First Mission Email #1

Hey Everybody!

If you're receiving this email either you gave me your email address or I added you on, thinking you'd enjoy hearing about the mission to Mongolia (Mostly KP friends). If you don't want these emails you can toss me in your spam folder. 

This first week at the Missionary training center has been a lot of fun. I dont think it's too hard yet because we haven't started Mongolian immersion. Each day starts at 6:30 with an hour of personal scripture study (I finished the book of Mathhew this week). After which, my companion Elder Hammon and I will go work out. From 8:30 till 11:30, we will study language and scripture. The second half of the day has us doing 2, 3 hour classes with our Mongolian district (4 sisters, 9 Elders). It's a fantastic group.

I've realized how regimented I became from KP. I do everything in a hurry. When we shower, I'm in my suit and have a tie on before my companion even gets out of the shower. I've realized we operate at 2 completely different paces. I've had to work on being patient. 

My companion Elder Hammon is an amazing person. He has one of the purest hearts of anyone I've been friends with. In this way he reminds me of my good friend Walter Wood. I can only sense the most genuine and authentic motivations. He has what I call "a heart of gold". Our District leader Elder Evans is a great guy too. He reminds me of one of my most cherished friends Jacob White. He also has a great heart, and a great sense of Humor. Elder Morris, (who is also in our district) is one of my favorite people. He is doing Army ROTC at BYU-I and we have bonded over our patriotism, faith, and just messin around. What I love about Elder Morris is that he was raised Catholic and went to private Catholic school his whole life so he has a wealth of knowledge regarding theology outside of church doctrine, yet chose to become a LDS missionary instead of a Franciscan Monk. 

Anyway things are great and I am doing well. Personally I'm looking forward to the difficulty ramping up a little. So I'm excited to start Mongolian in a week or so. 

Spiritual thought ---- 

One thought that has been a source of motivation for me is from Mother Teresa "I am a pencil, the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world". In Mongolia we don't wear name tags, and the locals refer to us as Christ's people. They know us not by our words or title but by our actions. Acta Non Verba, Let's Go! Since we go to Mongolia on English teaching visas, people must first seek us out to hear the message of Christ. That puts onus on us to act as Christ would. 

And as I was finishing the Book of Matthew, I was so inspired by Christs last charge to his disciples "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." 

Anyway if you read this far, have a fantastic day. To my KP Friends, I hope you will enjoy an uplifting thought and the update every once and a while. (lil easter egg, hit 23 pull-ups this week)

With love,

Elder Bateman