Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Poco a Poco
Hey Everyone.
K, So first. Im sorry if there has been confusion with letters. I guess there is a vuelga (strike) with the postal service in peru so there isnt much being shipped in the country. so I apologize.
second, I forgot to tell everyone. Andrew Law is in My mission!! from Pleasant Grove. Haha we were in preschool together and went to the same gradeschool and had a lot of the same teachers. So cool to see him again. I guess he was only here for a transfer or two before me. Crazy!!
Third, I think everyone in the states is related to someone in Peru. haha. There are so many look alikes. This Last week I saw someone who looked like George Bush, David Archeleta, and Mystery Guitar Man. Hahaha weird. Wish I had my camera. Especially yesterday. Every sunday there is a train that travels around and plays music with a whole bunch of disney caracters painted on it. It is called "my happy world" (or mi mundo feliz). interesting. still havent gotten the point but it looks like fun.
Last week we were visiting a member family who own a Mariachi band. Sweetest thing ever. Anyway they have a little girl and she was watching tv when we walked in, and she was watching the Backyardigans, So lizy Fish, Backyardigans exists in Peru too. Haha actually this little girl who was watching it reminded me of alice, it was somewhat surreal.
K now for the serious bit. So this week, like others has had some ups and downs. Mostly with the Language, I can understand most of what everyone is saying but there a few people with a lisp in our ward, and some of the youth combine their words, so it gets hard sometimes, and a bit frustrating. But the hardest part is speaking the language. I can say most of what I want to, but it takes me a while to congegate all my words, and so sometimes people lose interest in what im saying or become impatient. I want more than anything to talk to the people here, but Im not there yet.
One thing that has helped me though, is this saying they have here. "poco a poco". I have come to love this saying. I love it because it has taught me patience. I think that is one thing I have been lacking but have been blessed with as I have been working this week. Poco a Poco is how heavenly father works with his children. line upon line, precept upon precept, sometimes unnoticable, the trick is to be doing the small things. This week I have been reading the Liahona outloud everyday, and not only did i learn gospel principles but my toungue has been loosed a bit more and i have been able to speak with more clarity, I have to work on it everyday though because every morning it seems like I almost have to start over again.
The other great lesson i have been able to take away from this week is having a greater perspective. I got a really encouraging letter last week from aunt lizy (thanks lizy, sorry I cant email you directly and thank you) that really helped me. one of the pieces of advice she gave me that I feel will apply to me for the rest of my life is to see the bigger picture. Sometimes its easy to feel down when people turn us away, stop keeping commitments, and ignore us (or make fun of us cause were two gringos in a foreign country) but I have learned to look at it in different way, a bigger picture.
Right now I am here in feild!! something i have dreamed of my whole life, and sometimes i have forgotten that. I am helping people who are brothers and sisters return to heavenly father and receive eternal life. there is nothing greater than that!!!
I thought about that even more, and expanded it even farther. The truth is, life is amazing. We are here on earth, being tested, and all of us, have already kept our first estate. We have a body!! and we are working to do the things the lord comands to return to his presence, and even better, we have a savior for when we do make mistakes. And as far as the things we cannot see, Im sure we have concourses of angels behind us every step of the way.
Im sorry this is shorter. but we are going to leave to proselyte in 5 min.
one last thought. One of the greatest struggles of the mission is help people have the desire to learn more about the evangelio de JesuCristo. gospel of jesus christ. sorry, spanish and english not good. Because it is the desire to know about these things that drives them to pray with a sincere heart. I have been searching, but I have not found a clear answer and Im not sure if there is one cause everyone is different, about how we can help people develop a desire to know. I have found those who truly want to follow jesus christ those who truly beleive in god, already have that desire and they are ready to hear the gospel and test the book of mormon with a sincere heart. It begins with their desires. I think that is what the scriptures mean by pure in heart.
sorry I didnt share many stories about investigators. I will have some next week.
all I have to say is i whish i was peruvian cause it would solve a lot of problems haha.
the church is true tell your freinds,
always turn outward and keep smiling. Because we have kept our first estate.
Love
Elder Bunker
K, So first. Im sorry if there has been confusion with letters. I guess there is a vuelga (strike) with the postal service in peru so there isnt much being shipped in the country. so I apologize.
second, I forgot to tell everyone. Andrew Law is in My mission!! from Pleasant Grove. Haha we were in preschool together and went to the same gradeschool and had a lot of the same teachers. So cool to see him again. I guess he was only here for a transfer or two before me. Crazy!!
Third, I think everyone in the states is related to someone in Peru. haha. There are so many look alikes. This Last week I saw someone who looked like George Bush, David Archeleta, and Mystery Guitar Man. Hahaha weird. Wish I had my camera. Especially yesterday. Every sunday there is a train that travels around and plays music with a whole bunch of disney caracters painted on it. It is called "my happy world" (or mi mundo feliz). interesting. still havent gotten the point but it looks like fun.
Last week we were visiting a member family who own a Mariachi band. Sweetest thing ever. Anyway they have a little girl and she was watching tv when we walked in, and she was watching the Backyardigans, So lizy Fish, Backyardigans exists in Peru too. Haha actually this little girl who was watching it reminded me of alice, it was somewhat surreal.
K now for the serious bit. So this week, like others has had some ups and downs. Mostly with the Language, I can understand most of what everyone is saying but there a few people with a lisp in our ward, and some of the youth combine their words, so it gets hard sometimes, and a bit frustrating. But the hardest part is speaking the language. I can say most of what I want to, but it takes me a while to congegate all my words, and so sometimes people lose interest in what im saying or become impatient. I want more than anything to talk to the people here, but Im not there yet.
One thing that has helped me though, is this saying they have here. "poco a poco". I have come to love this saying. I love it because it has taught me patience. I think that is one thing I have been lacking but have been blessed with as I have been working this week. Poco a Poco is how heavenly father works with his children. line upon line, precept upon precept, sometimes unnoticable, the trick is to be doing the small things. This week I have been reading the Liahona outloud everyday, and not only did i learn gospel principles but my toungue has been loosed a bit more and i have been able to speak with more clarity, I have to work on it everyday though because every morning it seems like I almost have to start over again.
The other great lesson i have been able to take away from this week is having a greater perspective. I got a really encouraging letter last week from aunt lizy (thanks lizy, sorry I cant email you directly and thank you) that really helped me. one of the pieces of advice she gave me that I feel will apply to me for the rest of my life is to see the bigger picture. Sometimes its easy to feel down when people turn us away, stop keeping commitments, and ignore us (or make fun of us cause were two gringos in a foreign country) but I have learned to look at it in different way, a bigger picture.
Right now I am here in feild!! something i have dreamed of my whole life, and sometimes i have forgotten that. I am helping people who are brothers and sisters return to heavenly father and receive eternal life. there is nothing greater than that!!!
I thought about that even more, and expanded it even farther. The truth is, life is amazing. We are here on earth, being tested, and all of us, have already kept our first estate. We have a body!! and we are working to do the things the lord comands to return to his presence, and even better, we have a savior for when we do make mistakes. And as far as the things we cannot see, Im sure we have concourses of angels behind us every step of the way.
Im sorry this is shorter. but we are going to leave to proselyte in 5 min.
one last thought. One of the greatest struggles of the mission is help people have the desire to learn more about the evangelio de JesuCristo. gospel of jesus christ. sorry, spanish and english not good. Because it is the desire to know about these things that drives them to pray with a sincere heart. I have been searching, but I have not found a clear answer and Im not sure if there is one cause everyone is different, about how we can help people develop a desire to know. I have found those who truly want to follow jesus christ those who truly beleive in god, already have that desire and they are ready to hear the gospel and test the book of mormon with a sincere heart. It begins with their desires. I think that is what the scriptures mean by pure in heart.
sorry I didnt share many stories about investigators. I will have some next week.
all I have to say is i whish i was peruvian cause it would solve a lot of problems haha.
the church is true tell your freinds,
always turn outward and keep smiling. Because we have kept our first estate.
Love
Elder Bunker
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
9 Baptisms!!!
Everyone!
Holy Cow this week has been crazy!!
Im hoping i will have enough time to load pictures. But pretty much we had our first baptism this week, and it truely has been a miracle. So our investagator lucero was baptized this week. Her mom has been holding permission for a while and we finally received it this week. Lucero´s aunt has been in the hospital for a while and so her mom has been there with her. And it was hard to get a hold of her. However, we were able to go to the hospital with Lucero and Lucero explained that we could give blessings. The aunt then asked for a blessing and we we gave her one. Suprisingly lucero´s mom gave us permission to baptize her. but not for a while because the aunt needed to heal... haha well the next day the aunt left the hospital because she was feeling much better. So, we baptized Lucero this weekend, Her mom came and watched and also came to church for the confirmation!!
I am just really excited about all of this. but really none of it is us. The lord has been answering our prayers and we have been truely blessed this week.
Thanks to everyone who sent letters I think sometimes they get lost for a bit in the Dear Elders cause I get some that sound old, but it is still always a treat.
So this week I had my first taste of Guinee Pig! haha. Its probably the best meat (besides steak) that i have had here. its a little chewy due to fat, but it is tender and flavorfull... we got some from one of our investigators. haha the investigators are always always giving us food. Im going to come home fat. seriously.
we also had lunch at a members house this last weekend and they served us a meal with some meat that was a tad bit hard to chew. I feel bad cause I couldnt for the life of me finish that meat. Haha the members understood and they thought it was kind of funny. they tried to explain what kind of meat it was. im still not sure exactly but I think it was some sort of stomach of a duck or chicken... anyway they thought it was funny.
This week also. I got shocked! by the shower. I forgot I had the power on and grabed the shower head to adjust it and i got shocked haha... ouch.
we have an investigator im really excited about. her name is sheyli. she met the missionaries 6 years ago, and she immediately let us in to teach. She accepted everything we taught and accepted the challenges we extended. she is 22, married, and is 1 month away from having her first son. she is golden! The craziest thing is she is the first and only door we knocked on that day because there was so much else going on.
haha im so sore cause we had to clean out the font for lucero´s baptism with buckets. took 2 hours... it seems like getting ready fro that baptism has taken a lot of our time, but it also has been the most rewarding. hopefully the mom might start taking the lessons now...
The language is rough, i still cant speak well, and sometimes the members and the youth get frustraded with me which is hard, but I am working hard and I love our ward. They really are loving kind people, and I really wish i could talk more with them.
anyway thank you for your prayers. I love you all.
The church is true, tell your friends.
Always turn outward, and keep smiling,
because heavenly fathers plan for us is a plan of Happiness! :D
´´The lord expects us to be happy, but never content.´´ (interesting)
Love Elder Bunker
Address
Hey Everyone here is the Pouch mail instructions: Pouch mail is for people to send 1 page letters to the missionary in the feild, you send them to the church office and they have a representive take them down to the country whenever they visit. It takes a little bit longer that way, but its much more reliable and cheap.
so instructions:
1. Lay the blank side of the letter(single sheet) facing down with the writing facing you.
2. Fold the top of the letter about one-third of the way down and crease.
3. Fold the bottom of the letter to the top of the first fold and crease.
4. Use two pieces of tape or two sticker tabs on the top to secure it, not more than one inch from each side, but do not seal the ends.
5. Do not include any other items within the letter.
6. In the top left corner, write your name and complete return address.
7. Affix a stamp in the top right corner.
8. In the Middle write the following:
Missionary Name (Elder Isaac Benjamin Bunker)
MTC or Mission Name (Peru, Chiclayo Mission)
P.O. Box 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150
I hope to continue to get letters from everyone. It is great to know how things are at home.
Love you all
Elder Bunker
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Arrived
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
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
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
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