Happy Thanksgiving from Mongolia!
Thanksgiving greetings to you and your loved ones!
I find myself incredibly grateful as this Thanksgiving week begins- not only for each of you and your part in this Mongolia journey, but also for the way that life has been unfolding itself here in Ulaanbaatar.
We are still in the midst of the swine flu quarantine. The government actually decided to extend it an additional two weeks this past week, so our “normal” continues to be something slightly different from what it will become once regular activities are permitted to resume.
We have increased the number of English lessons we’re teaching each week and we’re enjoying the sharing that occurs when we can share our language skills with those who can share their Mongolian skills with us in return. There is truly no better partnership then one born out of one another’s shared desire to learn something that the other has to offer. Teaching English has also reminded me of how many seemingly confusing grammatical rules we have! We usually teach while sharing cups of tea, baked goods and lots of laughter.
Holli and I also continue to serve with the hospice ministry, visiting patients and spending time with them in their homes as the hospice staff cares for them. I have found such beauty in these times of fellowship, prayer and physical presence to my brothers and sisters.
We’ve visited one of the Mongolian national parks, enjoyed some more cooking and baking challenges (everything from pretzels to tortillas to oatmeal cookies), explored the black market and continue to learn what it means to dress for the constant cold. I am continually amazed by the great gift it is to be able to create a life here in UB.
As part of our life together, Holli and I have committed to sharing in morning prayer with one another. During these daily times of reflection, one of the themes that has arisen is our desire to let go of our ideas of what work should be or should look like and simply be obedient to what is placed in front of us.
This quote from Mother Teresa has been a centering part of these prayers, “Our vocation consists in belonging to Jesus. The work is nothing but a means to express our love for him. That is why the work itself is not important. What is important is for you to belong to Jesus. And he is the one who offers you the means to express that belonging.”
My prayers are with you each as you celebrate Thanksgiving and move into this time of Advent. Thank you for your emails and words of encouragement- they so help to make Mongolia seem not quite so far away :- )
For more frequent updates, photos, stories and reflections, you can head to my blog, www.ouatinreallife.blogspot.com.
By: Erin Eidenshink On 12/1/2009
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