A Study in Contrasts

Tsagaan Sar was the story that seemed to never end!  Even though it started on Wednesday last week and finished (supposedly!) on Friday, we were called on Saturday morning to "Please come to our home" on Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon.  These last two visits were just as delightful as the others, yet in different ways.

Saturday, we were invited to Tuul's home.  She is a business woman I have met, and I tutor her in English once or twice a week.  We have been using a children's storybook about The Word.  This has been building her vocabulary and sentence structure capabilities in a meaningful way.  The last time we met, she said about the crucifixion story, "Oh, I saw this on TV."  Seeds being planted.  One by one.

Here, Tuul and her husband perform a little duet:

And, here's Tuul's daughter, posing in front of a plant in their home:

 

Tuul's husband presented his snuff bottle to us.  This is a Tsagaan Sar tradition.  The snuff bottle is also passed during other ceremonies and holidays.  It is filled with a mixture of tobacco and usually a sweet smelling mixture which reminds me of aftershave.  When it's passed to you, you reach your hand out and cover the bottle with your right hand, and bring it to yourself, cradled with both hands.  Then, open the lid and sniff it, comment on it (hopefully good comments!), and then pass it back to the owner with your right hand in a cradled position. 

 

As a centerpiece at the coffee table where we ate were these delicious fruits.  When we were the only ones at the table at one point, I said to Kevin, "Are those REAL grapes?!"  Kevin said, "No! They're plastic."  I just couldn't resist,  I checked.  They were real, and I ate a couple.  If they're on the table, they're to be eaten!  They were wonderful!

 

This was our 4th or 5th course at the meal!  We had already had salads, meat and pickles, buuz (of course!), and now we had this delicious plate of rice, potatoes, and white fish with a lemon wedge.  When we were served THIS plate of food, Tuul clarified, "This is NOT traditional Tsagaan Sar food.  This is special 'Kevin and Pam' meal."  We felt honored.  She was saying, "Thank you for tutoring me," in a special way.

We have plans to meet again soon at a mutually favorite restaurant.  Oh, and a nice bonus is that her husband speaks English very well!

Then, Sunday came.  We met our friend, Eegii, at our Sunday morning meeting place.  After being there together for about an hour and a half, we went by taxi, out to her home in the ger district.  She is a single mom and has been to Rochester, MN, twice, for her son to have two different surgeries.  It was there that she heard the Good News, and has been learning more since then.  

Here is Eegii's "hasha" which means "fence", but also "fenced-in yard".  Within her hasha are two gers.  To enter the hasha, we went through the tin door which is turquoise with Mongolian art motifs stamped on it.  The ger at the bottom of the hill belongs to her parents and also houses a sister.  The ger at the top of the hill is home to her and her son.  There is a wooden structure butted up next to the ger at the entrance.  This allows for storage space and a little more weather protection at the doorway.

Here are Eegii and I in front of her hasha.

 

Eegii's ger is one of the neatest, tidiest, cutest gers we've ever seen!  Lovely!  Note her son's bed behind Kevin with the shelf full of stuffed animals above it.  I'm guessing these came from America during his two surgeries.  To the left is the little white washing machine and the sink.  Although there's not running water, there's a sink with a drain hole to catch water for handwashing (pour the water over one's hands) or hairwashing.  The white/silver pole to the left of this picture is the smoke stack connected to the stove which keeps the ger warm and aids in cooking at times.

 

Here is Eegii's bed, directly across the room from her son's bed.  To the right is a cupboard for dishes.

Here's the "hobbit hole" front door. Not only does Kevin have to "duck", but so do I! Here, you can see the stove a little better. This is from the front of the stove. All gers are set up somewhat the same: kitchen items to the left and right of the door, stove in the middle, beds on the outer perimeters, table across from the stove. Men walk in to the left and sit on the left side of the room (where the son's bed is) and women sit on the right side of the room (where Eegii's bed is).

 

Eegii's son smiles as he draws a cross in the book we just gave him as a gift.  This Mongolian book is about the crucifixion.  He heard the Good News in America during his surgeries.  Our language barrier is difficult, but we've heard he is a brother!

 

Playing "Old Maid" together!

 

Even though there's no running water, there's electricity.  Here is an electric steamer, cooking our buuz
 (steamed meat pocket dumplings). 

Kevin tries out his Lego's building abilities which have been in hibernation for a few years!

While Kevin and Toogii built with Lego's, Eegii and I sat on her bed and read Psalm 1.  We talked in our limited English and Mongolian, about how important The Word is to our growth, just as the water for a tree is very important.

 

Kevin and Eegii strike a pose in front of her ger entrance.

 

Note details in this neighborhood: Many hashas with little houses and gers.  The hill to her parents' ger is steep, as you can see here.  We stopped in to say 'hi' to them before leaving.  They are sweet people.  Keep remembering Eegii, that she will grow in the grace and knowledge of her Lord.