We have had a fun week!  It started Monday evening as we drove to Nalaikh for family home evening.  It was sleeting a little and sooo cold that half way there the windshield wipers froze and so we had to drive with ice on the windshield.  The roads were icy and we were in the mini van so it took us an hour to make a 35 minute drive.  After the meeting we drove Bolorsaikhan home in the ger district.  The roads there are all dirt usually but that night they were ice.  We could not get traction enough to go up a small incline and were stuck there trying for 20 minutes.  Finally Tom kept backing up until he was level enough to get the van moving and we were able to get back to a paved road.  I should have taken pictures of us trying and of the Mongolian couple that did not speak any English that was trying to help, but I was too busy praying that we would not have to stay out there all night in the -20* F weather!  And on the way home, the wipers froze again!

 On Thursday, we had our Thanksgiving feast with all the couples in President and Sister Clark's apartment.  Yes, Sister Clark found a turkey at the American goods store!! And the couples prepared all the trimmings: stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, yams, green bean casserole, rolls with raspberry butter, and pumpkin desserts!  President Clark is telling one of his jokes.  We had a wonderful evening.

 On Saturday we went to Nalaikh for an activity.  While I was inside helping to set up, Tom was outside helping to shovel snow from the church parking lot.

 The activity was a Memory Book celebration.  We had three full tables of people and a few more that we squeezed in as they arrived a little late.  A great turn out.

First they had people represent each of the sections in a memory book and tell about what they put into those sections.

 Then some shared their memory books.  This is Nara and she is the district family history person.  She travels to all the branches and helps put on these activities to promote family history.  We happened to see her at the bus stop and gave her a ride.  She speaks pretty good English.  She served her mission in the Ukraine.

 She is one of the first members of the Church in Nalaikh.  She was showing temple cards of ancestors she has done the temple work for. 

And this was one of the younger people who shared his memory book.  He is showing his family tree sheet with pictures of his immediate family.  Everyone was given information about how to start their memory book, what they can put in it, and how to do their family history.  It was a great activity!

Today Elder and Sister Gledhill dropped us off in Nalaikh as they drove to Bagnuur for church.  After the block time, we attended the branch's ward council.  We are trying to help them hold productive councils.  Then we rode the bus back to the city.  By the time we got back to the apartment it was after 4:00 pm and my toes were frozen!  But overall it has been a wonderful day and a great week.

 On Tuesday we went to lunch with Marta and her family.  They were here in UB because on Wednesday they left to go to the Hong Kong temple.  Marta and her brother will be sealed to their parents.  Her sister was sealed to them ten years ago.  They were so excited and we were excited for them!

 This is Elder and Sister Hunt who came in last Wednesday.  They were put right to work and have a busy teaching schedule like we did when we got here.

 And this is Elder and Sister Lamoreaux.  They got here this Wednesday and are from Orem, Utah.  They left early Thursday morning for Erdenet where they will be serving.   So we all went out to dinner Wednesday night to say hello and good-bye to them at the same time.

Mongolian snowmen!!  These were in the parking lot of the Nalaikh chapel this morning.  A group of young adults there have started a community service group called, ANT.  Yesterday they had shoveled the snow from the parking area at the chapel.  Saturday they are going to assist the local police and clean the ice from the main roadways in Nalaikh.  That is good because the roads were quite icy today.  We rode to church with a member of the district presidency as it was branch conference today.  We were so glad since this morning it was a nippy -21* F!  Just a little bit cool!!

Monday we held a Book of Mormon jeopardy night with our family home evening group in Nalaikh.  It was on the first five books.  They had studied and did really well.  In three weeks they want to do the next four or five books.

On Wednesday our new senior couple arrived.  They are Elder and Sister Hunt from the Salt Lake area.  They will be working in the PEF and so that means they will be working with us.  We are so excited to no longer being the only couple in the basement of the mission office building again.  We have have been done there alone since the Clarks went home in July.  Of course we are never really alone down there.  It is also office to Miigaa, our translator/secretary, Batsengel in the BYUH online computer lab, President Odgerel who is over Seminary and Institute, and his secretary, Bolormaa.

On Thursday evening and Friday morning we taught this group of missionaries the 6 temple preparation classes.  Eeggy, in the middle on the back row, translated for us.  She also goes to the Missionary training center with them to translate and help them.  Friday afternoon five of them left for the MTC in Manila and will serve here in Mongolia.  The others are going to the MTC in Provo and will serve in the US and Canada.

Today we did not have a car to drive to Nalaikh for church so we tried to take the bus.  We waited for 45 minutes in -9 degree weather but no bus to Nalaikh came.  When our cheeks felt frozen, our fingers were stinging, and our toes were numb, we gave up and went to church in the Sansar branch that meets in the mission building.  Don't know what we are going to do when it really gets cold here!!  But it will work out.

No pictures this week.  We did not have internet in the office for a few days so not alot of work was done during that time.  But now the internet connections have all been upgraded in the building so we should have no more interruptions.
Last Sunday we were approached by a young couple as we were in the middle of crossing the street.  They were interested in learning about the Church.  We contacted the full time Elders and they set up a meeting for Tuesday evening.  We were to take part in the lesson.  Unfortunately the couple, T.J. and Zolo, did not come.  We were very disappointed but pray they will come by again so we can answer their questions.  But on Monday evening as we were heading home after returning from Family Home Evening, we were asked by Elder Jolley and his new companion to help them teach a new member discussion to a young lady that had been baptized on Friday.  That was neat!
It is getting colder and I have worn my heavy coat a couple of times when out at night.  Elder Shrope is still just in his suit jacket.  The Mongolian people think he is a little crazy because they are in coats and gloves!  But he thinks his coat is too hot to wear just yet.
We finished our eight weeks of Thursday night lessons to prepare those who want to take the Michigan test, an English proficiency exam.  Since most were pretty good at their English, we concentrated on helping them with testing hints and practices.  Now this week we will give them the exam and see how well they do.  They were a great class and I think some of them will pass the exam.
We have a busy week this week with teaching temple prep classes to a group of missionaries that will be leaving for the MTC in Manila, and also welcoming a new senior couple!