August 24, 2015

Elder Jesse Bundy asks everyone to please pray for those who are suffering due to the recent
Bangkok Thailand bombings...

Elder Bundy gets a new companion, listens to and 
shakes the hand of an Apostle of God, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and enjoys a P-Day in Bangkok.

All of the missionaries currently serving in the Bangkok Thailand mission pictured with their Mission President, his wife and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an Apostle of God.  Jesse is in the top right section. 

Elder Bundy writes, "The meeting with Elder Holland was SOOOOOOOO good.....I can't tell you HOW good!!  All 200 Bangkok Thailand missionaries were packed into a chapel the size of our little Chillicothe Branch building with an Apostle of God!  It was AWESOME!!!  The spirit was SO strong.....it shook all of us to our very core!  I took good notes to share with the family when I get home......Elder Holland IS a true and living Apostle of God!"  

Elder Jesse Bundy reported that Elder Holland spoke in very plain terms. He expressed how important the people in Thailand are to our Father in Heaven.  That the Bangkok Thailand missionaries need to step up their efforts in helping prepare the people of Thailand to receive the blessings of the temple soon to be built in Bangkok.  Elder Bundy went on to say, "It was amazing.....then, on Sunday, we met again with Elder Holland along with ALL of the Thai members.....it was held in a huge event plaza and the entire place was packed.....it was so humbling and I felt SO blessed and lucky to get to be there mom......"

Due to Elder Holland's visit, Elder Bundy and Elder Wright had the 

opportunity to spend their last P-Day together as companions in Bangkok all day Saturday.  

The Dynamic Duo:  Elder Wright and Elder Bundy

Elder Bundy wrote, "we're going to Central for P-Day today, which is a HUGE mall....I am going to get a few things I need for my daily exercise routine....I feel strong that staying physically fit is just as important as my personal scripture study and I need to do better in this area."

Elder Bundy having fun on P-day with Ronald McDonald at the mall 

After spending the weekend in Bangkok, Elder Bundy and Elder Wright headed back to Plok.  On thursday, they received transfer news.  Elder Bundy wrote, "Well just to let you know where I am and what happened on transfers.  I'm still in Plok, but I have a new companion.  His name is Elder MartinDale from Utah.  Elder Wright is a new Zone leader and has moved to Roiet."  

Elder Jesse Bundy with his new companion, Elder MartinDale

Elder Bundy expressed how much he will miss working on a daily basis with Elder Wright, but writes, "Elder MartinDale is 19, has been out for a little over a year and is from Logan, Utah. We are going to have a wayyyy good transfer!!.....We have 12 investigators with baptismal dates and have worked with 20-30 people in getting them to come back to church!  Elder Wright and I did a LOT of prep work and Heavenly Father truly blessed us!  I feel lucky that I get to be here and witness the seeds Elder Wright and I planted blossom....this transfer is going to help me grow a lot.......I am going to miss Elder Wright, but I decided from the very begining that this was going to be the best transfer ever.....I have faith and I believe that great things are going to happen!!"

Elder Jesse Bundy with members for a last 'selfie' with Elder Wright to say good-bye 

Elder Bundy posing with Brother Gap, a great friend in the Branch.

Brother Guitar and Elder Bundy.  Another great member friend in the Branch 

Here is the whole crew.  Brother Gap, Guitar, Elder Wright and Elder Jesse Bundy  

Elder Bundy's handstand of the week was taken in front of the 

internet place he writes his letters from every week.

Elder Jesse Bundy signed off with, "I love my mission!  I feel so lucky.....so blessed to have the opportunity to serve the Lord here in Thailand!  Until next week......"

August 13, 2015

Elder Holland, an apostle of God, 
to visit the Bangkok Thailand Mission

Jesse taking a break from riding his bike and cooling off in a light rain.  Jesse Bundy continues to read the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament in the King James version of the Bible for his personal study.  He has been reading extra to prepare himself to hear an apostle of God.

This week, Elder Jesse Bundy did not have the usual time on his P-Day.  He and Elder Wright were surprised by their Zone Leaders with an earlier than normal day for writing letters. Elder Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is in Bangkok to speak to the Thai saints as well as all of the missionaries in the Bangkok Thailand Mission!   He writes, "we are about to get on a bus to Bangkok to meet Elder Holland!.....We will be staying in Bangkok for the weekend.  I am SO pumped!  Saturday, Elder Holland will be with just the missionaries......we are so excited!  After that, we will get a P-Day all day in Bangkok......Sunday, Elder Holland will speak to all of the members in Thailand.  We will get to hear him speak like 3 times!!"

Elder Jesse Bundy took time to get his hair cut before leaving for Bangkok.  When he went into the barber shop, there were two Thai teenagers with patches of hair shaved off of one side of their heads.  They told Elder Bundy that their teacher thought they needed haircuts, but they did not want to get one.  So, the teacher took clippers and shaved strips of their hair off both boys heads to ensure they would get their hair cut.

 Elder Jesse Bundy posing with the two boys. 

It was Mother's Day in Thailand this past week.  Elder Jesse Bundy wrote, "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM! Wednesday was Mother's day in Thailand....it was crazy.  We made cookies for the moms in the branch and for our investigators......I really miss my mom!"

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Wright were privileged to go with some members to ride elephants before leaving for Bangkok.  It was raining, but they had a GREAT day feeding, grooming and riding the elephants.  Elder Jesse Bundy writes, "I am thankful to my Father in Heaven for all of these amazing experiences I am having!!  Dad.......I am doing my best to take your advice......work really, really hard, but on pday, play hard within the rules!  I am loving my mission!"

The BEAUTIFUL landscape out the window while riding on the bus to ride the elephants.

 

Elder Jesse Bundy getting ready to get acquainted with the baby elephants.

Elder Jesse Bundy helped feed the elephants.  He didn't much care for 

their wet noses touching his hand.

 Elder Jesse Bundy is amazed at how tame and intelligent the elephants are.

Elder Jesse Bundy moves on to get acquainted with the adult elephants.

Elder Jesse Bundy rides an ELEPHANT!  He writes, "It began to rain pretty hard, so we only got to ride them around in the yard......so I guess I kind of rode an elephant...lol!  It was a blast!"

The handstand of the week.. in front of a statue herd of life size elephants.

  

Elder Jesse Bundy closes his letter by writing, "Well.....I have to go... I'll make sure to take a lot of pictures in Bangkok and I'll take good notes from Elder Holland's talks... I love you! I hope everyone has a good week.......I won't be emailing before transfers next week....sooo.....next week, I may have a new companion.....maybe even a new area:)"

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

August 10, 2015

Elder Jesse Bundy shares news of baptisms and an anticipated visit with Elder Jeffrey Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles!

Elder Jesse Bundy baptizes new converts on Sunday.  Here he is with Elder Wright, the Sister Missionaries, some members from the branch as well as the investigators just before the baptism

I will have to add names later....Jesse forgot to tell me their names. 

Here Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Wright are with new converts...again, I'll have to add names later when he gives me that information.

Elder Bundy writes, "The baptisms yesterday were great! Sister Ploy, one of Elder Wright's and my investigators was baptized!  We had to move Sister Nat and Sister Leg’s baptismal dates.......but I was honored to baptize 2 of the sister missionary's investigators as well....... It's awesome and the spirit was so strong."  

Elder Wright, Elder Jesse Bundy and one of the investigators about to get baptized

Elder Jesse Bundy was very excited about the anticipated visit from an Apostle of God.  He writes, "OH, OH!!!!  This week we’re meeting with Elder Holland!!!....I'll take a lot of notes to share with you next week!  I can't wait!!!"

I asked Jesse how everything else was going and how the switch offs went with their Zone Leaders.  He wrote, "Elder Wright and I are doing really well.  We work really good together.  No problems at all! And the switch offs were awesome!"  ('Switch offs' is where the Elders that he and Elder Wright report to come to their area and trade companions for the day for training and teaching.)  He goes on,  "I learned soooo much from Elder Davis!  He is going to go home this next transfer....he was sooo good at teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, it was ridiculous!.....The way he teaches is way cool....bold, but not overbearing, and not afraid to just teach soooo simply, the basics.....it was like I've heard you do mom, like a hundred times and it was so effective and the spirit was so strong, it felt like home."

Elder Jesse Bundy eating his favorite food with the other missionaries and some members

Jesse also explained some of the obstacles he has had to overcome in learning to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in Thailand, "...the way you teach the gospel to the Thai people is very different from teaching to Americans... the people here just understand things in a very different way, i.e., their culture, their mannerisms….their humor..... all of it is just very different than teaching people in the states.  I think I'm finally just now really learning and understanding the people so much better.....it is making my teaching much more effective because I am more relaxed now."

Elder Jesse Bundy, a favorite friend of theirs from the Branch and Elder Wright at the church

Jesse reminded me that transfers will be a week from this Thursday. He also put to rest my worries over his health and his recent bike accident.  He wrote, "I'm good....amazingly good!  My knee is a little achy, but I'm pretty well healed up!  Heavenly father really took care of me…"  He also reported that Nom, the young man that had been paralyzed for 7 years, was doing a little better each day.....that he was doing the everyday things Jesse's brother Jake told him to do and that it was working.  Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Wright wish they could get out to his house more often to help him out, but Nom lives really far away from their apartment.

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Wright got up early because they are finally going to have the opportunity to ride the elephants today!  He wrote, "Thank you, thank you….we are early today because I finally received the packages you sent......!!!  The Zone Leaders were in Bangkok for training last week.....they were able to pick up my packages and bring them to me......THANK YOU MOM, EVERYTHING IS WAY AWESOME!  The cold cereal was delicious.....I only have a little bit left......poor Elder Wright…lol!  I'm not sure if the bug things work yet because we haven't opened them yet, but I'm anxious to try them out.  We're getting on the 11:00 bus to Nakonthai - which we’re going to hop off of about half way up the mountain - to ride the elephants and hope we can catch a bus back….lol."

Here they are going to catch the train to Nakonthai to ride the elephants 

Elder Jesse Bundy's thoughts are never far away from his family and friends, especially his nieces and nephews!  He wrote, "that's CRAZY that Roxy is starting school sooooo soon!!! And JONATHAN gets the priesthood!  Holy cow! They are all going to be so big when I get home!"  He went on to give birthday wishes:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATHAN, LOGAN, ALLISON AND LUCY!!!!!  I LOVE YOU GUYS!"

JACOB!!! WE'RE ALL STILL PRAYING FOR YOU!!  LOVE YA!

Jesse just can't stop trying to perfect his back handspring talent!  Here he is doing a back handspring:

He didn't send a picture of the landing, but it looks like he has recovered from his bike accident!

Elder Jesse Bundy ended his letter home with, "Well....everything is really, really good here! I'm sorry this is so short, but I have to go now!  I love you guys!!  Everyone here knows I have the best family ever!…..Keep me posted on olympic stuff, and Jonathan's ordination! I want pictures of all of that…."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

August 3, 2015

Elder Jesse Bundy 

finally feels like a real missionary!

Jesse writes, "I finally feel like a real missionary.....exhausted, but way happy to be here!  We do our best to pack as much into every minute of the day that we can...I love it!  These pictures are of me with friends from our Branch." 

Elder Jesse Bundy has been suffering through his first bike wreck.  He wrote, "I wrecked my bike hard core yesterday.....don't worry Mom, I'm alright.  We rode out to the boonies to visit นํา, our friend who was paralyzed for 7 years.  On our way back, my foot completely missed the pedal....lol!  My foot got caught between the ground and the pedal and flipped me and my bike.   The worst part was that my knee hit the ground first before skidding pretty far on my forearms... I have some pretty bad road rash and my knee kills.....but my bike is fine!"

When I expressed my concern about Jesse's injuries and all the bike riding they do, he wrote, "No worries!  We are continuing to work way hard.  We bike to every corner of the city looking for people to teach.  We have set some crazy high goals and are pushing hard to accomplish them.  The other day, we were just feeling beat, just spent, so we decided to do some lessons over the phone.  So we went to the church so we could be in the air conditioning and so I could rest my knee.  The day was almost up and we had not yet accomplished our daily goal of getting a new investigator......But, as we were teaching RC's over the phone, some random guy just walked into the church and asked if he could learn about Jesus Christ!   Elder Wright and I just looked at each other and were like, 'we need to stop working so hard and just pray a little more!'  We knelt down and thanked Father in Heaven.  The next day at church, as soon as we walked out of our priesthood meeting,  two more people just walked in the door asking the same question! Later that day, another man came to the church looking for someone to teach him about Jesus Christ!  I don't know where they all came from, but it was amazing!  We were dumb struck!  Again, we knelt down and thanked Father in Heaven for such wonderful blessings and help.   Then, before we went home at the end of the night, a whole family from the Philippines found their way to the church all by themselves looking to be taught the gospel!!  Sooooo, just by being at the church with my wounded knee and scraped up forearms, we now have 6 new investigators!  Heavenly Father answers prayers!  He has truly blessed me and is resting my knee..."

In his personal study, Jesse is in Mosiah in the Book of Mormon and is at the end of Exodus in the Bible.  He is really enjoying reading the Bible.

When asked what was happening in his mission this past week, he said, "It's been crazy because of all of the switching around!   Everyone has been moving around the country like crazy for training.  It's exciting!  We have 3 investigators with dates for baptism scheduled for this Sunday.  It's hard to get appointments.  Everyone in Thailand works everyday, all day.  Please pray for our investigators.  Oh, and we are getting IPad's next month to help us do our work better and more efficient."

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Wright with some members of their Branch along with the other missionaries in their district eating dinner.

Sunday's dinner at the Buddist temple in the mountains with some members.

Even though Elder Jesse Bundy has been suffering with his bike accident wounds, he still managed to do his handstand of the week. He writes, "Doing this handstand with my knee and arm was difficult, but I was able to do it long enough for the picture.  The blue sign in the top right corner is the sign for the church.  It reads the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."  

He added, "There's a baby bat that has been hanging right outside the church door every day this week... it looks like a kitten with wings.   I think it has rabbies though, lol.....random thought, I know." 

Jesse was also excited to report that he is learning to play the violin.  There is a sister in his area that is a concert violinist/pianist.  Apparently he has learned to play the hymns on the violin and really enjoys it.

Elder Jesse Bundy and brother Lukus.  I asked Jesse why they always put their hands the way they do in all of their pictures.  He wrote, "It's a Thai thing that means หล่อ , or handsome.  It's what all Thai people do when they take pictures or are posing for something." 

He ended this weeks letter with, "I love you guys a bunch!!  You're a boss mom!  Tell dad he's awesome too... my time is just about up.. Hopefully I'll be sending some baptismal pictures home this next week!  Please keep Sisters Ploy, Leg, and Nat in your prayers..... I'll talk to you next week!  I love you!!!