Gold Mining in Mongolia

Good morning!

Another great week has passed in the beautiful city of Ulaanbaatar (Red Hero).  
As I told you over the phone, it had snowed so it was cold for a few days here 
but now it is nice and beautiful again!  Mongolia is such a wierd country when 
it comes to that.  It has the biggest temperature swing of any country I know 
of.  In the winter it's -40 and in the summer it is over 100!  I used to love 
going to Utah and being in the snow and in the cold climates; now, I'm sick of 
it!  I want it to be hot! 

Anyways, the work is going good here.  We're really picking up a big 
investigator pool and trying to keep working them down and refining them into 
gold!  There's a lot of Gold to be found here in Mongolia but it is so very very 
crucial to use the right methods in mining!  If you just go in and blast 
everything to bits with dynamite, you're going to get a very small yield.  But, 
if you make sure to pan the stream, very gently and friendly, you find quite a 
bit of specks.  Don't EVER underestimate the power of friendship in missionary 
work.  You want to know why they ask members to help so much in missionary work?  
Because they already have established friends that they love and trust and the 
friend loves and trusts that member.  When that sort of relationship exists, the 
ability to share the message of the restored Gospel is enhanced greatly.  As 
missionaries, we have the responsibility of becoming very good friends and very 
comfortable with each other in a very short time.  Sometimes it's easy, 
sometimes it's hard.  Sometimes it's not possible.  But one thing I learned this 
week very well is that you must be friends with the members and the 
investigators!  If they always see you as just "the missionary" or "the church 
member" then it makes religious discussion forced, or unspiritual.  All in all, 
less productive.

I say this because this week we went to visit and teach an investigator and 
ended up meeting her husband.  As we got to know him and talked with him, we 
became pretty good friends.  They offered us food and we politely accepted.  The 
food would take awhile so we asked if we could meet with someone else and then 
return.  They allowed us to do so and after teaching the other lesson we 
returned back to visit more with them.  After sharing a message on the Book of 
Mormon with our friend, it was rather late.  At that point, we had a decision.  
We could be just 'missionaries' and decline their food, leave and be home by 9; 
on the other hand, we could accept their generousity, eat, and be at home after 
9 but before 930.  We chose the latter and had a great time with the man and his 
wife talking and eating.  The result?  This man brought himself to church at sat 
all three hours enjoying and asking questions about our services and the things 
taught there!  That is how I gained a testimony of the importance of friendship 
in missionary work!  After all, Christ himself referred to us as friends, if we 
do as He has commanded.

K, well I love all of you!  You guys are great and it was awesome to talk with 
you all on the phone!  Keep up the good work and enjoy your summer vacation ok?  
The church is true so do what you can to move it along.  Find at least one 
friend that you can introduce to the church!  Just one! and your joy will be 
great in the kingdom of God.  Bye!

~Elder Cappuccio

-----Original Message-----
From: marathomom@aol.com
To: james.cappuccio@myldsmail.net
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 21:21:26 -0400
Subject: wedding week


 Dear James,


 
Time is flying by, you have less than a year to go on your mission and I am 
getting married in 6 days!? I hope you know that I wish you could be here.? I 
will send pictures from the wedding. I know you will like Jack, because I know 
you would like someone that makes me so happy =)? He said he was going to wrote 
you a letter, so not sure if that would be a real letter or just an email.
Anyway in church today we sang the song Hark, All Ye Nations and I thought about 
you.? Hear are the words:
Hark all ye nations! Hear heaven voice. Through every land that all may rejoice! 
Angels of glory shout the refrain: Truth is restored again!
Chorus:
Oh how glorious from the the throne above shines the gospel light of truth and 
love! Bright as the sun, this Heavenly ray lights every land today'

Searching in darkness, natins have wept. Watching for dawn, their vigil they've 
kept. All now rejoice, the long night is o'er. Truth is on earth once more.
chorus again.
Chosen by God to serve him below, to every land and people we'll go, standing 
for truth with fervent accord, teaching his Holy word.
chorus again.

I think about you serving the people in a distant land so they can hear about 
the gospel message they have been waiting for. Hope you have a great week.? I 
might not be able to write you the next few weeks because I will be in Belize or 
on my way back.
We love you,

Keep the fire burning!

love always,

mom