Khovd

This past weekend we flew to Khovd, about 1300 km. to the west of UB.  From the plane the land looked much like the mountainous regions around Helena, flat places between mountains.  It is pretty sparsely populated with just a few Ger camps close to some of the rivers.

It seems that Khovd has almost as much air pollution as UB.  In the evening the smoke was thick as the people must get their fires going to heat their Ger for the night and cook an evening meal. 

The people are just so kind and friendly and cute!!

These looked just like our elk
and mountain sheep

Copies of stone drawings taken
 from caves in the mountains close by

On our way to the airport we stopped at a little museum.  It had lots of relics from the past, 

old costumes, 

and some areas showing the native animals.  One of the Sister Missionaries really liked to get her picture taken.

Cal spent a while last night with one of the Pre-Missionaries (he does all medicals for their mission applications).  He is 18 years old, finished 2 years of university and is studying to be a computer "Hacker" - he assured us it is a good kind of hacker.  When Cal found that out, he asked him if he knew how to download videos.  They proceeded and maybe it is downloaded but when I looked it was David Artchulata singing Silent night and a bunch of other stuff.  We have a steep learning curve!  If the fireworks are there, good, if not or it is something that shouldn't be, don't look!!

Life is good and all is well (except that I have another cold!)  

Fireworks follow up

The fireworks video was 44 seconds but as you see, all I can get loaded is 2 seconds!  It isn't quite the same!  Someday maybe we will figure it out.


We have been really busy with sick seniors coming and going to the hospital.  We are  blessed to have been able to make so many good contacts in the Medical Community.  It sure makes figuring out these situations easier. Our first contact, Dr. Lodoysamba, was the man Cal met on the plane when we were flying here.  He was obviously Mongolian but asked for an English paper so they struck up a conversation.  He referred us to his son-in-law, Dr. Enkhzorig, a traditional Doctor and former director of External Affairs at Hospital 1.  We have been able to make many more contacts following their advice.

This week we were able to take both of them and their wives out for dinner.  They chose the place and then helped us order so we had some really good Mongolian food and drinks.  They recommended anis juice (a red berry that sounds like it grows like huckleberries -(now I just asked one of our translators
 and when she looked it up in the dictionary it is cranberry!!  the drink was more pulpy than we would expect from cranberry juice)) and seabuck thorn berry juice (orange and sour but great with lots of sugar). They apparently grow on bigger trees with lots of thorns so they harvest them in the winter when it freezes and "rake" them like some of those people pick huckleberries down by Kalispell.)



This is a sample of the N95 masks (are made to filter out the smaller particles from the air) we have been giving to the missionaries to wear, especially at night in the Ger Districts when it is so smoky.  They are supposed to get new ones every two weeks and this is one that a missionary brought in today to trade for the new one beside it.

One of the Districts with their new masks 

These are just four of the great ladies at the Choibalsan Branch last Sunday after Church.

Life is still Good and All is Well.

Live fireworks - maybe!

trying a video.....

All is Well

2013 - It is a NEW YEAR

"New Year" is the big holiday for the season.  To enjoy the atmosphere, 5 couples of the Senior Missionaries walked (about a mile) to Suhkbaatar Square for the midnight fireworks.  It was spectacular.  It was also quite chilly,  -30C with a bit of wind.  After we walked, waited a little while for midnight and then watched for at least 15 minutes, enjoyed the ambiance for a few more and walked back home, we were COLD.  But it was worth it!

This weekend we are in Choibalsan, about 750 km east of UB.  We flew in a plane like the Time Air propellor kind with two seats on one side and one on the other.  It was -38C when we got loaded onto the plane but then we were unloaded while they got another one.  It was probably just too cold. They definitely don't de-ice but it is pretty dry so I guess they do not need to!

This part of the country is much like Southern Alberta with big open skies and fields.  The road to the Airport was drifted over in lots of places so the old Russian Van we were in just followed some tracks out through the field by the road.







The Branch of the Church here is very active.  The first night we were able to see two young people baptized.  We came for their annual Branch Conference since Cal is a counsellor in the Mission Presidency.  On Saturday afternoon we went out with one of the new Sister Missionaries to visit some people they had met.  We invited them to our meetings on Sunday and people from three of our visits came.  They were all very friendly and happy to see us.  All were from the "Ger" district and it would be hard for most out there to realize their circumstances.

Many Grandparents are the
caregivers for their Grandchildren

The first "Virtual Sacrament Meeting" in Mongolia was held on Sunday and we were able to participate from Choibalsan because President Clark was here.  There are several small groups of  members scattered in different parts of Mongolia - lots in mining areas - so they will be joined together by phone or SKYPE for one meeting.  It is coordinated from UB with the different groups meeting in their own areas.  It was a test run and seemed to go well. Hopefully it will be able to continue.

When we were in Salt Lake City for General Conference before we went to the MTC, we happened to meet some Missionaries from Mongolia serving on Temple Square.  We took pictures with them and said we would try to find their parents when we got here.

Yesterday Cal used one of the pictures in his presentation about the new youth programs for the Church because we had been told on of the girls was from Choibalsan.  Her mother was so excited to see her and immediately invited us to come for FHE tonight.

Sister Bat - Ulzii from Choibalsan
second from right

Her parents and little brother

 It was so special to go their home and join the group of friends who regularly meet together for Family Home Evening.  These are wonderful, special people.













 The other couple with us have just moved to Choibalsan to be Branch Support here for 5 months.  The Groesbecks  last 5 months were spent in the northern part of Mongolia, Muron.  In each area they are the only English speaking missionaries - they are a fantastic pair and will be dearly loved by the people here.



Life is still good and All is Well.

Christmas in Mongolia

This has been a different but special Christmas for us.  We miss everyone at home and all the traditional gatherings, food and other events.  Here Christmas for the general population does not happen.  This is a Buddhist country so schools and stores are open, and life goes on just as an ordinary day.  The big celebration is New Years Day.  They even have trees and lights and gift giving (our English class students told us that most gifts are "sweets" and when guests come over, they put money on the tree).

The Elders were so polite
they even let the Sisters dish up first

We emptied most of the furniture out of our little living room, hauled two tables from the Church and had two districts - 14 missionaries and 3 Senior Couples over for "Christmas Dinner".








  It wasn't Turkey and stuffing but we had three kinds of crockpot chicken, rice, corn, green salad and even red jello that I found in our cupboard.
 It was cozy but fun to have a big group - made us feel like home.  It was also great to be able to have someone else's kids over since we couldn't have our own!

Elder Stewart asked our sign language Elder to say the Blessing.  How touching to have him sign while his companion translated into Mongolian and one of the sisters translated into English!

Some of them had to go early because they had to teach their English Classes and others had a meeting but we had long enough to eat, sing and play a game of "pass around the present".

Cal was excited to give each of them a little bag with oranges, banana and candy when they left. We wash all the fruit and vegetables we buy in bleach water and then rinse in clean water.  Elder Stewart is good at this job - here are some of his oranges!!

 We are so grateful to be able to be here with such wonderful young (and old) people who are happily serving our Heavenly Father.  Even though the general population here do not recognize Him, we were able to collectively remember our Savior Jesus Christ on this day we celebrate His birth.

Sharing a message from the Book of Mormon
with the occupant of an ice house!!

One of the Department Stores close by had a beautiful display of Ice Sculptures.  In this country there is little fear of them melting before Spring!!







During the last few days Cal has gotten pictures of lots of the missionaries over there.  He has been able to e-mail some of those pictures to many of the American parents as a special Christmas surprise - they have appreciated them.  Most of the Mongolian Missionary's parents do not have e-mail.

Life is Good and All is Well!

modern technology

Eeggii, our translator, holding the IPad with
Marsha on line.
Aza and his Mother in the background
and Anne doing some
measuring as directed by Marsha.

Little brother Zolta and Aza showing the two chairs

We had a chance this week to try our skills at using the miracles of technology.  With the help of Ritchie and Judy Whitehead, we were able to have a real live consultation with Marsha Edmunds, a great retired occupational therapist and friend of ours in Lethbridge.  Our Branch President has a son born two months early who has Cerebral Palsy who is now 7 years old.


 He has two wheel chairs but has not been using them.  They just carry him around.








 The family came to the church where we able to "Face Time" with Marsha so she could see first hand the child and tell us how to measure him and the chairs.  She had some good suggestions about how to make them more functional and fit him better.  It is exciting and we hope that it will make a difference for all of the  family.  Thanks Marsha for sharing your talents.







Christmas Season is upon us and it just would not be the same without some Ginger Bread Houses!!

Zolta and Dad

Mom and AZA

It was fun to have Branch President Mungunkhuyag and his family join us along with Eeggii's Mom and brother.  It is amazing to see that people are creative whichever part of the world they live in!   We had a great morning and loved seeing the excitement in their eyes.

The whole family

Eeggii's mom

Eeggii's brother

The whole group minus photographer Calvin (Elder Stewart)

We are blessed each day as we have wonderful experiences, make new friends, and continue to learn and grow.  We wish everyone a Merry Christmas -

               enjoy the season and remember that our Savior Jesus Christ is the "reason for the season".

All is Well, Life is good.

Dinner in Mongolia

A kind Sister invited a group to her home for dinner one night.  She lives in a small house with a Ger beside it.  It was cold, about -35C but inside the Ger it was just toasty warm.  There is small stove in the middle which burns coal and wood.

Four Sister Missionaries drinking their harum.
It is polite to hold the bowl like they are and slurp out the milk.

The darling Grandchild and the soup

She served us all the traditional courses, harum (hot milk, water and salt), Monglian bread, delicious soup with potatoes, carrots, onion, cabbage and some kind of meat, and another kind of milk(not the fermented one!) that was quite sour.

On our way we picked up some bags of coal and wood to take to her.  They sell them on the sides of the road for about a dollar a bag.  It got so warm in there that they opened the door, even though it was -35C outside.  The dog really wanted to join in the party!

The Elders were able to share the Christmas message, Luke 2, with the family.

One of her sons and a neighbour

It was a special evening and we felt honoured to have been able to share it .