Elder Hunt: Feb. 9, 2016 And this isn't one of those cute rainstorms you get in the Caribbean, this is an authentic, Amazon Rainforest rainstorm.

Hello hello everyone! We're writing today because yesterday was the "Sinaase Nieuwejaar" (Chinese New Year), so everything was closed. This week has definitely been a busy week, and we've been traveling all over the place.

To start of the week we had an AWESOME lesson with M. We were able to go see her on Tuesday, AND we were able to bring Broeder en Zuster R along with us to go visit her. We had a really good lesson on prayer and getting answers to our prayers. We were able to have her relate to past experiences she'd. The R's also gave an awesome testimony of how the gospel has blessed the lives of their family. It was a really cool lesson to have the R's at.

This last Wednesday I was in Koerasan with Elder Christensen. We had a fun time contacting and looking for less-actives in the area when it started to absolutely down pour on us. And this isn't one of those cute rainstorms you get in the Caribbean, this is an authentic, Amazon Rainforest rainstorm. We were on a dirt (and then mud) road and we had a fun time biking through mud puddles that got up to a foot high. It was some fun stuff.

We were then able to manage to go to the city 4 days in a row which was a bit exhausting but well worth it. Friday was Zone Conference, my first one in Suriname which was cool. President and Sister Egbert both talked about the Power of the Atonement and the Sacrament. President Egbert pointed out 7 categories of the Atonement, we 1)are cleansed from sins, 2) gain a resurrected body, 3) have justice satisfied, 4) gain power to resist Satan, 5) have our weaknesses strengthened, 6) gain the power to change, and 7) have our infirmities healed. He said that any doctrine of the Atonement could fit into one of these 7 categories. A really cool way to study the atonement. Sister Egbert had a really cool quote about the Sacrament. She said "When I hear the little sacrament cups clinking at the bottom of the sacrament trays, I hear the Atonement at work". The sacrament is a weekly renewal and commitment that we are willing to do our best to become more like Christ.

Saturday we were able to help a member named Broeder P build his house. He lives in Temmega branch but is building a house here in Uitkijk so we were able to go over and help him build for a good 4 hours. We made the foundation for his house, hauling sand, gravel, cement, and wood to build it. It was a good time. Saturday night we had the adult session of District Conference here in Suriname. The missionaries were asked to come and give a musical number. We sang "Christus is mijn Heer" (I Believe in Christ). I was asked to accompany which was cool to do.

Sunday we had District Conference at the Temmega chapel. I was also asked to play piano for it which was cool. The District is pushing temple preparation and family history work. The district is preparing to do a temple trip down to the Manaus, Brazil temple. It's really cool to get everyone excited for that. We'll definitely want to focus on that with a lot of people down here in Uitkijk.

On P-day we went to the Temmega Chapel again where there was a district sports day. We played basketball and Werewolf while there. It was pretty fun to be there with the other missionaries as well as a tone of members. Me and Elder James decided that we wanted to bike back to our apartment afterwards. Everyone thought that we were crazy. They thought it was like a 2 hour bike ride home but it only ended up being 55 minutes haha. We made really good timing and it was a cool bike ride too.

I have been learning a tone out here in the mission field. I've changed a lot since being out here. You learn all sorts of cool stuff about the gospel and the atonement. I've absolutely loved it out here. It's so much fun. You rely on God and have faith that he will help you and then you go out there in the world and teach the gospel. Thank you everyone for all your support! It means a lot. I'll be back next week with more crazy stories!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt