Although my team and I have spent most of this month in the heart of Mongolia’s captital, Ulaanbaatar, for six days we ventured North into the countryside to a small village called Hatgal. When I first heard that just our team would be leaving the city, I couldn’t have been more resistant to the idea of leaving. After all, a 13 hour bus ride was involved each way, and as petty as it sounds, I was terrified of sacrificing our warm, comfortable penthouse overlooking the whole city for… what, exactly?
It turns out, this little village was exactly what my team and I needed–a respite from the darkness and heaviness of the city along with the refreshment of a slower pace of life.
Above is a coffee shop run by our new friends the Ballingers, who are missionaries from the US. During the week they brought us around the village to help older people in their church prepare for winter, such as chopping firewood or helping insulate their homes.
The almost frozen river behind our cabin.
An old Russian felt factory that is being renovated and reused for a summer camp.
Trey overlooking the entire village just on the other side of the river.
