March 24, 2016

This week was GREAT! So as you know transfers came! I couldn't be more happier! So Sister de Ruyter and I are still companions and still serving in Han- Uul but we have a new addition to our apartment now! Sister BOLLWINKEL and Sister JENSEN are now living with us! Yes I know I am soooo lucky! I get to live with two sisters from my MTC group! It is great! Not gonna lie though it was slightly weird waking up the next morning because we have bunk beds in our apartment and Sister B was sleeping in the top bunk and it was totally flashback to MTC time! It was weird. I am so excited though! This is going to be a great transfer and it is actually longer than the last transfers so I am happy about that. It is 7 weeks instead of 6 so not a big difference but it’s great. Sister de Ruyter is also the new Sister Training Leader so that will make this transfer fun. I will be going on lots of exchanges so it will be fun.

Let’s see I feel like so much has happened this week! Sister Roo and I had to go down to Unur area this last weekend because she had an activity that she needed to help out with. Unur is her last ward that she lived in and it happens to be the ward that shares the church building with my old ward so I was able to go visit Songino area last weekend! I was so happy and what made it even better was that I was able to run into Tuguldur while at the church building! He is doing so great! He is still strong as ever and meeting with the missionaries and going to church every Sunday and overall just a really active boy. He goes to all the activities and everything! His dad still hasn't given him permission to be baptized but he just has a year until he will turn 18! It will be cool because, Tuguldur could end up being my very last baptism that I see before I go home! This would make me so happy to be able to see this! When I saw him on Saturday he was so shocked! haha. He couldn't believe I was there and it took him a minute to process that I was actually back. Sadly I didn't get to talk to him very long but it was good to see him! I want to get permission from President to write him letters just to make sure that he stays on the right path and continues to be reading and praying. Pretty much my own little follow up and just so I can continue to encourage him :)

Also we had a fun experience with a drunk man. We were in Chingiis Khan Square and we were doing an exchange so four of us (all Americans) were waiting for 2 other sisters to show up before we could switch and this guy who was bothering Sister Harker and Sister Tau before we even got there shows up again and starts talking to us and wanting to take our picture. We get up and start walking away and he just follows us! We start walking around the square and he just keeps following and talking to us. He gets really close to us so we just start speed walking and somehow he keeps up with us! Everyone around us is just laughing at this whole thing and we walk around the square twice before bayartsetseg finally shows up and just straight up asks the guy what are you doing? And he’s like I just wanted their picture. and all of us were just like yea... that’s not all you wanted. It was ridiculous.... Let’s just say this week was interesting!

It has been great here though. I am really feeling happier here and it is starting to feel like home. We had a great lesson the other night with one of our investigators named Sainchimeg. We were reading from 1 Nephi with her and as we were reading, she brought up some other things with needing a job and praying for one. Sister Roo and I just bore our testimony to her and shared with her how this gospel has brought so many blessings to us and how they are not always big. Sometimes they are small but they end up being just what we need. We shared with her how we all have a plan for ourselves and how there are things that we want but sometimes it doesn’t always align with what Heavenly Father has planned for us but that doesn't matter because whatever he has planned is better than anything that we could have planned for our self. He knows us and He loves us so much. He knows us better than we know ourselves and he knows exactly what will make us happy. So even if things don't always work out the way we think, Heavenly Father does have a plan and we can trust that it will be just what we need. The Spirit was so strong during this lesson. Both Sister Roo and I talked about it afterwards and we could tell that Sainchimeg also felt it. She may not have known exactly what it was but we know she felt it. It was a great experience and I truly love moments like these on my mission. It makes everything worth it. I am so thankful to be here and I can never thank my Heavenly Father enough for the opportunity to serve here and be given the experiences that I have received!

This is when we went to a kazak party! One of our members invited us to it! It was so fun! We ate way too much, it was like tsagaan sar all over again but Kazak style. haha. It was great :) they celebrate something regarding the sun and they do this for 3 days where they invite family and friends over and just eat. It’s pretty great :)

Sister Roo and I tried making a pie for p day and well as you can see kind of failed.... and yes those are stroop waffles! This is the closest thing that comes to those delicious Dutch treats in Mongolia but hey we will take it!

I love you all so much!!! Have a great week.

hairtai shvv,

Sister Kerby