About Mongolia

The initial shock is finally beginning to wear off!

Here's what we know. Mongolia has 21 branches of the church - no wards nor stakes, yet. The capitol city (where we will be stationed) is Ulan Bator (formally spelled Ulaanbaatar) and is about the same altitude as we are here in Salt Lake City. It is, however, further north with a latititude roughly equivalent to the US/Canadian border -- perhaps a few miles south of that.

The average temperatures seem to be approx. 10 degrees cooler than Salt Lakes, with cold, dry winters and warm, wet summers.

Mongolia has a population of about 2.9 million, with nearly 40% of that population living in Ulan Bator. There are 5 Universities and eight foreign embassy's in the capitol city with much of western culture having been adopted, as well.

We are really excited, now, and are doing all we can to make preparations to go. We are working on our passports and shots, along with trying to figure out how much we can take with us.

At first we thought, "No one has ever been sent to Mongolia!" But since receiving our call, we find nearly everyone knows someone who has just returned from there! When one young and recent returnee heard where we are going, he said, "I know exactly what their responsibilities will be! They need Welfare missionaries desparately!" He was right on! We will, indeed, be serving as Welfare missionaries there!

We'll post more as we learn more!

We have our mission call!

Well, we are not returning to Nauvoo! In fact, we are not even in the United States! Melba and I have been called to serve in Mongolia! Really!

We will be serving a Welfare Mission in Ulaanbaator, Mongolia and report to the Provo, Utah Mission Training Center on December 1, 2008.

What a shock! We'll post more when we can think more clearly!