Home Stretch. Mongolia is in sight!

Wow,

This week really felt like we turned the corner.  It feels like we went from telling people that we have 6 weeks left to telling them that we have three weeks from yesterday.  I feel like I even have sufficient Mongolian to survive, so that’s good.  The language continues to improve.  We’ve had such a mass of information thrown at us and it feels like we’re starting to process it.  There’s hardly enough time in the day to accomplish all that I want to.

I have a lot of short thoughts so I’ll try and keep them organized.

Tomorrow we become “English” missionaries as we finally reached the amount of time left that English missionaries entering the MTC tomorrow will have total before leaving.  Also, tomorrow we get to host.  Basically, we lug baggage around and orient new missionaries.  It’s really not that exciting, but it’s somewhat a badge of honor to say that you’ve hosted.

I received some great letters this week

Brother Bezzant, I loved your comment on the amount of a’s in Ulaanbaatar and your commentary on the happenings of the Frontenac Ward

John, great letter! I sent yours in the mail today.  I also finally responded to a bunch more of you today, so have faith in the mail system

I also recieved a fantastic package from Uncle Scott.  Thank you, thank you!

And I got a note from Elder Stutz serving in Cueranevaca, Mexico.  What a treat to hear from him.  Thanks, Sister Stutz!  It’s such a cool feeling to serve alongside the people I met at BYU, with us being spread all over the World. 

Every day we have an hour or so where we use a computer program to study Mongolian (besides the 6-8 other hours of studying Mongolian).  You can also pull up the LDS site at the same time.  By the time you’re in your 8th week here you find ways to keep yourself sane like listening to the songs in the youth tab.  This week Elder Stranski and I (he plays guitar) jammed out to a few of our favorites during computer time.  We got the whole computer lab to sync the music at the same time so we were all listening at the same time.  Great songs!

Mongolian funfacts (I hope you enjoy these as much as I do)

There are no real addresses in Mongolia, due to the fact that everyone lives in gers (yurts).  When people move in they just pick a number and hang it up.  This makes finding people extremely difficult when they give you an address.  Luckily, they have a fantastic directional system.  Pretty much getting directions will consist of ´´go straight until you hit the crooked tree, then go left by the white post, walk to the one patch of grass . . .´´  Nice!

  

This week we also we learned Mongolian cursive which looks awesome. When they made the normal alphabet they made all the capital and lowercase letters the same just different sizes.  I’ve decided that because this was so reasonable, they decided they could make the cursive as hard as they wanted.  Almost none of the letters look the same as the “normal” letters.  The letters that I used to call “snowflake” and “trapezoid with legs” don’t make a showing.

Last week Elder Nelson came for the Tuesday night devotional.  It was really wonderful because they had given us all the special edition of the Ensign for October which is centered on the Book of Mormon.  He had some Elders and sisters come up and bear their testimonies which might have been the most terrifying and amazing experience of their entire lives.  He continued to take us through the magazine and point out certain things.  And he bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon along with give an overview of its history and editions.  The best quote however was something his wife said before he spoke.  She spoke on obedience and said that your motto should always be "NOT EVEN ONCE."  No matter the situation, if you have cause to hesitate because you’re not sure it’s right, then don’t do it.  Not even once because one time could be the time that changes your life forever.  Keep the high ground.  Don’t be Lehonti (see below).  “Once” soon turns into “once more” until you find yourself poisoned by degrees. Remember that the Lord is always mindful of you even when you are not always mindful of him.  If only one of us was going to use the atonement he still would have suffered it because he loves us all that much.

I love you all too!

Be Strong

Elder Neuberger

PS  I compiled a small photo album before I left and realized that don’t have too many with friends.  Mongolians love pictures and love to see who you are.  If you have any great pictures that I can put with my others I would appreciate that a lot.

The Story of Lehonti:

Alma Chapter 47

10 And it came to pass that when it was night he (Amalickiah) sent a secret embassy into the mount Antipas, desiring that the leader of those who were upon the mount, whose name was Lehonti, that he should come down to the foot of the mount, for he desired to speak with him.

 11 And it came to pass that when Lehonti received the message he durst not go down to the foot of the mount. And it came to pass that Amalickiah sent again the second time, desiring him to come down. And it came to pass that Lehonti would not; and he sent again the third time.

 12 And it came to pass that when Amalickiah found that he could not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, he went up into the mount, nearly to Lehonti’s camp; and he sent again the fourth time his message unto Lehonti, desiring that he would come down, and that he would bring his guards with him.

 13 And it came to pass that when Lehonti had come down with his guards to Amalickiah, that Amalickiah desired him to come down with his army in the night-time, and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had given him (Amalickiah) command, and that he would deliver them up into Lehonti’s hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah) a second leader over the whole army.

 14 And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti.

 15 And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they pled with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, that they might not be destroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired.

 16 And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary to the commands of the king. Now this was the thing that Amalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs in dethroning the king.

 17 Now it was the custom among the Lamanites, if their chief leader was killed, to appoint the second leader to be their chief leader.

 18 And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died.