October 24, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Rogers teach kids at an elementary school, find success street contacting and visit the beach   

"Hi everyone!  The missionary work, here in the Bangkok East Zone, is going pretty good.  We are getting to work with some really great missionaries...... Things are moving a little slower in our area than I would like, but not because Rogers and I aren't working hard.  With our new goals and keeping the pace we're on, things should start picking up soon.....This past Sunday, I gave a talk on faith.  I told the story of Naaman out of the Old Testament.  I bore my testimony that faith requires action.....that it is simply a 'hope' unless we 'do' something about it....even when we don't know the whole reason why...."   

"I contacted a family man named O, (that's him in the picture below).  He sells roasted pig parts on the side of the road.  He is GREAT!  We taught him how to pray to know if God the Father and Jesus Christ are real or not....he is progressing really well and I love teaching him."  

"I didn't want to know what this was, I didn't ask....hahaha....thankfully, it tasted pretty good..."

"A street contact named brother Jump, turned out to be a golden investigator!  He is the father of two children and his wife is awesome.  He happens to be an elementary school teacher.  After teaching him about Joseph Smith and the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ here upon the earth, he wanted to learn more and has expressed a desire to get baptized.  Even better yet....he invited us to teach some English and 'religion' to the children in his school!!!"  

"So we went and had an INCREDIBLE experience and a LOT of fun with the kids!  ALL of the children were super cute.....they listened with real intent to our message about the Savior and the spirit was SO strong!"

"After we taught the kids at school, Brother Jump invited us to teach him and his family about the Plan of Salvation....this was easily one of the best days ever!"

"Elder Rogers talked to a woman on the street named Vickey......she is extremely wealthy and completely fluent in English.  She invited us to her home to teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  The spirit was SO strong while we were teaching that she cried during the lesson....She loved it!   She is super excited to learn more and share it with her husband.  They have a 1 1/2 year old son.....I LOVE teaching the gospel!...Here we are in her dining room...pretty sweet..."

"This last Friday, we went down to southern Thailand to the newly opened area to do switch-offs with the Elders there.  We had an AMAZING experience!  Because that area has never had missionaries before, the people are very curious and SO nice!  Inviting people to come unto Christ in that area is so fun and incredible....the missionary work is going to EXPLODE there.  It is SO exciting!  Elder Lindley and his companion are killing it!  They have some great investigators they are teaching and the BEACH is just right there.....we got to go see it and it is beyond beautiful!"

"I got a call from Sisaket today.  The missionaries told me that an investigator I taught while I was in that area just got baptized!!  It was such a miracle that we found her, let alone taught her.  I am SO happy and feel so lucky that I got to teach her and am beyond excited that she chose to get baptized!" 

"Here's Elder Rogers and I posing with several new friends we've met along the way while out street contacting....."

"No one messes with our friends....hahaha!!!!  We meet so many interesting people...."

"Some more of the people and sites around our area....Sometimes, street vendors turn out to be great investigators....." 

 "WOW....look at that baby sleeping so peacefully on a pallet?  The little kids over here are SO dang cute...They make me miss my nieces and nephews."

"We are going to a trampoline park today!  It's going to be a blast.....and yes, I will be careful.  Well, I really love you guys.  I pray for you in every prayer!  Hope Dad is feeling better....I hope he knows I'm with him 200%!"  

"I can't believe how fast time is just flying by.....Thanks for everything you do for me...I am SO grateful for this opportunity!  My testimony just keeps growing and growing.....I love you.....until next week.."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

October 17, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Rogers get organized and work hard to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with excitement in a new area 

Elder Jesse Bundy and Elder Rogers in Laadgabang Thailand contacting at the market 

"Hello everyone!  I'm doing great!  All is well here on the mission in Thailand.  My mission just keeps getting better and better.....Elder Rogers and I did switch-offs with 2 of our District Leaders, set some awesome goals, taught some great investigators and are sitting on 5 people with dates..."

Elder Jesse Bundy while doing switch-offs with a DL in another area

"We have set some really high goals and are determined to meet them....this area is a real challenge.  Yesterday, EVERYONE cancelled their appointments with us.  So we went contacting at a market for 6 hours.  We eventually got kicked out by security, but it was LOADS of fun and we found some success.  When we got home, I was SO tired!  What started out as a not so good day, turned out really awesome!"

Jesse has been missing his bike....hahaha....so he took a spin on this little beauty....

"The other day, I ran into someone from Sisaket while we were out inviting.  I had taught them while on switch-offs in another area.  They are doing SO well and they live here!  It was so good to see them, AND they have a 17 year old son.  The Dad drives a taxi and the mom kind of has a few bad habits that I think with the Lord's help and continued gospel teaching, will turn her around and really help that family....."  

"This poisonous, I think, snake looking lizard thingy is just plain scary when they come at you unexpectedly....hahaha"

"My companion is hilarious!!  He keeps me laughing......We are getting our stride, becoming familiar with our area as well as the missionaries assigned  to our zone.  We are going to work hard to have the hardest working, best zone in the mission!"

"That's all I have for this week...hahaha....We have been so busy, just not so much to report on.  Anyway, I need to go for now.....just know that I am going to keep working really hard here, no matter what.  I'm loving my mission and I love teaching the gospel.  I love you so much and please send my love to the rest of the family....especially my Dadio!  I know he will get through this!!!"

Elder Jesse A. Bundy      

October 10, 2016

Elder Jesse Bundy gets transferred to a new area with new companion, Elder Rogers

Elder Rogers, new investigators - EM and Dtoon - and Elder Jesse Bundy

"Hey Mom, I'm doing great.....I moved!!  I'm a Zone Leader in a place called Laadgrabang.  It is the very southeastern part of Bangkok, about a 2 hour taxi ride from the mission home.  My new companion's name is Elder Rogers.   He's from California and is a lot of fun to be around.  He only has two transfers left and then he is headed for home.  I'm senior companion because I've been a ZL longer.  We are going to work great together."

"So yea....I thought I might stay in Udorn, but I'm excited about the opportunities here.  I'll miss Udorn for sure.  So many great people there....but I can't wait to make good friends here and hopefully, start baptizing soon in this area.  Laadgrabang is quite the challenge......we live an hour from the church, teach lessons at our house, take taxis instead of bikes and it's difficult to street contact because we get kicked out of everywhere!  Difficult, but an AWESOME challenge and one I am looking forward to going to work with Rogers to figure out what the Lord wants us to do here......"

"So, no more riding a bike....I stored my bike back at the mission office.  I'm gonna miss riding the bike....and, no I haven't received the package you sent yet.  We will be going back to the office next week for MLC and I think it'll be there by then.  The missionary work here has been very slow.  They haven't baptized anyone in this zone for a long while.  Hopefully, Rogers and I will be able to change that right up.... For the past 8 months, I have been speaking Eisan, which NO ONE speaks here.  Even though the first couple of days of my speaking clear, proper Thai was a little rough, it has come back to me really well.....and, a few times, we have come across contacts that are speaking Laotian or Eisan and they totally LOVE that I can join in with them....there's not that big of a difference between the two languages...mainly tonal and a few words here and there..."

"Our zone is quite large.  It spans across all of eastern Bangkok and we have around 36 missionaries.  We are also opening a new area called Chonburi.  It will be the furthest south in Thailand missionaries have ever been sent!  So that is exciting, even though I am a bit surprised.  That city is known as 'sin city,' (you can imagine what's down there....anything goes)...so we better start repenting, hahaha.  I know it will open smoothly and do well because one of my good friends in the mission, Elder Lindley, is being sent to open it up with a younger missionary.  Lindley is a really solid, obedient missionary."

"Sorry about no pictures this week!  It has been CRAZY busy with the move, new area and everything.....I will do better next week.  On a personal note, I am working out really hard and watching my diet really close..  I am going to be ready to wrestle when I get home."

"There's not a bunch of time left.  Sorry this is really short...make sure Dad knows that I really love him and that he needs to keep on fighting!  Thanks for everything mom...I love you!  Tell the family I love and miss them too.  Talk to you next week..."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

October 4, 2016

Mission Leadership Conference in Udorn, great teaching moments testifying of Jesus Christ and

a fun karaoke contacting idea mark another week in Thailand for Elder Jesse Bundy 

President and Sister Johnson with the Bangkok Thailand Mission leadership for a conference in Udorn

"Hey!  We just finished up with Mission Leadership Conference yesterday.  It was in our area and we were hosting it......that means we made all of the arrangements for everyone, including food.  And.....wow! It was a doozy!  It was first scheduled for the 18th and 19th....so we put EVERYTHING together for those days.....then, they moved it to the next week...so we adjusted.  Then.....it got moved AGAIN...AND still moved a 4th time....hahaha!  It was alright....we figured it all out.  It was a great learning experience and I learned some great life skills.....we catered to 40 plus people in matter of a day....so that was good."

Pizza and wings for Mission Leadership Conference.  Two of Jesse's favorite foods!

"The conference was awesome!  We received SO much great information.  The overall conference focused on working on our teaching skills.  Elder Cherd's and my presentation was on the Holy Ghost and asking inspired questions....the AP's talked about teaching with faith and President and Sister Johnson spoke on using the scriptures while teaching.  It was really, really good."

A beautiful overall picture of Udorn

"It has just been a GREAT week!  The AP's scheduled to do switch-offs with us, but missed their flight.....we had a day full of appointments scheduled.   So....we ended up switching off with the other elders here in Udorn because we just had too many appointments for us to handle by ourselves."

Elder Cherd and Elder Jesse Bundy planning and studying in their study room

"We have had ups and downs with our investigators this week....even though it is disappointing, it's pretty normal.  Our investigator, Brother Jarroon, finished reading the Book of Mormon...he told us he knows it's true and has no doubt that if he prays about it, he will have a confirmation from God.....but at this time, he is not ready to commit....he asked us not to come by anymore."

Jesse meets some very interesting people while out contacting.  Here he meets a man on the street who tries to convince him he needs to leave America....hahaha.

"On the mission, you will have several disappointments with investigators, but that just means that the one you are suppose to find and teach is just right around the corner!  The other day, we invited a policeman who was EXTREMELY kind to us 2 weeks ago.  It turned out that he wasn't just any cop!  He was one of the head generals.  Anyway...we ran back into him this past Saturday and he wanted to talk with us!  We gladly did.....he bought us some lunch and we taught him and his wife.  They are GOLDEN!  They have 2 children and are so interested and want to continue to meet with us!"

Jesse and Elder Cherd having Family Home Evening with Brother Dang.

"Our investigator, Brother Bing from China, is progressing great. He has been praying and reading his Chinese Book of Mormon like a champ! He has begun to gain a testimony of the importance of commandments and wants to be baptized....I LOVE teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

This is Elder Jesse Bundy with some members practicing to sing at a market for an activity while inviting.....

"We have an investigator that is really old and has a difficult time reading the Book of Mormon because of the small print.....soooooo, we made a HUGE copy at a print shop for them.....they were very grateful.."

"Here I am reading from the newly printed and bound Book of Mormon to one of our investigators, Brother Game."

"A few days ago, we were privileged to pass food out to people who need it at the hospital...it was a great activity and we met a lot of really great people."

      

"This week is transfers....I don't know what will happen.  I think I'll stay here, but I don't know.  If I do, it will be the first 4 transfer area, but I just don't know...."

"I have this banner hanging up in our study room.   I've had it for almost a year now and I hang it up everywhere I get transferred. SWOLL means big, like muscle wise, or extremely fit.  It is 'youngster slang,' hahaha.  I think it's English....nowadays, I don't know the difference from some Thai and English words, so I apologize if I get them confused."

"We were inviting near this market place.....we took a quick break to get a free massage!  This chair is AMAZING!!"

"I've been getting up nice and early and working out pretty hard to get some muscle and shape back.  I'm doing really great and being consistent.....I am really doing my best to keep a good balance of only concentrating on my future plans through my workouts early in the mornings....then I focus 100% on missionary work the rest of the day.  It's working really well for me so far.. I just need to step up my workouts.  They are getting too easy for me now."

"I found this Olympic ad the other day.  It sits on my desk as a little 'visual' reminder of my goals for after the mission."

"Just me shaving.....hahaha!"

"So the other day, one of the Elders needed a ride home, so I put him on my back like a backpack and rode home like that....hahaha!"

"Well momma!  We have to be going now.  We are going to a planetarium.  It sounds like it should be some fun.  Next P-Day will fall on the normal Monday as usual.  I will either still be in Udorn with the Cherd, or somewhere else!  I'll make sure to let you know."

"Thanks for everything!  I love you Mom and Dad!  Please let everyone know that as much as I miss them, I am LOVING my mission!  My testimony has grown SO much!"

"Until next week....."

Elder Jesse A. Bundy