first stake in Mongolia

Dad and I were really excited to see this article in the church News. The new stake president is President Odgerel who was the president of our Tuul Branch in Mongolia. It is great to see him progress in leadership. I still remember the many times that he and his counselors would come to our house so that Dad could train them in how to do their church work. He is the one we probably told you about who would kiss the members before church started.

The north Asian nation of Mongolia now has its first stake of Zion. On Sunday, June 7, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy organized the Ulaanbaatar Mongolia West Stake.

Elder Hallstrom said that establishing the gospel in our lives and in the lives of our family is just as important as establishing stakes, districts, wards and branches. Elder Joseph Chung, an Area Seventy from Taiwan, spoke of building Zion where we are.

Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission President D. Allen Andersen thanked all of the young missionaries, senior couples and mission presidents who had served in the mission since the land was dedicated for missionary work in April 1993 by Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

Newly-called stake president O. Odgerel said, “In these Latter-days, God has given us a promise to create Zion. In order to build Zion, we need to have stakes. However, one stake is not enough to build Zion, so I believe that this is just the beginning of the great work of our Mongolian saints to establish more stakes.”

A total of 1,230 members crowded into the Mongolian Union Cultural Center to witness the historic event. The Church was first registered in Mongolia in 1994. The first missionaries came soon thereafter. Since then, Church membership in the north Asian country has grown to over 8,800. Now a stake and two districts, with 20 congregations among them, are spread across a vast and scenic land of desert and mountains.

The Ulaanbaatar Mongolia District was divided into the Ulaanbaatar Mongolia West Stake and Ulaanbaatar Mongolia East District. The new stake presidency, five bishops in the new stake and a new district presidency of the Ulaanbaatar East District were called and sustained during the conference. Almost all of the bishops and branch presidents in the new stake and district are endowed.

This year, five trips to the Hong Kong China Temple are planned from Mongolia. To attend the temple, as many as 40 members travel together on a three-day train ride across China.

“Their devotion to the temple has played an important role in the members’ preparation for a stake,” said President Andersen.

B. Batzorigt, first counselor of the newly-created Ulaanbaatar East District presidency, explained that they now see what their goal should be.

“We need to work hard so that our district will become a stake,” he said, “Then we can strive to have a temple built in Mongolia.”

Elder Maxwell, in his dedicatory prayer said: “May Mongolia ever be a beacon light to other nations.”

Over the past 16 years, Mongolia’s 20 fledgling branches have sent out more than 650 missionaries.

At the last Ulaanbaatar Mongolia District Conference it was announced that there were 120 missionaries serving from the district. Currently, there are 115 Mongolian missionaries serving within the country. Another 40 now serve or have received calls to countries such as Japan, the United States, Australia, Korea and the Czech Republic.

Speaking of the historic occasion, Stake President O. Odgerel said, “I believe that the organization of the stake will not only bless the members in Mongolia, but it will bless our whole country.”

NPS Free-fee dates

The National Park Service is offering 3 free weekends this summer. This means you can get into the park FREE instead of paying that hefty entrance fee. The weekends are:

June 20-21
July 18-19
August 15-16

I thought this might help any of you who may be wanting to do some family camping and site seeing for a little less! You can go here to view the list of National Parks that are participating. (And yes Yellowstone is on the list, hint, hint!)

Pictures of Princess Peach

The owner of Leroy and Puglies daughter Peach sent us some pictures of her. She is really cute. Her new name is Miley.

Disturbing exchange with a librarian

Just today I had a slightly disturbing exchange at the library. I was there to get Rachel some books to read. Recently I have listened to the audiobook "Alcatraz VS the evil librarians" There is some dispute over whether this is a work of fiction or if it is an actual true history written by Alcatraz Smedley himself. The book makes several pointed accusations against all librarians. I happened to mention the book to our local librarian telling them they ought to get it and you should have seen the look on their faces. It caused an immediate tension from all three of them. I am starting to believe Alcatraz is right. If you want to know more about the dastardly deed of Librarians wordwide read this book. It is an eye opening experience.
http://www.amazon.com/Alcatraz-Versus-Librarians-Brandon-Sanderson/dp/0439925525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244673865&sr=8-1

I'm sure Aaron agrees with this

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

pug talks

Grizzly bites man

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/06/08/bnews/br13.txt

From the Smiths

June 7, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Sometimes in life you have an experience you may have thought would never happened to you in your life time. Such was the case for us last Friday evening. In December of 1961, Elder Jerald Curtis and I knocked on the door of Brother and Sister Ezekiel Sanchez in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. I had been a missionary for just over a month and could hardly speak a word of Spanish. My good companion did most of the talking and teaching. However, for some reason I never forgot the visits we made the Sanchez home and the way we were welcomed. In April of 1961 Elder Curtis finished his mission and returned home and I was transferred to my second assignment in Mexico City. In June of 1961 Brother and Sister Sanchez were baptized in the Gulf of Mexico by Elder John Klein and became members of the Church.

While visiting Coatzacoalcos last Friday evening, we ask our hosts, Brother and Sister Cárdenas if they were aware of the Sanchez family and they agreed to take us for a visit. Pictured about after 48 years are Brother and Sister Sanchez along with Elaine and I in the living room of their home where Elder Curtis and I taught them the gospel. They have served in many capacities in the church, have raised eight children; they have 24 grandchildren and 5 great grand children. Their family have been stalwart members of the church and given great service over the years. Brother Sanchez served five years as a Branch President before a Stake was formed in Coatzacoalcos. They attend the temple in Tuxtla Gutierrez on monthly ward temple trips (3 hour bus ride), and continue to give service to others. Two of their son’s are serving in Bishoprics, one son was killed several years ago in a terrible automobile accident.

Here is what I want to communicate to all of you. There is no greater feeling in your heart and soul than to return to a place and time with people you have loved for years and to find them well, a little older than I remember, and know they have remained faithful and true to what they were taught by two “gringo” missionaries many years ago. Frankly, there are no descriptive adjectives to express the feelings of the heart on such an occasion. Perhaps the smile on my face will be somewhat reflective.

Brother Sanchez is now 83 years old, his wife in her late seventies. She told me her age and I kidded her about being 55 years old. Back in the apartment in Mexico City (we are in Cuernavaca today) I have a picture of this family taken those many years ago. I will post it to the blog and make it part of next week’s email so you can make the comparison. WOW! Now that is a true “Journal Entry,”

While in Coatzacoalcos we also inquired about the Notario Family and the Pineda family. Both have remnants of their families in town, but because of the late hour and our need to depart early in the morning we decided to call on them the next time we pass through Coatzacoalcos. Now on to the rest of the week’s experiences

Alien life in Conrad

We saw this wierdo walking in our front yard today.

Karissa and Kenson went to Disneyworld

Here is an update on Karissa and Kenson. They were in Disneyworld for about a week two weeks ago. They said they where going to send pictures but so far I havn'et got them. Kenson is learning to play "Don't stop believin" on his guitar. They have been reading percy jackson and the olympians. I bought a copy of it yesterday to read to Rachel and Morgan. It looks pretty funny. Hopefully we will hear from them and see some good pictures soon. Maybe this will remind them. ; )