Moving and New

Well for the first time in over 11 month foreign missionaries (i.e. Americans) have made it to Mongolia!  As I sit writing two have made it and four are about to be picked up at the airport.  With new missionaries coming in, it also means the this transfer is quickly coming to an end and beyond that so is my time in Songino.  We were notified last Thursday by the AP's that the transfer would be cut just a bit short by the arrival of Americans and than on top of that there will be another transfer within two weeks when the new Mongolians get back from the Philippians. 

 

Even though I was almost assuredly leaving Songino this transfer, it was still super hard.  Luckily we had just enough time to meet with the new members and put things in order before I had to leave.  Sunday ended up being a lot like Tsagaan Sar with the sisters and us going around to 3 houses to say goodbye to people.  It also happened to be a fast and testimony week, so I was able to bear my testimony for one last time which was great. I hope I left the area a little better than it was when I got there, but that's hard to say because there are so many people in the ward who already make it so great.  At the end of the day and the end of the week I just felt myself being grateful to serve in such a great place for such a long time.

So that brings us to this next transfer and what will probably be my last area and maybe my last companion.  The time is going way too fast!!!  President Clark is gone is less that 4 months!  Since American Elders don't leave the city, the transfer is never that big of a deal because you know wherever you go you're going to be within a 5 dollar taxi of where you just were.  I'll be back in the same building that I was last year at this time out in Khilaast.  But instead of the left side of the road Ill be serving on the right side of the road in Sukhbaatar (side note that's where the Farmers attend Church, so that's really fun).  And I'll find out who my companion is this evening at 7ish.  Even though I just trained back to back this should be a totally different ballgame training someone who speaks my native language. I'm excited and I'd say a little bit on the nervous side.  I just hope that I can be and have been half the trainer that Elder Jolley was for me in my first three months.  It's crazy that all but the last transfer of my mission are now decided.  The thing that excites me the most has got to be being with someone for whom it's all new.  And seeing it again through the excitement of a new missionary's eyes.  Things that have just become very normal because of being here for a while will be new again.  I'm sure there will be a lot to report next week and I'm sure that my next companion will feel a greater need to sit at the internet cafe. Should give me time to get everyone caught up.

 

I love all of you so much and I'm so grateful to be in this beautiful country. 

The work is true and there is literally no better place that I could be for the next 5 months.  How cool is that?!

Have a great week!

Elder Neuberger