June 26th, 2017 - Week 46

Here is what Griffin sent us this week:

Sorry for emailing a little late today. I was playing basketball with some members today and today is the election for Mongolia's new president so everything is shut down, and I had to search all over for an open internet place. 

This week was sweet, it was my first full week with Azkhuu, and we get along really well!

This week was a little on the slow side. However I did conduct my first district meeting, I'm a district leader now in case I didn't tell you. It was pretty good, like most district meetings it was a little awkward, but it definitely helped me a lot. It made me feel like I'm not that bad in the language, cause I figured I at least I can do that!

But overall I've been having a good time here and I absolutely love doing missionary work. ​

​It rained a ton the other day. Azkhuu and I were walking and a car drove by and splashed us with water at one point, it was like an old movie.

Then on Saturday we were walking with a member and there was a political demonstration so we hid in an Uzbekstani resturaunt, it was sooooooo good. Uzbekstani food is like mexican food in American, except Soviet!

​Then today when we were looking for a place to email we saw random horses walking the street.

Elder Griffin Hansen

June 19th, 2017 - Week 45

Here is what we got from Griffin this week.

Hey everyone again!! This week was pretty good. We had transfers on Wednesday. And I got a new companion! So to start off this week was kind of boring cause my companion had to come in from the other side of the country, so I stayed with some other elders most of the week. Then on Saturday I got my companion! His name is Azkhuu (it means lucky boy) he's from ulaanbaatar! we're getting along pretty right now. But yeah it's going really well here in Mongolia!

Elder Griffin Hansen

June 12th, 2017 - Week 44

Sorry I dropped the ball again yesterday. I had a headache and went to bed early and totally forgot to check my email before going to bed. Here is what we got from Griffin and someone that saw him in Mongolia:

Country Roads...

Almost heaven, Mongolia! 

Bogd uul mountian, tuul river....

Country roads take me home to the place I belong, Mongolia!

-The "Real John Denver"

That's legit song I swear!

Hello again friends and family, how are all of you doing? Any cool news out their, fresh celebrity gossip, aww who cares about all that. I just want to know how you are. 

This week was pretty eventful I had a couple really cool experiences. 

To start off I went hiking in the mountains south of the city last p-day with some other elders, it was DOPE!!!! We found this awesome little cave and took some pictures, then we continued to climb an almost vertical face to the top and found a cool little shrine then we continued to walk around the rest of the mountain. It was cool to be able to see all of the city. Then this week we have been meeting with a less active family, they're pretty cool and really like to meet us. They've been making a good amount of progress and have started to come to church again. We met with them twice this week. We actually had a few appointments that we set up this week, almost of them fell through, but it's all okay cause on Thursday Elder Ames was on exchanges for English and got P on date for baptism. So I don't feel bad about it. 

 Then this week I got this awesome package from my Mom back home. Thanks for the package Mom. I love you!!!!!!!

This is what happens when the game lags hard

Elder Griffin Hansen

Hi Ames and Hansen Families,

Your sons said they are enjoying the work here in Mongolia.  They had just come from a teaching appointment.  

Whenever I run into the missionaries abroad, my wife has me take their picture and send it to their families.

Sincerely,

Brother Ray Price

Raymond R. Price MD FACS

Director Center for Global Surgery 

University of Utah

 

June 4th, 2017 - Week 43

Here is what we got from Griffin this week:

Well hello again! And welcome to another email featuring the main man himself, master MC, the VIP!!...... ELDER HANSEN!!!!!! (crowd applause!)

Hi everyone again! This week was super cool so I'll make a list.

Monday- Was a really average day. We did a lot of work in ger district and met with a few people. 

Tuesday- We didn't do a regular p-day cause we had a ton of appointments and we knew that Thursday would be children's day, so we just did work on Tuesday instead. One thing we did was go and give a blessing to a non-member whose family is all members. It was really cool and interesting. So we got there with bishop and it turns out the guy who we're giving the blessing to had cancer. So he explains what's going on and gave him a blessing. He pulled over a chair and sat down and we gave him a blessing. It was a super spiritual blessing, once we finished we all removed our hands from his head and he didn't move and sat with his head down saying a prayer. Around 10 minutes passed and all of us sat down on his couch and he continued to pray. He prayed in that chair for another hour. Eventually bishop grabbed and he got up and we shared a couple scriptures with him. Overall it was a good day.

Wednesday- was the day before children's day so nobody was at the hospital and they had a big party where all the doctors brought their kids and gave them candy, that was pretty dope!

Thursday- Was children's day and it was HYPE!!!! We took it as P-day instead cause nobody wanted to meet. So we left the house around 11 and went to the park to see what was going on. In the national park (just around the corner from our apartment) and there was a giant fair called happiness village! It was super cool, I played darts and won a super ghetto rubiks-cube that was totally made in a sweat shop in China. Then we played in some zorb soccer balls and that was sweet!!! Then we went to a Korean place that was pretty good and called it a day then we went to go meet with some people.

Friday- Taught English again and did the usual. But a funny story in class we were talking about what everyone did over the weekend and the head surgeon shared his experience. First he got super drunk, then he was driving in a parking lot and hit another car. This lady came out started fighting him, then her husband who's twice the size of him came out and started going at him, then another girl came out, he said he lost. Then in class we read an article about koalas and I drew a koala on the board and the head surgeon said he would fight that koala, then I drew a squiggle mouth on it, and he said, "NO WAY!" 

Saturday- We had a district meeting, kind of normal. Then that night we met with B and B and they had family over so we got hooked into dinner for 2&1/2 hours and they were starting to drink so we ended on leaving, cause we also had another appointment we were running late to. 

Sunday- We had the long distance branch with the new doctor senior couple in the mission, they're pretty cool. Then at 2 we had sacrament meeting and B and B came and said that they wanted to go ride bikes that afternoon, and the person we're going to meet for dinner that night flaked out on us so we were open. Then that night my companion got stuck in the elevator at  our apartment for 30 minutes, MONGOLIAN ADVENTURES!!!!!!!​​​​

It was a really good week, see you next week!!!!!!

P.S.- P-day got switched to Monday here so now I'm going to email on Monday

Elder Griffin Hansen