Daniel (left) at Hat Rock State Park with Elders Seymore and Clark
The plane ride took a long time. I got to sleep from Korea to America a bit. I think total flying time was 20 hours. Plus the layovers which added up to around 17 hours. It was good flights with opportunities to share the gospel on the way.
I’ve been very shocked to be back here. Everything is huge and there is stuff everywhere. I’m quite in the culture shock. My companions have been great, asking lots of questions and showing interest. I have two right now. Elder Seymore from Arizona and Elder Clark from Utah.
Daniel was in Salt Lake City for three hours
It has been fun to teach in English, but also very different. Just the things people talk about here is way different. It was interesting hearing words I haven’t heard in forever. The members are awesome. I learned what the meaning of dinner appointment is. We have one every day. We work with one ward and one young single adult branch. Everyone has been very friendly.
So I am in Hermiston, Oregon. I wasn’t jet lagged at all. I don’t know if that’s because I’m used to being tired or that I got to sleep on the plane, but that has been a blessing. Luggage was fine and wasn’t over weight. My Mongolian president was glad to hear I made it safe and is doing all he can to get us back. No I didn’t pay a thing for the phone call.
My new area is a small, warm community. I mean it really is warm here 50 to 60 degrees. I find that I’m kind of cold when it’s warm but the colder it gets the more comfortable I get. That has confused my companions a bit. It is a very safe neighborhood and similar to how the houses are laid out in Kaysville.
Well I got to get going. I think I’ll send some things home next week or so. Once I send that home though I’ll probably need just one suitcase. :) I gave a lot of my clothes to people who needed them in Mongolia. From 11 white shirts to 4 and things like that, just more than I needed.
Sounds like the trip is going well. Thanks for everything. I love you all.
Love, Elder Willoughby
P.S. I can’t seem to get my new pictures to work here, but the one with the sheep’s head is a good one. I’ll talk more about that later. I took a picture in front the Parliament Building. Then flying out of Salt Lake. Yes I went to Salt Lake to get to Washington and was there for three hours. :) Then the picture with my new companions is in front of a state park called Hat Rock. Hope that explains them all. Thanks.
Daniel holding sheep's head
Daniel enjoying a meal
Camels in Mongolia
Mongolian Ger
Daniel outside the Parliament Building in Ulaanbaatar
Elder Daniel Willoughby is serving in the Washington Kennewick Mission. If you want to communicate with Daniel, write in the comments or use one of these addresses.
Hey Elder Willoughby, are there any nice guys almost 30 in that singles ward? (hee hee, just curious)
Glad Elder Willoughby made it to Hermiston safe and sound. Hat Rock’s a local landmark; the scouts camp there every so often. I recognized the picture … pretty much the same viewpoint from which we took pics last summer. Glad the weather’s not TOO much of a shock. The wind takes some getting used to, though. I’m actually not sure if Hermiston is a windy as the Tri-Cities, but since it’s not far I’m sure there are similarities. Google “Termination Winds” sometime and see the history of Hanford. My dad came up here in the 1940s and talked about that experience a lot before he passed away.
Daniel hasn’t said anything about the winds yet. He may yet get to go back to Mongolia so I hope he doesn’t get too comfortable being in America.