Sain Uu!

Hey family, thanks for the great emails and pictures! I can't believe it's approaching fall, I felt like we just did this, no? Anyways, it's been a great week here and I want to fill you in on a bit of what's been going on:

Monday and Tuesday were great last days in Khailaast. We visited with Nergui and his family to finish Tuesday night off and then moved out early Wednesday morning. Elder Verdusco is still in Khailaast, with my old Zone Leader Elder Mungunsukh. And ever since then it's been a rush!

Elder Verdusco and Elder Jolley with Nergui and his family

Being in Sansar now I have 2 lives, the office life and the work. The goal is to be able to manage both and then get more lessons taught than hours in the office, and so far we've done well. It's fun to see my new members here, to see lots of familiar faces and now to keep meeting with old and new investigators. My new companion is a complete stud of a missionary and I couldn't be more excited to be with him. He started his mission in may of last year and so we're similar that way, and has been an Assistant for almost 3 months. He's an intense basketball player so we hit up a couple hours of b-ball for Preparation Day today, just an all around great Elder! I am grateful that the Lord keeps blessing me with amazing companions and I'm excited to serve together.

Elder Tuvshinbayar and Elder Jolley in the Countryside

Plus, I went to the countryside! First time I've been out of Ulaanbaatar since coming last September and so I was pretty excited. We were in Zuun Kharaa, a little town north of UB, about a 3 hour car drive. Elder Tuvshinbayar (my new companion), President Clark, Sister Clark, and I sat in the Zuun Kharaa sacrament meeting, and we went as translators. Elder Tuvshinbayar translated for Sister Clark, and I translated for President Clark. Let's just say it worked but I'm anxious to improve! Also, I'm getting my Mongolian drivers license here in the next 10 days or so, with Elder Wilson gone and Elder Tuvshinbayar license-less we're taxing everyone around and it will be a great help to the work once that comes. We now live literally right next to the Bayanzurkh Building (which also means the mission office) in an apartment that the Sansar sisters used to live in- I sent pictures it's a beauty!

The new apartment in Sansar

The biggest difference this week has been again teaching with a Mongolian companion, I'm glad now to be the worst Mongolian speaker in the companionship!

We've got a lot of great things coming up in this next month that I'll be more prepared to fill you guys in on next week, but we're preparing for our new Asia Area Presidency Member, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, to come for a mission tour, as well as a few other trips to branches in the countryside. I also ran into (Elder) Brother Cardinal today, who's back in town for a 10 day visit- man time sure flies! I love you guys, hoped you liked my countryside pictures and such, talk to you next week!

Love, Elder Jolley

Few extra pictures:

The finishing up of the outhouse dig—a good 3 meters down!
Elder Verdusco and Elder Jolley

The open house at the Chingeltei Meetinghouse