Hi Grandma and Papa Anderson

So, we finally got a new computer and the internet, so we'll try to be better at staying in touch. A couple weeks ago Brynlee started dance classes. She's learning tap and ballet. They will only let the parents watch once a month, which I find annoying. Hey Loren, this quote is for you. Ottoman - one question, have you always been a chick? i mean, i don't want to offend you, but you were born a dude weren't you? You can tell me, i'm openminded. Selma - I won't be needing this one. -Kevin

Come and Get It!

One of Bronwyn's favorite activities is feeding the duckies "nummies" at the park near Loren's office. Normally they come after her immediately. Today she had to chase them down!

Sights of Choibalsan

We see cows every once in a while, walking through town. It was funny to watch these cows, they went into this gate, we thought they were so smart to know where home was. Then this guy came shooing them out and watched to make sure the next cows didn't go in!
Across the street from our apartment is a Trade School, of some kind. We see the cows over there, just walking through the grounds, the people don't seem to mind - to each his own!

These homes, are called "gers". I know the white one someone lives in, because there was smoke coming out of the stove pipe in the center, and there was a person leaving.

We went to visit a family that lives in a ger, but they ask us to come back, so we haven't actually been in one yet. The missionaries promised they would take us, soon!

We had 6 missionaries over to our house the other day with 4 of their contacts. They were all teaching, in different rooms in the house and then they watched a Church missionary video.

Elder Naisbitt, in the back with the white shirt, is the District Leader, and Elder Bayarsaikhan, far left on the chair, are due to go home in a couple months. The one laying on top of the couch, is a 'mini missionary'. He is from Choibalsan. In Mongolia, before anyone can go on a mission it is required they serve as a 'mini missionary' for 6 weeks. Choibalsan needed a missionary so the Branch President called, Munkhbold. Elder Willoughby, the other American, and Elder Odbayar, with his finger to his lips, have been out a year. Elder Odbaatar, laying across everyone, came here about the same time we did, he is new, this is his first area.

We are very blessed, they are all good missionaries!

Like I said before, the Mongolians have no worries about personal space they sit on, around and close to anyone. It was interesting when we go to a store or the bank, or anywhere you can be standing at the front, with the clerk helping you, and the next person, and sometimes even the next one, will come up to the window/counter and all start talking at once to the clerk, while she is supposedly helping you. It doesn't seem to bother her, though!

I have to remind myself... "This is Mongolia" :)

Because of the flat land, and no mountains, they have some spectacular sunrises and sunsets! This was taken out back of the Church, we were coming out of Seminary, about 7:30 in the morning. The light is on the Church property and you can barely make out the fence. It remimded me of The Lion , the Witch, and the Wardrobe's lampost!

This is the Choibalsan Branch's Ovoo and Emaa.

Everyone calls them Emaa and Ovoo, the people we ask what their names were, didn't know. They are about 80 years old, and have been members of the Church for several years, in fact they went to the Hong Kong Temple about 9 years ago, probably one of the first from Chioibalsan.

The apartments are very small and the living room is also a bedroom, we are sitting on someone's bed. The homes have 2 bedrooms a kitchen and a small bathroom. There are 3 generations of the family living here, I counted 6, there may be more!

I'm amazed how spoiled we are!

We sure love each of you and Thankyou for the words of encouragement you send to us!

Take care and give each other hugs and kisses!

BREAKING NEWS

The residents of Payson are proud to announce that the LDS Church will be building a temple in Payson, the 15th in Utah. YEA! The temple will be about 3 blocks from our house. We are way excited. Love all of you!

The Birthday Boy and Celeste

Most good things in the Anderson home have female names.  Our first, and only, bar-b-que grill was named Propane Elaine.  (She was great but suffered a shameful death, may she rust in peace.  The Andersons just aren't so good at being carnivores, eh.)  Our piano is named Stephanie.  And of course, we have Tama and Bronwyn Sue, the best females in the house.  Ethan recently added to this list when he received a telescope for his birthday.  We promptly named the telescope, Celeste.  Celeste is pretty cool.  She has qualities all women should have, long legs and quietude.  Ethan is pretty excited about having a telescope.  The day after he received her he read the instructions and put Celeste together.  (Tama and I only had to make a few minor adjustments.)  Unfortunately, since Celeste came, it has been rainy, snowy or otherwise cloudy most every night.  We haven't been able to watch anything through her, except the old lady down the street.  If that old lady murders someone, we are so on her.  I probably need to remind her that we have curtains for a reason and she should open them responsibly.

Ethan celebrated his eighth birthday.  Tama and I can't believe our eldest is already eight; It kind of dates us.  Since he is our first, we experimented with him.  We are relieved he survived with us this long.  We are also relieved to have survived with him for this long as well.  Eight years is a major milestone for all of us to celebrate.  For his birthday, Papa Mike and Grandma Sue came up to Boise to celebrate.  They took everyone ice-skating.  I think everyone else in Boise went skating that day as well.  Crowded or not, it was great fun.  Skating actually made us think of Papa Richard and Grandma Jean in Mongolia and the skating rink they described in their town.  Jonah really took to the ice.  (He may very well be the next Wayne Gretzky, which means free tickets for me, but a lot of dental work for him.  On the other hand, I have been to the UK and seen for myself that in some cultures teeth are optional.  We do have a great food processor he could use.  So maybe it could be a win-win for all of us.)  Ethan did OK as well.  He takes a little time to warm up to new things.  However, we are encouraged that he went out there and only took a few rest periods.  He also said he wants to go ice-skating again.  Afterwards, we had pizza and a turtle cake which the lovely Tama created.  Papa Mike and Grandma Sue gave Ethan some really nice-looking snowshoes.  He is still considering what appellation they should be given.  Anyway, we are excited to have an eight-year-old. He will now be able to be baptized and join Cub Scouts.  We are very proud of him.  Ethan's a remarkable little guy.  He has already done a lot of good things.  We expect more good things from him in the years to come.  For the price we paid, we except many good things from Celeste as well.

Some Things in Our Week!

I think it was Tama that said, they love the pictures we put on the blog, but we were missing from them. Since I was the one behind the camara I didn't think about being in them. So, we had someone take pictures of us, to show you we are really here! These will give you an idea of some of the things we are doing...
We teach an English Class every morning here in our home for the Sister Missionaries and one of their new converts, (she's the one taking the picture). Bimbajaw, the guy, is studying for the English test to get into BYU Hawaii. He has good English and translates for us at Church, especially with Dad in Bishopric Meetings. We also teach at the Church 3 times a week.

Since we still don't have our visa's, we are considered visitors, and we can't teach anywhere else.

So, for the most part they are members, young men and women, who already know quite a bit of English, they just need encouragement speaking and putting it into sentences.

The snow here is very different, it is so dry and powdery,

very light weight and no moisture in it whatsoever!

Here some of the members and missionaries are clearing the parking lot,

I haven't seen a car in it yet, and probably won't!

This is the back of the Church, they have a patio. Notice the brick/stone walkway, it is very pretty. Also, notice the brooms, they are made of plastic. Most of the handles are short, although here one is long. They move almost as much as the shovels! Dad is standing on the step, we all took turns, because there weren't enough shovels or brooms to go around.

Yes, I was here! It is actually snowing, as Dad calls it "Frosting", because it has no moisture or wetness to it. It is very cold and if the wind is blowing, really cold! Thankgoodness for scarfs - they are a necessity here and everyone wears one.

I'm glad Jody gave me one before I left home!

This is Relief Society, they ask me do make something and show them. I could show them "American Bread" and not have to do to much talking. It was cute when Dad pulled out the camara to take my picture, these ladies hurried up to stand by me to be in the picture. It makes it fun! I had forgotten to take a loaf pan and so we went to Plan B - use what resources I could find - a muffin tin. We made rolls, instead, which turned out better, that way everyone got a taste without having to slice it.

(Luckily it turned out pretty good!)

We sure love all of you and thankyou for commenting on the blogs!

They are a life-saver and I feel connected to all of you!

Give each other a hug and kiss for us!

Making Buuz!

For New Year's Eve the missionaries got together at the Church and made buuz. (pronounced "bodes")

We used hamburger, and they tasted pretty good.

They make a dough (like a flour tortilla dough) roll it into a long snake and cut off little pieces, flatten them out (picture above) then with a rolling pin, roll them very thin.

They then put a little dab of meat mixture (like meat loaf), into center and pinch them together.

This traditional Mongolian food is a steamed dumpling.

They are made by the hundreds by Mongolian women for the Tsagaan Sar Holiday,

which is the Mongolian New Year.

There is an art to making these things, and they like them to look pretty,

especially for a holiday!

This is one I made, probably my 10th attempt, it must have been OK,

they didn't fix it up, anyway.

They stack these trays on top of one another, about 4 high, and steam them for several minutes. (I personally think they would taste better if they were baked.)

They'll eat, maybe 10 or so. We like ketchup, or barbecue sauce with them.

They like theirs plain.

And, there is an art to eating and slurping at the same time, to get the juices from the dumpling! I haven't learned the slurping part yet!

The missionaries went to a member's home, for a service and helped her make buuz.

She planned on making several hundred!

The Mongolian missionaries can make them fast, and even the guys know how to do it.

The missionary in the foreground kept trying to show me how to pinch them,

his looked really good! (He is a cute missionary!)

The lady just spread a blanket out on the floor and we all went to work. This meat mixture is mutton, fat, and chopped onions, which is the traditional meat mixture.

This is the member, her daughter, and a sister missionary.

This room is also a bedroom, they sleep on mats on the floor, and in the mornings,

roll them up and put them away.

I'll learn more at the holiday time and will let you know.

But, they have prepared us that we will be invited to every one's home,

they will have buuz for us to eat, and yes, we will eat them!

Tradition says no one should be hungry, especially for this holiday!

I hope we can fix these for you when we get home!

I'll use hamburger and save the mutton for the Mongolians!

We love you and think of you everyday!

Taxi! Taxi! - Choibalsan's Group Transportation

I haven't been out alot this week, because of a cold.

But, I've been wanting to put these pictures on the blog.

They call these vans "Meekers".

They run all over Choibalsan and the countryside.

It costs about T300 per person, which amounts to about 25 cents.

It's alot warmer than a horse and cart!

But there is no heat in the ones I have riden in.

On this day 3 missionaries were leaving, being transfered to another area, so we were taking them to the Airport, maybe a 20 minute ride.

All the young men and women wanted to go, so the missionaries hired 2 meekers.

They just keep stuffing and stuffing, there were 20 of us in this Meeker!
The missionaries say their personal record was 24!

Personal space doesn't seem to be an issue with Mongolian people.

The girls walk all around town, arm in arm, partly for support on the ice and partly because they are friends.

It reminds me of a story I heard of the pioneer girls walking across the plains, arm in arm, because they were friends and loved each other.

Aren't they cute!
Love all of you!

Kye and Josh

Last week Kye and I started watching Josh when Tracy went back to work. It has been going great. As you can see, Kye and Josh are getting along very well. Kye only scared Josh on the first few days. Kye and Josh are becoming very good friends.

Like Father, Like Sons and Daughter (D'oh!)

The Boys, Bronwyn Susan and I had a little party on Sunday.  We celebrated the anniversary of our favourite two-dimensional yellow family, the Simpsons.  This week marks the 20th year the Simpsons has been on television.  I remember watching them in High School and College.  I loved the social satire.  Now I watch them with my children, much to the dismay of Tama.  Hands down this is my favourite show, the only one I faithfully watch.  (I think it is now Ethan and Jonah's favourite as well.)  I thought I would share some of my favourite quotes from the show with the hopes that other Simpson-philists, like K.C. and Jody, Ovoo and Emaa will share some of theirs.  Heres also to hoping for twenty more enjoyable years.  And that Tama and I will make it as long, if not longer. 
•    Sideshow Bob: No children have ever meddled with the Republican Party and lived to tell about it.
•    Troy McClure: Don’t kid yourself, Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about!
•    Lionel Hutz: Well, he’s kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace “accidentally” with “repeatedly” and replace “dog” with “son.”
•    Comic Book Guy: Oh, loneliness and cheeseburgers are a dangerous mix.
•    Homer: Books are useless! I only ever read one book, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” and it gave me absolutely no insight on how to kill mockingbirds!
•    Grandpa Simpson: Dear Mr. President, There are too many states nowadays. Please, eliminate three.
•    Homer: A woman is a lot like a refrigerator. Six feet tall, 300 pounds…makes ice.
•    Homer: You don’t win friends with salad.
•    Marge: Grandpa, are you sitting on the apple pie? Grandpa: I sure hope so...
•    Mr. Burns: I don’t like being outdoors, Smithers. For one thing, there’s too many fat children.
•    Homer: Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?
•    Marge: Get ready, skanks! It’s time for the truth train!
•    Homer: I call the big one, Bitey.
•    Ralph: That's my swingset, and that's my sandbox. I'm not allowed to go in the deep end.
•    Grandpa Simpson: The last time the meteors came, we thought the sky was on fire. Naturally, we blamed the Irish. We hanged more 'n a few.
•    Marge: Homer, is this how you pictured married life? Homer: Yeah, pretty much, except we drove around in a van solving mysteries.

Kye's new bed

Yesterday we set up a twin mattress set for Kye's new bed. Lately he has been sleeping on a futon because he will not sleep in his crib any more. As soon as I finished making the bed, he pulled the covers back and climbed in. He slept all the way through the night in his new "big boy bed."

Home Sweet Home!

I thought you might enjoy seeing where and how we live. Our apartment is small, but for here is considered very nice. The kitchen is approximately 7'x10', just right for 2 of us. The stove is very small, we can fit a small cookie sheet in the oven. When I cook for the Elders and Sisters, we have them go single file to the stove, dish up their food and go back into the Living Room to eat. I have cooked soup, and also lots of rice, they seem to enjoy it.

This is our washing machine. Notice the silver hose into the washing machine - we fill it with the bathroom sink water. The hose is also our shower head in the bathtub. The tub is about 2 1/2' high, the actual tub is probably sits 1' higher than the floor. Also, notice the drain for the washer - yep it drains into the bathtub! I haven't actually brought myself to take a bath yet, the shower works well! Also the water is a pale yellow in color, which doesn't lend itself to a bath! Also, the washer doesn't agitate, it twirls, goes one way, stops, then twirls the other way! As you can imagine our clothes are one big knot when finished!

These are how eggs are sold, you buy them individually. We carry them very carefully from the store! They do have flats of 2 1/2 dozen, but I don't know if that would be any safer to carry an open flat of eggs!

When we first got to Choibalsan, there was a funeral, the food was very interesting! They take a lot of pride in how it looks, which is really very pretty. At the bottom is a plate of meat, like salami, with pickle relish in the center. The bigger plate up on the left is rice and raisins, it actually tasted pretty good. The smaller plate on the right, is potato salad, a lot like our salads. The smaller plate above, on the right, is dill pickles and relish. The bigger plate on the left, above the rice is fruit, grapes and mandarin oranges. The long rectangles are bread, they decorate the bread with different kinds of candy.

They use this same kind of bread with their holidays, they have meaning and notice some are stacked higher than others, I will have to find out more about them. In February they have their New Year's, Tsagaan Sar Holiday, I'm sure I will find out a lot at that time.

Another interesting custom is that they each have a fork, and they all eat off the main plates.

We are learning and still getting use to things.

We are keeping busy though,

with the Elders and Sisters bringing their contacts to our home to teach,

with teaching English Lessons,

and with the activities at the Church.
We love you All!

Our First Baptism!

This is Ounbelick, she is 15 years old. The Elders brought her to our home a couple of times to teach her. She is a cute girl, and bears such a sweet and humble testimony! These are 5 of our 8 missionaries. Elder Willoughby is baptizing her and Elder Naisbitt is the District Leader and the one who helps us alot. They have a baptism almost every week. They just schedule it in - every Saturday at 6:00pm at Church.

The young people love their picture taken! They always ask me to take pictures, which translates - will you give me a copy, too! So I need to find a place to get copies for everyone! None of them, that I know of have a camara and they love pictures. Each one, even the boys have a photo album of their family and friends. I think most of their pictures are given to them by missionaries. The Young Women President is in Ulaanbaatar so the program is being run by her counselors, until she returns, no one know when. Her counselors are in the picture, they are 16 years old. They take charge and everything.

The Young Men do have a President, center in front. He is preparing to go on a mission, which means he is 18 or 19 years old. Some of the Young Women and Young Men are Branch Missionaries, they teach and get referrals for the full time Missionaries, they sometimes teach the investigators class on Sundays. The young people are amazing and very active in the programs of the Church!

Thanks for blogging and putting in information!

It helps to read and see pictures of you!

We Love and Miss all of You!

Oh, and by the way - The Church is true and God loves each of Us!

Why We Love Aunt Trisha!

This Christmas and New Years were awesome.  The Andersons had so much fun.  The boys loved being out of school for two weeks and I even had a couple of days off from work.  Everything was almost perfect.  This will definately go down as one of our favourite Christmas/ New Years thus far.  It is now kind of sad to get back to real life.  One of the best parts of the holidays was having Aunt Trisha come and visit us.  She is a lot of fun to have around.  (And she even does the dishes!)  Trisha traveled up to Boise from Springville to spend New Years with us.  The boys were so excited for her to come.  On the day she was supposed to arrive Jonah wanted me to call her every ten minutes to find out where she was and when she would be here.  The boys sat upstairs by the window hoping to see her vehicle turn into our neighbourhood.  Once Jonah ran downstairs and excitedly yelled "Trisha's here".  She really wasn't but he said he needed to "practice" for when she really did arrive.  Aunt Trisha definately has a couple of admirers in our family.  Even little Bronwyn Sue talked to Trisha and let Trisha hold her.  That is a major event.  The visit probably wasn't very relaxing for Trisha as her attention and time were in high demand.  Trisha played legos with the boys.  She taught then lots of card and board games.  The boys love Mille Bourne.  She went bowling with us on New Years Eve.  We even went snowshoeing and sledding with her in the beautiful mountains surrounding Boise.  When we went snowshoeing we saw a lot of bald eagles and a couple of golden eagles.   The sledding hill was probably the best I have been on.  As you can see we caught a lot of air.  Ethan and Jonah think that Trisha is good luck, and I have to agree.  Thanks for visiting Trisha and we hope you come back soon.