Happy New Year, everyone!!  We hope that 2012 holds many wonderful blessings for you.  Since this is the big holiday here, this week has been light at work with everyone having Thursday and Friday off.  But we did do some fun activities.

 On Friday evening we attended the RM Ball for returned missionaries.  This was the lovely banner that hung at one end of the hall.

 This is two returned missionaries that we know.  Bolorsaikhan served her mission in Washington DC, and Tsolmon served his mission here in Mongolia.  They are a lovely young couple that are dating.

 Batsengel was dressed festive for the evening.  She is a sweet young lady who works in the office downstairs near ours.  She served her mission in Mesa AZ.

 The dance was more of a show with singers, musicians, dancers, and a magician.  Here is Soyolmaa singing a song with her husband, Enkhbold.  She is the head of the service center at the mission office and he is bishop of the Sansar branch.

 Then there was some time for dancing.  These were some of the married couples.

 And then there were the singles dancing with each other.  It was an enjoyable evening but of course the senior couples went home before it was over.  Those that had planned this evening put in a lot of time and it turned out great.

 On Saturday the senior couples went to a steak house we had never been to before for lunch.  It was pretty good and they gave you lots of food.  I had to bring half of mine home to eat for dinner.  After lunch we all went to see the ice sculptures in the plaza.  They were beautiful.  And here we have the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building.

Then last night four of us couples got together to play games as we welcomed the New Year.  And there were fireworks going off all around the city til long after midnight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!  We finally had a White Christmas!!! Of course it has been white here all month!  But before I get into our Christmas activities let me tell you about the whole week.  First Elder Shrope got a new computer in the office but of course now his printer will not work.  I got his old one because it was newer than mine and of course it will not recognize my printer yet, so no printing in our office!  But eventually the techs from upstairs in the service department will get it all fixed for us.

 On Thursday evening and Friday morning we taught the first 6 temple lessons to these three new missionaries.  Iggy was our translator and she will also escort these missionaries to Manila to the MTC and temple.  They leave tomorrow afternoon.
Yesterday morning all the senior couples had Christmas breakfast in the mission home.  It was very nice and very festive.  A great start to our Christmas celebration.

 Then last night we went to Nalaikh and had Christmas Eve dinner with Bolosaikhan's family along with the fulltime missionaries serving there.  We had Mongolian buuzs, potato salad, and fruit salad.  All very good.  Then there was singing, dancing, and even a little Michael Jackson impersonation.  Bolorsaikhan's father played the harmonica.  It was a fun night.  When we were leaving, we put money on the Christmas tree for the kids.  That is a Mongolian tradition.  Also they do not have gifts until Dec. 31 and they are brought by Father Winter (Santa dressed in white).
This morning we got to skype with our oldest son, Steve, and his family in Cedar City Utah.  Our granddaughter, Becky, played us two Christmas songs she has just learned on the piano.  It was so good to see and talk with them.  Boy the kids have really grown since we have been gone.

 Then we went to church.  We got there early and got to watch them practice for the sacrament program.  This is Enkhmuren and she conducted the choir.  Her mom is in the hospital and after church she returned to the city with us and came home with us to wait for the Christmas program put on by the district choir.

 

 This was part of the branch choir practicing.  They sang several songs including two in English.  They are all young people.  And they did a beautiful job.  The primary children also sang two songs and were just darling.

 Here I am following along as they do a run through of the program.  This is their first Christmas program that was a scriptural reading with songs by the Primary and choir intermingled in the readings.  Usually they just have speakers like any other Sunday.  It was great and they were excited to do it.

Then tonight we went to listen to the district choir program.  They did songs in Mongolian and English.  President Clark did a solo part in "O Holy Night."  It was a wonderful performance that really made it feel like Christmas.  And the Spirit was so strong during their singing that it brought tears to my eyes.  Except for the hour bus ride home from Nalaikh in which the bus was so crowded that we had to stand the whole way, this has been a wonderful and spiritual Christmas day!!  Hope all our friends and family also have a wonderful Christmas and may the Spirit of Christ be with you today and through out the coming year.  Love to you all.

 Well it is almost Christmas.  Here is our little tree with some gifts from our kids.  This week also marked our half way point of our mission!!  It sure has gone by fast!!!  Probably because it is sooo great.

 On Friday we had a baptism at Nalaikh of a nine year old girl.  Her grandmother is one of the first members in Nalaikh and faithfully attends every week.  She was very proud of her granddaughter and her granddaughter was so excited she was greeting everyone that came to her baptism.

Naranbaatar is a priest and this was his first baptism.  It took him a while to get the prayer correct.  Unfortunately the hot water heater is not working and the water in the font was sooo cold that the young lady was still shivering a half hour later!  But the cold water didn't dampen her spirit at all.  Wonderful baptism.

This has been kind of a light week.  We did not teach English this week because Altan went on a trip to China with her sons.  Monday night we took the Twister game to family home evening and it was a hit.  They loved playing it.  Of course we drove the van (because no one wants to be the first to put a scratch on the new Land Cruiser) and we almost didn't get out of the church driveway because it was icy! 
At the office this week, I decorated our door for Christmas, we put up the Christmas tree for our area(which was very easy because it is stored completely decorated!), gave the last Michigan test for this year to Battsengel, and got her test and all of the test booklets mailed off to BYU Hawaii.
Friday Elder Shrope finally drove the new vehicle so that we could go to Nalaikh and attend the baptism of a lady.  She is such a sweet sister and even though her husband does not want to come to church, he was still there to support her at her baptism.  Most of the time the person being baptized is the only one in the family and none of the rest come, so this was special.
Today we rode the bus home from Nalaikh and by the time we got home my toes were so cold I thought they would crack off.  It is not really that cold here yet, but the floorboard of the bus is so cold my feet freeze!
We have been looking for a hat for Elder Shrope.  He thought he might like to look 'cool' like some of the young men in Nalaikh and get one like this---

It also has a long fox tail in the back.  Don't you think that is the real him?

  On Friday we had a baptism at the Nalaikh branch.  This young man was baptized and will be a great addition to the Priest quorum and the branch.  He has been coming to FHE on Monday nights and we really enjoy having him there.

 On Sat. morning we held a Reverse MTC for these 6 missionaries that have finished their missions and are now going home.  The one in the middle with the orange sweater, Sister Naraganvuu, served these last six months in Nalaikh and always had a big smile and a big hug for me every Sunday.  We will miss her and are so happy that we got this time to get to know her.  We know that she will serve her home branch well, as will all of these returned missionaries.

 And on Wednesday afternoon, we put up the tree and decorated it in the mission office to get ready for Christmas.  At the apartment I put out the nativity that Batbayar, Miigaa's husband, carved for me. 

Here is a close up so you can see the Mongolian features on Mary and Joseph.  He did such a beautiful job and I just love it!  It is almost Christmas and we have now been on our mission for eleven months!! Boy how the time has flown!!!