
foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that
reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to
keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and
keep extending that grace to our neighbor." I know this is true.

My new companions are Sister Swanson and Sister Porter. Sister Porter
hit her halfway mark this week, so we went to get doughnuts to
celebrate :)

1/30/17

So... Not quite sure what area I'll be in next Monday, but I hope you all have a good week between now and then!

Love,
Sister Brittany Hunt

Hello Everyone!

This week has been kind of crazy! Last Monday I got the transfer news
that I would be opening Hudson C (yay whitewashing!) in a trio. Hudson
has a part of the area I started my mission in. Tuesday, we had a
special missionary broadcast in which we heard from apostles and other
general authorities. They talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ
(faith, repentance, baptism, receiving he gift of the Holy Ghost, and
enduring to the end) and introduced some missionary schedule changes.
After the broadcast, everyone transferred to their new areas. Prior to
seeing them at the broadcast, my new companions hadn't heard we would
be going to Hudson... so we were all a little surprised to learn we
would be going back to Odessa (their current area, my old area) and
eventually moving over to Hudson. It is super weird being back in an
old area... But it's been fun.

We taught part of 3rd hour in church. The topic was the 2 great
commandments (love God, love your neighbor) found in Matthew 22:36-40.
We shared this quote, one of my favorites from Elder Holland: "My
brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is
to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength--that's
the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity
is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength.
That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the
foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that
reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to
keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and
keep extending that grace to our neighbor." I know this is true.

My new companions are Sister Swanson and Sister Porter. Sister Porter
hit her halfway mark this week, so we went to get doughnuts to
celebrate :)

1/9/17

Hello Everyone!

This week we had some plans fall through, so we had a little more time on our hands than we were comfortable with. We knocked on some doors, and had some unplanned opportunities to teach. We prayed that we would be able to find people to teach, and our prayers were answered! 

It's been chilly this week! This weekend got into the upper 40s in the evenings... I am so glad I'm not serving somewhere with snow!

I've been reading/listening to old conference talks, and one I really liked this week was "Following Up" by Elder Ballard in April 2014. It has some great ideas for sharing the Gospel, I encourage you to read it! 

I hope you're all doing well! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. 

Have a great week!

Sister Brittany Hunt

Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone! 

I'm excited for everyone to get back on normal schedules this week. Holidays are a little more tricky for meeting with people, but we still had some awesome lessons and contacts. I will miss the Christmas hymns playing in the clubhouse though.

We felt impressed to study how to help people make and keep commitments, and were able to apply what we learned with the people we teach. I love John 7:17- "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (emphasis added). As we act, we can know if what we are acting on is truth. As the people we've been teaching started to understand why we ask them to act (by praying, reading, coming to church, etc.) they started to understand better the doctrine. One investigator was able to identify that the Holy Spirit was teaching her as we helped her keep her commitment. 

New Year's Eve we got to go to a baptism for some of the 8-year-olds in the ward! We had a quick lesson and treat with Lymariz and Alberto. That's about it... I hope you all had a good New Year! It was good to reflect on where I'm at on some of my goals.

Happy New Year, and have a great week!

Sister Brittany Hunt