8/11/13

So this week has been pretty special.

Yesterday we were able to go to the temple again. A family was going to be sealed and the assistants were busy so we had to take them. We had to leave to go and get them so we had to get up at 4 in the morning. We went to the temple and a couple of returned missionaries where there. Rondon was there and Eve and Ramos where all there and we were able to say hello. The temple was great and the sealing was great. It was pretty funny because the sealer was an old american guy who is learning spanish. He knows lots from a book, but just the way he frased things and his accent was really really funny when he was giving them some counsil, and the kids were pretty cute . It was great and them when we went out to eat we also had saw a couple other returned missionaris. It made me feel old in the mission because I was the only one who knew them personally the others had heard of them but never got to know them, and some of them left when the other missionaries got there and now they have 9 months. It was a great trip, but by the end of driving all day I just wanted to go to bed.

This week we ended up doing a couple exchanges with us and the assistants and it was pretty cool because those days the assistants had to do a couple of things. So Elder Cruz and I did them. We went with President to a couple of missionaries who are having some problems and them we went back and started making changes about who is going where and who is going to train in the coming transfer. It was great, and i had fun. Elder Cruz and I are good friends since the mtc in the DR.

So this week we have been able to see people finally want to make some changes in their lives. We have been teaching a less active family for a while now and it has been tough because slowly over time things have just gotten worse and worse for the family. Problems at work and they young adults don't have work and the mom just stuggleing to stay alive with all the problems that they have been having. Finally this week they just cracked. It was pretty funny being a part of it because it was like a cicle in the book of mormon. They were being blessing and them left the church and things have just been getting worse and worse and now the mom finally snapped and they decided to come back to church. They started to read and to pray and one of the sons got called to go and work. They came to church today and we are going to pass by again today to see how things are going and maybe we can get the bishop to go with us because the mom keeps saying that she wants to talk to the bishop and also it would be good to show him where they live.

It has been a busy week and we haven't had a ton of time to get out and share with the people and even more so that when we did get a chance they were home, so we went out and tried to visit people, and while we were out I saw this group of guys just sitting on the sidewalk. We were in a dark part of town, the neighborhood right by the bridge. I felt like i needed to contact them. So I waited for a minute because we had just knocked on a door to see if an old investigator was there, and then it came again so I walked over there and he was very receptive. We have an appointment to go over there today and teach him. It felt really good to contact and have the spirit there with us.

Well I hope that you guys had a great time up at Big John's Flat! I love you guys tons and enjoy the last couple weeks of summer.

Con Cariño

Elder J. Hunter Cannon

8/3/13

Well this week I got some great news!

I can't remember if I told you or not but a couple weeks ago one of the converts from Cien Fuegos called me and told me that he is going on a mission! He is going to Honduras in October which was so great. I am so excited for him, he is going to be a great missionary. Also this week their little brother Melvin is going to be baptised. When I was there I thaught him and he was about to be baptized but then he moved to the country and couldn't be baptized and he called me this week and told me that he had moved back permenantly and that the missionaries taught him again and he is going to be baptized today. I got permission to go so that is going to be great to be able and see them all again and see him get baptized.

This week was also pretty sad because two missionaries that extended their missions had to finish this week. President asked them to stay for a little while to see if the missionaries from Peru were going to get here with their visa problems. So they stayed as long as they could but they had to go this week. It was pretty sad because they were two good friends of mine. I hate saying goodbye. We also taught Dante. We are helping him reactivate and he is solid. He has gone to church every week and is now going in a shirt and tie, we finally found his records and so they are now in the ward. He also has been going to institute. Before he decided to come back to church he was in a rock band and was pretty into that. I sent a picture and all the guitars we are holding he made them and there was another star guitar behind us that he made. He played a little for us and he is way good. He has also left with us to teach some of our investigators and less active. He is such an awesome guy!

This week we have also been traveling alot doing moves and getting missionaries. So we went up to do a move of some missionaries that were having problems with their neighbor in puerto plata. It is a lady in her twenties that wears very scanky clothing and always has different guys with her and they share a front porch with her and that was becoming a problem. So we went to move the missionaries, and I went up the stairs to help them carry some stuff down. It was just awkward. so when I got up there she said, "HEEeeellLLLLOOO" Then as I was going down the stairs, she said, " papi cuidado si te caes" which basically means " Be careful Baby so you don't fall." So after that I just stayed at the bottom at the truck and she kept yelling down to me in broken english, "Hey my friend look up here." "I love you" " I need to go to this church on sunday" It was a good thing that we got the missionaries out of that house, but they had a lot of crap in that house and it took a lot of trips back and forth. The trip was worth it because we bought some cinnimon pinapple almond bread that was really good, So we ate that on the way home.

It was an interesting week with lots of work and lots of driving, but that's what it takes to get it done. That is so great that you guys did so well in County swim tornament, you guys are really great swimmers. Just keep up all the great work! Love you all tons!

Con Cariño

Elder Cannon

7/28/13

Well this was a good week. We had to travel lots this week but we were able to get lots done which was really good.

So on monday we were going to head out early to try to get to Dajabon early and have some time up there to go to the market or something. As we were just about to go the assistants called me because they had gotten in an accident to we had to spend most of the morning in the police department doing reports and stuff. It was a pretty long and boring process. So we were finally done and loaded the truck up with a refridgerator and a mattress for the elders in Dajabon. We were driving on what you could call the highway and we were just going normal. there was a bridge in the road and if seems fine flat without any problems.right before the bridge there was a little dip in the road and then a second later it quickly went back up. It launched us in the air. there was one point when all four tires were off the road. It was fine landing was an issue because I was driving, the thing that we were worried about was the fridge and mattress in the back. But everything was fine the fridge didn't even move which was really a blessing, I guess knot tying has really paid off. We were able to go out there and we were just there for a little while. the zone leaders have a couple coconut trees in there yard. So we cracked some of them open and had fresh coconut milk and ate the meat. We had the meat with lemon juice and some salt and a little bit of tabasco sauce on it and it was actually really good.

We had to go and do a bunch of stuff all over the mission from paying rent that didn't go through the online transfers to moving missionaries to seeing new houses and setting dates to do the contracts. So it has been a really busy week and a lot of driving. This week my companion finally got his drivers lisence. so that really helped my patients teaching someone how to drive in the DR with all the crazy drivers here. It was a pretty interesting experience. I still drive when we are together but it is nice if he has to go with another missionary somewhere and I stay in the office.

Yesterday the assistants went with us to Nagua to drop off a new gas tank. That is a really long drive, and it is the farthest area in the mission, but we got president's permission and went out to Samama. It is within the mission boundries but it has been closed for years. It was a really neat little city and we had a lot of fun, but the drive was really really long. I ended up driving the whole time and we spent the majority of the day in the truck driving. We also had a guy come up to us and talk to us a little about the church. it was really different because most of the people that you find in the mission know who we are and you can see it in the way they act, but over there it was different the people just treated us like normal people and looked at us different because we were dressed in white shirts and ties. It was a great experience.

 This week we went to visit a less active. We had heard that three had been a fight and we went there and you could see that he had markes up and down his arms from nails and his wife was bruised and had some cuts. The husband got home drunk and they started to fight. She said that they were either coming back to the church or seperating. So we went there and when we got there she told us that she had finally given in. It was super sad she has stayed pretty strong through all of this, but the day we went there she had started to drink again. It just sickened my soul to see that she know what is right and I know she has a testimony of the church and then fall away. So that was super sad.

Well I am glad that you guys had a good time camping and that you were able to visit with so many people! I love you guys tons and hope that  you guys have a great week.

Con Cariño

 Elder Cannon

7/20/13

Hola Familia,

This week we had a ton of work. This week we had transfers. We have been working really hard the past couple weeks planning and making sure that everything was going to be ready for transfers. Then on Monday President made a call and changed a lot of the transfers with who was going where. So all the office elders came in on Monday and had to redo everything so we were up really late. We didn't leave the office until one in the morning trying to get everything ready for transfers. Then we had to be up early on Tuesday to go and pick up the new missionaries. There were a lot of missionaries! So we were with them for the morning helping out with everything and taking them to the mission home and meetings and all the jazz. That afternoon my companion and I had to go to finish the last move before transfers. We did it really fast because on the way there we had an owner call us asking about the rent and why it hadn't come. We so we had to go and pay her cash because there was a problem with her bank account so we couldn't deposit the money. Just as we thought we were finally done we got a call that one of the missionaries that was going to be driving during transfers was in the hospital and he was going to have to stay over night. The only other missionary who is qualified to drive was a 45 min drive away. He was finishing his mission so we went and picked him up and took him back to the mission home to spend the night so he could help us drive during transfers.

This week we also had two ex-missionaries come to Santiago and hang around with us. Rondon who was my companion not too long ago. and Peralta who was assistant when I was in the office so we are all great friends. They have been visiting people but now they went home today.

Transfers came and I stayed where I am with my same companion. I am now the office elder who has been there the longest, and it seems like president is depending on me even more. I think this is going to be my last transfer in the office. It will be good to have a change and teach a little bit more.

So this week was mainly spent driving. We drove pretty much all day Monday and Tuesday we drove a tons as well. Wednesday we drove taking all the missionaries to there new areas. Thursday and Friday weren't as bad but it was a lot of driving this past week.

We did try to get out and teach this past week in the little time that we have had. We were able to teach a little bit but most of the time that we went to visit people they weren't home or they were busy so we weren't able to share with them which is hard especially because we don't have much time to go and teach.

We are teaching a couple that have potential but it is really hard for us to help them progress because they are really busy with school and work and their two kids. We have been trying to help them go to church but they have to work and that makes it really hard. The wife almost got baptized but them she got a job on Sunday and just stopped progressing because she could go to church. But they have taken the mission discussions before so that makes it a little bit easier because they understand it a lot faster.

Well I hope that you guys have a great week this week and especially with your vacation to Colorado. Keep up the great work with all your activities that you are going! Love you all tons!!

Elder Hunter Cannon

7/14/13

This week was pretty busy. We are getting ready for transfers that are coming up this next week. We found out that 10 missionaries weren't able to get visas so we have been trying to figure out what we are going to do. One of the houses that my companion and I had to find and do the move and everything isn't going to be used for the transfer that is coming. Maybe in the middle if more missionaries come but as of now it is just going to be sitting there ready to go.

On Monday we went to share with an investigator that really isn't progressing so we were going there to explain that we weren't going to pass by anymore to share and if he wanted he could find us in the church or he could give us a call when he read the pamphlet. When we got there the door was open just a little and there was their handicap brother naked in there and with another brother who is 24 years old and he was also naked in there. The one went and put a towel on. Our investigator finally showed up and we started to share with them. The brother in the towel was just making it hard because he kept making comments that were true and really straight forward and funny at the same time. While we were trying to teach the mother got home. She begs at one of the stop lights with the handicap son in a wheel chair. she explained how she doesn't have a wheelchair to take her son around and how she needed help and if she only had a wheelchair she would go to church every Sunday. then her son in the towel said," you have a wheelchair." "that wheel chair doesn't work it is broken" "Well you push him all the way to the stop light to beg surely if you were really going to go you could push him to church which is a lot closer in that wheelchair." So she left for a minute while that was going on our investigator just left us sitting there. Then the mom came back to ask us to sell Q-tips and a cube to keep the mosquitos away. to help a little baby get an operation. She started of by saying, "it says in the bible that you need to help your neighbor." We explained that we couldn't do that because we barely have time to go out and teach anyone and anyways we aren't supposed to do things like that anyways. We went to say the closing pray to just leave. They chose me and when I was done we were alone in the house with the handicap guy so we just left. It was a crazy lesson.

So on Tuesday we went to go and teach an older guy that we contacted the other day. When we got there his daughter was there. She started out by saying that she didn't want to share with us. Then she just started talking. She started out by explaining how she has an exact knowledge of the bible. Then she would explain something and then read a scripture and it some way or another she would find a way to connect the scripture in what she was saying and how the scripture answered what she was saying. It went on for a little while and my companion was getting a little annoyed about how she was trying to belittle us. I just sat there quietly waiting for my turn to share and just praying that I could have the spirit to testify. A couple minutes later a miracle happened the power went out so she couldn't read anymore. So it was my turn I started by saying that what I was going to share isn't in the bible but that doesn't make it any less true. I then bore my testimony, and sincerely invited them to test it for themselves and God would answer them. After I had finished they sat there for a second or two and then rejected. We asked if she would say the closing pray. During her pray she said that she didn't accept our message because it doesn't say the name of the book of Mormon or Joseph smith in the bible, and that if by some miracle it is true then to be understanding in why she didn't accept it. It was pretty disappointing and sad, but that happens all the time.

Other then that we have been working super hard getting ready for Transfers doing a couple of moves and traveling lots, but it has been going.

I love you guys tons and hope that you guys have a blast this week! keep up the great work with swim team and piano.

Con Cariño

Elder Hunter Cannon

7/6/13

Hola Famlia,

This week was a pretty good week.

This week we had a ward council and we made a plan that if we work hard we can really help the ward but at the rate that we are going we are going to be a branch before we know it. This week also the Elders Quorum President the motor of the ward in terms of home teaching visits and mission work announced that they are moving. So that was a pretty big hit at the ward, With so many moving and nobody moving in it is really hard.

So this morning we went and did some service in the new house of the Elders Quorum president. There was a lot of trash that we had to take out of the house. So we went to dump it with some of the members. We tried to find a dumpster but decided that it would be easier to just take it to the dump. This is the same dump that I lived by when I was in Cien Fuegos. The members were pretty helpful. They told us not to go very far in the dump because the people that live there could come and attack us. So as soon as we were there I asked can we dump it here, and they kept saying just a little further just a little further. The off in the distance I saw a group of people and one of them saw us and pointed at us and all the people started to run towards us. There wasn't much that we could be. They jumped all over the truck. One of them was shouting at the others saying, "you get in there and I'll slash you with my Machete."  They actually unloaded the truck really fast. The members were just saying lock the doors lock the doors. One of the members was out of the truck but closer to the entrance. I had already locked the doors long before. After they unloaded they all came to my window to ask me for money. I told them I didn't have anything, and after that we just started to go. They all jumped in the back of the truck. We picked up the member and just got out of there. It was pretty crazy and it smelt absolutely horrible, and the amount of flies that were there was just unbelievable.

The ward activity this week was really good we had a lot of people show up, some that are inactive came as well. It was great the only bad thing was that the people in-charge hadn't prepared anything so they came to the missionaries to ask us to help them fast. So I ran out to the truck and grabbed the Liahona to share a small message that I had read that day. When I got in there I realized that it was in English so I had to translate it while I read it in front of them and then share a small testimony. It turned out alright they understood what the story was about and then one of the other missionaries thought of a great activity that we played and the activity turned out great.

Well I am great that you guys were able to drop off Tyler at the MTC. It is going to be a great experience for him. I love you guys tons and hope that you have a great week!

Con Cariño

Elder Hunter Cannon

PS. I guess I better put Hunter or you might start to get confused which is which.

6-30-13

Wow where to start. This week has been really really interesting.

So at the beginning of this week we were traveling with an ex-missionary, who was the office elder when I started the mission and we went up to Constanza the highest area in the mission to find a new house. So that was pretty intense with the really curvy roads and majestic views. We spent most of the day there looking for a new apartment for the missionaries.

Then on Tuesday we had a great meeting with the priesthood leaders of the ward. Lately the ward has been going down hill. We are all trying to work hard to keep things going, but it seems like the harder we try the more things go wrong. So on Tuesday we met and brainstormed Ideas about what we can do to accomplish our goals as a ward. We planned a little and came up with some ideas to bring up in ward conference next week. The main thing that came out of that meeting is that they were excited and had an idea about how we can accomplish and help the ward. Back in February we had an average of about 108 people in sacrament meeting, but lately it has been around 65 people in sacrament meeting. People have been moving away, but others are just going inactive, and we couldn't figure out how to help. So that was a great meeting.

This Sunday which was really good we had a lot of people at church. My companion and I left the house an hour early to go out and find people and try to get them excited about going to church. If we can get them to go they will feel the spirit and then it will be more likely that they will come back on their own. So we went and gave a less active family a ride, and also a Sister from the ward that had surgery, but a couple of her family that are less active also came so it was really great. The excitement had seemed to really get to other people as well because a couple of the other people that the other elders came and some that they just came. So we are starting to see some progress and hopefully after ward council we will have a better idea on how we are going to work together.

This week I also had to go and visit the doctor of the mission. I went to check up on my toe. He didn't operate on it though the way he was twisting my toe nail off and squeezing it sure felt like he was operating on it. He said that it is still just starting, but that it is a lot bigger then normal so if he has to operate he will have to take a lot of the nail. So he told me to try to bend it and ease it so the toe nail grows straight. He also gave me an antibiotic to kill the infection that I have in my toe. So that night I took the first pill. I woke up in the middle of the night and barely made it to the bathroom. It was just straight water. I spent most the morning near the bathroom. I call Hermana Douglas and she call the doctor and he said that that happens and that I needed to eat yogurt to put all the good bacteria back into my body. So I did and with in a couple of hours I was alright. But during those couple of hours I had a couple close calls where it was a miracle that I made it to the bathroom without soiling some of my clothes.  

This week we also had to go down to Santo Domingo again. We went to go and pick up new trucks. I have been working on trying to get the trucks changed since I got in the office. We drove down and ate lunch with a missionary that just finished his mission from our mission. Then we changed the trucks we had 2009 Toyota Hilux, and now we have Isuzu D-Max and they said that it is 2014, but I'm pretty sure that it is 2013 or maybe 2012, but it was new. We took off all the plastic and everything. So that have been really nice so far. It is also Automatic and the ride is a lot smoother.

We also had a ward activity this week and not a lot of people went but it was a really effective activity. The investigators that were there got to know some of the members and we played games and then after we played a little bit of basketball. One of the guys that we played with is a returned missionary that lives in our area. So we talked with him a little bit and he moved into our a little while ago and hasn't been going to church for a while. We asked if we could go by and invited him to church. He came to church and brought his whole family who aren't members and today we are going over there to teach them.

Well I hope that Tyler does great on his Farewell talk! Enjoy your last weeks with him. Have a great week! I love you all tons!

Con Cariño

Elder Cannon