Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Mission Training at Gorkhi Terelj National Park

Dear Family,

Yesterday we had a Elders Retreat out at Gorkhi Terelj National Park all day!   It was great, so today is P-Day.  Sorry if I worried you!

So yesterday, all the Elders loaded up in a bus and two Mission Land Cruisers and headed out to Terelj which is about 1.5 hours northeast from the city.  It is a National Park up in the mountains with tons of rocks that cover the mountains. Truly beautiful!  We had a 3-hour training in a huge ger rented out by President and Sister Benson.  The training was about how to be real men.  It was truly amazing and I walked away really questioning if I am a man or not.  There are many things I need to change and fix in my life.  The basic topic was, “Real men have a firm foundation of integrity that is never shaken. Real men have no price.”  I love my mission president and his wife so much.  Truly called of God for me.

After the training, we played football out in a field.  Elder Huck played QB and I was wide outside.... deadly!  Utah State Inter-murals...watch out!  We also had a few games relating to mission work with egg drops and tower building. All and all, we had a great time!

This past week was difficult at times in the mission field. Not too many lessons taught, I was in bed sick for a day or so, and we were just got burned everywhere we went.  Our baptism was also pushed back due to a death in her family. She also didn't come to church this past Sunday, and we are not able to get in touch with her, so that’s always a bummer.  More to come on that next week. 

I read a talk this week called "A Letter to a Doubter." It really applied to the week we had and to most of our daily lives.  CS Lewis said, "God allows spiritual peaks to subside into often extensive troughs in order for servants to finally become sons standing up on their own legs, to carry out from their will alone, duties which have lost all relish, growing into the sort of creature He wants them to be.” I know trials are needed in this life. We are here to realize our nothingness before God, and become better creatures.  Mosiah 4:11 states just that:   "And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel."

Our Heavenly Father wants us to become as He is.  BECOME…..BOLOH in Mongolian. Not just DO things like Him or do the things that He told us to do. If we don't BECOME like Him, how can we ever inherit all he has promised?  We would be un-proffitable servants to not become independent in this life, solving problems with His help, and waiting patiently for the outcome to happen. Patience grows faith in Him. "Remembering rather than experiencing moves us towards greater independence. God's intention was to make us as independent in our sphere as He is in His. That is why the heavens close from time to time to give us room for self direction." -Brigham Young.

I resolved to Pray harder, fast more often for everyone but me, and to pray for charity and opportunities and trials to emulate the principles in Moroni 7:45 in my daily life. Also to be an  example of the believer in word, conversation, charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.  I have been setting daily goals to reach these things and have been doing well. I need to build that foundation of integrity. I need to be honest in all my doings with God and man, and cut out all idle speaking. I am looking to become humble and meek. Two things that have been hard for me. Mostly, I just want to love my companion and those around me, and forget myself.  Easier said than done. I feel that it all starts with charity and Moroni 7:45.  That is what I want to do differently. All of these things will bless the lives of those around me, and bring the Lord’s sheep back into his fold. I need to purify myself. Then will I then be able to reach others. I feel pure, and that I am a good servant, but now it is time to be a man, and just saddle up.

Well, I love my mission. I love my Savior. I want to become like my Father, and inherit all he has for me. Heavens do close, but they always open.  He is always there, but the trails and tests that are given to us are only for our growth and for our experience.  We can all learn for the great Prophet of the Restoration.  Please read D&C 121-123 this week. It might just give you what you need to push through those dark clouds that gloom our days from time to time.

Now only if the rain would stop here in UB... IT IS P-DAY!

Elder Harris

Mission picture in front of Turtle Rock at Gorkhi Terelj National Park

On the ride to Terelj.

My companion, Elder Dulguun, and I.

Elder Huckvale and I at Terelj.

This place was so beautiful!  Look at all the gers in the background.

Two majestic wild horses on top of this hill.

Me standing on my head and Huck flipping!

Mission games.

Handstanding again!  Haha!  But notice the beautiful country and those beautiful horses!

Training inside this huge ger.  I love President Benson and his family!

Fancy lunch inside a fancy ger.

Have you ever seen any place so green?

P-day games while at Mission Training!

 An old cemetery along the way.


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