Spring Time

Spring here is just like February there: Cold, windy, warmer, then cold and windy -but it isn't 10-20 below anymore.  We have about 150 families that will be participating in gardening projects with us this year.  The goal is to help them get started, so they can save some money, provide better nutrition and become more self-reliant. And then, they will help others do the same next year! They grow tomatoes and cucumbers in small greenhouses.  Outside they mainly grow potatoes, beets, onions, radishes, turnips, cabbage, and carrots.  A few try lettuce, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and peppers, but NO CORN.  About half of the families, that will try gardening this year with DIC, will have to haul their water in a water cart.  We are trying to give them some new ideas that will work in their climate, save water, and be affordable. Gardening is mainly what we worked on this week.  

 

We also do some English teaching and training, some public affairs, and some education preparation--we administer a test for mostly young people who are interested in going to BYUH, and of course our main assignment is Humanitarian Projects.  We have 8 projects that are somewhere in the process.  Either getting approved, in process, or ready to close.  They range from water projects, to school books, to bathroom facilities for kindergartens, handicapped services, eye care, and equipment for hospitals.  We are very busy and the time is flying by for us.

We had Zone Conference today, Saturday.  It was very good but a long sit -9 am to 5 pm. We did have some stand up breaks, though:) The young missionaries are amazing--they seem to learn the language pretty fast. They can't proselyte so they need to depend on the members for referrals, etc. They do get some referrals from the English classes they teach. 

We won't get to watch General Conference until next week and we're pretty sad about that.  It doesn't work out with the time difference.  We'll be thinking about you watching/listening:) It would be great if you'd let us know what talks you especially learned from and then we can prepare ourselves to listen carefully to those. 

We love it here and feel very grateful for this privilege. This is a very different mission experience for us--not really focused on spreading the Gospel, and yet Humanitarian projects do help in that way.  So, it was very nice to participate in the Zone Conference today and hear the testimonies and teaching of the missionaries and the great teaching from the mission president.

We love all of you!  Keep on keeping on! 

pictures--Grandpa switched hats with a Mongolian man:)

           --the orange bldg is the soup place we eat at often

           --The zog--sometimes shop for fruits and veggies--these are some other shops there

           --pigeons