New Dorm Sister Ceremony

The girls got new dorm sisters at their boarding school last month.  Maggie helps 'decorate' the new arrival with hand imprints into royal dorm sisterhood.

Looks like to show solidarity with the new recruits several others got decorated.  

Johanna with Gabby and the girls.   

And here is Johanna, Lydia and Maggie being served food at school by dorm staff.  

First Case of Corona Virus Found in Mongolia

Here is Renee on our date Saturday at a restaurant called Soup Bar, run by a French guy.  

Check out that ladle holder!  

Tuesday morning our phones started ringing from our Mongolian colleagues telling us the first case of Corona was discovered to be brought into the country from Moscow by a French National.

In times like these fear creeps in so quickly.  We both admitted we had already separately wondered whether the owner of this restaurant could have been the culprit, or unfortunate patient zero.

So if that's how our mind works, what do you think people think when they see us?  Even with my obligatory mask on today were people thinking of me:  "Is that the French guy?"  I think I caught an old lady shaking her head at me when she walked by. 

So our Mongolian trusted colleagues were calling to offer to bring us anything if we need it, and encouraging us to stay out of stores and public places for a while.  

Quarantine measures are being stepped up.  They canceled public transportation and are asking people who can, not to come to work.  So we're planning on laying low for several days now.

Josiah and I still went out for him to play in the snow, and nobody bothered us.  By the way, the patient zero in Mongolia turned our to be a miner, not a restauranteur.  

The only thing we have to fear is..... Never mind, keep the faith!

Woman's Day Gathering

Have you heard of International Women's Day?  It's a big hit in Mongolia, and lots of other countries like Korea.  Russia celebrates it and we think brought it here.  This year I learned it was started in America in the early 1900s by the Socialist Political Party of the time.  

It's not surprising perhaps countries like Mongolia celebrate it.  After all some of the biggest hits on the radio can be ballads of love of a man for his mother.  So the holiday has kind of become the Mongolian Mother's Day.  Well, we've been here long enough to celebrate it with gusto now.  Here's a couple pictures of our Sunday gathering.  

Most of our songs were sung to God using the good old Hymnal though:

Clara and Josiah join in the singing, as we read the words from my phone photo of the hymnal page.

 Renee and the ladies brought a pot-luck lunch which was great. 

(going out to eat is not an option with kids during the quarantine)

And Renee made "Texas Sheet Cake" for the birthday of her friend from Texas.

Happy Women's Day!

Outdoor Quarantine Activity

Clara and her friend on the sledding slopes.

And here she is on the downhill slope, with the city behind her.

While schools and churches are closed, we figured meeting with friends out in the great outdoors, would be low risk.  It was a great fun time.  We celebrated with Roundtable Pizza for dinner at home.

Remaining Calm

If you're from Seattle, you may recall the motto of the famous Ivar's Seafood Restaurants: "Keep Clam" Of course, that was a pun on the phrase "Keep Calm", similar to the safety tip for boating.

We were alway taught if you fall into Puget Sound and the shock of the 40 degree water hits you, the first step is "Remain Calm", or as my loving lifeguard mother put it: "Don't Panic!"

Likewise if a viral pandemic breaks out, we need to follow a similar pattern, not on moral grounds, but on health grounds.  Having trouble keeping calm? Here's a helpful word from a scientific source:  Regaining Your Calm

Having trouble keeping calm? People of faith can exercise calm when reasons to fear materialize.  Scriptures such as this one from Ephesians can help us keep the shield of faith protecting us when fear rears its head:

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

BFA High School Retreat

Maggie, Lydia, and Johanna to spend the weekend in Freiburg with their whole high school!

Maggie is the central pillar in this pyramid of princesses.  

And three sisters found a sunny spot to record the memory.

Maggie in BFA Play: "Into the Woods"

She played the role of Jack's Mother

Here she is with her friends and cast members during rehearsal.

Here she sings a number as part of a chorus.

Enjoying a celebration special smoking meal at a local Asian restaurant.  

With her sister Clara and mother Renee who surprised her to see the performances!

Winter Sunday Drive to Terelj National Park

Sunday we drove out on improved roads 2 hours to the National Park with our friends, whose daughters attend school with Clara.

We were looking at places for our summer meeting with missionaries and our sending church Westgate Chapel who are coming from Toledo, Ohio.

The kids enjoyed some sledding up next to those rocky mountains.

And this place had a porch swing and ice rink!

The cold was as striking as the scenery. 

But the kids stayed warm skating while the parents were warmed by the sun.  

It was a great day!

Winter Outdoor Activities

Josiah feeds bread to the pigeons outside our apartments. 

 Sledding with Clara at a camp by called "Chinggis Hurray" by the airport in UB

 Playing on the creek ice up the Nukht valley.

Josiah stands on a petrified log at tourist camp after sledding.

It's warming up outside now in February.  I think I saw if hit 31 degrees Fahrenheit already one sunny day.  

Winter Home Scenes

After getting our furniture from Darhan in January, it was time for house warming!

Our teammate's birthday was February 1st, so Renee made pies for her.  Here is Ruth and her son Angel as she blows out the candles. We all played "Guestures".  I wish I had pictures of that 'charades'-type game.  It was a good time.  

Josiah has more time for Lego projects now that school is canceled for more than a month!

But it also means more time at the kitchen table with his mom in charge of his home schooling.  Clara is able to do hers more independently via the internet, but still has a lot of home work.  

Winter Weather Crises on Mongolia Culture

This is a good story on the effect of a winter storm from 20 years ago on one family: https://www.npr.org/2020/01/28/800592753/a-decade-of-dzud-lessons-from-mongolias-deadly-winters

Mongolian 'blizzards' get a lot of foreign press.  This story is more circumspect in describing one microcosm of the Mongolian en masse migration to the capital, and the general citification of this land of pastoral herdsman nomads.  The article touches on how extreme weather can cause culture changing cycles, which are also affected by animals numbers, over-grazing and rancher's preparation.

Precautions for New Flu Virus in China Reduces Activity

It's not a pressing clear and present danger in Mongolia.  There have been no cases of China's latest  flu crisis here.  As in other countries, the much more likely risk is your local domestic flu virus.

But in order to prevent a crisis here, Mongolian officials closed the land border with their southern neighbor last week, as well as all universities, schools, pre-schools, trainings and public gatherings.  The kids' teachers still have to show up to work.  We were there yesterday to pick up their homework.  and books.  Many of their lessons will continue via internet for Clara.  Josiah is reading a lot more with his mom, getting a little taste of what home school was like for his sisters.

The government order means our trainings with basketball and Alpha must stop, as well as church meetings until March 1st.  Last Sunday we worshipped together without kids' church and without greeting time.  Some people wore masks.  More Mongolians are doing that at work now too.

We are wondering how this government step will affect the Mongolian Lunar New Year celebrations in late February.  That's the one where friends and family visit up to 10 homes over 5-10 days for feasting and greetings.  God knows.  He  is able to heal and protect.  As we pray for people in China, we also pray He will keep Mongolia safe and make this break a blessing for his purposes.

Mongolia Basketball Academy Starting Small

We were so grateful to God to get the same space where November's training occurred rented twice a week.  They were not sure they wanted to rent to us since they had their own basketball coach employed to offer lessons.  But by the grace of God we signed a contract and started last week!

We have had a little trouble getting many of the 30 coaches to come out to train as Academy coaches. Many of them have coaching jobs at schools.  Some were coaching at the National University!  One day only one coach showed up with his 9 year old kid.  Today was a bit better.  Two coaches and 5 kids.  It is a humble beginning, but I believe we're gaining momentum:

These 10 year olds are off and running, and learning fast!

Alpha Course Starting Strong

The Alpha Course that we wanted to start with our English speaking church is off to a good beginning.  Thanks mostly to our Mongolian speaking church's involvement, we had over 45 people show up the first week.  So we run the videos in Mongolian with English subtitles running at the English table.  The food, film and fellowship that follow have all been enjoyable.  Not bad entertainment on cold Thursday nights in January.  We're planning to meet 10 consecutive weeks.

Week two had less people, but still we sat around 5 tables.   Here's a look at last week during the discussion time.  Renee enjoys a brief minute sitting down...

after working in the kitchen to help make, serve and clean up from the meal.  Looking forward to this week's turnout. 

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

It was great to have the older girls home for 3 weeks from Germany.  We made some great memories and did some traveling.  Here they showing off their last Christmas presents to arrive and be opened.  The girls all got personalized necklaces and Josiah got two new books of jokes.  

We all missed them when they had to return on January 5th.  

But we're hearing good things and seems like they're happy to be back to their friends and activities.  

Bringing Girls Home for Holidays

In front of their dorm they share with 17 girls and 4 staff.

On a walk on trails outside the village.

In a little pasta restaurant in the village.

Boarding the plane from Germany with Toby, their classmate from Darhan.

In Moscow on the way to Mongolia, they're not in a one-room school house anymore.

But thank God they're home for Christmas!

Visiting Girls in Germany

It's a quaint little corner of the Black Forest

where the girls attend school.

Here we are in their dorm room.

And downtown during one of the village's 

Christmas festival nights.  

Conference and Sightseeing in Spain

We were treated to a break from Mongolian winter weather this past week,

by attending a conference with Alliance leaders in southern Spain.

Days were warm enough to be comfortable on the beach in t-shirts,

or conference clothes.  

Sunday we got away to see the Rock of Gibraltar with a group of nine.

That is the northern tip of Africa visible above the tree and below the seagull.

It was fun to see and walk down with so many great people.