See you all soon!

We have been extremely busy these last weeks.  We had two wheel chair repair specialists come for 4 days and provide training for the National Wheel Chair Users Association.  They are both wheel chair users themselves.  They did a superb job! We have been trying to finish up a lot of other projects and get things in good order for the new couple.  We taught our last English class Friday.  We had 50 students in attendance.  We will miss them.  We have been going to ceremonies and graduations.  They treat us like we were Royalty and we know it is not us but the Church and Deseret International Charities.  We have some meetings this week with some government agencies and then off in the wild blue yonder and the USA.  We fly into SLC on Friday, May 26th at 3:40 United Arlines. 

Time Flys

We had our English Conference this week.  We had 300 teachers, administrators, and government officials in attendance.  We had 4 professors from all the BYU schools as guest lecturers.  The conference took most of our week, then we took a quick trip to the Gobi Desert to investigate a water request, and then our wheelchair trainers arrived for the training this next week.  

Last Friday the wheelchairs arrived from China--we got 10 YSA Mongolians and 10 Missionaries to help unload them at 5:00 AM. It took about an hour and a half, then we took them to a late breakfast:)

We rode the train all night from the Gobi to UB.  We had a sleeping compartment and we were able to sleep most of the night.  The train made 30 stops during the night on its way to UB.  In the Gobi we were in the worst wind dust strorm we have ever experienced.  

Grandpa was interviewed 2 different times by the news media in conjunction with the English Conference.  Several people told us they saw him on TV.  They told him he looked a lot younger on TV than he does in real life:)  We will attach some pictures.  We have three more weeks and a lot to do.  It will be nice to get home and see everyone and take care of our place.

Traditional

One day this week we went with a Traditional Mongolian Doctor on his home visits to elderly patients. The hospitals and doctors do not keep records of their patients.  Each patient has a little book 5 1/2" x 8" and the doctor writes out a very short explanation of the visit, diagnosis, and prescribed treatment.  The patient is then responsible to keep their own book for future doctor visits.  Diagnosis and prescribed treatments are very interesting.  They take a portable electrocardiogram, labortory, and ultrasound and do all that right at home: blood, urine, pictures, etc.  Some practices are really good and some are questionable. We visited one lady that was 103, wow!  That's unusual for Mongolia.

It is warm enough now that a light jacket will do most days and things are starting to show a little green. 

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.

Road less traveled

We had an Asia Area Conference today.  It was so nice to go to a conference or church meeting and get the messages in English, not through a translator.  There were 4 speakers, Elder Brent Nielson, Sister Marriott, Elder Hallstrom, and Elder Gary Stevenson. It was a great meeting in which the following things were taught:

We need to increase our faith and one way to do this is for families to have spiritual time together--we pray that our reading the B of M, praying and having HE helped you and that you will continue these with your families.

We need to pray for spiritual strength to live & keep our covenants, which will get us eternal life. Covenants are our iron rod--a great blessing.

We can have peace, even in trials. The Savior can make trials lighter and we can help others by bearing each other's burdens.

Dads and moms need to work together in their families--it's a combined effort to help families get back to Heavenly Father.

We have a water specialist arriving from SLC this week so we will be touring all over Mongolia for the next 2 weeks.  We have more water requests.  The need is so great.  We hope some of these requests can be done to bless and help the people.  A water station helps them improve their health and it also makes things much more convenient; not as convenient as water tapped to their home/geir but still better than what many have to do to get water. 

This week is Tsgansar in Mongolia.  It is a big national holiday, much like our thanksgiving, except everything shuts down most of the week.  It was a little warmer Saturady around 25 degrees.  It was so.......o nice.

Old Henry Smith

Since we have told you about the English teaching, training, and supervising we have been doing, we do not want you to get the wrong idea. Grandpa says his English is about the same as it always has been and to prove it he's sending a poem he put together the other day.

Old Henry Smith was a thinkin' one day,

Oh, that I could run like that horse of mine o'r yonder

Or, wouldn't it be grand to fly like Mr. Crow up overhead.

And then he heard his yellow Lab a thinkin',

Oh, that I could talk like Old Man Henry does

Or, wouldn't it be nice to cook like Mrs. Smith.

Then Henry straightened up and thought again,

Maybe it is quite remarkable that I can

think, and speak, and do all the things I do.

It might be best to leave the runnin' to my horse

And the flyin' to Mr. Crow, and be content to

do the thinkin, and the speakin' and the doin'

And then another thought came into

Old Henry Smith's soul, Man is different,

He truly is a child of God ya' know.

I think it's culte and so true. We love each one of you and pray you'll be guided and protected in all you do.

Zunnmod

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 facinating.  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.

Faith in Every Footstep

This week we worked on our 2 wheel chair projects, our 4 water stations, a school library project, and our English Class.  At our English class they asked us some questions that were way beyond us:  What is a subjective verb?  What is auxillary verb? What is a nominative case?  We think it is so funny, us teaching English! We need some of you over here to help out:)  Since all our students can read English, we just tell them to read, read, read--aloud. Listening to Conference talks and then reading them aloud is a good practice. Spend 2 to 3 hours a day doing this.  We tell them listening and then reading aloud is the best way they can get familiar enough with English that they can understand a native speaker and speak fluently enough that a native English speaker can understand them.  We tell them one hour a week is not enough to make hardly any progress.  They want to know all the grammer rules and they memorize a lot of words, but they cannot use the word in a sentence and they have no idea what we are talking about when we try to explain a grammer rule.  

We heard this week who will replace us the last of May, Elder and Sister Washburn.  This is good news so there is not a big gap between the Humanitarian senior couples.

This is Laurie--I was asked to lead the singing in Relief Society last week--the sister who usually does it is gone to America to visit some family--and this week the Presidency asked me to help them all learn to lead the singing--so, me, and our sweet translator, Taivnaa, explained about measures and 4 beats to a measure and drew on the white board the 4/4 time pattern--then everyone stood up and followed along as the two of us lead the song.  We faced the front so they could see the right direction our arms were going. Next week I need to watch them all lead so I know if they're getting it, or not. Then maybe I can have them take turns leading.  Anyway, it was fun:)

Being Sick

I have been sick for 6 weeks now.  I spent 2 days in a hospital clinic.  I am doing much better.  The fever has gone, my blood oxygen is higher,  I do not cough nearly as much,  I feel better and they say I look better.  We have been doing a little work at home, processing paper work on projects.  

We have 9 projects right now going on:  4 water stations, a wheel chair project to bring 600 wheel chairs in April to Mongolia, a wheel chair users project where we are going to bring repair parts and give wheel chair repair training, an English Conference to be held the first week of May, a school library project, and a vision project. We also have an alcohol rehab project we are working on.  So even though we have been sick we have still been doing  a little from our apartment.  Grandma has been teaching our English class for those wanting to pass the Michagan test so they can go to BYU-H.  

Spring is just 4 months away and then it will be time to leave Mongolia.