Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s seventh email from the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission.
Daniel in Ulaanbaatar
Hello Family
Looks like the trip [to Texas] was fun. Thanks for the pictures. I planned on sending some today but I still have to figure out why my card reader won’t read my chip. Next week I’ll have it fixed. :) [In] all the pictures everyone looks really happy.
Congratulations Byron! It is really exciting that you were called to the same country as your dad. It seems to be a bit warmer [in Argentina] than here probably. Spanish is a good language. I don’t mind not being able to speak it. The Mongolian language is great. The Mongolians speak their language with perfection so everyone is always correcting me. It is a really good way to learn. I have been really blessed to learn the language quickly. I’m starting to understand people when I talk to them.
English Class
My schedule was switched around to a school closer to me now. I am working with the school to get times to teach. On Saturday they were asking me if the material they had for 6th graders was hard enough. I searched deep into my mind and tried to remember what English grammar I was learning in 6th grade but not much to my surprise I couldn’t remember. I said, “I don’t know… looks good…” My classes are great and they talk to me in English. I am trying to learn their names. They like to learn songs from American bands. Today I’m going to prepare more lessons so I can be a better teacher. I am still learning what to do.
Missionary Work
This week my companion and I were very busy. We spent a lot of time teaching. We were blessed with many new investigators. Erden Monx is amazing. She came to watch a baptism before we even taught the first lesson. During church she was taking notes like crazy, writing almost every word and scripture the teacher was saying, and even introduced herself. I was doing my best to give her the scriptures we were reading, but she was helping me more than I was helping her.
Our other investigator, Naram Dorj, my companion was calling to come to church. My companion asked him where he was and he said he was at the church. My companion asked, “Which church?” He said, “Yours.” We both laughed and thanked the Lord for blessing us. He went to church early because he had work at the meeting time. He stayed halfway through the meeting and went late to work. He has three kids which came too. His kids sat on the front row and were well behaved. Insanely well behaved.
Hepgyy came to church as well. She is getting ready to be baptized. She has come to church three times already.
The branch has made huge improvements from since I first got here. They are all getting so good at teaching investigators and asking questions.
To Jake
I have found that the best way to learn is by doing. A concept doesn’t stick until I put it into use. The church is very young here. They are all working towards getting a stake and they just barely got the Doctrine and Covenants awhile ago.
To Mom
Thanks for the great letter Mom.
Love, Elder Willoughby
If anyone wishes to ask Daniel a question or to send him a message, write it in the comments and I will make sure he receives it.
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