February 10, 2014

I have the same Comp and nothing is different. ha there is your little.

   Yeah spreading the gospel is an amazing opportunity! In my Patriarchal Blessing it talks about the Joy that I will have by spreading the gospel and I am for sure seeing that blessing come true right now in my life. 

  This Saturday we got out and were ready to preach the gospel, we went to our fist appointment and nobody was there, our second and nobody and it countinued as so.  So by five we had one lesson in the whole day... so we went to one of our recent converts house and talked to him about sharing the gospel. Then after that we went to this family that me and another Elder found. It was a Mom (Norma) and her daughter (Jasmin) and they were really awesome the first visit. So we go back Saturday night so follow up on them and the father (Martin) and their son ( Johnathan) were there also. And tell you what this family this lesson made my day! They are awesome and prepared to recieve the gospel! At the end of the lesson we asked the Johnathan to give the pray, which he had never done before, and he grabbed the Book of Mormon, which had the steps of how to pray written on it, and said an awesome short and simple prayer! I am way excited to see where this family will go!

  Then after this we went and had a lesson with this kid who is gay, it was kind of wierd not because of the subject just becasue he was not talking like he usually does.  So we give him the lesson that we had planned for him and at the end he asked us so how does your church take homosexuals? and eairlier that day we had gone to the internet to study up on the subject and I printed out a talk, and so I gave that to him when he asked the question and he started reading it to himself, and just started crying. I hope that we can help him. 

    I was reading in D y C this morning and I read a verse that I love, it said something about Christ pleading to the Father in our behalf. Because God is Just and without the sacrifice of Christ we could never recieve pardon for our shortcomings, I am so greatful that we have the gift of the greatest lawyer of all. 

Love you my lovely mother! 

Con amor,

Elder Zundel

Yeah I know that the power of the fast is real. I have started fasting a little more than a month ago every Sunday and we have had an investigator in the church every week since I stated. The Lord loves to bless us, we just have to do the things that will invite the blessings in our lives.

   Well good to hear you can still pick up a shovel of snow you old fart. Keep on workin'. 

  We do service every once in a while but really not to much. I wish that we could do more manual service for people, but really there is not a ton to do. Well there is a ton to do but there are not means whereby to do them. That is wierd that he would get transfered with 2 weeks left? (note from mom: the missionary in our stake)

   The emails from the Skinners were really good, I think that me and Riley have the same kind of comp, really forgetful. Yeah I can imagine it will be nice to have Taylor back home. Will they have to do that again with Coop and Mav? 

   Yeah Jennie told me that the bears are tied for fist right now hopefully they can take region that will be the fist time in a long time. Yeah not a huge fan of watching ping pong either paps. (edit by mom: referring to the winter olympics)

    What people like to do here is set up an appointment and then not be there when we show up. Sometimes we will walk all over town knocking on the doors of our investigators and nobody will answer, those days are really rough. 

    I didn't get any package, and I got some bad news about pictures... they camera just stopped working. I pulled it out of my bag on Tuesday to take a picture and it wouldn't turn on, so I went and bought some new batteries and still wouldn't turn on. So I dont know what you want me to do about that?

  I love you hope you have a great week! 

Love,

 Elder Zundel

February 3, 2014

TRANSFERS TODAY!! and I am going to....stay here again, haha. Well this will be my fourth transfer here and I will have a least one more to come because after this my comp goes home so I will stay here to teach the next missionary where everyone is at in this area. But that is alright we have quite a bit going on right now and it will be cool to see all of our people progress. Yeah dad told me about Lila, sad, but it was her time. 

  How crazy is that thatTaylor is getting married and all of that. I dont know seems pretty crazy how fast that all happened! Yeah I hear from the buddies every week not all of them every week but they are all doing really good, Kylan seems to be doing great he has a baptism coming up this weekend! Yeah you would think that I would have a shower but no they are not all that modernized, well some places are but here in my sector no not so much.  Me and Elder Watts decided that Tijuana mission is the ugliest mission you can get called to. But I am here and there is nothing I can do about it so might as well find out why God called me to this mission, right?! 

  What ladies are you talking about?? cause if it is all my ladies back home they are all getting married, but if it is my ladies here they are going to church!!! and they love it!

Well mother I love you a really a bunch and am very really grateful for all that you have done and do for me! 

Love your Missionary! 

Yeah I heard they got the smack down, O'l Manning just couldn't do it for them. Yeah and Jennie told me about the bears getting worked too. That is fun to have the grandkids over night, you old mut. That is kinda wierd to have a bunch of eagles hanging around, isnt it?

   That is cool about the guy taking the lessons, we were talking to a member the other day and we were talking about how everyone has their time. How there are a lot of people who know the church when they were little or some time in there life and never had the oppurtunity to be baptized or they didnt see the importance of it at that time. But that is just preparing them to recieve it later in there life. 

   Yeah, I think that it is the mental part of it all. I stay up some night and think about stuff and how to help these people, and I won't lie every once in a while I slip into thinking about how everything is going back home. But yeah you are right I just have to do my best and let the Lord take care of the rest. 

 Well this week was really pretty normal. We had a lesson with a lady, who I just can't figure out, with our ward mission leader and his wife. So this lady has been to church a couple of times but not in our ward, she went with her friend to a different ward. But she came to our ward this past Sunday and she said that she didnt like it. But then we went to her house earlier in the week and talked to her and got everything settled out and she was ready to go again and we set a baptismal date for her. Then we had this visit with the ward mission leader and it was awful. She was just anti do anything didn't like the church once again. So we explained to her the importance of praying to know the truth, and she was just kinda whatever with it. Then at the end the wife of the ward mission leader bore her testimony about how this lady is a special daughter of God and how great her potetial is, but also the satan knows that is doing all that he can to keep her from reaching her potencial. The spirit filled the room and we left her with that. so we will pass by this week and I hope that she has prayed and recieved an answer. 

  Well I hope that all made sense ha, 

I love ya paps.

 Love,

 Elder Zundel

 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

 10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent,and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy;then do I remember ^awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

Well, this is why I am here in Mexico Tijuana, this is why I am serving a mission! That I can be an istrument in the hands of my Savior that I may bring some person to feel of the remission of their sins, that has brought to my life so much happiness, that cannnot be compared to. That every time I see someone take one small step towards the Savior I am overwhelmed with the love that God has for them and I see the love that the Savior has for his brother because we are all children to the Grand Creator. And how lucky am I to be the means by which Christ can save the children of God.

January 27, 2014

Yeah really the time is flying by it is crazy sometimes I wish it would go a little slower. Yeah having a second language is going to bless me so much in my life, I feel like! 
And with your calling are you starting to work with an area book and the new investagors sheet and all of that?? Yeah I love that I have this oppertunity to see the gospel change peoples lives. It really is a wonderful blessing.

 No worries I am not getting chubby, I am not the same as before but I am not chubby. Did you get the pictures of Austin? now that is chubby hahahah.  I do some pushups and situps everyday and then do some workouts with that band that you guys sent me too. 

Today we are going to the church to make hamburgers and play some sport basketball or soccer don't know which one for sure. But I am excited for that should be fun. Yeah I play ball with some kids from the ward when I can, there is one kid who is actually pretty good! Lately I have been really tired, just all of the time I feel wrecked it is pretty rough but it is part of the mission life right? Oh and showering out of a bucket is getting pretty old too!

   Yeah It is crazy how much work there is to do in the work of salvation,  there is no time to waste the time is not ours here on the earth it is a time to serve our Lord.  I see some people here, and I look and you back home and you guys are great examples to me of how to serve the Lord when I get home. 

Well I hope you have a wonderful week and all goes well,

 Love you paps, 

Love,

 Elder Zundel

 Pleas tell Aunt Lisa thank you for the package I love it! and tell Jennie Mitton the same thing! And Where Do my ancestors come from? from both sides and does Zundel have a meening or is it just a name? How many generations does our family have in the church? who was the fist convert from both sides?

Our ladies are still doing good and all of that good stuff, it is kinda sad cause next week I believe I will get transfered so I wont be able to see them get baptized or any of that good stuff but oh well i guess just the way of the mission right?! Really the power of the Holy Ghost is amazing and think about the people who do not have the gift of the Holy Ghost when they feel the comfort of him it must be something amazing. 

That is pretty cool, is all of the ladies going or is it shortening down? Uncle Bill not doing so hot with health or what? Yeah lets make sure grandma is doing good and walkin' like a soldier! I love the Lady!!! Yeah really is crazy that my friends are getting married! I am still a few years off from that though. Lacee is getting married that is cool! How is she doing how is the Jensen Family doing and Bishop Jensen? 

 Yeah really there is nothing better for a 19 year old boy than to go on a mission I dont think there is anything that can help you more than this right now. 

I love you mother and I hope you are doing magnificent (or however you spell it) 

Love,

 Elder Zundel!

Tijuana,Mexico

January 20, 2014

Okay so I will start of with a story! K so about two months ago we met a lady named Lourdez and when we got to her door we asked if she was there and she said I am Lourdez how do you know my name, and we told her that we got her name from the church.  She told us that she had never talked to anyone of our religion before.  So that is kinda weird because I do not remember getting a reference from anyone about her. So in the first visit with her, she sat there and told us about the 50 medical problems that she had, then when we left we said a prayer about her health and all of that. Then a couple days later she introduced us to her sister Martha. Well Martha's son got murdered a couple years ago and she was kind of  mad with God, and said to us that she wanted nothing to do with us. She said that God couldn't forgive her cause she couldn't forgive the person who killed her son. So I told her that we could tell her where her son is at if she would give us one chance, but she didn't. So about two weeks ago we were at the house of Lourdez and we were going to give her a lesson, when her sister and daughter, Daniela, walked in. So we started in on the lesson and Daniela and Martha started pounding us with questions.  All Daniela had heard about mormons is that we are of the devil.... so we are answering all of her questions about life after death and how God has a plan and all of this,  for a long time actually then we had to leave. So we came back later that week and they were pounding us with questions again and we were answering them like bam, bam, bam, then Lourdez says can you say a prayer for my sister like you did for me because all of my sicknesses have gone! So we were like yes! but better yet let us give her a blessing. So she sat down on the chair and we gave her a blessing and the tears just started flowing out of her eyes, and she later told us that she is a person that holds everything in.  After the blessing she told us that she felt something warm all around her and pulled something out of her that let her cry.  So then this last Tuesday we went back again and taught the fist lesson to them and at the end, after more teary eyes,  I extended the baptismal invitation and they all accepted!!! Martha says," I know this church is true," holds up the Book of Mormon, "I know this book is true! cause I have never felt this way before." 

So there is a story for you! Love you mother I bought a watch and then just took out the other money for when I need some food!! 

Sweet that you sold the car Jason couldnt handle the coolness or what???

 Love you mom ,

Love your lastborne! 

Elder Zundel

(extra email to dad)

WOW 33 YEARS You guys are old!  Felizidades por ustedes!! I got one dear elder the one about the first day of the hunt. Oh that is a bummer that you got sick, This last monday I woke up in the night an didnt feel good thought I was going to throw up so I slept on the floor for a little while but never threw up. But since then I have had a really bad cold and nasty cough, still have both of them. Wow all of my cousins are getting married!!! that is pretty cool though. Yeah I would imagine that they like the Jr. Jazz a lot, how are all of the little guys doing?? Any new ones on the way or anything? Yeah it is hard to get people to commit to stuff here especially where they do not have a means to get to the church cause it is a dollar each way on the bus for every person in their family and a lot of people do not make a lot of money at all here. we live in the privado Hinujo in Delicias uno tijuana. Well it is really pretty hot here, well the air is really dry and not all that hot but the sun is really hot on your skin. Thats about all I got, I will send mom a email and a little story. 

I love you keep on workin hard! 

Love Elder Zundel

January 13, 2014

Yeah to be honest with you the time is going by way to fast sometimes I want it to slow down just a little bit.  My health is doing really good, still gonna kick your but everyday I am in the house so you better hope I get home just a week or so before I go to college. But really everything is good. That is awesome that you are moving the work forward like that, (in the Tremonton 8th Ward) the members are really good to work with us. The only problem that we have is that our area is a long way from the church, and all of the leaders live by the church, so we have no leaders in our area. 

   Parker is dominating! Sweet San Fran!!! 

I miss the nights with the fam a lot!!! But we have a family here who is so awesome, so funny too, the other night we parted rosca en la dia del reyes and when you cut the rosca if you get a little Jesus then you have to make 20 tamales for February so I have to make 40 tamales for this family, ha! But they were all playing games and doing stupid human tricks it ws a really good time!

Things are going well, we are having a lot of lessons right now with a lot of different investigators so that is good. We just need to step it up on our member present lessons, cause those are kind of low right now. We have one investigator I think I already told you about her, she is 14 and has a 6 month old baby and lives with her boyfreind who is like 18 o 19. But she is awesome the smartest person I have taught yet. She really is digging the church but the only problem is that she is living with her boyfreind and they are not married.  So this last week we went and talked to her mom about marriage and all of that. It was awesome! We were just straight up with the mom and we were like your daughter is not living right in the sight of God and kinda stuff like that. We talked about her desire to be baptized too. The mom was like any other mom would be like and is worried cause the circumstances that they are living in are not the best but she said if t is what she truely wants and all of this then it is okay with me. And lately the boyfriend of this girl, who is a member, has been going to church with her and really improving in aspects of his life. Awesome the way the gospel influences people.

 The weather here is really nice I dont need to wear a jacket except at night. But cool that Jessica got married and all I bet that was a fun little trip for you. Oh that is cool that that guy got ahold of Uncle Scott! It was fun to intract with them for a while. Good to hear the Tremonton 8th ward is doing good with the work of salvation! Tell Grandmpa and Grandma thanks a ton for the birthday and Christmas money!

 I love you Pray for you daily.

I love you!

Love,

Elder Zundel

January 6, 2014

Good to hear that everything is going good back home! That is some pretty nice information to get! (insurance money) That is awesome about the boys hopefully they can keep going without the support of their mother. I would say it is very important that their mom has a better oppurtunity to hear the gospel, because I know I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the parents that I have. Oh that is way sad about her husband hopefully the joy of the gospel can help her come to know that the church is true. Oh that is fun is the family going to the house or you guys going somewhere? ( to have missionary lessons in Spanish)

That is awesome about Parker! He must be working pretty hard! Oh that sucks that Mckade hurt his back I bet it is hurting him worse to be missing out on games than to be hurt. 

Crazy how fast all of the little guys are growing up!

 This week was probably the Best week of my mission so far!!! So there was a group of about 250 Americans who came to our church to build houses and do service. I loved being able to talk to them and help out some with the drywall and painting and all of that good stuff. Then on sunday we went by some of our investigators and they couldnt go to church, then passed by some more and they couldnt go to church... then we went by some more and they could go to church!! We had 8 of them in church yesterday!!!! I am so happy about that you have no idea. I was really sad when the Americans went home on Friday because it was like a little bit of America right here in Tijuana! That is about what happened this week not way eventfull but very successful which is better I guess.

 Well I love you pray for you daily!

 Love,

 Elder Zundel

WHAT TAYLOR!!!! that is crazy happiness to her though! HAHA I love hearing about the little guys ha they are awesome. But I dont have a lot of time to write this week but things are good with me I love you so much.  I will write something for them next week.  More Fasting and More prayers brought more investigators!

(a little side note to mom)

December 30, 2013

HAHA OOPPsss yeah you are right better not do that one again. (about hanging up with out mom saying good bye!) But man was it nice to be able to talk to you guys and hear your voices. Really a nice little blessing. I want to talk a little bit about what I said about what I said about not liking the mission or something of that matter.

  I LOVE THE MISSION! I love being a missionary, I love teaching the gospel, I love helping people, I love seeing people smile and be able to rejoice in the blessing that the gospel gives. I love the people here they are so nice, so humble. The place itself not so much kinda really ugly ha. But I do love the food also! The only thing that I do not like is when we work our butts off every week have quantos nuevos and a bunch of awesome lessons, then people tell us that they are going to go to church and then we go by their house Sunday morning and nobody can go... really I have a love hate relationship with Sundays. I love the sacrament, but I get so dissapointed that we dont have our investigators in church. 

   But this week I fasted Saturday night for our investigators that they would be able to go to church with us. And guess what happened???? We went by all of them in the morning an none of them could go... just a typical Sunday. Then we got done with the meeting and I had a miracle a lady just moved into the ward who is a recent convert and her 9 year old son wants to be baptized too!! How awesome!

   Then also when I was talking to grandpa on the phone it made my mission. I could care less (not really) if I had a baptism the rest of my mission when he told me that he was in the 15th chapter of Nephi I was so happy! I dont know if you heard him but he says this book is a little crazy in the 3rd chapter the guy cuts the kings head off, this is more brutal than Sudan Husain. hahah. But ever since I have been out here I have prayed every night that the hearts of Grandpa and Grandma would be softened and that someone would help them get on the path back to their Heavenly Father.

  Okay so we sleep on bunkbeds and I sleep on the top bunk. I was sleeping last night and at about 3 guess I was on the edge of the bed and I rolled from my side to my back and I fell right off the bed about 6 feet to almost my death. I woke up this morning with a pretty sore neck and shoulder. Well there you have it from this guy I hope you have a wonderful week and I love you a ton!

Love, 

  Elder Zundel