How are you going to give?

Here's the weekly lowdown! (:

Tuesday: burned. 

 

Wednesday: Me an my companion are checking houses all day and it was stinking cold so while we were searching for apartment buildings we had to go inside little stores to warm up but then around 4 o'clock we would go into store but we just weren't warming up!  We decided to buy these little cake things that we always buy on pdays but this time IT WAS THE BEST CREAMIEST cake thing ever! not sure if the cold had anything to do with it :P  Then, thankfully, we had a ward Christmas party that night! The best part was Santa came! #MongolianSanataisHilarious

At the Ward Christmas Party

Thursday: We got permission from the parents of our young investigator to be able meet with her and teach her!! (:

Friday: CHRISTMAS! We went to an orphanage and gave them gifts on Christmas morning and this one little girl was tooo cute! 

So I asked her "What's your name?"

"My name is Ariun-Bolor"

I said, "No way!!! My name is Ariun Bolor. What's your name?" 

"No your name isn't Ariun Bolor,because my name is Ariun Bolor"

She was too cute and was probably about 7 years old. (:

Then we had Indian food for Christmas! #IndianfoodinMongolia?

Then we had a devotional about the Savior and talked about how in order to be a good gift receiver, you also have to be willing to give and how we really are given lots of blessings.  So now that you have received, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE? (:

Saturday: 

Talked to the fam!! Woo! love them lots! (:

Then in one of my English classes on Saturday we were talking about feelings: happy, sad, angry, hot, cold, shiver etc. So we went through those new words for the days and two of my little 12/13 year old boys, just start busting up laughing and they couldn't stop, and I didn't understand what was so funny, so they are going on for a good 4 minutes. Then we get them back and continue on with class. Afterwards my companion asked me if I knew what the word shiver meant in Mongolian? Because apparently there's a word in Mongolian that is said "shiver" but of course means something totally different and it means the smell of foot sweat! So these little boys were just dying over the word shiver or in other words foot sweat! :P #lovethem

Sunday: Had dinner at a members house and they said it was original Chinese food! but there was no Panda Express orange chicken?! :P still was super good, just felt a little jipped :P 

How is my mission already at halfway? #weirdsauce 

All in all, this week was good! I love Mongolia!

Sister Bennett (:

We all reached our 9 month mark on Christmas day!

Me and my comp

Merry Christmas from the sister missionaries

MTC companions!

Sister Wilkens trying to steal Christmas!  Grinch!

We may have stolen a Christmas tree?

So we may have stolen a Christmas tree this week, as well as an air filter and some toilet paper. Well okay we got the key to the old Sansar sister's apartment to originally get their old area books because no one lives there, but the other things were definitely bonuses calling our name to be loved!! But people were giving us weird looks as we are walking back to our apartment with a fully decorated Christmas tree. #stolechristmas #wewillgiveitbackdontworry

SHOUT OUT TO SISTER WOOD! Thanks for the amazing package, the other sisters and I are still savoring the cereal and we love our Christmas decorations around the house. Thank you! (:

Thanks Sister Wood!

Sometimes I wonder how sisters hair look so great at the end of the day? That's a miracle in itself! #randomthoughtoftheday #butreally?! 

Last Monday we were burned by an investigator and so we decided to go home and make phone calls to less actives but on our way home were the investigators we have been trying to meet with. They are maintenance people for our apartment and so they are sweeping away the snow that is falling, so we offer to help! They were just the cutest and then were able to set up an appointment to meet with them! They were willing to pray in the lesson and committed to read five verses in the Book of Mormon! Too cute! #blessingsofservice #hardworkinglittlecouple!

You know before my mission I thought missionaries were perfect!... haha #perfectionpending #alwayslearning

We are trying to meet with our investigator "Beautiful A" and she was at work so we were hoping she didn't cancel on us, so it was 7:45 but we had to wait until 8 to call her and so were going to wait in a little place near where we were until we could call her again, Then I see this place that says chocolate factory and ya know my thought process goes, "yep that sounds like a good idea!" My companion agrees that we should go look at beautiful chocolate! and then when we are almost inside my companion goes THIS IS HER WORK!!! and look at that! we walk inside the chocolate factory and it has two other little shops and she worked at one of the other little shops but nonetheless after her work we were then able to meet with her and her sister and read the Book of Mormon together! it was a great lesson! but who knew chocolate could help you make good choices! #choosethechocolate

Can we just acknowledge I love children, can I just take them home? but maybe that's a little creepy... #mongolianANDamericanlittlechildrenaretheBEST

Anyways, CHRISTMAS IS HERE! and Life is beautiful! I'm grateful for MONGOLIA! 

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! LOVE YA!!

Sister Bennett (:

People say we look alike, what do you think?

With one of our investigators.

It really is "the most wonderful time of the year"!

Another week come and gone, I'm pretty sure time, just goes faster as you are on your mission! 

My knee has recovered from falling in a manhole, so I am restored again to normal walking! 

Taught lots of English this week, I helped at Sister Wilkins school, taught at the Bayanzurkh and then also at my school! but hey we sing Christmas songs in class, so can't get much better than that! #englishoverdose #justkiddingiloveenglish

We met with a member this week and probably made over 50 buuz!

 

This gives you an idea of what buuz is.  It is a dumpling that is steamed with meat in it.

 

 But before we made the buuz we were eating dinner and her two little ones probably 2 and 4 didn't really want to eat so we made it a game. "Don't let the missionary eat the potatoes before you do." So the mom would say "watch out watch out Sister Bennett's going to eat your food, hurry fast." #workedeverytime then once it was in their mouth, She would say "Sister Bennett what are you doing, trying to eat these little children's food!? tsk! tsk!?" then she would go to her other little girl and do the same this with my companion. Too funny! Doesn't matter where, America or Mongolia, sometimes you gotta make dinnertime a game in order to get the little ones to eat food! (:

There me and my companion are walking through Mongolia, but that's nothing abnormal to us. but apparently it was to this one man. We overhear him say, "what? why is there a Mongolian speaking English and an American speaking Mongolian?! how weird?!" we started busting up laughing, Sir we are a peculiar people we know and we are what you call Mormons, would like to learn more? (: #monglishisalanguage

Well I would say the weather outside is frightful but its actually not too bad so I am very grateful for that! (: #nothinghasfrozenoffyet

Well have a great week before Christmas, Find an opportunity to serve, find someone to love, or find a way to show the Savior you are grateful for him! It really is the most wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas!

 

Sister Bennett (:

We are cute!

Missionary vs. Manhole

There's always something crazy that happens... but we will save that for later!

This past Monday we cleaned our apartment for pday cause we were going to get inspected, so we made it shine, unfortunately it took our whole pday. and we had 15 mintues to eat before we needed to leave for an appointment and then we opened the package from home and there were some beautiful BELGIAN WAFFLES!! So shout out to Sister Simmons!! That was our dinner! It was perfect! and they were amazing!!!!! #THANKS!!

Belgian Waffles from Sister Simmons!  They were amazing!

So my Momma taught me words are important, and this week my companion while just listening to me speak learned these two phrases from me:

Holy cow! & Thank Goodness!

hmm, made me think what am I really saying? haha but hey thank goodness they are those two phrases! (:

Here's the crazy story of the week we will call it... 
Missionary vs Manhole!

My companion and I were walking home and talking and laughing and then I decide to step on a manhole lid. Apparently it was the wrong day to mess with that manhole! cause then WHABAMM! This manhole eats my leg! So let's back up, I step on the manhole, my leg goes in the manhole, I hit the ground with my leg still in this manhole and for the grand finale the manhole lid still swiveling on its metal pivot comes around and hits my half eaten leg!... I survived, with a bruise, a scrap and some swelling. and I'm sure I looked silly during English limping around my classroom, so children DON'T PICK FIGHTS WITH A MANHOLE! but hey it's all good now. #manholelidsareFEISTY #theywillwin

Oh hey we gave an investigator a baptism date!!! #yayforprogressinginvestigators

We also ate some beautiful food at Sister and Brothers Hill's home on Saturday with a lot of the sisters! (: So shout out to them!

This week my ponerizing scripture was Moroni 8:16 and the phrase that was written on my heart was, "Behold i speak with boldness, for perfect love casteth out all fear!"

Merry Christmas everyone! Have a great Holiday season!

Sister Bennett

Some of the sisters from my MTC group.

Me and my comp. 

Hi... I'm five. I love God!

This week was the primary program in our ward, not that I'm biased but it was wayyyyy cuter here in Mongolia!! (: so here's my favorite highlight, this little boy gets up and holds the mic super close to his mouth and says,

"Hi.. I'm five.
I love God!....
...uhhh (*heavy breathing into the microphone)...

....I like coming to church.

I like reading scriptures.

and I like praying

and I say my testimony
in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Too cute, short and sweet (:

Heres my mini miracle of the week, I was looking for a picture for 30 minutes before personal study this week and then I started personal study with a prayer of course and I pray that I will be able to find it this week, I sit down to personal study and my first thought is "look in your Bible!" and there I looked and BAM!!! there it was right there, why it was in my Bible I'm not sure but God answers prayers, and that I am very grateful for.

I figured I'd make a short list of things I am grateful for in the season of Thanksgiving.

I'm grateful...

for the atonement.

to be able to share the peace in knowing about the plan of salvation.

to be a missionary

to BE IN WONDERFUL MONGOLIA.

for the miracles we have seen this week in the work.

to able to feel the spirit.

for my mission so far and how much I feel I've grown.

to be able to associate with awesome sisters!

and lastly I'm grateful for my family!

#feelingblessed

This week we were walking home from an appointment and we hear this man speaking on the phone behind us and he starts talking about us and goes, "let's speak in English" to the person he was talking to. What he didn't realize is that we both understood him :P #sillyboy

My companion is the best but the funniest thing this week is she has a new found addiction... She tried toast for the first time and now has it multiple times a day! she was meant to go to america! #toocute

On Tuesday my companion and I were prepping to meet with this investigator family and we didn't want to mess it up and so we did practices, we prepped asking the baptism question. We read scriptures and then we felt ready to go and help them get baptized and we get there and are introducing ourselves, and THEY ARE MEMBERS!!! granted they were less actives, but they didn't need to be invited to be baptized haha.... #lessonchange #alwaysbeprepared

This week was filled with phone calls, but through them we have met with people! but we are ready to find the miracles in store for us this week!  we are ready to be bold and love these people a whole lot!

Sister Bennett

Sansar squad!! we didn't do that, promise ;P

Old investigator from Unur who now lives in Sansar!!

Thanksgiving p-day dinner!! Thanks for the gravy mom it made the dinner!

30 MINUTES TO MOTHERHOOD!

So we are going to start out this email with...It was a typical Friday in Mongolia. I'm teaching English to my cute and sometimes crazy little kiddos and we get a phone call from the assistants which means it's pretty important, so I have Sister Kofoed take over my class for a moment and I call them back. Here's how the conversation goes,

"Hello Sister Bennett, how are you?" (that's a question meant to soften the blow I bet :P)

"I'm good thanks."

"Are you coming to the byanzurk today?"

"No I wasn't planning on it."

"Well your companion is here and waiting for you. When can you be here?"

"I can be there in 30 minutes? Wait, Sister Peterson is waiting for me?"

"Oh no, not her, do you not know? YOU'RE TRAINING SISTER BENNETT!"

"WHAT?!?!"
And that's yeah about how it happened. I am a mom! (It's what they call themselves when they train a new missionary)  It was the longest drive back to the byanzurk even though it was probably only 30 minutes!! but anyways I go and pick up the new sister and she is seriously the cutest, happiest person ever, I love it! Her name is Sister Maralmaa and she is visa waiting, but I know we are going to be best friends. and that I'm probably going to cry when she gets her visa but she was called to GOOD OLE OREM, UTAH!! (: but until then I claim her, and thank goodness I don't have to teach her Mongolian she's got that part down pretty good! (: We are going to stay in the same ward but if we find people in Byanzurk or American Denj then we can teach them too, so we are starting from scratch (: BUT HEY WE WILL MAKE IT WORK AND BRING THE MIRACLES!! but let me tell you I thought I was safe this transfer #nooneissafe! #30minutestomotherhood

I'm a mom!  This is my daughter Sister Maralmaa.  Isn't she cute?

Since I haven't had very many days since pday, I only have so many stories, but let's go back to last Thursday, so we we're getting groceries, Sister Petersen and I, and we are walking away from the store, and this man starts yelling at us from behind us. We kind of don't want to turn around, but then it seemed more urgent and so I turn around and this man had stopped traiffic and was pointing to my ham stick in the road, this great little man just wanted to make sure our hamstick didnt get squished! #thanksforstoppingtraffic #hamstickontheloose

My ponderizing scripture this week was D&C 4:5 "And faith, hope, charity and love with an eye single to the glory of God qualify him for the work" and I grateful that I can work on each one of those things and I know I can love these people. I definitely don't know everything but as long as I focus on those things and strive to learn Mongolian, then that's what really matters (:

So READY OR NOT, here we go! I'm ready to find the miracles God has in store for us, and it may be rough at first, but that's okay, All is well here in beautiful Mongolia! (:

Sister Bennett

Me, my trainer and my companion for two weeks Sister Peterson.

There's NEVER a DULL week in Mongolia.

There's NEVER a DULL week in Mongolia. (: but I am grateful for those weeks that seem more normal than others! I'm not sure this week would be considered dull or normal but anyways let's get to the good stuff!

We picked up an investigator this week, we will name her Golden H and in our phone before we met her we decided to put a golden star by her name, in hopes she would be golden! and then we are teaching her the first lesson and she tells us ever since she was little she has always known that God was there, so that was awesome start and then we invite her to be baptized and when my companion did she said I was hoping you would invite me, cause I really want to get baptized! WHAT?! soo cool! She was definitely prepared and maybe the gold star help a little bit :P

Taught my first restoration lesson as a senior companion (but don't be fooled I still do NOT know Mongolian) I'm greatful that Golden H is so golden I couldn't really have done too much wrong, all you got to do is help them feel the spirit and HAVE LOTS OF FAITH! #faithforthewin!

We taught FHE this week and we were teaching the tree of life story and so we were talking about mist of darkness came on the people and so we asked the 5 year old if he liked the dark. He thought for a second and said then I would turn on the lights, so his parents exaplain what if the lights didn't work so he pondered for a few minutes then gets up and points the orange street lights outside and say he would go to those, so we said what if those were gone? and then lastly this smart little boy said okay then the car!! hahah! obviously he doesn't like the dark and would try to find whatever light is possible! I'm grateful for the light this gospel brings and that no matter how dark it may seem the light always overcomes the darkness (:

Mongolia is keeping me on my toes, I called 41+ less actives on Tuesday and got a total of five lessons with people we called! Wooo! It's a miracle they could understand me in the first place! (:

So you know the idiom cat got you tongue in English, they have one for that in Mongolian, so it's you do not want to drop Gold out of your mouth? #ilikegoldbetterthanacat (:

My ponderize scripture this week was D&C 76:22 "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!"

Mongolia is tab bit chilly (-22 F at one point this week) but we are keeping warm and working hard! Life is Good. (:

 Sister Petersen and I with Sister Marriott of the General YW Presidency

Sister Bennett

ONE SMALL STEP OF FAITH AND ONE GIANT LEAP INTO OUTER SPACE!!!

The transfers are out!... and I was called to serve in a branch in OUTER SPACE!!!! well it's still in Mongolia but the name of our branch is Sansar which translates to outer space! My companion is Sister Petersen. I also have a part time companion, Sister Kofoed who is a new sister that came with the group of 14 americans that came a week ago!! 

So let's back up to last week I literally went from being a Mongolian's quiet companion to being a part time trainer! WHOA! can you say I STILL DONT KNOW MONGOLIAN?! haha (:

The reason why Sister Kofoed and I are part time companions is because our companions teach English together 14 hours a week so while they are teaching we are going be preaching the gospel together and finding miracles! Here's a good mental image of Sister Kofoed and I wandering through Mongolia speaking English with a bunch of papers with less active's addresses and trying to ask people for directions to the apartment buildings because even though they go up in number they are not in numerical order. So I learned how to ask people where buildings are this week and I am grateful people always point when they go to give directions or maybe they can tell I will only be able to understand if they point haha! but hey WE FOUND PEOPLE'S APARTMENTS, so that was a miracle in itself! (: 

This one door we knock on and this cute little old lady neighbor opens the door, and we ask if she knows if (random name) lives next door to her? and she said she didn't know, and then she asked us if we were were religious people? and we said yes and we asked her the same question, are you religious and then this little old lady whips out the sass on us and says, "Yes I'm Mongolian therefore I'm Buddhist, duh!!" oops!! She was just too funny (:

Lastly, this week I was asked to translate Monday night, by Sister Francom for the senior couples and I told Sister Francom NO WAY JOSE! I DON'T KNOW MONGOLIAN! and that someone else could definitely do a better job! but she had faith in me, and she said you can do it, you know more Mongolian than any of us senior couples do. I was with Sister Kofoed at this time and was terrified because if I didn't know something there wasn't a backup! but I accepted the challenge and took it on head first and I made sure to bring my dictionary just in case! I was able to tell the taxis where to go and got us all there safely and we had a lovely little family home evening and there was only one sentence I was unable to translate but everything else I was! I was shocked! I have been so blessed to come this far with my Mongolian and I'm so grateful Sister Francom had faith in me! cause it was a great learning experience! and can we acknowledge I didn't use my dictionary hola! (:

My translating adventure!

So I'm learning lots and growing even more here in Mongolia! and every day is a new adventure that's for sure! and I am choosing to take every step forward in faith! and God will help with the rest!

Sister Bennett (:

Sister Petersen and I rocking the ponytails!

Sister Kofoed and I.

GRASPING THE GOOD

This past little bit I felt like the spirit has been prompting me to be more grateful, SO THAT WAS MY GOAL THIS WEEK! So then began a search for a "ponderizing" scripture to remember throughout the week and I found, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21. My goal was to hold onto that which was good and let go of that which is bad, I think I realized it easy to hold on to the bad and that I did it far more than I would like to admit. But I was determined in those moments that I felt sad or was holding onto the bad that I could find the good and believe me I DID.

I'm not sure I would say this week was any better than any other week and in fact I was definitely sad but there was a difference. I knew all was okay and that there was good all around. Back to the sad moment, my companion and I received a call on Thursday and it was a number we didn't know but we answered and received the news that one of our investigators had passed away. We will call him BT, I had been teaching him since July, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to have gotten to know him and his wife. They have influenced my life and  I was able to reflect on that this week. I know on the other side that missionaries are teaching him and I can just hear him say "tegey" or "of course" just like he always would when we would invite him to do something. (:

We were teaching Little O and Rainbow yesterday and the week before we taught prayer and I gave them a prayer chart I had made for them to mark with stickers everyday that they had prayed. Unfortunately it was only a weeks worth but I was even happier to see that Rainbow had created her own in her little school notebook, that every time she would pray she would draw a star in this bow that she had drawn! I'm pretty sure angels in heaven have books full of stars and prayers that were heard. (:#did you think to pray? #GiveYourselfAStar

I'm grateful for a family who offered to buy me winter boots cause I was unable to find some last week.

I'm grateful for my Mongolian grandma who gave me gloves this week cause she knew I was from a warm city.

I'm grateful for Little B and the example he is to many of our investigators and that he worries about me being sad.

I am grateful I held on to the good this week and that I really felt that the blessings from on high this week were here and have been here all along I just noticed them more this week because I chose to notice them. Grasp the good. Let go of the bad and find those blessings from on high, they are more plentiful when you are searching for them.

Sister Bennett

I can do all things through Christ which stregtheneth me

Mongolia is Beautiful!  A view from my window.

Let's start with my "Ponderize" scripture of the week, it was "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me". It was a good motivator for both my companion and I this week (:

Brother Francom, a senior couple missionary, spoke in our ward about the temple and he talked about being temple worthy and during his talk he changed the meaning of CTR from choose to the right to current temple recommend. And then ask are you prepared to go to the temple right now? It was good food for thought.

While waiting for investigators this week, I learned how to pray in mongolian sign language!!! SOO COOL. (: #ilovelearning

In the spirit of Halloween I have something scary to share: This week we ended up making 138 cookies for B's baptism! #scaryawesome (:

B's baptism

Can I just give a shoutout to you members, us missionary need you like peanut butter needs jelly! You are sooo important, this week we had B's baptism and B was brought to church by a member; not by our own finding! SO THANKS MEMBERS! #bringafriendtochurch #themissionarieswillloveYOU

OH AND IT'S WINTER! It rained during church for three hours and then all of a sudden started snowing, I learned the word for ice this week... #ahhhh! #itscooooold!

HERE'S two motivational stories from the week:

Yesturday I looked out the window and there I saw spiderman, fighting off bad guys all by himself, running through this little neighborhood in Mongolia. Spiderman was probably only five years old but I'm sure he was doing a pretty good job! What I learnined from this is sometimes you just gotta put on your spiderman suit, BE BRAVE and conquer those things maybe you dont want to (: #spiderman #savingtheworldfrominvisiblebadguys

A missionary who served in Arizona returned to Mongolia this week and he gave me some wise words of wisdom "Keep thinking, speaking and praying in Mongolian." Okay maybe this one only applies to me, but hey if you have a dream, work hard and go get it! (:

Have a great week! LOVE YA!

Sister Bennett 

Look closely!  This is art from a 3D museum!

Crazy Bus ride!

Fun pday at the 3D art museum!  Who wants a Book of Mormon?

TODAY IN MONGOLIA!!

lets call this email

TODAY IN MONGOLIA!!!

So I'm gonna run you through a normal day in Mongolia, pffft there are no normal days in Mongolia!

 

But today I'm going to tell this whole week as if it were one day, therefore all these stories didn't happen in one day (:

A day in a Mongolian missionary's shoes:

6:30 arise and shine!... but let's be real the sun doesn't get up till about 7:30ish :P 

7:00-8:00 THE FASTEST HOUR OF MY LIFE, this is where I decide whether to make and eat breakfast or do my hair, food usually wins. 

8:00-9:00 this is personal study and the best hour of the day, all I have to do is study and feel the spirit. Can't get much better than that. THIS MY DE-STRESS hour of the day!

9:00-10:00 Companion study, we prepare the lessons for the day and share the spiritual goodness we learned in personal study. 

10:00-11:00 Language study, My goal is to read The Book of Mormon in Mongolian all the way through! and then I also prep for the lessons of the day during this time. 

11:00-12:00 LUNCH!!! Yup this is also a very crucial part of the day, sometimes consists of grilled cheese sandwiches and rice! yum!

12:00-9:00pm here's where the crazy stories begin, and also where the miracles come from. The miracles don't come from sitting in the apartment! We gotta get up and do something about what we learned!

 

Today in Mongolia I took on the "Ponderize" challenge and I chose Joshua 1:9 as my scripture, "have I not commanded thee be strong and of a good courage be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord will be with thee whithersoever thou goest". This scripture seriously strenthened me all day (or all week) sometimes I just needed to remember to be strong, or to not be dismayed and lets be real when we are walking through a ger district and a dog comes out the fence to come and attack you like this today, that's when you've gotta remember... to be not afraid, unfortunately I didn't remember that in the moment, but after both my companion and I's fearfilled yells to tell him go to go away, it worked :P No, but really, take the ponderize challenge! #ponderizechallenge #blessing

Also today in Mongolia my companion had to remind me to put on my jacket by saying in the best English with a slight cute Mongolian accent, "it's not Las Vegas, it's Mongolia!" #ilovemycompanion #whyisitcold?

Today in Mongolia we were walking out of the church and inside the gate of the church lot, is a drunk man taking a sweet little nap, but I'm glad to know even drunk men can find peace on the grounds of the church #peaceful

Today we finish the lessons, for one of our investigators and his baptism is planned for this week WOO! and can we just talk about how his favorite English word is SELFIE #Baptism! #selfies

Well, all in all, over all the emotions of a day in Mongolia, at the end of the day things are good. Areas aren't the reasons why blessings come, we can be blessed wherever we are, when we are in the work of the Lord, He will strengthen us. 

...and then sometimes at the end of the day you've just gotta take a selfie to show you've made it through another beautiful day in Mongolia. #TodayinMongolia

Excited to be baptized "SELFIE"

Sister Bennett