Miracles In The Mission

Click on this next line to take you to Matt's mission blog created by Sister Lovell.

Lovells In Argentina: Argentina Neuquen Mission 2012-2015: Miracles In The Mission:

This is a tender video Sister Lovell made of the missionaries serving in Neuquen and their baptisms. Watch especially around 1:29 :) He is in the video later also but with his zone. What a keepsake.

Planting seeds with the help of the Lord's Hand

Have you ever heard the term "planting a seed" when it comes to missionary work?

 Does it really work and does the Lord really play a part in it?

Well let me tell you a story and you can be the judge:

About a month or so ago, this young man came up to Matt at a mission conference. He said, "Elder Hunsaker I am so excited to finally see you and meet you!" Matt was a little taken back because he has no idea who this missionary was. The young missionary went on to introduce himself and say how a few years ago, the missionaries were trying to convert his mother but she was a heavy smoker and didn't want to quit. The missionaries were a little frustrated with her but continued to teach her. He was a member but very inactive. The missionaries would invite him to "hang out" and sometimes go and teach with them a couple times of week in his hometown of Belloto Chile. The missionary he loved to go out with was Elder Jordan Hunsaker!!!

Jordan took this young man under his wing and kept telling him he needed to get his act together so that one day he could serve a mission. He told him that it would be cool also if one day he could serve with his younger brother Matt!

Fast forward a year and a half (maybe a little longer) and here stands Elder Mendoza from Chile with now Elder Matt Hunsaker both serving in the Neuquen Argentina Mission!!!

Elder Mendoza said, "Oh and by the way tell your brother that my mother also just got baptized!!"

 

Coincidence....I think not.

Then last week Matt emailed us and said, "You will never guess who my new companion is!! Yep Elder Mendoza from Chile!!"

You never know what kind of example you are setting, what seed you are planting and how you and your family can reap from it down the road....

You also can't begin to tell me that the Lord didn't have

 His hand in this.

Finally....

After 6 months and 5 days Matt FINALLY arrived in Argentina

after waiting forever for his Visa!!

Here is his first picture in Argentina with his Mission President and wife, President and Sister Peterson. They are only there for one more week before they head home to Bountiful UT and another president takes over. Sweet Sister Peterson had called us the night before this email to let us know that Matt had FINALLY arrived and where he would be serving.

They had Matt write us a letter and then they scanned it and emailed it to us :)

We are so happy he is FINALLY in Argentina and pray that he will love every minute of it.

Playing Catch Up...

With just a bunch of adults at our home life isn't very exciting but I will try to catch up on the happenings in our lives the past few months...

Matt got to spend time in the MTC with one of his best friends Blake.

(I don't think the MTC will ever be the same after these two!!)

Matt also got to see some of his Northridge buddies. In February Matt was given a little DETOUR for his mission. None of the Visa's came through for the missionaries going to Argentina so he was reassigned to the Georgia Atlanta North Mission until their Visa's come.

His friend Jeff on the left side of him is in the same mission in Georgia.

Jordan had two friends return home from their missions. Boston Poll (in the center) returned home from New Zealand and Blake Smithing (on the far right) returned from Samoa. They all got home within a month or so of Jordan. It was fun to hear all the different languages and accents they each had. Gavin Farr on the left was home from SUU football recovering from elbow surgery.

Jordan's very first companion in Chile and trainer Sean Church came and spent the weekend with us. He is from Idaho and is attending BYU-I. It was really fun getting to meet him.

Coco continues to entertain us by hopping in the trunk of the car when it's open. She thinks she will get a ride if she sits in there long enough. She usually wont get out for a good 20 minutes either.
Just simply makes me laugh.

Jordan finally had surgery on his chest. He had something called pectus carinatum which is a birth defect that causes cartilage on his chest to grow out. Growing up he and his friends always called it his third boob or uni-boob. It was funny to see how many friends were sad to see it go...(they would rub it for good luck). He is recovering slowly and it will take some time before he can hit the gym again but he is happy to finally have it gone.

We said goodbye to our other son Sam Knowles. I didn't know how hard this would be but it was seriously like saying goodbye to my own son. He will be serving a mission in the Philippines for the next two years and I couldn't be more proud of him.

Whew....that should do it for awhile.

I am going to miss him....

Argentina please be nice to my boy...cause you are getting one awesome young missionary!!

Heart Throbs!!

Just so you know....these two melt my heart!!

Nearing the End....

In less than two months I will get to see this cute face again....

 

Until then I am glad he is having the time of his life!!

Called to Serve

Dear Elder Hunsaker:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Argentina Neuquen Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, December 21, 2011. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language.

We couldn't be any happier!!!

Graduation

Congratulations to our Northridge Graduate

We couldn't be prouder!

Face

Do you know how happy this face makes me...

It makes me VERY VERY happy!!

(We got to Skype on Mother's Day...and it was seriously the best)

Prom 2011

Matt had his last prom ever this weekend. I had such bitter sweet feelings. I love that he is growing up but honestly I had a few tears knowing that it is my babies last dance. I think I will miss the dances more than my boys. I loved seeing the boys all dressed up and especially seeing all the fun dresses the girls wear.

Kaylee Fernandez was the lucky girl this year that Matt asked to Prom. They looked so cute in their yellow and black. What fun great memories they will have for the rest of their lives.

By the way....she has high heels on....as she said, "I have a height disadvantage"....LOL

LOVED her corsage if I do say so myself :)

So cute....while they were waiting for a couple of people for pictures they decided to just sit and relax...

Love it!

Friends for life!!

And they are off....for a fun night of dinner and dancing.

PS....Dang he is a cute kid if I do say so myself!!

Senior Pictures

My sweet and very talented niece Cali came down from Idaho to take Matt's senior pictures.

From this....

Comes this....

I could have posted all 70 pictures because I LOVE them all. Cali gave me such a treasured memory of Matt who I can't believe will soon be graduating from high school. I am not sure where the time has gone AND I am not quite sure I am ready for him to grow up BUT he sure has grown into a fine young man that melts my heart.

I finally get it....45 years later

It use to drive me nuts every year when I would ask my dad what he wanted for his birthday. He would always say, "Draw me a picture." Then later in life when I had kids he would say, "Have the kids draw me a picture...just something simple." Well, it use to bug me...why I don't know...maybe cause he was hard to buy for. But this morning I woke up on my 45th birthday, went downstairs and saw a banner hanging and a homemade card with some pretzel M&M's. Not that the boys haven't made me cards before...but today I finally got it. I was so touched that my almost 19 year old son would stay up after I went to bed and take time to make a banner and a card for me. It probably isn't the "coolest" thing to do, and it would have been easier for him to go buy something...but he didn't and I LOVE it. He spent time doing something so simple yet something that touched my heart beyond words. I really don't know how to explain this all very well...but at least I finally got what my dad was saying. It only took 45 years but today was so well worth it.

The camera lens that Larry got me and the blue sky was just icing on the cake!!

Times moving on....

Did you know that in 8 months my boy will be home...

Did you know that in 3 months my boy will be graduating and putting in his mission papers...

Did you know I am starting to get a little emotional about it all.

L.O.V.E.

WE LOVE the people of Chile!!

These sweet friends are from Jordan's last area of La Corvi. He was transferred 3 weeks ago to a new area called Esperenza and the people of Corvi have missed him so much that they traveled a hour and a half to go see and surprise him. They also brought him letters, candies and pictures from the ward members.

Pipe (the one on the right) said that many of the members in Corvi wanted to go visit Jordan soon!! The bishop joked and said that their ward would be empty if all those who missed and loved Jordan went to see him.

It totally melts our hearts to see the people love him as much as we do.

My little CHEF...

One evening Jordan and his companion went to his momita's home to make treats for them. Not exactly sure what it was but I think scones. They were kind enough to send me pictures and a video of my little chef.

I especially LOVE the ORANGE apron!!