From 2:00 a.m. Flights to Opera Nights: We’re Back in Mongolia!

 We’re back in Mongolia!

Our journey from Palau to Ulaanbaatar began with a 2:00 a.m. flight to Guam. We arrived at 5:00 a.m. and faced a seven-hour layover—but this time it passed quickly thanks to breakfast with dear friends in Guam. While we waited for them at the airport, President and Sister Williams surprised us with one last visit. It meant so much that they would take time out of their busy schedules—especially so early in the morning—to come say goodbye. We will truly miss working with them and all of our Micronesia Guam friends.




Around noon, we boarded our flight to Tokyo, arriving at about 4:00 p.m., where we stayed overnight before continuing on to Ulaanbaatar the next day. As we headed to clear customs, a news crew stopped us and asked if we would be interviewed for a show called “Why Did You Come to Japan?” We assumed they wouldn’t be interested once they learned we were only there for a short layover—but they kept asking questions! They were especially curious about our name tags, which gave us a chance to talk a little about the Church. They were even more surprised when J.D. began speaking Japanese. It seems that wherever we go, the tall, bald guy gets noticed—ha!


That evening, the Webers—the communication missionaries in Tokyo—met us at our hotel to pass off our Mongolian resident cards. We enjoyed a wonderful Japanese meal together. Since we usually meet with them weekly online, it was especially fun to spend time together in person.

We returned to the airport the next morning for our 2:00 pm flight to Mongolia.  The Narita airport never ceases to amaze us with the huge number of airlines you could take and places you could go! We arrived in Mongolia around 7:00 p.m. and were so happy to see our good friend Jay waiting for us!  Stepping out into the cool, dry air felt great after 6 months of hot and humid!  It was an exhausting few days of travel, but thankfully we’ve recovered.


We are living in our same apartment.  It was fun to come back to all our familiar places, people, and things!  If you remember, we were closely following the construction in front of our building.  They spent weeks digging out and preparing the ground right in front of our window and when we left it was a big hole.  Well now they are working on the 5th floor right outside our window!  



On Thursday, we surprised our friends at House of Mercy by showing up unannounced. It was such a joy to see them again, and we were grateful to learn that the missionaries continued the weekly service projects while we were away.

When we arrived in Mongolia a year ago, there was only one other American Senior Couple, and they were living 7 hours away.  Thursday night we went to dinner with 5 American Couples serving in Mongolia who all happened to be in Ulaanbaatar!  It was fun to meet and connect with the Harts, Horitos, and Ellersicks and to reunite with our good friends the Roses.  The Harts and Roses will be returning home in a few weeks, but the other two couples will be in the city with us.  We were sorry the Clarks couldn't join us.  They came a bit before us and are already in Sainshand, 7 hours away.  

Friday evening, our government relations assignment took us to a senior piano recital for the Prime Minister’s daughter. The event was held at the State Opera and Ballet Theatre and featured four incredibly talented pianists. They performed both solo pieces and selections accompanied by a full orchestra—truly impressive. We brought flowers to present to the Prime Minister’s daughter at the end of the performance. Afterwards, we were invited to a reception where we had the opportunity to visit with the Prime Minister and his wife. It was a meaningful evening and a great opportunity to strengthen relationships.








Last night, we celebrated Elder Chadwick’s birthday with our district at our favorite Indian restaurant. It was every bit as delicious as we remembered!

It feels a little strange—in the best way—to be back. So much is familiar, yet we find ourselves seeing it with new eyes. The rhythms of life here return almost instinctively—stepping into the street with a bit of courage, climbing the many stairs, recalibrating our sense of value as we remember that 20,000 tugriks is only about five dollars. But more than anything, it is the people who make this place feel like home. Being welcomed back with such warmth and genuine love is something we cherish. Moments like these remind us how deeply connected our hearts have become to this place and these people.




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