ELDER HUNTER SIMONSEN
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AREQUIPA | PERU

CALLED TO SERVE
AUGUST 2016 - AUGUST 2018

WEEK 17 . . .  Just Chillin in the Font!

11/28/2016

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  • So this week was pretty sweet!  Things finally calmed down with the moving around and I had 3 baptisms!! Pretty crazy yah! They were all in my old ward but it was cool to be able to return to that area in order to baptize them.  Wow, it was so crazy, one of the hermanas didn’t want to enter the water at all! I waited in the water for 2 hours for her to enter because she was so afraid of the water and the water was so cold. hahaha.  I even had to go all the way under to show her it was ok. Their names are Leia, Stephania (SISTERS) and the other ones name is Elizabeth.  It is really incredible what Leia did to turn her life around. She smoked, drank and anything bad that you can think of!  She totally turned her life around para bautizarse! It was really incredible and shows that miracles happen. That family is one of my favorite families to visit in my old ward.  It was such a cool experience though and something I will never forget. I have another baptism this week in the area that I’m in right now! His name is Armando and tambien he is a stud!  He has also completely turned his life around as well and his testimonio is so strong. So you know my comp and I are just working hard here in Peru.
     
    Other than that we really haven’t had much success with investigators this week. haha. It is really hard in this area to find investigators. No one here wants to talk with us. We knocked like 200 doors this week and were able to make 5 appointments and the people that we contact usually cancel anyway.  We did find 1 really cool family of 11 so hopefully they pull through!  We are working hard so that is what counts.  My comp is a stud and is learning the language really fast.  I can tell he wants to help me more with the lessons and with the people but right now it’s rough, I know how it is I was just there! haha  Now I’m able to teach the lessons fully and answer most of the questions. I’ll be honest I use the scriptures a ton when I am teaching because I still can’t explain everything the way I want too.  I understand about 90% of what people tell me so it’s cool to be able to communicate better. I have learned a ton about others and myself. 
     
    Yesterday was a rough day with the language. Some dude came up to me and started yelling in my face. Telling me to go back to my own country and stuff like that.  He kept saying that gringos don’t belong here and all they do is come here to show off their money. IT TOOK EVERYTHING IN MY POWER NOT TO PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE. I wanted to so bad but I didn’t. I just tell them that we are missionaries and they can’t talk to me about that until they listen to our message. So, yeah, just dealing with these chollos here and it's horrible. There are a lot of people that don’t really want us here but I don’t know why because we are doing a ton of service. Most of the people I talk with are supper nice! I’m a nice guy what can I say!! hahaha.  
     
    Well that is it for this week! Hopefully everything is well back home.  I miss and love you! 
    YA BOY HUNTER
     
    PS Ustedes no pueden engordarse mientras estoy en Arequipa jaja, HAGAN EJERCICIOS! 

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WEEK 16 . . .  On the Move!!!

11/21/2016

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WELL, another weird and crazy week here in Peru!  I had 5 different comps this week hahaha but now I’m back training my green thumb... Honestly such a stressful week but just pushing through cause why not? I got switched to another area with a new comp everyday!  I have no idea what is going on here in la mission. It is so crazy!  There are a bunch of people that have gone home and we are just trying to cover all the areas.  Now I’m back in Alto Misti with my greenie so it’s all good. We had a baptism Saturday which was super cool. It was my comps first baptism so he was super excited! So Saturday was a chill day, finally. This week  was just a lot of moving and not a lot of trabajo, work, so don’t know what to tell you about this week. haha  There wasn’t much that happened other than my thousand comps. Haha 
 
The language is coming along.  I feel like I have improved little by little every day. To be honest it’s hard to write in English now. haha  I even write in my journal in Spanish and dream in Spanish too!  That’s the weirdest thing ever!  The funny thing that I found out is that I talk in my sleep in Spanish too!  I dream I’m teaching lessons with my investigators and want to talk with them.  It’s so crazy! haha. A little weird but freaking awesome! SO yah the language is cash and I’m able to teach all of my lessons on my own cause the comp doesn’t do much but you can’t blame him he’s a newbie. Just trying to teach him too!
 
Es chevere aqui, it’s cool here, and the people are awesome! Y LA PLAZA DE ARMAS was freaking sweet! I had a great time and took a ton of pictures. I can’t send pictures on this computer and so I will find a computer I can send them on next week.  OOOOHHHHH and I gave in and bought myself a poncho de alpaca hahahaha. It’s the best and I put it on everyday! 
 
Today for P-Day we are going to a Llama farm so I’m going to see and hopefully ride some llamas. Haha Then I am going to play ball with my bud Elder Sharp from the mission.  He goes home in 2 weeks so I’m bummed about that.  He is a stud! This coming Saturday I have 4 baptisms from my old ward.  They want me to baptize them so it will be cool and I am stoked about that.  
 
I Love you guys and hope all is good.  Have a fun week and Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  Enjoy some turkey for me!
Love ya!
Hunts
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WEEK 15 . . . Crazy, Weird but Good! I've got this!

11/14/2016

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SWEEET!!!!  Another package coming!?? hahaha I can’t wait for this one because I need it! THANK YOU MOMMA! I finally weighed myself and I’m a solid 145 lbs!  So far, lost a total of 10 lbs.   I had another stomach infection but I’m all good now.  It’s fine just part of the mish!  Wow,  what a freaking weird week!  It’s pretty crazy here, not going to lie! 
 
POR FIN! haha Levi and Jordan got their dog! That’s awesome and glad to hear Mo is still his grumpy self! hahaha The Utes and Jazz are killing it and that’s what I like to hear!! Love those updates, they keep me going.  Glad to hear Drew’s back in the pool. Nice bro! 
 
I have to say el Presidente de la mision is awesome! President Johnson is sooooo coool and He loves me sooo that leads into my next things...hahahaha  So this week was the hardest and weirdest week of my life for some reason but I love the challenge! This week there were 2 elders that went home early. Both of them were some of my good friends in the mission so I was pretty bummed about that. They had some hardcore problem with their knees so they went home to have surgery.   So my good buddy Elder Bajaña is from Ecuador and he left his comp here that has 2 weeks in the mission.  HIS COMP SPEAKS NO SPANISH. hahaha  So what does president do? Pulls me half way through my training to train a GREENY! hahaha. He is a super cool guy from Oregon but knows nothing about Spanish or his area. So yah I’m in a new area called Alto Misti! This area isn’t as cool as my old one.  I really liked my old area but there are some really cool people here so that’s nice! I don’t know how long I will be here or what’s going to happen but for now I’m a daddy! I have had to really step up my language game though cause now I literally do everything. I surprised myself at how well I can function with 3 months of Spanish. haha.  This has been a pretty tough area without a lot of success so I have to get to work.  I was bummed because I had 7 baptisms scheduled for this month in my old area. I am only about 20 minutes away so maybe I will be able to go back and baptize them. On a positive note I’m not sad at all to leave the comp. Haha   When I was talking to Pres he mentioned I might get changed to a different district in the next change because right now I am in the same district.

Like I said, I have really stepped up my language game and have learned a lot but it is freaking hard! hahaha Other than that though not much has happened this week.  That’s the big news for the week! I am just trying to figure out how to run things in the new area and all of that but you know just staying positive and having fun here! I’ve got this and will be a boss!
 
I am pretty excited, today for P-day.  We are going to visit Plaza De Armas so that will be pretty cool!  I’ll send more pics next week!  This computer is broken and only one pic would send.
 
Love you all and hope all is good back home!
 
Su misionero en la país de PERÙ!!
 Hunt daddy

My District

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WEEK 14  .  .  .  Not going to lie, it's been a tough week!

11/7/2016

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​I’m not going to lie it’s been a tough week.  It makes it easier because I have such a great support crew back at home that is there for me. There have be so many times I just wanted to come home but I know I have a purpose here even if sometimes it feels like I haven’t found it yet.  I didn’t think I would get this homesick but it happens, right!  I have really just been trying to get through this first little bit.  It’s all good so no worries.  I’ve got this! Haha  I finally got my birthday package and it saved my life!!!  The office sent it to the wrong area and it sat there forever.  I found out I can get packages whenever you send them and that I don’t have to wait.  So that will be good. The golf putter was the best thing in the world.  I went nuts when I saw it. Haha I’ve used it so much when I just need to think.  
 
So this is my week in a nutshell: No baptisms and not really any new investigators.  We have had a lot of success with our current investigators so that is really good.  Next week we have a few baptisms and I am super stoked for them.  I have been doing a ton of service.  It keep’s me busy and makes people happy so I’m good with that.  You can tell by the pics I’ve been painting.  This week I led my divisions for the first time with one of the Gringo Greenies.  His Spanish is the worst so it was cool to see how much Spanish I really do know. I was able to communicate a lot better than I thought I could do so you know that’s always good! It has been a really good week for the Spanish side of things. haha.  The comp is doing fine and a little better than before but still kind of a butt.
 
Thanks for putting up with me before the mission and for encouraging me.  Right now it’s tough but I working through it.  I’m just staying positive and working hard!  I love you and keep safe this week!!   Mom, glad you had fun this week with the moms! I miss those guys and they all have great Mom’s!  
Miss you guys and hope all is good! 
 
Love you, Hunts

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    "You hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can ever imagine."
    ​
    -Henry B. Eyring ​
    ​#TheChurchIsTrue

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