I can't believe it's already Monday again! This week has flown by and I'm loving getting to know the ward and people in Selbe! During winter in Mongolia there's a thing called Ес (or "Yus" ch yum uu), which is the 9 coldest weeks of the winter. We are now in the middle of week 4 and so these next couple of weeks will be cold and then until the end of the 9 things should start warming up real nice. And really, unless the winds picked up it's usually not too bad.
The other picture is right smack dab in the middle of Selbe, the big store you see is the Ix Delguur (the State Department Store) from Seoul Street.
Then last Saturday we went with the new missionaries up to Zaisan! Neither of the new assistants have a drivers license yet and so I took machine #2 (yes, that's it's name) and followed them out there with Elder Quinton.
My new companion! His name is Elder Brandon Quinton, from Vegas ( I think over by Kelly and Anthony), and has been in Selbe the 4 months he's been in Mongolia. He's got a great desire to work and especially to contribute in planning and teaching- and he's been teaching me the area this last week as I'm trying to figure out where everyone lives. Because it's all apartment buildings it has been really easy that way and this last week I was able to get the general feel for the area. He teaches English right now for 10 hours each week to a family (way cool!) who wanted a private English tutor. They're really good friends with some of the Church Service Center Employees and though he teaches a lot he has a great opportunity in this next 2 years. My English teaching went up another hour and a half this week so we're definitely doing a lot of English, but fitting in missionary work as much as we can in between!
Selbe right now has a ton of great new members and right now to keep the work going strong we need to find some solid new investigators. We have one really great progressing investigator named Tserendulam, a 86 year old emee. Now for Mongolia 86 is a respectable age to hit, but on top of that she has a great understanding of the Gospel! We'll ask her about her Book of Mormon reading and she'll say she doesn't understand much except for........ and will recount the first book of Nephi to us! It's all about faith and desire people, that's all that matters! Some of her really good friends became members of the Church back in the 90's and have been faithful members since, so we are excited to continue to see her come closer to Christ. Every day this week we also had a lunch appointment with a different member family. Wow. I don't know how the Elders back in the States do it. After almost not eating in Sansar all this great food here is amazing! All Mongolian people in general are incredibly selfless and hospitable to missionaries, and the members take that to the next level. Almost every meal has had "courses." Friday was our climax, we had 3 back-to-back appointments where we were fed huge amounts of food and my companion got sick from it! Starting Friday night and all Saturday he wasn't able to keep much food down and was so wiped out he couldn't leave his bed. So I did what Mom would've done- I called the other Elders and had them pick up materials for honey toast! Worked like a charm. More importantly the other Elders and I gave him a blessing Saturday night... soon after eating a bit he again parked off. Finally about 3 in the afternoon on Sunday, comes out, the color's come back to his face and we headed out to make our evening appointments, we even got fed heart and liver buuz that night and he ate them up. It was a great opportunity for me to help and serve my companion in that time and I'm glad he's back on his feet now (I was getting cabin fever being in the house so long!). Today we're going to go get him some material to make a deel so we can both sport deels for Tsagaan Sar. You guys will get the pictures over Tsagaan Sar (it's going to be the last week in February this year) so be ready! Also I found out today through the Pass Down that our all mission conference has been postponed from the middle of February to the middle of March to include Elder C. Scott Grow (spelled right yum uu ugui yu?)! So lot's of exciting things coming up!
To close I'd like to share a cool scripture I re-found today in personal study. I have been re-reading the New Testament and finding passages and doctrines that match the Book of Mormon and cross-referencing them, it's been an great learning opportunity for me.
The scripture is Romans 10:14-18
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
As I have been reading the New Testament it has strengthened my testimony of the restoration of this the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because God continues to give us His word through modern prophets and has given us another witness of Christ our faith in Him can lead us to act and bring "faith unto repentance" as we prepare to again meet our Heavenly Father. I love you guys, pray for you and I love this work!
Elder Ryan Jolley
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