Deel portraits, Benson Missionary Reunion, Smoke, Ice Sculptures

Portraits in traditional clothes. With our vacation from English teaching, we were able to put the finishing touches on our deel outfits.

We will have a different background photo-shopped behind us

Darlene sewed a dark blue band on my black hat to match my deel. We have a great photographer who gave us our proofs after our portrait sitting.

She now is attending free English classes at the church.

We are wearing king and queen hats. I was taught how to hold my hand.

Three more senior couples are going to get their portraits done by her in the near future.

Returned missionaries Gillen and Naef on the screen from BYU-Idaho

Benson missionary reunion. Pres. Benson arranged for a reunion for all returned missionaries that left the mission since he started last July.

Some of the Mongolian returned missionaries attending pictured with the Bensons

The American missionaries gathered in two locations in the United States and two in Mongolia. All that multiple Skyping worked!

The Mongolian returned missionaries were invited to a Saturday morning breakfast prior to the formal Skyping.

Sisters Linford, Farmer, and Nay serving breakfast burritos

Each missionary told about their post mission activities. Most of the missionaries gave their life updates in both English and Mongolian while a couple of the Mongolian missionaries needed help with English translation (for the benefit of the senior couples invited to the breakfast).

Sister Benson is in the foreground

Pres. Benson plans on another reunion at General Conference time and the same thereafter.

Sister England with Sis. Benson, Mary Ann, Isabel, and Tommy

It was fun to see our old compatriots and see that life is moving on for them.

Another temple trip. Munkh-Od (a returned missionary from the Salt Lake South Mission) and his fiancé are part of a January temple trip to the Hong Kong temple.

Munkh-Od and his fiancé are on the far right, the Englands are on the far left (almost). The tour manager is nicknamed "Teddy Bear". Guess which one he is.

The Englands are accompanying this group. Darlene helped a few of the members get their family names ready to take to the temple. 

Going over last minute details prior to the trip

We really bonded with our group of Mongolian Saints who went with us to the Hong Kong Temple in September. There are four planned temple excursions a year to the Hong Kong temple.

Ulziika with an older couple going to the temple to be sealed

Weather in Mongolia. What do they call -36 F in Chicago? A national disaster. What do they call -36 F in Mongolia? January.

Smokey view looking across the street at the Chinggis Khan Hotel

We’ve had a week of -30 F or lower all week in Mongolia. There is no wind to speak of. Thank goodness!

...And looking one block south toward the church

What is bad is the amount of smoke in the air.


Ice sculptures at the Sky. The Sky is an upscale shopping center in back of the Chinggis Khan Hotel.

Every winter they put up an Ice Town for kids to come and enjoy.

Here are a few of the sculptures as viewed in daylight. I am waiting for a smog-free night to show the sculptures lit up. With the temps the way they are, I may have to wait a while.  

  



Guess who?



Based on the weather, Santa will be around longer than we will