Cold Cold Cold

It turned cold again, just like it does at home.  It is just colder than home--winter coats, scarfs and hats.  Dad would love it in Mongolia and so would you.  He would have loved it because you can build anything you want, any way you want, and you can scrounge and get most things very cheap.  You would love it because you can get all kinds of cloth, all colors, in large or small quantities, very cheap.  Our 600 wheelchairs arrived and cleared customs - clearing customs is a huge miracle.  We will unload them Monday and the wheelchair training team will arrive the 8th of May.  I think I told you about a family that had a fire in their geir; one daughter died and the other one was severly burned.  The churrch is flying her to Minnisota to undergo some special surgeries.  They could not get a notary to sign the authorization; they tried three.  We had made friends with a notory because we do so many contracts.  I thought she would help us and sure enough she signed the documents when I explained the little girl was a member of our church and needed special care that was not availble in Mongolia.  So, this little girl will be on her way to the states very quickly.  The church is amazing, the way it helps so many people in need.  We feel blessed to have a small part in the huge wonderful effort.

Khovd

This week we hit water.  We were in Darvi, Khovd Province, the far West end of Mongolia.  It was a 2 1/2 hour flight and then another 210 kilometer drive.  We saw lots of sheep, goats, kids, and lambs on our way.  We also saw lots of camels.  Our driver brought food so we lunched along the road: pickels, dried horse, fish, and goose stew.  We arrived about noon, when the driller had just finished drilling. As the well driller started to pump air down the shaft, wow, what a sight, as water came shooting up, it was a gusher.
We have finished another well/water station.  We have one more to get finished before we come home.
We loved conference--so many good messages.
See pictures of the well rig with water shooting up and all over; also camels.

Coming Home Date

Hello,

We have a shortage of teachers that can teach in our Church Bldgs right now, so this week we taught 3 nights.  It's fun to get to know the people who come--we average about 40-50 people each night.  Most of them really want to learn how to speak English better so they enjoy our classes--we do conversation and they get to practice a lot. Regularly, someone who is attending our English classes, gets baptized, so we know it's a very good thing to teach in our Church bldgs. They feel something different and special and often stay after and ask questions.  

We visited 7 huge green houses this last week.  They are specially designed for the Mongolian climate.  They grow strawberries, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.

It's finally starting to get warmer--we hit 45 this week, for three days.  It was great to take off the coats, at least for a while:)

We got our official coming home date---May 26th.  See you soon:)

Zuunkharaa

When we went to Zuunkharaa to inspect DIC's water projects we met with the city Governor (mayor).  He had serveral officials there to meet us and to give us requests for help.  We then went to one oganization after another hearing their request and seeing their facilities.  When it was all over we had 17 requests.  They were all in great need.  We now have the unpleasant task of selecting one or two projects and turning the other requests down.  This is very painful for us.  We had requests from the Hosiptal, Library, Drug-Rehabilatation, Water Department, High School, Kindergarten, City Offices, City Parks, Road Department, neighboring bags and amigs (sections of the city).  The governor treated us to a nice meal and we have agreed to do at least one of the projects that was requested.  

We received 2 missionaries from America this week, the first in 5 months because of visa challenges.  They spent 4 months in the Logan Utah Mission.  No other news. We have a lot going on the next 3 months.  

We love this Gospel.  It blesses lives.

pictures:

cows

horses

me & dad by a geir in museum

me and cute girls--don't get too close:)

 

 

Khankh

I went to Khankh to inspect the 3 water stations we have built for the city.  We ended up driving across the frozen lake,180 km long.  It took 3 hours.  It was a little eerie looking down through the ice to see water sloshing around 100-300 feet deep and to hear the cracking of the ice as the day warmed up.  Sometimes it was slick and sometimes rough and sometimes there was a heaved-upped ridge of ice because of expansion.  Khankh is on the Russian border in Nothern Mongolia.  They carry water to the school by Yak, two 5 gallon barrels, one on each side of the Yak.  Running water is a huge blessing and about 50% of the Mongolians do not have it.  They must haul it daily form some place. An outhouse and hauling water is okay in the summer but in the winter it is no picnic!  We are looking forward to planting a garden as soon as we get home, at the end of May.

Muruun

This week we have a water specialist with us from Lehi, Utah. His name is Reed Mellor. We have been visiting and evaluating past water stations DIC built in Mongolia. We are also visiting the water stations we have constructed and visiting possible sites for future consideration. The church is very concerned when we do humanitarian work that there is sustainability, which means the project will last for many years because it was completed properly and because the organization or group of people we helped have the desire and ability to maintain the project in the future. Elder Mellor is very pleased with the projects we have done. Most of them, it looks like, will have a 30 year life expectancy. We are in Choibalsan right now, the far Eastern edge of Mongolia. 

(Alan left this morning for Khankh, up by the Northern edge of Mongolia. Batbold is driving and it takes all day to get to Muruun and then 8 hours to drive around the lake because it's a bumpy, dirt road. They don't dare drive over the ice lake because it's not very thick ice this year.  Yes, people, even big trucks drive over the ice lake--scary! They'll check out the 3 new portable water stations and make their way back to UB.  They're hoping to be back by Saturday night.) 

Everywhere we go the people treat us wonderfully. They want to improve their lives and are very grateful for the little bit of help we can give them. We are doing good.  We love the gospel and our parents that taught us the gospel and started us down this path of exquisite joy.

Zunnmod Village

This week we had a closing ceremony at the Zunnmod Village ​​​​.  We rebuilt their library for them.  We were supposed to show up at 11:30 am.  They had a celebration all set up for us.  The children sang several songs, they danced, and recited poetry.  The children were beautiful, all dressed up and performing before us.  There was one dance that was fascinating.  A teenage girl, about 15, danced with 4 bowls stacked on her head.  As she moved around and about her head never moved and the bowls did not fall off. Then she put one bowl in one hand and another in the other hand and danced more, then she squatted down and put one bowl on her foot and stretched about, then another bowl on the other foot and stretched about, all this while there were two bowls still on her head. Then another bowl came off her head into her hand and she moved all about, then finally the four bowls went back on her head and the dance ended, and then she poured the water out of the bowl that had stayed on her head the whole time.  Quite a show! After the ceremony they feed us Hor Hog. It is a traditional Mongolian meal.  Lots of meat, potatoes, carrots, all cooked in one big pot.  There were also lots of salads on the side.  So, we had a good week this week. We gave the Michigan Test 3 times this week to young adults that are trying to go to BYU-H.  Usually only 1-2 pass out of 25.  We are hoping for better results this time.