Pictures 4/10/07

Below you can see additional pictures that I could not include in the Prayer Update e-mails.

 

Click here to return to the Prayer Updates page

 

A moment of recognition and congratulation before Derrick headed back

to the States to take on his farming responsibilities. We miss him

in Mongolia, but are grateful he could join us for a month. 

 

I showed Matthew how to make an airplane out of paper, and over

the next few days he made several more, including this larger one.

 

Bayasgalan, one of the character teachers that attended our trainings

joined our family for a meal. This man is leading an organization that

provides character and ethics trainings for schools in Ulaanbaatar.

 

His little boy looked very cute in his Mongolian outfit.

 

It is a blessing to be here together as a family!

I really appreciate being able to have good discussions

with Mom and Dad as questions and situations arise.

 

Pujee and Erdenee with baby Ankhiluunsaraana. In April Pujee was able

to resume the project of translating the Basic Seminar transcripts

into the Mongolian language.

 

Chingis, one of our staff, sharing how the wood duck illustrates

obedience at a World Vision training.

 

Community leaders in the area take the character training, and teach

those under their care.

 

Christmas cards! Near the end of January we received another

package of mail, and we enjoyed reading the Christmas letters from

many friends in the States. -We actually received a Christmas

package in March that was sent last December!  :-)

 

Sarah teaching the children's program at Family Night, with Puujee

translating. (This Puujee works with us full time, and is different from

Erdenee's Pujee that is translating the Basic Seminar.)

 

The Sunday after we learned of Pastor Enkhee's Homegoing, we heard

special testimonies from several that had been greatly impacted by

Enkhee's life and testimony.

 

More testimonies were shared at the funeral on the following Monday.

Pastor Dugermaa, (on the right) had been a professor at the Mongolian

Agricultural University where he and Enkhee were both strong Atheists.

Both professors came to Christ, and served together as leaders of

the Holy Way church for many years.

 

It was hard to hold back the tears as we walked around the casket.

We will miss Enkhee's enthusiasm and love for people, but we are

glad that he is with the Lord, never to suffer pain again.

 

We packed into busses, cars and vans for the drive out to the

cemetery. You would have to understand some of the the Mongolian

culture and traditions to fully appreciate how very unusual this large

procession was.

 

In contrast to the fear and uncertainties of a Buddhist burial, we

rejoice in the certainty that we will see our pastor again!

 

Around two hundred people came for the burial on the same hill

where Isaac's body was buried just a year and a half earlier.

 

We packed into the van, micro-bus style, for the ride back.

(This bench was designed to seat three people.)

 

A very elegant dinner was served afterwards, and Sodnom

(Enkhee's wife) shared another testimony of God's faithfulness.

 

Rachelle teaching at the World Vision headquarters. In this training

we have the freedom to teach right from the Bible. These leaders

have responsibility for the mental and spiritual development of

55,000 children in Mongolia.

 

A ger district in the evening. Note the brown cloud of smoke above

as these little homes are heated with wood and coal.

 

This interesting little building in the center of the intersection is

used by the traffic police. The red light suggests that the cars stop.

 

Together again! Mom and Dad return from Thailand.

 

Among other things, Mom and Dad brought home a package of

saffron. This spice is made from the stigma of a saffron crocus flower

and is known as the most expensive spice in the world. To buy

this much saffron in the States would probably cost hundreds of dollars

but it was quite inexpensive in Thailand. My Mother's side of the family

uses saffron in certain sweet breads for special occasions. 

 

The Waller children surprised our parents with some large framed

pictures of our family.

 

Happy Tsagaansar! Pastor Dugermaa in traditional

Mongolian dress plays the morinkhur.

 

Visiting Dorbat's family.

 

Ariuna, (a Singaporian lady wearing the red del) knows Mongolian,

and helped us with some translation as we talked with Dorbat's mother.

 

It was a good time of fellowship. I talked with Dorjpurev, who has just

started working for World Vision in the computer department.

 

Here you can see a closer view of some of the food. The thermos has

"milk tea", a salty tea mixed with milk. -delicious, after you get used

to it.  :-)  On the left you can see the sheep back, complete with tail.

On the right is the special tower of bread. Older people make a taller

tower, but it always has to be an odd number of layers.

 

Lydia played shagai, a little like playing marbles, but using sheep

ankle bones. It is a very popular traditional toy.

 

This little visitor, dressed in his del, was learning how to give the

traditional greeting.

 

At Enkhbold and Narantoya's home, we enjoyed another special

meal together. Here Narantoya shows Rachelle and Sarah some of

her pictures.

 

Photographs are prized possessions in Mongolian families, and

provide good opportunities for conversation.

 

The smaller Wallers were wondering when the tower would be taken

apart, so our gracious hosts took out a layer so we could try it. The

"bricks" are called "foot bread" and taste like a very hard plain

doughnut.

 

Their family would like to do some type of family ministry together,

like what our family is doing.

 

Tim teaching at the Mongolian International University where we teach

a regular accredited class on character. Even though we hold very

strict standards for cheating and class behavior, we heard that it was

one of the favorite classes among the students.

 

We had the opportunity to visit the home of Zula, (far left in the picture

below.) After attending the Financial Freedom Seminar, she purposed

that she would not go into debt, but would trust God to provide an

apartment for her.

 

She shared an incredible testimony of how God miraculously provided

this apartment debt-free! She calls it "God's house" and loves to

share the story of God's faithfulness to provide as we wait on Him.

 

Samuel and Sarah are the happy owners of two morinkhurs which

they are learning to play. Morinkhur means "horse fiddle" and comes

from the shape at the top.

 

Lydia with her vegetable creation.

 

It was quite an interesting carrot, to be sure!

- Note the garlic feet...

 

Tim teaching at Third Hospital.

 

A little helper holds the song sheet as Sarah and Puujee lead a

song for the children's program at Family Night.

 

Many of the children are quite young, but they love the children's

program, and faithfully bring their parents each "Family Night."

(The parents also receive teaching in the main session on principles

for raising a family, and on the Commands of Christ.)

 

I have enjoyed the opportunity to use my computer skills to help

a number of missionaries as needs arise. Here I set up a second

computer to attempt some data recovery from a failing hard drive.

 

Using some special software, I was able to scan the drive for about

11.5 hours before the drive finally died. About 60-70% of the data was

recovered, including pictures and other data that would have been

very difficult or impossible to replace.

 

Attending a little English church service on Sunday afternoon where

my Dad was preaching, we met this family that had just arrived in

Mongolia. We invited them to our home for dinner, and had a good

time of fellowship together.

 

Getting ready for the big adventure! Matthew had always wanted to

sleep in a ger, so we had a special family outing for his 9th birthday.

 

The ladies left to spent a day together at the New Tribes Mission

headquarters,...

 

...while the guys went out to stay in a ger.

 

It was a fun outing for the guys to spend time together.

 

We left all the computers and work projects at home, so it was good

to just take time to talk and relax a little.

 

The top of the ger has little windows, providing the main light during

the day. Most gers in the city have some electricity, as you see

pictured here.

 

This ger was built a little more for tourists, so it had a window in the

door as well. Mongolian custom is that you don't knock, you just

come in.  :-)

 

For supper we had "foil dinners," meat, chopped potatoes, carrots,

and onions, wrapped in foil and usually cooked on campfire coals.

It was windy and snowing, so we elected to try the coal/wood stove

inside the ger. I was surprised, but it actually worked very well, and

didn't burn our dinner to a crisp.  :-)

 

Pausing for picture before leaving for a hike up a mountain together.

 

It was a beautiful day for a hike! Sunny, and not too cold.

 

The wind had blown away a lot of the smoke from over the city,

so we had a good view of Ulaanbaatar as we climbed higher.

 

The going was rough and rocky, but thankfully not slippery or wet.

 

Dad wisely took the climb a bit slower. You get out of breath easily

with Ulaanbaatar at an elevation of 5,000 feet.

 

We don't have any mountains near us in Wisconsin, so it is fun to

enjoy this aspect of God's creation here in Mongolia.

 

With the clear day, I took the opportunity to get some video of the

city stretching out below us.

 

The view was beautiful.

 

Samuel and Matthew, barely visible among the rocks, take a rest.

We ate our lunch together here, overlooking the beautiful buildings

in the picture below.

 

This secluded spot across the river and between a couple mountains

is where the Prime Minister and President of Mongolia live.

 

Back in the ger, Matthew opens his birthday card from Grandpa.

 

The ger was part of a bed and breakfast known as the "Oasis" run

by a Christian Austrian couple. (Bear in mind that you can't get a

visa for traditional "mission" work in Mongolia.)

 

It didn't look like much of an oasis in March, but by summer the

watered garden areas are lush and green, blooming with flowers.

(In contrast to the rest of the ger district which doesn't get more than

a few blades of grass here and there.)

 

Think what it would be like to be the only Christian in your family,

and live in a ger. You can't just go to your room and shut the door.

 

I am so grateful for what God has done through my parents! They

had a vision to raise a Godly generation, and were willing to make

a lot of tough choices over the years. For years they faced the

questions, doubts and criticisms of many, but their patient

continuance in well doing is now bringing abundant fruit.

We are still very much learning and growing, but this has been a

special season of ministry here together!

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!! 

 

 

Click here to return to the Prayer Updates page