Los Tianguis

Dear Family & Friends,

Well the work here in Mexio City is underway. There are a bunch of wards & stakes here. I'm serving in a ward right now. There are quite a few members. It's so cool to be able to fit right in to a group of people and know how things are run already. Such is the Church I guess.

Last Tuesday, we set up a table/booth in los tianguis (it's kind of like a flea market). Everyone who wants to sell stuff sets up a booth in the streets and lines the streets and packs it tight. They set out thier stuff and start bartering with the passersby. It's awesome. They have everything you could ever imagine. It's like a walmart on steroids. We setup a table and put out Books of Mormon, videos, pictures, proclamations of the family, all for free, and we took down names and addresses for references. In about 4 hours, we collected some 12-15 references. Pretty good for that amount of time. Those that are ready are attracted and those who aren't ready just ignore us. It really helps us save time (tracting is a last resort here).

One night we were contacting some old investigators in the area book and we came across one that we felt impressed to visit. We went and knocked on the door. It turns out that the investigator was the mother of this woman who answered the door and she had died a year ago. We talked with her a little, and she said she wasn't really interested in church/religion, etc. Her son did have a few questions because he just went through his first comunion in the catholic church, so we set up an appointment for later in the week to talk to him. We left and got about 3 blocks away when we heard a shout. The son was running after us and told us that the mom wanted us to come in the house and talk now, so we did. It turns out that she thinks that her grandmother sent missionaries one time for a purpose, and this woman was looking for some peace and tranquiltiy to fill the vacancy of her mother's death. We talked for about 1.5 hours and set up a return appointment. We will talk about the plan of salvation next time. She said she also invited us in because her son has lots of questions that she doesn't want to make up answers to. She said she'd like us to answer them. Questions like "if God created Jesus, who created God?" and a few other good ones.

The work is good here anyhow. There are lots of religions with missionaries out here too. JW's, catholics, pentecostals, evangelical christians, etc. They all have some pretty peculiar beliefs too. But we don't ask people to believe us. Rather, we help them build a relationship with God, and to ask Him if what we say is true or not. We don't convince anyone of anthing. The Spirit does the touching, reminding, inspiring, answering, and converting. We just try to create an environment in which the spirit will enter.

Well we got permission to leave the mission to go to the Centro today. It's like a big mall, but HUGE. We can't really buy the things we need here so we got permission to go. The best part is, it's a bartering system too. Nothing is really a fixed price. That's one of the biggest differences that I've seen between these two countries. I'll try to take some pictures around the city, but it's not really advisable to carry a camera. I haven't had any problems yet, but I hope there won't be any. I feel really safe in my area during our proselyting time. It's when it's dark and late when there are few people on the streets that it's risky. I've found that as long as I'm friendly, people don't really harass me as an american here. Sure, some shout 'How are you' with a heavy accent, but it's not really bothersome. The members like to try their english with me too. We might do an english class, but in order to come, the people have to bring a non-member too.

That's about it for now. We opened this area, so we started with 2 investigators from before. We are helping them progress, but we found another new investigator and he is getting baptized on 5 Feb. He's really a great guy. We have another woman who wants to get baptized on Sunday, but she still has lots to learn so we'll have to teach a lot this week.

I love you all and hope things are great!

Elder Bunker

Hola de la Ciudad de Mexico!

Hola todos! (hello all!)

Well I made it to Mexico and I am in Mexico City. I am in the Iztapalapa Delegacion (county-ish), Paraiso Zone, Juarez District, and Meyehualco area. My area is pretty small geographically- como 5 miles by 5 miles- and it's all walking. The tacos are fantastic, better than anything i've ever had by the same name in the states.

It's so different here- the food (i can't really cook anything that i know because all the ingredients are mexican), daily chores, cleaning, etc. We have a little plug in 1-plate stove, no dryer, no oven (no casserole-making). We do use a little tiny washer that the owners are letting us borrow on prep day, but it still takes FOREVER and a DAY to do laundry...that's all we really have time to do on preparation day. The air quality is terrible--i blew my nose and all this black stuff came out along with the boogers. I actually watched us pass through the blanket of smog in the plane...gross. but that's life here. The water is just as bad...it reminds me of the water we had to filter on all those high adventures. It kind of makes washing our cloths a joke. Lets just say i won't be bringing any white shirts back. they'll be another color.

We have a little boiler water heater thingy outside of the house that we have to lite each morning at 6:30 so we can have some warm water at 7 for showers. We tried to get it to work on the first day but the gas tank was out. Cold showers...the best! We're all fixed today though.

In the night it gets below freezing and in the day it's probably 78-80 F which is pretty frustrating. we have to switch from being frozen all night to sweating during the day. oh well.

The food is great. Very rich and filling. I did eat out on the street with the secretaries in the mission office the first evening. Luckily I haven't gotten sick yet. There's purified water everywhere that we can buy too whcih is really good. Everything is so much cheaper here than in the States. Still, it's hard to get to my money. We tried to withdraw some money today from an ATM, but the power went out (happens often) right before us, so all the ATMs rebooted and were out of service. IT's a pretty far walk to the bank too.

I don't even know how the mail works here. I don't think that they can deliver to the house very easily. The directions/addresses make no sense, unless you know everyone and where things are by heart. I think the mission office just holds on to it and distributes it at conferences/meetings. We'll see.

I did get to hear Elder Holland speak at the MTC during the 4 days that I was there. It was just what I needed. I'm pretty sure that's why my visa took forever to come.

The spanish ward here that we cover is GREAT! There is so much support for the missionaries. 4/6 ward missionaries came out with us the second night and walked around showing us all the members, inactive members, and investigators and where they live.

It is very much city life here. 24/7 it seems. Music (mexican and comfortingly, american) in the streets. I fell asleep listening to music from a party across the street and I woke up to the music from the same party...crazy. I do hear lots of American music here--all sorts. I've also seen lots of shirts with the Red Hot Chili Peppers printed on the front...strange.

Anyway, we're almost late for a district meeting, so I have to go (we have to walk to the chapel). I'll try to write down more things that I notice that are interesting (like NO PEANUT BUTTER :\ ).

I love you all and miss you!

Que les vaya bien todo! (Let everything go well for you all)

Elder Bunker

VISA

Dear Family & Friends,

Well I got a call this morning during companionship studies from our mission president, President Leonard. He said that my visa came through and that my flight leaving St. George for Salt Lake City departs at 5:43pm today. Talk about Packing! I thought I was going to be able to leave from the new airport here in St. George, but that doesn't open until Wednesday (2 days away). Oh well.

It's been great teaching here in St. George. We taught 53 lessons last week (as compared to 15 per week in Price). We really have a lot of success here. One of our investigators is getting baptized on Sunday, which is great for her, but I'm so sad because I will be leaving Utah with 0 baptisms. Each of the investigators I helped teach that had a baptismal date were baptized about a week after I left the area. Oh well, I guess i'm just a building missionary (there are building missionaries that build up the areas and investigators but never stick around long enough to see the baptisms and there are reaping missionaries that go around inheriting baptisms in areas that they didn't teach in before). It's ok though, because I've put a few people on date (asked if they will follow Christ's example and be baptized a certain date). That's a great joy too, seeing people wanting to follow Christ and helping them resolve doubts and concerns.

On Saturday, we were in one of the chapels training the District Leaders (my companions are the Zone Leaders). Afterward, we were walking out and saw some people preparing food in the kitchen. They asked us to help get some dishes down from teh cupboard. We found out that "Jeff Holland's" mother passed away. She was in one of the Stakes that we cover here in St. George, so everyone knows her and Elder Holland. Her funeral was Saturday, but we couldn't go because of all the teaching appointments we had. He would have chastised us as missionaries too, I think.

Please let people know as well that because I got my Visa, the St. George Mission Address is no longer applicable. Please use the addresses listed at the top ofelderdanielbunker.blogspot.com to write letters, etc. Also I appreciate very much the check I received, but I don't have any bank accounts at the institutions here or in Mexico so I can't cash any checks. Sorry to all of those who wrote letters to me the past 3 weeks and haven't gotten a reply...I've been busy moving around each P-day. I'll try to catch up today on writing on the plane, waiting at the airport, etc. Thank you for all the Christmas cards & presents too! They were all great!


Thank you and I'll keep you posted next P-day on how Mexico City is!
Elder Bunker

Happy 2011

Dear Family & Friends,

I got our transfer call last Sunday night that I was going to leave Price Spanish. I came here to St. George (specifically a town called Washington, but this is all St. George really) on Tuesday. For some reason, it's COLD here. (Picture me with a grumpy face as I write this). In Price it was about 31-34 degrees, but here the past week it's been SNOWING! We looked out the window today and saw a couple inches of snow on the ground, car, etc. UGH!

I was hoping for warm here in St. George. no luck.

Anyway my new companions here are both gueros (whites). Elder Hayden from Oregon has been out about a year and a half. Elder Carpenter is from Montreal Canada, and he goes home at the beginning of February. He's not too trunky though so that's good. He was our Assistant to the president before this transfer, and he's a really good missionary. With him here, we're teaching about 13 lessons a day, which is REALLY good (in price, we were teaching maybe 4-5 if we were lucky).

We knocked on a door and it turns out that this single mom has been waiting for someone to knock on her door and teach her about God and church. She didn't care what religion, she was just waiting for someone. So we started teaching her and she came to church yesterday! She is so ready for the gospel.

Another woman answered the door and chatted with us for a little while then let us in the second time. When we asked her what she expected from our visits, she said that her son was baptized a few months ago and they had seen the changes that he made in his life. She said that she wants to make the same changes in her life and her other son wants to as well. These people are so ready as well. The work is really going forward here in St. George.

Another two investigators (family i think, though not husband/wife. maybe brother/sister?) are preparing for baptism. We taught the Word of Wisdom the other day and the woman put on a sad face about Coffee, but she said she will stop immediatley. At the end of the next day she told us it was her first day without any coffee! She was so happy that she could do it! The man also told us that he had gone the whole day without smoking! He said he has tried to quit smoking 3 different times but has not been able to do it. He now has to take medications to clear up his throat so he can breathe. He said that this time, he is determined to quit with our help. We helped him set a goal of 2 weeks away and he is determined to keep that date and have quit smoking by then. Then if he can keep that, we can baptize him a few days later.

Well that is about all for this week. It's been good in Price, but President said they white washed our area (but 2 new elders in instead of rotating us in/out) because he anticipates my visa coming soon, so they wanted me nearer to the office and airport. One of the other elders i came out with as visa waiters got his visa to Mexico City North, so they expect mine to be on the way shortly. We'll see though. I'll keep you posted with any other information that I get.

I love you all and wish you a great year with all of your resolutions and goals! Make sure they are specific, measureable, attainable, & reportable! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Bunker