Sain yy My Family!

It's been a great week here and as always tons to write about, I'm gonna especially try to tell you guys more about the people side of the work. First off... Ochir was baptized this Friday!!! I've mentioned him before, he's a 23 year old chef and has been meeting with us for the last 2 months or so and now is our great new member! The last few weeks before he was baptized we especially have been focusing on him reading and studying from the Book of Mormon and how much of a difference that has made in him. The Book of Mormon in Mongolian is hard even for Mongolians to read and at first he didn't get much of what was going on; but through a lot of reading, marking, and praying he's on his way to a career in Gospel Doctrine Study! We're reading together now and just finished the 18th Chapter of Nephi. We're now working towards him receiving the Aaronic Priesthood and attending Institute. That was a great way to end off this week! We also met and are meeting with lots of "golden investigators" and future Priesthood leaders, especially a 22 year old college student named Egii. He was born in Kazakistan, learned to speak Mongolian about 3 years ago, and is taking English by storm. We contacted him last week and have been meeting every few days since. He, along with Ochir, are very interested in Missionary work! To be an investigator/new member and already talking about a mission is amazing!

Speaking of which, I'm with a new mini missionary. Because there aren't any Elders coming in for a while I probably will be serving with mini missionaries for the next month or so and that will probably be until the next transfer (the 26th of March), so we'll see! But things change so who knows?! We're finishing a 5 or so month "mission purge" and so our numbers are a lot lower than usual, but it's all missionaries that want to do missionary work so that's better than numbers! By June we'll have around 60 missionaries, including the incoming missionaries and I'm really excited to see this rebirth that is taking place, but right now we only have 1 Elder companionship in each area and so mini missionaries are a necessity right now for me and 3 or so other Elders.

Anyways, about my companion, his name is Elder Bayarsux and he was baptized about the time I came to Mongolia. Seriously is one of the most dedicated companions I've had and is very enthusiastic about sharing the Gospel and I love the spirit he brings. He's a legit nomad, born and raised out in the Eastern part of Mongolia (Suxbaatar Province) as a herder. I love seeing the difference in the way we do things and I've been giving him plenty of new experiences this last week! For example, the first time eating chicken, jello, pancakes, cereal, and etc. Pretty much everything I cook he's never eaten before! He's incredibly selfless though and almost too service prone. When I get up, I have to make my bed immediately because if I leave the room he'll do it for me! That's a small exampl, but he does that in everything - very selfless. Elder Bayarsux is heading back to the countryside in the next week or so and we won't be companions for very long, but I have loved being his first companion on his first missionary experience. He's waiting until he hits the 1 year of Church membership mark and then will be starting his mission.

Mom and Dad you know Elder and Sister Powell, we ate at their house last night as a district and had a great meeting afterwords. As a district we shared the story of the 2000 Stripling warriors, some in Mongolian, some in English, and felt the strong spirit that always comes from reading the Book of Mormon. My camera has picked up some sort of virus and it won't let me upload pictures, so check out the Powell's blog, I'll bet Sister Powell will put some up. As of last week I'm back to nightly English class, so that's taken a big chunk of our missionary work with it. I hope that changes soon! We have been blessed with so many great investigators, but now very little time to meet with all of them! Normally we could grab mini missionaries and split, but that will have to wait until we have 2 full time missionaries in the area. There is strength that comes from living the Gospel, especially as a family and I feel that from all of you constantly. Sorry about no pictures, I'll hopefully have this figured out before next week because I've got some sweet shots to send your way. Love ya!

Elder Jolley

A little extra...

I have been wanting to add these for a while now, but had been having technical difficulties adding the video clips. Here are some pictures and a clip.... more to come soon!

At the end of December one of the American Elders, Elder Cardinal, completed his mission and returned home to Utah. Ryan was able to send home a little package with him for us, which included all his pictures (from his time at the MTC until the through to the Christmas talent program) a few video clips. Awesome!! Here are a few photos and a couple clips:

Ulaanbaatar the day Ryan arrived (9/2/2010)

Over looking a ger community with the city in the background. The air quality really changes when they begin to burn the coal to keep their homes warmed (10/24/2010).
Quite the contrast from the first photo.

The seven Americans serving in Mongolia. Elder Huff, Elder Jolley, Elder Pickett, Elder Cardinal, Elder Wilson, Elder Reeve, and Elder Davis (October 2010)

Ryan in Chengltai on Christmas Eve (brrr, its a little cold!)

A message from Ryan in Chengltai (12/18/10)

Hello people!

Thanks for the emails and another Happy Birthday to Andraya! It's been another great week in Sansar and we're really starting to see the fruits of our labors - the Lord has really been blessing us! Our investigator Ochir had his baptism interview on Saturday.... and will be baptized this coming Friday! He's about as "prepared" as they come and I have been so grateful for the opportunity to meet and teach him. We had Zone Conference last Tuesday, it was a great recharge of the missionary spirit! We reviewed most of the 8 new PMG lessons and I love all the emphasis that is put on having the Spirit in this work - it's critical! This week we had a couple of missionaries become returned missionaries, and with them leaving my companion, Elder Amarbayasgalan got the call on Wednesday to head to Khovd. It's the most remote part of the most remote country so you know it'll be a great experience for him! He was sad to leave our investigators and the work in Sansar, but I have been grateful for him as a companion.

So, I'm now with a Mini-Missionary until further notice, his name is Manchir and is preparing to serve in the Phoenix, Arizona mission in April! With almost all areas of the mission down to 2 Elders now and no new Elders coming in for a while it may be a week or so until I am able to get another full-time missionary companion. We'll see! Elder Amarbayasgalan's flight was at 6:00 a.m. Friday morning, so we woke up at 4 and went with the AP's to drop him off. It was the first time I'd been to the airport since coming here and it was a great chance to look back at the last 5 months - so much has changed in so little time. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Elder Wilson and Boldbaatar as I was finding a companion and was a great chance to chat with my old MTC companion - always a great thing! This mission is being transformed and I can only imagine how much different it will be when we leave from the time we came! President Clark is in Hong Kong now and one of the hopes is that there is a way to get more missionaries into the country and I'm excited to hear what happens.

It's been refreshingly warm here this last couple days! I've been able to go around without a coat and just my suit jacket, it's sunny and springs on it's way! Then I just got the weather report and I'm reading only in the teens...... somethings not clicking. We've found about 5 or so new, really promising investigators this last week and next week I'll have reports on their progress... and maybe another companion! I recently read 1 Nephi 10 and was really impressed with Lehi's testimony of the Savior, take a minute and read it this week! Skyler especially will like this, bud I loved what you said in your email about prophets, thanks for the spiritual thought and I'll read 2 Nephi 27 this week! Love ya'll!

Elder Jolley

This is a fun little clip that Ryan sent to congratulate Brayden and Skyler for receiving their Eagle Scout awards. Ryan is with a few of the Sisters, Elder Amgalan, his companion and Ryan's companion Elder Amarbayasgalan and one of the families during the Tsaagan Sar celebration. Enjoy!

Happy Valentines Day!

Hey Guys! What a great Valentines Day, Elder Amarbayasgalan and I have been able to spend the day together.... ahh joking.... looks like Valentines Day isn't much of a missionary holiday! But it's been a great P Day and of course a great week! I told you all about moving into a new apartment a couple of weeks ago and living in two's is the way! Our new apartment is great and best of all complete control of the fridge, so we're living large right now. We've been having cereal, apple pancakes, homemade granola and yogurt in the mornings, and chicken parmesan, steak, spaghetti, and some Mongolian stir fry for dinner. Elder Amarbayasgalan doesn't like cooking, but helps so I'm running the kitchen now and together we are eating good (the picture I sent is our Sunday Steak Fest). Not that big of a deal I know, but it's been really cool to figure out how to make all of this stuff from scratch and eating goood!

Sunday Steak Fest (with some jello jigglers!!)

This last week was transfers and so things have started to settle down as everyone gets the hang of their new areas. We have a great district right now, serving in the Baynzurkh and Sansar wards. Right now we're suffering from a lack of missionaries! There are just over 40 Elders and 60+ Sisters (we're second in the world right now for the most Sisters, behind the Temple Square mission) and so every area now only has 2 Elders and 4 or so Sisters. President Clark is heading to Hong Kong this weekend to hopefully find a way to get more missionaries here! We have Zone Conference tomorrow and I'm looking forward to that spiritual feast! It's easy to lose that MTC enthusiasm for the work and I'm trying at all costs to keep that mindset and so I'm excited for what we will learn tomorrow.

I got the package this last week and it was a great, unexpected surprise! Thank you for the "love." I do have to say you guys are spoilin' me, don't think you need to send huge packages every time! My companion is hooked on Scotcharoos now and we're going to look for supplies to make them at his request! Some things are the same in all cultures ya? Also, last Tuesday Andraya's Flat Stanley came and I'm sending him out again today, we got a picture with Chingis! I'm teaching English right now for about 4 hours each week, not bad, and we're working on improving our work here in Sansar. We've been having lots of appointments falling through and so we're trying to make our plan and backup plan more flexible for change! That's the one thing I miss about the ger district, people don't have that busy city lifestyle! We do have a couple of really great investigators and one in particular, a 23 year old man named Ochir, I love to meet with! We've been teaching him the commandments in chapter 4 of PMG and every answer he gives is a "Yes, I'll follow ______ commandment!" Then as we discuss later how he's doing, there's always been an experience that he had to choose whether or not to keep his commitment, but has been great at keeping God's commandments, especially the word of wisdom! He's been an amazing example of faith and there is such change that is coming to his life as a result. I want to share 2 scriptures with you guys that explains a little more - look up 3 Nephi 13:21-22 and D&C 88:11-13. Through following Christ, there is a noticeable light that comes into our lives! I love you guys, thank you for the "light" you bring to me and to all those around you, til next week!

Elder Jolley

Elder Jolley, couple of ward members and Elder Amarbayasgalan

Elder Reeves, Elder Wilson, Elder Jolley and a couple of friends (?? not sure, sorry)

Sain Batsgaan yy?

Happy Tsagaan Sar! It's been a great week and I'm including lotsa pictures to give you a better look into the week and then if you've got questions about them ask away.... next week! It's kind of a strange situation on Tsagaan Sar, if you do anything but celebrate it's kind of a cultural taboo, so from Wednesday to Saturday most people would only let us eat food with them, lessons weren't part of the program. I had my testimony of missionary work strengthened this week from that. There is a different feeling and spirit to the day when you come home and have not taught the Gospel. Tsagaan Sar was great and I had a great time soaking up all the traditional Mongolian, but I didn't feel the same spirit with us and when Sunday came around I was so glad to start teaching people and doing real missionary work again! There is a real joy that comes into our lives as we are instruments in the Lord's hands and I felt that especially this week. We did eat a ridiculous amount of byydz (boughdz, the dumplings), I was keeping track for a while and it was 100+, so much mutton! In that show we all watched before I left there was the exotic meat jello (from the boiled head), the mares milk, and tons of the aaroltht that I gave to you guys. I love aaroltht now and everything else was good too, but you can have too much of a good thing ya know?

Saturday was transfers and I'm happy to say that Elder Amarbaysgalan and I are still in Sansar! We do have 2 new Elders and 1 new Sister in our district, all of which are great missionaries and I'm very excited for the next few weeks as we do the Lord's work!

I'm sorry this has to be a shorter email, today the Chingeltei building had a flood (on the outside) and the whole road iced over! The police weren't too happy about that and so all the missionaries went over with some members and until about 4:30 were clearing the road. It felt really great to get some good hard work in! I have been really bad these last couple of weeks about emails, especially my spiritual experiences and that will change next week, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts about receiving my Eagle Scout and what I thought/heard about that as you asked. I talked with the Powells when I first got here and found out that only missionaries who had received their Eagle Scout had the opportunity to come to Mongolia. I have not figured out a specific reason other than what it shows the Church, my sponsor, and the Mongolian government that a young man can start something and has the resolve and the determination to continue to work on small goals, over a long period of time, and finish them to obtain a big goal! It's just like the missionary rules, we make a lot of small choices and constantly strive to be better to obtain a goal. That's what makes a successful missionary and to have already shown that through getting an Eagle or Duty to God tells a lot about the missionary we will be.

Love you guys! Elder Jolley

Elder Jolley and Elder Reeve - geared up for Tsagaan Sar

Tsagaan Sar Celebrations (at at least four locations!)

Wow! Check out the feasts!

Tsagaan Sar!

Today starts the three day Mongolian celebration of Tsagaan Sar. I found this picture this morning on Elder and Sister Ford's blog and had to share. He has apparently got his "legit fox hat", which I'm sure he's thrilled about knowing Ryan. It will be fun to hear from him to see how it all goes and how he manages all the bohdz (meat dumpings)!

(This picture cracks me up!!) : )