More Quick Takes From Our Last Days in May in Mongolia

I took yummy homemade brownies into the school the last week I was working there.  These teachers are some of the ones I met with to help them improve their English.  All three of these women have really good English and are fun to communicate new ideas and vocabulary to.  It's really fun when I introduce a new word to them, and then they use it later that week in a conversation.  I am hoping to get to work with some of these same teachers this coming fall...we shall see what develops! 



Here, I am leading an English communication game.  These boys and girls all have great English skills that are improving because they get to practice.  I almost cried as I left the school the last day; I had really grown to love these kids.




A few teachers gathered in the lounge as I was getting ready to leave on my last day.  I was giving hugs and saying good bye, when one of the women looked at another and spoke quick Mongolian and had a sparkle in her eye.  The office manager ran off to the office, and I knew a spontaneous party was about to take place!  She brought back crackers and a bottle of wine to honor my time there.  This is such a cultural "norm" in Mongolia, to break out the vodka or wine to celebrate anything and everything.  It is a sign of honor and appreciation.  So, we had sips of wine in paper cups (see them on the table) for them to say good bye to me.  I had to fight tears at this time, too.  Such special ladies!




Our small team's leader, Kathryn!  She led the team for our area of Ulaanbaatar, our team of five people.  The whole city team (a little over 20) were invited to our home for a wedding shower to honor Kathryn and her upcoming wedding (happening in August in Montana).  We all contributed money for a gift card to Victoria's Secret, which I purchased and sent to her after arriving in the U.S.




Here's the "back way" we walk to church every Sunday.  These are garages and the tall buildings are apartments




Many times, as I've walked this back path and viewed the graffitti on the walls, I've thought, "My mother would cringe to know the path we take to church!"  Okay, now she can actually view it here!  Are you cringing, Mom?




The day before we flew back to the U.S. for our summer break, we spent the afternoon with these four Mongolian friends.  This is a memorial wall depicting the Beatles in downtown Ulaanbaatar.  Yes, the Beatles!  They are still loved in UB!




Afterwards, Kevin and I accompanied our friends to a karaoke room--and that's exactly what it is!  It's just a room about the size of a small bedroom with a leather couch, a karaoke machine and microphones, and a TV screen with the words displayed.  It was a totally unique experience.



Here's Muugii and me singing our hearts out together.  Muugii just became a sister this winter.  She attends our weekly study of the Word.



Here, we sang in Mongolian.  I can see this would be a good way to learn more of the language!

The next day we said "good bye" to Ulaanbaatar.  This was back on May 16, and now we've had our summer with our American friends and family.  In a few weeks we'll travel back to UB to continue our time there.  More posts to come, regarding our summer in America!