A Few of Their Favorite Things:

The boys must have been very very good this year!
We had a wonderful Christmas!

We miss and love you all!

SOME OF US ENJOY SLEDDING MORE THAN OTHERS

One More Christmas Memory...

Christmas Day in Choibalsan 2010

The missionaries came over and we had breakfast together...pizza, it turned out really good. We cooked 4 pretty good sized pizzas and there was not a crumb left! They wanted to spend Christmas Eve night here, "I don't think that will work, Elder". But, it is fun that they wanted to include us in their plans (but glad it started at breakfast, not the night before)!

The Elders brought Santa Hats, so they all wanted a picture! We have a new missionary, her name is Sister Nyambayar, this is her 2nd area. Sister Narangaravuu is on the right.

The 2 sign language missionaries - Elder Dagva on the left, has quite a sense of humor, he is fun to watch. Elder Usukhbayar on the right. They are good missionaries!

Elders Sarangerel, on the left and Davaadorj on the right. The missionaries brought us a gift, Dad a wallet, and me a necklace and earrings. It was thoughtful, we gave each of them a small gift, too. But they liked the pizza best, I think.

Later in the day we went to the Church, some of the youth showed up. I think there is a silent alarm that goes off and when the Church is unlocked all the youth start gathering! They come to play ping pong or just hang out. We have no basketball court inside, so the activity is ping pong. Some of the girls like to play the piano and sing. It is fun to just be there and hear them and of course they all want a picture! These are some cute boys, bottom to top, Enkmanlai, a non member, the Elders are teaching him. Bayarsaikhan, is a new member, of only 9 months, he is kind of special to us, and has such a cute personality. Chingunjav, is also taking lessons, his parents don't want him to be baptized yet, but he thinks they will let him soon, he comes to my English class. And Gansukh, he has been a member for a little longer.

Aren't they cute! Gansukh is taking the picture. If you look close you can see the necklace and earrings, they are white beads.

With the missionaries, we had a special "conference/meeting/FHE". We shared our testimonies, heard their conversion stories and then we all wrote a letter - giving a "gift to Jesus", something we will give to Him this year. They put it on the tree, and will collect them on New Year's Day. The city missionaries all gathered and had a Mission Conference, we are so far away that we didn't go in. Instead we had our own meeting, it was very nice and we enjoyed our day. Notice under the tree, next to the picture, is a small pair of baby wool booties, they gave those to us for our newest little grand baby! They are cute and, they informed us, "they will be so warm".
We also received a package from home - what a special surprise! It contained letters from the Brady Thanksgiving Party to us, a Christmas Card from Mom and Dad, some pictures and Cherry Chocolates! And lots of seeds to give out to the Branch members, and some to the orphanage! What a special gift to all of us!

Thanks for the gifts!

especially to Trish for sending them!
We love all of you!

Have a Very Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas from the Choibalsan Missionaries!

Merry Christmas!

The youth and the missionaries wanted to make something in the parking lot.

There are no cars to use it, so they wanted to build something in it.

This year they wanted something BIG, really BIG!

They spent alot of time shoveling, piling and pushing the snow into a big mound.

Elder Sarangerel helped them carve a BIG Snowman, throne and all!

I ask them if it was Chinggis, Khaan -

No, just a big Mongolian Snowman!

It is a wonderful time of year to be a Missionary!

We love our service to the Lord and to be part of this wonderful Church!

The Gospel is true!

The Lord Jesus Christ was truly born and He lives!

He Truly Loves Each of Us!

And we Love each of you!

Love,

Mom and Dad

THEY ALL START SOMEWHERE ...

LA NASCITA DI BRONWYN SUE

Botticelli's masterpiece, The Birth of Venus, doesn't even come close to our little masterpiece; however, they both seem to have an affinity for standing in large shells

Merry Christmas!

Christmas came early this year when Dad's Christmas cactus started blooming in early December. We love you all and hope that you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

"American Cakes"

We were at English Class at the Church one day a couple of weeks ago. A lady came in and through an interpreter ask if I would come and show some people how to make American Cakes. It turned out to be an organization called "Career Development". They are actually partially sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture. It helps people who want to start their own business. Giving them workshops, ideas and help to start. It seems like a good program. I ask her how come she came to me. "Oh, we know you, we know you are American (and they knew where we lived)! Would you show us how to make American Cake, we don't have anyone who knows how in Choibalsan. " Their idea of cake is bread. They were supposed to get a translator, but that fell through a couple of days before. So the Elders said they would come, Elder Daavadorj translated and helped. Elder Sarangerel liked eating cake! They are so good to help us!

They wanted recipes, a list of ingredients, and if they were available in Choibalsan. A lot of the ingredients aren't, but they had some one bring them from Ulaanbaatar. They couldn't get some of the ingredients, we supplied some vanilla, Baking powder, shortening and soda. Some of the ingredients they got the wrong thing, luckily I had a plan B for some of it. They bought these sprinkles thinking they were chocolate chips, we used them to decorate. A broken up chocolate bar works instead of chocolate chips. The Elders had fun decorating.

So on Thursday, we went to School Number One, which is just down the block. We got there and they brought a blender for a mixer, and didn't have some of the ingredients, measuring cups or spoons, so Dad and Elder Sarangerel ran home to get some things, while Elder Daavadorj is trying to convert the cups, half-cups, tablespoons and teaspoons into metric. We had 12 people attend the class. The classrooms are little and we sat on benches. We walked down the hall for water and the oven.

The oven is in the background. These are the school lunch ladies. The ones in uniform have to go to school and graduate to be a chef. The other 2 ladies are helpers. Here they are making tiny "buuz" for soup. They have 2 sessions of school. The first begins at 8:00 and ends at 12:30. The 2nd session begins at 1:00 and ends about 5:30. But the students have a study classes they attend. I think one is on Saturdays and they have a lot of homework!

This is the group. We made White Cake, Chocolate Cake, Fruit Cocktail Cake, Banana Bread and Pancakes with shredded apples. We baked cakes for 6 hours! They seemed to enjoy it all and said the cakes tasted good, for which I am very thankful! It was a fun day, and I tried to just enjoy the experience and not worry, after I am in Mongolia!?! They offered to pay us and the Elder for translating, but we told them no, it was a service. So they bought us dinner, we ask if we could include all the missionaries, they did, the missionaries were excited! So we all went to a Chinese Restaurant that evening. The Elders actually got a couple of contacts, too.

We introduced opurselves and told them we were missionaries for our Church here in Choibalsan. That we had 8 children and 15 grandchildren and one on the way. I was not a professional but had made lots of cakes! That was enough of a qualification...and I was American!

When the youth found out they wanted equal time...

so this week, at Mutual, we are going to make pancakes for them,

with shredded apples...I'll bet we 4 times the recipe!

It is things like this that remind us that maybe we are helping

and leaving a good impression for the Church.
And it is a lot funner to give service

than to have to do things for a paycheck!
Love You! and go eat some cake!!

Decorating the Christmas Tree in Choibalsan

The Elders and Sisters came over for dinner last Tuesday, the Elders brought us a gift - a tree with decorations! We were so touched, that they would remember us and want to give us a gift from home.

Elder Daavadorj and Sister Narangaravuu.

Each helped decorate with something!

Elder Sarangerel and Sister Munkhtsetseg

These two Elders are deaf. Elder Dagva, on the left, can speak a little, he finishes his mission the same time we do. Elder Usukhbayar can't speak at all. Their stories are amazing. They both could hear and speak until about age 6 when they received some kind of vaccination, which left them deaf and unable to speak! But they are willing to come on missions and serve the Lord, they are the only members in their families.

The support system for the deaf is difficult. There is little schooling available. They work hard as missionaries, with the deaf people, to help them. There are alot of deaf people in Mongolia, for some reason.

Sister Munkhtsetseg translates for them when needed. The other missionaries and members are so good with them. They are amazing young men!

We think it is the most beautiful Christmas Tree we have ever had!!

Isn't it cute!!

We are so thankful to be able to be on a Mission!

We are grateful to get to be in Mongolia on a Mission, too!

We are truly blessed!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

The Twelve Questions to the Christmas Surprise

Here are the answers to the other questions, #3 is Utah Jazz, #4 somewhere around six, #5 is Australia, mostly me but Ash wouldn't mind either and #6 is probably around three to four but still one more time. So the final question is what has been about three years coming? We will announce who won the game tomorrow but it wasn't much of a contest, it was a landslide victory. One family got them all right. Merry Christmas everyone

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Our highlights were Ash wearing a shirt that says "If you think I'm cute, just wait until you see me" and when Bryn wanted to watch the Simpsons over the sound of music. So I might need to spell it out like we needed to yesterday' but Ash is pregnant!!!! She is due July 13. It looks like Loren and family won in a landslide. Thanks everyone. We love you and wish you a happy christmas and new year. We can't wait to find out if it will be a boy or girl.

Baptisms and Birthdays

We had two baptisms in the Branch last Saturday. The girls ask Dad if he would baptize them. The young woman standing next to Dad is Adzia, she is 15 years old. Azjargel, with her 2 year old son, has another daughter, who is 12 years old. By the time he finished the 2 baptisms his legs were numb. They can only put cold water in the font, if they add any hot water it is the color of mud, but if they have straight cold, it is only the color of root beer! Another good thing is that they both worked the first time! Last week when one of the Elders did a baptism, he kept making mistakes in the prayer, he had to dunk the poor young man 4 times! They were both so cold and then they have to go home!

The Sisters taught them both, Sister Narangaravuu, next to Dad and Sister Munkhsetseg, standing next to me.

The best thing about winter is to see the people dress up in their deels (dells). They look so very pretty! This is Azjargal's son, Batbayer, and her mother, Erdene-subv, she was baptized a couple of months ago, she is the wife to Damdangeorge, who is the 1st counselor in the Branch Presidency. They are a wonderful family!

Azjargle is a seamstress, she made these deels for her little boy and for her mother. She has also made us Mongolian jackets, which we will wear for Christmas and Tsagaan Sar. Some of the deels are lined with wool and are very warm, they are their coats. The sleeves are long, and come down over their hands. I am amazed how they all wrap up! The children don't resist the wrapping up, either.

We were invited to two birthday parties on Sunday. Erdene-subv had a birthday, they invited all the missionaries and us. We ate soup and salads, hot milk and hot water and bread. I brought some cookies, they always like baked things, most of them don't have stoves or ovens. The white wall in back of the sisters and Dad is the back of the fireplace/stove, they are getting warm. He has one of the nicer homes in the branch, it consists of 2 rooms, the kitchen and the living room/sleeping room. They get to trot out to the outhouse for the other room! I count my blessings every day for one inside, even if it smells like an outhouse once in a while!

Elder Davaadorj and Batbayar, the horse fiddle is so unique and so traditional to the culture! They are beautiful, but sound so different that a violin or fiddle we know. Elder Davaadorj is our translator and 2nd counselor in the Branch presidency, he is a very good missionary and so helpful to us!

Damdangeorge's family is so very kind. They have 6 members of his family that are members now. He is so proud of that. Some of his family is not in the picture. We were all bundled up and ready to go and someone wanted a picture, and since I have the only camera...but it is fun, I now get to try and figure what picture they want.

The second party was a little girl who is turning 8, she is being baptized next Saturday. Her name is Enkhjin. Her mother was the one baptized in the river the end of summer.

Notice the candles, they are so unique. She was so excited! Elder Davaadorj told her how to blow them out.

This is the whole group, Selenge, is the woman on the left with the little boy, she is the only member, but I think her husband, behind her, is taking the lessons. That would be so good to have a whole family in the Branch!

We love you all and want you to know how grateful we are for the Gospel!

How very grateful we are to be able to serve a mission!

And even though it has been a challenge, at times how grateful we are to be in Choibalsan!

We are so grateful for the Lord Jesus Christ and for His Plan for each of us.

And we are so grateful we can all be together as a family!

We love each of you and are thankful for You!

Thanks for being our family!