Six months down - our Elder in Mongolia

Images from Mongolia....

From his letter dated 8/18/08:  Well this week one of the
most random/cool/faith building things ever happened on my
mission. It was Sunday at we were at the church. On Sundays
we go to the church at 9 o clock so my companion can teach
the branch missionaries since he is the district leader.
After the meeting we usually study at the church until 12
when church starts. Anyway there we were sitting in the
church, it was about 11:30 or so when all the sudden I heard
English being spoken. I said to my companion, in Mongolian.
“Is that English?” He just shrugged. Anyway I thought it
was so I went out into the hall to see what was up. When I
got out there I was met by a bus load of Americans. They
were touring Mongolia and some other places and had some who
stumbled upon our church in Nalaikh. Our branch President, who
is a missionary, who speaks pretty good English, ushered them
into the church and then had them all sit down in the cultural
hall. I went and was greeting them and then they started asking
me questions. They all of course started laughing when I said I
was from Utah. Anyway they were pretty amazed to see this lone
white kid with all these Mongolians getting ready for church.
One of the ladies was so perplexed it was hilarious. She said,
” I just don’t understand it. I don’t understand how you get
these sheep herders to join your church. How do you do it?
What do you say to them?” I said,” I will tell all of you the
exact thing we tell them when we go into their gers. I then
proceeded to give them the first lesson/ I told them that we
have a God who loves us and who loves our families. I told them
how he has a plan for us to become like him. I told them how he
gives us prophets to help us learn and know his will. I told them
how he sent his son Jesus Christ to the world to Atone for our
sins. I told them how Jesus called prophets and gave them
priesthood authority to act in God’s name. I told them how Jesus
and the 12 apostles established God’s church. I then told them
about the apostasy  and how the authority of God was taken from
the earth. I read James 1:5 and asked them what this scripture
meant to them. One lady said, “ It means nothing!” I said,
OK, what it means to me is that if that if we have a question,
we can ask God and receive an answer from Him. I told them about
Joseph Smith and how he did this and received an answer from God.
I told them how God, though the Prophet Joseph Smith, established
his true church again. While I was bearing testimony about the
Prophet Joseph Smith I felt the spirit very strongly and I knew
that he truly had seen God. I knew it. Its not like I didn’t know
it before but I received a strong reaffirmation that it was true.
After saying all this a lady said, “Ok well I still don’t
understand how you convert these sheep herders?” I then told
them about the Book of Mormon and the promise it contains. I told
them how like Joseph Smith we can pray to God and ask Him if this
things are true and how we can receive an answer from Him.
“And that’s it,” I said. We ask them to find out for themselves.
As you can probably guess they were pretty amazed, one lady was
like, ” I just don’t understand it.” They then asked Elder Bilguun
why he joined the church, and in English he said, “ I did what
he said. I read, I prayed, and I received and answer, and I know
its true!” This was a way cool experience to be part of and truly
a testimony about just how powerful this message is that we are
sharing. I myself go out and work and teach and help people all
day long but I don’t convert anyone, the Lord does though the
Holy Ghost. And that’s it, that is how these sheep herders are
converted because they, with sincerity in their hearts kneel down
and ask their Father in Heaven if the things we have told them
and the things they have read are true. And then they receive an
answer from on high and their lives are changed. I love this work,
I know its true. God lives and loves us. He is alive NOW and can
help us NOW. I know this because I have seen him change
peoples lives today.