Mongolia Part 2....

When we got to Mongolia I was thinking that I might have a little down time and was surprised that I didn't. Arranging the logistics for 18 people for 8 of the 9 days we were there was pretty intense considering that there were several different sites with two different groups going different directions. We had to have two vans with an interpreter for each to drive the teams where they needed to be, and then another car/driver/interpreter for us to be able to get to either site, or run errands, get supplies, food, etc. There is a missionary couple serving there, the Dandoy's, who do a tremendous amount of work and have a great grasp on the country, culture, and where to go to purchase what we needed and so we teamed up with them. It was incredibly helpful and appreciated!

Ulaanbaatar is made up of different parts of the city. The main roads are paved but not very wide and there are no highways like there would be in other cities with 1.5 million people. There are also a lot of apartments, but the Ger districts are spread within and on the outskirts of the city and represent 800,000 of the 1.5 million people living there. Ger districts do not have paved roads and are not connected to city sewage, but do have electricity although spotty sometimes. There is a reason why all of the cars that the church own are SUVs... Seriously, it was like a ride at Disneyland but a little scary sometimes.

The traffic is so intense there, it can take 45 minutes or more to go 5 miles. If there is a space, you just move into it whether there is a lane or not. That is why we had to have drivers and most people in Mongolia do not speak English so you must have an interpreter as well. Sometimes there would be four cars trying to go different directions and I had to sing in my mind, "don't look, don't look, don't look".... One time, the traffic was so intense that our driver decided to drive through the river.... the R.I.V.E.R.... I was in the back and was saying, Wait, are you sure??? Wait, what? (Imagine a very panicked voice) Our driver just laughed and said, "It's ok Sister Kwan! We do it all the time." I couldn't tell how deep it was, and it was pretty crazy. I think our driver was enjoying the fact that I was freaked out.

Sister Dandoy and I prepared lunch for 5 of the 8 days so that they could have it at the work site to save time. Between the two teams we made 50 sandwiches a day, half meat/cheese and half peanut butter/jelly. Banana's, nuts, dried fruit, and water. Not exciting, but that is what we could get. So do the math, that is 250 sandwiches in 5 days... They were very appreciative but at the end we were all sick of eating them and we were sick of making them! Ha ha. We made the food the day before because we needed to send it with them when they left every morning. We also made the arrangements for group dinners, and any other logistical things that needed to be handled.

The first day we were at one of the Ger properties and the toilet is always outside... Like an outhouse that is wooden with two planks and a hole you very carefully squat over. I kept going over there and would open the door, look inside and then walk away deciding I could hold it.  I basically "held it" until 4:30 until I got back to the hotel where we were staying.

I remember sitting in a Ger thinking, "I'm in Outer Mongolia sitting in a Ger. WOW... With a flat screen TV, (what??) There was a 30-50 gallon water barrel in the ger with a scoop for water and a sink next to it which is how they cook, or wash up in side. It's a whole different cultural enviornment that is completely normal to them. In the mornings, they take their cart with a couple of water containers and go to a water station and fill their containers and bring them home.

Hong Kong was a big culture shock and adjustment for me, but I've decided that it is quite easy compared to what I saw elsewhere. :) I'm grateful I can just go to a store or wet-market and find fresh fruit and vegetables. Sometimes it's not there, but there are so many more options here than in Mongolia where those things are often tough to find. They say it is so much better than even a few years ago.

Perspective isn't just an amazing thing. It is everything. ... and so the adventure continues!

Sister Kwan

At the airport day one before we were sent home until the next day.
 Our 10 day trip turned into 9 but it ended up working out great.

Inside one of the Gers. Water barrel to the left with a
scoop for the water and the sink to the right.

The team from BYU team brought me 3 huge bags of milk chocolate chips!
We were able to find the rest of the ingredients in Mongolia and made
 chocolate chip cookies for the team. Had to borrow vanilla
from the Mission Presidents wife, but we made it work.

This is the kitchen of the missionary couple in Mongolia!
HUGE! It was amazing and about 6 times bigger
than ours in Hong Kong. (With a real oven, ha ha)

Sister Dandoy and me making sandwiches.

Ger

A Ger that is taken apart and ready to be
 retrofitted with the new insulation package.

A families outhouse by their Ger.

The inside of the outhouse... Yes those are
 two wooden boards you stand on.

A mother and her one year old daughter cleaning/washing the wood
pieces of the Ger that has been taken down to be ready to be retrofitted.
It was freezing outside, but they are just used to it.

This was the night that the team worked until 1:00am and we went and
picked up dinner. The team met us at the church where they
could warm up, clean up, use the bathroom, and eat
dinner real quick before going back to the site.

Family proclamation to the world in Mongolian.

Traditional Mongolian instrument.

A grocery store.

More food.

Not sure if this was mutton (older lamb) or horse meat,
but the pieces were HUGE. Different than a wet market in
 Hong Kong. All the meat looked frozen and they were cutting it up.

More frozen animals preparing to cut up and sell.
I got yelled at for taking pictures. (oops)