Off to the Deep Khuduu

Dear Family,

Well, this week has been good, slightly stressful, but good.   The stress this week has come from our work.  We schedule and teach lessons; we teach all of our investigators regularly, but they do not want to come to church.  Our hope was that they would come to this activity we had last Saturday, but sadly none of them came.  At this point, it is almost like starting over again.  You can only invite so many times.  Our only progressing investigator at this point is the 9 year old girl, Namolon, I told you about last week.  She came to church with her mother, so we were really excited about that!  If you remember, her mother and father are both returned missionaries, but are inactive.  The mother is really loving our visits and our lessons and we are seeing that "spark" coming back in her.  The father is working a lot, so we still have a lot of work to do with him. 

The activity a mentioned earlier was this past Saturday.  It was a ward activity with food, Karaoke, dancing, and a Book of Mormon trivia game!  We planned for about 150 people to come, because the members on the Ward Council were certain that everyone would come out of the woodwork for this activity.  I never thought that 150 would come.....We barely get 60 to church!  So food was prepared for 150 people, but only 50 showed up.  Oh well, it was still fun and a really good time.  The members that came LOVED it.  Plus, everyone took home tons of leftovers!   A lot of Elders Sims and Ulziijargal's investigators came so that was great!  

Well, this past week, the mission doctor, his wife, and their translator came all the way out to Choibalsan for few days to treat us to a great time and some good food.  From what we are told, all the elders in the city (UB) had a few days of activities with Naadam being last week, so President Benson sent the Doc out to spend some money on us to do some fun stuff.  President loves us all the way out here (haha)!  So today for P-day, we are heading out to Sister Ulziibayar's sister's get (several  hours away in the DEEP countryside)!   There we will have a traditional countryside meal and do some other activities!  I am sooooo pumped and excited!   It will be fun!   We have had a really great time with the coming of Elder/Doctor Lewis, his wife, and their translator.   They have spoiled us with food and much more!   I am really glad they came because all the members here seem to get a little extra burst of faith when the senior couples come and visit.   Senior couples from the city are always treated like celebrities by the members....and we become chopped liver!  HaHa.  The members really do love us! 

Side comment:  So my companion leaves to go home a week from today.  His mission is over.  So sad to see him leave.  We've been together a quite a while and I just found out that he LOVES Linkin Park!  So we sing "LP" songs everywhere we go now!  HaHa!  Who woulda thought!!!

Mom, I got the letter from you this week that you sent with tons of pictures!  Thanks!  I love it!!

Grandma Harris, I got your letter!  Thanks so much for not forgetting me!  Great to hear from you!  I love you!

Well, I am off to the Deep Khuduu!   It is time to go, and the taxi is outside honking his horn!!

Love you all,

-Elder Xappuc 

This is the deep countryside. Mongolians believe this to be Chinggis Khaan's foot print. I'll tell you more about our adventure next week.