Сайн байцгаана уу? How are you all doing this week? Sorry I didn't write last week...things have been super busy here on pdays. Since coming back to the city, our pdays have been spent running every which way so I don't have much downtime to write haha.
Anyways, I was thinking about a different layout for my emails so I'll try that today. I'll just try writing the highlights of each day and see how it goes:
Tuesday:
Last Tuesday, we went out to lunch with Sister Stark and Sister Quincy. We found this pretty fun chicken sandwich restaurant and it was an americanized style restaurant. It was pretty good but not worth the travel to get there haha. Then we went to the stake center and my comp played basketball while I wrote college scholarship application essays (I can't believe I have to think about that now haha). We bought groceries, came home, then went to a member's house for dinner and it was super fun!
Wednesday:
We would usually have to teach at the middle school on Wednesdays but this week, the school was out for fall break. So instead we did lots of contacting because this area had a bunch of referrals built up over the past couple transfers. Not gonna lie, contacting was long and hard but we successfully invited 24 people to a family history activity our stake is putting on next week. We also did some social media work, designed English cards for our church class to pass out, and attempted to meet with one of our flaky investigators. We also taught piano and english at the church and those went well.
Thursday:
We had district counsel today and I gave a training on finding people. I didn't have much time to prep but it turned out fine. Then we got lunch as a district at pizza hut, went home and did studies, tried to meet with a new member who flaked on us, did social media work, and then visited Elder Gendendaram's family. They made us tsuivan with bansh and French fries in it. That was an interesting combination haha
Friday:
Today was super chaotic...the ward youth leaders planned a fun bowling activity for mutual today and we told them we'd help out because the missionaries always run mutual here. Because we volunteered to help, the leaders took that as we volunteered to lead the activity so no leaders showed up to help us. Meaning we also didn't get any ward funds to pay for the bus rides for the kids, bowling for the kids, or food for the kids. We spent a lot of money because all the youth showed up expecting this grand activity the leaders talked up. It turned out fine but we were just surprised that we got no support. Also, the leaders chose a bowling alley so far away to go to, so it took 3 hours to get there with traffic. After mutual, my comp and I attempted to meet with a referral we've never met with before but she flaked on us so we just did studies and passed out English cards instead.
Saturday:
Today we attempted to meet with 3 new referrals we received - all three of them flaked on us...but I was expecting that so thankfully we made good backup plans. We helped the ward clean the church in the morning, then finished a few advertisements for our church Facebook page. Then we did some roleplays, lots of contacting, and taught an amazing lesson to this family that's been interested for a while. The mother, Bayrmaa was so sweet and even made us dinner! Also, when we got to their house, we realized she moved, so we had to find her new address via verbal directions over the phone. That was my first time successfully finding a house on my own through being told directions in Mongolian so that was a success! The lesson was honestly so great and they are progressing so well!
Sunday:
Today we super spiritual! Sacrament and second hour went great as usual in this ward. Everyone does a good job at their calling here so all classes run super smoothly without the help of the missionaries. Then after church, we found out everyone was invited to a member's son's funeral so we went to their funeral. Mongolian funerals are so interesting! We all crowded into the deceased person's house and their family made all the guests soup, rice, and salads. We all feasted while a Buddhist priest blessed the body and performed some cool rituals. We also got to talk to one of the deceased son's relatives who speaks perfect Russian and English. She talked to us all about her travels around the world which was super fun! We also tried to meet with 3 more referrals and they all flaked on us so we did our studies instead. In the evening, we did our weekly plan and filled out our KIs, then had a district miracle share over zoom.
Monday:
We did studies, made some cookies for the member who's son just passed away, then taught one of our investigators about following the Prophet. He is so solid and honestly already ready to be baptized. Unfortunately his parents don't want him to get baptized so keep him in your prayers. We're working on reaching out to his relatives who are members to see what we can do. We planned English, had 2 more referrals flake on us, and delivered cookies to our sweet member. Then we went back to the church, taught English and piano, and did some last minute contacting about our family history stake activity.
I think I like the layout of this email a lot more so I'll start doing my weeklies like this. Anyways, despite the fact that so many people flaked on us, we always had backup plans and kept busy so it felt like a productive week. Sometimes the mission can be discouraging because of how often we get shut down. But despite this, I am thankful for Christ's strength to keep pushing forward and ignore these set backs as if they never happened. I found this really cool scripture in Helaman 14 about agency this week:
30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.
31 He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you
I really love the Gift of agency. Heavenly Father gave everyone the option to choose to follow His Son, or to choose their own path. This is because He loves us so much. I try to remember this when people cancel on us and it helps me feel more love for those people. I know that God wants what's best for each of us. That is why He sent us His Son. I know that if we choose to follow His Son, we are choosing good and we will be blessed because of it. I am thankful for my Savior's example and His strength! Have a wonderful week everyone!
Love,
Sister Potter
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