Missionary Dan Email #15 from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s fifteenth email from 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.

Thanks for the great letters. It was fun to read what everyone is up to. It honestly feels like a month has passed by since last preparation day. It’s the benefit of waking up early and going to bed early. We accomplish so much in one day. Thanks Annie and Marci for the great letters. Happy birthday Paul! Are you really 24? Wow.

There are some hamburgers at this one store, but they tend to be expensive. Some missionaries go and buy raw cow meat from the market and fry up some hamburgers. I haven’t bothered to do that I am content with rice and noodles.

Missionary Work

Our investigator Erdenmohx passed her baptismal interview and will be baptized this Friday. Yesterday I was talking to her about her interview she would be having today. I asked, “Do you have to work tomorrow?” She said jokingly, “Work doesn’t matter, Church is first.” We both laughed and I could tell it relieved some of her stress. She has made great sacrifices to qualify for baptism, while working to pay for her daughter’s school and turning down her friend’s requests to go to parties. I have truly seen the power the Book of Mormon has to change lives. We are so blessed from Heavenly Father to have such a good investigator and are very excited for her. I have learned that the Lord provides a way for anyone that is willing to put forth the effort. Everyone has great potential to become something great.

I am starting to understand people better. I am working hard to learn the language. At times it is very difficult, but instead of getting frustrated I pray and ask for help. I keep a positive attitude about all things and know that if I rely on the Lord He will help me. What I have learned so far has been a blessing from Heavenly Father. He has increased many of my abilities and continues to teach me.

Our branch decided to try and start home teaching again. They got really excited and started assigning companions. I realized that missionary work is exactly what home teaching is, but instead of teaching members we teach non members. It says that in Preach My Gospel somewhere. We had a lot of Mongolians attend the fireside again. Along with them come Hyrbek and Erdenmohx. I was happy that they came with us.

I know that this church is true and Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today. I know that God loves us. He sent His son because He loved us. I have felt His love through the power of the Holy Ghost. Christ has suffered for all of our sins and I know that through His atonement we all can live peacefully and happily for all eternity.

To Mom:

I’d like to have the letter from Mikey Fong. Did you give him the non-pouch address? The two letters from Steven came quickly that weren’t sent in the pouch. Mikey Fong is one of my greatest friends. Did you treat him well when he stopped by? :) Thanks for everything you do Mom, I love you.

To Dad:

Sister Andersen talked to me about your blog. She said someone who was traveling to Mongolia got their information from there and contacted her. I think he is now in Mongolia and investigating the church. I don’t know the full story but it sounds like your blog is doing great things.

The best way to describe what the hole is for is “a small house with the word out in front of it.”

Love, Elder Willoughby