January 18, 2016

War gets baptized and receives the Priesthood and Elder Jesse Bundy asks everyone to read The New and Everlasting Covenant found in the insert of the December 2015 Ensign!

Elder Bingham, War and Elder Bundy on War's baptism day.

War and Elder Bundy strike a pose before War enters the waters of baptism in Thailand.

"Our main man, War, passed his interview with flying colors!  I was honored to baptize him and he brought his entire family to the services Sunday!  It WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!  I am SO blown away by how hard he is working to know the truth and do what is right!  He has changed so much and this next week, he will receive the priesthood and a calling because the Branch President likes him so much......Brother War is a boss!"

Elder Jesse Bundy also shared some frustration in coming up with a way to help a other investigators overcome difficulties they are experiencing in preparing for baptism.  He writes, ".....(some) have been ready for months but keep pushing back their date.  I guess it's better that they feel all the way ready so they will stay committed than to get baptized and not be 100%.....please pray for them."

Elder Bingham and Elder Jesse Bundy with two refugee families investigating the Church

Elder Jesse Bundy expressed excitement over having the privilege of helping and teaching asylum seekers who have fled their countries from persecution.  He wrote, "....We had two separate, full families come to church that we invited!  They are asylum seekers - refugees, because if they stayed in their country they would be killed.  They can't be baptized, which is really sad, but we can still teach them and help them out."  He continued, "MOM! We had 11 investigators come to church last Sunday!!  It was AWESOME!!..... we have been working really, really hard and visiting as many less actives as we had time......Well, we had 110 people out to church yesterday!  It's usually about 70, so that was wayyyyy swaggy!"

Elder Jesse Bundy went on to talk about the rest of their week.  He writes, "Today, we are going to take Elder T, our Zone Leader, out to eat because it is his 3-year anniversary as a member of the church.  Then we are going to go to the gym and work out some more.......then there are a couple of things I need to get......I would like to purchase some sheets because I sleep on an old mattress and it scares me that I'm going to get a disease! loll.....I need to buy a couple pairs of pants because I ripped and bleached a couple of mine on accident, and we found a protein store at our mall.......So, pants about 800 baht, or 23 dollars, sheets about 1000 baht, or 28 dollars and the protein......THANK YOU MOM!  I have been eating save up roman noodles and rice for the past week because of my poor-ness......lololol"

 Elder Jesse Bundy with some of his FAVORITE friends in Bangkok!

Elder Bingham with their soccer friends in Bangkok

Elder Jesse Bundy is really going to miss these boys when he gets transferred!

"Ohhhhhh, tell Shae and Rusti Lyn Happy Birthday for me!.......

Elder Bundy goes on to share what he is studying during his personal study time, "For my personal study, I am just working on memorizing scriptures, reading conference talks and continuing to read the Book of Mormon......I read an insert out of the December 2015 Ensign called the NEW AND EVERLASTING COVENANT.  It was WAAYYYYYY sick!  You should check it out....."

Elder Bundy ended his letter this week with, "I just had a cool memory pop into my head of when we rented that house boat and went to Lake Powell......I think that would be the coolest thing if sometime we could do that again!......well, I have to go!......I'll talk to you next week!"

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Elder Jesse A. Bundy 

     

January 11, 2016

With 2 baptisms scheduled for this week and more to follow, Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Bingham stop to have a little fun with some fury friends

Apparently, their fury friends wanted to visit with Elder Bundy and his companion, but only wanted to eat the pass along cards and declined taking the missionary discussions....LOL...

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Bingham couldn't resist posing with these two adorable little dogs.  While Elder Bundy is working hard and staying focused on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he maintains his sense of humor and enjoying the work along the way.   He writes, "Hey Mom and everyone!  I don't have ANY time to write today......so sorry......Just know that all is well here in the 'ole BKK Thailand Mission!  Bingham and I have 2 baptisms scheduled for this week with more to follow!!!  We are really killing it!!!.......I feel like I am receiving more blessings than we have the ability to rake in.....I am so grateful!!"

A street Elder Bundy sees every day as he is working

Elder Bundy has really been missing his muay thai trainer.  However, they have been able to locate a substitute that is affordable.  He writes, "we have been able to get gym memberships to a gym with real weights just down the street from where we live.  It's way cheaper and it's working out quite well.....Heavenly Father is really helping us out!  It's really quite amazing!  

I hope the family is good.  Ohhhhh, and can you ask everyone to pray for our 2 investigators that are getting baptized this week?  Their names are War, (but without the 'r' sound), and Gaang.  It would also be great if people would put their names on the prayer rolls in the temple where ever you are as well as mine and Binghams."

Elder Bundy with his investigator demonstrating how he heats his noodles up every day.

Elder Bundy went on, "Firstly....tell Dad that I love him and that it is sooooo cool that he is getting his health in order!  Tell him I'm way grateful for that and that to keep on going!  Also tell him that I really look up to him!  No one could have had a better Dad growing up or now!  Secondly, there are no more transfer meetings in the missions anywhere in the world anymore!  I think I remember Dad telling me how in his day, they just got a phone call and were sent packing to a new area and they had to figure out how to get there themselves....Soooo, now - all over the world, every six weeks we will just get a phone call, receive our assignments and then we will have to travel there by ourselves.  It's kind of a bummer, but I know there are really good reasons for it I'm sure......"

Elder Bundy loves the children and can't resist stopping to say hello.....

Elder Bundy ended this week's letter with his testimony and a special message to his nieces, nephews and his family.  He writes, "Tell everyone that I know the gospel is true!  I know NOW more than ever that abiding by its precepts opens the windows of heaven and allows us to receive such GREAT blessings!  One of our investigators this week told me of an experience he had while praying.  He said he, 'heard a subtle voice' tell him that he needed to be baptized and quit smoking!  It also told him that Jesus Christ is his Savior and loves him.....!

I just want everyone to know, especially my nephews and nieces, that I would never do anything (intentionally) that would take away the blessings of the Holy Ghost's companionship!  That they must never do anything that would prevent the spirit from being with them, even while they are young or be in a situation that they wouldn't want the Savior to see, or hear, or watch!  I want my family to know, especially my nieces and nephews that I know the importance of these things!  More importantly, I am learning every day more and more and I love learning and freaking seeing miracles on a daily basis!!"

"I love you Mom and I am so grateful for your example and that you know how to be my mom and my friend.  Have a great week everyone!"

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

  

January 3, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy has a great Christmas and a fun birthday as he continues to love his mission and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Thailand

Elder Jesse Bundy with Elder Bingham and a member at their Christmas party at the church.  

Elder Bundy had a great Christmas and a surprisingly fun birthday this past week.  He writes, "I'm doing really good!  I'm just a little tired.  I'm just kind of disappointed....The new year is one of the biggest holidays that Thailand has.....sooo, all 7 of our investigators went to visit their families in different parts of the country and only 2 of them have come back so far!  I'm not giving up......I believe most of them are still good to go, but we'll just have to see."

Because of the way the holidays fell, Elder Bundy not only had the day off on Christmas, but his birthday, January 1st also fell on a P-Day!  

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Bingham, Christmas and New Years 2016

Elder Bundy wrote, "It was fun having P-Day on my birthday!  We didn't do a whole lot.....we just went down to mbk (a huge mall the place in downtown bkk), and played some intense ping pong at the church!  But, it was pretty fun and it was a much needed break.  Elder Bingham bought me a cake!  It was way nice because cake is super expensive here!"

Elder Bundy expressed a real slow down in the work during the holidays.  He loves talking to everyone on the streets and seeing their reaction to the message he is trying to give them.  Because Thai people as a whole have never really been taught about Jesus Christ, sometimes Elder Bundy gets a chuckle out of the reaction he receives when he first meets someone.

Elder Bundy wrote a caption to this picture, "This is what Thai people think of me AND Jesus Christ when I try to explain it to them.  Seriously....this baby's expression says it all!"

Elder Bundy goes on, "Today, we are going to SLEEP!  We have been working really hard......we getup really early to work out and run....So, after this and cleaning and doing our laundry and stuff we are going to get some sleep....."

Elder Bundy enjoys all of the sometimes crazy things he sees in Thailand on a daily basis.  He writes, "This guy wanted the cats to stop scratching and using his car hood for a litter box.....so, this is what he did......the guy said it worked, because the cats don't come back anymore!"

Elder Bundy began running out of time to write anymore and wrote, "Well.....there's not much time left on the computer.  Thank you for always emailing me and being awesome mom!  Tell dad he's awesome too.  Oh, and the muay thai training has become too expensive, so for now, we are just going to run and do push ups and sit-ups until we find something else......

I LOVE YOU GUYS!! I AM REALLY LOVING MY MISSION!!!!  Till next week....here is a picture of a 'prairie dog' at the market we saw the other day.....I felt all bad for him being all locked up...he was really cute....I thought the nieces and nephews would enjoy seeing him.....

I love you guys!!!"

Elder Jesse A. Bundy