Last week in Cajamarca

Hey Everyone,

So this week has been pretty crazy haha. There has been a great turn of events i wasnt really expecting... first, this week we presented a new ward mission plan to reactivate many people in the ward and we are now starting missionary nights every other friday with the ward members. Im really excited to start new activities with the members because everything seems to go by a lot smoother when the members help out. I feel we are connecting with the members a lot more now that we live closer and its easier to visit them.

This sunday we had a total of 13 investigatores in the church between the 4 missionaries that were there. It was awesome. I hope they all enjoyed it and learned something new. Church really is one of the best ways to help the investigators to feel the spirit. 

Also this last week we set up a baptismal goal with 3 of our investigators... for THIS saturday.... and they accepted!!! Sharon (14) her sister, Roxana (30), and Roxana´s son, Jaime (13) all told us they would like to be baptized!!! I am praying and hoping like crazy everything goes well. we have been making plans and calling all the members we possibly can to help us out. I get so nervous and freaked out with all the baptisms we have because i feel such a huge responsability that everything goes well and they feel happy and confident with the convenant they are about to make. I have seen many people who have been baptized and have gone inactive after a few months. I NEVER want that to happen with the people we are teaching.

I feel like this is my last week to really make a difference in my area because we have transfers this saturday, and most likely i will be heading back to the heat of chiclayo... I want this barrio to be stronger we i leave than when we first came here.

We had a great experience with Kati this week. Kati´s sister Gabi just had her baby this week and she had to get a C-section. The operation didnt go too well and she got an infection. Kati sent her a few church magazines while she was in the hospital and as she was reading she decided to ask us for a blessing of health...

Kati´s family was really hard to get through to when she got baptized, but the lord has been able to touch their hearts in an amazing way. Kati´s mom has been listening to us for a while (she only had to stop because her husband said no) and we have been able to gain a lot of their confidence as missionaires. i really really hope the missionaries who come to this are can continue to help this beautiful family progress. Kati has really been one of the greatest miracles that has happened in our work here in Cajamarca....

I feel more and more in the mission that the mission will be part of me for the rest of my life. I love the areas where i get to serve and sometimes i wish i had more time because sometimes it just takes time for the people to progress. But then i realize that the work doesnt have to stop after the transfer or the 2 years but i can keep helping my whole life. 

I really hope i get more missionary opertunities after everything is said and done.

today we went to a zoo, and i was just amazed at the beautiful nature there is all around. we got to feed monkeys and take pictures with Llamas and wow... the Lord has so many beautiful creations. Im going to try to send pictures of Pday today.

I hope everyone is doing well in the states. I feel happy despite the stress of the work and I feel like if its my time to leave this transfer i that i did my best in this area- 

I got a letter from the family fiestas in Morrope.

They are still growing and will be a branch really soon. The less actives are now actives and I feel so blessed to see the fruit of my labor.

I love you all!!!

Always turn outward and keep smiling,

Elder Bunker

Pictures 2.4

Pictures of the Zoo

Oh Sweet Service

Hey everyone

So pretty much this week has been crazy busy. we were moving and doing service and hunting investigators and all sorts of crazy business. haha

We just moved pension to another house about 20 minutes walking distance from where we live so now we eat, sleep, and study in the same building... SO NICE... but even though its a lot more convienent we miss the family that has been cooking for us. (if i ever get the chance to come back to peru im going to Morrope and then Cajamarca haha.) I love this family, i would love to take them back to the states and have them as neighbors and freinds forever! haha. 

Our new room is nice, a little bit bigger so we can do excercises now and not be so trapped. our new pension is nice as well, the sister cooks really well, we just need to adjust a little (specially now that we are showering with cold water again...)

This week we did service in an autoshop. One of our investigators works with his brothers on some pretty cool cars and so we helped clean an engine and things like that. They had an old buggy that they had torn apart and they were re-building it again. so we helped out in that. It was really cool.

One of the hardest things about these last few weeks is that we have been losing investigators with baptism goals. for some reason they just disappear and it didnt seem like there was anything we could do. This week however we were findign them all again. and they are all still progressing! I have found that the lord has had a reason for everything, including our trials. 

This week we found one of our investigators who is a youth of 19. so pratically the same age as us. and we have taught him all of the lessons other than the law of chasity. this week when we found him we met his wife (or girlfreind) who is pregnant, and suddenly it became so clear why it was so hard to teach him. We had never thought that he would have a girlfriend or anything like that, for some reason it never crossed our mind, but when we met his wife it just became so clear how we cold help him. He is a great young man with a great desire to learn. He knows the church is true and loves listening to us.

I hope we can help him get married and start him on his way to the temple!

I most likely only have 2 weeks left here in Atahualpa, i am praying that the lord can help me follow through with a few baptisms before i go,

This work is so great and wonderful. Everyday i am more and more amazed at the beauty of everything!

Always turn outward and keep smiling!!

Elder Bunker

Picture 2.3

Conferencia de zona

Welding project

Magic Act

Hey everyone,

So this will be short because im trying to send as many pictures as i can. its been a pretty crazy transfer and I havent been too good at sending pictures.

Yesterday was my comps birthday so we had Cuy... or guinea pig for lunch... its a delacacy here... haha its actually pretty good once you get around the idea that your eating what would be considered someones pet in the united states. haha 

This week has been really rough not going to lie. We had about 5 or so investigators with baptismal goals and one by one they started dropping and disapearing and having little problems from every direction, and not even anything serious just little set backs. So we have been a little discouraged this week because we were so happy for our baptismal goals and they are not going to be able to be baptized this month... BUT we are NOT giving up on them. These are some of the nicest people i have met on my mission and they are really ready for baptism. I feel confident they will all get baptized its just to get around the small little things.

Even though its been a rough week I have realized more than before that I LOVE my area and im so excited to work with these people. We are really focused on finding new people right now too because we want to be able to continually have someone that progressees....

something weird from this last week.... I hit my year mark on thursday... I cant beleive im halfway through the mission. I feel happy but at the same time i feel jipped haha. I feel like i am finally able to really teach a lesson and connect with the investigators and... now suddenly its halfway over. im trying not to go too much into panic-mid-mission crisis haha. 

This week has also had its ups though. the other elders in my ward had a baptism this last saturday and it was really nice and spiritual a few of our investigators showed up and i think they really enjoyed it. I hope it helps them get over being nervous. 

well im sorry its not a ton but I wanted to share a few pictures. 

I know the lord is in this work. Its not easy, and its never been easy, but its been worth everything. Im ready to start another great mission year. 

(as Brother Bott from BYU puts it, Im ready to hit my Jump and Pump phases of the mission hahaha)

Love you all,

Thank for all the letters and emails!!

Always turn outward and keep smiling.

Elder Bunker

Pictures 2.2

Hey everyone

I think im going to try to send mostly pictures this week.

I hope they make it. 

There isnt much to report except we are having a rough time with a few baptismal dates that we had set for this month, but i am confident we will have baptisms this next month. 

we just need a little help from members and prayers. 

Love you all,

always look outward and keep smiling!

Elder Bunker