Training Sister Tumurbaatar

Hey!

So this week was the first week of training and I don't really have to train at all. She already knows so much more than I did when I came out and she knows all the lessons and she knows how to be a missionary. Before she came on a mission she did a 3 month trial mission. Yeah no training needed. And she is so awesome! She is teaching me to read the Russian/Mongolian alphabet. Lets just say it is going to take me a while to learn it but I will! We have at least 5 more weeks together! There are some pictures of us together! She is hilarious!  This week has been awesome! We had two investigators at church as well as 2 less active members!!!! WE are really excited about the two less active members being at church because basically we have been trying to get them to come for ages. I know one is coming back next week the other one...well I really hope he comes next week as well!  The ward members are getting to know them and that is awesome!

Sister T (her name is really long so for time sake I will always refer to her as this!) is completely afraid of dogs! She hides behind me every time we knock doors and dogs bark! It is kinda funny I am always trying not to laugh as they open the door...turns out people like smiling people friendly but don't appreciate laughing people. Yeah...come to find out...

Yesterday we knocked a door and were able to teach the Plan of Salvation! Best thing in the world! I love having the spirit testify to others that what we say is true! We then talked with a guy who told us that he was beyond saving and his Mormon friends have been trying to convert him for years! I asked him why he hadn't and he just told me that he was beyond saving...I told him that was a lie, but we didn't get very far on him. But It always makes me so happy when we talk with people and they tell us about their Mormon friends who have opened the doors for us! Love it!

I ate grits this morning and a muffin. Not the California culture I think.

Any fun stories?

Love ya!

Sister Pendleton

Not Transferred

So this week is transfers and come to find out I am not getting transferred which isn't surprising but what is surprising is that I am training...lets just say slightly nervous. Maybe more...I don't know really how I feel at this moment I just try to not think about it. She is from Mongolia apparently and I will meet her tomorrow. So this past week Me and Sister Reinsch sang at the departure fireside. So story...we sang the week before in Sacrament Meeting...(did I tell you already?)...so I get up and I haven't felt nervous at all which was awesome because when I play the cello I am always super nervous before and just trying not to shake so I get up and I literally start shaking in my shoes!!! The whole time I am singing I couldn't even really sing loud because my mouth went super dry and it was just not so impressive after all. So I guess it wasn't awful but it wasn't so great either. In my head I am just talking to myself a little amazed at the fact that I am shaking in my shoes and never thought it was actually literally possible to shake in your shoes but yes it was in fact a possibility. So then we are suppose to sing that night at a singles activity which was I nervous before hand??? Yes because I didn't want to be shaking in my shoes again because that was ridiculous! When I get up to sing was I nervous? Did I start Shaking? nope not at all I was able to sing just fine. So Sister Reinsch wanted to try out for the fireside last night and I was like sure I mean really I can't promise I will be able to sing because apparently I can't decide if I am nervous or not. So we made it and sang in front of about 300+ people and was I nervous??? Yes...did I shake in my shoes...haha nope...was I able to sing...I think so. was it on tune? No one had the guts to tell me I was tone deaf...so I guess it was alright. I will find out for sure if I try out and am just completely rejected at that time. 

So our investigator has come to church 2 weeks in a row! He is awesome! He is progressing and is trying to give up smoking. Struggling but he slowly is giving it up. He has gone from 10 cigarettes to 4 a day  which is impressive. So we will see what happens this week. 

Have a great week! Love you all!

Sister Pendleton

WHY WAS THE HORSE HAPPY?

Hey Everyone!

So yesterday church got cancelled half way through because of plumbing issues again. We made it two hours so next week we should be able to make it through all three hours right??? We are starting to wonder if someone is purposely doing something to the toilets each week cause they worked fine during the week. Anyways we found a new investigator this past week and it was so cool! We taught him the restoration and never have I had such a powerful experience with someone when we taught that God is our loving Heavenly Father. Generally they are just like yeah yeah we know that. It was amazing!!!! We also had an investigator at church!!!! That was really cool. And we were able to have members come to a lesson and share their experiences with our investigators and relate to him more than we even thought was possible!!!! It was so cool!!!!! Seriously and one of our members talked about how powerful the Book of Mormon is how when the challenge came out to read it all the way through with the promise of blessings she did 3 times and she didn't get the blessings of a house like she wanted but she had a member of her family join the church each time she read the book. IT WAS LEGIT! I totally love this member and she has a daughter who is coming to church again and oh it is just so cool to see all the blessings and miracles happening in different peoples lives!!! We are seeing miracles all the time but I will say that we don't recognize a lot of them until a lot later. Which is too bad cause then missionary work would probably go a lot smoother all the time.

answer to the question

Because he was in a stable environment....

Well love you all!!!

Sister Pendleton

Interesting Happenings Superbowl Week

yesterday was the Superbowl which had the lowest church attendance of the year so far...and I will tell you why...because the church's bathrooms were all out of order. The main pipe lines were all backed up so no restroom was available and so we had to cancel church but we did hold sacrament meeting but those who had to go and use the bathroom would have to go home or somewhere else so basically most people left and it was a sad turnout but on the up side two non-members walked in to come to church. They were both from China it was a mom and her daughter and it was awesome because the mom had lived in New Zealand and she had attended the church there and had felt very peaceful so she decided to come to church and bring her daughter. It was really cool. Her daughter is also trying to learn English so that was really a neat experience. Her mom attended years ago too...they don't live in our area though so I may never know the end of that story...which is the saddest part about someone who doesn't live in your area. we are teaching someone who isn't in our area because he wants to learn more but won't give us his address which I don't really blame him so at some point if he progresses we will have to direct him else where. 

So this past week there was a zone conference and we invited all the ward members to come to it. In the Zone Conference we taught an investigator live. And when I say we, I mean Sister Folsom and I were asked to teach an investigator live in front of 100 missionaries and ward members...good thing God is in charge and not I because basically the thought of doing that is nerve wracking and for some reason I wasn't that nervous. It was amazing the spirit was super strong and everyone learned something (not from our teaching skills though cause they aren't that great let me tell you and don't kid yourself I am not being modest either and I mean really  they are lacking) but nevertheless God made up for it and the investigator she has been meeting with missionaries for 6 years she comes to church each week and she believes it is true. and that is what came out while we were teaching. It was cool. It was fun to get to teach with Sister Folsom again.

I hope you all are doing well. Following up with y'all Missionary plan??? Any good stories for me?

I love you all

Sister Pendleton