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.