Our Branch is Catching the Mission Spirit

Ger Bvlth Mini,

So this week was great. It started off terrible, but ended up great!  It's kind of a long story so it will have to wait, but I will have a great story to tell you guys in about 14 months, so you'll just have to be patient. My companion and I had our scheduled interviews with President Benson this past Friday. Being so far away out here in Choibalsan, I sat down with him, via Skype, of course, and just had the best talk.    After like 30 minutes, he asked me if there was anything else I wanted to talk about and I just asked if I could talk about myself.  He said, of course. I just started sharing my heartaches, my worries, my failures, etc.  While I am doing this, President is just looking at me through the computer screen and smiling ear to ear.  I could honestly feel his love for me, the Holy Ghost so strong, and this made my emotions just kinda get away from me. (Don't judge...haha)  When I finished, he looked at me and told me that he had this exact same conversation with HIS mission president when HE was a missionary in Mongolia years ago, emotions and all!  He told me that he told his mission president, "I just want to be a good missionary."  That is something I told him many times during our interview.  I told him how I love the work here in Choibalsan and do not what this opportunity to serve here to go to waste.  With love, he again told me how he had this same conversation with his mission president.  Then he told me something that I will never forget."  He said, Elder Harris, you will soon get the opportunity to shine. I promise you. I am so pleased with the work you are doing, and I know the Lord is too. I don't know why The Lord is giving you this trial, but just know it is for your good."  He then told me to re-read D&C 121-122, and apply it to myself.  

I love this man so much. He is my hero. He took about 2 hours out of his busy day to meet with us, both one on one, and together. He loves us, and he is truly called of God to serve as the Mission President of Mongolia. His whole family is in America right now and Sister Benson is waiting to deliver a baby boy, and he is here in Mongolia serving the Lord and fulfilling his calling as a servant of the Lord.  He and his family truly live the Law of Consecration. To be only 35 years old and leave everything you have, and in his family's case, everything he didn't have, to fulfill the calling from the Lord, is something truly extraordinary. I will honor this man forever. 

Well, everything picked up from that point.  Saturday night we found 4 new investigators (a family), and they have all committed to baptism on November 21st!  Not only that, but they came to us through our new member, Naraa Egch!  (Remember her?  She was baptized a few weeks ago.)  It is her two older sisters and their families and she set the whole thing up for us.  We just had to show up.  What a missionary she is!  It was honestly one of the best nights and lessons of my mission.  So we pray that they will follow their sister's example!   So all in all, we now have 7 investigators.  Two came to church this past week, and we are really excited to see them progress. One is a really cool Grandpa!  He was also brought by a member!  Our Branch is catching the missionary spirit!  It is so awesome to see.

I love you guys. Thanks for all you do for me!  Please continue to pray, and read your scriptures as a family everyday!  Don't forget.

Until next week,

Elder Harris

The three girls that were baptized this week.  The sister missionaries taught them, and Ganbayar and Tumee baptized them!  Isn't that awesome!

Sis. Bolor Erdene's niece was one of the ones who were baptized.  Here we are with her family and the sister missionaries.

This week Sister Tserverlmaa and Purew Emee had their birthday party at the church!  It was a lot of fun and they loved it!

Purew Emee is now 77!  Pray for her!  Her health is not very good.  I love her so much!  

The entire Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission.   This official photo taken at the Mission Conference at the end of September, with (L to R) Pres. and Sister Allen, Elder and Sis. Gong, Elder and Sister Rasband and President and Sister Benson.  My companion and I are in the upper left-hand part of the picture, about one row down from the top.