News, Ulaanbaatar East Zone Conference.



Zone conference led by Pres. Benson

Teaching English. We found out that the University we were to teach at is undergoing some organizational changes. It is too complicated to bring us in as English teachers.

Our sponsor is lining us up to do some tutoring with someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It remains to be seen if this will materialize or not.

We were delighted to have the extra time to get a lot of personal things accomplished prior to the end of our mission. As much as we've enjoyed teaching English and our students, it is a relief not to have pressure and preparation time – especially at this point in our mission. I’ve had more time to keep up to devote to our blog – like this one.

Sun dogs in Inner Mongolia - from the China News Service

The Woods go home from their mission on Feb. 27. We have been asked to consider teaching their evening English class at the church during March. One month we can manage.

Our last hurrah outside of UB. We will spend four days in Choibalsan at the end Feb and the beginning of March. Our country advisor, Puujee will travel with us and assist in the Family History training. She will leave on a Sunday afternoon and we will leave Monday.

Pres. Benson asked us to do some special training on Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching while we are there. He is involving all the senior couples as visitors to the Mission Branches to boost the frequency of training and the quality of leadership in those units.

We will travel to Baganuur (125 km east of UB) on Feb. 16 to attend the Woods' last meeting there (it has been their assigned branch for the duration of their mission).

The Woods have served as the office couple

Batbayar and his wife are recent converts. We had some special experiences with him helping put his family history on Family Tree. He has invited us to his home after church that Sunday.

 A new grandson. Our daughter Tawny Farmer Kesner (who served as a missionary in Mongolia 1998 – 2000) had her fifth child on Jan. 26. 

His name is Max Benjamin Kesner. He is our 27^th grandchild. We met him on Skype and will meet him in person quicker than we think.  All is well with mother and child.

Lead photo from the Atlantic magazine article

Facebook of Mormon. This month's Atlantic magazine had major article on how the church's missionary program is using social media to spread the gospel.

It is ironic that the main picture introducing the article was of two Elders in a Ger District in Mongolia even though missionaries in this mission haven't yet been authorized to use social media,

East Zone - Feb. 5, 2014

East Zone Conference.  Even though this is not our zone, the Assistants to the President invited me to take some photographs during the day. I didn’t mind a bit.

Elder Munkhchudur teaching about conflict resolution

I spent some time training the Assistants on how to teach communication and conflict resolution skills. I enjoyed seeing how they implemented the training.  They did a great job!

Elders Ocorjamaa and Munkhchudur role played a companionship with poor conflict resolution skills. It was hilarious.

Pres. Benson was really pleased with the result and will keep the training for future use. Here are some pictures I took during the day.

President Benson is a 'hands on" leader and trainer.

The Zone leaders and Sister Trainers also were actively training

                           Lunch is good!

Senior couples attended the zone conference and had translation services all day

Photos for missionaries and their parents. I also took some individual and small group pictures which I either email to parents of the missionaries or print copies to give to the missionaries personally.

These are three of my favorites.

Three Elders communicating in sign language. The Elder in the middle recently received a cochlear implant operation. It was arranged Dr. Stewart. He procured a donation of $72,000 to pay for the surgery, hospitalization, and implants from a group "Kindness in Action" in Canada." Of the six recipients, five were church members, our Elder being one of them.

Missionaries have difficulty sending photos home because of time constraints and slow internet service at the Internet Cafes. Also as seniors, we have more opportunity to take pictures than the missionaries whose schedule is more demanding  and focused on teaching the gospel.

It is a little extra service I can provide that brings the mission alive for loved ones who want to visualize better what their son or daughter is experiencing in Mongolia.  Elder Stewart (the mission doctor) is another senior missionary who takes pictures of members and missionaries and gives them out freely.  

 

The missionaries have just read the Book of Mormon in 90 days and are starting a new 90 day program. They have a study plan they follow. They study Preach My Gospel and learn a language (either English or Mongolian) while serving on their mission.