I turned 21 on Monday, which was a P-day. I had thought to go out for lunch, maybe buy a little something as a birthday present, write emails to my family, and so on. But by coincidence, our mission doctor and his wife were visiting Choibalsan for the weekend to provide some training. They asked to be taken Monday to some memorable or interesting site. So we arranged to go with a member to visit her relative (also a Church member) who lives about 120 km away from Choibalsan out in the countryside. We hired two taxis and assumed it would be a 2-hour drive each way. We were thankful the doctor offered to pay for the taxis, since we poor missionaries could never afford to do so.
So, 120 km on a paved road would take a little over an hour and so we felt our allowance of two hours on the dirt roads of Mongolia would be more than enough. But that's if the road is in good condition. But it rained a lot on Sunday, and that meant the roads were not in good condition. Our trip was ... five hours each way. We just didn't know that when we set out.
About two hours into the drive, our little taxi got stuck in the mud. The other taxi avoided it but came back to help. We Elders and the driver all took off our shoes and socks and got out into the mire surrounding the car and tried to get it out. We kept trying to lift the car out, push it out, pull it out. The other taxi even went to a nearby (and since we were in the countryside, that means not nearby) home and got a "rope." We tried to tow the car out and that didn't work either. Thankfully, a nice family stopped their car when they saw us and offered to help. With their help and by picking up the stuck car's back end and manually turning it to line up with the non-stuck car, we finally towed it out of the mud.
Then we drove in this little no-longer-white car until we got to ... the river!
At the river, we stopped to wash the car. We Elders, still with no shoes, got out and waded around in the shallow river (no deeper than two feet). The other taxi was stopping for the driver to do some maintenance. Eventually, we let the cars go over the river with minimal passengers and we missionaries walked across the river. We then got back into the car with relatively clean feet and donned our shoes and socks again.
This brought us to Sergelen County Center, a teeny town with a single K-8 school. Anyone who wants a higher education has to go to Choibalsan. At this point, the mission doctor and his wife were worried they would miss their flight back to Ulaanbaatar, so they left us and went back in the smaller of the two taxis. We continued on, convinced that the countryside dwelling we were going to was about 30 minutes away. It was more like 2-3 hours away! At least on the way, we were able to take some great photos of the Mongolian countryside, which is greener than green and void of humanity. It was pretty cool. We also stopped by a rock that contained an impression in the shape of a boot that is said to be Chinggis Khaan's footprint.
Finally we got to the place we were going, a single ger with a singe shed in the middle of the Mongolian steppe, green as far as the eye can see. The weather was perfect. We met a member that lives way out there (fairly isolated, eh?) and ate some goat liver.
At this point, it was getting to be 6:00 pm and we were realizing how far out we were. Still, we were convinced that we would be back by 8:00 or so. We rode through the seemingly endless Mongolian countryside and finally got back to Sergelen. Then we crossed the river again and made another endless ride back until we finally reached Choibalsan at about 10:00 p.m. The ride back had been uneventful--just frustrating because we realized how far away we had been.
But it was a 21st birthday never to be forgotten!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Monday, July 14, 2014
Naadam and Wrestling
 |
| Our newest member in Choibalsan, her husband, me, my companion |
 |
| Visiting with friends and missionaries in Choibalsan |
Although Naadam, the national holiday, meant a day off of work for most people, we were still able to get a lot of work done. Next week, the second Naadam will bring things to a halt as everyone celebrates, but we should still be fine.
One thing funny did happen in relation to Naadam this week. We were meeting with one of our newer investigator couples, and they were watching the national Naadam wrestling match on TV. They said we could start teaching when the match was over. But Mongolian wrestling only ends when one man gets the other on the ground. They stand there grappling each other, starting and stopping and so on, and it can go on forever. I knew it probably wouldn't last too much longer, but it was getting late and I wanted to be able to show a video about the Restoration for our lesson. So I said a silent prayer that the match would end soon. No sooner had I done so than I looked up and saw one wrestler toss the other to the ground. I don't know whether the Lord ended a national competition to answer my prayer or whether He timed my prayer to work out to my benefit, but either way I'm sure He answered it; and we had a great lesson. Our investigators are really learning well and coming to Church and trying to change. The husband is even trying to get a new job so he won't have to work on Sunday! The Lord knows all things, and He will help this man in the best way, no matter what that ends up being.
This is my last week as a 20-year-old. In Mongolia, I've been 21 all year, but I'll stick with my American way of counting. Next week, it'll be 21 for sure. Or 22 if you want to be accurate in Mongolia.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Holidays
We had a baptism on Friday, July 4th! It was the wife of one of our members here in Choibalsan. I was able to perform the baptism. This new sister was very happy to be baptized, but she was too shy to bear her testimony at the service. That's ok, of course. The Sunday, however, that she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost was also Fast Sunday. I was fasting for her that she would become a strong member of the Church. Somewhat to my surprise, she got up and shared her testimony in front of the entire Branch. It was pretty good! I was glad to see many members expressing their appreciation to her after the meeting. They knew she was shy.
Afterward, I was thinking about it. I realized that after her baptism, she hadn't the courage; but after receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, she had been able to stand as a witness of Christ in front of a large congregation. I can't say it was a direct cause, but it was an interesting comparison. Either way, bearing testimony strengthens our faith.
This week is Naadam, the national holiday to celebrate Independence. The biggest celebrations are in the capital, of course, but there will be a couple of different ones here in Choibalsan. We are allowed to watch festivities because we otherwise have a really hard time making appointments during the holiday, but we will always be mindful of an opportunity to fellowship investigators and members.
The other American serving in Choibalsan and I celebrated the 4th of July by going to a nice restaurant in town and ordering steak. It felt like a holiday, since we would otherwise not spend $9 for just one meal!
Afterward, I was thinking about it. I realized that after her baptism, she hadn't the courage; but after receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, she had been able to stand as a witness of Christ in front of a large congregation. I can't say it was a direct cause, but it was an interesting comparison. Either way, bearing testimony strengthens our faith.
This week is Naadam, the national holiday to celebrate Independence. The biggest celebrations are in the capital, of course, but there will be a couple of different ones here in Choibalsan. We are allowed to watch festivities because we otherwise have a really hard time making appointments during the holiday, but we will always be mindful of an opportunity to fellowship investigators and members.
The other American serving in Choibalsan and I celebrated the 4th of July by going to a nice restaurant in town and ordering steak. It felt like a holiday, since we would otherwise not spend $9 for just one meal!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Choibalsan is Great
We have had a lot of rain in Choibalsan the last couple of weeks. Roads aren't all paved and drainage is, well, lacking, so roads become rivers pretty quickly. One day, we got to an intersection in the Ger Khoroolol (yurt district) and it was water from side to side with no place to pass. We waited and then flagged down a huge flatbed truck and asked for passage across. He let us climb in to the truck bed and we rode that way across the pond. It was pretty good. Even when the rain lets up, the roads are full of little streams and lots of mud.
We had an appointment on a Saturday with an investigator preparing for baptism, but we couldn't contact them on the phone and the road to their house was horrendously flooded. So we took the chance, hopped across some dirt mounts and concretes slabs and, sure enough, they were home. It was a blessing. We will be having a baptism on the 4th of July!
Missionary work can easily become frustrating, since much of our day depends on whether people keep their appointments with us. But we have to trust in the Lord. For example, that Saturday our schedule was tumbling apart about noon, but I didn't let it bother me and I went happily, trusting that the Lord would provide for what really mattered. And He did. Though some appointments fell through, He brought us another person to teach and also let us get through that flooded street to meet with our investigator.
A focus on the Lord's blessings past and promised--and trust in Him--has helped me to be very happy lately, regardless of circumstances. During times that could have been boring or tedious or frustrating, I have been just happy, going about the muddy streets with a smile because I know the Lord loves me and that I'm glad to be doing His work.
Teaching on the Army Base is great fun. The students are motivated and respectful. For the first couple of weeks, they would stand at attention whenever I called on them. And they applauded me at the end of a class. Now that they have realized I don't expect that level of discipline, they aren't standing at attention anymore. But they still work ten times harder than some of my past students. I will be sad to leave this teaching job at the end of the summer. All of my students are soldiers or officers. They know almost no English except a few memorized words, so they are definitely a beginning class that wants to learn. The sergeant major gives us a ride home after I teach. I could get used to that!
I am learning a lot as a counselor in the branch presidency. I have conducted sacrament meeting a few times.
I take notes when I read the Book of Mormon. I was reviewing notes from the Book of Ether recently. Near the end of the first chapter, the Brother of Jared prayed that their language would not be confounded; the Lord blessed him as he asked. But then when the Lord said He would scatter the nations, Jared and his brother did not pray that they not be scattered; they asked only to know where they would go. Jared said faithfully, "who knoweth but that He will lead us to a land of Promise?" (v. 38). They had faith that what the Lord willed, though different than what they had, could be better. They trusted Him and wanted to be faithful. If we look at how Jared and his brother prayed, we can see patterns of trust, faithfulness and humility. They never asked to go to a land of promise; they trusted that the Lord's will would be the best for them and asked only for that, deciding to be faithful as well. It's a good pattern for us today.
We had an appointment on a Saturday with an investigator preparing for baptism, but we couldn't contact them on the phone and the road to their house was horrendously flooded. So we took the chance, hopped across some dirt mounts and concretes slabs and, sure enough, they were home. It was a blessing. We will be having a baptism on the 4th of July!
Missionary work can easily become frustrating, since much of our day depends on whether people keep their appointments with us. But we have to trust in the Lord. For example, that Saturday our schedule was tumbling apart about noon, but I didn't let it bother me and I went happily, trusting that the Lord would provide for what really mattered. And He did. Though some appointments fell through, He brought us another person to teach and also let us get through that flooded street to meet with our investigator.
A focus on the Lord's blessings past and promised--and trust in Him--has helped me to be very happy lately, regardless of circumstances. During times that could have been boring or tedious or frustrating, I have been just happy, going about the muddy streets with a smile because I know the Lord loves me and that I'm glad to be doing His work.
Teaching on the Army Base is great fun. The students are motivated and respectful. For the first couple of weeks, they would stand at attention whenever I called on them. And they applauded me at the end of a class. Now that they have realized I don't expect that level of discipline, they aren't standing at attention anymore. But they still work ten times harder than some of my past students. I will be sad to leave this teaching job at the end of the summer. All of my students are soldiers or officers. They know almost no English except a few memorized words, so they are definitely a beginning class that wants to learn. The sergeant major gives us a ride home after I teach. I could get used to that!
I am learning a lot as a counselor in the branch presidency. I have conducted sacrament meeting a few times.
I take notes when I read the Book of Mormon. I was reviewing notes from the Book of Ether recently. Near the end of the first chapter, the Brother of Jared prayed that their language would not be confounded; the Lord blessed him as he asked. But then when the Lord said He would scatter the nations, Jared and his brother did not pray that they not be scattered; they asked only to know where they would go. Jared said faithfully, "who knoweth but that He will lead us to a land of Promise?" (v. 38). They had faith that what the Lord willed, though different than what they had, could be better. They trusted Him and wanted to be faithful. If we look at how Jared and his brother prayed, we can see patterns of trust, faithfulness and humility. They never asked to go to a land of promise; they trusted that the Lord's will would be the best for them and asked only for that, deciding to be faithful as well. It's a good pattern for us today.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Choibalsan!
Once I flew to Choibalsan to conduct some training as a Zone Leader. I thought it was a fun excursion in a mission where we do not usually get to leave Ulaanbaatar. Now I find myself serving this summer in Choibalsan!
It is very nice here. It reminds me of Iowa because it is flat (UB is next to mountains). You can see forever. It also reminds me of Florida (although I have never been there) because it has trees. I haven't seen trees for a long time, and they have planted some lovely lines of trees to beautify the city. Okay, so they aren't palm trees, but it is just greener here and so I thought of Florida. It is still Mongolia, of course, since everything is written in Cyrillic script and fresh yogurt is for sell in every store.
Anyway, I am in Choibalsan only for the summer to teach English temporarily. My school in Ulaanbaatar does not offer classes in the summer, and so I am free to work elsewhere and they needed a teacher here. This means I also get to be a missionary for this small branch. It isn't part of a district; it is just under the mission. So, I am now Second Counselor in the Branch Presidency. Another missionary is the Branch President and a local member is the First Counselor. I conducted Sacrament meeting on the 8th! It was interesting to do that.
We are teaching some people the Gospel, but our presence here is small and we keep a low profile. The weather here is different than in the capital. It has gone back and forth between perfect, rainy, and sweaty. But it's nice. I like the apartment because I actually have a mattress to sleep on. In my last apartment, we had box springs but not mattresses. I slept on some blankets. So this mattress thing is really nice. We are working on getting a washing machine installed; there was one before, but this apartment hasn't been used for a while and it was removed.
When the mission president called to tell us we were going to Choibalsan, we had just a few days notice to teach our area to some other Elders, baptize an investigator, and get to the airport. It was a great baptism, though, and we feel our new member will be strong and happy. He's humble and diligent about coming to Church. An older gentleman was also baptized. On that same day, another investigator we taught was baptized in her new branch (which we found was outside of our area).
So here I am where mail doesn't reach Elders very often. Choibalsan is Mongolia's 4th largest city! Population: about 40,000. That's Mongolia. It's great!
It is very nice here. It reminds me of Iowa because it is flat (UB is next to mountains). You can see forever. It also reminds me of Florida (although I have never been there) because it has trees. I haven't seen trees for a long time, and they have planted some lovely lines of trees to beautify the city. Okay, so they aren't palm trees, but it is just greener here and so I thought of Florida. It is still Mongolia, of course, since everything is written in Cyrillic script and fresh yogurt is for sell in every store.
Anyway, I am in Choibalsan only for the summer to teach English temporarily. My school in Ulaanbaatar does not offer classes in the summer, and so I am free to work elsewhere and they needed a teacher here. This means I also get to be a missionary for this small branch. It isn't part of a district; it is just under the mission. So, I am now Second Counselor in the Branch Presidency. Another missionary is the Branch President and a local member is the First Counselor. I conducted Sacrament meeting on the 8th! It was interesting to do that.
We are teaching some people the Gospel, but our presence here is small and we keep a low profile. The weather here is different than in the capital. It has gone back and forth between perfect, rainy, and sweaty. But it's nice. I like the apartment because I actually have a mattress to sleep on. In my last apartment, we had box springs but not mattresses. I slept on some blankets. So this mattress thing is really nice. We are working on getting a washing machine installed; there was one before, but this apartment hasn't been used for a while and it was removed.
When the mission president called to tell us we were going to Choibalsan, we had just a few days notice to teach our area to some other Elders, baptize an investigator, and get to the airport. It was a great baptism, though, and we feel our new member will be strong and happy. He's humble and diligent about coming to Church. An older gentleman was also baptized. On that same day, another investigator we taught was baptized in her new branch (which we found was outside of our area).
So here I am where mail doesn't reach Elders very often. Choibalsan is Mongolia's 4th largest city! Population: about 40,000. That's Mongolia. It's great!
 |
| Baptism in American Denj Branch (just the street name; it's not an American Branch). My companion is second from the right. |
 |
| Elder Sims in Choibalsan, June 2014 |
Monday, May 26, 2014
School is out!
I'm grateful to live in a family established on the teachings of the prophets. Going on a mission has shown me what an enormous difference there is between a firm Gospel family and the opposite.
My English class is winding down now. I just gave the final exams and then graded them. It took almost 4 hours to do that, which didn't leave much of our P-day. Oh well. The school has let out for the summer, so teachers are off, too. I get to be a full-time missionary all the time! I look forward to that.
We have an investigator in our area who is doing very well. He was introduced to the Gospel by a new member of the ward who happens to be the father of one of our missionaries. Because this mission is comprised mostly of Mongolians, and because the country has a limited number of cities, it is common for missionaries from Ulaanbaatar to serve in this city and even see their family often.
So it is with this new member. Anyway, because he recently received the Aaronic Priesthood, we are helping him to prepare to baptize his young co-worker who is very excited about the Gospel. The 25-year-old comes to Church every Sunday and he wants to go on a mission as soon as possible (one year) after he is baptized. It's great to see how happy he is in the Gospel. And it's great to see how these friends can strengthen each other.
My English class is winding down now. I just gave the final exams and then graded them. It took almost 4 hours to do that, which didn't leave much of our P-day. Oh well. The school has let out for the summer, so teachers are off, too. I get to be a full-time missionary all the time! I look forward to that.
We have an investigator in our area who is doing very well. He was introduced to the Gospel by a new member of the ward who happens to be the father of one of our missionaries. Because this mission is comprised mostly of Mongolians, and because the country has a limited number of cities, it is common for missionaries from Ulaanbaatar to serve in this city and even see their family often.
So it is with this new member. Anyway, because he recently received the Aaronic Priesthood, we are helping him to prepare to baptize his young co-worker who is very excited about the Gospel. The 25-year-old comes to Church every Sunday and he wants to go on a mission as soon as possible (one year) after he is baptized. It's great to see how happy he is in the Gospel. And it's great to see how these friends can strengthen each other.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Happy Mother's Day
 |
| Elder Sims via Skype, 11 May 2014 |
I've been reading the Book of Mormon in English again lately, instead of in Mongolian, and I was surprised by how much more understandable Jacob 5 was the most recent time I read it. I could see all the dispensations falling right into the scriptural narrative. My understanding drew on lessons and seminary videos of the past, but it just made more sense right away this time. It shows you how no matter how many time you read the Book of Mormon you can always learn more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)