RAIN

Hello all,

Sorry I couldn´t write last week. We split our emailing time into 30 minutes and 30 minutes, but we never had time to come back and use the 2nd 30 minutes. The work has been about the same.

I´ll be staying here in Meyehualco for another 6 weeks, which is fine with me. I really like it here and am pretty familiar with the area now.

We almost had another baptism Sunday. We filled the font and everything. But for some reason Satan seems to work hardest the day and night before a baptism. He had a few problems and will have to postpone his baptism. It will probably be in a few weeks.

Well it rained here for the first time since I've been here. There were thunder & lightning and everything that goes with it. It was amazing to be out of the sun for a little while. I am really enjoying it here. The weather is cooperating very well--as long as we have lots of water to drink. The rainy season doesn't start until the end of May, so until then, it's going to keep getting hotter. But that's OK. I'm sure it was hot when Jesus walked more than 110 KM through mountains & desert terrain to get baptized by John the Baptist. I'm sure he was thirsty on the cross too (the vinegar didn't help any), so I can't really complain.

I finally got to make my chocolate chip cookies, except there isn't anywhere nearby where we can get chocolate chips. So we used strawberry flavored chocolate (not really any chocolate, but the same consistancy as chocolate chips). It came out tasting OK but nothing spectacular.

Well with transfers, we got a new district leader. Our old district leader was here for 6 months, so he's glad to be moving on to something different. My companion and I are staying here in Meyehualco, no changes. Transfers are still exciting, because that's when they hand out all the packages and letters that arrived at the mission office. It takes about 1 month for letters to get to us from the US, and about 2 months for packages.

We get to speak in the ward for the first time this Sunday. It should be good, we have lots of support from the members (they sign up to feed us almost every day of the month).

We had a missionary activity in our stake on Saturday. 18 missionaries from the MTC in Mexico City came to our area (130 to our stake) and they contacted lots of people in the street. They were pretty late arriving, and with the time to explain what was going to happen, we only got to contact for about 45 minutes, which is pretty sad. But anyway, they got some experience, and we got a few referrals. We're trying to help the stake and wards understand that missionary work is not an activity, but rather a lifestyle. It's tough, but once we understand that, we understand our role in missionary work as members better.

I'm so grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime to serve a mission. I have met so many people who want help changing their lives. The responsibilities and burdens of other people's problems and necesities is so fulfilling. I'm beginning to realize what it means to love the people that you serve. Understanding their difficulties, talking them through their problems, helping them understand that the Atonement applies personally to them, etc is so fulfilling. There's something about putting all of your personal affairs in second place that helps you to find your true purpose as an individual. It's so rewarding seeing people progress, repent, and turn themselves in to the Lord with full purpose of heart. Sure, it's taxing, but it's so rewarding.

I love you all and hope you understand your purpose in life. It's truly remarkable.

Elder Bunker

Dan's First Baptism and Confirmation

Dan at Mexico City Temple

Missionary Booth in flea market

Baptism & Tang

Hello everyone,

Last week we prepared for our fist baptism. We went and cleaned the baptismal font on Saturday. On Sunday we started filling the font at about 5pm, but we saw that the water was coming out of the tap really really dirty. After a little investigating, we determined it to be the hot water. So we went and flushed the boiler, and afterward it came out clean(er). The water was still a really dirty yellow-brown color, so my companion threw in some methylene blue. He said he did it in another area and the water came out looking a clean blue color. Well mixed with the yellow, it ended up being a dark murky green color. Oh well, our investigator didn´t change her mind because of it, so it´s ok.

We prepared the baptismal programs in a cyber café...it was a challenge trying to get it to print out the way we wanted it to. But all ended up well. We are only going to print one and give it to the recent convert. I did the baptism and then I also did the confirmation yesterday in Sacrament Meeting. It went well. No problems. Except that there is no detachable microphone, so i pretty much had to shout in the chapel. In spanish. I never thought I´d have to yell at someone, telling them to receive the Holy Ghost.

Well pretty much nobody drinks regular, simple water with meals. It´s always Tang of various flavors. One time it was Guayavas mixed in a blender with sugar and water...mmmmm...those are my favorite fruit here. So far. More should come in Spring.

Walking down the streets and riding the microbuses, the music that we hear is pretty much in English. Much of the time it is CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival), which reminds me of High Adventure days, and The Beatles. I can´t really complain, as I like both. Even though we are not allowed to play this music, we were allowed to listen to Mormon Tabernacle Choir & similar music. As of Friday, though, we are not allowed to play any music. Sad day, but understandable as some people try to bend the rules with the music that they listen to. I will accept whatever President Chávez decides. Hence, I should be sending a package home shortly with CD´s and a cd player.

Today we made a trip to the MTC here in Mexico City. My companion is feeling sick, so we went there for the doctor. He´s the doctor for all of the Mexico City missions (north, south, east, west, northwest) and some of the surrounding missions too. It was about a 1 hour trip one way on the metro and various microbuses. Then 1 hour back too. Not bad. We went and played pool, got haircuts, and are going to go get a pizza (a glorious break from pure mexican food...i like mexican food, but it´s nice to have a break too).

Well the Lord is blessing our area with several references from the Visitor´s Center at the temple. We have 2 on date for March 6th and this week we are planning on putting 5 more on date for the same day. We´ll see how quickly they progress though. We´re sure doing hard work, and Heavenly Father is helping out a lot. I´m seeing so many people progress spiritually here that it´s amazing. My patriarchal blessing mentions me seeing this progress, and it brings me so much joy to be able to help others understand their relationship with God. I love this work. Missionary work is a lifestyle, not an activity. Activities are great, but too many times we leave the activity forgetting our responsibilities in sharing the gospel. True missionary work & sharing the gospel requires a change in lifestyle. I hope to retain this lifestyle when I get back, so I´m trying my hardest to engrain it into my personality here.

Well that´s about all. Love you all and hope you are feeding yourselves both physically and spiritually.
Love,
Elder Bunker

It´s hard to believe already but this week I´ll complete 5 months out of the MTC & almost 6 months in the mission. Already 25% done.

LISTENING TO THE SPIRIT

Hello all,

This is a quick letter today. Our district leader is all about planning preparation days to fit in as much as possible. We played basketball this morning, we´re going to play pool, then we´re going to the Centro again (it´s pretty much like downtown Chicago- a bunch of little shops, etc), then we´re going to return and have our district meeting early and finish the night by watching the Prince of Egypt at a family´s home. It´s pretty amazing that we got permission for all of that in one day, but i´m grateful for it.

Well let me tell you about an experience yesterday. I was studying a chapter in Preach my Gospel, and I came across a sentence that said your investigators should attend various sacrament meetings before baptism. Well one of our investigators had only been once but he was to be baptized that day. I had the impression of ¨he´s not ready. don´t baptize him yet´ I (being stupid) ignored the thought because of course he was going to be at church today. At church, he wasn´t there during the first half of the meetings. Again the same idea came to my mind. Again (stupid me), i ignored it. We were sitting in sacrament meeting and Bishop announced the baptisms of Jorge and Pati. During sacrament meeting I had the idea also to go right after sacrament and visit Jorge (despite the trip we had to make to the stake center to report our week´s work). I brushed it off with the reasoning that we didn´t have time.

Later that day at 7:25 (the baptism for both of them was to be at 7:30), Jorge wasn´t there yet. We called him at it turns out that he had a car accident with his nephew the night before adn that he couldn´t make it to the baptism. Only Pati was the only one baptized that yesterday. I keep telling myself now that I have to heed the thoughts that come to mind such as those ones. Now I know.

Anyhow the baptism of Pati was great. She asked me to do the baptism, so I did. Her son had been baptized a year ago, and her husband i´sn´t a member. But they both came and supported her. It was a sweet, spirit-filled service. I´ll send pictures in a week...i don´t have much time today.

Love you all and hope you´re great

Elder Bunker

Tortillerias

Greetings One and All,

It's starting to warm up even more here. Spring is on it's way...which doesn't really mean much except more variety in fruit, more sun, and more flowers. No special precipitation :( . The rainy months don't come until June.

There are tons of little stores all around run out of people's houses. it's really cool how you can be walking down the street and if you're hungry, no matter where you are, you are close to a snack if you need one. There are lots of those shops, meat markets, chicken markets, fruit markets, tortilla markets (tortillas are a staple here and are eaten with every meal), bakeries, copy shops, etc. Tons of them around. It's pretty cool.

The main meal here is at 2:00. It's strange how I've adjusted. I eat a small breakfast (cereal) at 7:30, then the big meal at a member's house is at 2, and most of the time that meal at 2 lasts until the next day. Most days we don't take our hour for dinner even though we're allowed to. It's a big change from the US, where we ate at 7:30, and again after studies at 11 before heading out to work, then again for dinner at 5. Sometimes people give us fruit when we pass by their houses to talk to them.

I've almost finished the New Testament in Spanish. I'm in Revelation, about half-way through. It's so interesting how the New Testament not only prophesies the apostasy, but it also documents it. For example, Christ and Paul both warn the people about the perilous times that will come, and to guard against false prophets, false doctrines, etc. But also, for example, John in his epistles gives one example of a bishop who would not receive him and how he intends to go and correct him as soon as possible. I've been marking everywhere that mentions signs & documents the apostasy. It reinforces what I read in Jesus the Christ (I finished that about a month ago). It's really good and informative.

I've found that there are a lot of people who want nothing to do with us. But that's OK. Because there are also lots of people who are looking for God, looking for help, people who want to change. That's why we go knock doors and talk to people on the street. Not to convince or convert them or anything like that. There are enough people who are humble and willing to change their lives to be in more harmony with the teachings of Christ. That's who we try and find. It's hard work but rewarding.

Please go share your testimony with someone. Most will respect you for it.
Love you all.
Elder Bunker