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