Monday, August 11, 2014

We are on the Verge of Miracles!

Sain bain uu ger bvl min!

So family, things here in Choibalsan are great and we are on the verge of so many miracles.  Let me explain....

So Ganbayar was my second baptism here in Choibalsan as you might remember.  He is a great young man.  He will be receiving the priesthood anytime now.  As many people from Choibalsan do, he went to the countryside for the summer.   So we are just waiting for him return next week so that he can receive the priesthood.  But anyway, ever since we baptized him three months ago, we have been developing a great relationship with his mother, Naraa.  Elder Khash Erdene and I met with her a few times three months ago, but never felt that it was right to just throw the Gospel at her.  It was weird that we didn't feel right about teaching her lessons back then, but now it all makes sense.  So we have been going to her house about every week for the last three months, visiting with her, eating the "buffet" that she makes for us every time we come over, and just talking to her about her family and her job.   She owns a little vegetable store at the market here in Choibalsan.  Her oldest son, Ganbayar's brother, died like 10 years ago, so that is really sad for her, but we are hoping the Plan of Salvation will mean even more for her.   When Elder Osorjamma and I were companions, we also felt like we should not share the lessons with her yet.  So strange, but we decided to just teach her about God and how we can pray to him to receive blessings.  She loved that lesson a month back or so, and has been praying ever since. She even told us a story about how one of her prayers was answered when she missed a bus she needed to get on a month ago or so. She has slowly but surely been prepared by our Heavenly Father to receive this message.   Well, two Sundays ago, she just showed up at church!  I was shocked, and ecstatic all at the same time!   I guess Ganbayar had called her on the phone and told her that he didn't want people in the Branch to forget about him and think that he was inactive, so he asked his mother to go in his place.  He told her that all the people at church are really nice, and that she would find friends there.  So she came!  What a great example my new convert (Ganbayar) set for his mother!   We were so stoked about that!   She left after Sacrament Meeting, but before she left we made a appointment with her for Monday night.  So Monday came and we felt ready to teach her the message of the Restoration.  Honestly, it was the strongest lesson I have been apart of in my whole mission. The spirit was tangible.  I truly was receiving Heavenly help with the language.  She felt it too....couldn't recognize it...but she felt it.   We have since met with her four times.  She came to our baptism on Friday, and again to church yesterday.  Tonight we will show her the Restoration video at the church, and hopefully through that movie she can find her answer.  She has prayed three times now about whether or not our message is true, but is just now starting to recognize the Spirit teaching her.  She says how good she feels at church, and when she meets with us and when she learns about Jesus Christ, and we have linked those feelings to the Holy Ghost testifying to her that this is true.  But she is having a hard time recognizing that.  It is going great though, and I am so excited for her!  Truly, it was a miracle we have received because we listened to the Spirit a few months back and were patient with her.   Mom and dad, she is truly an Elect Lady.   How great is God!

Sainbayar was baptized this past Friday, and received the Holy Ghost on Sunday!  He is such a stud, and will shortly be a leader in the Church here in Choibalsan.  He has such a strong testimony and a desire to learn more about the Gospel, not to mention that he has almost finished the Book of Mormon.  He will be a Branch President sometime soon I predict.  President Benson is coming to Choibalsan this month, and will meet with him.  That will be great for Sainbayar to meet President Benson, and that will allow him to hopefully receive a calling of great importance.   Choibalsan and Mongolia need more men like Sainbayar.  He truly is a miracle.  He lived in England for 11 years, and met with missionaries there, but his English was poor, so he didn't really get much out of it.  Then he moved back to Choibalsan, saw the same church that he saw in England, (the church was not here in Choibalsan when he lived here 12 years ago), knocked on the church's door two times, and no one answered (it was a door that is not in use...!).   Then finally the third time that he came back, he caught Elder Sims and Ulziibayar walking in and bada boom bada bing......Baptized!

This week, Sister Enkhtoya, Brother Ganbaatar's wife, received her baptismal interview and passed it with flying colors!  Also this week, we met with her nearly every day, reviewing all the lessons, and teaching the 5th lesson from PMG.  She is so great, they are already planning to go to the temple in a year with their kids to be sealed for time and eternity.  I have been so blessed to be her missionary.  Truly, they are a family that I will be life long friends with.  I can't wait to see her go through the temple in a year with her husband, who will be going through for his first time too, and be sealed.  To see someone you love so dearly make eternal covenants with The Lord is indescribable.  She also asked me to baptize her, so I am truly so humbled and blessed to be where I am.  I love it here!

Our Church meetings were great here on Sunday.  The members love Elder Baldandorj as the Branch President, and are really receptive to him.  We had three speakers who all spoke about Temples, Temple Work, and Family History. We had 54 people in attendance. The numbers are almost always the same, but the unity is so much stronger.  I truly believe that unity will lead to lasting conversion and activity, and will keep people feeling the Spirit that is here on Sundays.

I am loving being Elder Baldandorj's companion again, and we are working harder and harder to receive more miracles here in Choibalsan.   Like I said, we are on the verge of so many miracle with investigators, and members being strengthened, and we are just really happy to be doing it together.  I know we are doing our part, and I know the Lord is blessing us.  We have set goals of exact obedience.  I know that is the only way we will receive the needed miracles here in Choibalsan.  I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than Choibalsan right now.  I have been putting in the required work with all my companions ever since I arrived here four months ago, and man does it feel great to see the Lord performing miracles right before our eyes. He lives!

Хайртай шүү!
-Ахлагч Xappuc

This Ganbaatar and his wife, Enkhtoya! August 15, 2014 is her baptism date. Eternal covenants!

Here I am just chillin' at the airport after teaching my English class. There are tons of Russian army people here, and I hear the President of Russia is coming to Choibalsan soon or some big parade and conference and training. 
 

This is one of their army helicopters. 

Sainbayar's Baptism.




After-baptism party!


1 comment:

  1. WOW! His life is so amazing there - I can't imagine how special he is to those 54 people. Talking about serving in the vineyard. He is amazing!

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