Adventure to Erdenet

Some of our team recently took a van out to Erdenet. We struck out on our adventure at 7 a.m. on April 4.  It was a 6 1/2 hour drive there, and an 8 hour drive home (due to driving in the dark, wanting to avoid potholes and crossing cows and oncoming traffic which happens quite often here, and having a flat tire).   After arriving in town, our driver pulled over and asked a local where there was a good place to eat.  A woman directed us to...

So, Erdenet, a city of less than 100,000 in northern Mongolia, provides Korean cuisine.  It was delicious and nutritious! 

On we went to see the city.  Some of our teammates are considering teaching in this city.  I went along to get to know my teammates and Mongolia a little better.  It was nice to get a different view of Mongolia than just the busy city life we experience daily.  Yes, we've been to a ger, we've travelled out into the country, but this was a different area for me to see; also, Erdenet is the 3rd largest city in Mongolia, and I was curious what it had to offer and how it had developed since it was established in 1974 mainly because of a copper mine industry. 

For more info on the city itself, go here.

We were meandering around the city, seeing shops, a theatre, a sports complex, ATM's and banks.  These are all points of interest to someone who might move to the area.  There were two important places we were having trouble finding: schools and churches.  So, our driver stopped to ask a young boy and girl in front of a Mormon (yes, established in Erdenet) after-school activity center.  They willingly hopped into our van to lead us to a school and church within a block of one another.  Now, if these were my children, I'd be infuriated that someone invited them into their van and carted them around the city as tour guides.  But, this is Mongolia.  And this was a Mongolian driver asking Mongolian children, so I stayed out of it and watched the culture in action. 

Here's our new teammate (just arrived in late February), Barb, sitting across from me in the van.  We had seats facing one another.  Beside her was our young tour guide who led us right to where we needed to go.  We shared some candy with him, and I gave him a small bag of cheese I hadn't eaten for breakfast.  He willingly accepted both.  After taking us across town, our director gave him 500 tugricks (worth a little less than 50 cents) and he and his sister had to walk back across town to get back to their starting point...about a 10-15 minute walk. 

Young girls all over the world love to hang in groups.  Acceptance is such a need in our human heart, isn't it?  These girls cheerfully sang out, "hello" in English.  When we tried to strike up a conversation in English, though, they just smiled.  However, I asked them how old they were in Mongolian...9 and 10 years old.

On the edge of town is a new Buddha statue.  There are MANY steps to the top, and the statue itself sits atop a building which hasn't opened yet.  The idol is HUGE.

Here, a ger and van can be seen off to the left, as well as people in the front. 
This gives a view as to the size of this statue idol.

Perhaps some day our team members will have an encouraging influence on the children pictured earlier.  May each of them come to know the Father.

Our Diverse Study

I love my weekly study of the Word with women.  There is something amazing about the Mongolian culture.  There is an open attitude to diverse ages meeting together for just about anything.  I have to share this awesome picture which shows women ranging in age from 19 to 62. 

One woman I met when we had a party for English speakers in our building.  We posted an announcement on the first floor last fall, inviting anyone in our building to our party for English speakers.  "If you can read this, you may come!" was part of the invitation.  Now, we've enjoyed stopping in at each others apartments for quick visits and she comes to study almost every week. 

Another woman in this photo sat down next to me one Sunday at church and we struck up a conversation.  She is a dear friend, now.  We see each other almost every Sunday and sit together.  Her husband died several years ago when her four children were ages 5-12.  She has experienced the faithfulness of her heavenly Father. 

The youngest woman and I met at a friend's birthday party.  We have only been meeting together for about a month and she just recently became a sister.  She is hungry to grow and learn more.

Lastly, the only American in this photo is a new teammate with our organization.  We are so happy she and her husband have joined the team. 

This day two weeks ago was a blessing as we talked about the details of the upcoming Easter holiday and what those details mean to us. 

Today, only two of these women could come, and one came at 12 noon and the other came at 3:30.  Today, two different studies, two different women, two different stories, one Savior who loves us all.

Differences That Make a Culture

There are so many differences in the two Asian cultures of Mongolia and Thailand.  Every year, our organization requires all of their teachers to gather together in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to attend a week-long conference.  Almost all of the teachers who attend also spend 1-3 more weeks in some part of Asia.  This year, we are spending some extra time in Chiang Mai and Phukett...both in Thailand. 

For me, some of the differences seem to be magnified more this year than last...perhaps because last year, everything was new to me in Thailand.  Here are some of the most obvious differences I've taken note of:

1.  Weather!  Mongolia: we left when it was colder than -25F.  Thailand: It's been in the 80's every day we've been here so far.  Long johns, heavy boots, a scarf, hat, and coat have all been ditched for the quick and easy shorts and tank top! 

Proof that it's warm as I get chummy with the craziest mannequin I've ever met!

2.  Food!  Mongolia: Salt and pepper.  Potatoes, carrots, peppers, broccoli.  Amen.  Thailand: Spicy, deep, rich flavors.  Amazing flavors!  Fruits and veggies galore!  Did I say spicy?  Kevin and I had the spiciest meal we've ever had last night.  We were in pain.  Our eyes were watering.   I wanted to get out of my body so I didn't have to feel the pain in my mouth.  Luckily, the hot mouth syndrome died down about 15 minutes after the meal.  We want to go back to the same place later this week, but we'll order "mild"!

The white fruit has tiny seeds much like a kiwi.  It's dragonfruit.

Thai food on the street.  We haven't eaten any warm, meat-based foods from street vendors, however, we've gone to several "hole-in-the-wall" restaurants just like the Mongolian guanzes.  Good food!

3.  Manners.  Thailand:  Spitting or blowing your nose on the sidewalk is not a common occurence here.  People smile at you on the street.  Big, genuine smiles and a nod of the head.  Sometimes even an honorable bow.  People wait for one another to go through doors and offer one another to go first.  Mongolia:  These things mentioned are often the opposite.  To illustrate: The day we landed in Thailand, a Mongolian woman was pushing my back with her carry-on luggage as we exited the plane.  She pushed me again.  I had to stop to allow the man in front of me to bend down to pick up something and she pushed again.  I turned around and said, "You can only do that in Mongolia!"  I smiled politely, but with meaning.  She giggled and said, "Oh, sorry."  It is VERY normal to be pushed, sometimes just ever-so-gently, (and sometimes not) in Mongolia.  I've gotten used to it.  In fact, I sometimes gently press my hand into the small of someone's back to get through an aisle.  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  However, I'm enjoying the difference of this in Thailand.

4.  Religion.  Both countries practice Buddhism.  However, there are many more temples here in Thailand.  There's a temple around every corner and large statues everywhere. 

Over 30 idols who can't see, hear, or help.

5.  Trash: It is perfectly acceptable to drop pieces of trash onto the ground in Mongolia.  I've seen proper citizens drop their gum wrappers purposely on the ground.  The best reason I can explain for this is that the socialism era has not totally died in Mongolia.  It's somebody's job to sweep the street and sidewalks.  Dropping trash contributes to someone else keeping their job, because there's trash which needs to be cleaned off the street. Thailand has a King rulership, and has for many years.  I'm not sure what the rules are concerning littering, but there's just not as much random litter, even though there are trash piles on sidewalks, collected, and ready to be picked up.  I am speaking of directly downtown.  We've been on some back streets with some major trash.  Don't get me wrong...this isn't heaven...there's just differences.

6.  Varmints:  In Thailand, we've seen a large mouse/small rat running along the sidewalk with a chicken leg; I swatted a mosquito last night which left a nice, round bloody mark on my calf (I needed to go to the hospital for a transfusion, he took so much blood!).  And we had a cute little lizard outside our B & B door last night.  Mongolia: mosquitoes are rare...well, non-existent this time of year, of course.  I've seen one little mouse over a year ago on a sidewalk.  I've never seen a lizard in UB.  I like the lack of varmints in UB, Mongolia! 

7.  Open alcohol use:  It's amazing that I haven't seen a single drunk passed out on a sidewalk here in Thailand.  The weather is perfect here for that to possibly happen.  However, in Mongolia, I've seen men and even a teen girl once (whom we helped), passed out in the freeeeeezing cold on the sidewalk.  I'm puzzled how this can be true.

8.  Language:  We stopped into a large, modern bookstore yesterday.  The number of American and British-written books which had been translated into Thai was astounding!  There were quite a number of original Thai-written books as well.  We even saw the Harry Potter series translated in Thai.

9.  Alphabet:  I'm so thankful that the language I'm learning is Mongolian.  Even though the alphabet is slightly different than English, it has many letters which are the same.  Thai?  It looks scary!  It looks like hieroglyphics.  sample of Thai language

10.  Traffic:  Taxis in Mongolia, of course, are cars.  One form of taxi in Thailand is a red truck that holds many people.  And, it's open to the weather.  Another traffic difference?  Motorbikes in Thailand.  Hardly a motorbike to be seen in Mongolia...even in the summer.  And the biggest difference? Very few horns are honking in Thailand.  In Mongolia, buses and cars drive with their horns!  Honking means, "I'm right here, don't pull out," "Get out of the way," "Move over, Rover," or any other thing the driver wants to communicate.  A horn is rarely used in the traffic in Thailand.

A red truck, open at the back, and benches on each side...a great taxi.

A Good Friendship

We had a recent trip up to the Russian Monument, Zaisan, a famous site we've been to before, but a fun place to visit every so often.  You can see the whole city from side to side.  Ulaanbaatar is a long, skinny city that runs like a snaking river through the valley between two ranges of mountains. 

We have become good friends with this dear family.  I met Enebish (the father) in February 2011 when I was meeting with a group of friends at a restaurant.  Enebish heard us speaking English and he came up to me and asked if I'd teach his wife English.  I met his wife, Munkhtsegtseg, who was also at the restaurant (the woman in this photo holding their son), and we made plans.  Their two daughters are also in this photo.  We have had many meals together, and on a recent Sunday, we ate together at their home, then they drove us all out to Zaisan.  It was a cool, windy day, but the friendship was warm. 

Kevin and I stand with part of the monument behind us.

Nearby the monument is a children's park where a child can ride this toy train.  Here, their son enjoys a few moments.

This Buddha statue stands at least 40 feet tall.  It glints in the sun.  I was recently reading in Deuteronomy 4.  The Israelites were reminded to NOT create any graven image to worship, since it would only be of their imagination, because God did not show Himself in the midst of the fire.  It is joyful to share with others of a God who can see and hear and respond!

Another work of art at the Zaisan area.  For many, it is more than just art.

Be Still and Know (Zawgksarey!)

A Stop Sign

You may be wondering why I included a photo of a stop sign.  There just aren't that many around town, so I thought I should add this to my collection of shots!  Truly...there's either lights or crazy intersections.  Well, even the light intersections are crazy!  Pedestrians have no right of way.  To cross a street, we often weave between cars and walk out in moving traffic in large bunches of people.  It's the way it's done.  And, we never trust a light or stop sign.  We still look both ways. 

Oh, and you may be wondering how this word is pronounced.  The first letter sounds like Z; the second letter sounds like "awe"; the third letter sounds like "g" as in gas with a little "k" sound; the fourth letter sounds like "s" as in snake.  Zawgks.  If you are asking someone to "Please Stop", you would say, "Zawgksarey" (and be sure to roll the "r").  End of Mongolian language lesson for today.





Eating a tortilla meal together

Remember our dear friend, Saraa, who died in August?  Her parents are in the middle of the couch.  Her older relative to the far right is our "Tortilla making lady", Bor.  The two children to the left are Bor's grandchildren (2nd or 3rd cousins of Saraa's family).  So, last week, we ordered some tortillas from Sister Bor, had the family over, and enjoyed a couple hours of mainly Mongolian conversation with our friend/interpreter who is Sister Bor's daughter (not in this photo). Tortilas seem to be a good meal to serve; everyone can choose what to put into their own tortilla, whether it be meat, rice, peppers, tomatoes, cheese and/or yogurt. It was a good friendship-building time.




My Minnesota friend and Mongolian teammate, Jessica, and her son.

Jessica was making a trip out to the sock factory on the edge of town.  I went along with her to keep her company and see this place I'd never been to before.  This is the now-enclosed area which used to be the outside of the factory walls (the brick wall used to be an outside wall); however, they're adding on to the building to make a bigger factory.  It's very interesting how anyone is allowed to walk in the midst of construction in Mongolia.  Occupational and construction hazards abound!



Shopping for socks

Here's the warehouse of socks--large boxes of well-made socks.  I was actually wishing I needed socks, as there were many beautiful colors.  I actually have two pairs of socks made by this company which I bought at the nearby fancy Department Store for three times the cost.  Here, we could get socks for around a dollar a pair, and they are easily the kind that would cost $4-5/pair in the U.S.  I bought a pair for Kevin, me, and some baby gifts for babies who will soon be born to our Mongolian friends.




The equipment used to make the socks; it was lunch break time so all was quiet.




Jessica and Ezra strike a pose in the sock warehouse.  Ezra is such a good little shopper!




Dusty clothes washed clean!

Here's a sampling of what three loads of laundry looks like in our apartment.  You may recall from an earlier post, that our washing machine holds about 1/3 less than our American machine.  And, you might say that the picture above is a photo of our "dryer"...actually, our drying rack.  After walking through some pretty dusty, grungy back roads to get to the schools we go to, it's always refreshing to get the laundry done!  I love the feeling of getting all the dust off the clothing.
 
I think, too, of how when we come to our Father, He can wash us totally clean because of what His Son has done for us.  His work was not in vain.  It was very useful in our lives, just as my washing machine is very useful.  So, today, Zawgksarey, and think on this truth for a moment!  Be blessed!

What is a "Culture Day"?

In schools across America, they might experience a "Culture Day".  This usually means they go to an opera, museum, or dance presentation to experience their culture on a field trip.  It might mean that each student dresses up to represent a different culture.  They might bring food from their original ethnicity for others to try.

In our present situation, when we say, "I've had a Culture Day," that doesn't always mean a good thing.  It usually means, "I've been irritated by the culture and I'm trying to become non-irritated."  Sometimes it can mean, "Wow, I learned something valuable about the culture."  So, here's a few recent "Culture Days".  Fortunately, it takes several of these items to pile up into one day now for me to feel like I've had a truly bad "Culture Day".

-I don't realize how easy it is for me to pass money to a vendor with my left hand (oops!  Bad!) or to put the money in between my pointer and middle finger to hand it over (another "bad").  It is similar to "giving someone the finger" in the U.S.  Granted, I don't even notice when I handle money "improperly" sometimes, but I'm sure the vendor ALWAYS notices, right?  Would we not ALWAYS notice if someone walked by giving us the finger?  So, I'm trying to be more cautious and conscious of this.  However, I've been alerted twice in the past week by a teammate that I did each of those things.  Ergggh!

-When walking through the crowded market, it's totally normal to have someone slide their hand into the middle of my back if they want to get through.  They do this to everyone.  Words are not used.  And, culturally, I'm used to saying, "Excuse me," but that's not necessary here.  Sometimes, I say "Ochleray" ("sorry") to signify...."sorry, I need to get through" and that seems to be okay.  I'm still trying to figure out if that's a crazy word to use in that scenario, but for now, it seems to work.  I also, quite often, press my hand gently into someone's back to move through some congestion.  I feel so smug when I get it done successfully.  I hope I don't forget this summer and do this in Walmart!

-Taxi drivers.  Ahhhh, they are a culture of their own.  I have so many taxi driver stories.  A recent "bad" culture day about a month ago included TWO taxi drivers on the negative side and a third one who made up for the other two.  All in one day.  I was in a hurry to get to a school.  I was late, and caught a taxi.  He drove for about a kilometer, and then informed me that we'd be stopping for some benzine (gas).  What!?!  The question in my mind was, "Why in the world did you pick up a customer if you need to get gas?  Get the gas FIRST, then pick up customers."  Ahh, but that is not their thinking.  Their thinking is, "Catch the money while it presents itself, and infringe on the customer's time to sit and wait to get gas."  After all, it is totally acceptable to be late in Mongolia.  But, I'm American, and it's very hard to set aside my American mindset.  I called the director of the school to tell her I'd be late and asked her if I should get out of this taxi and get another one.  "Oh, don't worry...just get here when you can!" was her reply.  So, the knot left my stomach. 

After school was finished, I caught a second taxi.  He decided to run an errand with me in the car, too!  What?  Two in one day?!  He drove to his apartment a few blocks away to go get his coat.  Again, the question in my mind: "Why pick up a customer BEFORE your errand?  Go get your coat and THEN get a customer.  I could be on my merry way in another taxi rather than waiting in front of this apartment building."  Before he got out of the car, I pointed to my watch and said, "Hoyer minute (2 minutes)."  He shook his head.  Several minutes later, I was still waiting, and I got out of the taxi and caught a different one. 

This third taxi driver was a breath of fresh air.  He had a 10 year old daughter in the back seat, and he chatted away with me in Mongolian and English as we each asked and answered questions in each other's languages.  It was actually fun and soothed my seething irritation. 

-Another cultural experience: many areas of town do not have drainage.  Usually this is no problem because of our low precipitation.  When we get snow in the winter, it's snow flurries.  Maybe twice this past winter was it enough to actually remove with shovels; it is usually removed with little brooms.  It is too cold to precipitate very often, and we are in a desert-type land.  However, spring has come, and we had two days of rain (and not even torrential rain), and now there are little lakes around town.  Out by the school I work at, there's a lake on the road.  So, one must be careful how one walks around town.  I have been splashed by passing cars as I travel by foot.  A teammate shared yesterday how she had to walk on a cement structure to get through a flooded area, and how humurous it was that there was quite a line of people gathering to walk across that area (I'm assuming one way, so there had to be a "taking turns" situation...which is another whole story).

-Okay...taking turns: Kevin and I were at a phone store, getting our service extended so we don't lose our phone numbers over the summer while we're in the U.S.  Fortunately, we found a man who knew some English, and I told him what I knew we wanted in Mongolian (and he laughed at my pronunciation...another cultural irritation since I don't laugh at their English pronunciations which are incorrect!).  However, during our transaction, at least three people came up, butted in line, and asked this man questions.  Finally, I put my hand out and said, "Ogweeeee! (NO!)" and pointed to the man helping us and then me as if to say, "Can't you see, we are doing this transaction...don't interrupt him any more."  The man who was interrupting backed away.  Again, I felt satisfied that I had confronted the culture just a teensy bit and been able to take care of a need.  I can understand that there is interrupting here and line cutting all the time; but sometimes I have just had enough of it.  That was one time.  I tolerate line cutting all the time.  I also have learned how to graciously assert myself since it's considered the culturally appropriate thing to do.

-"Thank you" is not needed.  But I do it all the time.  Every time I leave a taxi, I say it.  Every single purchase, I say "Byerkthlaa" ('thank you') and smile.  I get a smile back almost every time.  As I watch the Mongolians, it is very normal to make a purchase, hand over the money, and walk away.  No thank you's needed.  That is one thing that I think speaks to the Mongolians.  I want them to know I appreciate their help.  I have some "regular" vendors now at the market.  They greet me when I walk down their row.  We wave and exchange greetings, "Sain Bain Ooo (Hi! How are you!)."  "Byertay (Goodbye)."  And, of course, my "thank you's."  One day I was fumbling with all my bags (remember, I'm shopping with NO shopping cart, and can only buy what I/we can carry home on any one trip); one of my favorite fruit ladies, came around her vending area and held some bags and helped stuff items into my backpack.  What a sweety.  So, some culture days are satisfying. 

But, it's all unique.  It strains my brain many times.  I often get a knot in my stomach when things go against my expectations.  It is something I must give up.  It is a sacrifice of love for my Mongolian friends whom I'm here for.  All of this forces me to remember that I have been bought with a price and I am not my own. 

I share this about culture, because my next post will be about a relaxing cultural day.  Boy, did we need it!  Countryside...here we come!  My goal is to post it within three days...so check back for some great pictures and a narrative of our day in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

Smoke Gets In My Eyes




The smoke in the air is from the ger smoke...gers being heated by burning coal and wood.  When the temperature, cloud cover, and wind is "just wrong"....here's what we get.  It smells like a campfire outside. This photo was taken out our apartment window.

 


Here's the same location shot at the same time of day, but on a day when things were much more "right".  It's so nice when the air is more on the clean side!  Some day I will post an even better picture where you'll be able to see the mountains off in the distance. 

   Life is a lot like these pictures!  Sometimes smoke gets in our eyes and we just don't know the direction to take.  Other times, everything seems very clear.  I spoke with a young Mongolian woman tonight who is facing ridicule from her peers at work because she is "like the Virgin Mary".  The men brag about their sexual prowess and the women sometimes chime in.  It is very acceptable to have affairs and trysts here.  However, those who have a clear view of life, understand that giving a piece of yourself to many people only amounts to a broken person with broken relationships.  Just because a person has a clear understanding, doesn't mean that it's easy to go forward.  So, we must encourage one another daily to run the race set before each one of us!

Two Teaspoons of Baking Soda Makes All the Difference!

Don't you just hate it when you spend time on a recipe and it flops because of one stupid mistake?!

So, a couple days ago I cooked a small sugar pumpkin.  After cleaning the insides out and taking the peeling off, I had invested at least a good half hour in preparation.  Then, this morning, I mashed the pumpkin and made a large batch of pumpkin muffins.  I had just made the same recipe last Saturday, so I knew this was a yummy one!  The muffin baking extravaganza took around an hour (with cleanup).  They just didn't turn out as good as last week.  They were extremely solid and lacking some flavor.  Upon scanning the recipe one more time, I realized I had left the baking soda out which would've given the bread the "lift" it was lacking, as well as the extra salt it needed for flavor!  I was so bummed.  Here, I had many good ingredients and time packed into this bread that SHOULD be delicious, but was rather disappointing. 

I whipped up some cream cheese frosting to dress it up a bit, but you just can't make a flop into a blue-ribbon quality item.

Later, I pulled a cake out of the oven, which I had also baked since the oven was on and company is coming later today.  The cake turned out very good.  I said to Kevin, "It's amazing how just using the right ingredients makes for success!" 

I'm sure we can apply this illustration to life, right?  There would be all kinds of ideas to use with these concepts, but the one that seems best for me right now, goes something like this:

Sometimes I try to dress up my day with some "cream cheese frosting" by skipping a main ingredient (i.e., time with my Father--main ingredient--exchanged for listening to some encouraging music--the cream cheese frosting).  Or sometimes I might think if I just follow the rules set before me, I don't have to work on the heart issues.  Get the idea?  So, don't forget the baking soda!

Gillian and Neyamaa Hammer Out the Details

We had Gillian (a Canadian British woman who is one of the teachers on our team--we teach English classes together) and Neyamaa (one of her students that I have also become friends with this summer), over for supper tonight.  Afterwards, we talked about some really good things.  Here, I took a picture of the two of them rehearsing the details of Gillian coming to visit Neyamaa at her teaching job. 

Gillian: "When will I come?"
Neyamaa: "Thursday at 10 a.m."
Gillian: "What should you have ready?"
Neyamaa: "A lesson plan"
Gillian:  "Will it be inspiring and creative?"
Neyamaa: "Yes, very much!"
Giggle, giggle, giggle.

This was Gillian's way of making sure she and Neyamaa were understanding the same details, while also making Neyamaa laugh.  This is good...to rehearse details with a Mongolian...because many details get lost in the language differences, and you end up somewhere wrong at the wrong time.  It happens all the time!  I recently went to go meet a Mongolian friend in front of the store down the street, but she was standing in front of my apartment building.  I didn't think that was the plan at all.  It was good to see Gillian drill Neyamaa...I'm going to do that in the future...in a lighthearted, fun way as Gillian did!

I think of our Father who goes through the details with us over and over again, to make sure we understand things. 

Him: "Do you remember you can trust me with that little thing you're worrying about?"
Me: "What?  Oh, yeah.  Okay...here it is...again!"
Him: "I'll be waiting right here to listen to you when you wake up in the morning."
Me: "Ah, then that means I should be coming to you, right?"
Him: "Yes, dear child, and what should you have ready for me?"
Me: "My all!"

A Mongolian Evening

Last night we visited a couple that we've recently met; the wife knows a lot of English and the husband knows very little.  This gave us an opportunity to speak in Mongolian to try to include him, yet we sometimes mixed Mongolian with English and charades!  They also had their neighbor friend over since her husband is out of the country right now (she's in the purple and black v-necked shirt).

We had a wonderful, simple Mongolian meal.  It included boiled carrots and potatoes (the best potatoes I've had in a long time!); shaved pieces of beef which had been boiled; a plate of cut up tomatoes; rice; some mantoe bread (dough which has been steamed)...it was rolled in the shape of a cinnamon roll, but steamed (not baked) and no cinnamon and sugar.  We told them about cinnamon rolls and the wife went to the cupboard and got cinnamon and sugar out.  I was surprised, as many Mongolians do not like cinnamon.  Kevin unrolled the steamed dough roll and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on it, then rolled it back up.  They were interested and tried it themselves.  "Mmmmmm..." was the reply. 

We stayed for two hours and enjoyed talking about a book this man has recently written and had published concerning the history of Mongolia and how there is evidence of the Word being around in Mongolian history many centuries ago. 

Their daughter (around 11 years old) played some beautiful selections on the piano.  She has been taking lessons for four years, and I thought she was doing wonderfully for the period of time she's taken.

We then walked home in the dark at 8:15 p.m.  There was much activity in the city, still, but it seemed so late with it getting dark so early again.  It was a mild temperature--perhaps the last evening like this until next summer. 

Today it turned cold, and there were some hours when it was sunny and nice, and other hours when it was rainy and cold.  I think this is all due to being at this higher elevation, and being nestled in between two rows of mountains. 

I am asking for a content attitude no matter what the weather.  I can take notice of the weather, but I want to not grumble about the cold.  When I say, "Oh, it's so cold," it's not like I'm informing someone around me of something they themselves haven't noticed.  So, I want to focus on other things than the weather.  Set my mind on the things above...not on the things that are on earth. Col. 3

Excuses, Excuses!

Ahh…blog, sweet blog, how I have missed Thee, let me count the ways. My heart has had no written pathway to speak out. But, now my keyboard is loosed once again!

“Why the silence for so long,” you may ask. I tell you, “I have a ton of reasons.” And now, my reasons are gone and I can again compose posts and again post posts and again post photos. Again, my heart can run free on a computer screen.

So, since time lacks for me to post on all past events, I will only declare shortly herein what has kept me from blogging and blabbing away for so many weeks. Here is my declaration:

July 20-22—I did extra study for our BIG Mongolian language test, and then the test itself. I passed, but that doesn’t in any way mean I am fluent in this new language. I have decided I will never be fluent. But, I want to weekly learn new words and how to put them together properly.

July 23—A 24-hour travel to the U.S. Loved the time change deal: left Ulaanbaatar July 23 mid morning, travelled 24 hours, but still ended up in Minneapolis at 8:30 p.m. . . .on July 23!

July 24-August 6—A grand time of swiping the Discover Card ensued (don’t worry—it’s paid off!), as Danielle, Kevin, Johnny, I, and others in our family went hunting for many of the items we needed for our daughter’s wedding and reception. It was a lot to accomplish in a short time (maybe we have the makings for a new reality TV show—“The Amazing Race for the Bachelorette to get to The Wedding Story”; but everything was ready the evening of August 6, and we gained a son-in-law out of the deal!

August 7-17—We enjoyed time with both of our families and many friends.

August 18-19—Travel back to Mongolia took a few hours longer because of a longer layover in Beijing; we left at 9:30 am. August 18 and arrived in Ulaanbaatar at 11:30 p.m. August 19. Real travel time was around 28 hours.

August 20-September 2—No internet at our apartment, and looking for a new apartment (what an adventure). We saw a super-plush place as well as a hole in the wall that looked “mafia-like”. We ended up with a spacious apartment with a few upgrades from our last apartment. Our new apartment has a larger frig/freezer (still smaller than in the States) and a larger washing machine (now two double sheets can fit into the same load!).





We moved September 2, so this new apartment is still very new to us. We are also the first people to live in it (in a one-year old building, but this unit had never been rented yet). Not everything is new, though, as an old Russian oven (see in these kitchen pictures) was moved into the unit for us (many Mongolians don’t even own an oven). I spent over half an hour grating the baked-on oily stuff off the insides so it won’t smoke us out of the kitchen when it’s turned on (as happened the first time we used it!). I’m thankful I brought some Brillo pads from the U.S. with me!

Here's the living room on move-in day. It will soon look like "home", but I wanted you to see the new couch our landlady found for us, the light fixture, and cool French doors which can close off the living room from the rest of the apartment.





September 3-4—Now, we are settling into a new routine and exploring our new neighborhood. I had to walk back to our old neighborhood (35 minute walk away) yesterday, and it felt so “comfortable” since I knew where the bumps in the sidewalks exist, aware of the timing of the crossing lights and where the curbs and fences are which need to be avoided for walking. It will take a few months for this new neighborhood to feel as comfy as that old one was becoming. I realized I don’t know our jujor (the lady who picks up the trash from our hallways and keeps an eye on the people who go in and out of the building). It won't be long before we are smiling and waving to one another as at the old place, I hope! I don’t know what’s in all the stores underneath our apartment (by the way, we’re now on the 6th floor, but we have an elevator). At our old place, we were on the 2nd floor (no view because of the buildings all around us. At this new place...we have an awesome view. We can see the north hills (Ulaanbaatar is nestled between two rows of mountains/hills...some to the north and some to the south.


The photos (above and below) show the view out of our north window. I'm so excited that we'll be seeing sunrises and sunsets, as we have a very wide view as well as a distant view. See the hills off in the distance?

Here's the view below our apartment just as the morning is beginning. The streets get busier than this, but this gives an idea of what our few blocks around us look like. The white building (upper left in photo) is a grocery store close by. It is also the "All Mart" (real name!) which has household items and even some furniture in the upper level.






School begins soon...next weekend we give English teachers the test to see who can enter our program. These will be the new relationships we will enjoy for the coming year!

Business in Mongolia

Tonight we have another friend coming over for conversation. We hope to direct it to important topics. She has opened up a new restaurant recently, and we went to visit. She serves all the regular Mongolian foods and also created a plate of layered items which she asked us to "name". The items were: cooked, grated carrots and potatoes, pieces of cooked chicken, topped with a layer of mayonnaise, and grated boiled egg. We decided it looked like a mountain with snow on top, and sprinkled with yellow flowers, so we named it "White Mountain", Tsaigon Olth.

Here she is, proudly cooking in her "guanz" kitchen. (A guanz is a very small 'fast food' traditional Mongolian hut/restaurant. In America, it would be comparable to a small town cafe with 5-10 tables).














The business next door to the guanz is a little store which sells all kinds of luxuries (candy, toilet paper, soap), and necessities (toilet paper, soap, onions, chicken broth cubes). We have met this store owner and she has come over with our friend who owns the guanz. We hope to continue to have a good impact on both of their lives. Isn't this an adorable store? Both of these ladies are trying to make a living with their new businesses. We hope they succeed!

An Interview With Mom Continues--Part 3

Back in March, I started a "documentary" (ha!), answering some questions my mom sent me via email. All moms should be reporters, because we know how to ask questions of our children, right? Even grown up moms and grown up children (such as my mom and me!). So, here goes another chapter of "Interview with Mom":

Is there an apartment house keeper?

Well, yes, and no! Part of our apartment is kept clean by Micah. We decided early on that he needed a way to earn some money, so we gave him a list to complete weekly to earn some tugricks (the form of cash here) so he could pay for a movie, soda, etc., and also save some money to use in the U.S. this summer. Apart from that, we could actually have one of our friends' housekeeper come in for $7 for 3 hours of work! I've thought of having her come in to do a scrub down of the place since dust is so prevalent here, but so far I've done it myself. I guess it's part of my workout to get the apartment clean!

Have you gotten any mail... like magazines, advertisements, letters or cards?

We get absolutely NO junk mail! Isn't that amazing?! There is not a personal, door-to-door mail service in Mongolia. Instead, you must have a PO box. And, we don't have a personal PO box...our mail is delivered to the office's box. As far as we have understood, none of our students or Mongolian friends have a personal PO box. If you want to invite someone to something, it is by word of mouth. Almost everyone has a cell phone.

Do you check your mail daily or is it too far away?

The office woman checks the mail 3-4 times a week. We have actually received three care packages and three or four envelopes from friends and family back home. It has been wonderful to get the mail. Care packages are pretty expensive to send, and we can get so much here in UB, that we are encouraging our friends to not send packages, but we love to get letters or little things in envelopes!

How are you getting along with laundry... do you iron clothing since it doesn't fluff dry?

I have gotten the iron out a couple times when something is really wrinkled, but I usually just shake it out from the washing machine and hang it very neatly on the drying rack so it dries as smooth as possible. You may remember from an earlier post that we have a front loading washing machine that is a small capacity machine. A regular-sized load for it is: 1 pair of jeans, 3 boxers, 3 t shirts. That's it. No more will fit. I feel like I'm always thinking about laundry, even though we don't generate that much dirty stuff! I try to do 2-3 loads every other day. We have a king sized bed, and one king sheet almost throws the machine into a tizzy! During the spin cycle, it bounces forward, as if it's protesting! I have one friend that says that sometimes we just have to lay a "reassuring hand" on our washing machine.

These "different" things aren't wrong or worse (in fact, it's nice to not get so much junk mail, right?)...but they are adjustments. When I'm frustrated with adjusting to something different, I try to keep in mind principles Paul wrote about: "Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Him." And, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!" He has given us these good thoughts to dwell upon!