Investigators & Other Pictures

Investigators

Competition?

We think Tyler Lost

Almost a year

Alright Ive almost hit my year mark and because of that I have really ramped up my studies. this week Ive been in the Bible and found some really good scriptures I would like to share with you guys.

The first is Romans 8:16-

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

This is when we feel a "burning in our bosom", it is the Spirit testifying to our spirit of the truthfulness of what were hearing.

Acts 17:29-

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

Hebrews 12:9-

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

These two scriptures really show how much we are children of a loving God, not a distant unknown being.

Also in my studies and working with less active church members Ive come to learn one thing. If members understand the Plan of Happiness, they will not become less active because after understanding comes a better vision of our future. I have re-read Mosiah 4 which I think is one of the best chapters about salvation in the Book of Mormon and my challenge to all of you is to re-read Mosiah 4 this week.

Alright about my work:

My new member Badmaanaymbuu is doing awesome!! She is faithfully attending church, has received a calling, preparing for the temple, and is now having us meet with her daughter who is getting the lessons! She is great and im so glad i was able to teach and baptize her!

My companion is also doing great. We are very similar and have some fun plans after the mission. We are in the same mission group and will be going home at the same time. We both have learned a lot this transfer and we're anxious to apply them with out new companions.

Another short and sweet

Not much has really happened to me this week or the week before. We did teach a really great lesson yesterday though. We had planned to teach Missionary Work to my new member but as soon as we walked in I felt inspired to change the lesson to Eternal Families. We talked about how eternal life without loved ones isnt quite as wonderful. As together set a goal for them to go to the temple and my companion was inspired by the holy ghost to share specific scripture that was powerful in our lesson! We have a couple of baptisms this month planned and I am finally becoming the missionary I have been trying to be! 

Humility

Well im sorry to report I was sick again. I had pneumonia last week, then my companion got it so we were down and out last week and this but we're trying to work hard.

This transfer my companion and I havnt been able to do a ton of work. For various reasons my companion and I just have not been able to meet with a lot of people and its been kinda discouraging for the both of us, but the other day we were talking about it and both of us have felt that we have learned more here, in this one transfer, then we have our entire missions. It has been a real learning experience for the both of us.

One example of what we learned is of patience and love. Both my companion and I were baptized when we were eight, but every other missionary in our district is a convert, some of only a year or two. We have, unfortunately, been very annoyed and discouraged at the imperfection of our district missionaries. I am district leader and the disobedience really got on my nerves. We worked really hard on Christ-like love and one night both of our eyes were opened. These missionaries are basically new members themselves. They are out here teaching of Christ and working on the best they can with what they have. I have, for my entire life, known I would serve a mission, and therefore have been able to prepare for many years, but these missionaries some of which have only been members for 2 years are now dealing with being a new member and being a missionary. Its an incredible example of faith and dedication, and my companion and I were humbled. Their disobedience doesn't come from a bad desire to do wrong, they're just learning. My impatience with their imperfection was shown in my own mistakes, and the fact that I have been a member my whole life. These inspiring missionaries are new members and they are doing the best they can, I was humbled when God allowed me to see that.

We have been able to learn lots of other things as well, and I although we havnt been able to do a whole lot of work, God has given us many many blessings, and helped us to grow.

Sorry thats all I can report this week, Im loving the mission, learning a lot and have one more year to help as many people as I can.

Out of cash, out of groceries...

Be jolly

New Senior Missionary Couple

Elder Groesbeck's birthday

Elder Magician

Playing a little song

ROBOT Man

Having Fun

A Rose for Elder Clement... 

Not-him?

First funny thing that happened, names can be kinda weird here. People are really superstitious. Anyways there is a guy here named Not-Him. So when I called I said "Is this Not-him?", I thought it was pretty funny!! haha.

Not much has happened this week, I was in the main city for three days because I had to do an english teacher training. It was good, I was especially glad to see the other Americans again. I get a little lonely sometimes. I am loving the work though, and its right what they say. The last year of your mission should be the best. I feel like now I am getting to the type of missionary I have wanted to be for a while now. Its finally all coming together.

An excellent talk I read this week:

 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/10/learning-to-recognize-answers-to-prayer?lang=eng#watch=video

Adventure

My week has been an adventure that's all I can say. First of all SURPRISE I had a baptism!!! I have this new kinda wierd thing. Every time Ive told you that an investigator is progressing well something happens and they go bad. So I decided to not say anything and see how it went... and they got baptized. Her name is бадмаанямбуу (badmaanyambuu, said: baad-maa-nim-boe). She has been incredible!!! Her children and sister and sisters children all members but it took her a little longer to accept the gospel. When she decided to investigate the church though she didnt hold back. If she had questions she asked from her family, and her family was her support line (best way to introduce someone to the church is through family and friends), then she would confirm with us. She read everything we gave her, prayed every morning and night, read the Book of Mormon, and did everything she was supposed to. Her faith is so strong it was an inspiration just to be able to teach her. Her son (a member) was going to baptize her but the night before they called me and asked if I would do it instead, so I did my first actual baptizing of a person. It was really spiritual and a really awesome experience! I attached some pictures for you to look at. Also they are like my second family now and they feed me every time I go to their house (so dont worry momma).

ok also transfers were this week. Last transfer I was district leader, but it was of a very small district which I very much loved. This transfer I stayed District Leader but I got a lot of new missionaries and my district became the biggest in Mongolia. So I'm the District Leader of a ton of missionaries now and, ya know, got a little stress no biggie, haha. My district also has a few difficult missionaries and a few "clicky" missionaries. They dont like my companion and I right now so we are working hard to love and serve them! A little while ago, before the transfer I prayed for more confidence in my leadership abilities and a greater opportunity to get better mongolian quicker, and ya know you have to be careful what you ask for I guess cause now I'll get both but its gonna be an interesting ride! haha. Wish me luck!

As far as everything else. Its good. My new companion is a friend of mine from the city and so its been really great being with him. Im still in the same place, erdenet, so thats nice and I am really excited about this next month. Everything is looking good. Im also getting healthier! I was basically sick these entire 10 months, and just recently got feeling better. Im starting to put on some more muscle and hopefully I will gain back some of my 40 pounds Ive lost.


Alright love you all have a great week!

Mongolian New Years

So this week was whats called Sagaan Sar. Its the new lunar year. Mongolians go crazy and make tons of food!! Some families make anywhere from several hundred buuz (dumplings) to several thousand!!! We also eat sheep or goat (skin still on it just a little toasty), and lots of candy, milk, fermented milk, and fermented milk candy.

There is also a tradition of the hosts handing out alcoholic milk and juice, its not acholic per se but its pretty fermented so if you have a lot you can get drunk. The mission policy is that we are allowed to have one sip because of how offensive it is to refuse it. Even members give it out. And of course what would a mongolian holiday be without drugs. I am touching a stuff bottle to my nose. You are supposed to snort the drugs inside but if you just touch the end of the bottle to your nose they are satisfied.

(MOM IS TRYING NOT TO JUDGE HERE.... NOT LOVING THE IDEA BUT GOING WITH THE FLOW)