Hey Family and Friends,

This week has been full of ups and downs. We got 12 new missionaries. Most of them are pretty cool. One elder graduated from Ohio State where he was on the men’s volleyball team. He’s a pretty chill guy. It’s cool showing them around and giving them tips and advice about what has helped me here at the MTC.

Last Tuesday, Elder Rasband came and talked to us for the devotional. He talked about how we are assigned specifically for the mission we are in. It was pretty amazing to just feel his spirit. I definitely know that I’m supposed to go to Mongolia.

One of the worst things about being here for 10 weeks is that I have to see a lot of great missionaries go. We said goodbye to some great missionaries. It’s pretty hard but we have to do it.

But one thing that was just heartbreaking was that our investigator past away last Friday. It was Gonewater, who was our best investigator. Yes it was just our teacher acting as him but it was hard for us and for our teacher to tell the story on how Gonewater died. Stanley Ax, one of my teachers (and the coolest one), said that he was teaching the real Gonewater and he was doing great. He stopped drinking and loved taking the lessons. He was about to get baptized when he had to move suddenly for work. Shortly after he moved away, he started drinking again and died of kidney failure. Stanley got the phone call and said he was so upset that he threw the phone across the room, tore off his tie and just wept. It was hard for him to tell the story and it was even harder to listen. I didn’t realize how close I was to "Gonewater" as we taught him through Stanley Ax.

Sunday, the topic was the atonement. I learned so much from everyone’s talk. One cool thing someone shared is the parable of the push-ups. It’s pretty long story so I’m going to leave you guys to look it up and share it. It’s pretty awesome.

Last night we had another TRC lesson. It was a Skype lesson. It was awesome. We taught a 45 min lesson on prayer. Our unity was great, we asked inspired questions and we kind of understood her. She spoke full on Mongolian. She had no mercy on us hahah. She actually talked a lot too. But at the end she said how much she loved the lesson and how well our Mongolian was coming. I’m excited to get out of here and get wrecked in the field. hahah.

Last night we had to start our online English courses. We have an hour and a half every night to work on it over the next 2 weeks. It’s up to us to finish everything in those few weeks. On our 8th week, I think its March 7^th, is when we leave the MTC and go to the ELC. We go there like 8 hours a day and teach students by ourselves. Many if not all of them will have no knowledge of how to speak any English. I’m pretty excited. I really want to be a great teacher. On March 7th is when they are giving us our sponsors so i can’t wait!!!! I’m hoping for an elementary school, but I’ll love wherever they send me. These last few weeks are going to be crammed full of lessons and English homework ugh but I know if I take it seriously and work diligently the Lord will bless me.

I love u guys so much!!!!

Elder Heacock