Visits with some wonderful families

We have grown to love some wonderful families here in Mongolia.  

The Mongolian people are so loving, giving and caring. 

We will miss them all.  They are our family!

The family that we will miss the most will be our Translator Muugii's family.

They are all so supportive and loving and it has been a highlight of our mission to be included in their family events.

Thank you Muuggi, we will miss you!

 Her younger sister enjoyed our soft couch!

We also enjoyed a visit with Enkbold and his family.  This family is the stalwarts of the Jargalent Branch.  We also have appreciated their hospitality and their willingness to share the gospel with all they meet.  What great examples they have been to us.

 Their youngest really enjoyed the ice cream.  He had to have the last lick!

They really bundle up their children here.   

He is wearing a sweatshirt, two coats, pants, snowsuit hat, hood and scarf.  That is what we could see.  I know there were more layers underneath. You have to dress warmly because it is cold. 

Today with the wind chill it felt like 4 degrees Fahrenheit  and that was the High temperature for the day.

We love Battsetseg.  We will miss her.  

Because of her search for truth and meaning for her life she was led to the church and brought not only her family but another family into the church.

She is studying English online at BYU Hawaii and is preparing to serve a mission.  She is a branch missionary right now. 

 We also were invited to dinner to Enktuya's home.  She and her sisters, mother and daughters are some of the stalwart members of the Sukhbaatar branch.

Her daughters are so talented.  One plays the violin and piano.  She taught herself piano, She hears a tune then plays it on the piano.  She also is a very talented artist, with water colors, pencils and wood carving.

Enktuya is a happy grateful person and a wonderful cook!

The oldest daughter who has a beautiful singing voice and plays the Murin Khuur.

This is the two great elders that are now serving in the Jargalant Branch.

Elder Faber and Elder Bilguun.

These two good looking elders serve in the Sukhbaatar Branch.  

They make life fun because they are so easy to tease.

Elder Papenfuss (known to us as Elder Sugar) and Elder Huckvale.

They accompanied us to Enkhtuya's home.

Scripture of the week: 2 Corinthians 13: 11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Wheelchair visits

We did some follow-up visits this week with wheelchair recipients. We wanted to see how they were doing, if the wheelchairs were adequate for their needs and any suggestions they had on how to make the chair better.  

Tantstseg,  is 74 years old.Tantstseg received her first wheelchair the first of October 2014.  She received a 16 in. wheelchair but feels she could use a larger wheelchair since she is wearing a big coat now that it is cold. (Cold both outside and inside of her home.)  That was a good reminder for us to have National Rehab ask the question about what type of clothing will they be wearing while using the chair.  

She spends nearly all of her time in the wheelchair and cannot transfer herself from the wheelchair to the bed or back to the wheelchair without assistance.  Her husband is a real kind man and a daughter who lives in an adjacent ger, either or both are with her all of the time.

This family was very grateful for the help of the wheelchair.  It helps her get around her small home.  We are always impressed with these  humble people's hospitality, generosity and gratitude.

Sumyabazar is 65 years old and had both legs removed about twelve years ago. He has had the use of a wheelchair since then.  He lives on the ninth floor of an apartment building which has an elevator barely the size to get him in sitting in his wheelchair. (There is no room for anyone else in the elevator.) He does have a few stairs that he has to navigate before getting to the elevator.  He received a 20” standard DIC provided wheelchair as a recipient in the wheelchair training session held in August 2014.  He has amazing upper body strength.  He can manuever himself in and out of the wheelchair.  He can change his body position amazing well also.  He did some modifications on his wheelchair because clothing was going through a space in the side and catching in the wheel.  He also was very gracious and had good ideas to share about the design of the wheel chair.

 You really can not tell how small the elevator is by this picture. But it is small!

These are the stairs that he has to go up to get to the elevator from the entrance.

Notice the window and door on the left side of the picture, This is where the stair person lives for the building.

Batchimeg is 23 years old and  had polio as a very young child. She was using crutches to get around with, but the crutches were causing nerve damage in her arms.  She was given a 14” standard DIC wheelchair as a recipient in the wheelchair training session held in August 2014.  She has had a couple of wheelchairs before and is familiar with staying well while using one.  She will still use crutches when it is absolutely necessary when she can’t navigate a wheelchair.

 She has participated in beauty pageants where she would like to have the arm rests detachable completely rather than just swing out of the way for those events.  Other than that inconvenience she is completely pleased with her new wheelchair.

 You can tell it was a smokey but also a sunshiny day.

She has a great view from her home.  It would be better if it had not of been so smokey.

Scripture for the week: Alma 26:37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

Halloween

Halloween is not really celebrated here like in the United States.  But the Mongolians know about it and know that it is a time to be scared and a time to party and have treats.  Here are some pictures of a Family Home Evening with the Young Adults in the Bayanzurkh Building. They had a great time, played fun games and danced.  They can really DANCE!

On October 30, the children of the employees here in the Service Center came and did the Trick or Treat thing.  They were so cute.

We also happened upon a "Parade" here in UB. They were celebrating the city of Ulaanbaatar's birthday. Parades are a little different here.  The parade just went around Chinggis Square.  Lots of people and Lots of back upped traffic. But it was fun to see.  They would get up to the front of the Parliament building.  Stop and do some kind of routine, then march off.  It was a lot of standing and waiting for those who were in the parade.

We had transfers in the Mission and here are the beautiful sister missionaries that are now in the Jargalant Branch; Sister Fifield and Sister Khandsuren. 

They are sweet, humble and obedient. 

Scripture for the Week: Alma 26:12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things