Hello Family!!

I hope all is well with everyone. Thank you for the updates and for the encouragement!

Don't worry, I don't know if anything could make me trunky right now. I am SOOOO excited to go to Mongolia, and the MTC is just so wonderful! So I love the updates!

As for the backpack, that would be perfect! But Dad, I don't want you to part with that thing if you need it. I know how much you use and love that backpack. I really don't mind buying one here if I have to.

AAAH I can't believe school is starting already! Where did the summer go?! I hope it was a good one, that you feel you had a fulfilling summer and everything! I can't believe how quickly it passed. I hope your first week is a good one. One thing that Austin Parker said in our ward when he was graduating was a piece of advice someone had given him about high school: always do what you know to be right, ALWAYS. And don't ever care what anyone thinks about you. Easier said than done, right? But I learned a lot from those two mottos, and I hope you will remember them too. Keep me posted!

Wow, what a week for me! This has by far been the best week at the MTC! I can't believe how fast the time is flying!

Oh, here is a bit of news--the elders found out from the travel office this week that we are not leaving the MTC on September 28th like we all thought. Actually, our flight plans are for Wednesday (I think it's Wednesday), September 23rd!!!! A whole 5 days earlier!! CRAZY!! I know it's not THAT much sooner, but that knocks off almost a week, so we have just 6 weeks left here if that is the case!! Our flight from SLC will leave at 8:30 am, I think, and we'll fly down to LA and then to South Korea, and from there we'll fly to Mongolia. It’ll be about a 24-hour trip!! Even thinking about it makes my stomach jump. I am SO SO SO excited to go, but I just cannot imagine actually doing it! The MTC is so great, and while I am totally pumped to get there, the thought of actually BEING in Mongolia is totally crazy. It's such a thrill to think about!

On the other hand, though, we've been warned that we should expect to have visa problems. My teacher, Bro. Cannon, just took his wife back to Mongolia for a week-long trip and came in last night for the first time since he'd gotten back. We asked him questions about his trip and about Mongolia for about 2.5 hours! I was so full of them, I just kept asking question after question. Anyway, Bro. Cannon met with Pres. Andersen, whom he said is fantastic, but Pres. Anderson warned him that we should expect to have visa difficulties. A lot of groups that have gone recently have had problems, too.

The bad news is that we might not find out until the day before or the day of our travel plans! BUT, the good news is, if we have visa delays, we would have at most another week here at the MTC, and then we would get sent out for a couple weeks or so in other missions until our visas came through!! Last time they sent the missionaries to DC and Georgia, etc. I actually kind of love the idea of getting to do a stateside mission experience and getting to compare that with my experience in Mongolia. So I really wouldn't mind either way!

Last night as we asked Bro. Cannon questions, my mind was just exploding with how excited I was getting. He was telling us how much the mission and the country have changed. Already in the 3 years he's been gone, he said Ulaanbaatar is changing; modernizing. There are skyscrapers when there used to be none. Tons of people have cars now, and they are NICE cars, whereas that didn't used to be the case. Many people speak English, and they speak it WELL, and that wasn't the case before. Prices have gone up a lot, but it's still relatively cheap.

According to Pres Andersen, there are 75 American missionaries, 125 Mongolian missionaries--the tables have totally turned since Bro. Cannon’s mission. There are only 5 companionships that are both American out of those. There are just 6 American sisters there, and 50 Mongolian sisters. I dearly hope that means that I will have all Mongolian comps, or at least a Mongolian trainer!!! I'm pretty sure I will. AAAH I am sooo excited!!

Not only that, but things are changing with the work and with the government regulations--now we are allowed to go up to people on the street and tell them who we are--missionaries; representatives of Christ's true church! I guess that wasn't allowed before. We can't knock doors yet, but things might be changing, very soon. They are convinced they will have a temple there within 10 years. What blessings will come then!!! So great!!

As for life here at the MTC, things are fantastic. Yesterday we had 1-1/2 hours in the referral center, which we do every Wednesday. I love it. Well, yesterday I got an incoming call (rare) and it was a man calling to order a Bible for his friend in prison, who had written him, given him our number, and asked if he would send him a Bible.

Well, as I took down this man's info, I noticed he had a thick accent and a very Jewish-sounding name. I asked him where he was originally from, and, just as I thought, he was from Israel!! Just 5 km outside of Jerusalem, apparently. I proceeded to talk with this man for nearly half an hour!! We talked about Jerusalem, of course, about Israel, about tolerance, about religion, about everything. I told him how much I loved the Western Wall, how he came from the most beautiful city ever, how there is a Mormon University there (he left some time ago) and how we even went to synagogue one night to welcome in Shabbat.

He was so kind and so receptive. I asked if he would want to learn more about our church for himself. He said he was not at all interested in converting religions, but he would love to read any material the church had about its beliefs. I said, as a matter of fact, we have our doctrine in a book called the Book of Mormon. Would he like a copy? He said he would read it, because he believes in religious tolerance, etc.

Well, I don't know what will happen with that man. I don't know if he will actually read the Book of Mormon. But I am convinced that in this, the Lord's work, NOTHING is coincidence. Nothing. Ash, I can't even tell you how much I thought about you yesterday and how grateful I was, once again, that we shared that experience. Because it has blessed my life in so many ways, and it is continuing to bless my life and others' lives. I just love it. Nothing is left to coincidence...it was a small miracle that I got to speak with that man yesterday! I cannot wait to be out in the field, witnessing such miracles and bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to so many. The gospel is our source of hope; our source of peace, and of joy. I love it so much!

I read something in Jesus the Christ that I just loved. I love the whole thing, but I felt that I should share this: (pg 238): "Prayer isn't made of words--words are often inadequate...Prayer is made up of heart throbs and the righteous yearnings of the soul." I love that.

We can always improve our prayers, and that is one thing that I am trying so hard to do. Remember that we can speak words, but they may be empty. True prayer--true communion with God--is heartfelt and sincere. It is telling Him our greatest doubts, fears, and inadequacies. It is complete honesty with Him; pleading for that which we most need and desire. I could do so much better with this.

There is so much I want to say, but at the risk of losing this email to the cosmos when my time runs out, I will just call it good and promise to write a letter. I love you all so much. Know that I am doing well and think of you often! I miss you, but I know this is what I need to be doing. This is the Lord's work! The gospel is true!!

Love Love LOVE,

kristen