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Funny how things happen sometimes....

Yesterday, a German businessman walked into Church.  He said he was just looking for a Christian church to attend that day, as he was in Mongolia on business.  In German, I informed him that this is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He was acquainted with the Church's name, but he didn't seem pleased all of the sudden to be there.  He left.  But then a Mongolian Church member approached me after hearing me speak in German.  He had lived in Germany for a while and could also speak German.  He hadn't been to Church for a long time.  In fact, Sunday was his first day back in a very long time.  Hearing me speak German gave him the courage to talk to me, and now we have arranged to meet with him to help him find his way back to full activity.  If he hadn't heard me speaking German, he might not have approached me.  But he was there at the right time, and now we can help him!  This is how the Lord blesses us.

My German isn't as good as it used to be, since I am mostly speaking Mongolian, but it was enough.  Sometimes we cannot know how the Lord will prepare us to serve Him, but if we work hard and always act in faith, we can be sure He will prepare us to serve His children.

Our district had a baptism last week!  The sisters taught a father of a part-member family.  I was able to perform the baptism.  I think this family will now be much stronger because both parents are now members.

I've noticed throughout the Bible that the Lord makes constant emphasis on His covenant people.  When the covenant people became wicked, He didn't just walk away from them.  He strove consistently with them, even if he had to withdraw his priesthood for a time.  He worked for millenia to make sure He could gather His covenant people again.  That is why we have the Restored Gospel.  So today, the covenant people here in Mongolia are the 10,000 members who have entered into a baptismal covenant.  We stress to our investigators their part in that covenant, that it's important for them to do their part and keep the commandments.  But the Lord makes half of that covenant, too, and He will not forget His covenant people.  Part of our covenant and duty as members of the Church is to help the Lord with His "half" of the covenant--that is, to not forget His covenant people, even if many of them have forgotten Him.  We must keep working to help them remember Him and their part in the covenant.