Monday, January 31, 2011

My People -

Sain yy? I can't believe another week has flown by here, I'm actually hoping things will slow down a bit... I'm running out of months quickly! From what I hear this is the "turning point" of the winter and it's been really warm these last couple of days. We are going as a district to a bowling alley on the other side of town in an hour or so and we had a good 3 hours of basketball this morning. We've got some really good players here and the only thing that makes up for my lack of practice is the height! But it feels good to get the blood pumpin and play with all the Elders. Mom you asked about the family in the picture, that's Лахвгасүрэн Ах, бямба Эгч and their 2 kids- my favorite Chingeltei investigator family! I found out I can go to Chingeltei on Thursday for Цагаан Сар and I'm going to visit them and the other people I worked with there! Chingeltei has been by far my "field of dreams" since coming to Mongolia and I hope that I can serve there again later on.

Ryan with Лахвгасүрэн Ах, бямба Эгч and their 2 kids

Speaking of Цагаан Сар - this Thursday! I'm going to be so sick of eating Бууз by the end of this week (ha ha) and it's an interesting time for the work. Everyone takes off work, but people usually only want to celebrate - we're still going to do our best to meet with our investigators. I forwarded you guys an email about one of the new investigators I found and we have been very blessed to find some great new investigators this week! Also, on Thursday I had a interview with President Clark and I loved the chance to meet with him, I left re-charged for the work and my respect for him keeps growing. We also had a baptism this last week, from our part member family Sister Delthgermaa was baptized! I first contacted them back in October with Elder Ganbold. My companion Elder Amarbaysgalan baptized her and I had the opportunity to confer the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I had never done that before (it is given in Sacrament Meetings here) and it was a very special opportunity for me! Her husband is less active, but I hope this will help him return to the Church and we plan to set a temple date with them! We're going to have FHE with them tonight and I'm makin' Spaghetti (lot's of good pictures coming next week!) Also, this Saturday is Transfers, but I think Elder Amarbaysgalan and I are out of this one, but we'll see!

Love You Guys! Elder Jolley

Forwarded email: I'm again serving in Sansar, which is the heart of the city and been working this week to find investigators! The work here needs a jump start and this last week we found 5 really promising investigators. I'd been praying that we would find those who were prepared to receive the Gospel and then on Saturday we happened to run into a man at the Church's central building. I started talking to him in Mongolian and he replies in English saying he doesn't understand, but is looking for someone who can tell him about this Church! His name is Richard and he's from San Fransisco. He wanted to get out and explore the world a bit and signed up to be an English teacher in Mongolia for the next year. He had briefly met with the missionaries back in college and was curious when he found the same Church here in Mongolia. I couldn't believe the heaven sent timing! I'm the only English speaking missionary in my area right now and of course he doesn't know any Mongolian yet. So I invited him to come to Church the next day, he came and I translated all 3 hours of Church for him and we have an appointment to meet this Wednesday. That is just one of the few ways I have seen the Lord blessing this work here and I am excited to see that continue as my companion Elder Amarbaysgalan and I get the hang of things now. The last 2 weeks have been a constant rush and I hope things slow down a bit! After planning each night, checking up on the district, and then reporting to the Zone Leaders it's all I can do to get my teeth brushed before 10:30 and lights out - man how the time flies!

I love you guys, thank you for your love and support!

Elder Jolley

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Hey Guys!

I can't believe we're already through the first of January! It blows my mind. Thank you for the pictures and the great emails this week, I had all different perspectives and I love getting the different sides of each story! I'm glad that letter got there so quick- SUCCESS! It's not much, but I hope you like it Mom. An early Happy Birthday from me and I hope you have a great day! Let me know in next weeks email.

This week I haven't gotten another transfer call, but if I send you another letter later on today don't be surprised! haha It's been fun getting online the last 2 weeks with the surprise email. I'm back in Sansar again and so the adjustment was really quick, having been there for the first 6 weeks of my mission. Last Friday an investigator was baptized that I began teaching with Elder Amgalan and I had the opportunity to baptize! A very cool experience and next week my Part Member family will become a Member family! We also found them about 3 months ago and they've been meeting with the missionaries since I left. Lots of cool experiences like that coming back. I'm in the same apartment as I started out in (I sent pictures of it a while back), definitely not as cool as the palace we lived at in Chingeltei, but I've grown to love the ole place! My companion is Elder Amarbaysgalan, he left on his mission last August, and I love working with him! He's a huge NBA junkie and we just had an awesome basketball session at a school in our area with the other Elders in the city (about 30 came). We've been doing that every Monday for the last while. I'm getting used to Mongolian rules- they play rough, but it's a party!

On Wednesday the Shropes came and I got the earmuffs, letters, and iPod. Thanks to you guys for getting that all set up! The earmuffs have been great the last couple days - the wind has picked up a lot and I was getting yelled at by the senior missionary sisters every time I ran into them! After the first of February it's supposed to start warming up from there... this winter has been a lot warmer than what I heard it would be and I still feel like the cold is on it's way. Speaking of February, Tsagaan Sar is coming! Mongolian Christmas and Thanksgiving combined. I don't remember if I explain "White Month" to you guys before or not, but it's February 3-5, so it's coming up quick. Mongolians celebrate Tsagaan Sar by going around to all their friends and family's homes eating bohdz (meat dumplings) for 3 straight days! So right now everyone's busy making preparations. Usually families make anywhere from 500-1000 bohdz to be able to eat during Tsagaan Sar. Plus you only wear deels and the traditional Mongolian clothes so I'm excited for that (some big American missionary left his deel here when he left so another score for me from the mission office!). I ordered a legit Mongolian fox hat from a Church member who makes them to wear - it's gonna be sweet!

We had a really cool teaching opportunity on Sunday that I'd like to share with you. After Church got out on Sunday I noticed a man looking at the Articles of Faith plaque that is posted on the wall of the Bayanzurkh building and went up and introduced myself and asked him how Church was. He said he'd never been to our meeting before, enjoyed it, but now was trying to find out more about our Church's beliefs. I offered to help him! My companion and I shared about the Restoration as we taught the first lesson. Ganzorig has been attending another Christian church in town and had a lot of questions about our beliefs concerning the Godhead and Christ's Atonement. Great questions! I used to be worried about how I would answer an investigators questions, but now I am more excited when I hear them because it shows the investigator is really thinking about what we are sharing with them and it makes great teaching opportunities from the scriptures. He believed that repentance signified that we didn't accept Christ's Atonement by saying it was our responsibility to obtain forgiveness. I shared with him Alma 34:8-12 and was able to bear testimony of the "matchless gift" of Christ's atoneing sacrifice. How grateful I am for the scriptures, for the power of the Holy Ghost, and for a Savior who has the perfect plan for us!
I love you guys, Happy Birthday Mom! You all are in my prayers and I'm so grateful for the blessings I see coming from the Lord constantly, see ya next week!

Elder Jolley

Addition to last week....

Oh Family! So remember last week when I emailed you later and said my other email wrong? Well, I'm doing that again! I'm going back to Sansar! I just found out from Elder Davis that I'll be replacing Elder Wilson there as the District Leader and to pack up and be at the Mission Office by 9 tomorrow morning. So I'm going back to my birthplace. I just talked with President Clark a bit, and his goal is that now things will settle down and get back to long transfers, we'll see what happens! Elder Wilson, as you know, was in Sansar, but he is now becoming the Assistant to the President as Elder Davis is leaving in about a month or so. That means he's doing office work for the next couple months and I don't think it's fully hit him yet- his mission's about to change a ton. My new, new companion is going to be Elder Amarbaysgalan. He left on his mission 2 months after I did, and we're going to do great work together! But I wanted to let you guys know and of course I'll have more for you next week. Take care!

Elder Jolley

P.S. I did get to send those pictures to you guys. 1 is of the Family Home Evening I did with Elder Wilson and Elder Amarbaysgalan in Sansar last week, plus the delish pizza's we made. The other is of me in Songino, a cool shot of the industrial side of town in the background. Love you guys!


Family Home Evening in Sansar January 19, 2011

Ryan in Songino

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Hey Guys!

There's been lots of changes these last couple of weeks! But now things are starting to settle down in Songino and I want to fill you in on all that's happened this last week. I just went to upload some pictures, but this computer's USB doesn't want to work with me, so I promise pictures next week! I've got some good ones too, so get ready! I just read all of this weeks emails and can't believe we're already looking towards spring coming, especially since the winter in Mongolia this year's been so pansy! We're still only in the -20's and unless we get hit with a massive cold front it looks like it will only get warmer from here (knock on wood). But if it's going to be cold I'd rather be able to tell the grandkids I did -40 ya know? We had a bit of snow come on Friday, just enough to dust everything in a layer of white. We had one glorious day of no smoke after the storm, and all the trash and stuff covered in snow as well, it was beautiful!

This week has been one of those "rebuilding" weeks of the mission. I had Chingeltei down like the palm of my hand, had really grown to love the people and the area! So naturally coming into a new area, not knowing anything, but then over the next few weeks really getting to know the area and love the people. I'm now excited to do that in Songino!The Circle of Life goes on. We've got a great ward, great bishop and a HUGE area! It covers almost double the size of Chingeltei and we have to bus around a lot.

My new companion is Elder Munkhnar, he has been on his mission for 14 months now and has been in Songino since January. From what I've been able to tell he knows about as much about the area as I do and so we've had a lot of fun finding "addresses" and homes of people that the missionaries were meeting with. We've been checking old investigators, the area book, and our white board to really jump start the work here and from that we've found 6 great new investigators last week! We taught on Saturday a family of six the first lesson and loved the Spirit that was there as we testified of the Restoration! Also, we met with a 20 year old boy/guy/man named Chinzorig who had met with the missionaries months ago but lost contact. Both agreed to continue meeting with us and I look forward to the opportunity to share with them this Gospel! There is an automatic cure for any sort of negative feelings or events that occur on a mission and that is to get out and teach about the Gospel! This week as we've wandered around figuring out addresses and such, every teaching opportunity has been the highlight of my day and makes all the finding and getting turned around worth every step! I'm also back to teaching English at the New West Hotel, but only 4 hours a week which has been really nice - I'm teaching Tuesday and Thursday nights. It's now apart of my area so after teaching English we still can meet with people before heading home. President Clark is working on mission wide interviews. I know Elder Wilson has had his interview, but no calls yet on when Songino will meet with the President. Either way I look forward for the opportunity to talk with him again! Legit transfers are coming up in about 3 weeks and I'm pretty sure I'll be staying in Songino, but it does make me wonder whether I will have a new companion again in a couple of weeks... we'll see! My district right now is 4 Sisters and Elder Munkhnar (Moonk-nar) and I, and we will have our first district meeting tomorrow, but I did collect numbers last night- from that and from what I've noticed it seems like we have a great district in Songino! That's all the time I've got today, thank you guys especially for getting in touch with the Shropes and getting everything ready with that. You guys are way too good to me! Thank you for your examples and your constant support!

Love, Elder Jolley

P.S. Mom there's something coming for you only in the mail, I've worked it out that it should be there before your birthday, if it does - no opening it until the big day!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I just found out I'm getting transferred! So half of my email today was incorrect.... Elder Elbeg will be taking over my area and I will be moving to an area called Songino ("Song-in") on Wednesday, and will be taking over as the District Leader of a district of six (2 Elders and 4 sisters). Wanted to let ya know! My new companion is an Elder named Munkhsuxh, but other than that I know nothing about him! Our mission president and AP's are working around the clock, but some changes are coming and that's really exciting for this mission! Anyways, love ya!

Elder Jolley
Hey!

It's been cool having the small emails coming every now and then from the Powell's and Ford's. It sounds like everything's set with the Shropes too, thanks for all the help there! A lot of stuff has happened this week and I wanna make sure I answer the questions you all asked, but first off, I have another new companion! I know you've been hearing that one a lot, but on Friday morning Ахлагч Сумьяабаатар ended his mission. A mission is such a great calling, such a blessing! I spent the afternoon in the mission office calling around looking for a mini missionary who could serve with me for a while. Ахлагч Алтанбэлэг is a member of the Xhailaast branch (our two branches attend the same building) and we were companions until last night (he is in school and is finishing up the semester right now). It was a great 3 days of working with him! He's my age, preparing for a mission and has a great desire to help and serve, so we got work done! His name in Mongolian means Golden Gift and it was a big blessing to me to be able to work with him.

Friday morning I also had my first mission president interview! Ha, I'm a few months behind it seems, but that was the highlight of my week. Every time I have a chance to speak with him I leave more convinced that he was called of God to lead this mission and he's an incredible example! I guess there are mission wide interviews this week and so I may be getting another chance to meet with him! When we met I found out who my new companion would be; Ахлагч Элбэг! He was the Zone Leader up in Darkhan until about 3 weeks ago when he was flown to Hong Kong for surgery. He had a detached retinal and I guess it was pretty serious. But he arrived a few days ago, finished recovering at home, and is waiting at the Bayanzurkh building as we speak! That's all I know about him right now, but I look forward to working with him! I don't have my camera on me now, but new pictures with Ахлагч Элбэг will be coming- tune in next week! Most of all I'm excited for things to settle down and really focus on our investigators while I'm still serving here in Clingeltai.

A couple of things about your email. That smell you got from my bag is the norm here, everything here smells like goat and smoke! But I really don't notice it too much until I'm in the Church or the Mission office. When Brother Margetts showed us his Mongolian stuff it stunk up the classroom and now I know why! The inversion here is 10 times what we see back home, you get used to it quick. but the perma-smoke smell is everywhere right now. I'm glad you got the videos and the look that gives you into life here. I also got a call from my sponsor and will be back into English teaching (only Tuesdays and Thursdays) as of this Thursday. I've been on break for a while now and so I will find out about students and new hours this week, but the breaks from English have always been right on when other issues have come up and I'm grateful for that blessing!

Because my mini missionary had to finish on Sunday night I've been spending the Preparation Day with Ахлагч Амарбаясгалан and Ахлагч Wilson. We went and visited some of the people I had met with in my time at Sansar and are doing a FHE with one of my old investigators tonight (the wife, Delgermaa, heard of our legendary pizza and so the plan is to make pizza tonight and having a lesson; we're getting big!).

I want you all to know how happy I am to be a missionary. I wouldn't trade this work for anything and I can testify now more than ever that this is the Lord's work! This Gospel is such a blessing! And only through following it's principles can we obtain peace, purpose, and happiness in this life and return to Father in Heaven. I have also gained such a testimony on our actions. When we have truth right before us, we have the responsibility to act upon it, do all that we can for righteous' sake. There are always blessings and peace that follow! On the other hand, there is such a loss when we choose to reject or not act upon that truth. The blessings and peace that come always overshadow the trials and so that is why my emails have been as such. I love you guys, take care!

Ахлагч Райн Жолий

Monday, January 3, 2011

Hey guys!

Happy New Year, Шинэ Оны Мэнд! I loved getting all the pictures and updates on the New Years Celebrations back at home. By the way, have you been able to hear from Elder Cardinal and get my "package"? For New Years this year all the Elders had to be in at 6 for the night for "safety" purposes and so I took the extra time to do a little free study in Preach My Gospel- it was a very good night! Then 10:15 hits and I'm wiped out... ha how times have changed! But New Year's Eve our investigator Урангоо was baptized by her older brother (who will be leaving on his mission in a couple of months) and that was a really cool way to finish off this year's work.

Урангоо's baptism by her older brother, her family and the Elders.

Plus, on Wednesday my new companion arrived, Ахлагч Сумьяабаатар (Som-ia-baatar). He's been on his mission for a year and 2 months and has served in the Chingeltei Branch before, but was in the other area and so he gets to see the other side of the city! So I've been trying to show him our area as much as possible this week and in the process find new investigators!! Not being able to street contact really is a pain sometimes, but we've made a goal to find 4 new investigators this week through other referrals and member/investigator referrals to really make this next transfer productive as far as the missionary work goes. Our church time has also been switched from 2-5, like you guys I'm not a big fan of the late church schedule!

This week our investigators Нарантуяа and Лхагвасүрэн have both committed to living the Word of Wisdom! We met with Нарантуяа yesterday and she hasn't had a drop of tea since and we are attending addiction recovery class with Лхагвасүрэн tomorrow night. I felt impressed to share Mosiah 7:33 with Нарантуяа and as she has talked about what she has done to avoid tea, I've been so impressed with her faith! She has been reading that scripture every morning and praying that God will give her strength throughout the day to help her. As a missionary I could not be more grateful for that, she recognized the need to turn to the Lord for help and that has been a great strength to her. I was able this week to write you all letters and so keep an eye out for those coming! I love getting the emails from you each week and so I tried to answer some of your individual questions in each of them... thanks for always writing and keeping me posted here! Love you guys!

Ryan, his "mini-missionary" companion and Elder and Sister Ford, Christmas Day 2010


Elder Huff, Elder Pickett, Ryan and a few other Elders (12/26/2010)

Elder Jolley