Well folks, I think the title of this post is MORE than appropriate in MORE than one way. Firstly, I haven't posted in almost 5 months (rude of me, I know), and secondly, I am only 5 short days away from leaving on my mission! Just for the sake of saying it again, (first time on da blog) I have been called to serve in the Panama City, Panama Mission, and I report to the Guatemalan MTC on April 3rd, 2013. Yes, please read that sentence a few times, and drive it into your heads, because y'all would not believe the number of times, I tell a fellow pre-missionary (or any one person for that matter) that exact sentence, and they continue to quiz me about how excited I must be to go to the PROVO MTC. ( Or they try to see if we will end up in the Provo MTC together, in which I kindly smile and remind them that "No, I am going to Guatemala instead") Oh well, all that truly matters is that I know where I'm going and that I get on the right plane this coming Tuesday!
So quick update on the world of Emma/Hermana Hunt (that's "sister" in Spanish for you fellow gringos). Since my arrival home at Christmas, I have been having a whirl-wind of adventures. The day after Christmas, I was endowed in the San Diego temple, which was a fantastic experience. The following day, my mother, my sister and I traveled to Quito, Ecuador where we worked in an orphanage with children ages 2 weeks old to 4 years old. If anyone EVER is looking for a once in a lifetime experience, this is the program to do it with. For those of you reading, and interested, it is called OSSO. It is a service program done through BYU-Idaho. If it was possible to send everyone I know and love there to experience that, I would. The children are beautiful, and it was such a blessing to work with them. Anyway, I digress.
Shortly after returning home I was offered a job as a nanny to to a family of 2 little girls, Charlotte (Charlie) age 2.5 months, and Madeline (Maddie) who just turned 4. Ok, I just have to say that I am probably the luckiest nanny in the world, because these two little girls were so stinking cute! Perfectly well behaved, and adorable in all aspects. Their parents were awesome, and I have grown to have a wonderful friendship with them, especially their mom, Cherie, whom I give MAJOR props to as a mom. She has done an amazing job.
So basically I have been working and making memories, and amazing friends, and going to church and wasting gas, and eating good food, and working with the missionaries and getting sun burnt, just, the whole works. So I think the last 5 months I have been pretty spoiled. Last week, I went to Washington to say one final goodbye to my best friend Tessa Carter, and then on to Utah where I got to see both my sets of wonderful grandparents and some fabulous old friends, (shout out to Jamie, Adam, Haleigh, and Luke!) The week before that, I went to Florida with my boss Cherie, to take care of baby Charlie, while she manned a company event! There I got to go to Disney World and see more old friends AND go to Disney World! ( haha yes I said that twice because it made me so darn happy!)
And that brings us right up to the here and now, with the final clock ticking away! I have an amazing story to share with y'all. And I hope y'all have stuck it through to this point, because this is the best part!
Tonight, I got to sit with the missionaries and teach a man who has been taught by many different missionaries for the past 2 years. We started with a prayer and then watched a video about the Atonement. Afterwards, the missionaries asked him how he felt about it, and what stood out the most to him while watching it. He told us that he felt this really strong feeling in his heart when the "elderly gentlemen" (aka the First Presidency) were talking about it. He then asked each of us what we liked about it. After we answered he kind of went off on a tangent about how everything he is looking for in this world and how we just all need to help one another and love thy neighbor and things like that. Elder Thompson then asked him to read a scripture in Moroni, which ultimately leads to asking him to be baptized. As soon as he read that part, he stopped and looked at all of us, and my heart was pounding so fast, I didn't know what to do! I couldn't believe that this was happening so quickly! (I think the elders were just as nervous as I was). Elder Thompson then officially asked him if he would be baptized. He sat there and thought for a minute, and told us he couldn't make such a big decision right now. (NOOO!!!) And that it was hard for him to believe in it without something telling him it was true. So then I was just about to ask him to pray about it, and to wait for that feeling in his heart again, when the elders took the word right out of my mouth! (We were totally having a telepathic moment) So we all knelt together and Emilio offered the prayer. As soon as he began, my heart began to well up and I reached an emotional high of like, 30! (And if you have read any of my previous posts, y'all know that that is a BIG deal) Then, when Emilio asked if what the missionaries were saying was true, I kid you not, that room felt like it burst into flames. and he asked a second time, if it were true and it got even hotter! I'm telling you, that the spirit was so strong you could have cut it with a knife! It was incredible. After the prayer we talked about his feelings, ( he noted that I cried, and I explained that its something I just do... haha) Then he said even though he felt it, it was hard because it wasn't a tangible "feel". I then got to tell him that just because something can't be seen, touched, smelt, or tasted, doesn't mean it's not there! I told him that I have never seen his brain, touched or smelt or even tasted it for that matter (Ew), and yet I still knew it was there. His eyes got really big. HA! I had caught him! He told me that was a really good analogy to use. (my inner sister missionary cheered!) After this, we talked some more, and I invited him to come to my mission farewell on Sunday, in which he committed to attending! Hurray!
So all in all, it was one of the coolest, most disappointing, and yet enthralling experiences EVER! And now I really cannot wait to serve a mission! 5 days peeps! It's coming so close! I'm so grateful for this opportunity to serve, and I hope that I can continue to have experiences like this, not just as a missionary, but for the rest of my life! I know this Church is true: I am a Mormon, I know it, I live it, I love it! And the people of Panama ain't gonna know what hit them!
Until next time!
XOXO
Emma
