After 5 days of the heat, another YWAM couple (our friends), the kids, Teresa & I headed off this afternoon to the countryside to enjoy our new little charcoal barbecue & some water to cool off. This morning (9am) our bedroom was 33.8 degrees Celsius & has been all week. The kids needed to cool off & it was the 1st time we went swimming here since we arrived. The last time we went swimming was back in Canada over a year ago. The kids this morning said to me when we were walking up the street, "Dad it is so hot. Can we go home? Kiel, Esme this is the joy of living in a desert" (practically the whole country of Mongolia.) You will see some of the pictures in the little slideshow on the right side of our blog. The river was freezing (5-10 degrees Celsius), but it was so nice to cool off. While swimming Kiel & Esme met 3 Mongolian boys. They talked, laughed, swam & roasted marshmallows together before we had to pack up & come home.
In some of the pictures many of you will notice that the roads are really rough. These roads were actually in really good shape for outside the city. They (the roads) are something that you really can't fathom when all you have are the roads in Canada/US in your mind. Every missionary/missionary family I know here has an SUV because you really need one. Many Mongolians only have small cars & you see/hear their cars scraping the dirt & large rocks as they drive by. As for now we do not see the need for a vehicle with 9 more months of Mongolian language & still praying/waiting to see where God wants us to serve once our language has finished.
This morning Bonnie, the dog we were sitting went home & she was so excited to be going home. There was a Mongolian family staying at Bonnie's apartment that has cared for her many times in the past. They were excited to see/have her again. Bonnie was a good dog, but not the dog for us. Although it was a great learning experience for us. Dogs that live in an apartment are much more work & difficult to care for verses dogs in a home with a yard & fence. We have determined that we are happy with our two cats (Mittens & Fluffy) & the daily freedom that comes with our cute & lovable kitties.