Week 40!!

Dear family and friends,

 All is well here. We have been blessed every week to have many great people to teach and to learn from. The love for these people can't be described. There are times when I take a moment to realize how blessed we are to be here. To serve, love and get to know these great men and women. As we had the opportunity to watch meet the mormons last week in zone confrenece I realized that its not just Armenians but every person in the world has the same God given light of christ that inspiries those to help others and want to be safe with their families from the world. As a companionship the movie helped us in our work but not as much as the things the zone leaders said especially Elder Garish. I let him know that he has a love in his voice that the spirit carries out. You can tell he really loves all the missionaries in that room and his motivies are right, the spirit bears record of it.

Elder Kay and I often talk about all the miracles we have seen together and in other people. The spirit of the Lord is chaning the hearts of men. People are quitting smoking, coming to church, becoming better spouses, fathers, mothers, and disciples of the Lord. It brings tears to my eyes when I see the light, the change in someones eyes and face that only the Atonement brings. I remeber my Dad explaing that to me, its something that one can only experience. The joy and happyness it brings is Celestial. The members are 100% on board with us and help in many aspects of the work. This area and the work here has changed and we continue to work hard as a result see the blessings. Hard work through the Lord is the key to sucess. We must do all we can to, if we really expect to pull down the blessings of heaven.

My companion... I love him. I really do. He is a great man. Elder Kay has changed a lot just in the short time that I have been with him. The spirtual maturity and the growth in every aspect is momnetual. He is a humble, christ like disciple. He knows how to serve these people and others. There is very little pride. He loves others and shows it by his example and works, even those who maybe hard to love at times. He continues to progress in every way. We have a great time together, he is funny and has a different personality. He also knows when its time to work and he does just that. 

The district is doing good. Elder Garish (zone leader and close friend) and I both feel that we need to review the things we learned in zone meeting. Also we feel like as a district we need to be working harder and all pulling out weight as companionships. We know that areas are different, however we can always work harder and do better. That being said we were happy to see the faith in goal setting this week.

I often think what I did to have things so good, my parents, upbringing, to be born in to the gospel. The least I can do is share that. I often ponder the Lord's mercy and his Atonement. How did he do it? How does he love us all so much with a perfect love? His grace and love is perfect and he knows what we can become through his grace. I reflect on my past sometimes and realize it isn't something I am proud of, however like Paul the apostle I dont regret it and I know God's grace made me who I am today and will continue to become for the people I serve. (1 COR. 15;10) I know that the Lord is the only way to true happyness and peace. The means to obtaining his light is progression..daily scrip study, prayer and all 3 hours of church. I love you all and apreciate all the letters, packages and uplifting words. I miss you all and am grateful for you. Escpecially my great parents who have done so much for me and have always loved, and supported me. I love you all and pray for you by name. 

Love Elder Lunt

Week 39 - Happy Valentines day!

Dear family and friends,

First off, happy valentines day to everyone! Sorry to all the babes reading this but my Mom still and will always have my heart, maybe one day to all you 10's out there reading this. Haha we had a good valentines day here, its just a another great day of the same great work.

As usual I am not sure where to start and can never tell even a little bit of all the miracles, truly miracels that I have seen this week. Its been a good week. As every week comes and goes I realize how blessed we are as a companionship and I am personally. This area is so special and the work is going how we wanted it to. We are branching out to other cities and seeing blessings in every single aspect as we work hard and never miss an opportunity. 

Many miracles this week and blessings. We have been blessed with investigators and with meetings constantly. Some fall through but there is always many other ready and willing to meet. We had many neat experiences this week one of them being as we have now completely cleaned out the area book and called all the potential investigators and formers. We met with a family that has been "waiting for that call for a year now." Their words not mine. Its another testimony to us to know that there are elect ready and waiting all around us, in our area books, referrals, neighbors. And instead of saying each one of our cities, I would say at least 5 ready to be baptized in each one of our buildings. It truly is a great opportunity and privilege to be here. All is well.

Elder Kay is a great missionary and is in tune with the spirit, he loves these people and is continue to progress in every way, spiritually, maturity and with the language. I point out to him that the Lord is making him and shaping him as a tool in his hand to help bring souls to repentance. I love him and enjoy this time as his companion.

The district is doing great there is a lot that I don't have time to write about, however I have been really blessed and leaned a lot from serving other missionaries. I sent the district. DC: 97;8 the Lord notices all that we do and accepts all of our sacrifices no matter how big or small. I am out of time but I love you all so much and and miss you guys. I see your faces every day as I pray for you individually. Love your son, brother, soldier and missionary

Elder Lunt

Week 38

Dear everyone,

Wow...this week. This week was the hardest, but the best week of my mission so far. I willlexplain. The first three days were trails of our faith. We have been and are working so hard. Skipping meals, fasting, never missing an opportunity to work and we were just not getting any breaks. We know that sacrifice brings blessings however,everything was falling through. We dropped all the investigators but 2. The man Suren who we held a fast for on Tuesday, didn't have enough faith to be baptized and his wife talked him out of it, it was hard to see him deny the spirit and it made me sad. We had so many people arguing with us and bashing on our faith and my testimony. It was hard to know how hard we were trying but nothing was happening. I started thinking it was me and that I was doing something wrong. However, at the same time I knew that feeling was not from god and that this was just a trail of our faith.

With not a single plan working out...Then came Thursday and the remaining week...Something changed in the work here. It was almost tangiable. We felt it. A 180 degree turn in the work. Starting with the first meeting. We planned our best and on Thursday and through the rest of the week almost everything worked out, we met new investigators and many members gave us referrals and not just told us about their friends or relatives but actually came with us to their houses. Gago our branch president , Armen and many other members are such examples to me. They have solid testimonies and desire this real joy and happineses for everyone they meet.Through the members is the best and only way to do this great work. We were blessed with many meetings with investigators and members present,10 referrals and 13 new investigators this week. I have a testimony of fasting and that there is power behind a fast with a purpose and prayer. I also know that trials of faith always come, some before and some after. We were very blessed this week and I felt a joy and change in the work that I had been seeking for this whole transfer. That only came after much prayer, fast and humility. My hope is that we will continue to be led and blessed, for these great people and their happiness and salvation. The Lord is in control of everything. I know he lives and I love him. His love and Atonement is what motivates me to give everything I have. The same happiness and joy I have received. I desire for all. This is the time of my life! Love you all and hope and pray for you to stay close to the Lord and rely on his spirit. Cut out the noise and tune in.

 A good mormon message I showed a few weeks ago in district meeting It is the one of the old man tuning his radio and cutting out he noise of the world, I don't remember the exact name but its worth watching and pay attention to how you feel. Love you guys and invite you to help the missionaries in your ward. Share the gospel with all you can, every member is a missionary and you know the people who need the gospel better than we do. I invite all who read this to share this perfect message with as many as you can this week. Try it and you will get to feel the happiness I feel daily. Love you all so much.

P.S. I forgot to tell you that we were blessed with a baptism 2 weeks ago, Tigran,21 years old and he is already teaching with us and wants to serve a mission. And I love these people and our branch pres. Gago is an amazing man.

Love Elder Lunt

Link to video Brian is talking about:
Voice of the Spirit VIDEO

Week 37

Dear friends and family,

We have seen a lot of change this week in the work and the area. We feel there is an excitment about missionary work and the branch is all for it. Gago the branch pres is steping up more as a leader and applying the things we are teaching him. Hes is great man and I love him and his family very much, I see the light in their faces that only comes through living the gospel. We have obtained an M.L.S. list and have been trying to find all the less actives on the list. Less actives are some of my favorite to work with, nothing is more joyful to see the light and happyness return in their eyes as you bring up their baptism and the feelings they felt during the time of their conversions. We have noticed tender mercies being in the right places at the right times. We have also made some big promises this week through the holy ghost, in one of the lessons I promised a man that I am positive that if we could just talk to his wife, that I know her heart will be softened to be ok with him being baptized, he was quiet and said "if you are positve then next time you can talk to here" we hit on faith with him and that we know she will be softened to the message but that he had to beleive it as well. Alma 32 was the committment. The next meeting with him and his wife will be followed by much fasting and prayer. Please pray for us and him (suren is his name) and that his wife's heart will be opened. I know that the Lord will make good on his promises that he made through us, As long as we have faith and show it though fasting, desperate prayer and humbling ourselves. 

Elder Kay is doing great. He is making leaps on the language through hard work and the help of the Lord. He is always wearing a smile and its contagious, Its great and the people love him. He has a great sense of humor and we are working hard and also have many great times together. He has a humility about him that most dont. Its a gift he has, to be able to be so nice to people and not bothered by things some people say. Hes a great missionary, with a firm testimony. 

The district is doing great from what I can see. I feel that I know every one pretty well know. 

Every week has been great of my mission some more joyful than others. However this week I felt that I have received a lot of personal revelation as to what to do and how through study of consencration. I reveiceved an answer to many of my prayers as to what should be the drive and the motivation behind all the hard work and conscencration. I always knew it should be for the love of the Lord but how do I change to be conscencrated in every situation for that reason? I felt strong impressions that I needed a better understanding of the atonement, the most important event that ever was and will be. I am grateful for the answer and am excited to get started. Everything is going well, we are changing every day so that this will be the Lord's work through us. I love him and know he and our Heavenly Father live and love us more than we can comprehend. I cant imagine, and dont want to what would be if I hadnt had come on a mission. This has been the most joyful time of my life! Only one who has served will understand this great feeling. I felt this week to challenge my family and all who are reading this to read the scriptures every morning together as a family. Even if it is only a little bit. And to go to all three meetings of church. The blessings are there, we limit ourselves as to how much we receive. Love you all so much and pray for you all daily. Live what you know, and be happy, smile! Love you

P.S. about this time each Monday is when I will be emailing

Elder Lunt