Had a sad time this week.  We had to say good-bye to Elder and Sister Ford and let them return to the States to their family.  We miss them already!

But on Wednesday afternoon we had a farewell party for them with others that work in the building and have worked with the Fords in the office.  A group of the Mongolians plus Elders Richardson and Hunt sang a Mongolian song for them.  It was lovely.

 Elder Ford turned his hat over to Elder Shrope as we are now the senior Senior couple, not counting President and Sister Clark of course.  That means we have been here the longest of the couples that are here now.  He also gave the hat because everyone was always concerned about Elder Shrope because he never wore a hat in the cold and everyone else does.  It is a German hat which fits well because Shrope is a German name!

On Friday we went to Nalaikh because we thought there was a baptism.  But there wasn't so we drove a short ways on a road we had never been on before.  As we enter the area of Nalaikh that goes to the chapel, there is a fork in the road.  We always take the road to the left but this time we took the road to the right.  There was nothing much out there except some radar towers and a couple of graveyards, but as we came back we got to see a view of a different side of Nalaikh.  We have now seen it from three sides.  Maybe someday we will drive straight through and then turn around and see it from the fourth side!  It looks quite large for little town.