Week of March 24-29 2014

We started off the week by attending a Family Home Evening at Inkbold's home.

Inkbold and his family are one of the strong stalwart families in the Jargarlant Branch.

Their oldest daughter is graduating from High School this year and speaks very good English.

She plans on going on a mission when she turns nineteen and while waiting for that opportunity, she plans on studying English online to further her English skills.Their other daughter attends school in the afternoon, early evening.  So she wasn't there.  Here in Mongolia, most of the schools are what I call double session.  They have a morning, early afternoon session and then an afternoon evening session.  Just too many students, not enough facilities.  However, the Mongolians are very well educated.  They take their education very seriously.

Their son is a normal, healthy 20 month old boy.  He loves to run, throw a ball and to tease.

He is totally adorable and truly loved by his family.

On Wednesday we were invited to a conference on Handicapped rights.  We attended in the big Parliament Building and was seated in the second row right in the middle.  We met people from the UN and other NGO's from around the world.  We heard the Mongolian Prime Minister speak and other top officials.  It was interesting.  They realize they have a long way to go in providing opportunities for the handicapped, but they are aware and are trying.

 

After attending the morning session of this conference we hurried back to attend the going away party for the Gardner's and the Farmer's.  The Gardner's were welfare missionaries and also over the English Library for the English teaching missionaries and the Farmer's were the Family History Couple.  The Farmer's have been trying to work with the National Archives in opening up their records so the Mongolian people can do their family history.  It did not happen while they were here, but the process is in the works all because of them.  This is another important step in being able to bring a temple to Mongolia.

 We felt like this was an appropriate theme for the "Farmer's and the Gardner's"

 We wish them the best as they return home to their families.  

We will truly miss them, their kindness, humor, devotion and examples.

 The senior Chorus dedicating a song to each of the couples

Sister Nay, Sister Benson, Sister Stewart, Sister Gardner and Sister Farmer

Saturday was Missionary Service Day and we helped with the Cleanup 

at the Chingeltei Building.

The weather was warm, The sun was shining and the Sky was Blue.

It was great to get outside and clean up the grounds.

Here are some pictures of cute Missionaries working hard.

A good looking group of hard working Missionaries!

3 Nephi 14:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 20 Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.

Spring has come!

Spring has come to Mongolia!

The Temperatures have been in the 40's (Fahrenheit)

Everyone is putting away there winter coats and opting for jackets or no jackets at all

No flowers or anything yet, but lots of Blue Sky and Sunshine!

Yea!

We had a couple of more baptisms this week from the Jargarlant Branch.

The baptisms still had to be held at the Bayenzurkh building because the

Chingeltei building still is without water.

Not having water in the building is especially hard on Sunday, 

which means there are no bathroom facilities available and some of us are

there for over 6 hours plus an hour travel time each way.

Really hard for us old people with weak bladders.

Anyway the first baptism was Shingel.  

She is 8 years old and was

baptized by her Grandfather Batdorg

The second was 9 year old Ariunitgel. 

He was baptized by his father Inkhzul who was recently reactivated.

Elder Murat and Elder Hill who taught these families

The third baptism was from another branch, The American Dilg Branch.

Her name is Munkhjargel and she was baptized by Munkh-erdene.

On Saturday we went for a long walk to enjoy the warm temperatures and Sunshine.

We went to Gandan Monastery.  There are always a lot of pigeons there being feed by the people.

 Like Alvin says,  "It probably is not a good idea to look up with your mouth open!"

We were walking home by Chinggis Square and noticed people gathering so we thought we would gather right along with them.  They had some kind of ceremony with the guards.

I am always impressed with how high they can kick straight legged as they march.  It is very impressive.

They did their march and formation thing and then just stood on guard on the stairs up to the Chinggis Statue. Not flinching or moving and the public was able to go and get pictures with them.  That usually does not happen, so it was kind of fun!  The guards only stood there for about 10 minutes.  It would be hard to stand in the position they were for very long.

It was a nice break day.

Scripture for the week: 3 Nephi 18:18 18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

A Wonderful Baptism

This evening we attended a wonderful Baptism.  The baptism of Ganbat, his wife Naransetseg, daughters, Battsetseg, Badmaarag, and son Gendendaram.  They will be newest members of the new Jargarlaant Branch ( Happiness Branch).

This wonderful family became interested in the church through their daughter Battsetseg.  Battsetseg was attending the free English classes taught at the Bayanzurkh building and was impressed with the teachers.  She said they were so caring and bright and dedicated.  We taught one of the sessions, every Tuesday evening.  Her father wondered about a church that would teach free English lessons and about the people his daughter was talking about.  He decided to call and find out.

So one evening the Elders, Elder Stanley and Elder Higgs had been fasting to find investigators.  They had no one to teach and then they received the call from Ganbot.  The Elders have been teaching this family for over two months.  The family has been very eager to learn.  They have been faithfully attending Church every Sunday, since they began the lessons.

When they learn a principle they have had enough faith to try it.  A little while ago they learned about fasting and of course prayer.  They applied it when they heard that transfers were happening and they were not quite ready for baptism.  They fasted and prayed that  Elder Stanley and Elder Higgs would be able to stay in the branch so that they could continue to teach them and baptize them. The Elders were able to stay and do that.

It was wonderful to hear their testimonies tonight.  All testified of the power of prayer and how their prayers have been answered.  They testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  They testified of how they have changed and how their family life has changed for the better.  We love them and will continue to pray for them, that they will continue to grow and develop more in the gospel.

It was wonderful to see all of the support of the branch members at the baptism.  Truly this is the Happiness branch!

 Ganbat, Elder Higgs, Naransetseg, Badmaarag, Gendendaram, Battsetseg, Elder Nay, Elder Stanley

 Battsetseg, Her Grandmother, Elder Stanley, Ganbat, Elder Higgs, Naransetseg, Bendendaram, Elder Nay, Badmaarag

Members of the Jargarlaant Branch

Turnover Ceremonies March 2014

On March 8, 2014 we had a turnover ceremony for the Bayazurkh Nursing Kindergarten.

Deseret International Charities donated Kitchen equipment

 (new stove, oven, 2 refrigerators and other food preparation items) to this Kindergarten.

  This Kindergarten is for children ages 18 months to 3 years who are sick or under nourished. 

 This Kindergarten is ran by the government and they treat the children

 through good nutrition and exercise.  

They do a great job and were really appreciative of the update to their equipment.

  Some of the old equipment had been around since 1962 

and was just not adequate or not working any more.

 The new stove and oven

 Putting the "DIC" Stickers on the equipment

 Cutting the Ribbon with the vice governor of Bayanzurkh, The Kindergarten director,
Elder Nay and the Bayanzurkh Branch President, President Mungunkuyag

 The happy party

Some of the Kindergarten children

The director and cute children

On March 12, 2014 We had a turn over ceremony at
Shastin Hospital in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia
Deseret International Charities donated $25,000 of vitrorectomy surgery packs to this hospital. 
These packs are for use in retina surgery.
The people who need this type of surgery will go blind if they do not receive it.
 We recently donated similar supplies to another hospital in Mongolia

 Dr. Munkzaya (whose was training to perform retinal surgery
 was paid for by Deseret International Charities in a previous project),
The director of training, The director of Foreign Relations, Elder Nay,
Director Tumen-Ochir (director of the Hospital).

 Some very cute hospital patients

 

 President Byambadorj of the  Ulaanbaatar LDS East District Presidency

gave a few remarks, Elder Nay and Dr. Munkhzaya 

As always it is gratifying to feel the love that people have for each other.

We appreciate all of the selfless donations by the members of the

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 

who make these humanitarian projects happen.

Scripture of the week:Mosiah 4:27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.