Weeks 7 & 8 Zone Conferences

 

Our beloved Sister Misheel, serving with us in the office took the time to help with the cookies for our Monday night Come Follow Me/Family Home Evening.  Our friend Maralaaa from the group, helped as well.  They all love to be together and have fun.

We had an amazing opportunity to go with President and Sister Namgur and our friend Zula to the Mongolian-Japan Hospital/University.  They have asked us to come and teach English to their doctors and staff.  We explained our process and what we offer, and they were excited to have us send our young teachers. They gave us an amazing tour of the entire facility and visited for quite a while about all of the projects they are working on, including partnering with the University of Utah and others.  It's a pretty awesome place.

The tree painting, I couldn't resist.  It was at the hospital.  It represents all four seasons.  It's pretty cool.

We want to introduce you to our dear friend Sister Misheel. She is serving as the first Service Missionary in Mongolia. She does several amazing things.  Currently, she is translating the Family Search information from English to Mongolian, helps us with the YSA-Come Follow Me / FHE, translates for us, and helps with making Cookies. She is quite the multi-tasker.  It is so fun serving with her.  We love her.

We attended our first Zone Conference, East Zone.  What a special experience being with all of the Elders and Sisters.  It is awesome to learn from them and President and Sister Namgur.  They have so much love for Mongolia and the people, and it is amazing to hear them speak so fluently in the Mongolian language.  It is such a hard language.  The Elders and Sisters serving in their home country are learning English while they are serving as well.  English is not an easy language to learn either and they are speaking it so well.  We love to hear of the tender mercies and miracles they have seen and received. They give us such great hope as future leaders. We have learned that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints is not an American church it is Jesus' church for all the world. 

I couldn't resist.  Just a little wool hat to keep the noggin warm.  Everyone in the city wear them.

We found a grocery store that had a few things we've been looking for from home, like mustard and jiffy peanut butter.  It's a bit crazy.  The photo shows the groceries from the upper level.  Each kiosk is owned by separate people.  Nothing has prices on it, so it's convenient when asked the price from a foreigner, its much different.

The yarn is super cool, colorful and very soft.  Lots of wool and cashmere.

Milk curds (aralth), not as we know them, but they are everywhere and served at every meal in one form or another.

We had a wonderful opportunity to go to dinner with our Mission advisor, Bishop Jiguur and his family.  He is an awesome human being and has been such a great help and support to us all.

President's sons

Halloween is alive and well here in Mongolia.  They go all out and the kido's had a blast.  We were asked to help decorate, make cupcakes and help with a game.  Fun was had by all.  

And sometimes you just never know what you're going to see.  At least they are new.  The first snow there were people walking around town with random tires, no wheels.  I assume they were snow tires but I'm not sure how they planned to get them on their car once they got home.

Once again, our CFM/FHE was a hit.  I wonder sometimes that they may be just coming for the treats.  This week, the famous Texas sheet cake.  We couldn't get it out of the pan fast enough.  Some will go to any length to have another one.

Zone conference number two, West Zone.  Amazing feeling as we all sang the familiar hymn, Love at Home.  These are the Mongolian Elders sitting in front of us.  They love and respect one another and aren't afraid to show it.  As we walk the streets, we see many walking arm in arm.  It has a completely different context and meaning than maybe we're used to.

We traveled to zone conference number three with these amazing friends.  Elder Turbat and Sister Monica.  He is the former Head of Immigration for Mongolia.  They met and married about 6 years ago and they now live in Utah, at least when they complete their mission.  She served her first mission in the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission and while there was asked to translate the Book of Mormon into Mongolian.  Thats quite the story in and of itself.  They are incredible people.  We are honored to call them our friends.  We didn't get back until after 9:00 so the photo is dark.  

This was our first real trip to the countryside, to the city of Darkhan.  It is about three hours outside of Ulaanbaatar.  It was a beautiful drive and reminded us a lot of Idaho.  We had to make a quick pit stop so took a photo.  We were pleasantly surprised that the restroom actually had toilet paper.  That is not usually the case.  We have learned that you carry it with you wherever you go.

Another set of new friends, Elder Voloj and Sister Tsetsegmaa.  They are awesome, super friendly and loving.  Even though we don't speak the same language outwardly, we surely do inwardly.  Sweet meeting them.  Side note: we have two of their grandchildren in our YSA group and they are amazing as well. Their granddaughter told us how proud she is of her grandparents serving a mission. They are setting such a great example for her as she prepares to serve her mission. 

We made our first major purchase to keep warm.  Sheepskin, wool and fox.  Couldn't resist.  She's beautiful, and now warm all winter.  And boy here it comes.  Every day is a little colder.

Another new friend, Ireedui.  We met his daughter, Jagaanaa when we in Provo at the MTC.  She is there working on her master's degree.  She told us if we ever made it to Darkhan to look him up and he would get us some boots.  He has a construction company and also makes boots.  We found him and he hooked us up.  He is a wonderful man with a big heart.  Thank you, Ireedui.

Now the tender mercy for the week.  Elder's Hall (front) and Riley stopped by on Halloween and brought us cinnamon rolls that they had made.  Little did they know that this has been a tradition for years in our family.  We would make cinnamon rolls on Halloween and would indulge after we returned home from the nights trick-or-treating.  Inspiration works in all aspects of our lives.  Thank you Elders, you made our day.