SAN MARCOS. ELDER LEWIS.

So, last week I made it safe and sound to my brand new area: San Marcos, California!  We have a little bit of Escondido too.  There used to be hermanas in this area, so Elder Lewis and I are the first Elders in a few years (like 3 or something).  The Spanish missionaries in Escondido are in a special sort of condition.  We are called a "prone (pre-zone)".  We don't have enough missionaries to be an entire zone yet, but we are too big to be incorporated into the English zone.  Three months ago, when the big group of missionaries left, Escondido had it's own zone.  But, then all the big group left and then the zone was downsized because we lost a lot of missionaries.  We still have some areas in the mission closed down because there aren't enough missionaries.  But, there should be coming in 3 or 4 the end of this transfer, so hopefully some more areas will be opened up.  Another cool thing is that because we are a "prone" we have two districts.  One district has 3 companionships, and the other has two!  That's the one I am in!  I am in a district with Elder Lewis, my companion, Elder Gneiting, who I served with in Vista for one transfer and Elder Hansen, Elder Gneiting's greenie.  It's pretty cool only having 4 Elderes in a district.  We had District Meeting yesterday, and it was awesome.  Hermana Farr is here in Escondido too! 

So, my new companion is Elder Craig Lewis.  Guess where he is from?  Not Utah!  St. Louis, Missouri!  Elder Lewis from St. Louis... Ha.  He has been out less than I have (3 months) but he is a super good missionary too.  He has VERY good Spanish!  He's really cool and we get along pretty well. 

The ward in this area is HUGE. 600+ members!  It used to be 2 different branches, but then they combined it about a year and a half ago because one of the branches had no priesthood at all.  It wasn't a very good idea though, from what I have been told because a lot of people went inactive because of the change in leaders or because the church building was too far.  But, we are trying to get 80 baptisms this year, so that the ward can split again into two different branches.  There used to be 12 missionaries in ths ward!  That's how big it is!  There are 10 now. 

So, not much has happened in my first week here.  Because some missionaries left, the areas were made bigger here.  Elder Gneiting and Elder Lewis were companions before and they covered the area of Elders Gneiting/Hansen and our area.  So, when Elder Hansen and I came, the areas were split.  Elder Gneiting and Elder Lewis worked mainly in the other area, and so there wasn't a whole lot of investigators here.  But, we did have one!  But, they turned out to be sooooooo set on their Bible and did not want anything else.  Elder Gneiting and Elder Lewis had taught them once before about 2 weeks ago, and from what they had told me from that lesson, the family was solid.  But, when we went over last Saturday, that was not the case...  They just kept on reading scriptures from the Bible and interpreting them the wrong way.  They believed that God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are all the same being, even though we showed them many scriptures in the Bible that says otherwise.  Their minds were just so closed and hearts so hardened.  It's really sad to see people like that, because you just want to help them so much!  But, you can't shove the Gospel down their throat, because they have to figure it out for themselves.  Maybe one day they will get baptized, but definitely not now...

So, guess who is the new companion of Elder Simmons?  Elder Nealy!  Lucky!

I still have no idea if Manuel was ever confirmed... His wife was super sick the last week I was there, and so he wasn't able to come...  But, I should be returning back to Vista for Jennifer's baptism, so hopefully they tell me he was finally confirmed!  Speaking of tall
companions, I will send you a picture soon of how tall Elder Gneiting's companion is :)

So... I am really sad about my SD card :( I thought about waiting until I was able to mail my pants, but I thought you would want to see the pictures more quickly... I guess the good thing is that I was only in Vista for three months... But all those pictures are gone :( there were some good ones too!  Like of the SWEET new board we received in Vista my last week there!  :( :( :(  and that was my 16gig SD card too :( Maybe a miracle will happen! 

Thanks for the package!  I really like the shirt!  I haven't had a chance to wear it yet, but hopefully soon! 

So, that's about it this week!  We are working hard to get more investigators to teach them about the one and only true Gospel!  This really is the one and only true Church upon the face of the Earth.  I have run into SO many different people interpreting the Bible in so many different ways; it's not even funny.  I am so glad to have el Libro de Mormon so that we can know the TRUTH of the Gospel!  People we run in to get mad at us all the time because we don't carry around the Bible.  We tell them, "Why we would carry around a book that isn't even complete?"  The Bible is a wonderful book, and it is necessary for our knowledge of Christ, but we have the Book of Mormon today to help us understand the correct doctrine of Christ even more!

Have a super wonderful week!  I love you!  I will be praying for a miracle so that somehow, someway someone will find the SD card!

Love, Elder Hunt

P.S.  You are the best