Apr. 20-26 (Week 74)
Apr. 26, 2009
Aloha family and Friends,
Another busy week has flown by. I’m more tired than ever, but what ever that’s life I suppose. This week was as busy as ever with lots of service and other things to do. Work according to the numbers wasn’t great but I seemed to be as busy as ever.
Wednesday the priesthood went on a picnic which was fun. We traveled 10 minutes outside the city to the middle of nowhere, where we butchered a sheep and made a Mongolian dish called a Khorkhog. Which I think can best be described as a Mongolian imu. First they put a bunch of stones in a fire until it burns down. After which they put the stones along with meat and veggies (potatoes and carrots) in a metal milk can with water, cap it and let it pressure cook. It was really good, but man is mutton greasy. The Mongolian countryside really is beautiful, just miles and miles of endless nothingness. Monday after I emailed last my companion and I took the bikes and went out past the city to see what there was to see. My companion, who’s from the middle of nowhere Utah, said that it is a lot like where he used to live. I imagine it might remind dad of his childhood stomping grounds.
Friday my companion and I helped a family move; and when Mongolians move, they really move. We got to their house at about 10am and spent the rest of the day breaking down their ger and moving the hole of their possessions to a different property on the edge of town, and then building their ger again. It was pretty fun, the other set of elders couldn’t make it so my companion and I , with no said experience, were left to try to help two visually impaired short 40 year olds do everything. Luckily the older of the two has good enough vision that he doesn’t run into things and can tell who you are by looking at you so he was able to direct us a little, while the other fumbled around. It was pretty tiring to say the least.
Outside of that not much else of note happened. My companion and I have been going to the church early every day to watch conference in English. This conference was really good, but at sometimes it was almost a little bit frightening. Judging by the messages there’s a lot of hard work in my future in order to survive. I know I can work hard, but ability and desire are totally unrelated. I’ll do what I have to though. Conference seemed to be more meaningful than ever this time around. It seemed like every message was specifically tailored to me and an answer to the many things which I have been weighing heavy on my soul. Some of the talks humbled me while other, gave me the path I need to take to overcome obstacles that I have been facing, while others simply reminded me of and re-affirmed the truthfulness of things that I have always known. This conference I gained a stronger witness than ever before that our leaders are truly called by God and that God through these simple servants reaches out and gives aid to us his children.
Yesterday I sat by the river here, after having taught lessons to two of our new members there. Despite the tiredness that weighed me down I smiled. I don’t know why I smiled, but I felt a certain peace, that seemed to wipe away worry of the ticking clock and the tied tongue, and left me calm.
Until next time,
Elder Pitt
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission
Bayanzurkh District, 12th Micro District, 1st khoroo
Tokyo Street 6, LDS Building
UlaanBaatar 210349
Mongolia