Hey friends!
its been awhile since we posted! internet in China was a challenge and a lot of websites were blocked including our blog site. our time in indonesia finished up well. we did some surfing in Kuta before heading to beijing and it was a lot of fun! Kuta was a lot more like what I thought Bali would be like and I'm glad we didn't spend much time there. The beaches were great but it was awesome to spend so much time with the locals and in more remote areas of indonesia. We did rent a mo-ped one day and found our way out to Tannah Lot - a touristy temple that sits out in the ocean - very beautiful at sunset - getting home in the dark driving on the left side was its own adventure though that's for sure!
china was interesting... i was surprised that although they just hosted the olympics there was hardly any english! but there were definitely a lot of chinese!!!!! streets were always packed! eating was a challenge and definitely not like the chinese food we have back home. we tried a number of things - including these miniature candied apples (not that great) and craig and i spent the most time (likely due to our attempt at the local food) we've spent so far on the can - aka squatting. even in really nice brand new buildings - there are squat toilets - they just come equipped with flush censors - so strange. I think the only really successful street food we tried were sweet potatoes they cook on these big drums! That's what Craig has peeled and is eating in the picture below. Tienneman square (the tall pillars pic), the forbidden city (you can see the entrance to it just behind the soldiers) and the great wall were very interesting - the great wall was very impressive! we also went to an amazing acrobatics show - the contorsionists were unbelieveable and the chinese really can fly! 5 days was more than enough in beijing though. the hustle and bustle of the city and the very unpleasant random smells are not missed.
and now we are in Mongolia! just arrived yesterday and what a warm welcome everyone has given us!!! The folks here at Christian VET Net have been great at showing us the ropes and making us feel at home. our 1st night here we enjoyed an amazing meal hosted by the Gaine Family. Spaghetti, garlic toast and salad! It was great to eat a meal we recognized after attempting to eat in China and so nice to enjoy a meal in a home and not in a restaurant! Glenn & Kathy are sitting on the couch next to us - Glenn is one of the large animal vets here and Kathy directs the education of countryside children. Kit & Warren are both visiting from the USA and are on the board at CVM. We were also taken to a traditional Mongolian cultural evening full of music, dancing and singing. Apparently everyone in Mongolia loves to sing and you can tell - they are awesome! Yesterday they took us to the market to buy warm clothes so I am now the proud owner of a handmade camel wool sweater and craig of a yak wool sweater! And last night we were invited by Karen (a small animal vet) to visit her friend who's running an awesome program helping prostitutes and alcoholics turn their lives around, get off the streets and learn life skills. it was a special evening as we were able to meet one of the women who's been a part of the program and several others who are helping to work alongside these people! The picture of the women are some of those involved in this ministry work! Tomorrow we head to the countryside for 2 weeks - 4 days by van on just wagon wheel tracks - we'll be very close to the Russia, Chinese, Kazikstan borders and will be staying in Ger's, the nomadic herdsman's version of a teepee. They are just simple white round buildings easy to put up & easy to take down! We'll be travelling with a couple vets and a translator. We'll be visiting a number of herdsmen that came for some initial training in the capital city awhile ago to see how they are doing at implementing some of the things they learned. We'll also have many chances to share about life stories and our faith in Jesus, they are extremely open and love talking with foreigners! We are very excited! If you could pray for our safety and health - that would be great. And also for Craig and I as we prepare a few different discussions and presentations. Lots of Love!
