Children Are The Future

Good afternoon my fam! I hope you had a great weekend. I was unfortunately sick over the weekend. I made mom’s mac and cheese on Friday night for dinner and Saturday I started to feel sick like all the other times. You know the stomach pain. So I did what I did all the other times. I laid down knowing that I will probably have to throw up any second. So I faced that fear as I laid there. I eventually did. I jumped up and ran to the window and upchucked everything. Anyways after some thought we found out that I have had this same stomach sickness every time I ate cheese. I’m not lactose and tolerant for sure cause we eat yogurt and milk every day and I’m fine. So, it’s something to do with Mongolian cheese. The last 3 times that this has happened it has been with Gouda cheese so I don’t really know the exacts, the mission doctor said to stay away from all cheeses for a while. It’s just weird cause the cheese only affects me and not anyone else. but yeah.

Taken today. We are getting used to the cold. It is 25 degrees an just snowed last night

What I want to tell you is about Saturday before I got really sick. Last Sunday the 16th, these 2 friends came to church and they wanted to meet with us. They are 13 and 9. We got their address and we checked it last week but no one was home. So on Saturday we had district meeting and we couldn’t find a witness. So, we got some inspiration and invited Erdene to come with us. He said he was kinda busy but we urged him and told him it would only be an hour so then he agreed. We get to the church and the kids who are 13 and 9 are inside. I was amazed and kinda strangely super happy to see them since they were kind of great friends.  I told him that we stopped by the older one’s house and he was bummed that he wasn’t home at that time so we set up a date to meet him again and I told him we needed to meet his parents and at that moment we heard some women yell at this kid. His name being Tsolmonbayar, (he’s the 13 year old. And another note they are pretty poor and rough off) 

This is from hike last week

I turn around at the yell and I smile. It’s his mom at the gate. So, we walk over and she yells at us and I couldn’t understand but she was pointing to the gate on the side of the church that was opened and told us to meet her over there with her kid. At that moment I was kinda scared. Just then Erdene spoke up and told us that he will talk to her. That calmed me down. We get to the other gate and Erdene opens his mouth, but. The mom opened her mouth first.

She railed on her son, the poor kid. I cringed as I understood what she was screaming at this child of God. I didn’t want to understand what she was saying. I didn’t want to hear such words but I couldn’t help it. I guess he has been skipping school for a few days just to come to church and sit in the chapel. Just to sit and feel welcome. Just to sit and feel God’s love. To feel that everything will be all right. He wasn’t allowed to go back. And she walked off with him and slapped him across the head multiple times. I stood there and watched it happen. I stood there full of hate wanting to step in and intervene. But I couldn’t. So Erdene and I and my comp and Tsolmonbayar’s little friend Davaadorj were left at the gate. We went inside the church knowing that we will never see that choice son of God again. But we didn’t lose hope yet because we had Davaadorj. We went inside and Elder Malin had to go to the bathroom and Erdene went upstairs to district meeting so it was just me and precious little Davaadorj. He took me by the hand and walked me over to the picture of Jesus  surrounded by concourses of angles on a cloud. He pointed to Jesus and told me that he knew that Jesus existed. He knew that those angels were angels of God. He told me as if he knew all his life. I was amazed. We walked up to district meeting together, talking with Erdene about wanting to get baptized. He knew what baptism was!!!! Eredne told him that he could and would have to get the lessons before he could. And then as we sat down he said that he wanted to serve a mission just like us. He sat quietly during out district meeting and sometimes got up to look at the pictures that were on the wall. At the close of district meeting, we asked if anyone had anything more to add and Erdene said yes. I felt the spirt very strongly as he spoke. In a very calm voice Erdene said to Davaadorj to come and sit and listen to what he had to say. Davaadorj looked almost hypnotized, like he was drawn to the voice. I thought I was hearing the voice of the Lord, beckoning the children to come around and listen. Then as he sat down, Erdene bore witness of what he learned from general conference. About prayer. He was brought almost to tears while speaking. It was amazing. Erdene is going to be the greatest missionary in Mongolia. He is a choice son of God and I can testify that Mongolia’s future lies with these kids. I wasn’t able to go to church on Sunday so idk if they came to church. I hope so but I’m not sure. All I know is that they know where to go to turn to help. They know that the church is a beacon. I can’t give up on those kids. Pray for the mom that her heart will be softened. 

So today we are going to play some basketball! We have 8 or 10 elders coming.  Its going to be sweet. Then we are going to hit up a nice restaurant called California. they have killer shakes. 

What I do to make scripture study meaningful and how I look forward to reading it is by starting with prayer. And praying with a question, a specific question. Then I study and I underline meaningful lines. The big thing for me is keeping a journal full of my learnings and insights and how I can better apply what I just read in my life. I encourage all you guys to get a notebook, for each of the kids and you guys and as you read discuss together important parts, and what they feel as they read. ask each one of the family what the feel or what insights do they have or how they can relate it etc. Then after your discussion, write in your scripture journal. At the next scripture reading night, share what you learned, do a little review and then dive into it again. I promise that as you write down spiritual impressions, more will come as you write. Writing and recording shows the Lord that you care, that you want to learn that you want to know more. Try this out and come up as a family what will work best for you guys, keep making adjustments but don’t give up right away. I love you guys!!!!!!!!


Elder Heacock