Week 48
Feb. 1, 2009
October 26, 2008
Aloha Family,
Well I think I told you that I was supposed to go to Murun, I’m still going, but there’s been a slight delay. I kind of got my finger smashed off. Don’t worry too much though they sewed it back on and as long as it doesn’t get infected I’ll get to keep my finger. I’m sending a picture from a few days after it happened. You don’t have to look at it if you don’t want but dad will be able to see that it’s doing really good. There was still a little section of skin keeping it connected and providing blood flow so I was lucky.
I imagine I should probably tell you how it happened. Anyways, my companion and I were playing around. I had found out where he was going for the transfer and wasn’t telling him. He kept begging me, but I told him he needed to be patient and wait. I was getting tired of our little game and I needed to go to the bathroom and so I entered our bathroom, but he wouldn’t let me shut the door. Undaunted I started pulling down my pants; he decided that I was serious and gave up. I reached for the door but just as I did he slammed it shut smashing my finger in it. I knew he got my finger, but it took me a few minutes before I realized that the tip of my finger was more or less just hanging on by a thread. It was all kind of surreal. Despite knowing I should be writhing in pain I was surprisingly calm. The adrenaline high was amazing. Part of the calmness might have come from the fact that I was loosing a lot of blood and started to black out before I had my companion get some string and tie my finger off. We called the doctor and a few hours later I was getting my finger sewed back on by a plastic surgeon. Interesting fact, it costs exactly 100$’s to get you finger sewed back on by Mongolia’s top plastic surgeon. Anyways, my companion felt awful, but I tried to cheer him up and cracking jokes as it was all happening. I don’t know if it helped, but he thinks I am crazy now for making jokes about only having nine fingers, and the affects this will have on my nose picking abilities in between giving him instructions. I think the highlight was when he dialed the doctor’s number wrong twice and I told him I would do it myself but he cut off my dialing finger, that one brought a smile to his distraught face. I guess this is what I get for complaining about having a boring transfer.
I’ll keep you updated and I’ll send pictures next week of before they stitched it back together after I get them from the doctor. I should be heading out to Murun on the 4th of November, and I’ll tell you more about that as it happens.
Best regards,
Elder Pitt aka stubs (maybe) =P
PS:
Oh yeah there is a Mongolian return missionary headed to BYUH pretty soon and she needs a ride from the airport, I’m going to pass her your email and phone number so she might contact you soon.
Also look out for an Elder Enkhjiguur (or Bayarjav depending on what name he’s going by) he’s serving in Hawaii right now. He was in my first branch and is a real sweet kid. There is also going to be a Sister Enkhmaa who will be there in a few months who’s coming from the branch I was serving in.
Week 47
Nov. 17, 2008October 19, 2008 Aloha Family and Friends, Well it looks like things are going to change really quickly here. I just got news that I'm leaving to Murun this next week. I can't wait for a change of scenery. Murun is North West and close to a giant lake so it's going to a bit colder. I'll tell you more about it as I find out. I really hope president doesn't change his mind now that he's told me. I'm happy to know that I'm leaving, but at the same time I've been here for nine months and some of my investigators are ready to be baptized. Unfortunately I won't get to see any of them. Two of the girls I meet with regularly when they found out that I was leaving they wanted to be baptized this week. Unfortunately they haven't been to church in the last 3 weeks because they were in the country side. Oh well, I have got a good companion here and he'll get them baptized in my absence. Mail is going to take a little longer now and I'll probably be forwarding more things through you as I will only be able to get mail every 6 weeks or so. Also all the commodities of the cities will be gone so, barbeque sauce, peanut butter, and what not will be appreciated more than ever. Apparently there is nothing out there. Oh yeah, I'm going to be the Branch Presidents companion which should be fun. He's apparently a real sweet kid and a hard worker plus it means I'll still be with a Mongolian so I'm happy. I have a lot to do today so this will be short. Love, Elder Pitt
Permanent LinkWeek 46
Nov. 17, 2008October 12, 2008 Aloha Family and friends, All is well in Mongolia. It's funny I haven't had half as many people threaten to kill me since I've been with a Mongolian companion. This week was pretty good, but then again it was conference week, and conference week always seems to be good. I had an investigator come back from the countryside and we finally got a chance to meet with her this last week. She's been investigating for over a year, but struggles with smoking and was having a hard time understanding the message we were sharing. This time it was different and I think everything is finally falling in place. The two investigators I had baptismal dates set for almost 2 months ago never made it, school started for one and the other just got back from the countryside after a month long sojourn, but I know that at least one of them knows it's true so I am hopeful. The area was re-divided a week or so ago and it's opened up a whole lot more possibility, but I haven't really had time to work the area lately because of a busy English schedule. I'm getting better at teaching English, but it's still exhausting. I'm learning to have fun with it though, playing silly games. This last week we played "Do you love your neighbor?". It involves everyone sitting in a circle of chairs with one person in the middle. The person in the middle asks one of the people in the circle if they love their neighbor if they say yes the two people sitting on either side of the questioned person have to switch seats. If they say no then they have to say what kind of people they love and everyone fitting the description has to swap seats i.e. people wearing black. The class really seemed to enjoy it. If anyone has any good games I can play in English send them my way. Not much more to report really. One correction, I said I bought a 16oz jar of peanut butter for 12$'s last week, I was mistaken it was really a 48oz jar, just thought you would like to know. Oh yeah I almost forgot, transfers are coming up soon and it looks like I'll get a change of scenery. Keeping my fingers crossed. ~Elder Pitt
Permanent LinkWeek 45
Nov. 17, 2008October 5, 2008 Aloha Family & Friends, Not much to report this week outside of a strange craving for peanut butter. I went to one of the few places in the city you can get the stuff, and ended up shelling out almost $12's for a 16oz jar of Skippy extra chunky peanut butter. I regretted the decision all the way up until I sunk my teeth into my first peanut butter and apple jam sandwich and then in an instant the clouds of regret melted away, and were replaced with a subtle euphoria that is beyond words. I never thought peanut butter could bring such great joy, but then again I have never lived in a place where you have to pay $12's for a jar of peanut butter. My companion's been complaining about the area a lot lately and it really got me thinking about how much I learned from working in such a difficult area for so long. I think the greatest growth has been in my patience. I haven't seen a baptism in 3 transfers; I haven't had any investigators that I can consider progressing in almost a month. I've been averaging 4 lessons a week. It hasn't been easy, but I try not to complain. I was talking to other missionaries and it almost made me laugh to hear all their complaints. One elder was complaining about a horrible split he went on and how there wasn't a lesson all day, I laughed as I thought about weeks when I couldn't manage to find a single person to meet with. Another Elder told me about how he was tired of contacting worthless referrals. I wish I had referrals to contact. I complain from time to time, but not often. I can't say I've learned a lot here but my patience and my perseverance has definitely been stretched to new limits. I imagine if I hadn't learned patience I would have ended up killing one of the dozens of rude people who go out of their way to offend me each week. I just keep going forward even when it seems like there is not much on the road ahead. I imagine that that is something I need to work on is to expand my vision to see exactly what is on the road I'm traveling. ~Elder Pitt
Permanent LinkWeek 44
Nov. 17, 2008September 29, 2008 Aloha Family, Another uneventful week, with not much to report. Zone conference was this last Monday so I'm a day late on my email, hope you didn't worry too much. Really don't know what to write this week. Sounds like there is a lot going on back home. I'll be keeping you all in my prayers. I got another letter from Adam and he seems to be doing really well. I really don't have a lot of time or content to write today. Love, Elder Pitt
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