Friday June 1 is Children's Day in Mongolia. Unlike the same holiday in China where I was forced to perform for my students in a teacher/parent talent show, this holiday is a lot less stressful for adults. Everyone gets the day off and kids spend it going to the Children's Park (a sort-of amusement park) and doing other fun things. Here in Mongolia the holiday has also kind of morphed into a Mother's Day celebration as well. I spent the day very excitingly in my office, enjoying the time alone and getting caught up on stuff.
On Saturday I experienced the first real rain since coming to Mongolia. The precipitation that I have previously experienced here has all been snow, though it has rained a little, but always at night when I'm sleeping. It was a welcome sight to have some rain.
On Sunday I discovered that my Bishop had moved to the US. He had told me goodbye the previous Sunday but I thought he was just going to visit. His three kids live in the US and his wife has been there for a month and a half already. I'm super sorry to see them both leave, but seeing as I won't be here that much longer I'm not that upset. He was seriously one of the best bishops I've ever had. I haven't felt so well taken care of by a bishopric since my the ward I grew up in. I really hope that I get to see him in the US sometime in the future.
Today I went to my third (and probably final) International Women's Association of Mongolia (IWAM) meeting. This is an organization of mostly ex-pat women who are living in Ulaanbaatar. They have on-going service projects and give to other charities and organizations. I am a member but I also happened to be the guest speaker for today's meeting, talking about Habitat and what we do here (and trying to drum up support/money as usual). My presentation went well and I got a list of people interested in helping (though I'm not sure with what yet). I really enjoy going to IWAM meetings. At these meetings and for a few hours after them is really the only time that I wish I could stay in Mongolia. I want to be friends with these women and volunteer at the various charitable institutions that they help with, but alas, I have a job and I'm leaving next month.
Which brings me to my next update: I will be back in the good ol' US of A in less than 2 months. I leave Mongolia in approximately (don't have my ticket yet) 38 days and then will travel around and fly to California on August 4. I'm kind of stoked about this despite my lack of life plans after that.
Lastly, I am very sad to report that my Grandma Ruth passed away on Friday. I found out Sunday morning from an email that my brother sent me and then immediately called my mom. This was not unexpected as she was 90 years old and her health and mental state have been declining the past few months, and then very rapidly the past two weeks after doctors discovered cancer. Three of her children (including my mom) were there when she died and she was on enough pain killers that it was hopefully painless for her.
I'm so grateful that I was able to see her right before I left for Mongolia and that she was still doing quite well. I was kind of upset when I went to church on Sunday after having just talked to my mom about it, even though this was expected. I'm super grateful for the sweet Young Women in my ward who gave me hugs after I mentioned why I was sad in my testimony at the end of the Young Women's lesson that I was teaching. Grandma Ruth's funeral will be this Saturday and I'm pretty disappointed that I'm just too far away to attend.
Ruth Hutchins Killian was the classiest woman I have ever known and I am so proud that she was my grandma. I'm not sure who is going to very nicely bug me about getting married now. She will be very much missed.
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| This is the only picture I have for Grandma on my computer and it's not super flattering of her (or me for that matter). This was taken in December 2008 at her house. In the picture is my sister Allie, Grandma, my brother Trent, and me. |
