Sain Uu,

Yes, it's already December... yachvaa. This last week has flown by so quick! We had new missionaries come from the MTC as well as Zone Leader Council and Transfers. So a lot of time was spent planning and carrying all that out this week. I'm going to try and do a day by day overview of the week:

Monday- The best preparation day ever!! We went out and got a district picture taken, but it wasn't very eventful until we got home. Elder Neuberger forgot (time #2) to turn off the water on the washing machine and we had water all over our bathroom! Before I had been good about keeping the washing machine in the bathtub, but forgot to tell that to Elder Neuberger. Anyways the water was a good inch in the bathroom and then it seeped into the wood floor of our entry way. So great! This all happened about 30 minutes before we were supposed to head out to a family home evening with Elder Myagmardorj and Boyd, visiting Bro. Ganzorig, Bro. Ganbold and their families. So we called, explained that we'd be a little late, and went to town! We got all the water cleaned up and had a great time doing it, and the apartment below us hasn't come up yet so all's well that ends well. I have a great video that I will show you when I get back. Then we had a great family home evening with our new members and have given them the charge to continue to conduct these each week.

Elder Neuberger and Elder Boyd (in back)
Elder Jolley Bro. Ganbold and his wife and Elder Myagmardorj (in front)

Tuesday- Usually we attend a district meeting with President Clark every Tuesday, and this week we attended the Bayanzurkh District meeting (our home district)- for our district leaders last meeting (he's off to the countryside). Each of the missionaries, including myself, gave a five minute talk on one of the Christlike attributes found in chapter 6 of PMG. Elder Neuberger and Boyd especially did a great job, I can't believe that they've already been here for a month?? With this last transfer down that means Elder Neubergers' time with me is already half over. Then we did a few reports before I taught English.

Wednesday- Elder Neuberger has been teaching English now every Wednesday/Thursday/Friday at the Jonon University. The people there love him and he has a really positive attitude about that opportunity to serve. So we went on companion splits which allowed him to teach and me to get a few things done around the office. Having 2 assistants, but being split up has changed up everything a little bit and so coordinating with Elder Myagmardorj has been difficult this past month.

Thursday- Zone Leader Council! We had a great meeting with the zone leaders in the mission from 11 to 3 (all this time Elder Neuberger was teaching English), and then it was off to meet with Bishop Enkhbold. We have the best bishop and we met with him and his family to discuss Christmas in Sansar. We had a great evening and keep an eye out, they may be sending you a email this week. I included a picture of our evening in this email.

Friday- New missionaries! We spent the day training the trainers, picking up the new missionaries and taking them to Zaisan. It's fun to be apart of a missionaries first few moments on a mission and it's one of the many blessings of being an assistant. We fought the traffic like crazy that night. The traffic is terrible in the city right now. It took us almost 2 hours to make the trip from Zaisan to the BZ bulding (less than 10 km). Then when we got the new missionaries all set up in the dorms, Elder Neuberger and I headed back to the airport to begin the transfer festivities! So we got back home late and then quickly got to bed as we had to run missionaries to the airport/bus stop early the next morning. Transfer time is marked as a time with little food and free time for a 30 hour period, the mission office gets flooded with missionaries! But I love seeing all of our planning come into play and it's satisfying to see the successful finish. To be continued 6 weeks later. Working with this assignment is teaching me love and service in yet another aspect in my life and I continue to be grateful to be able to lift wherever I stand. Having the Gospel light in our countenances truly does make all the difference. I've found that while we're up to our neck in requests and "to-do's" it's still important to not get caught up in all the chaos but to continue to love and sincerely try to help these missionaries.

Saturday- Transfer Day! We spent much of the day moving transfers around, coordinating travel funds (another huge blessing and opportunity to learn) of the missionaries. The mission received a new vehicle and Elder Neuberger and I had a nice break from the mission van (I felt like a soccer mom) and took that around. Driving has always been a stress-reliever for me. I love the way Mongolians drive! To some it seems chaotic and without any rules.... but Mongolians are incredibly attentive drivers and as long as you understand how they drive it's really exciting. Then between all this we introduced the new missionaries to their trainers and now they're off. This transfer we had 6 missionaries leave and 5 missionaries coming in. This seems to be the pattern of sorts and our mission is staying the same in number with around 45 companionships.

Sunday- We said goodbye to Elders Neuberger and Boyd, and Elder Myagmardorj and I attended Sukhbaatar Branch's meetings with President and Sister Clark. I love all the translating opportunities- it's a blessing for my Mongolian. Lately the Mongolian way of saying things has been leaking into my English and so bless President Clark for being patient. I like translating what he says into Mongolian better than I like translating what I hear into English. I feel like there's so many feelings/emotions that can't be translated with the same beauty as the Mongolian speakers. Mongolian at first seems like a more basic, simple language, but it has really opened up to me in this last year and I love speaking it! After attending Church we then prepared for the departing missionaries dinner at the mission home followed by a fireside for all the incoming/departing Elders and Sisters. I translated at the dinner for the President and Sister Clark as well as the Hunts (they had me give them your email address so keep your eye out for that), and we had a great evening with the 5 Sisters and 1 Elder who finished their missions. Scary. Time is flying by much too fast and I know how fast these last few months will go. Then we had the fireside, a quick meeting with an investigator afterwards and that was the week!

I love being a missionary, and how I love being in Mongolia! I will start thinking about some of the unique things that I love about Mongolia and I'll try to include them from next weeks email. There's so many things that I wish would be back home.... this place has truly been prepared for the Gospel and is being blessed by our Heavenly Father. "Brethren, I have many things to say to you on the subject; but shall now close for the present, and continue the subject another time. I am, as ever, your humble servant and never deviating friend,"

Love, Elder Jolley

P.S. D&C 128:22-25