This week was fun, tiring, hot, and successful!

Manaihan,

So this week was fun, tiring, hot, and successful!

Let's start with fun. Well one of our less active families have moved to their summer home about 1.5 hours from our area in the boundaries of another area, the Axe Hero Branch.  They moved just as the wife and daughter were about to get callings.  We really needed to check on them though, so we took the bus and headed on out. This place is just BEAUTIFUL.  It is in the forested mountain just north of UB.  Sadly, we forgot the camera. We should be going back this week, though, and we will get pictures!  So we checked up on them,. They are staying there for the summer.  I hate that!  But respecting free agency given by our Heavenly Father is something I have learned on my mission.  All you can do is support, wait, and show that you care and remember them.  Well on the walk down this mountain to the bus stop, some lady was watching over her cow herd, nothing unusual here.  Well one cow moo-ed, and the lady yelled in reply, "Duugvi bai" (be quite)!  It was so funny! My companions and I started dying of laughter.. poor lady.  Yes, I said companions.  We have had a mini missionary with us for the past 3 weeks.  I just forget to tell you.  It is Elder Dulguun.  He was my companion about a month or so ago for a week.  So we are a three-some.  Also the bus ride back was nuts. The driver was going faster than all get-out, running a few cars off the road, yelling at passengers... It was nuts!  The conductor was a young man, and jokingly said, "Welcome to the roller coaster!"   We also had a Branch Elders Quorum activity.   We hiked up in the mountains for a 7-hour outing.  It was such a beautiful trip and fun activity that included Mongolian wrestling, tacos, and Elder Browing and his guitar.  He played the whole time and we all sang and hiked together... So relaxing and fun.

Tiring: Well this whole waking up at 630 a.m. and walking all day until 10:30 p.m. for the past 1.5 years thing is finally catching up with me. I feel like I am dying every morning, every day, but then at night, I just can't sleep.  If I could sleep, everything would be better!  My mind just won't shut off.  I just think, and think, and think some more about the life I have right now, and the life that lies ahead.  I have started writing.  I call my writings, "Marc Douglas Harris: Life on Earth."  Just planning a lot of things out...Education, job, church, health, home, family, hobbies, culture, traditions, American pride, etc.   I have many goals, and many things to accomplish.

Hot:  Well it is hot!  I sweat all day and all night.  Good thing mesh garments only cost 35 cents at the church here!   Ryan, I don't care what you say... I LOVE mesh garments.  Also, no hot water in our apartment for the past 2 weeks.   Well some may say that is difficult but I love freezing ice water coming out of the faucets. #CheersToNeverLivingInLasVegasAgain!

Success:  Well we have a baptism this week. Her name is S........! She is 20 years old and a student here in UB.  She has been a fast one. We finished all the lessons  SUPER FAST.  It is only because she could handle it.  She knows the Church is true, has a testimony of Joseph Smith, and can't wait to attend the temple.  She was the investigator asking us if she could pay tithing before we ever even taught it.  There is probably a full-time mission in the future for her too.  She will be a great addition to the youth here in Mongolia! So blessed to have been her missionary, but man that was fast!!  I am used to like 3 months with an investigator, and she was 3 weeks!   Another investigator we have is A.........  She is a 27-ish woman that always comes to the English classes I teach at the Church.  She was one of my students.  She knows the Bible like the back of her hand, and has been to tons of Korean Churches here.  Those are the new and hip churches in Mongolia.  Well she seems to be doing good. She has tons of questions, and I love answering them so our lessons are great.  We kind of got into a little (1.5 hour) discussion on why there is the need for prophets, and the Book of Mormon.   Two things that she has been oblivious to her whole life, even though she goes to other churches.   Reading the Bible here on my mission has truly blessed me, let me tell you that.  I love using doctrine from the Bible, the book she knows and believes in, to persuade her of the truth of our Doctrine and getting her to really thinking and pondering (D & C 121:41-42).  Combine that Bible knowledge with the knowledge and testimony I have of the Book of Mormon and it truly turned to be a "BOOM!" lesson.  It is crazy how the Gift of Tongues works.  Spiritual gifts are real!!  :)

I just want to share how much I love President Benson.  He does so much for all us missionaries, and for me personally.  I thought today about saying good bye to him and Sister Benson in 6 months or so, and it was just like a weird thought, one that I got out of my mind fast!  I will be filled with tears on my end.  I am pretty tough, but a few things get me to cry, such as when I'm touched by the Spirit, the movie Remember the Titans, 4th of July parades, and saying goodbye to people that have changed my life.  He is truly like an older brother to all of us Elders out here.

Well my time is up!  Have a good week and know that I am happy, healthy, and loving life here on my mission, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This church is true!

I love you all,

Elder Harris

At our District Meeting.

Elder Dulguun and I at the activity.

Elder Munkhbold and I at the Branch Elder’s Quorum activity in the forest, north of UB.

Me during our hike at the activity.

 Elder Huckvale and I at my 18-Month Pant Burning.

Elder Huckvale “flipped” at my 18-month pant burning.  Awesome, right?