Monday, June 6, 2016

5/15/16 Weekly letter

One night we went on a split with Elder Rodriguez and Elder Lamb, and I went with Elder Rodriguez and I realized that I could actually speak to people and connect with them, The gift of Tongues is very real! I had several experiences talking to people on the bus this week and we talked a lot about English and how I'm an English Teacher, 5 people that I talked to wanted to learn English so I referred them all to the Bayanzurkh Classes. The English business cards have been really helpful, something to give to people that definitely are interested.

There was a big English Symposium for English Teachers and administrators in Mongolia. 
Dr. Anderson -BYU-H 
Dr. Paul BYU-I
Dr. Evans BYU - Provo
Sister Gong, wife of Elder Gong-70 She was really amazing, she taught us how to speak some Chinese (I'm of the opinion that Mongolian is a harder language. and that tones aren't that big of a deal (President Benson also says that Mongolian is harder (he having studied both))
It was very interesting there was really cool things learned from these incredible professors.

My English Class is going better I'm trying out some of the techniques that I learned from the English symposium, and they seem to make class more fun. Today I had to break up a fight, between these two big kids I pushed the one into his seat then we dragged them upstairs to see the principal. It was pretty intense but after they were gone, the rest of the class went really well. 
I introduced the four corners activity to my students and they quite liked it and it was really effective. While I believe that the Grapeseed Program isn't for us I think that with proper planning and attitude we can make the best of it! 

I found out that I can do pull-ups. The new Elder's apartment (the best in the mission from what I've seen) has the best pull up bar, solidly bolted into the wall, it is quite nice.

I understand how studying the scriptures is really like putting on the whole armor of God. We study the 42 principles of the gospel as outlined in preach my gospel and we put on the basic armor, Satan can throw rocks and arrows but we keep moving. We need to continue to build our knowledge and as we do so, it’s like soon we're driving a tank and there is nothing that Satan can throw that we can't handle.


(editor's note: an example of being online at the right time to be able to 'chat')

do you have any questions right now?

(Q1) How about...what's the one thing that has surprised you the most about Mongolia, either because it is so different or so "the same"?
(Q2) What interesting foods have you tried? Anything you just couldn't make yourself eat?
(Q3) How's the ward? What are the demographics? What do the members do for a living?
(Q4) What's your average school day like?

(A1) Just how similar it is, and how much people are just the same everywhere.
(A2) horse meat is really tasty. Nothing yet
(A3) the branch is small, not quite sure what they do, the bishop is 28 or 29 - he works at the power plant

(A4) avg school day: we just come in for class and teach. I'm never quite sure which class. It's about 45 minute class periods. We stay in the same room and the kids come to us. We don’t have enough chairs so we steal a bench from the hall. Mondays 4 classes Wednesday 6 Friday 2, split between three of us Elder Lamb Me and Elder Sexton, we are teaching companions

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