This week was Nadam. And we talked to a bunch of people on Monday and they were like, yeah the opening ceremony is on Tuesday. So on tuesday, i wore my whole mongolian outfit... And we go to the stadium.... and like no one is there... So I felt a little stupid all dressed up. Everyone at the stadium was setting up there xoshuur booth or game booths, and they were like, you're suppose to wear your clothes tomorrow. haha I died. But then my companion and I started just eating xoshuur at all these places and started meeting the people making the food. And everyone said I looked really wonderful. So i stopped feeling stupid. And we met this lady, who owns this massage place and she was like come to my work. So we are going to call her and maybe hopefully later preach the gospel to her. And we also met this guy, who was like, "come back tomorrow, my friend is bringing his murrin xuur and will play it"... but we never went back to his tent... why?? Because he was like "Marry my young friend"... and i don't know if he understand the meaning of young because his friend was like 35... But it was still funny. The next day we went to the opening ceremony. IT WAS SO WONDERFUL! I would be lying if I said I wasn't crying... Also I saw a million foreigners at the opening.
So we have this one area, that is sooo successful. One of our new members lives there and I told you about this before, but this less-active member walks into here house and starts reciting the 1st vision. So we visited him, then through him we met Ochir and tsegmed. Then we met this lady at the market, who was like "you guys are missionaries right??" and then we asked her to meet... so we were trying to find her house.. guess where she lives... yeah right next door to ochir and tsegmed... THESE THINGS JUST DON"T HAPPEN... And when we were trying to find this investigators house, in the same location, we met this lady and asked her if she new our investigator. We didnt' but she has this wonderful garden and we asked if we could help her. So this week we are going to help her garden, teach her daughter english, and teach her the gospel. And bonus, her daughter lives right next door. So we are going to try and teach her too. And her daughter lives right next door to another different investigators. I was leaving the area one day and exclaimed to my companion "THIS IS WHALES"... aka were like Dan Jones. (IF YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT I"M TALKING ABOUT LOOK IT UP). Yes i'm over-exaggerating, but it's amazing how many people in this small neighborhood we are teaching, or will teach. And there are a few more that I haven't mentioned. I have never had this much work on my mission.
So we have an investigator who lives bur tishee (really far from the city center). So we have to take a taxi. Last week on this particular visit, we took a taxi out there. And when the time came for us to leave, (they usually give us a ride back to the city center, but this time their car wasn't working)... we had to walk all the way back to the city. So we decided to take a shortcut... over the mountain... It was a shortcut in that we went straight instead of curing around it. But we got to the top and it was so beautiful. We could see everything. Mongolia is like kennewick but instead of brown everywhere its green and beautiful, and there are horses, and cows grazing everywhere.
But our investigators Xishegjargath and erdenzorigt. So they need to get their marriage certificate. They got married last September, but they need to get their stamp from the government. It's such a big problem here. It's not easy, you have to go a lot of places, and it's very bureaucratic. But miracles, this week they are going to get his part. So we are praying for a miracle. If they dont' get their certificate by August 5, we have to push back their date. But whatever happens, it will be okay.
This week I studied "love the essence of the Gospel" the conference talk. President Monson said "We cannot truly love God if we do not love our fellow travelers on this mortal journey. Likewise, we cannot fully love our fellowmen if we do not love God, the Father of us all." Sometimes it's really hard to love people... but that is what we are commanded. To love and serve God with all our heart might mind and strength... which means to serve our fellow men with all our heart my mind and strength. And then he says "Dale Carnegie, a well-known American author and lecturer, believed that each person has within himself or herself the “power to increase the sum total of [the] world’s happiness … by giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged.” Said he, “Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime." . I can not even tell you how true this rings. But it can go both ways. People remember negative things you say to them. I remember so many instances where someone has said something many years ago and it effected me so much, so much so that I still remember what they said and how I felt. I'm not saying I have not forgiven these people, but our words can have a bad effect on people. I don't remember my ill words of the past, but I wonder if anyone remembers my words still today. So I am working on this right now.
Well, sorry I don't have any pictures, I didn't bring my converter.
LOVE YOU FAMILY,
Sister Sara Eskelsen.
My would be tweets:
Who is the stupid foreigner who showed up to the national celebration a day early all dressed up in traditional clothes?? #me#lostintranslation
Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about dancing after my mission... #itsfiiiine #icantwaittodance
How to look like you understand people you're talking to: Nod you head and say uhuh alot, say one work general responses back. #idontknowmongolian
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