Missionary Dan Email #10 from Choibalsan, Mongolia

This week work was slow because of the new year. On new years eve everyone was preparing for the new year and new years day everyone was sleeping forever. It was kind of funny. They had a huge celebration. Tons of fireworks. Nothing that I’ve ever seen in Utah. Almost everyone had bottle rockets and were shooting them for 15 minutes or so. I don’t even know where they got them. I’ve never seen them in the store. From China I guess. All missionaries had to be home at 6 pm. So we went to bed early only to be woken up by the fire works. It was cool.

My companion got really sick after that so I got some extra study time the day after new years. His ear is hurting him a lot which was a problem he had when I was with him before. We aren’t sure what to do about it. There really isn’t a doctor out here to look at it for him. We’ll see what happens.

We had all of our new members come to church this Sunday. That was really neat. 8 of 8. I think that’s the first time in my entire mission. Three of them bore their testimonies which is always wonderful. So it seems we are holding on to our new members in my area. That has been a focus in the mission the past couple of months. My other just baptised new member received the priesthood. He also invited one of his friends to come to church with him. He came and we are going to start teaching him soon.

The couple missionaries decided to feed us after church which made us completely full. We went to another house and they gave us a lot of food. Then our last appointment we ate again. It was quite the challenge. I guess that is just part of missionary work. No we still can’t talk to people on the street. I haven’t heard anything more about it either.

Outside right now it is -35 degrees C. You can kind of tell that its colder but it kind of feels like any other day. The wind really gets to ya though. I still don’t wear gloves and I just put my hands in my pockets. When I have to grab something they get cold really fast. It is  funny. I think they have adjusted a little because in Utah my hands would freeze way fast and I had huge gloves on. It will be really fun to come to Utah when its is only 0 degrees C and wear like my short sleeve shirt and stuff.

That’s weird Jake C is engaged. Tell him that he should save me some ice cream. I don’t care much for cake. Also tell him he can have my remote control car for his present or my old shoes. Which ever one he wants. You can make his furture wife choose, that would be funnier. Congratulations. I’m trying to send some pictures. One is a cow head and the other is cow stomach. Believe it or not we eat stomach almost every day. It doesn’t taste that good, but its not too bad.

I will see if I can get some more photos sent from here, but this computer doesn’t work too well.

Happy new year etc.,
Love Elder Willoughby.

Presented have been portions of an email from Elder Daniel Willoughby serving in the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission. If anyone wishes to send Daniel a message, write it in the comments and I will make sure he receives it.