more pictures

He is in Cardenas, Mexico and it gets 81 inches of rain a year! Look at the joy on his face, still a little boy.


Up on a roof top...


He claims all the creature pics are for Dylan and Emmie but we know better




Pretty sure this is a bat


Brad's cute little companion, all 5ft of him


He is in banana heaven


The Villahermosa temple

Brad's testimony from 12/26/11

Ok so first off Hola! Que paso mi amigos y amigas! Wow this is crazy actually writing you all and thinking of what needs to be said. I will be blunt and bold, the restored gospel of Jesucristo is true. It is the only way to come unto Christ and live the path which is so narrow and straight. If your having trouble, if your losing faith, if your lonley, if you don’t know where or what to do. "Turn outward." Elder Bednar said when this is said it means not to turn inward which would be like saying  "oh whoa is me" "i can’t do that" or just even having doubt, complaining, living like you have to do nothing and everything needs to be done for you. STOP! Quit being a wuss. Get up and do something for someone else. Turn outward is what Christ has done for us. "there would have been not Atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ." Turn outward means to turn with compassion. This is a story that was shared with us in the MTC.  One day when Elder Bednar was a Stake President he received a call from a hospital. On the line were 2 women. One told Elder Bednar the situation of how 3 girls were in a car crash. One was killed the other 2 were seriously injured. They could not verify who was killed due to the destructive damage of the crash. The other women on the phone was a nurse who worked at the hospital but was not currently on shift and she was also a mother of 1 of the 3 who where involved in this crash. Elder Bednar was to go down to the Hospital and identify who was in the crash and who had lived. The mother who was the nurse, was the one who lost her child. When she was told it was her daughter who was killed she paused for a second or two then only to say to Elder Bednar we need to get ahold of the other 2 mothers and notify them right away of what has happened. He was shocked! In a moment where most of us if not all of us were to be destroyed by emotion this mother turned outward and was trying to help and show compassion. The funeral service was later that week. The day of the funeral the mother, who was also the Relief Society President, received a call a couple hours before the funeral. Another women in the relief society called her up complaining and tearing her down because this lady had been sick with a cold and didn’t receive any meals of sort or anything for her cold. She chewed the relief society president (the mother) out. The women had no idea that she had just lost her daughter. On her way to the funeral that mother who lost her daughter, delivered a meal and then continued onto the funeral service. Turn outward. This mother who had just lost so much continued to show her compasion just as Christ does for us. Without Christ Atonement we would not be able to live. Use the Atonement, for it is our way of showing our faith. Without it we could not turn unto Christ. Repent daily, have a pure heart, and clean hands.

     

       I had a dream the other day. I was in my bed. I noticed a black hole where my belly button should be but was not. I blew air into it as if it were a ballon. My flesh then began to inflate like a balloon. I looked into the hole only to discover my skin underneath as well! Shocked I blew into it one more time to look.  This time I ripped the hole (which was my belly button of my flesh) only to discover new skin underneath. I tore off the rest of the old skin as if though i was a lizard shedding skin. (Sorry for the gross image girls) as I tore away the old skin underneath was new fresh and clean skin without mark. My body was pure once again from the worldly things. This is my interpertation of the dream. Through my life I have suffered just as many have. I have made mistakes (whats new there) through them I have learned. Through them I have used Christ Atonement to save my self from harm. This dream is a representation of the love Christ has for me. He has given me new life, a new body, new soul and a clean slate to work again. This is Christ love. Use the Atonement of Christ. It is our way of coming home and recieving eternal life. I know that this church is true. I know That Christ will come again. He loves us all and knows us individualy our thoughts and our intentions. Live to be more Christ like. Live to be more worthy. Strive to be your best everyday. Always remember him as he always remembers you. As hard as it may be, love one another. We are the chosen dispensacion of the fullness of time. Use the title, wear it like its the armor of God. For Satan does not want for us to succeed. Oh that crafty Devil who is the father of all lies, do not let him grab ahold of your ankels to slow you down. High step kick up wards and run with the full armor on. Charge to battle but with only the Lord our God on our side. Pray daily. Live the word. Be the living word day in day out. I love you all and am proud you are making the choice of coming to church. Heed the words of everyone around for they are there to protect you. I know these things to be true I know we are here for a reason. I say these things En nombre de Jesucristo Amen.

-Elder Bradford West Hunsaker

Pictures 01/23/2012

This is the first baptism he helped with

His first baptism of his mission

Love seeing the smile, Cassie says he looks like he has gained weight (if that is even possible for Brad)

Other missionaries in his area

Seriously how did he even see

such a small lizard?

Fellow missionaries, Mission Pres and wife, called to Villahermosa Misson

We are guessing this is his ward

1/23/2012 email

I’m doing good sorry about last week we got rushed out off the computer, they dudes had to leave. I don't know. Yeah I'm doing good I did feel it! (there was an earthquake off the southern coast of Mexico on Saturday morning.  It was a 6.2)  It was really weird to be honest I wasn’t really sure what was up I was in a chair sitting down and I don’t know it felt like I was rocking back and forth! Pretty neat first one I have experienced. No damage that I noticed.  Nah, the lord has our back no worries :)

Spanish is coming along good.  The people here are really nice. How is home?

I heard it takes a week for a letter to make it from me to you. I don’t know if that is true though. But I will write one for him no worries. Yeah I’m going for the giants too! How is that they are in? To be honest Manning isn’t as good as his brother! I don’t want something to be honest.  Reeses and some lds dvds like movies por favor :)  (I asked him what he wanted me to send for Valentine’s Day) Maybe a new tie too lol.

I love you too dad! 

Dylan, I’m sure the lizard will be fine in time. Try mixing things up, use meal worms and silk worms which you get at petco. (One of Brad’s other Lizards has stopped eating) I love you Dylan!

Emmie! Yes our toilet is working again haha finally! 100th day of school, no way! This Friday is one whole month in Mexico! Woo!  I love you Emmie!

Cassie are you doing softball? Love you too keep the school up and keep taking Spanish so we can make fun of mom and dad when I get home!

I think sending me a camera would be fine everyone else gets their packages just fine here. I don’t see why I wouldn’t! Sorry about last week gess get over it you big babies.  I’m here doing work can’t expect me to just be able to type everything ;) just kidding. I love you mom.

Ok so this week has been really tough. I would call this email, JUST POUR IT ON because we came to find out more hard news about everything here. The stake president stole money from the church. People don’t want to get baptized because members are talking trash about the ward.  Victoria the 80 year old lady is struggling but she is a champ. We baptized a lady this week. But yeah back to Victoria, she is being threatened by her husband that he will pegar nosotros y Victoria con un machette yep crazy huh? (TRANSLATION, I think-) Because we are teaching her leccions (lessons) she is being threatened to be hit with a machette and same goes for us he said. But she still wants the lessons and wants to be baptized we have a couple more this week. 2 next week I hope, if they hold through to the end. We will see, but all I can say is that a 80 year old lady has felt the spirit once in her life la verdadero evangelio de jesucristo entonces quiera mas porque El Espiritu Santo es en hermana vicotorias corazon!  Such fe (faith) its awesome! TRANSLATION, She has felt the spirit once in her life, the true gospel of Jesus Christ and then she wants more because the Holy Ghost is in Sister Victorias’ heart. I love you all so much! 

Try doing something for me everyone that reads this. Read the scriptures with the family, everyone pick a favorite scripture from the chapter and then everyone for 10 mins study out what you learn from it.  Afterwards share your testimony about what you learn and think about it. I want to see how many different things people come up with for spiritual growth. I love you all :)

For PDay (preparation day) we play soccer and volleyball and workout a lot! I don’t want to get fat!

So I just threw a bunch of photos up on facebook for everyone and mostly you guys they are very special to me you will love these I promise. I took photos of animals for Dylan and Emmie :) (Brad thought he had successfully uploaded a bunch of pictures to us in previous emails but none came through.  He tried again today and it took 5 min to send one picture so he just put them all on his FB page)

1/9/2012 email

My week has been good. I am trying to send the pictures to you all but wow there is slow internet here. How is your week? Okay who want stories? So this week we got to talk to a drunk man and when I say drunk I mean drunk could harldy talk or stand. We talked to him for a little bit. Brought the spirit and made him cry kinda funny to be honest because he was atleast 6 ft and just ripped for a Mexican.  He was trying to be hard. A couple days latter we teach a hardcore catholic and she is like 80 or something. All her life she’s been catholic and we taught her a lesson and she was like wow, today I was cold and now all of a sudden I feel really hot  like there is a blanket on me. Yeah she felt the spirit alright. She is ready to get baptized the right way. We had 4 investagators come to church they are getting baptized this saturday which rocks! Then a couple days ago we had to go pretty far in a mini van. These things are straight sketch! We fit over 30 people in this van I couldn’t even count how many where inside the van.  Peoplel are just everywhere waiting to learn. We talked to man yesterday on our way to church. He was so sad and lonely. We talked with him he wasn’t happy with life but he listened to us long enough to want to take the lessons. Yeah things are strange here. I see dead cats and dog cow you know it cool. how are the chiades? (This is the family from Anthem that Brad knows that are taking the lessons) Things are weird here wont lie.  You have to watch out around every croner people don’t think twice to run you over haha its funny.

I love you <Dyaln I love you emmie be good for mom and dad

Love you cassie woo! seminary alright sounds awesome haha is softball started? its so freaking hot today i wont lie!

I love you all so much :)

Opening mission call and at the MTC

First email from Mexico 1/2/2012

We finally heard from Elder Hunsaker in Mexico! He made it there safe and sound on 12/27/2012. It sounds like he is headed for some great adventures and an eternal love of the people of Mexico.  We hope to get some pictures of his life in Mexico soon (also some from the MTC that we have been waiting for).

Okay sit down and buckle up for a laugh. Imagine me sitting in a little tiny building with a bunch of mexicans, it is pouring rain outside like when cars drive the wake is coming up a little past my thigh, yep you guessed it I'm soaked from head to toe. We were walking to do laundry when it started but it was only a little drizzle. After we started our laundry it started to pour haha yay! No poncho just pants and a shirt and tie, oh boy! So we had to walk home drop laundry off then turn around and walk to where ever this place is to email. I am sick don’t know what I have but I am sick (all is well don’t cry mom I’ll be fine) my back from the first night sleeping here has not recovered. I was attacked in the middle of the night by bed bugs. The mosquitoes love to eat me. The food is uhhh yeah, its really really really freaking dirty. I will never be able to use the words poor or dirty ever again without thinking mexico. Nor will I ever forget the smell of this place. I arrived at like 7 at night then got picked up by the mission pres. So glad my other companion is gone.  My first day here I stayed at the ap missionaries house then left in the morining for my area which is Cardenas its pronounced like cardinals without the L. My ward is Los Reyes. I arrived in my area around 6 at night long bus ride and a transfer bus. Then met my new companion who is a local of Mexico City. UH WOW! He speaks so freaking fast its so hard to even catch like 2 words sometimes. The people around here can hardly keep up with his words too! His name is Elder Atenco he is 5ft maybe 5'1 he doesn’t hit my shoulder. So all that stuff I said in the begging isn’t even the good part yet ;) haha chiste

The people here are so crazy its amazing. They give everything they have just to live day in and day out. They feed us lunch everyday (if it’s not spicy it’s not done right) they give everytthiing its amazing so humble. Yes I can’t hardly understand them but they still love me. I love them as well they help with my spanish. They think I’m Mexican though which makes things tough. They love beer that is for sure. I will never use poor and dirty again in my life other than talking about mexico. I love you all so much I want you to know that. They love one another so much here. We have already 10 baptisms set up for this month we just gotta help them prepare. They are so willing to just learn and find the truth its crazy. And yep it is the jungle if anyone was asking or wondering. My apartment or idk how to even or what to call it my home is about the same as a shack. Cold water, bugs, no working toliet, hot nasty. Yep it’s great. I didn’t bring my camera because of the rain I’m sorry but next time I will bring it don’t worry. My companion has 3 months left in his mission. He is such an awesome companion seriously. He speaks not a lick of english however. 

New years was freaking off the wall crazy. It was so sick such a diverse culture here its amazing. They are so crazy, fireworks all day long.

Cassie stop kissing. :P

Dyan stop farting in your room it stinks now I love you dylan :)

Emmie...... Keep being crazy for me :D

it was nice to hear all your voices. oh on the flight here we got lost in the mexico city airport haha 3 of us. and then 3 different ppl all gave us wrong directions for the portal it was funny. 

I cant believe kameron is getting married wow haha! and that richard is married haha crazy.

I had to give a talk in church yesterday haha that sucked freaking tough. it gets dark fast here haha. 

I love you all so much and i hope your all doing really really well :) tell grandma i love her

ill keep praying for those in need 

I love you!!