Hot Water is a Myth...

So I counted, it's been 11 weeks without hot water. I'm starting to enjoy the cold I think. This week though was pretty good, honestly super tough. I'll explain more in my email. It's starting to cool off which is nice. It used to be so freaking hot, but now the evenings are nice. Also the moths are here. They have these huge moths, I think they are called king moths. But they come in your house and shed their skin or something which then turns into an egg sac and makes more. So whenever we are sitting around and see one we jump up and try to get it before it makes more. Our new goal is to try and kill one by throwing a card at it haha. I also bought some Buddhist incense. It's pretty nice not gonna lie. Our apartment smells like sandalwood now. But here's my week:

Tuesday: So we didn't do much in the morning. We just got some lunch at one of our go to spots with the AP's. Then we had an english teaching appointment. We meet with this lady, she's is about 29 and has a family. She needs help learning english for her job, so we meet with her and just chat and help her get some speaking practice. She isn't interested in the church, but you never know when people will come around, plus this is a super helpful thing for her, so we go about every week. We do occasionally teach a lesson to her, but mostly it's just speaking practice. Plus she can help us out with Mongolian. I feel okay with the language, but it's super frustrating because of how hard it still is for me. So it's nice to have someone to practice with. 

Wednesday: I had my district leader training today and it was good. Really they just told us to not be dumb. Then I was with Cox because our companions had zone leader training. It was pouring rain this day, and on the way back to the church, I saw this guy who's car was broken down. So I walked over to him and asked if he needed any help, and he said to get behind and push so he can start it. So we pushed this car for like half a mile, in pouring rain haha. We were so soaked, but it was good to be able to help someone. That was really all we did that day. Elder Sweetwood who lives above us got a Mongolian version of Monopoly. So we all came over to my apartment and cooked some chicken alfredo (yes mom, I can cook) and played this mongolian monopoly with them. It was super fun, pretty much all the MTC guys are back together. It was a fun night. 

Thursday: So today I had my district meeting which went well. I feel like it was a good time, everyone loved the pizookies I cooked, plus we had a good discussion. So it was fun. Then Cox and I went on our district leader split. We got some lunch, and met up with Jesperson and Sweetwood and went to our lesson. You may remember this little girl. She is the super poor one who lives in the worst conditions. Little backstory. So she is 8 and went to an interview to be baptized, but she hardly ever goes to church because her mom is inactive and her dad hates the church, but her grandma is one of the best members in our ward. So she didn't pass the interview, and the bishop of the ward yelled at the missionaries for not teaching her (it's not even our responsibility to teach 8 year olds so this was not even kosher for him to do) but she saw the whole thing and now is super scared of church people. So we get to her house and it's just so sad. We taught outside because the gers were being used and they were dirty. Around the homes there are piles of dog poop, garbage, scrap metal, broken bottles, and rotting things. It is just so sad to see this girl living in a place like this. No one should have to live like this. So she saw us, and I saw the dad, and he started yelling at us, but the grandma told him to shut up (the grandmas here are pretty much Grandma Mary's. It's my favorite, super funny, intense, and old fashioned) So this girl saw me and she just got so sad and down and never looked up. She looked at the ground the whole time. I brought some pictures of my family and kylie to show her to try and warm her up and let her feel comfortable, but she looked at the pictures and didn't say anything and was still sad. Then I started teaching, it was the plan of salvation. She didn't say a word when I would ask her questions and she looked so depressed and sad. I felt awful. I explained that the only reason this whole thing exists is to make her happy. But after I said that, I looked around. I looked at all the garbage and filth she was living in. And somehow 4 guys from church have something that can make her happy, despite all the crap she lives in and goes through from her family. I just didn't know how to explain that this can make her happy. How she can be living in the worst conditions in the world and still be happy. I know it can, but I don't know how to help an 8 year old see that. So I stopped teaching and played this game with her, it's this rock game. But she didn't play at all. I looked at the grandma (Chuka) and we both knew to just stop. So then I said the closing prayer and got up and helped clean up a little bit. I talked to Chuka after and she told me "I'm so grateful you come here, thank you so much. I love you all so much." So we are all about to break down because of how sad this is. When we were walking out of the lot of theirs, we didn't say a word. We have no clue how to help her. But we wanted to get a picture of all of us together, so we found this kid and asked her to take our picture and it turned out super good. So that was fun. But then we got back to our place and just didnt' know what to do for her, so we played some monopoly, but we were all to depressed to even play, so we just went to bed. It was a tough day. I still don't know how to help her out. I think I might bring President to the next meeting to help him see what is going on, maybe he has some ideas. I don’t know why these people have to go through all of this.  If they don’t get a straight hot to heaven, I’m gonna be pretty upset. No-one should have to live like this.  

Friday:I was still with Cox, and we were going to teach english to that lady again, but she got busy with work so we didnt have anything the whole day. So we went to the mountains in our area. Scrimsher met us there because he had nothing either. We figured it's good to be out and about in our area, so if anyone needs help we can be there. So we walked around the summer home area and just found some grass and layed down and enjoyed the sun. It was super nice to just lay down and think. On the bus ride back to our apartment we ran into these 2 deaf guys. Scrimsher knows a little mongolian sign language. So we started talking to them, but we just started writing things out to them. They asked if we were "Jesus people" and asked about church. So we gave them the number of the elders in the deaf ward. It was super fun to talk to people like that. I hope it works out for them. 

Saturday: Today we had nothing planned. We were with our normal companions too. Cox needed some new pants, so we went with them out to this store for him to get some pants. We saw this super cool Buddhist statue. But we just hung out there for a while then came back and got a call from a sister missionary saying that no one showed up to the baptism of hers. So we all went and the people getting baptized were the people I interviewed last Sunday! It was super fun to see them again and talk to them. They are great people. 

Sunday: Church was really good, our ward may be super small, but the members are great. The BYU Hawaii president was there too which was cool. So we translated for them and talked to them for a bit. Plus we got two investigators. A boy and his sister. They are Sami and Easton's ages funny enough. After church we helped a girl do her mission papers.  She doesn’t speak English, but the papers are all in English.  So I had to translate, and we had to do the self evaluation health form haha. So we had to translate to her all of the weird questions. So we acted a lot of it out, and when we got to the sexual health questions, I just asked “Do you live the law of chastity? Okay, perfect. Mark no for all of those.” haha it was super fun.  Elder Rand was too weirded out so he let me do it all while he drew on the board with the girls sister.  This girl is the only member in her family, well her and her sister.  And her mom is against the church and her dad passed away.  Its really impressive that she is doing this.  She doesn’t want her mom to know about the mission until her call comes in.   to her all the weird health questions.  After church we made dinner. It was awesome. Jesperson and Sweetwood got a roast and crock pot, so they cooked this huge roast all during church. And we made potatoes and rolls, and the AP's made some dessert. I made some gravy and holy cow it was just like being home. Super good, normal home cooked meal. We had a lot of fun. And after dinner we played monopoly again haha. So it was a good day. 

Love you all so much!!

-Austin

The Buddhist statue.  On the hill is the Russian Monument of Zaisan. 

 When I got wrecked in Monopoly. 

 Literally the hottest ramen sold on the open market.  Literally.  We looked it up. I'm a little afraid to try it. 

 Good old Circle K hot dogs

 Walking back to our apartment. 

 Beautiful run down buildings of UB

 The four of us after meeting with the 8 year old girl. Don't let our smiles fool you.  We were all pretty upset about her situation. 

 Walking to the little girls house to meet her and her grandma. 

 I want this house.  

 Me after I got owned in Mongolian Monopoly.

 Enjoying the mountains, the sunshine and the grass. 

 Look at the lady's head.  They think cabbage cures everything. 

Sunday Dinner.  Be impressed mom, I made the gravy and the rolls!