Sain uu!

Hey guys, sounds like a crazy week there and it's been a great week here! We've been President-less this last week, but you guys know because you met the Clarks! I'm excited to hear about it when they get back. It's been raining a bunch the last 2 weeks and so the area has greened up, man it's pretty! Last Tuesday Elder Verdusco and I were walking out to an investigators house when all of the sudden a siren (straight outta world war 2 era) started sounding off. We had no idea what that meant and asked around, found out that it was our "severe weather" warning! So we picked up the pace and made it to a new members house right as it started pouring. It was just like the storm we had in Oahu, we were out in it for maybe a minute but got completely drenched. Evidently it will rain pretty intense in the spring and sometimes flash flood (hence the siren). I love all the rain and we've had it off and on since. It's so green everyone tells me it looks almost like the countryside right now- I sent you a picture of Elder Verdusco, Elder Richardson, and I in Khailaast. Elder Richardson is the Director of Deseret International Charities for Mongolia and he and his wife attend our branch.

We've been working a lot with Elder Richardson and the Branch President to get our branch council and priesthood executive committee organized. I've talked a bit about this before but a ward/branch can't succeed without them! Sunday we sat in the branch's first council meeting and discussed some of our less active families, it was great to see the branch taking the responsibility, with our help, for these members! The next on our list is to get home and visiting teaching going. I have gained such a testimony of home teaching in the last week, there are so many problems that are avoided as the members go out, serve and teach one another. I didn't realize the connection with home teaching and missionary work, but there really isn't much of a difference! So Dad, Mom, Brayd, Sky, take your home/visiting teaching from that perspective, you're acting as the Lord's servants and have a responsibility for those families. And it makes me excited to know that after my mission I can keep doing missionary work! God's plan is perfect ya?

This week we've also been blessed to find a new family! Through asking investigators for referrals we found a man named Nergui and his 10 year old son Gansukh. Nergui makes aruult (the candy I sent that you all crave!), and he and his son are 2 great, and much needed new investigators. Khailaast has been a completely different ball game for me, completely different from my time in Sansar. We are really working to find good investigators who will receive the Restored Gospel. It's helping me to learn to rely more on the Lord and to seek His direction. Even though our progress in this area has been slow I know that our diligence will lead us to the work that the Lord wants us to do hear. I've been studying the examples of missionaries from the Book of Mormon and was really impressed with Ether and his story this week:

1 And it came to pass that the days of Ether were in the days of ^aCoriantumr; and Coriantumr was king over all the land.

2 And ^aEther was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be ^brestrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him.

3 For he did ^acry from the ^bmorning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance lest they should be ^cdestroyed, saying unto them that ^dby ^efaith all things are fulfilled—

4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with ^asurety ^bhope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which ^chope cometh of ^dfaith, maketh an ^eanchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in ^fgood works, being led to ^gglorify God.

5 And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they ^asaw them not.

6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that ^afaith is things which are ^bhoped for and ^cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no ^dwitness until after the ^etrial of your faith.

It says in verse 2 that Ether could not be restrained in his work because of the Spirit of the Lord that was in him! I was really impressed by his faith and diligence and know that we are all entitled to that same Spirit. How grateful I am for a Heavenly Father who "hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Let me know how your week in.... what was that place you were going to again? Well ya know what they say, it's not Mongolia! Love you guys!

Elder Ryan Jolley

Hey Family,

Happy Fathers Day Dad! Even though we won't be Skyping or anything like that this week, I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for all that you do! It's so easy to see the influence a righteous priesthood holder has on those around him, and your sons, your family are a testimony to that!

This week marks the end of my first transfer with Elder Verdusco, I can't believe how fast time is flying by! With the year mark coming up for being in Mongolia it's blowing my mind shuu dee. But to start off the new week we found a great family to teach and moved! I told you how Elder Verdusco and I's apartment was a bit of a "fixer upper," well with last Saturday being transfers we were able to move to an apartment in the 11th Xoroolol, closer to our area and our English classes, so we'll save some time by avoiding most of the city traffic. And it's way nice! We are blessed to have so much on our mission that we never hurt for anything, I never have any reason not to be grateful! I'm also very grateful for the power of fasting and I'll share an experience we had this week as a companionship.

As I have been studying this week I was especially impressed by the blessings that we receive that are predicated upon the combination of prayer and fasting. See Mosiah 4:26, Alma 5:45-46, Alma 6:6. They are specific, powerful blessings that can be received by our sincere fasts and offerings. And if you think about it, food and money are on the top of the list of physical wants, and by fasting we put off these desires that usually take up a good amount of our thoughts and we replace that gap with spiritual things. Elder Verdusco and I had been studying this, personally and as a companionship and this weekend we had the opportunity to apply the things we had learned!

I've talked before about our investigator Battugs. We have been meeting with him now for 5 weeks and is progressing in every area except for Church attendance! His family and even neighbors are against him meeting with us and he has been having his faith tried a lot these last few weeks. Especially about going to Church. Many churches here offer food, transportation, money, and other incentives at their meetings. But of course, members of the LDS Church do not give or receive any of that. And especially our area of Ulaanbaatar has a lot of poverty and a lot of people see Churches as almost a charity organization or a source for food. Battugs' family especially is having a hard time with money right now and his brother and dad refuse to attend a church that does not do these things... they believe that's what decides a good church. But from receiving a bite to eat, how great are the blessings that come freely to those who will attend Church, coming with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, renewing baptismal covenants, and feasting upon the word! Because of a lot of this pressure, Battugs has been struggling to decide for himself whether to come to Church. That has been the only commandment that he has struggled with in meeting with the missionaries and this has been a completely new experience for me. Usually we work with investigators in other aspects of the Gospel, but rarely have a problem with Church attendence. But as PMG says, investigators needs and beliefs vary shuu (I know you guys don't get the "shuu dee's" that I'm throwing in, but it seems weird without them so go with it!). Anyways, we met with Battugs on Friday and we again taught him about the Sabbath Day and he admitted that he wasn't able to promise if he would come to Church or not, because he did not fully believe himself. But you need to go to gain a testimony (see John 7:17.... "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself..")! So we committed him to read 3 Nephi 18 and pray to have the faith to attend Church, regardless what his family or others may think. We also knew that it would take a little help from us and so we planned to go and get him before Sacrament Meeting and to fast that we would have the opportunity to help him get to Church.

Sunday morning rolls around and as we are heading up Battugs road we meet him on a joining street going the other way. We were surprised at first to see him, but joined up and began walking towards the meetinghouse, I knew something else was up. So I decided to ask! "Battugs, you weren't planning on going to Church with us today were you?" He replied with an honest "No," and went on to remark how when he ran into us he knew that meant he needed to be at Church, the timing was too perfect. When I commented on our more than chance meeting he said "You two are very lucky," but I knew that the Lord, in a very literal way had blessed Elder Verdusco and I through our fast! Sunday ended up being a very great day and though Battugs still will have to continue to work to increase his faith in this area, I know he felt the Spirit and was grateful to have both of our testimonies strengthened!

I also had a bunch of great pictures to send this week, of the new apartment (classy!) and others, but I forgot the cable, so tune in next week ya? Thanks for all of your emails and updates, and I'm excited to hear about your next week, give President Clark a "Sain uu" for me, it's crazy to me that you will get to see him. I always feel like I can't say "a hundreth part" of what happens or what I feel, but yax whe? Love you guys!

Elder Jolley

Sain uu?

Thanks for all the great emails and updates! And when you get your camera back send some pictures my way ya? Today marks the start of the 6th full week that Elder Verdusco and I have been in Khailaast and man how fast these last 6 weeks have flown by. Khailaast is a whole new ball game and it's been completely different from any area that I've been in before. Elder Verdusco and I are at work to find new investigators, especially those who are prepared to come to Christ and to live by the Gospel. This branch also has suffered the effects of not doing things the Lord's way in leadership, retention, and Church organization and that's been on my mind a lot lately. The organization of a ward or branch, if they follow the guidance that is given, is perfect! I have had my outlook on the programs, activities, quorums, and ward organization completely changed this last six weeks, especially how I've thought about our home ward, how it blessed my life and what we need to do to bless the lives of these members here in Khailaast. Here's a little about the week:

Elder Verdusco and I continue to teach a ton of English and it usually ends up sucking 3 or so hours out of work each day. Now working out of the city center we see a lot more poverty and I can't ever complain with all the many blessings we are given. We've been working a lot with a less active brother in our ward and this week have seen a lot of success! We have been focusing on the scriptures with him and doing "study sessions" together paired with our lessons. The scriptures have an amazing ability to fill us with righteous desires and we've noticed that with this brother! In part of our efforts to strengthen the branch we met 3 or so new families that for some reason or another became "lost sheep." Last night we finished work by meeting with one of them and after a bit of introductions shared a spiritual thought and invited them back to Church, to continue meeting with the missionaries, and to again grow closer to Christ. They replied that they had felt the need to come back to Church, but hadn't been able to work up the courage to start themselves and expressed their gratitude that the Lord had sent his missionaries to them. There's nothing that makes me happier as a missionary than that feeling that we are on the Lord's errand and I was grateful to see that this week with our less active members!

Sorry today time is really short, but I love you guys and hope you have a great week!

Elder Jolley

Elder Holland in Mongolia

Elder and Sister Caldwell found this link with some of the highlights of Elder Holland in Mongolia. Very cool! Be sure to check out the photo gallery as well, Ryan is in the 10th image on the upper left side next to Elder Wilson. You can also see Elder Huff and Elder Reeves in a couple of the photos as well.

http://lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-instructs-mongolian-saints-missionaries?lang=eng&cid=facebook-shared

One Year Out!

Just a quick post.... today marks Ryan's One Year mark! Wow!

It's hard to believe. In some ways it seems like he has been gone for forever and in other ways it was just yesterday that we were dropping him off at the MTC! The second half of the "year" definitely went quicker than the first.

We know he is loving the people and the work and that's what really counts!

Sain batsgaana uu ger bul min ee!

Za angilaar bichex um bol jaaxan yadargatai, tiim uchraas bi mongoloor bichii shuu za uu? Sometimes I feel like it'd be easier to write this out in Mongolian because my spelling in English is going to pot! How has the week been? It's been an incredible week here in Mongolia, and this Thursday's the big one, 1 year out in the field! But Elder Richardson, a senior Elder who runs Deseret International Charities Mongolia and attends our Branch told me "You're just getting started." And I liked his approach! Elder Verdusco and I have also been in Khailaast now for 1 month and it's fun to recognize people in the neighborhoods, and continue to grow to love the people in this area. The only problem... English teaching, it's eating up too much missionary work with both of us teaching, so we are learning time management this transfer as we try to utilize the time we have to our advantage.

It's been in the 70's and maybe the low 80's this week, which isn't hot at all but after a Mongolian winter it feels a lot hotter... but it can't be as bad as Argentina right (comedic drum sounds)?? I loved hearing about the trip to Vegas, give Trey another congrats from me, I'm excited to see the pictures! I'm sending you all 2 rounds of photos today, 1 from my camera and the other from Elder Verdusco's. The pictures I'm sending in this email are of our new member, Uuriintsolmon.


We have been meeting with him and reteaching the missionary lessons, but trying to come up with interesting ways to apply what we are teaching. The cup pyramid you see in the picture is a Margetts Ax creation from back in the MTC to teach the restoration and the apostasy using cups that have the apostles and gospel principles. When we came for our appointment we found Uuriintsolmon had about 5 tag alongs for the lesson, neighborhood friends and so I was glad we had prepared in advance, it ended up being a great lesson where we were able to share with our new member and potential investigators, so we're now going to follow up with them!

These next pictures are of some service out in Khailaast = planting "potaters" at our less active members house! The mom kept stressing that we would get heat stroke (in 75 degrees... super hot day in Mongolia) and so she made us wear hats! I wasn't feeling the Crocodile Dundee look but my companion pulls in off nice ya?


This week has has brought some experiences that has changed the way I look at trials and concerns with the Gospel. Our investigator Battugs has been meeting with us regularly and we have loved seeing him come closer to the Savior as he acts upon the commitments we've been extending, but this week he found a job opportunity that he desperately needs, but may require him to work on Sunday. So we met on Saturday night I was able to bear my testimony that if he will first make a priority to keep God's commandments, whether that means keeping the job or losing it, the Lord would provide him a way to not only keep the Sabbath Day but to also be able to provide for himself as well. We committed him to pray and ponder this decision and will be meeting with him tonight to follow up. I've come to see these events in an investigators growth as great testimony building blocks rather than stumbling blocks (dependent on their actions), and a way to grow in their conviction of the truthfulness of the Gospel. And so I hope and pray that Battugs will continue making the choices that will bring him closer to Christ. I also had some interesting study on the spirit of prophesy and revelation. I think the first thing we think of when hearing these words is that is a gift saved for prophets and apostles, but my understanding of these 2 gifts has changed as I studied this week. I was reading from Alma 5:45-46 where Alma discusses how he gained a witness of the Gospel:

45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

If we remember, Alma was visited by an angel (chapter 27), but he says that through diligence in prayer and fasting, he received a witness of these things by the Spirit and then the words, "and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." Then if we read Alma 17:2-3 it states:

2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.

Same thing, no? Then I want to share 1 more scripture, Revelations 19:10...

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

I know that we can also have this power and authority in our teaching (whether on a mission or in our callings), and a testimony that leads us to do great things if we will follow the examples of Alma and others. I really was impressed by that this week and wanted to share it with you. I love you guys, have a great week!

Elder Jolley