November 15, 2015

Elder Tew gets transferred and Elder Bundy receives a new companion, Elder Bingham

Elder Jesse Bundy & Elder Bingham on PDay

Elder Jesse Bundy has an exceptionally busy week.  He checks in with a short hello and update from Bangkae, Thailand.  He writes, "Well, I’m still in Bangkae!  My new companion’s name is Elder Bingham.  I’m in the same apartment and area, the only thing that changed was my companion.  We don't have any time this week for writing letters because his dad is having lunch and spending several hours with us down in Asoke by the mission office....."  Elder Bundy explained that Elder Bingham's dad has businesses in Thailand and is there to check on them.  

"Anyway…. we have a ton of great investigators and one getting baptized this week.  His name is brother Gaang.  We are working way hard......both of us love getting out and doing the work and preaching the gospel.....Elder Bingham is 21 and is from Newport Beach, California......He has been on the mission for exactly one year tomorrow and has had enough life experience to fit inside of a 60 year old man!  Like seriously……he’s seriously a good guy."

The missionaries in Thailand receive packages from home on transfer days.  Transfers take place once every 6 weeks.  He goes on, ".....I got your package at transfers.  It was Beautiful and contained everything I needed!!!!!  Thank you sooo much!  I mean really……thank you, thank you, thank you........I’ve already eaten the nuts and the vitamins, seasonings, the drink mixes, well, just everything you sent is golden!  They don’t use seasoning here except hot prickly peppers...."

Elder Bundy continues, "Things are just going wayyyyy good!  Elder Bingham is way self-made!  He’s had a crazy life and let's just say, he’s one of the smarter, hardest working people I’ve met!  I think I’ll learn a lot from him......he has an absolutely incredible story of how Heavenly Father pulled him out of a crazy life and got him on his mission…it’s a real crazy story, very inspirational."

"Hey, sooooo, I don’t know, but I want to share a video with you guys….I watch this every day.  It reminds me of watching the Rocky movies with you Mom!  I think everyone will enjoy it.  And don’t worry Mom, it was approved by president Johnson...I am an obedient missionary!" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNQhuFL6CWg

"We will get to Skype on Christmas!  I’ll just be at an internet place like usual.  Christmas is no big deal over here.....Well, I’m sorry I don’t have like any pictures from this week... but I’m going to send you guy's a small package this week with video clips in it on an SD card.  I’m so sorry!!  Because we have to get to Asoke to meet Elder Bingham’s dad, I only have 5 minutes on the computer left....  

"I need to go, but know that I’m really doing just great!  I love you guys sooo much, and tell dad that I really miss him, I am really going to miss going hunting with him this week!  I think about him all the time and the things that he has taught me are invaluable…..I look up to him so much!  Tell him that one of my 'why’s' is so that I can become as good of a father as he is…..I love you mom!  I seriously have the best parents ever!!  I’m sorry it has just been so crazy traveling for transfers and stuff......I’ll talk to you guys next week!!!!!!"

I love you,

Elder Jesse Bundy

November 9, 2015

Elder Jesse Bundy's week highlighted by the baptism of an investigator

Elder Bundy in front with Elder Toe

Elder Bundy was SO excited about this past week.  He writes, "I'm doing great......We had a baptism yesterday!! Our investigator, Brother Game, is awesome and he's just 16.....over the past 5 weeks or so of teaching him the gospel of Jesus Christ, he has developed a really strong testimony!.........He's incredible!  He wants to become a missionary someday!  I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of this great work!!!"

Elder Jesse Bundy 

Elder Bundy and his companion were short on time this week.  He writes, "We woke up at 4 a.m. and went to the tiger wat.......it was a blast! Sorry, but I have abosultely zero time to email.....I'll try to send a couple pics and answer some questions..."

Elder Bundy posing with a tiger statue in front of the Tiger wat.  Sadly, when they got there, they were unable to go inside to see the live tigers!

He goes on, "Muay Thai is good.....I still get beat up by our instructor, but I'm learning.....lol....Oh, and thanks for the biofreeze!  It is great and I am using it on my sore muscles.  I received the envelope you sent, but I won't get the box until transfers this Thursday..." 

Some of the beautiful scenery Elder Jesse Bundy saw on his way to the Tiger Wat. 

Elder Jesse Bundy stopped to take a picture of the scenes around the Tiger Wat.  He is standing on a bridge that was built by POW's.

Elder Jesse Bundy ends this week's letter with, "......alright, well I'm so sorry we didn't get back here in time to write more!  Just know that I am loving my mission and I am working hard!  I love you guys a bunch!  Make sure to tell dad to be careful hunting, I'm gonna really miss hunting with him this year!!! I love you Mom!"

Elder Jesse A. Bundy

November 1, 2015

Elder Jesse Bundy receives letters from his favorite little people, his nieces and nephews and attends a Thai Halloween party.

Elder Bundy displays cards and letters from home.

Elder Jesse Bundy shows off receiving mail and updates from home.  He writes,  Awesome!  Holton, Jace and Alex wrecked at their swim meet! Wow!! I’m way impressed!  And.....it was wayyy great to hear Jake cheering for them as they swam….getting those letters and cards from the nieces and nephews was pure GOLD!!!  ….seriously, thank you so much!!!  Oh, and Mom!  The envelope you sent got here at the beginning of last week! It was waaayyyyy nice!  Don’t know what I’d do without my mom….I know this is a bit short, but I don’t have a BUNCH of time today because we are going to an elephant/alligator show.  I think it should be a lot of fun…..we have been working really hard and skipping the fun for several weeks...."

Elder Bundy went on to describe the work in Thailand and his personal study of this past week.  He writes, "In personal study this week, I've really been trying to memorize and 'ponderize' New Testament scriptures as well as reading in the Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith.  And, of course, I read daily out of the Book of Mormon everyday."   "

Elder Jesse Bundy helping clean up after discovering a leak in the church ceiling.

He goes on, "....there are now only 4 Elders in our apartment.....two Elders in our group were called to open up a new area.  It is way exciting to see the work move forward like it is here….AND, we have 2 investigators with dates for baptism scheduled for this Sunday! We are helping them gain their own testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ...."

When Elder Jesse Bundy was asked about Halloween in Thailand, he wrote, "It was alright.....just a normal day.. until the church party….i was a bit worried about it, but I think it will be o.k.  Two of our investigators showed up for the party.....It was great for them to meet members and make friends.....they had a really great time…"

Jesse shared a few pictures of the area where he works and what he sees every day while teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Thailand. 

These two little boys reminded Elder Bundy of his own nephews back home. 

Elder Jesse Bundy continues, "WOWWWW! Chelsy's Hunger Games costume is crazy GOOD!!!....lol…..and all the nieces and nephews costumes I saw were just awesome!  Pricer....I LOVED the taco suit!!!!  Oh, and I'm going to send you a flashdrive this week with an SD card with a load a videos!"

When he was asked how his workouts were going, he wrote, "Our muay thai fight training is great!!...lol….The only bad thing with it is that my shins are way bruised from kicking things everyday and, I'm kind of tired from waking up so early everyday.....even so, it's keeping me in shape and I'm learning tons, so that’s wayyyy good."

He ends his letter with, "Well mom, dad and everyone, I gots to go!!  I am really loving my mission!!!  It is a lot of the same thing day in and day out, but I feel like I finally have the hang of things....I feel like I can be a real missionary now…..I am really confident with the language and pretty confident in the culture, but now I feel I am really understanding the gospel in a whole way and my testimony has really, really sunk roots!"

"I love my family!  I love my mom and I love my dad!  the church is true..."

Elder Jesse Bundy