Week 4 in MTC

Well helllllloooo there!

Two weeks left here in the MTC!! All is going fantastic! We should be getting our travel plans today but we thought that yesterday too haha!  so a lot of Elders parents in my district are just getting those cheap pay as you go phones instead of phone cards! idk if you want to do that but it would probably work the best then i would just throw it away after calling you guys! Thank you so much for all those pictures! I never really got pictures in the yearbook so i am pretty surprised there were so many of me this year. hahaha but hey i look good so what can i say? ;) 

That hailstorm looked crazy!!! wish i was there to be in it!  During our Tuesday night devotional it started POURING with lightning and everything so they kept us in the Marriott for an extra 15 minutes until the lightning stopped than made us walk back in the pouring rain! it was awesome! didn't bother me one bit so i will be fine in Tonga!! haha Neil L. Anderson was the speaker so that is my 2nd apostle in 2 weeks!! awesome i know! the police man came into the building and got his car keys and his families car keys to pull their cars up so that they didn't have to walk out in the rain haha when i saw the cop come in he looked somewhat worried so i thought there was protesters outside like there is at the temple on Sundays and so that is why they wouldn't let us out but it was just the rain! Elder Anderson talked about loving the things we sacrifice for, and sacrificing for the things we love! that's exactly what missionary work is all about!

Sorry if i don't write much.  weeks here are ALWAYS the same thing over and over and over again, nothing new! Everyone seems to be getting sick of each other... haha 6 weeks with 14 guys gets a little stressful and annoying! ummm so last week was a wall for me in the language! i couldn't grasp anything, couldn't put sentences together, couldn't remember words or anything! sucked so bad trying to teach lessons! i relied a lot on my companion.... but this week was amazing!!  i could formulate sentences, remember words, i was remembering everything i was being taught!!  it was crazy!! i just hope it goes good haha!

So mom when we went to dinner with Elder Leavitt he left a lot out! haha he is down here for construction and does the TRC for us where we go and practice teaching lessons! so you get massive boils in Tonga! he had three in his leg that grew into one MASSIVE one that covered his calf!!!! they had to clean it out and when they did the q-tip went 2 inches into his leg!!!!!!!!!!!! gross right? but i guess he rarely showered because he didn't like the cold water hahahaha!  i just hope i don't get all gross like that.  i promise i will shower every day! haha

So apparently there is a huge thing with paisley ties here.... haha and i guess plain color ones look best with tupenus!  i will be giving a lot of my ties away anyways!   i have traded two of my crappy ones for nice ones!  i like skinny ties! 

Our room was the only room to get the bed bugs but it’s all good now! we have an extra bunk bed in our room now and so we push the two together so me and another kid basically are sleeping on queen size beds! haha i have been sleeping fine! maybe send some better earplugs? the ones you gave me suck haha but i got some nice ones from another kid that actually work! and my back has been hurting lately.... it’s annoying!

MTC  p-day is just hard cuz like its our day to get away from all the studying but there is nothing we can do so we just sit on the computers..... but p-days will be the same in Tonga too for me but for you it would be a Wednesday.

Do you know what’s hard about the language?  Bad words are so close to good words hahahaha like Fakalelei is Atonement but fakalele is diarrhea..... hahaha pronunciation is key!!!

So there is a senior couple who is super rich that came to the MTC the same time as us but already flew to Tonga and they want to buy us all our tupenu's!!!  they are awesome! the husband served in the stake presidency with our mission president so they are really close! they will be like our grandparents while we are there!  i guess we are the largest group to ever go to Tonga at one specific time! crazy! and there are about 150 missionaries there right now and ALLLL are on the Main island of Tongatapu! so we will all be together haha!  crazy how they can put all those missionaries just on the one island! there are none out on the outer islands right now but the missionary work is doing great!! that’s about all for now! if we get our travel plans i will email them to you later! hope all is well back at home!!!

Elder Huntsman

P.S.  If you want me to say stuff in Tongan give me some simple phrases and i will do what i can haha but idk how to work the special accents on the words!   'ofa 'atu is i love you, fefe hake is how are you, Ko 'Ene fanau kitautolu is we are His children, idk what to say haha ummmm 'Oku 'ofa kia Sisu Kalaisi is I love Jesus Christ.

MTC Week 3

Hey!  so the bed bug problem we got rid of!  got a new room and had pretty much an extra p day to move everything out and spray EVERYTHING down and wash ALL our clothes and get EVERYTHING we wanted dry cleaned for free!!!!   kind of annoying but nice to have another day off!   I never got bit cuz i was on the top bunk!

Other than that it was a decent week. nothing really happened!  just another typical week in the MTC.  My comp became district leader and all of a sudden started snapping all the time and making fun of me.  It’s annoying.... That’s cool about Garrett and Josh! hope all keeps going well for them. i have been sick the past two weeks just like McKay and i got one of my roommates sick... but another kid in our district is the one that got me sick so it wasn’t like i started it.

The language is coming! it’s just like they expect so much of us when we are teaching the fake investigators that i feel like an idiot! this week me and my comp haven’t been getting along no matter how hard i try so our last lesson was horrible.... but i hope we will fix things... i can start putting sentences together but it’s hard because there are so many different sentence structures for the different things that i want to say and i don’t know which to use...

Choir was fun! I wish i had done it this week.  the song was SOOOO much cooler! but it was still fun! i try recording the Tongans harmonizing and stuff for you but it isn’t very good quality.... and half the time you just hear my horrible singing so ya....

Your package should be here today. or at least i hope so.   That’s cool you guys went bowling! wish i could go ha. this place is annoying.  i would rather just be out in Tonga where i would learn more anyways haha. tell Dawn hi for me next time and you better let me know where everyone gets their calls to!

My shoulder pops out daily now and it’s annoying.... i feel like no one believes me when it does though.... it’s always sore or just aching and i can’t do anything about it.... maybe send one of the strengthening bands in the next package that would be great! even though it seems to pop out more when i do try and strengthen it... ha

There are some sketchy stories about ghosts and spirits in Tonga! our teachers have had experiences where they like saw them sitting on their chest and all they could do was wave their arms… body couldn’t move!!! many more stories but i don’t want to type haha um ya all is well here i guess! til next week!

´Ofa Atu!!!

Elder Huntsman

(The book of Enos is GREAT!!)

 

Hey, that's Daniel Cook in a mormon.org profile video!

Sunday temple walk

After devotional.

Bed Bug Clean Out Crew

New Room

A package a friend from EFY sent me with candy in it!

2nd Week in MTC: Bed Bugs!

Hey there!!! 

It has gone fast! hopefully it stays that way cuz that means i'm enjoying it right?? haha or at least that’s what my teachers have been telling me! everything is going great here! I haven’t seen any calling cards here at the bookstore but i know we will have at least a 6-9 hour layover in New Zealand! so send lots of minutes this way!!

I really am hungry all the time! i eat til i'm full which isn’t that much but then 1 hour later i am hungry again! so yes i always am hungry mom :P haha i lost 3 pounds when i was running every day but then i caught a cold last Friday and it hasn’t been the funnest..... mouth hurts every morning and just full of grossness (i'd explain more but it’s gross, so grossness just fits ok? haha)

So mom i know you aren’t going to want to hear this, but my teachers have been telling our class that if we get sent to the outer islands like they did, we won’t have mail for 6 months so don’t think i'm not writing!  but this week went so fast! the language is coming slowly!

This past Tuesday’s devotional was an APOSTLEEEEEEEE........amazing i know :) Elder Richard G. Scott talked about prayer and it was soooooo good! felt the spirit so strong! it was just what i needed to hear! Heavenly Father really does answer prayers! and on his way walking out, he kept turning around yelling things like "BE GOOD" and "WE ALL LOVE YOU" it was funny haha but during his talk he placed an apostalic (i think that’s how you spell/say it) blessing upon all the language learning missionaries that through faith, obedience, and prayer we will all be blessed with the gift of tongues on our mission! i have prayed so much these past two weeks haha but it is nice just being able to sit there and talk to someone without feeling stupid about what i say! my testimony has grown so much since i have been out here!!!! i can’t wait to get out to the mission field! and a scripture to go along with the talk by Elder Scott is James 1:5 :)

So this is disgusting but they say it happens to almost every missionary! when you shave, (some guys shave there legs which i think is very...... feminine haha) your pores open up and if they get any sort of infection it turns into this huge BOIL!!!!! makes me wanna gag.... but i just won’t share my razor with anyone cuz that is how it’s mostly transmitted is using the same razor! i will shower all the time no matter how cold hahahaha!

But all the teachers here are different! one won’t tell about like any bad thing that happened, won’t even tell us how long the language took him! one tells us everything and he is the one i like the most! and then there is one who is like the tough guy who is always serious who has a lot of good insight to everything! but it will be amazing! can’t wait for a skirt haha!

I'm going to need more bread Kayleigh so i can make more sandwiches! i make triple decker sandwiches and they taste sooooo good it’s crazy hahahaha! last night i bought a pizza in the vending machines, waited 15 minutes to cook it cuz the stupid microwave was taking forever to cook it, walk around the corner once it was finally done, and get it knocked right out of my hand and onto the ground after trying to catch it and burning my hand! very kovi (bad) right there it hurt all night! but it’s fine now so i can’t complain! the worst part was the kid was like well what do we do and i was like well we gotta clean it up and so i went to get wet paper towels and i come back and the kid was gone! testing my patience right there haha but i got through it :)

Mom! soooooo many people have those sandals Aunt Betty Ann got me haha! i wear them once we get back from class when we are just chilling at our residence!!!

Part of my testimony in Tongan!!!

'Oku ou 'ilo 'i he Tohi 'a Molomona i he 'a e Kataka 'o e Ongoongolelei.

'Oku ou fakmalo koe 'uhi ko e Ongoongolelei.

'Oku ou 'ofa kia Sisu Kalaisi.

'I he huafa o Sisu Kalaisi, 'emeni.

  

it’s not perfect but it’s what i can remember...... and i can’t remember what it completely means, but it’s something like i know the Book of Mormon is true and (something about the gospel).. I am thankful for the Gospel. l love Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. ha it’s the thought that counts right?

Well that’s basically it for now. if i remember anything else i will write you again! o ya and my room has bed bugs :( so far only the bottom to bunks and i'm on the top so i haven’t been bit but I’m sending a picture is my comps back! 

love you all! 

'Eleta Hunisimanu

Ewww--Bed bug bites!!

 Big leaf bug from out side our apartment.

My first corned beef on my mission haha!
It is actually reeeeealy good...
even with hot sauce!

Elder Scott

Me and Elder Patey down by the podium after devotional.
We sang in the choir :)

Tuesday August 13, 2013-Letter to Kayleigh

Kayleigh,

(I had just sent a package to Kamden....he claims he was starving :))

Thank you so much for the package! We don't have silverware but today they had plastic spoons so me and my companion grabbed like 20 ha but if you could send some plastic knives that would be great! So we don't have to use the spoon handle for the pb&j. Our mini fridge is there because I guess the kid before us had to keep his insulin in there because he had diabetes! They just never took it out! It keeps everything cold so it works but i we put stuff in the little ice thing that keeps the fridge cold it keeps it almost frozen! But ya we are lucky! So i guess in New Zealand when we fly there we will have like at least a 6-7 hour layover, the group going to Samoa on Monday has a 13 hour one! So far all I have heard are good things about my mission ha the only problem I have right now is focusing long enough to actually study the language...I get distracted sooooooo easily! But I can say a few lines in my testimony now:

'Oku'ou fakamola ko e uhi ko e ongoongoleli, 'Oku ou 'ofa kia sisu kalaisi. 'I he huafa 'o Sisu Kalaisi, emeni.  (I, Kayleigh, probably butchered that...you know how missionary handwriting is)

I am thankful for the gospel. I love Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Simple I know but hey it's progress! I'm just hoping it continues! Elder Cruser left you a note.  (HI! I'm Elder Cruser! Your brother's companion.  I'll look after your baby bro and make sure he's happy in the MTC! I'll make sure he focuses and stays on task! Have a great day!  Elder Cruser)

He's a great companion and we get along great! Compared to some of the others in our district. Some kids are in missionary mode like most of us but their companions are disobedient and still pretty much stuck at home! Tongans are the funniest people I know! My roommate Elder Tu'akalau is always cracking jokes and making things enjoyable instead of like a prison hahaha. I love it here! Everything is going great and just flying right by.  I love it! Our teachers are way cool and share some awesome experiences! Anyways thank you again for the package! Love you guys! Hope Ryker's mouth is feeling ok.  See you soon!

Elder Huntsman

Beautiful Song

First Week in the MTC

Mom,

Week 1: Success with Little Stress

Hey i haven’t gotten any package yet haha. Elder Cruser (my companion) gets 4 letters and 2 packages a day ha and me i have 2 letters.... but o well haha hopefully i get the packages today! everything is going good! P-days Thursday, gym is awesome! i run a mile+ a day! (very surprising i know) but then i play volleyball for the rest of the day. i love it a lot! playing with the Poly's and there are a couple like PROS who float in the air! pretty much it’s crazy! The food is good except we are on the earliest schedule so we eat dinner at 4:30 so by 9 i have to buy a hot pocket from the vending machine..... Our room is the only one with a fridge so it’s nice haha :) but my roomates are from Mountain Home, ID (Elder Freer) SLC (Elder Tu'akalou) and Orem (my companion elder Cruser!) i like them a lot they are super nice! we all get along pretty well! ya 28 Tongan speaking Elders/Sisters here so we had to split into two districts! 22 of us going to Tonga.  The other 6 going to California or to New Zealand! 14 in my district! half of them are Tongan and they are CRAZY. always wanting to sing or goof off but they are always happy! but anyways ya all is well here with the first week! talk again soon!

o ya i do not know when i can get the new scriptures yet! i asked the girls in the bookstore and they said that they don’t know exactly when they will get some in!!! but you could get me some! put my name on them and send them! and on Tuesday i found out my roommate didn’t have any consecrated oil so we did that with the extra that i had so that was awesome! but ya all is well here! sorry my letters are all scattered! you can put them all together into one on the blog ;)

Dad,

3rd day we had to teach a lesson to an "investigator"!!!!! in Tongan....... we invited him to "baptism" yesterday it was cool!  the only stress comes from the language cuz it feels like everyone is progressing so much faster than me! but i will get it eventually if i strive to i just need to stay focused!

nice about the Braves being that good. if only i was there to see how it ended up this October haha but i love it here! missing home a little but this first week has FLOWN by!!! crazy how that seems to happen haha but i like this here. hopefully that package comes today! but ya sorry i don’t talk much ha there is lots in the other email! love you!

Karissa,

that’s cool that you have been driving ha! glad i am not there in the car with you ;) ya it is awesome here! everything is going good. my companion is awesome! that is cool you are hanging out with Kaylee! keep an eye on her ;) hahahaha i miss everyone! this week has gone so fast! haha it is crazy but i love every minute of it! sorry i don’t write much i don’t like repeating myself haha a little more in the other letter! have fun and enjoy high school. don’t care about how others feel about you haha God is the only one that matters! anyways love you!

Kayleigh,
Everything is going good here! My companion is cool and gets packages DAILY, very popular haha.  Me? 3 Letters, but oh well! Language is going good! Getting vocab down and simple phrases! 81 words now! Putting sentences together is what's hard because the language is so much more simple than ours! Thanks for the letter! Send a package big enough for 2 pairs pants, shoes, 2 pairs shorts, 3 or so shirts, some ties haha (He overpacked!). Just send stuff like swedish fish, salt and vinegar chips, some tostitos with queso dip and something to eat before bed! Our dinner is at 4:30 pm so at 9/9:30 pm I am so hungry I have to buy hot pockets or mini pizza's every night :( Granola bars, fruit bars, Dr. Pepper...sorry it's a lot...just get hungry haha! I love you guys so much and I am grateful for your examples! Randy, you are the best bro-in-law anyone could ask for! Thanks for your example and for being a great missionary! Love you all! Talk again soon!  My room has a fridge! The only one in the building! So things would stay cold.

P.S. Please use Dear Elder or write letters...feels a lot better than emails. And a Mt. Dew for my comp.

Also Mom, no I haven’t seen the new temple film! we would get to go today but the Provo temple is closed because of renovations or something but it opens back up on the 12th! that will be exciting though. i heard it’s pretty cool but also a little bit longer too haha. last night the Poly's in my district all sat in the hall and harmonized some church songs and other things. it is crazy how good they all sound together! i'll send a video and some pictures next week. i forgot the USB thing haha but i love everything here it is soooo amazing! we watched the Joseph Smith film on Sunday and it was crazy how much i could feel the Spirit! (almost cried....) but Praise to the Man is now my favorite hymn because of the whole message in it. i never really understood til i had the time to focus!  another thing that has been hard for me is focusing for long enough..... i get headaches every day ha it’s just so much to try and understand and do throughout the day! but it’s worth it! i just can’t wait to speak the language more fluently so i can understand what people are saying like the teachers and stuff. so i guess since my name in Tonga can’t have the double consonant it’s going to be something like Eleta Hunotisimani or something weird like that haha but when Vika comes to Tonga hopefully i can send her with my English name tags so that you guys can have them :) ha so the other elders in my district are Elder Grant from Lovell Wyoming, Elder Uasila'a from Layton UT, Elder Bunting from Santa Clara UT, Elder Felemi from Southern California, Elder Patey from California, Elder Harris from UT, Elder Swan from Jordan, Elder Diehl from Pleasant Grove UT, Elder Jones from Bountiful UT, Elder Lavaka from Kerns UT, and Elder Freer from Mountain Home and Elder Tu'akalau from South Jordan UT, the last two are mine and Elder Cruser's roomates! it seems like most people have problems with their companionship except me and Elder Cruser ha! It’s awesome though! hope to hear from you soon! LOVE letters it is the best feeling haha but anyways that’s basically my week put into 4-5 emails haha sorry. i just keep remembering things! but anyways love you all and can’t wait to hear again from you soon!!!

And one last thing haha! i would like to leave a scripture with you and you will probably laugh but it has a much deeper meaning than most people think! It is found in 1 Nephi 2:15 and it says

"And my father dwelt in a tent."

To me this scripture means so much! they were willing to leave friends family and riches back home just like me and other missionaries! (except the riches of course ;) haha) Lehi was willing to do anything and everything to please our Tamai Hevani (Heavenly Father) even so much as be ridiculed and mocked by those who were probably once his friends! I am thankful for the example those in the scriptures have been to me. it is crazy what they have done! i know that this is what i am supposed to do to give back to my Tamai Hevani. I love this Gospel and i do know with the fullness of my heart that it is true! I know Jesus died so that all men might live again! I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his son Jesus Christ and he did bring the True church back to this earth! I have a testimony of Temples and the work that is done in them! I know Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God and he does get revelation for all of this on the earth! i am grateful for the opportunity that has been placed before me and will do my best to please my Tamai Hevani! I know this is true in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 Elder/Eleta Huntsman/Hunotisimani

First letter!

Short but oh how sweet!  That first letter brings the most relief !!
Estimated date for departure for Tonga is now September 8th!