Happy New Year Jan 2, 2017

Goedemorgen! Groetjes uit Suriname! De tijd is zo snel voorbij gegaan! Wij hebben al een nieuwe jaar!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone has been having a good Christmas break. I can barely believe that a year ago I was sitting at the gemeente Uitkijk church computer emailing family back home. New Years is HUGE in Suriname. When I say huge, I mean it seems like the entire city shuts down just to welcome in the New Year with tones of fireworks! People have been lighting off fireworks since Christmas, and they haven't stopped yet. They get so bad on New Years that the mission asked everyone to be in three hours early. Thanks to ear plugs though I was still able to get a good nights sleep ;)

I've also got some exciting news! Me and Elder Fleming are getting a third companion, and he's  from Suriname. I FINALLY HAVE A NATIVE SPEAKING COMPANION!!! His name is Elder DeSeil. He got his mission call to the Belgium/Netherlands mission, but does not yet have a visa to the Netherlands, so he'll be starting his mission here in Suriname. I'm super stoked to get a native speaking companion.

In terms of the work, Stephen came to church again! He looks so happy at church, and really enjoys coming. He'll keep working until school starts, so we'll start meeting with him again sometime this week to set another baptismal date. We've been teaching his sister Luciel, who has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy, and remembers everything that we teach her (for a missionary, that is very convenient).

We lost contact with a lot of investigators with the busyness that the Christmas/New Years season brings, so this week we have a lot of following up to do so see who will still progress. The Wanica missionaries also had the chance to help the branch in a service project this week, painting a school down in Lelydorp. It's always great doing service with the members.

I read an awesome scripture this morning in 2 Nephi 25:27-28.

27 Wherefore, we speak concerning the law... [that we]may look forward untothat life which is in Christ... for the rightway is to believe in Christ and deny him not.

I love how it talks about "life that is in Christ". That helps us understand the difference between living Christ's gospel and not having the gospel in our lives. Living Christ's gospel always helps us progress towards meeting our Heavenly Fahter, so to say "life that is in Christ". By reflecting on the past year, we can see what things we can improve this following year, to see how we can better walk in the light of Christ. Happy New Year! Have a great week!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt

the Wanica Missionaries painting a school

loves to SERVE

Christmas Candy

Walking after rain storm

Dec 27,2016

Wow! Deze is the laste tijd ik zal thuis in dit jaar schrijven!!! Maar wij hadden een goede Kerstmis geweest!

It's been a crazy last week. We've had it busy as well as the rest of Suriname. There was an apartment incident where the missionaries just north of us couldn't get any water in their apartment. So for Christmas Eve and Christmas they had to stay in our apartment until the landlord could get water back in their apartment. It was pretty crazy having 4 missionaries in our apartment during Christmas, but it was fun.

In terms of the work, we're continuing to teach the Dolaini family. We are having awesome lessons with Luciel and Stephina. Stephen has been working like crazy during the holiday season. He's been using this time off to earn some money so it's been hard to sit with him. We'll hopefully start setting with him again come next week. 

For Christmas Eve, the Crawfords, the senior couple here, had the missionaries over for a Christmas dinner. It was supper nice, and they also had a missionary-Christmas nativity. It was good to see the other missionaries in Suriname then. For Christmas we went to church, baked some cookies to give out to people, and taught a few lessons. In Suriname though, the 25th of December is only the first half of Christmas. Suriname also has Tweede Kerst, or second Christmas on the 26th. So we also visited some investigators as well and shared a Christmas message. We used the Light the World video the church produced. I love this video because it reminds me of how we can be disciples of Christ. In 3 Nephi 18:24 it says Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

We spread the light as we set an example for others and look for ways to serve others. Service is a wonderful thing, and benefits us in so many ways.

Have another wonderful week!

Ik hou van jullie!!!

Elder Hunt

Sweet Christmas Tree for 4 Elders to share

Christmas Eve Dinner 

District Christmas Eve