Baby Bundles

Lately I have been trying to explain how people keep their babies warm in Mongolia and I ran across this picture:

Keep in mind that this is indoors. You have to add about 4-5 more layers to go outside, but this is the general idea.

Thailand

At the beginning of November we went to a Samaritan's Purse Eurasia Ministry/Training Conference in Thailand. The first part was some project planning and grant writing training and the last part was a ministry retreat. We were so blessed to stay in a beautiful resort about 2 and 1/2 hours south of Bangkok. It was a fun time to get together with fellow SP workers from Europe and Asia and hear about what's going on in other parts of the world as well as a time to be spiritually refreshed. At the end of the retreat Tom and I spend 3 days in Bangkok on a mini-vacation before he headed back to Mongolia for a couple weeks and I went to the States as I wouldn't have been able to fly any later. Here are some pictures from our time in Thailand:

Our SP Mongolia staff who attended the retreat, Tom, myself, Gany, Tuya and Ada.

On our porch swing outside our room.

Tom on the water slide.

8 1/2 months pregnant, playing water polo.

Our staff and Joel (SP China).

Not a great pic, but just so it doesn't look like it's all fun and games. This is myself, Ada, Jerry and Carloes doing some logframes.

On our mini-vacation in Bangkok. This is the pool on the top of our hotel.

Our fancy Italian dinner at L'Opera, thank you JP.

33 Weeks

It's time to give the "how big is Em?" update. You'll notice we tried to replicate the first photo; however, we felt the picture should be horizontalized to better accentuate the protuberance of the belly.

A Divine Reminder

Tom - Hello friends, family, and whoever else happens to stumble upon this little blog of ours. Yes, it's been a long time since we gave an update, and it's bad form, I know. It's just, sometimes it feels like more work, and that's the last thing we've needed in the last few months. We do want to keep you updated on our lives as best we can, so I'd like to take a moment to share with you what's been on my heart lately.

The truth is, over the last few months, I have been completely consumed with work. My wife can verify this. It's enjoyable and rewarding work that has taken me to places I never thought I'd see and allowed me to be in pictures that I'm sure I don't belong in. Not that everyday is an adventure. Trust me, most days are rather boring and there is little else to do but work. God has allowed the work here to grow and it's been exciting to watch things develop, but it's been very stressful running around all day thinking that I'm the one making it happen. I'm learning that even a "ministry" can easily become an idol, something that takes our eyes off Jesus. Very soon, we find ourselves seeking after selfish ambition and the approval of others - things that the world tells us are important. Jesus tells his disciples, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Jesus in his mercy and infinite love has been reminding me recently that he is all I need and all I could ever want out of life. I feel confident that He has led us to Mongolia primarily to draw us closer to him and teach us his ways. I don't know why he chose to bring us so far to do this, he could have done it anywhere. I know that if we are to be a blessing to this nation, it will only be because we are daily submitting ourselves to the refining fire of a close walk with Jesus. The sweetest thing in life is to trust in Jesus no matter where in this world we find ourselves. It is so much more rewarding than any profession or "ministry" could ever be.

We're having a baby!

Another bit of exciting new is we're having a baby!  Probably a girl, and she's due in December.  We'll come back to the States to give birth and we are really excited!!  Here is a picture of me 21 weeks pregnant:  

July Highlights

Wow, we just really can't keep up with this blog.  I can't believe we missed July.  I'll give you a few highlights from the past month or so.  At the end of June we went on a long road trip for work.  It was myself, Tom, our driver Khuyaga and one of our lovely Mongolian staff members, Tuya.  We started off heading south into the Gobi desert to visit a couple CHP families (see Tom's video in the last post) and then West to a couple of beautiful places to check out some potential partners.  Finally we came back up north and then east back home.  It was really great to get out of UB and check out the Mongolian countryside.  It is such a unique, beautiful place and so different than anywhere else I've ever been.  

Right when we got back from that trip we took a very mini vacation to a place called Hovsgol.  This is the same place I went to in March for the ice festival but this time it was a totally different experience.  Although, I was expecting to go swimming in the lake, but it was not nearly as warm as I though it would be.  It was a lot of fun because we met up with some friends and spent a few days hiking, playing games, taking our boat out on the river and relaxing.  

There was a national festival called Nadaam in the middle of the month during which the three sports of Mongolia are celebrated: wrestling, horse racing and archery.  We also got to enjoy ankle bone flicking and some very cool horse acrobatics.  One of the last Saturdays in July Tom and I took a taxi about 40 km out side the city to the national park and we spent the day floating down the river in our little raft.  It was a lot of fun and a different way to enjoy Mongolia.  

Here a few pictures of our different adventures:

Floating down the river.

One of the jockeys from a horse race (yes, he really is about 6 years old).

Wresting during Nadaam at the stadium where the opening ceremony took place. 

Lake Hovsgol

A rest stop on our road trip.  

Road trip.  

Visiting a CHP family in the Gobi desert