outside the Wanica apartment

Inside apartment

Josh working in the Orchard

Members beautiful orchard

farm land

Beautiful countryside

September 5,2016 Hello from Suriname

Old Dutch building

Sunset and dirt road they ride everyday

Wanica Central Apartment

Their room

September 5, 2016 Hallo en goeten uit Suriname!

Hallo en goeten uit Suriname!

I can't believe that it is already September. The time has been flying by and it's only going faster! We've had some really cool things going on this past week.

The first off is that I've been on exchange for a couple of days. I've been with a new missionary here named Elder Dubbelt. Elder Dubbelt is from Utrecht, Netherlands. We've been on exchange for a bit and will continue to be on exchange for the next few days while our companions go to Trinidad. It's been great being with a native speaking companion. He's been helping me a lot with my Dutch a lot. I really hope some time on my mission I get paired with a native speaking companion.

We've had some sweet experiences finding new investigators. We two awesome new investigators, Ravelle and Chandra. Ravelle was the lady that came to church last week with out us inviting her. Apparently she is really good friends with a member from Paramaribo branch, and that is how she came in contact with the church. She came to church for a second time this last week which is awesome.

Chandra is also another investigator that we met. She is awesome to teach. She has been through a lot of hard times and is looking for a way that she can get closer to God for strength. Perfect for investigating the church! She too came to church this past week.

We were able to go do some service for a member here, Zuster Graanoogst. She owns her own vineyard all the way out in Lelydorp (It's about an hour and 20 minute bike ride there). She owns her own herbal tea business. Tea is big here in Suriname. Everyone drinks it. The vineyard was beautiful though, and it is surrounded by some beautiful country side (I'll send pictures).

After being here in Wanica branch for about a transfer, I've had about 6 or 7 people ask me for piano lessons. I've been looking for ways that I could help people learn piano so that Wanica could also get it's own pianist. As of right now it's seemed like I've been playing piano for just about everything! The district even called me and asked if I could play piano for district conference (like stake conference).

Wanica branch had 90 people in church this past week. Our peak has been 98 people in church. We've been shooting for 100 people in church. If Wanica keeps that 100 people, the church will build a building for the branch. The church even has the land for it! All the branch as to do is breach 100 people at church and keep that number. We've been edging towards it so we're hoping that here soon we'll hit that goal. It's been hard since the other missionaries have left. Since that has happened, our proselyting area has about tripled in size.

So this week I've been pondering about Patience. Patience is something that every missionary needs, I feel especially for those serving in the Caribbean, where everyone runs on a "Caribbean schedule". But I found a beautiful scripture talking about patience in Alma 32:42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white,yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not,neither shall ye thirst.

We've given the promise that we shall 'hunger or thirst not' by planting the seed that Alma talks about, but often times, that takes a long time to happen. Think about the time that it takes for a seed to grow into a tree. That takes time! So do some things in the gospel. We may not have solutions or answers now, but they'll come. Even sometimes we have the solution in front of us but it's difficult to stick to it. But, the Lord promises us that it's all worth it because the fruit is 'most precious, sweet, and white'. These instances happen because the Lord wants us to learn on the journey; on our way. That is why we trust in Him.

Have a great week! Talk to you later!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt

August 29, 2016

Hallo iedereen, groetjes vanuit Suriname! Ik kan me niet geloven hoe snel de tijd gaat!

Hello everyone! The time has been flying by. It's felt like yesterday I was behind one of these computers writing a letter. We've had some really cool things happen this week.

The Sabajo family and Zuster Plak were confirmed this last Sunday. They had to wait a week after their baptism because of district conference. It was a really neat experience. EIGHT people were confirmed in the church that day which was a very special moment for everyone. Normally the mission prefers members doing the ordinances for converts but I was able to confirm one of the Sabajo kids which was fun. They are all doing very well though.

We then ran into a bit of a puzzle this week. We didn't have any progressing investigators since we baptised all of ours haha. So we've started the entire process over again. We've found some people who are pretty interested and A LOT of people who aren't. That's al-right though. The faster you go the more people you'll find.

One way to get new investigators that we have been using is something called the 21 Day Challenge. The 21 Day Challenge is something the missionaries here have been using to get the members doing missionary work. What the challenge is, is that a member who is reading the Book of Mormon everyday and understands the gospel well, prayerfully makes a list of people that they want to accept the gospel. When they're ready, they pray every morning and night for these people on their list, and also read a scripture that goes along with it. The promise is that one of the people on the list will accept the missionary lessons.

We've already seen a miracle this week from the 21 Day Challenge. We received a referral from the Paramaribo branch from a member who had this person on her list. We made contacted with the referral and set up an appointment, and without us inviting her, she came to church on Sunday. We hadn't even taught her and she came to church! Church attendance is probably the most common challenge for investigators, so this was definitely a really cool miracle. I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Receiving answers to prayers is so cool to see. In D&C 5:23-24 23 And now, again, I speak unto you, my servant Joseph,concerning the man that desires the witness—

 24 Behold, I say unto him, he exalts himself and does not humble himself sufficiently before me; but if he will bow down before me, and humble himself in mighty prayer and faith, in the sincerity of his heart, then will I grant unto him a view of the things which he desires to see.

Prayer is one of our most powerful tools in seeing miracles. I'm grateful for our Heavenly Father's love for us and for everything that we are able to do because of what He's done and given to us.

Love you all. Have another great week!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt

Beautiful sunsets

Suriname countryside

More countryside

P Day at the Fort

Old Tank 

Cannon at the Fort

Cannon looking over the delta of the Suriname river with the Atlantic ocean in the background.

It SNOWED in Suriname! Great week of baptisms

Hallo iedereen en groetjes vanuit Suriname!

We had an absolutely crazy and awesome week this week. We've had so much stuff going on it's kept us on our toes.

Zuster H and the S family got baptized this last week! That was so exciting to see! It's honestly been one of the best moments on my mission. President Egbert was here for their baptism and was very impressed with their testimonies. Thursday night he came with us to teach H and the S family. He got so excited teaching. President Egbert is known for how fast he talks, and that doesn't stop when he speaks in Dutch. The AP's always say that President Egbert is the happiest when he's in Suriname #DutchIsTheBest.

The baptismal service was amazing. The spirit was so strong. There were so many members from the Wanica branch that came in support. H and the S were baptised along with an investigator some of the Sisters from up north have been teaching. Hearing their testimonies was awesome. H testimony specifically was very powerful. She got up to the podium and simply gave her testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the Restoration of the priesthood. What was cool is we didn't realize until a few days before her baptism that her uncle is the branch mission leader in the Temmenga branch. She has family in the church already and we didn't know about it until just a few days before. That was cool. The S are doing awesome! The members have been so good at supporting them. They gave awesome testimonies at the service as well.

This week I've been reading in 2 Nephi 33:  6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus,for he hath redeemed my soul from hell...(9) enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to [eternal] life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.

The instructions are laid before us. The Lord has given us the recipe for a happy life, and a guide to stay on His path leading back home. As we live up to our covenants that we've made with God, we'll grow an unwavering testimony of the Restoration of the gospel and the message will become sweeter to us, day by day.

We had a fun P-Day activity this last week. We went to fort Nieuw Amsterdam, an old Dutch fort built back in the 1700's. I really enjoyed it. It's always so much fun learning about the rich and also very diverse history Suriname has. I learned a lot about Dutch colonial history which is one of my most favourite histories to study. It helps be realize how random but awesome of a place Suriname actually is, and how lucky I am to serve here.

Love you all so much. I'll be back with more to come next week!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt

Amazing New members in Suriname

In their mission they have members in the branch do the Baptizing 

Everyone that came out to support them

One year down August 15, 2016

Hallo iedereen en groetjes vanuit Suriname! Het heeft een geweldige week geweest (zoals altijd).

We've had a really cool week this last week. We've been busy doing a number of things getting ready for this next coming week.

H was not baptised this last week. Due to some hick-ups in planning we are moving her baptism to this Saturday. She is still doing very well. This last week we had the chance to teach her about the temple and family history work. We used the magazine that the church has on the temple to teach it. She loved the picture of the Celestial room. Whenever people see pictures like that it helps them visualize the beauty of the temple and the power that the temple has. She loved the idea of family history work and temple work for the dead. We brought some members by with us, and we had to leave for another appointment, but the members stayed extra time to answer questions that she had about work for the dead.

The S family is doing AMAZING!! They are also getting baptized this Saturday. There have been many tender mercies happening that have been helping them prepare for their baptism. For example, Zuster S wasn't sure if she felt ready for baptism. But then she and her daughters were able to go on a district activity (a district is like a stake, but smaller) with the Young Women on a hike. Apparently being with other members there really helped strengthen her. Now she is as excited as ever! The members have been so good at helping the S family. President Egbert always talks about how we missionaries go away but the members are here to stay, so those friendships that they build will stay.

With all of this, this next coming week will be pretty crazy. President Egbert will be coming to Suriname with an area Seventy to do Zone Conference (for the missionaries) and district conference (for the members). President Egbert is not only our mission president, but he is also the Stake president for all the members in Suriname, Guyana, and the ABC islands so he is always busy doing other things. We're preparing for that as well as this baptism that we have this Saturday. So it'll be a bit crazy but it'll also be very exciting.

I have been pondering a lot lately about spiritual truth being described as light. I found a scripture in D&C 84:45-46 that brought me to think about it: 

45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

I love this definition of truth. I love it because not only can we find the truth of the gospel through the Holy Ghost in our minds, but it's also something that you can feel. We can feel when we are living truth and light. I love pondering about that connection, because when you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, and setting your mind in the right place, you feel this light. It's enlightening, brightening, growing, and enduring. 

D&C 50:25 And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you;

Love you all so much! I'll be back this next coming week with plenty of pictures of the baptism. Have a great week!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt

Final done digging the foundation for a house

Tan color difference 

Beautiful Sunset for his One Year Mark

Got to have his favorite dinner on August 12th for his one year mark