Ano Nuevo

November 10, 2014

Hola!

 

Wow just got done sending everything off so I am a lot more calm hahaha anyways, this week was a good one, I am now in Año Nuevo now which is in the Comas stake! We are four missionaries here and everything is going well. I am getting to know the area and everything I have to do and I'm doing well hahaha my companion is Elder Rios, he is the one next to me in the picture! He is super cool, he's from the jungle of Peru which is really awesome he's a really cool guy and we get a long great. It's kind of interesting because I have never been on this side of the mission, but everything is pretty much the same.  We also have this super cool thing and we make like fried eggs and sausage every morning and its amazing hahahaha  I am finishing up with Acts this week and it really is awesome reading about what the apostles did and I really enjoy reading it and trying to learn from their example and I know that if we just try to be like them we can be better and happier, sorry if this is kind of short, in the transfer, I was made a zone leader so I have a few more responsibilities, but I will plan it better next week and everything will turn out well hahaha anyways have a great week! love you!

Elder Zundel

Don't live in the past--enjoy every moment!!!!!

November 3, 2014

Familia!

Wow this has been an interesting week...... nothing too crazy really going on, just was trying to get things going with my companion and then there was Halloween which was pretty interesting ( I got really sick)...... not too great of a night to say the least hahaha but nothing I couldnt handle!  Anyways, I was like super sad yesterday because of the transfers and everything and all the awesome friends I have made here in the zone and now we are going to be split up and stuff, but I really just was talking to dad like two minutes ago and he really just made me think about a lot of things..... it first of made me think about a song that I used to like a lot before the mission because it says that there ain't no grown man that should be living in a memory and I really know that this is true! We go through things and experience many different things every day, but we will always have the memories with us, and that is great for us! We can always learn from our past errors and things that we have done and all the good times we have had, but we shouldn't be sad because they are over, but instead thank the Lord for another day of life where we can make some more great memories and learn and progress even more! I am grateful for all the experiences I have had with you guys and with all my friends and really for all the great examples I have seen and had in my life! I know everything happens for a reason and we just have to keep moving forward with a good attitude and a full heart! Love you guys a bunch and thanks for everything you guys do for me!!!!! les quiero un montón!!!!!

Elder Zundel

Try to help others in every situation!

October 27, 2014

Hola!

Well this was another pretty solid week!  Nothing too crazy going on, just truckin along and everything is going pretty well.  Next week there are transfers so that should be interesting, but I'm doing good. I have been thinking about some things that I have been reading and I guess I will share that with you guys hahaha. I was just reading in Acts when Paul starts teaching to the Gentiles and it just really made me realize that it really doesn't matter who we are or what we do, we should just all try to help one another in every situation.  Peter sees a vision where God tells him to eat animals that typically they didn't eat in those times, but the the Lord told him that he shouldn't be the one to judge the things that God has made.  It really just stood out to me and I have just been trying to find ways to help everyone.... sometimes the people aren't always open to listen to our lessons and that's their decision, but I know that when I help them out with my companion, there is a little tiny seed planted in them, and they will slowly, but surely open up to other things!  I know that when we help others we an really have the spirit with us and that really just is fancy for saying that we will feel good hahaha. I just invite everyone who reads this to go and try to help someone out.... like my glory days as a boy scout, do a good turn daily hahahah Sister Peel would be proud! anyways! love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Love, 

Elder Zundel

Trials in Life

October 20, 2014

Hola!

How is everyone doing this week?  I am doing great this week and today and I'm really just having a great time out here!  I was thinking a lot about what you had written me and some things that have been going on at home and I was just really pondering about that and a few months back I read the book of Job and it really was just something powerful to help me understand a lot of things about this life!  He was a man who passed through many afflictions and they were some really tough ones and his friends came to comfort him and they just start to talk and there are really some cool principles that we can learn from their words.  One thing that I really liked is that as people we cant progress in this life if we don't have trials! We go through hard things so that we can progress and grow really as people! But one thing that is really important for us is the way that through all his trials, Job really focused on one thing, and that was the justice of God! We know that many times in our lives, we will go through sad moments and happy moments and have challenging times, but we can always trust in the justice of God and if we are good with him, well there really isn't anything else too important! I remember before the mission getting really upset about a lot of little things like not being able to go out surfing because it was raining and mom always said the water was dirty and I always felt like I would be left out--or when I couldn't go to a party because I had to work-- those things killed me because I wanted to do everything and be everywhere, but now I have realized there's only one place I want to be and one way to get there and that also helps us to get through the hard times in our lives. If we can follow the Lords path we can really be happy. As it has been said many times, his path was hard and if we really want to be his disciples our path will be hard as well, but si "vale la pena" anyways that's all I really have to say hahah sorry if you can understand this, but if you work hard you can see past the spelling errors and typos hahahahah

Love you guys,

Elder Zundel

General Conference

October 13, 2014

Hola!

Well, this has been a pretty solid week!  It has been awhile since we have had communication, but fret not for all has been well in Peruland hahaha  Elder Viza and I are doing good, we found some new families to teach, but we went back later in the week and I'm pretty sure they were hiding from us...... but we are just doing what we can hahaha  not too much else going on, but we did watch General Conference and it was so sweet!  I liked it a lot and learned a lot from it!  I have also been able to start putting some things that were taught into practice and that really is where we can see the true blessings of conference and it's awesome!  It was also cool we went to get burgers after the priesthood session which was pretty fun!  The Priesthood session was sweet too!  I really liked Elder Utchdorfs talk! seré yo ?  freaking awesome!!!   We also had the soccer tournament where we got to the semifinals, we kinda got  jipped because there was a whole 10th man controversy (we were playing 9v9) and it was just a very questionable situation hahaha I however was center defense and man the d was tight out there, there were no shots on goal until the semis and man  it was really a good time!  I really have made a lot of good friends out here and really think we just need to help out one another whenever we can! That way everyone can enjoy the spirit of the Lord and just be happier! Anyways, love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Zundel

Move forward and trust in the Lord

October 4, 2014

Aloha!

Well this was a pretty solid week!  Nothing really too crazy going on, Elder Viza and I are getting along well and we have found some pretty cool new people to teach!  This week Elder Moody did a work visit and it was super fun!  We pretty much dominated it and ya that's about it hahah we also have been practicing like every day at 6 am for this soccer tournament and I will definitely send some pictures!  We made jerseys and I put Ashley's name on it so I can summon her dominance to the soccer field hahaha I prepared all the packages and I put some pretty cool stuff in there!  I'm doing great and am learning a lot out here! One thing I real;y liked this week was something I read in the New Testament!  In Hebrews 10:32-39 and it talks about how we have to be the type of people that are always advancing with faith in the Lord!  I thought it was pretty cool and really liked  it and thought that we should always just move forward and trust in the Lord!  i don"t have a whole lot else to say hahah its been kind of a short week, but that's what I got!

Love you,

Elder Zundel

Keep your eyes on the prize!

September 29, 2014

Hola!

Well another week down in Peru!  It was a good one too!  I am now with the gran Elder Viza!  He is from Peru and has like 10 days more than me!  He's cool, we get along well and ya... I already kind of knew him because he is friends with a lot of my friends and a friend of a friend is always a friend so we are good hahaha anyways, this week was pretty normal, we found some new people to teach and they are cool, but a lot of them didn't get to go to church but we always have this week!  We had a cool training this week and I'm working on not letting the circumstances dominate, but instead dominate the circumstances!  I also started reading Jesus el Cristo this week Elder Resek gave me his as a gift and said I should read it because I already have a year and I am seriously learning so much! I really liked the chapter about the necessity of a Savior and how we are completely dependent on the Lord.  It is really cool and we really just need to keep our eyes on the prize and follow him and we can be happy!  I used Bernie's words of wisdom to talk about this in a noche de hogar that we did because when Bernie was teaching me how to drive he told me that where I was looking was were the car was going to go and that's the same thing we have to do with our lives!  We have to always be looking towards eternal life and just follow up with good works and we can be happy and will be rewarded when the day comes!

Love you guys,

Elder Zundel

The luckiest person ever!

September 22, 2014

Hola!!

Well this week was pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary...... transfers are tomorrow and elder resek is leaving so I think I will stay!  It's kinda sad, but what are you gonna do.. We had stake conference this week and it was awesome! An area 70 came to visit and he gave a talk and it was sweet!  In one of the talks that I really liked, they talked about the faith... it was really cool and talked about how faith is a principle of work and that we can only receive the blessings or help we want when we actively follow the Lord.. I liked that a lot and it was really cool to see that this week as we reactivated a family out here and watch their progress and it's really just awesome!  I was thinking this week and felt like the luckiest person ever and am just happy hahaha anyways sorry its kind of short this week, but that was just what I was thinking about.... everything has been kind of crazy with the transfers coming up and everything but all is well on the Peruvian front hahah hope everything is going well out there!

Unity

September 15, 2014

Hola!

Well this week was pretty much just a normal one, nothing too exciting going on.  It's pretty crazy how fast time is going though because transfers are in a week and my companion will be in his house which really is crazy...... I'm doing good though, healthy, hip and hungry for baptisms hahahahaha but really not anything new.  I was studying the other week a lot about unity and why that really matters and I thought it was very interesting, and it really made me grateful for you guys and all the fun things we did together and that we will do together and for all the support you guys give me!  I also was reading a lot about the natural man this morning and how we really need to strengthen ourselves everyday so that we can keep our minds clear and face the challenges that everyday brings.  Very interesting things and its really cool how the scriptures teach us so much and I have really come to have an appreciation for them and also really seen the importance of personal revelation and growth.  Really cool just to think about the things in the scriptures and then apply them to life and how everything works together and everything has a purpose.  I don't really know if any of that made sense hahah hopefully you can get something out of it though! anyways, love you guys a lot! have a great week!

Love, 

Elder Zundel

One year in Peru!!!!

September 8, 2014

Wow pretty crazy that this week I will have been in Peru for a year..... I was talking with one of my friends this past week that was with me in the MTC and we were both just kind of shocked about how fast the time has gone by and everyone says the second year goes by faster which is kind of hard to believe....... it seriously has been one of my best years of my life--- I'm not going to lie and it has helped me out so much I just don't even know what to say or think about it.....  anyways hahah this week was pretty solid, we didn't have too many investigators go to church this week, but we are going to this week with solid ánimos and are going to have a great week!  I had some good studying this week while preparing a training.  I sent Dad my notes and will try to forward them to you, but I read a lot of Job this week and it was awesome.  It is really cool and I liked how it talked about how we really need to pass through hard times sometimes because if we don't we can never grow!  It also talks about how even though we may be passing through something difficult, the Lord is just and we can always have the hope of our reward if we remain faithful to him!  It was really awesome and a great read! Not too much else going on, hope you guys are all doing well! It's crazy to think about, but I will be back home in about a year...... crazy stuff anyways love you and have a great week!!!

Love, 

Elder Zundel

Trust in the Lord

September 1, 2014

Mom! 

Hey mom this week was pretty good. Nothing too crazy is really going on, Same ol same ol hahah but we did find a pretty cool lady who wants to get baptized and she has kind of a sad story, But we were able to talk to her about the plan of salvation and why we are really here and what is going to happen after this life and it was really cool! We also had a cool lesson with all the members of Santa Maria and it was sweet!  We are really strengthening them and I know that one day it will be a branch!  We talked a lot about trusting in God and following him and his ways and not just following what we know or think!  It was really cool! There are some cool scriptures in Proverbs from the seminary days hahah Proverbs 3:5-8 really pretty cool and something I'm trying to get better at! Doing the things the Lords way and not how I want to! Anyways, nothing really too crazy going on! Love you guys lots and ill talk to you next week! 

Elder Zundel

The importance of the scriptures

August 25, 2014

Hello World! hahaha

Well this was another pretty solid week out here in Peru.  Nothing really too crazy is gong on out here.  We were super excited in the beginning of the week because this family was going to get married, but then there were some setbacks and it didn't quite work out..... it almost feels like there is like a small battle out here because there are like a million churches out here and it makes for a very interesting environment, but we just got keep moving forward.  It also really made me think about the scriptures a lot and the importance of studying them and really becoming good friends with them.  That's something I think I have really learned out here, The importance of really knowing about and being familiar with our beliefs really so that we can do our part and share our beliefs. There's a scripture that talks about this in Doctrine and Covenants where we have to first obtain the word of God and then Share it.  It's like 84:85 or somewhere around there hahaha don't have it on me so i couldn't tell you hahah anyways, those were some of my thoughts this week and I invite you guys to take some time out of the day and study a little and really try to understand what's going on and then share what you learned with someone!  Love you all hope you have a great week! Also just an fyi, next week might be a little different with the emails because we are going to......... the Center of Lima!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's going to be awesome! So I will let you guys know......

Love you,

Elder Zundel

I'm staying!!!

August 18, 2014

Habla!

>Bueno esta semana fue bien loco!  Con los cambios y todo ha sido bien interesante....  and after all the time that I thought I was going to leave I ended up staying!  Mixed feelings about that one hahaha I am again sending my companion to his house which is always a great time hahaha he has finished a great mission and is a great guy.  My pensionista  y su familia were super happy that I stayed too! I really love them!! This probably means I will be here until November which is kinda crazy to think about, but it will go by super fast with our work.  I was kind of in a state of shock at the start of the week because of the transfers and was doing a lot of meditating this week hahaha and I had some super cool study seshes this week which really lifted me up and helped me out!  I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish this week which was pretty sweet, I'm going to read the New Testament now in Spanish and am super excited for that!  This week I was thinking a lot about patience and it was really cool.  Patience is the ability to suffer trials and problems without getting frustrated, and I have really been working on that this week because sometimes the Lord sends us stuff we really weren't looking for (Isaiah 55:8-9) but we just gotta take what we got and move on.  I really liked these scriptures I came across this week though, the first being in Proverbs 14:29 and it just talks about how we need to react to everything calmly and not freak out hahaha something we can always be working on especially when things come our way that we weren't expecting.  The other one is in Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 and these are sweet! It talks about how everything will get better we just have to be patient.  that's pretty much what I have been thinking about this week hahah we also are teaching the family of Sammy, our convert and they are awesome!  We are going to marry them and baptize them!  They just don't know it quite yet hahahaha wow that's a lot of writing....but hopefully you guys will enjoy it!

Love you lots,

Elder Zundel 

Jackhammer Jake!

August 11, 2014

Hola!

This was another pretty solid week, not to much going on...... pero it was pretty fun.  I got to use a jackhammer and I met another American.... Mark..... really interesting guy and had a sweet visita de trabajo with Elder Moody.  Transfers are tomorrow so everyone is kind of excited for that!! I really had a good time this week and it was really awesome on Sunday because one of our investigators came to church that we have been working with for a while and it was really awesome!  We also found some other people to teach and I think they will progress very quickly!  I was also reading in Mormon this week in the last chapter and it was really cool.  He is talking about his faults and how we should be grateful for our faults because we can learn from them and I think that is very true because they weak things can really become strengths if we work on them and I liked that a lot! Anyways, hope everyone is enjoying summer and that everyone is doing well!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Zundel

We can have Hope

August 4, 2014

Hola!

Well, we had another pretty solid week out here in Peru!  We celebrated their independence day with a solid barbeque and some uno and it was a good time.  Elder resek and I are doing great, he's really cool and an amazing soccer player!  He got kind of sick this week but that's part of life and happens to all of us, but he's good now!  I was also studying this week and gave a training on hope and patience and it was pretty sweet!  It was really cool though because in this life nothing really goes how we want it to, but if we just follow Gods path we can have hope that the things will get better and if we just wait it out it will happen!  There are some cool scriptures that talk about this in Romans 5:3-5 i think..... don't have my Bible on me, but it's really cool.  So just be patient and things will get better!  I also shared a story about Beaver and I so and when you hear one of those you know you are in for a good time!! hahaha That was pretty much my week this week, so just be patient and everything will get better eventually!

Love you guys!

Elder Zundel

Learn all we can from each other

July 28, 2014

Hey!

Wow this week really has been super interesting and I have definitely had to put in practice what I wrote the other week, but despite all that I'm doing good!  I'll give you a small insight on what happened..... Monday after we had talked I went with one of my zone leaders, Elder Moody and we went and bought some movies for the zone.... Despicable me!! Classic! hahaha But I'm sitting there and we are peacefully enjoying the movie with the zone and I get a phone call.....it's from one of the assitants, and he informed me that Elder Calle had to be in the offices tomorrow at 10 in the morning because he was going to get transferred..... so long story short they were making some changes--and Elder Calle was being transferred this week and now I'm with Elder Resek.  It was kinda sad because Elder Calle was the best, he was just super relaxed and we got along super well, but it's ok because Elder Resek is cool too.  He has 22 months in the mission and knows a lot so I'm just trying to learn all I can from him.  We get along great, I was just kinda sad about mi hijo, but the world goes on and sometimes you just got deal with what you got.  It also really made me think about my other companions and about all the things we can learn from each other because we are all different and we all have different strengths and weaknesses and I'm really just trying to take all the good qualities from my compañeros and become some sort of super jake hahaha but all jokes aside its really cool to just try and learn from everyone and become better people and help others become better people and just be happy!! hahaha Well thats pretty much the big thing that happened.  Alex went to church this week so he just has to go one more time and then al agua no mas hahaha hope you guys are doing good! love you!

Elder Zundel

Weaknesses can become strengths

July 21, 2014

Hey!

Well, this week has been an alright one... we've had a few setbacks with the work we have been doing, but we are just working on that with paciencia so tha'ts pretty much where we are with that!! hahah It really is like they say, paciencia is a virtue, because there are a lot of things that we really just gotta work on little by little.  It's pretty cool though because we really can change everything that we want, we just have to have some paciencia and humble ourselves before the Lord and or weaknesses can become strengths.  It's something that we always have to get better at, but it really is something that is awesome because I have really realized some of my weaknesses out here. But I have learned that if I just try and do things the way of the Lord, everything comes out better.  We are doing pretty good out here, elder calle and I are learning a lot and he is super funny, he really is just kind of mellow and we get along really well!  Well, I don't really know what else to write about, but I was reading in third Nephi this week and it was like the sermon on the mount part and it was really cool.  I'm really trying to work on how I treat others and just try to love everyone, and really just serve them.  You guys should always try to find ways to serve one another, because we can really show our love through our actions. Anyways--- that's pretty much all I got hahah have a  great week and i will talk to you next week! love you!

Elder Zundel