Celebrating Service and Tradition Together

We kicked off the week with another uplifting zone conference on Tuesday. These gatherings happen every six weeks, and it amazes us how quickly they seem to come around—it makes time feel like it’s flying! Our zone right now is made up entirely of elders. While I missed seeing the sweet sister missionaries, hearing these young men sing “Ye Elders of Israel” was a powerful moment that brought tears to my eyes. Their faith and dedication are inspiring—it’s no small thing to give two years of your life in service to the Lord.

Since it’s August, J.D. got another birthday shoutout during the meeting, which was fun!


We were also in charge of doing cleaning inspections for the missionaries' apartments and giving awards.  I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised at the clean apartments we saw! 


On Friday, we traveled about two hours outside of Ulaanbaatar to Baganuur, a small city with a big heart. The Church had donated paint, supplies, and volunteers to help freshen up a local kindergarten building before the September 1st school start. In Mongolia, a “kindergarten” is what we would call a daycare or preschool, serving children ages 2–5. This little school was definitely in need of some TLC, but it charmed us with its tiny bathroom—each child had their own toothbrush and toothpaste! These schools are part of the free public education system, and it was special to help prepare it for the new school year.





After checking in on the painting project, we stopped by the local government office to deliver backpacks filled with school supplies. These will be distributed to children in need, giving them a brighter start to the year.


Then yesterday, the stake held its own Naadam celebration. (A stake is a group of several congregations—wards and branches—within the Church.) Saints from across the city came together to celebrate Mongolia’s traditions in a wonderful mix of culture and community. The day was relaxed and fun, filled with games like tug-of-war, relay races, and even a little golf. Kids bounced happily on a huge inflatable toy, while adults enjoyed good food—because as we’re learning, no Mongolian gathering is complete without plenty to eat!














The celebration also featured a parade of traditional Mongolian attire, a talent show, and the main event: a traditional wrestling tournament. 







The whole day was a beautiful reminder of how faith, culture, and community weave together. It was truly a joy to be part of it all.

Comments

  1. Bill and Shauna CookeAugust 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM

    So you judge missionaries apartments. Great awards for the cleanest. And for the rest a great time for all. Thanks for the blogs. We really enjoy them. Never knew Mongolia was like this.

    ReplyDelete

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