Presented here are 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.

This week was one full of changes. I was with Elder Wright for one week. He recently got his appendix out so he did the best he could, but we didn’t get much work done. We taught a lot of English and things so that was fun. Elder Wright was my first district leader in Mongolia so that was a nice reunion. We made cookies to celebrate.

Transferred To Choibalsan

This Saturday was transfers. I am heading out to the countryside today to Choibalsan. [Editor’s note: check out the LDS chapel] I get to travel by plane because it is so far away. It is near China I think. So Saturday, Sunday and today I was with Elder Munkh Baatar. His area is my old area so I got to go around there for two days again. We took a picture together with the masks. They gave us masks at church to wear because of the swine flu or something like that. I don’t really think the mask does anything but whatever. It was cool to see my old area again.

The missionaries put on a little Halloween party at the church. We celebrated Elder Huder’s (my zone leader) birthday as well. The party was good and lots of people came. I almost had Otgan Bat’s little sister come, but at the last moment she couldn’t make it. She came to church the next day though.

Baptism

Nyanaa was baptized by her son and to our surprise her husband came to support her. Od Bayar came too and we were really excited to have a baptism. It went very well and we were happy. At church she received the Holy Ghost. It was one of the busiest Sundays that I have had. My less active family came, Bat Munkh and erden Jargal. They haven’t been to church for such a long time. They came to say goodbye. It was very exciting. My new members said goodbye as well. I am going to miss all of them. I didn’t really want to leave, but at the same time I am very excited to go.

I got Elder Hensen a cup that he has been wanting forever from my investigator. I had her bring it to church yesterday. So that was exciting too. He leaves in December for home so today is probably the last time I’ll see him.

My old companion that left, came back Saturday. We talked for awhile and he is doing good. He is with another elder in my district. They are making some areas bigger because of the delayed missionaries from America. Last I heard they won’t be coming for awhile. We have around 160 missionaries now from 180 a while ago. So that is why transfers was a week earlier. Anyway nothing else is that new. Thanks for all the love and support.

To Mom

The missing elder is Elder Weaver. He had an emergency transfer to Choibalsan right before our year mark. So he wasn’t able to be there. Sunday here is just like Sunday in America. We go to church and do the normal things. I don’t bless the sacrament, but sometimes the missionaries help pass. Yeah they have a primary. It is big, lots of kids come to church. The mothers nursing their babies was really disturbing at first. They do it whenever they want with no warning. By whenever, I mean in the buses, during the sacrament, in a lesson when you’re talking to them, walking around on the sidewalk, just about everywhere. Yep… I accidentally sent that picture — by the way there was another one that was better. Oh well. Thanks Mom, love you!

Love from Elder Willoughby

Related Articles

List of Daniel’s missionary posts.

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s thirty eighth 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 all the great letters and things. It was really fun to read them all. Thanks for the pictures as well. Paul’s costume made me laugh really hard. Steven’s costume was rad too. Remind me later and I’ll tell you more about that. That hike you went on seems like it was crazy mom! Sorry to make you worry about me. I am good and I did the best I could to help my companion. It’s exciting that we are getting a garden. I really like strawberries and pears. Peaches are good too.

Baptism

So I told the story of when we had a special fast for one of my investigators that hadn’t been able to be baptized for 4 years. She passed her interview this Saturday and we are happy to see her baptized this Friday. It is exciting that her own son gets to baptize her, an opportunity that came for having to wait for so long. I am very excited to have a baptism.

My Companion

This week was a long slow one. My companion met with the President last Monday that took an hour or so. The first 15 minutes or so was just trying to get him to talk. Afterward it seemed that the problem maybe was fixed as he woke up instantly the next morning and went to work. But, the next day he didn’t get up, didn’t want to work, and was a struggle the whole week to just get him out the door. He slowing started to turn inward. He didn’t talk to hardly to anyone. On Saturday I went on an exchange with the Zone Leaders. Elder Romney, my good friend went with me, and my companion with his companion. After that exchange, I was hoping things would be better, but they were only worse. I prayed really sincerely to know what to do and things I could talk to him about. Sunday my prayer was answered and we talked for about an hour about church callings we’ve had and of course video games. It was a relief from the almost completely silent companion the whole week and the one word answers.

So today he had another interview with the President. Since he hasn’t woken up at all this week and has little to no desire, President said he is going to go home this week and think about whether or not he still wants to be a missionary. He’ll come back Friday and tell him. So I have a new companion now, well actually at this very moment I’m waiting for him. I got special permission to write my email in the mission office. This computer is fast. Anyway, President said I was the perfect companion for him. I was patient and didn’t judge him too harshly. He said now he has to do a little for himself. I told him that I hope to see him back in the mission field and that we need him.

I learned a great deal of how to love those that are hard to love. I really did love him for who he was, I just didn’t love what he was doing. I hope that the best comes to him and he can finish his mission. I hope too that everything I wrote makes sense. If you have any questions just ask, I wrote it kind of fast and by wrote I mean typed.

New Member Family

My group went bowling today for our year mark. I wasn’t able to go, but before they left we got a picture.

The other pictures are of one of my new member families. They had a birthday party for their kid in the black suit. The yellow shirt is a member and the orange shirt (bottom photo) is trying to quit smoking so he can be baptized. The green shirt (top photo) is the yellow shirt’s friend that is our investigator. She is great and progressing quickly. I told a little about her awhile ago. How she met with missionaries 3 years ago and then didn’t get baptized because of work.

To Mom

Yeah I use the dictionary. It is actually really useful. The games on it distracted me a little but they aren’t that fun so only for a little while. I think I’d like to get some Skittles for Christmas. Other than that I don’t really know. That was an insane hiking story. I am glad you are OK.  I got a postcard from Texas. Is Bryson walking yet? Anyway no need to worry. I love you Mom.

To Paul

Thanks for the article. I read one similar to it awhile ago but the one you gave me was really good. I think your costume is the best. It is almost better than my fence costume. Maybe you could wear both. Microfence, stopping waves since 1203.

To Dad

There is also a Britain store in Ulaanbataar. It’s on the main road and I always see it when we travel to the main building. I always want to snap a picture but have always forgot. I think you will win with the weight loss competition. I think simple is the best way to do it. Plus you are such an old man it shouldn’t be very hard to loss weight. :) I love you Dad! Thanks for all you do.

To Jake

Thanks for sharing about your experience. I did my best with my companion and I hope the best for him. There are some things we simply couldn’t do for him and he had to make the decision himself. The story you told is very inspiring. Our 15 new members will be 16 this Friday! I look up to you more than you look up to me probably though. Keep up the good work.

Yep, so that that about sums it up. It’s been quite the adventure. So long till next week.

Love from Elder Willoughby

Related Articles

List of Daniel’s missionary posts.

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s thirty sixth 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.

General Conference

General Conference was great! It went by extremely fast. We were sad when it was over. It was so exciting to watch. Waiting for it to start was like going to a midnight showing of a movie that just came out. Luckily I didn’t read any spoilers. Ha ha. Elder Holland was really into his talk on Sunday. It reminded me of when he came to the MTC and “yelled” at all of us to stay on our missions. He is one of my favorite speakers. Also all the Elders from my MTC group were there. We planned our year mark party that is coming right up.

Missionary Work

My companion and I are getting along good. The first week with him was quite a challenge, but I’ve adjusted. He gets to call President Andersen every morning now because he didn’t wake up on time a few times. That has really been helping him to get out of bed in the morning. He is lots of fun and is helping me learn Mongolian better. He is also feeling much better. The doctor gave him some Tums. It is funny because the word tums in Mongolian means potatoes. Those have helped him out.

A Funeral

I don’t know much about funerals in Mongolia. I went to someone’s house that recently had someone die like one week ago though. We helped them peel tons of potatoes and cut lots of meat. Apparently they have lots of people come over and eat food. They also have a little black box that plays somewhat strange music. They let it run until the battery is dead. It is next to a picture of the person that recently passed away. Other than that I have no idea what they do for funerals.

Dogs and the Weather

Dogs are everywhere in Mongolia. We run into at least five a day. They aren’t much of a problem though. All the dogs I have met are always afraid of us. If they start to approach you, you can just pretend to pick up a rock and they run for their lives.

The weather has actually stayed very warm. Today it is actually hot. It is strange because last year at this time it was very cold. It is kind of handy that the only winter I am in Mongolia for hasn’t yet come. They say January is the coldest month.

His Work and His Love

We didn’t take a single picture this week so there isn’t any to send. I’ll do better this week about that. I am thinking of taking some pictures of the families I meet with every week.

I know this Church is true and that the Heavenly Father and His Son are helping us do His work each day. I have come to know more fully of His love for us, His children. I know He does indeed love us.

Love from Elder Willoughby

Presented here are portions of Elder Daniel Willoughby’s thirty fifth 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 pictures of Bryson. He looks really happy. A few of our new members have children about 7-9 months old. They are fun to play with when we visit them.

Zone Conference

Yesterday was Zone Conference. We learned about how to help our new members. We are now doing more to help new members in their change to becoming a member.

Byyz

Afterward we went and ate at our new member’s house. They cooked up some nice byyz. Byyz are dumpling like food with sheep meat inside of it. These byyz were somewhat more difficult to eat though. I completed the task and finished them all. There was a lot of them. My companion and I went home and then to sleep and I woke up at about 3 o’ clock with my stomach hurting. I threw up all the food I ate that day. Feeling better I went back to sleep only to again throw up 3 hours later. Afterward I felt much better. I was discussing with my companion how my stomach was hurting etc. He surprised me when he said the meat in the byyz wasn’t sheep meat, but that it was goat stomach. I thought they tasted a little different… Ha ha. Anyway I am doing good now and feeling better.

General Conference

With General Conference this weekend, we don’t have much time to do missionary work this week. I am excited to watch conference though. Our investigators are progressing along quite nicely.

To Mom

I am guessing the mail system is broken or just really slow. I got a letter from Aunt Susan about 2 weeks ago. It made me happy to read it. Bryon is having some crazy experiences. Other than that I haven’t received any letters. Anyway have fun in Texas!

Thanks for all the support and emails.

Love from Elder Willoughby