Our Week, 9/21 - 9/27

Our Dear, Dear Family:

We miss all of you so very much. Please do write; we need to hear from you.

Linda is finally over her illness, but jumping right back into her busy schedule has worn her out some. I am keeping very busy and am in good health. The weather is still unbelievably good here. Snow has been forecast several times, but even though we have had some cold rain, we have had not snow. Now snow is forecast again for next week. The afternoons are in the sixties, the mornings are barely down to freezing. I did, however, buy the rest of my winter clothing at the open market yesterday: a padded del (long robe) over which I will wear the sheepskin coat I brought from home, and a heavy mink hat made in Russia with ear flaps and a back neck flap. Linda brought the fur coat I bought for her here several years ago and a good supply of other winter clothing from home. We both have heavy, insulated boots with rubber cleats. The city has turned the heat on, so our apartment is actually too warm; and finally we have plenty of hot water.

Brother Mak from Hong Kong and Elder and Sister Phillips from Taiwan were here most of the week training us and our public affairs council and advisory board. They taught some good information that will help us with our work. This was Elder and Sister Phillips' first trip to Mongolia so they wanted to get out into the countryside, and Elder Phillips especially wanted to ride a yak. So, on Thursday afternoon Linda and I took them to Terelj, a resort in the mountains about two hours from the city. This was my first time driving in Mongolia, and having ridden with others and walked across many streets here, I found it much easier than I expected. The city traffic was a bit difficult to negotiate, but the rough country roads were a bit easier. The mountain sides were in full autumn color and very beautiful. We found a yak for Elder and Sister Phillips to ride (at the same spot where James rode a camel). We also arranged for them to ride a camel. They did enjoy their rides; but I did wish I had had a video camera to record Sister Phillips' facial grimaces and tight grip on the camel saddle when the animal got up and then down again (they raise up on their back legs first and then up on their front legs. It is a bit rough). We were very surprised to see a golf course along the way--the nineteen holes were surrounded by bright green artificial turf and in between everything was "the rough." And then the resort, which used to be an old Russian-built hotel, is now a five-star magnificent building, classical style in beautiful colors.

On Thursday I presented my returned missionary search and re-activate plan to the district presidency in the Ulaanbaatar District and their branch presidencies (there are twelve branches in Ulaanbaatar and another ten scattered around the country). The presentation went well, and now I will meet with the branch councils and speak in their sacrament meetings to get all of the branch members involved in this project.

I enjoyed a special experience on Friday morning: several of us met with the Red Cross in one of the ger districts (almost like a slum district) to present some of the 500 wheelchairs the Church sent here for needy people. It was a very touching experience: many of the wheelchairs were given to disabled children.

We had lunch on Friday with Orgil and his mother. His mother, Narangerel, is a former of parliament. I brought Orgil and his wife to UVSC to study. He later went on to Hollywood in study in an acting and directing school. He has made several movies here and directed others. He is now acting in a movie in Russia and another in Korea. He played the role of Genghis Khan in the BBC movie "Genghis Khan." It is interesting that when Orgil's wife gave birth to their first baby girl in Orem, we gave them the white crib that our babies had slept in. Now that little girl, Uroo, is in both Joshua's and Kim's classes at the American School here.

Yesterday Linda and her assistants held a Family History Training Seminar for the Family History representatives in the branches in Ulaanbaatar and other branches within a two-hour ride from here. They made cookies for the group at our apartment in the morning and then trained in the afternoon. Linda was very tired when she came home; but very pleased with how well the seminar went.

We are having a returned missionary fireside here in the headquarters building chapel tonight. The full-time missionaries, the returned missionaries, the branch presidents, and my office have worked together to get this together. We are hoping that many of our less-active missionaries will join us. I will speak; and the departing CES advisor, Elder Straud from Eager, Arizona, will also speak to them. This is also something of a farewell for Elder and Sister Straud. They leave on Tuesday.

Yesterday I found a short string of extremely nice Tibetan turquoise nuggets that matched a similar string I found a few weeks ago ($4.00 for the string) and then bought another necklace that had a nice pendant and small carved silver beads between rather ugly green beads. I took the necklace apart and strung the turquoise with the silver and added the pendant with two of the turquoise nuggets to create a beautiful necklace for Linda. She loves it and will wear it today. She said it is different, though, having someone make a necklace for her. It is opera-length, which she especially likes.

We love you and respect you so very much. You are a wonderful family. Our prayers are with you always.

Mother and Dad