I hope that you all enjoy the day like we did (now that it is over for us.) Although we have to be honest because we totally forgot it was Canada Day. We realized this evening when I called some friends (other missionaries) from Calgary & they wished us a happy Canada day.
Last Thursday all the students, teachers & staff of our Mongolian language school went on a trip to the countryside to visit, learn & see life as a herder. You will be able to see the pictures above which highlight the experience. I have already had questions as to what the big bowl of weird things are in the pictures & they are the guts of the goat. Mongolian men & women love the cooked guts of animals. I had some of the heart, but that was the only organ I could eat. You all know how much Teresa & the kids had, none.
After we were full from eating the inner organs they made Хорог (Horock) which is a homemade pressure cooker stew with the meat & some vegetables. Due to all the trees in nearby the father lit a horse dung fire with rocks in the middle to heat them up. After a while he placed the rocks into the water in the homemade pressure cooker (old Russian milk can.) Then the veggies & meat were added, the lid closed & placed on the poop fire for an hour. It was finger licking good.
This week we are enjoying a break from classes as we prepare for the Mongolian national holiday. There are huge competitions all over the country with the 3 Mongolian events, archery, horse racing & Mongolian wrestling. They will have the countrywide finals next weekend here in Улаанбаатар.
Kiel has started baseball for the summer. It is being lead by some other missionary fathers here in the city. There are about 50 kids from ages 5-14 that are playing. Kiel & Esme are making new friends & trying to stay out of the midday heat (35-38 degrees Celsius.)Teresa & I are also befriending more Mongol & missionary families while offering them a meal & some time to relax in our home. Missionary life is very busy & a chance to relax among friends helps.
I still get very frustrated inside the more time I spend with Mongol's. Their language is such a challenge to learn & we still know so little of it (2 months out of 2 years of classes.) I want to talk to them & to really get to know them, but have to remind myself that this time (both good & bad) needs to take place so that in the long term we can serve these wonderful people here in Mongolia. Keeping this in mind please continue to pray for us as we will be continuing our language classes after the Mongolian holiday.