We have to do our part!!

July 14, 2014

Hey!

Wow, sounds like you guys had a great week! I'm glad you had a good birthday mom and that everything is going good out there!  That's also sweet about Ashley and basketball and I'm pretty shocked about Alli, but look at her go hahahah also have a great time at the peruvian thing!  that sounds sweet!  I also had an awesome week!  We got two baptismal dates this week and they both went to church yesterday and they are awesome!  We also had a good amount of lessons which is kinda hard for Santa Maria, but it seriously was an awesome week!  I also have been in Peru for 10 months now which is pretty crazy.......... it's seriously gone bye so fast!  It's insane, but its so awesome!  I don't really have that much to say this week hahah but if we put in our part, God willl put in his. I feel like thats something really important because a lot of times we excpect a lot of things from him but dont put in our part.  its something we can always get better at, but I was just thinking that it's something we should always remember! 

Studying the Scriptures will help bless our lives

July 7, 2014

Hola!

How is everyone doing?  I'm doing pretty good out here.  Elder Calle and I are working hard and we are happy.  We did have some set backs this week with the family we were going to  marry and with our other baptismal dates, but thats really just how life is I guess.  There's always setbacks, but we just have to keep moving forward and everything will turn out alright.  I'm really having a good time out here and learning a lot.  I know that there's a lot of things going on always in our lives, but something I've really learned that if we can always focus on God and what he wants for us, everything will come out ok.  That's why it's really so important that we should study the scriptures because they can show us what he wants for us.  We can really apply them to our lives and it helps us to refocus ourselves every day to really move towards the goals that we have in our life!  I hope everyone is doing good out there and I really hope you have a great birthday mom! I bought you some sweet coin purses, you may just have to wait a little while to get them.  Have a great week and I will talk to you next week!

Love,
Elder Zundel

                                           happy birthday mom

                 

 

La esencia de elegancia

June 30, 2014

Hey!

Well, this was another good week!  We have been pretty busy too, and it does seem like a while since we have talked, but I'm doing good!  We are getting pretty close with our family, in the process of marrying them and then we have two other young men aged boys who are also super close to being baptized.  Tomorrow are the transfers, but its almost 100 guarantee that im staying in this area hahah.  This is ok, my companion and I are doing good.  We are working hard and having fun!  We also had a sweet activity this week, the tarde blanca (the white night) and I sent some pictures so you can enjoy them.  We were la esencia de elegancia (the essence of elegance) that night hahah. Pretty fun week and this week is looking to be a good one too! Not to much else going on, but having fun and learning so much its crazy! Hope you are all doing well!

 

Love you,

 

Elder Zundel

 

 

Cui!!!!! (Guinea Pig)

June 23, 2014

Hey!

Well, this week was a solid week!  We are working pretty good, and the area is coming along!  We had a lot of less actives and recent converts that were able to come to church this week and it was pretty awesome! We are also teaching this family, the colombina family and we got the dad and his daughter to go to church so we were pretty pumped about that!  We also had a training with President, not sure if it was this week or the other, but I really like this one part when he talked about eternal life.  He was talking about how there aren't any discounts or short cuts and we have to get the people to understand that and help them through anything that would hold them to progress in the gospel.  He shared some scriptures with us and I was justamente reading there.  It's in lucas Chapter 14 I think hahah don't have my Bible on me, but it gives a few paraboles and talks about how we really need to follow Christ over everything else in our lives and I really liked it!  anyways that was pretty much my week. i hope you like the Cui pictures, it tasted really interesting--mostly like chicken if I could compare to anything.  It was kind of hard getting past the finger nails that were still on it while I was eating it!  Definitely a new experience and pretty freaking hilarious I thought!  Hope you guys have a great week!

 

Love you,

 

Elder Zundel

 

Elder Oaks visits!

June 16, 2014




Hello!

I had a great week!  We got to meet with Elder Oaks which was really awesome!!!  We also had our baptism this week which was even more awesome!  We baptized Sammy and you should have heard her testimony after her baptism. It was so amazing, I really felt good after that!  Just like it says in Matthew making disciples of Christ! (Mathew 28;19-21)  We also have this one family, the colombina family and we had a freaking sweet lesson with them and I felt so awesome after that!  We went in no having a clue what to teach and came out with all of them having a goal or the 19 of july to get baptized!  Really awesome, but I was kind of sad because they didn't come to church yesterday because it was father;s day and everything but they promised us this week!  We also have to start working on getting them married which is another story....... It was awesome though and cool because we didn't really worry about the fact they needed to get married.  We were just going to teach and lisetned to what they were saying and then taught them according to what they needed.  It was really an awesome experience and I had a great week! I'm trying to seend pictures also! Hope you guys had a great week too!  Love you all so much!

Elder Zundel

 

Working hard!

June 9, 2014

 

Mom!

Sounds like you guys had a pretty solid week!  This week also went bye super fast for us too.  We are getting ready for the baptism this upcoming Saturday, and we are pretty close to helping one of the family's we are teaching to get married and then baptising them which would be sweet.  Elder Calle is doing good and the district is also going good.  That's pretty awesome about the missionary lunch you all were able to go to! If you guys do another one, you gotta take aji de gallina, one of my personal favorite Peruvian dishes.  Nothing too crazy going on though, Elder Oaks is coming to meet with all of us on Saturday which will be soo cool and then our baptism.  I am just about to finish Alma and Luke in my reading and that's about it hahaha That's so awesome about Zach getting his mission call!! He's literally going to be the best missionary!  Portuguese and Spanish and like super similar so we should be able to communicate in some form hahah anyways. I hope you guys  have a great week and i love you guys a lot!

 

 

 

 

shined my shoes!!

 

Living the Life!!!

June 2, 2014

 

 

Hello!

Well, this week like you said went by super fast! We had a pretty fun and busy week out here!  We got haircuts on Monday and they put in hot water in our apartment!!  Tuesday was pretty crazy because we were in a lesson with an investigator and his pastor came in and we were able to teach them both and made a great impression.  Wednesday was pretty much normal, don't really remember what happened...... but Thursday was cool, president came to our reunión de distrito   and then we went out proselyting with one of the assistants.  I also gave a training on commitments.  Friday nothing too crazy either, Saturday we went to the bank (which is like a huge Costco or shopping area) and I bought a panini grill so we are living the life now hahah.  We have a baptismal date for the 14 of Junio and we are pretty excited about that!  her name is Sammy Navarro!   She is a friend of our pencionista!  It's awesome!  Also on June 14 we get to meet with Elder Oaks!!! Anyways, glad to hear you guys had a good week!  Alli and Ashley look great in there pictures and that's awesome that you got to see Daniel!  Were they just visiting or what?  Everything else is going great out here  and we are really having a good time!  The zone leaders also found a gym out here and we decided we are going to go in the mornings.... just an fyi because you might not recognize me when i get back because I will be so huge and muscly!!  hahahaha

Love you lots!!!

A new companion and new responsibilities!!!!

May 26, 2014

Mom!

Hey mom pretty solid week!  I'm kind of with you on that one about this week going by kind of slow, mainly because of transfers and everything but all is going good!  Some updates now...... my new companion is Elder Calle, my first trainee in the mission hahaha. He has about three weeks in the mission and has been a member for about 2 years and is the only member in his family.  He's awesome though!  He's from Bolivia and we get a long great and are working hard out here!  It's pretty cool because we have been finding a bunch of new families and people to teach so we are pretty happy.  Everything is going good out here, and I'm happy hahah.  It's also pretty cool because I'm now a district leader over some hermanas and the zone leaders.  I am also practicing that which is pretty cool.  I gave a training on how we can know when we are having success in the mission!  Other than that nothing really to crazy going on, just trying to work hard!  As for Colten getting his mission call, that's freaking awesome!!!!! what mission? my zone leader is from Uruguay!  He's going to come back with an accent  like the people from Argentina!  They also love soccer down there so it will be cool! When does he leave?  I'm so pumped for Zach!!!! They will do so good  and I'm really excited for them!  Anyways that was my week this week hahah hope everything is going well on the homefront!

 

 

Charity

May 19, 2014

hey guys!

Pretty sweet week this week!  Nothing really too crazy, but we did get to play soccer as a mission which was sweet!  I got to see a bunch of my friends and it was just awesome!  Kinda sad though because Morales and Urzola and Medrano are all going home and have become some pretty good friends of mine!  Tuesday was also really cool because we had the zone conferences and it was sweet!  We learned a lot about charity and how its really important to love everyone and just try and help everyone out which was really cool!  We also read in 1 corinthians 13 the whole chapter and moroni 7 42-48 just if you wanna read about charity hahah.  pretty sweet though and something we can always work on!  pretty crazy though because at like 3, I have to go to the offices to drop off Urzola with his suitcases, he's really a good guy and I learned a lot from him!  Other  than that nothing too crazy is happening out here!  going to pick up my new companion tomorrow so we will see how it goes!

 

Love you!

                                                                                           soccer!!!!!

 

 

 

moving some bags of dirt!!!!

 

 

Happy Mother's Day!!

May 10, 2014

Mom!!

 

Sorry I am online late today...and totally different day....we were helping people with a service project this morning.  We are using the internet hoy!  On Monday, I will not be emailing, we are going to get together as a whole mission and play soccer and I think watch a movie, it's going to be sweet!!  My week was awesome, pretty solid.  We didn't do much Monday or Tuesday, but Wednesday was cool because we went to the temple with Euler and Alberto..... I think euler will send some pictures right now because he is going to be companero for two days hahah just because my companion is going home and is starting to say goodbye and stuff like that.  Everything is going really good.  We have found a family that is awesome and we put a baptismal date with them, just have to work to get them to church!  I'm pretty excited about tomorrow to Skype with you guys and think everything is all planned out so that's good.  Not to much really going on, and I'm doing good!

Love you!!!

 

 

I try to be better every day

May 5, 2014

Hello!!

 

So this week was an interesting one.  We are doing good out here, just trying to do our best to work hard and it's going pretty well!  I am sorry I am emailing a lot later.  Long story short, we finally got everything taken care of and as of this morning my companion now has 9 toenails.  Thank goodness he is alright!!  We did have to go to the clinic like four times this week which was kind of rough because its like a two hour bus ride there and two hours back,  so that was fun.......But hopefully my companion will be able to get better now!  Anyways, the area is going good, we did an activity this week with all the missionaries of the stake and we got a bunch of references so I'm super excited to get out there and find these people hahaha. I also almost finished Mosiah this week which was awesome.  It really made me think about how we need to treat others and how we have to try and be friends with everyone! It's not always super easy, but we can improve ourselves day by day and try to do better. That was pretty much my week this week hahah i have a pretty funny picture that im gonna send you guys i think you will like it!! I get to call you some time this week to set up a time to talk for Mothers Day can't wait to talk you all.

 

 

love you guys!

 

                                                   Thought you would all enjoy the crocs trend has made it to Peru!

 

 

 

                                                                                  A zone activity                                                                         

 

 

 

I want to be a good Example

April 28, 2014

Mom!

Hey mom, how's it going?  This week was a pretty good one, and went by super fast.  I know the area more or less now, just trying to find some people out there, which is easier said than done hahah.  Other than that it was solid though.  My companion and I get along pretty good.  He's kind of sick though which is too bad, but he's a good guy.  That's so awesome about Stephen too!!!!! So stoked for him he will be a great missionary! I will email Quille after this because his brother is in Mexico!  Nothing really new going on out here though, just trying to do my best to work hard! I'm sorry I don't have much more to say, the weeks just seem to all blend together.  I do know that this week I have thought a lot about how important it is to be an example to everyone and to try to be friends with everyone!! I have some pictures and I'm going to send them after this! In the pics, grandma sent two Santa Balls but they didn't come at the same time.  So I gave one to my pencionistas son Joshua to open! It was a success! He sure loved it!!  A Zundel tradition I shared in Peru!!  I hope you guys got the videos that were sent to you?!!

 

 love you guys!

 

 

 

 

 

Poco a Poco

April 21, 2014

Hey Mom!

Pretty solid week this week.  still trying to get to know the area a little by little.  Definitely a lot better than the last week which was kind of overwhelming, but ya life goes on.  We had interviews this week and room inspections an everything went well. The Mission President was talking with me and telling me how the area is kinda rough, but just to do my best and keep working hard.  So that's just what I'm trying to do, just work hard and have a good time!  When I say rough I mean we don't really have any investigators and we walk forever without teaching or talking to anyone.  Poco a Poco (little by little) is a saying I learned early out here which helps sometimes when times are hard.  I have been thinking about the parable of the talents a lot lately too.  I need to use the talents that I have been given.  I am also reading 10 pages a day in the Book of Mormon in Spanish! It's pretty awesome and it really just makes you feel good!  Make sure you guys are reading your Books of Mormon out there! Anyways, not really anything new going on haha got some pictures so ill send them shortly!

love you guys!

 

 

 

El Barrio Magnolias

April 14, 2014

Hey mom,

Man this week was definitely a long one..... not gonna lie.... but everything is going pretty well out here so thats good!  I am now serving en el barrio Magnolias, but they call our area Santa Maria.  its basically 15 minutes away from my old area so thats kind of interesting hahah. The city is still San Juan de Lurigancho and that includes both Magnolias and Casablanca..... they are just smaller parts of the town or city! There aren't too many members here, and we don't really have any investigators, but we are just trying to work hard. We are living in some random house/room that we rent.  My companion's name is Elder Urzola...... he's Colombian and he's pretty cool hahah it's pretty crazy though because this is his last transfer and then he finishes his mission. It's cool, there are six missionaries in our ward, it has a large area to cover. It's just kinda hard because the members dont really live in our area. That's pretty much the basics of whats going on... just trying to do my best and ya thats about it hahah hope you guys are all doing well! and love you a bunch!

Saying goodbye to Casablanca will be rough...

April 7, 2014

Hey mom,

This week has definitely been a semi rough one.....  sorry that I'm emailing you guys so late, but we went to paint a house this morning.  After that we went to the transfers meeting and found out that I am going to be transferred.  Kinda rough, but it hasn't really hit me yet I think.  Nothing really too crazy happened this week, but you are definitely right how amazing was General Conference.  It really changed my mind about a lot of things.  How I want to live my life in the mission and after.  I really liked how they talked about just loving others and putting God first in our lives. I really am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to come out here and serve a mission in Peru. It has really been an unexplainable experience.  I love you guys so much and know that this church is true, and that there's nothing more important because in the end families are the most important.  We are all responsible for our own actions but we can help each other be better.  One of my new favorite scriptures I've found is in Romans chapter 1 verse 16 and explains how I feel a lot better than I can hahah.. There's a lot in my head right now hahah,and I don't have a lot of time- sorry if it's kinda all over the place, but I love you guys so much and hope you are doing well!

 

 

Last week in Casablanca??

March 31, 2014

Hey mom!

Pretty solid week this week.  nothing really crazy is going on over here...... this could be my last week here in Casablanca which is kinda sad, but just gotta finish strong.  I'm doing pretty good out here, learning so much it's pretty awesome.  Also just trying to help the people in any way I can.  It's pretty cool just to have the opportunity to serve the people here and learn.  It's really a good idea to look for little acts of service that you can do for others because that's when you can really feel the Saviors love. Thanks for sending the extra money. I've been budgeting way better this month and ended with 100 extra soles.  I'm going to save to help pay for marriages! So I'm doing fine really!  I really don't have too much else too say, but I'm doing good out here in Peru and hope you guys are doing good out there!!!!

 

*Note from mom----Jake did mention that it is very expensive for most couples to get married in Peru, therefore, many of the couples live together. This is why he mentioned he wanted to use his extra money for marriages so that these families can be together forever :)

 

 

              Jake just sent me a picture of Matthew 17:20 on Spanish (this really helped our family a lot this week)

                                                                Jakes new scripture bag (a birthday present)

 

Building Bathrooms

March 24, 2014

Mom!

Hey mom this week went by pretty fast, but it was a good one! Nothing too crazy happened.  Our baptismal date didn't go to church so she will have to get baptized in April which is kind of disappointing, but we finished with three baptisms in March which is pretty solid.  The funeral sounds like it was nice.  I am sad for grandma Jeanne, but I know she will be fine. is she going to stay in Chicago?  My finger is healing up pretty good, and I have some pictures to send you and you guys will probably die.  We did a talent show for our ward and i sang as a famous Peruvian artist.  his name is Chacalon and he's pretty sweet. I'll send some pics soon.  All is going well out here in Peru. The days are kinda running together, but it's really fun out here! sorry if I threw you guys off, because I am emailing earlier than usual..... we are going to play soccer in some park with the whole zone, so we had to go a little early.  One thing I would like is Spencer's email--- Spencer Taylor! Other than that, I'm perfect!

 

Have a great week, love you guys!!

 

 

 

Jake---"Don't worry mom, I just cut my finger"   Me--Don't you think you need stitches?  Jake--"No, I'll be fine"

 

Me--What were you doing?  Jake---"We were building a bathroom"

 

 

 

   

 

Elder Zundel in the Ward Talent show as a famous Peruvian artist Chacalon

 

March 16, 2014....3 Baptisms!!

March 17, 2014

Mom!

Hey mom this week was a pretty interesting week hahah.  I have a little bit of a cold, but we are still working hard out here!  We had our three baptisms on Saturday which was pretty sweet. I'll send some pics in a little bit. President called me last night, and told me that  Great Big Grandpa Neil passed away. I was glad I heard the news in a phone call. It's too bad, but really he's doing better now I'm sure! (Alma 40:11-12).  I'm glad to hear that dad, grandpa and grandma Jeanne are taking it well though! Was dad out there or had he already returned?  I'm also glad to hear that mormal went well hahah, that's always a good time.  Definitely send me Wes' email!!! That's so crazy. He's going to be great!  That's pretty funny you talked with Elder Morales when you called the mission office, he's the man!  and ya grandpas reputation of being a Stake President followed me all the way out to Peru hahahah having Elder Waddell visit and teach us was really cool!  love you guys a bunch too and hope you guys are all doing well!!!  love you a bunch!

 

 

 

I asked Jake if he remembered today was St, Patricks day and if he was wearing green :)

 

He said---"oops.....no, I'm not wearing green!  But Alli sent me a picture that she put a green mustache on cardboard cutout Jake at home, so I'm all good!!!

SIX MONTHS!!!!!!!

March 10, 2014

Mom!

Sounds like you had a good week out there in Arizona!  I had a pretty solid week here, nothing too crazy really.  We just were working like usual and are preparing for our baptisms this week!  Nothing really interesting going on hahah.  I had a visita de trabajo this week with Elder Forward and that was good, elder Waddell is coming this Thursday and we are going to get to meet with him which will be pretty cool.  It was pretty cool,  yesterday I taught a lesson in Quechua.  It is the Incan language.  The woman is from Cusco and her daughter translated for me. I talked to her in Spanish and then she talked to her in Quechua.  It was pretty sweet.  The weather here is finally cooling down and has been kinda rainy :)Sounds like you guys are busy with mormal which is always a good time.  Didn't get any packages this week, but I got a letter from grandma Jeanne! everything is going good out here in Peru!

 

 

P.S.  Tomorrow will be six months that Jake is in Peru!!  He did not mention this in his email but here was his response when I told him Happy Six Months!!

 

 

I know right!!!!! Crazy!! and I'm gonna burn one of my ties (that's what you do at the six month mark)  hahah Elder Quille finishes a year on Thursday too! crazy stuff!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday!!!!!

March 3, 2014

Mom!

Pretty solid week out here in Peru!  We were pretty busy, and are doing good.  As you guessed, I didn't get transferred!  Pretty sweet and I got another transfer to work in Casablanca!  Elder Chamorro and I have three baptismal dates for the 15th of this month so that's pretty sweet.  We had some fun for my birthday and it sounds like you already got some pictures which is good!  I got like 5 birthday cakes from all the members hahah and some missionaries too.  Really an awesome birthday that I won't forget!  Other than that I really cant remember what we did this week!  The days all seem to blend together, but it's pretty fun out here I'm not gonna lie!  I miss you guys, but the people here are so awesome!!!!! Sorry I don't have too much to say, but ya that's what I got.

 

Love you.

 

 

 

Victoria and Rosmery's baptisms

February 24, 2014

mom!

This week was pretty crazy and stressful hahah.  In the end however, we came out victorious with two baptisms!!! (will send photos in a bit!)  this week really flew by because we had a bunch of stuff going on, so it was good.  La hermana Victoria y su hija Rosmery were baptized yesterday after all of our efforts!  I also had a bunch of visitas de trabajo this week because of various reasons, which was interesting, but again, I learned a lot and worked hard as usual.  My district leader taught me something pretty cool that I thought we could use in our lives.  I was asking him how he teaches so well and he said he just focuses on the necessity because they necessity is like an anchor and if we don't pull up the anchor we won't go anywhere.  It was pretty cool because I thought that we will all have anchors, but if we focus on our anchors or disabilities, we can move on and be stronger.  I'm actually still somewhat stressed out because we have transfers tomorrow and I think I am leaving hahah.  but I am doing good, and just going to keep working hard!

 

 

El Dia de Amistad

February 17, 2014

mom!

Sounds like you guys are pretty busy out there!  Elder Chamorro and I are also pretty busy out here also!  We have two baptismal dates for this week so we are pretty stoked about that!  Everything has been really good this week.  We had a zone conference with president, went out to lunch Tuesday (5 month mark) and it really was just a good week.  Everything is pretty calm out here, I got like 4 packages this week hahah (one from you guys, Grandma Jeanne and the Dickman's sent me two)  pretty awesome and I REALLY appreciate all the support!! I don't really know what else to talk about rally hahah everything is just moving along.  My companion is good, and yes the do celebrate Valentines Day (el dia de amistad)  and its pretty much they same, but Peruvian so not quite hahah.  kind of a weak email, but I really don't know what to write about!

 

A few of Jake's other emails this day---

I was trying to think of something, but came up dry.  really was just thinking that we should always try to improve our lives and change for the better.  I read the story of Lot and his wife and that's just what I thought about.  It's in Genesis 17 I think.....  if we just look forward and focus on our goal we will be much happier.  That's also what I have learned out here, if we don't have goals and do things with a purpose, we will just drift around in circles with our lives. Just some things I've been thinking about!

hahahah something elder quille always told me and taught was about the two most powerful things in the world..... the atonement and the decisions of the people.  a lot of times we don't think too much about what we are doing, but its the little things that do big things!

 

 

         We made a sweet staircase at the top of a mountain and a lady let me use her hat hahahah

           I honestly don't know why they live so high up there, but they do..... there's houses,

            but they just climb the hill so we were helping them out!

 

I love this ward and the members!!

February 10, 2014

mom!

Sounds like this week was crazy!! that's so crazy about dad too!!!!! so awesome!  did they change the whole bishopric (I killed that word sorry) or just dad?  that's just crazy!  this week was pretty cool, pretty much a normal week.  we did lose one of our baptismal dates which was kind of rough, but we should have two for this week.  just really hope they don't fall through!  everything else is going good though!  we had a birthday party for our bishop this week which was sweet, and the ward here is seriously so awesome!  Vicente's brother gave me a triple from the 80s from Guatemala with a Mayan scripture case and its probably the coolest thing ever!  I feel so blessed to be here its awesome!  its just really hard to describe the members here!  we had splits this week and I was with the district leader and it was crazy. he taught this lesson that was so cool.  he compared the story of Joseph of Egypt and how he interpreted the pharoahs dream and how we have to do everything we can in this life to prepare ourselves for the next life.  I pretty much butchered the description, but it was like the coolest lesson ever!  other than that not too much is going on!  I got two huge packages that were unreal!!!!!! thank you so much for all the support you give me! so awesome. but yeah that's my email for the week!