Third Week in...

Hey Family! Okay, so I've got a quick 30 minutes to write and send some pictures... but tonight at about 8 I'll be able to come back and finish up... so I'll send some more info and pics! I'll also try and email all the kids as well. I loved all the emails! I printed them off so I'll be able to read them in depth throughout the week!

First off a couple of interesting things about the work: About a week and a half ago we had a service project that involved all the missionaries in UB. An organization asked that we would push wheelchairs for people, but we didn't know what else we would do. Turns out we were apart of a demonstration! Has to be one of the strangest service projects I'll do here! We started and the Wrestlers Palace (you all should google earth UB for a better explanation! My apartment building is just east of the Wrestlers Palace) and pushed patrons over to Cuxbaatar Square which is where the Mongolian government buildings are located. They were protesting the lack of disabled accessibility because of the lack of side walks, public transportation, accommodations, etc. So we took up one lane of the main road and marched our way in! Again, never thought I'd be doing that. Then we gathered everyone into a circle, there were a couple of speeches given, and then we left and I didn't think much more of it. But turns out we made the news! There's some bias against the church here and so there was a segment on church volunteers in the demonstration, and I guess I was on part of it... ha ha, so that was a great way to end off the week.

Remember those markets that we saw on the Mongolian "bizarre foods" episode? I was able to visit those this week; and saw a bunch of the more "exotic" Mongolian cuisine, even that brain jello stuff... but I decided for now I better not eat. I had some hiram (which is heated milk with salt, everyone drinks it here and it's offered at almost every house we visit) that I knew as I was drinking it, it wasn't the freshest batch, so my stomachs been going a bit crazy this last couple of days. I know Elder Reeve and Elder Wilson felt pretty nasty this last week or so and so far I've been pretty blessed health wise; other than that the food is sitting fine with me!

Again, I don't know the order of the pictures I'm sending, but I've included some really cool ones of the city and will send the rest tonight! The huge glass building is the Chiinges Xhaan Hotel, which is close by the Church office building in UB, which I also am sending you a pic of. Send the other pics tonight and some more info, but after a lot of patience and prayer my companionship is improving a ton and the last couple of days have been great!

Love you all! Elder Jolley

Ryan with his companion, Elder Amgalan

Overlooking a ger community in Ulaanbaatar

More of Ryan's mission apartment — sleeping quarters.