It Almost Killed Us!!

Elders arrive to take us to meet the mission president.

So, this week was crazy! Monday night, the mission president, his counselors and the AP’S came into town without notice, we then threw out plans we had and went on all kinds of splits and visited others instead. I went on a split with Bayarjav Ax- the president’s 2^nd counselor and his wife. We visited a way less-active, super offended, young couple, and had an amazing lesson... but that couple refuses to forgive and move on. The husband especially was touched by things I said, and I think, given time, they will come back. Then we visited another family and the experience was awesome! Working with him and his wife gave me a whole new outlook on teaching... they truly recognize needs and teach to needs- and they relate their own experiences so well!

Teaching a member family

This week, in order to visit all of our investigators we did quite e few splits, and one day we did an entire day split with members. I was comps with a “preemie” (she’s working on her mission papers). She has a huge desire, but doesn't quite know how to teach everything she wants to say, so I taught everything and it went amazing! I didn't have any language problems!!! What?!?! Yep, that happened. All the people we visited understood me well and were touched by what I said! I was able to teach the lessons without fear and I felt a strength. I truly felt God strengthening me as I taught. It felt like the many missionary stories in the Book of Mormon. They always say that they were able to do what they did because God strengthened them. Well it's real, and God does it for all His missionaries!

On another note, yesterday we went to pick up the blind lady again and her children had untied their dog. So when we arrived. he came running at the fence (seriously the scariest dog I've ever seen!!!) and THEN when the blind lady came out, the dog came running too. My comp and I were sprinting through the snow praying the dog wouldn't kill us. I got around the corner and out of sight of the dog and waited and prayed. My comp had opened a random unlocked gate and jumped into someone's yard and then closed it a moment before the dog got to her. IT ALMOST KILLED US!!! We called the lady and asked her to take the dog back (which took a long time because she couldn’t find the dog or her house)... so we waited and froze in the snow. Eventually she did it, and we got her and left. Boy was that a scary experience!!! But I lived to tell the tale!

Additional info: I have asked Emily to take a photo of the dogs but she never has and even replied that she can't because she's too busy running away! Here are two photos of common breeds in Mongolia (Bankhar & Tibetan Mastiff), I don't know if these are the same as the dog in Emily's story but it is quite possible.

Me and my companion

Yup, winter is here!

Layers, layers, layers!

Beautiful Mongolian people! (Gers are hot inside)

Having fun with the elders