July 27, 2007 - It's Hot!

Hello Hello! I’m listening to some Russian pop music right now. I mean, I’m not listening to it, it’s just that the internet center chick is playing it and I’m physically hearing it, but…yeah. I thought maybe I would pick up some Russian while here in Mongolia, but all the Russian I hear just sounds like this, “Slyitzk slyootzaa slyitzki slee.”

I recall a time about 7 months ago when I wondered if it would ever be anything but freezing in this country. Yesterday it almost got up to 40 degrees Celsius which is…hold on…40 x 1.8 + 32 = DANG HOT! [104] Oh my goodness! So what does a sister missionary do on a crazy hot day like that? Well, apparently we set up appointments with little old grandmas who live a 40-minute hike up the dusty mountain with not an ounce of shade on the way. That was interesting. The branch missionary who went with us was breezing along in his shorts and t-shirt and every once in a while would cast a sympathetic glance at us in our skirts and nylons. It hadn’t been that hot so far this month, and I thought I was going to get through this summer without having to be miserable, but now…

Guess what! I got my Shiblon Merit Badge [Alma 38:1-5] this past week! I totally got rocks thrown at me, and it hurt. Hurrah for Israel! Actually, the rocks weren’t thrown so much as dropped from a really tall construction site, but I think it still counts.

I was perusing our branch list the other day, looking for some more inactives we could visit in case one of our appointments fell through, and I discovered that our branch president, Batkholboo, is a mere 13 months older than I am. I mean, he’s a little guy so naturally he looks a little young, but man! I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising. A lot of the branch presidents of the branches in the khuduu are Mongolian elders, and therefore also pretty young.

What else happened this week? I don’t know. Sister Delgermurun and I are getting along really well. I still like teaching English. Enkhtaivan Branch is good, Mongolia is good, missionary work is good. We have an investigator named Battsetseg going in for her baptismal interview tomorrow. She’s amazing. I learn something from her every time we teach her.

Okay, I know I’m supposed to be cut off from all things worldly and all that, but if something this important happens I need to know! Why did I have to find out from one of my English classes that Britney Spears shaved her head??? Come on people! Keep me informed!

I have a couple song lyrics requests this week: The Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog and the “I’d like to visit the moon” song, also from Sesame Street. Also, I’d like the words to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” No, I’m not on some kind of rainbow kick. These are just songs that have come up over the past few weeks that I don’t quite have memorized. You can just email the lyrics to me and I can print them off here. [Already done.]

Wow, I think I forgot to let you know that the shoes came…like, about 3 weeks ago. Thank you! I think I’ve shrunk a bit all over so two of the pairs of shoes are too big. One of them I stuffed in some Kleenex, and it was alright, but the other one will just have to go to goodwill. Thanks also for the food and stuff. My companions always get excited when I make jinkhene (for real) American food.

I can’t think of anything else to write so I guess that’s all for this week. Keep on keepin’ on, everybody.