Hey everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know I am safe and sound in Peru, we got to the CCM (MTC) at around 1 this morning. It has been a little bit of an overwhelming trip.
On our first flight I met a woman named Misty. She is from Lehi and she is living with her boyfriend and 3 sons (2 bio sons and 1 step son) and we had a really good conversation about just life in general and what she did for a living. I tried really hard to find someway to slip in a message to her. She was really nice and we had a pretty good conversation. On our next flight was a African-American couple from Dallas. I was able to invite the wife to read the book of mormon and when I did that I had a lot of people start asking me questions, I guess part of the plane was listening. It was a great experience to share everything in english for a change haha. There was a group there going to do humanitary work on the Amazon for 9 days and they asked how long I would be preaching the gospel and I told them 2 years, they all about died. Haha. It really doesnt seem like that long now. Specially because I still have to learn the Language.
When we got to the Lima Airport, we looked around for a bit for representatives from the church to pick us up, but no one was there. Thankfully an older woman saw us and recognized us as missionaries. She is a member of the church and she was there with her nephew who spoke english. Truly a tender mercy.
Anyway we were at the airport for probably 2 hours before we figured out what was going on. A man from a taxie company kept telling us he worked for the MTC and wanted to take us to the "church", we ended up calling one of the mission presidents and asked what is going on and he said to get in the cab and the man would take us where we would like to go. I feel bad for not trusting him then, but there was no way we were going to trust a random cab driver that didnt speak any english and hop into his car...
The drive to them MTC was eventful to say the least... The people here drive like maniacs and I think our driver was the worst of them all haha. It seems the road mentality here is that if there is a space you take it. I dont think our driver used his rearveiw mirrors once. At One of the lights we were turning left and changing lanes at the same time and Im pretty sure we hit something (or Someone) because there was a loud bang and our van (or cab) jerked a little bit. The driver glanced over his shoulder for a breif second and then kept driving... so crazy... hope no one died
so we arrived about one this mornign and they let us sleep in till nine, which was nice because I didnt get any sleep the night before, it was dark so I couldnt see the MTC till now. The MTC is beautiful. I will have to take lots of pictures.
i had a good wake up call this morning. someone started knocking on the door and started yelling "Elder Bunker! Elder Bunker!" I jumped out of bed and opened the door and there was Elder Gates (my first companion) haha it was great to see him, Elder Custer and Elder Lowe (from our district in provo) were there as well, and Elder Astle (from EFY) and Elder Goodman (one of my residents). They are all doing happy and well. Haha it will be weird to see how much more spanish they speak now. They said they dont speak much but they understand a lot more.
I leave for the feild this tuesday, and I am going proselyting tonight... so nervous, but so excited at the same time.
Anyway just wanted to let you all know Im doing fine, still sick, but the Lord has been blessing me and I have been getting better. The Airports really werent too bad so its been a tender mercy to be able to breath for a second.
Love you all!
The Church is true, Tell your friends!
Always turn outward, and keep smiling!!
Elder Bunker
Sunday, July 22, 2012
PERU!!!
Hey Everyone!!
So first thing,
Petersons thank you so much for your packages. They really are a treat to get. It's awesome to hear from Chris and Caleb. I hope all the Youth are doing well in the ward. I hope I get to hear from the ward more over the next 22 months...
Speaking of which, I cant beleive its already been 2 months!!! 1/12 of the mission is already gone and i dont even feel like I have done anything in peru yet. Hahah Im getting my second haircut since Ive been in the feild today.
And speaking of Peru... I GOT MY VISA!!!!! I went into the travel office right after i sent my last email and they had received it only a few hours before. I leave tommorrow!!!! I leave the MTC at like 3 in the morning and my first flight is at 9. I have two lay-overs in texas and florida so I wont be getting to the mission home until late at night. I am so excited!!!! but also nervous too. I met an Elder here who is recoverng from an accident but he served in the same mission I will be and he said the mission is Just mountains, coast, and Jungle. Haha so it should be sweet, but I found out my mission president doesnt speak much english... I have only met 2 missionaries here in the MTC who are going to that mission. So I dont think they send a lot of white people out there... Im going to have to learn Spanish pretty fast.
This week has been amazing and long. We have been helping all the new districts get adjusted to the MTC and speaking spanish, plannign for their lessons, and everything. There has been a lot of crazy things that have happened. I wont have time to tell them all, but all I can say if someone can be this busy as a Zone Leader in the MTC I cant imagine what a zone leader's life is like out in the feild!
Its been really cool this last week thougth, because I have been running into a lot of my former residents adn freinds from school. It's almost surreal to see them here because that feels like so long ago.
(Alex Cybulski is in My zone. haha so I was his RA and his frist Zone Leader)
Its been good to also see family and ward members here. I have seen Seth Ashcroft and Megan Chipman and they are both doign well and smiling. Its been so good to see each of them.
Also I have been able to see Uncle Albert and his wife and Alex Christofferson, and they are all doing well. I got a picture with Alex so I will bring that home on the SD card in two years :D unless i can find a way to download it today.
I found out that my mission is a pouch mission. So that means I can get letters through the church office. I will send more information explaining how to send everything in another email.
The hardest part about this week is that I have been sick. I was so sure last week that I was feeling better, but I had a relapse or something over the weekend adn the sickeness came back stronger. So i went into the health clinic on monday and talked to a docter He sent me to the BYU Health clinic down the street and had an X-ray taken. It turns out I have Bronchitus. It has gotten a little bit better. I have been on some Anti-biotics since monday. The doctor said he was glad that it hadn't developed into pnemonia otherwise they might have been forced to keep me here in the MTC. I feel well enough to work so I think im in the clear to leave tommorrow.
Sorry this is so short. There is a lot to do!
The Church is true tell your friends!!
Keep smiling and always turn outward!
Love Elder Bunker
So first thing,
Petersons thank you so much for your packages. They really are a treat to get. It's awesome to hear from Chris and Caleb. I hope all the Youth are doing well in the ward. I hope I get to hear from the ward more over the next 22 months...
Speaking of which, I cant beleive its already been 2 months!!! 1/12 of the mission is already gone and i dont even feel like I have done anything in peru yet. Hahah Im getting my second haircut since Ive been in the feild today.
And speaking of Peru... I GOT MY VISA!!!!! I went into the travel office right after i sent my last email and they had received it only a few hours before. I leave tommorrow!!!! I leave the MTC at like 3 in the morning and my first flight is at 9. I have two lay-overs in texas and florida so I wont be getting to the mission home until late at night. I am so excited!!!! but also nervous too. I met an Elder here who is recoverng from an accident but he served in the same mission I will be and he said the mission is Just mountains, coast, and Jungle. Haha so it should be sweet, but I found out my mission president doesnt speak much english... I have only met 2 missionaries here in the MTC who are going to that mission. So I dont think they send a lot of white people out there... Im going to have to learn Spanish pretty fast.
This week has been amazing and long. We have been helping all the new districts get adjusted to the MTC and speaking spanish, plannign for their lessons, and everything. There has been a lot of crazy things that have happened. I wont have time to tell them all, but all I can say if someone can be this busy as a Zone Leader in the MTC I cant imagine what a zone leader's life is like out in the feild!
Its been really cool this last week thougth, because I have been running into a lot of my former residents adn freinds from school. It's almost surreal to see them here because that feels like so long ago.
(Alex Cybulski is in My zone. haha so I was his RA and his frist Zone Leader)
Its been good to also see family and ward members here. I have seen Seth Ashcroft and Megan Chipman and they are both doign well and smiling. Its been so good to see each of them.
Also I have been able to see Uncle Albert and his wife and Alex Christofferson, and they are all doing well. I got a picture with Alex so I will bring that home on the SD card in two years :D unless i can find a way to download it today.
I found out that my mission is a pouch mission. So that means I can get letters through the church office. I will send more information explaining how to send everything in another email.
The hardest part about this week is that I have been sick. I was so sure last week that I was feeling better, but I had a relapse or something over the weekend adn the sickeness came back stronger. So i went into the health clinic on monday and talked to a docter He sent me to the BYU Health clinic down the street and had an X-ray taken. It turns out I have Bronchitus. It has gotten a little bit better. I have been on some Anti-biotics since monday. The doctor said he was glad that it hadn't developed into pnemonia otherwise they might have been forced to keep me here in the MTC. I feel well enough to work so I think im in the clear to leave tommorrow.
Sorry this is so short. There is a lot to do!
The Church is true tell your friends!!
Keep smiling and always turn outward!
Love Elder Bunker
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
6th week, ZL
Hey Everyone!
So first is first, Hovanski's thank you for your continual letters. I love hearing how the fam is doing and I am always so happy to hear about fun stuff like teaching the primary about fasting. Way neat. Fasting definately has power to it, and its amazing that the kids are learning about that.
So, I am still here in the MTC, and I am still sick. I have been sick for over a week now. It's not necessarly the worst thing in the world, it just means I get less sleep then everyone and more headaches... But, the hand of the Lord has been in my life and I can see it already. I have been receiving strength this last week, and I know I would not have been able to progress as much as I have without the Lord. (in fact IDK if there would be any progression at all).
This week we have been teaching one of our investigators, Mario, about the importance of church attendance and FHE. We brought over a member to teach with us. I just want to let everyone know, Member involvement in missionary work is CRITICAL!!! The members can do SO much for the work. (I wish i would have understood this before, I would have loved to go on splits with the missionaries). The spirit was there so strong. Mario has a lot of problems with drinking and such, but he is really starting to turn his life around and become a better father. His wife is still skeptical though, but I know with time the Lord will soften her heart.
(our investigators are all "fake" here in the MTC, but It is so very real the spirit that is here, and those who play the part of the investigator only change when they feel they have been influenced enough by the spirit, The hand of the Lord is in this work!)
Other new thing this week. On sunday, myself and my two comp.s were assigned as Zone Leaders... Lots more meetings... But we are grateful, we have been seeking oppertunities to serve and we now have one of the greatest positions to serve other missionaries. It will be crazy though. In the next 8 days we will go from 18 Missionaries to 54 missionaries... 54 Missionaries is a lot more than any ZL will have in their Zone in el Campo (the feild).
We get 4 sisters and 8 elders tonight. I know Dallin Eliason is coming in tonight so Maybe I will see him around the MTC!
also the MTC is filling up. They just announced they will have 2,900 missionaries in the MTC in August!! The work is going forward!!! :D :D
This week has been rough. I wont lie. Investigators have been hard, but the Lord has found ways to Humble us as a companionship and build us up as well.
This week for devositonal we had a man come (i cannot remember his name for my life, its in my notes though) who has written a lot of amazing church literature, He did an presentation on Joseph smith from the veiw point of one of his great friends. It was absolutely amazing. After we sang praise to the man and we began sitting, but within moments all the missionaries had stood up. It was incredible to feel the love these missionaries have for the prophet joseph smith. My mind flashed back to HT and singing to the prophet as we stood outside the John Jonson home. There is no way in that moment that I could deny that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. My testimony is still small, but I know that Heavenly Father has restored the true and everlasting gospel through Joseph Smith.
Another tender mercy of the lord this week: while my comps and I were going to the front desk monday night to call president cameron I met an elder who had served in chiclayo!!!! He is the first elder I have met in the MTC who has/is going there. I dont think they send very many white people to chiclayo.... This missionary was injured out in the feild and sent back to heal and he is waiting for the next three months as he serves in the Chat center to find out if he makes it back out there. I hope he does. He was really nice and had an amazing glow about him. There is a huge differenc in the missionaries that have been here for a while and the ones who havent, and also a huge difference between the obedient and so obedient. He was a good missionary.
Apparenty my mission is everythign. Mountains, desert, jungle, beach. Im so excited!!! I mostly excited to meet my mission president. He sounds like the coolest guy.
Doesnt sound like I will be getting much mail out there though. He said it takes three weeks for letters to come though, and sometimes up to a year for packages... if they make it.
So if you are going to send anything. Send it now. (thank you btw to everyone who has sent letters, i love hearing how the lord has been blessing your lives. It brings a lot of joy into the work)
anyway I want to end with a spiritual thought.
D&C 6:32-37 has become a favorite of mine
v. 33 says: "Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore if sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward."
One thing i have learned this week is to completely trust in the spririt. Its hard and im still working on it. But nothing bad can come of listening to the spirit. Only good things can come.
During one lesson I didnt want to share a particular experience that the spirit was prompting me to share, but i did anyways. It was an experience near and dear to me and sacred. The investigator rejected and disregarded the message i was trying to share. It hurt, and i felt betrayed by the spirit because i didnt want to share it in the first place and I felt I had sullied that sacred event in my life. but I came to find out later the message i shared wasnt for the investigator, but for my companions.
Only good can come of listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
I love you all
The church is true, Tell your friends!!!
Always turn outward and Keep Smiling!!!
Love, Elder Bunker
So first is first, Hovanski's thank you for your continual letters. I love hearing how the fam is doing and I am always so happy to hear about fun stuff like teaching the primary about fasting. Way neat. Fasting definately has power to it, and its amazing that the kids are learning about that.
So, I am still here in the MTC, and I am still sick. I have been sick for over a week now. It's not necessarly the worst thing in the world, it just means I get less sleep then everyone and more headaches... But, the hand of the Lord has been in my life and I can see it already. I have been receiving strength this last week, and I know I would not have been able to progress as much as I have without the Lord. (in fact IDK if there would be any progression at all).
This week we have been teaching one of our investigators, Mario, about the importance of church attendance and FHE. We brought over a member to teach with us. I just want to let everyone know, Member involvement in missionary work is CRITICAL!!! The members can do SO much for the work. (I wish i would have understood this before, I would have loved to go on splits with the missionaries). The spirit was there so strong. Mario has a lot of problems with drinking and such, but he is really starting to turn his life around and become a better father. His wife is still skeptical though, but I know with time the Lord will soften her heart.
(our investigators are all "fake" here in the MTC, but It is so very real the spirit that is here, and those who play the part of the investigator only change when they feel they have been influenced enough by the spirit, The hand of the Lord is in this work!)
Other new thing this week. On sunday, myself and my two comp.s were assigned as Zone Leaders... Lots more meetings... But we are grateful, we have been seeking oppertunities to serve and we now have one of the greatest positions to serve other missionaries. It will be crazy though. In the next 8 days we will go from 18 Missionaries to 54 missionaries... 54 Missionaries is a lot more than any ZL will have in their Zone in el Campo (the feild).
We get 4 sisters and 8 elders tonight. I know Dallin Eliason is coming in tonight so Maybe I will see him around the MTC!
also the MTC is filling up. They just announced they will have 2,900 missionaries in the MTC in August!! The work is going forward!!! :D :D
This week has been rough. I wont lie. Investigators have been hard, but the Lord has found ways to Humble us as a companionship and build us up as well.
This week for devositonal we had a man come (i cannot remember his name for my life, its in my notes though) who has written a lot of amazing church literature, He did an presentation on Joseph smith from the veiw point of one of his great friends. It was absolutely amazing. After we sang praise to the man and we began sitting, but within moments all the missionaries had stood up. It was incredible to feel the love these missionaries have for the prophet joseph smith. My mind flashed back to HT and singing to the prophet as we stood outside the John Jonson home. There is no way in that moment that I could deny that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. My testimony is still small, but I know that Heavenly Father has restored the true and everlasting gospel through Joseph Smith.
Another tender mercy of the lord this week: while my comps and I were going to the front desk monday night to call president cameron I met an elder who had served in chiclayo!!!! He is the first elder I have met in the MTC who has/is going there. I dont think they send very many white people to chiclayo.... This missionary was injured out in the feild and sent back to heal and he is waiting for the next three months as he serves in the Chat center to find out if he makes it back out there. I hope he does. He was really nice and had an amazing glow about him. There is a huge differenc in the missionaries that have been here for a while and the ones who havent, and also a huge difference between the obedient and so obedient. He was a good missionary.
Apparenty my mission is everythign. Mountains, desert, jungle, beach. Im so excited!!! I mostly excited to meet my mission president. He sounds like the coolest guy.
Doesnt sound like I will be getting much mail out there though. He said it takes three weeks for letters to come though, and sometimes up to a year for packages... if they make it.
So if you are going to send anything. Send it now. (thank you btw to everyone who has sent letters, i love hearing how the lord has been blessing your lives. It brings a lot of joy into the work)
anyway I want to end with a spiritual thought.
D&C 6:32-37 has become a favorite of mine
v. 33 says: "Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore if sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward."
One thing i have learned this week is to completely trust in the spririt. Its hard and im still working on it. But nothing bad can come of listening to the spirit. Only good things can come.
During one lesson I didnt want to share a particular experience that the spirit was prompting me to share, but i did anyways. It was an experience near and dear to me and sacred. The investigator rejected and disregarded the message i was trying to share. It hurt, and i felt betrayed by the spirit because i didnt want to share it in the first place and I felt I had sullied that sacred event in my life. but I came to find out later the message i shared wasnt for the investigator, but for my companions.
Only good can come of listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
I love you all
The church is true, Tell your friends!!!
Always turn outward and Keep Smiling!!!
Love, Elder Bunker
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