November 27, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Rogers get help sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is reunited with friends at a three stake Stake Conference creating the brand new Bangkok West Stake and prepares to host a missionary training.  

"Hello!  This week has just flown by!  So much to do and so little time left to do it in.  So the other day, Elder Rogers and I were inviting at a market.  We met these three amazing boys.   They helped us stop people so Rogers and I could tell them about Jesus Christ.  Every time we were successful, we all did a little dance together!  We had a really good time...."

Elder Jesse Bundy, Elder Rogers with their new friends posing after doing a victory dance.

"Yesterday, we attended a three stake - Stake Conference.  They took three stakes and created the Bangkok West Stake!  The Church is really growing here.  It is so exciting to see how Heavenly Father works as he prepares a place and its people for the blessings of the temple.  It was INCREDIBLE to see people from all over Thailand.....especially from areas I served in last year.  It was an amazing, spiritually uplifting conference...."

Elder Jesse Bundy,  Elder Earl and Elder Holland.

"It was so fun to catch up with my son, Elder Earl (missionaries call the Elders they train, their son), with his new trainee, Elder Holland, (which would be Jesse's grandson in the mission).  And no, he is no relation to the Apostle, Jeffrey R. Holland.  I think he gets that question all the time, poor guy.  These other pictures are of me with some of the other Elders here in Ladgrabang.  They are a great group of hard working missionaries.." 

Elder Jesse Bundy with his current companion, Elder Rogers

"The work here is going really well.  We would have had a baptism yesterday, but it wasn't a normal Sunday because of Stake Conference.  So Brother Jay will get baptized next week instead...."

"This next picture was taken at the Stake President's house.  It was sooooooo cool!  He taught Brother Jay and Brother Bank about the Priesthood and told them that they will be great leaders here in the future!  It was an amazing experience and the spirit was so strong."

Elder Rogers, the Stake President and Brother Jay and Brother Bank

"Brother Bank is one of our recent converts, and it is incredible to watch him continue to learn and grow in the gospel!  In fact, next week, he is going to baptize Brother Jay!  I can't wait......"

"These next couple of pictures are of Elder Rogers and I teaching at the Church......"

"So, I was reading about the Prophet Joseph Smith the other day.  Did you know that he was submitted to be inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame?  He was never put in, but he was considered.  Apparently, he was incarcerated with some champion wrestler and beat him!  They say he never lost a wrestling match....pretty cool."

"Our Zone is doing well......we have set some really high goals that have been hard to reach, but we are steady and everyone is working really hard......"

"Well, I have to run......I'm doing really well.  I am LOVING my mission!  It just seems to get better and better every day.  Of course I've had my ups and downs, but I am really loving all of it...."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

November 21, 2016

Brother Bank gets baptized!  

Elder Jesse Bundy goes to a lantern festival and finds a Burger King this week as he teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people in Thailand

Elder Rogers, Elder Jesse Bundy and Brother Bank

"Brother Bank got baptized!  It was an AWESOME baptism and just a great Sunday all the way around.  To make things even better, Jay is scheduled to be baptized next week...I am SO grateful to be a missionary!  It just gets better and better...."  

"The next several pictures show the building of a 'Missionary-Investigator Tower of Strength'.....hahahaha.....We just really enjoyed the day......I am so excited about Brother Bank and what a solid member he will be to his Ward and Bishop here in Bangkok!"

Elder Jesse Bundy, Elder Rogers and Brother Bank...the

 'Missionary-Member Tower of Strength,' haha

"Things were high speed, filled with hard work and lots of fun this week!  We were blessed to teach some really great lessons with Brother Bank in preparing him for his baptism.  We also began teaching some really special people.  One of them is a man by the name of Tony Chan.  He is so interesting and is really soaking up our discussions.  He was so kind and treated us to a steak dinner while we taught him the other day!"

"Then there is a Brother Rangsan.  He is well to do and extremely intelligent.  He is reading the scriptures like a book of history facts.....it's awesome and I LOVE talking to him!  After our lesson on the atonement, he really opened up.  He is also a BYU graduate!  It's a small world....."

"As far as the entire zone goes, we are doing so much better, but we still have a ways to go to meet our goals.  Slowly but surely, with more hard work, continued faith and a lot of prayer, we'll get there."

 "We found a BURGER KING!! It was sooooo good.......and Mom, don't look at this huge bowl of ice cream...hahaha!"

"I held onto the Burger King crown.....later I crowned Brother Geea the King of all Ward Mission Leaders....lolol!  But really, he is an awesome Ward Mission Leader."

 "This poster hangs in Brother Jump's school, the one we go teach in.  Translated it says, 'Good children have manners, dress cleanly and always speak sweetly.'  That's my motto!"

"While we were out street contacting, we came across this guy sleeping on a bench.  I tried to talk to him, but he was too tired."

"He had a guitar lying there......so, you know me?  He allowed me to play it for him.....hahaha."

"Last Monday, Thailand celebrated what they call the 'Lantern Festival.'  We were invited by Brother Bird to go with him and his family.  He is the one who got baptized last week..." 

"There were so many people there!  We released these lanterns into the river with candles on them and made wishes.  It was a really beautiful sight....Here is a picture of the one I made and released."

Brother Bank, one of his kids, Elder Rogers and Elder Jesse Bundy at the Lantern Festival.

"It was so incredibly packed with people!  We really had a great time and enjoyed spending time with Brother Bank and his family."

"Today, we are going to the mall to pick up some supplies and look around.  I also need to get some more pants cut and made.  I know, I rip my pants often over here....hahaha."

"Well, I don't have much time left.  I really miss you guys!  I love you and I'll talk to you next week."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

November 14, 2016

Brother Bird gets baptized, Elder Jesse Bundy receives a 'sticky' package, enjoys real progress in his area and celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the LDS Church being in Thailand  

"I'm LOVING my mission!  We had such a great week.  As you can see from the pictures, Brother Bird, an investigator that lives in our area, but attends church in Asoke got baptized!  

"It was so exciting and the spirit was so strong.  He is going to be a solid member.  Even though Rogers and I did not teach him very much, we got to know him well through helping him get married as well as overcome some other difficult issues."

"We are working really hard to meet our goals in every District in our zone, and it is really showing.  (That's me on the far left asleep, hahaha.)  Things are really beginning to turn around and it is very exciting.....there are also transfers this week.  I think I'll be staying right here, but you never know.  This will be Elder Rogers last transfer before he goes home.  In fact, in my area I have several missionaries that will be going home soon.  There will be a lot of change in my zone over the next several weeks."

                   

"Elder Rogers likes to have a lot of fun..."

"Remember the miracle I experienced at Sacrament Meeting last week?  In the above picture is Brother Bank and his friend Jay, the two young men I sat by in Sacrament Meeting who were looking for a new church?  They both now have dates to be baptized coming up this next Sunday!  Turns out that coming into our church was not so coincidental.  They were looking for me......I found them a while ago while contacting in a village and they had a card from me that told them where to come!  Heavenly Father answers prayers and I am so thankful......They both are way solid."  

"This week was the 50th Anniversary Celebration of our Church being in Thailand.  Elder Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve was here and we got to attend some really great training meetings.  Here are a couple of general photos from the celebration"

"In 1966, Gordon B. Hinckley who was an Apostle at the time, with Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Seventy dedicated Thailand for the preaching of the gospel while standing in Lumpini Park in Bangkok.  Today, 50 years later, our Church has 20,730 members, 3 stakes, 3 districts, 19 wards, 20 branches, and 33 owned or leased meetinghouses in Thailand!  It's just incredible..."

"Besides Elder Stevenson coming here and getting to hear from and attend trainings from him, was getting to see so many members from all over Thailand.  I got to see and visit with people from almost every area I have served in while here.  It was awesome....."

"In the coming weeks, we are going to focus on our investigators with baptismal dates, Sister Nani, Brother Hat, Brother Bank, Jay, Brother Jump and Brother Jack.  Extra prayers for all of them would be really appreciated.....Sister Nani has been traveling between Korea and Singapore, so we've only had the opportunity to meet with her once.  But during that meeting, we challenged her to pray everyday.  She told us that she has been praying daily and that her faith has increased a bunch.  Brother Hat is Muslim.  It takes an enormous amount of faith and courage for him to even pray at his house.  He's incredible because he IS praying everyday and is overcoming so much to become a member of the Lord's church!"  

"Brother Bank and Jay are just AWESOME!  They are strong in their commitment and are doing everything they have been asked to do.  We need extra prayers for Brother Jump....he's the school teacher that has us come to his school and teach.  He overcomes one doubt, then struggles with another, but he works through them as they come.  The other day, he invited us back to the school to teach his students again.  This time there were twice the number of kids!!!  We had a blast!  I hope they love us there as much as we love going....they seem to and keep inviting us back." 

"I got the lost package.....hahaha!  It took so long because it got stuck in customs.  Apparently the honeycomb you sent leaked all over inside and was leaking out....lolol!  I was so confused when they gave it to me."

 "Things weren't completely ruined, just had a film of honey all over them.  It was very messy.  Really.....everything was fine except the candy, which I don't need anyway.  I've never had honeycomb straight out of a hive before....not sure I know how to feel about it, so I'm going to put it in the fridge for a while..."

"Well.....Rogers and I are off to do some chores, some shopping and have some fun.  I am so grateful for my Mom and Dad and all you guys do for me!  Tell everyone I love them too....I really love my family."

"I'm gonna sign off until next week....I love you!"

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

November 7, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy enjoys a week filled with training from Elder Wong of the Seventy, a miracle at Sacrament Meeting and working hard to meet goals

"Hello everyone!  I'm sending some pictures, but not much to tell you about this week....we've had a bunch of trainings and a busy week of re-structuring and re-setting our goals." 

"My mission has changed dramatically since I first entered nearly two years ago.  The way we teach, how we teach and emphasis on member involvement in teaching new investigators has really evolved.....I have learned so much!  My Zone is coming together....we've had a few set backs here and there, but nothing training and a lot of faith and prayers haven' fixed."

"Our area has been pretty frustrating at times.  As I mentioned before, our church is an hour away from where we live, so it's difficult to get people to want to travel that far to go to church.  We have had so many people cancel teaching appointments.  But, we just do our best to stay focused, work a little harder and pray A LOT!  And, just when we think it's getting a little too hard, we experience a true miracle!  

"Like this past Sunday......I was in Sacrament Meeting and I turned around and saw two young men, about 19-20ish walk in the door.  I immediately went and sat by them.  I found out later that for no apparent reason, their church shut down, so they went looking for a new church to go to!  We are now meeting with them again this Tuesday.....it was an IMMEDIATE answer to my prayers."   

"I just really hope you guys know how much I am loving my mission! I love the challenges, I love learning, I love working with the missionaries and I love teaching the people here in Thailand.  I feel so lucky and so grateful to be here.....to have this opportunity.  AND.....I'm having a BLAST along the way."

"Sooooo, we got up super early today......we are going to do our chores, get our hair cut, then we're going to a really large mall that's not too far from us.....it should be a lot of fun.  I know that this has been really short and filled with not much information, but just know that I love you guys and I am doing my best to work hard, stay focused and have fun.  Tell everyone I love them..."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

November 1, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy expresses gratitude for the little everyday miracles of missionary service, visits the beach and helps clean up after a bad rain storm.

Elder Jesse Bundy with Elder Lindley in Chonburi a couple of weeks ago while on splits

"This week has been really great!  We have 5 new investigators who have all set baptismal dates!  We SO enjoy working with Brother Jump and his family, he is the teacher I told you about last week.  Brother Jump is SO incredibly smart.  Even though he has been a monk, he overcomes any concern he has about gospel doctrine by reading and praying!......We helped out again at his school this week......SO MUCH fun!"  

"These first several pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago when we were on splits in Chonburi.  The ocean was AMAZING!!!"

Elder Bundy enjoying the beach while contacting in Chonburi.  

Brother Jump (the school teacher), his wife, Elder Rogers and Elder Jesse Bundy.

"I am SO thankful for the miracles I get to experience on a daily basis here.....Like just the other day while we we were contacting at a market.  We were about to leave when the wind began blowing one of the shops over!  I ran over to help the woman that owned the shop try to hang on to things.  As I was helping her, a man tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would teach his friend more about Jesus?  I said, 'Of course we would!'"  

"After helping the woman with her shop, the man who tapped me on the shoulder led us into a little store down the road a ways.  We went inside and were introduced to  Sister Nanee.  She explained to us that while she is doing really well financially, her faith is failing her.  She went on to tell us that she had been watching us help other people and wondered if learning more about Jesus could do the same for her?.......She is so humble and teachable.....we are now teaching her and she is progressing really well toward baptism."

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Rogers with the Ward Mission Leader, Brother Gaea,  an RM's mom, who is not a member and Sister Jaa An La.  Elder Bundy and Elder Rogers really enjoy teaching her as well as her fun sense of humor.

"Another really cool experience happened while we were out contacting at that same market.  A couple of salesman were trying to get me to buy their glasses and other products.  Instead, a VERY golden moment presented itself and I was able to share my testimony of Jesus Christ with them instead!......Sister Dtukadtaa is now on the road to baptism!....While really big miracles are awesome, it is the daily miracles that come from direct answers to our prayers through obedience and hard work that continue to AMAZE me....I LOVE being a missionary!  I am SO thankful for this opportunity."

The Stake President's house after a tree fell on it during the violent rain storm last night

"The only real problem we are having now, is getting our investigators to church!  I takes such faith on their part to come to church because it is SO far away.....but we are working hard and doing our best to help them understand the importance of church attendance."

"Last night, we had a really bad rain storm.  There are trees and debris laying around everywhere.  We found out that a tree had fallen on the Stake President's house, so we spent all day today helping him clean up the mess.  We had a really good time......."

Elder Jesse Bundy begins chopping up a fallen tree doing a service project at the Stake President's house.

Elder Jesse Bundy on top of the Stake President's house trying to get the fallen tree off of it.

Elder Rogers taking his turn with the axe.

"No package yet Mom...but no worries, the office missionaries are going to track it down for me.  It might have gotten help up in customs or something like that.  I'll keep you posted....."

"Could you please ask everyone to pray extra for our mission right now? The temple is coming and each unit in our stake needs at least 5 more priesthood holders to support the temple....We have a lot of work to do and we sure could use the prayers."

"Well Mom, I have to go right now.  P-day is almost over and I need to get a haircut and run a few errands.  Until next week, make sure Dad knows how much I love him and that I pray for him every single prayer I offer.  I know he will make it through this!  I love you mom...."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy