Well, let me first extend my congratulations to Cali! That's awesome! She's gonna go all the way!!! Haha, that's way cool. Yeah, the Japanese internment camps! That's a good subject. The other day we were meeting with the Relief Society President and her son (who is inactive). We somehow got started talking about racism in America and they asked me how long racism was a problem in America and I couldn't remember when it all happened! Man, I'm getting rusty.
Anyways, this week was Tsagaan Sar! The long awaited Tsagaan Sar. It was well, to say the least, interesting. Let me describe kind of what happens on Tsagaan Sar. First, everyone makes tons and tons and tons of buuz. Usually like 300 or more. They're like dumplings but not the same, because the ingredients are meat, fat, onions, and seasoning. Then they freeze the buuz and wait till Tsagaan Sar. When Tsagaan Sar starts, they start to steam their buuz as people come over to their house to spend time with them! So then for the next three days people just go visit relatives and eat buuz and sing and talk. When you go and visit, you have to do this greeting where you put your hands under theirs if you're younger than them (on top if you're older) and ask them, "Is there peace?" or "Are you peaceful?" and then the older person kind of gives you a kiss on your cheeks. LAtely, they've just started to just sniff you but yea. that's what you do. Then, they give you their boiled water-down milk with salt and you slice off pieces of boiled meat that's lying in a tray and wait for the buuzs to be ready! Then the buuz come and you eat potato salad and buuz and anything else that is white. Now, if you're a missionary, that means you're going to like all the members houses and eating all the buuzs they put in front of you! Over the three days of Tsagaan Sar we probably went to 16 houses and I ate...I didn't really count, but it was like over 110. My companion ate like 185. He's a good eater. :) He really loves the people and so he sacrificed his body to show his love. I guess I just don't love them as much as he does?
Anyways, we'd get home every night and just be stuffed to the brim and not want to eat anything anymore. However, we did eat more, day after day. I'm kind of interested to find out how much I weigh now...haha.
So yea, with Tsagaan Sar going on this week, there wasn't really anything else that happened and we weren't really able to meet with our investigators or find new people. We did have two neat experiences with our investigators. We went in to teach them and they were just so prepared. They had read, thought about it, wrote down questions, and it was awesome! One investigator asked really good questions, like "Without being baptised can I feel the Holy Ghost?" "Why did Jesus Christ have to leave, why doesn't he just stay here and keep working among the people?" Yea, so it was really neat, and we had the opportunity to really get her hooked on asking to know the truth through prayer. As we taught about Adam and Eve, she had a hard time understanding because when she was in Germany earlier, she had learned some basic stuff from the Jehovah's Witnesses. So we had her in a situation where she really wanted to know which accout was correct, which doctrine was true. So we told her to pray and promised her that she would get an answer! Sweet eh?
SO yea, I still love my mission and I still love being here among the Mongolian people. They're such a great people that have been dealt a hard lot. But this GOspel is changing their lives and it's a awesome thing to be able to witness!
Well, I hope everything goes well for you! It looks like each one of you has one adventure or another planned out! I love you all so much!
~Elder Cappuccio
-----Original Message----- From: marathomom@aol.com To: james.cappuccio@myldsmail.net Date: Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:34:31 -0500 Dear James,
It's starting to warm up here, so I hope it is warming up there in Mongolia too. This week has been very busy, Cali had o get her board done for the City competition of National History day. She did it on the Japanese internment camps during WWII. So she had us make a large board out of plywood and we put a rusty fence and some barbed wire across the front of the board after she glued everything down. Jack helped get the supplies and helped us get it all put together late into the night. It all payed of because she got a superior rating and 68/70 points and gets to move on to state competition in April. If she does well there she can go to Nationals in DC this summer. She also competed in the Chandler Gold Cup talent competition on Friday, where she sang very well, but didn't win. She was already trying to think of a song to sing next year so she can win. So since it's here Birthday today(sort of) I guess it's okay to talk about her so much this email.
The rest of us are good. Joseph is getting ready to go on the Trek. I am writing his letter this week, should I put in a good word from you?
The primary children loved your letter, and the adults too! Today's meeting was very good, Brother Haught started it off with his humble but strong and caring testimony. His wife is not doing well. Brother Marlin ended it by bearing his test imony for the first time. He and his family were sealed in the temple this week. It was pretty neat. Joe bore is testimony also and related a lesson from seminary about not ignoring the spirit calling you like you might ignore someone calling you on your cell phone because you are too busy.
Amy said she might be working on a fishing boat in Alaska this summer to earn money. She has some friends that are going and she applied but hasn't heard yet.
I bought a big stash of pop-tarts for my next package to you. Do you need anything like shaving supplies or stuff like that? Also Wells fargo keeps taking $6.95 out of our account each month so it would be good if you could call them.
We love you, keep the fire burning!
Love always,
mom
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