Saturday, February 11, 2017

Week 58 - I think I've changed!

The past few weeks have been so funny because I always go outside and turn to my companion and say, "Whoah!  It's seriously so warm!  It can't be that cold!" And we go about our business and it feels like it can't be colder than about 15 or 20 degrees.  And then we saw the doctor the next day and he says it's been in the -30s and -40s.  Well, I've changed.  Because now I am super warm when it's apparently super cold.  But I'm sure I'll change back when I get home. Don't worry!  My strange body is only going to be weird here! :)
Anyway, this week has been good!  I had an awesome preparation day with Sister Hansen and her companion, and Sister Olsen and her companion!  We made it a game day at her house.  We played Bananagrams and Headbanz and Scum.  It was a blast! And we made and ate pizza, too!  We also wore sweat pants. So it was basically one of my favorite P-Days.  We met with our investigator family that night and shared about the Book of Mormon.  I'm still reading it and marking where Christ is mentioned, and it's my new favorite thing!  It's like a scavenger hunt! :)
Wednesday we taught our new member who got baptized on Saturday!  Sister White hosted the lesson, and she made us delicious brownies.  I love her house!  And then we helped some people with English questions they had and then Munkhgerel came into town for a meeting and an English placement test and the baptism!  The party began!!! 
Thursday was one of my favorite days ever!  It started with English class.  Nobody came, so we wrote in our journals and talked about this fun transfer we've had!  Then we had dinner at KFC before heading over to the Church.  The baptism was perfect. 50 people came.  The talks were perfect.  Munkhgerel talked about baptism and the amazing journey she's taken since we met her in Hovd.  Then her daughter Solongo talked about how her mom has been her best investigator of the church.  She is so excited, and we all cried.  The missionaries all sang "Families Can be Together Forever" in Mongolian, and then the baptism went perfectly. She is officially baptized!!!  And then she bore a powerful testimony about her journey from not knowing God to knowing Him and then knowing that she will live with Him again someday!  She was beaming!  We were crying.  And my cheeks hurt from smiling.  They still hurt. 
We had Family Home Evening with her the following day, and it was a party!  Solongo had a bunch of friends over, and our grandma read her journal entry from the day before! :)  Let me tell you, my cheeks hurt even more from smiling.  And I loved hearing her perspective.  She felt so loved.  And it made me so happy!  
Other than that, life has been great. It's starting to snow again, so it's getting warmer! :)  The pollution still smells bad and saturates my clothes, but now I'm getting more used to the smell.  It's just becoming a part of me.  Seeing my people happy makes me happier than I thought I could be. Today is my 13 month mark, and I have seen so much happiness in my life and in the lives of others in the past 13 months.  I love you all!  I hope you have a great week! :)
Love, 
Sister Bottorff


 
I love this family!

I guess it's time for some new socks :)

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