If you had asked me when I was younger where I would like to travel in my life time, I would have never thought of let alone considered going to Mongolia. Now here I sit unbelievably happy to say I am in Mongolia!
Mongolia is gorgeous! It reminds me of my time in Wyoming with gently rolling mountains, wide open spaces, and horses and cattle roaming at will. The people are hard working, playful, and eager to share their culture.
After a long two days of traveling, my team and I arrived late Wednesday night to the town of Erdenet, Mongolia. Our gracious escort Sara took us to the apartment we will be staying in for the next three weeks. It is a lovely two bedroom one bath. We do not have furniture except for the twin foam mattresses we sleep on or a kitchen. Narra, our ministry host, is generously letting us use the kitchen at her coffee shop to cook our meals. The coffee shop, named cornerstone, is Narra’s ministry vision to reach the local community by providing a place for gathering and fellowship. We will be teaching English classes at cornerstone while we are here. Children start learning English in their schools around age 7. Even University students and adults are interested in improving their English. One University student I spoke to goes to an international school with Russian and Chinese students as well as Mongolians. The common language among them is English, so it is important for him to have a good grasp on the English language. Another man I talked to loves to watch American T.V. shows and wants to improve his English so he can understand them better without the need for subtitles.
Earlier today Sara and Narra took us on a hike up to the top of the tallest mountain in town. Now when I say hike, it was a vertical climb up definitely a work out! I was grateful for the exercise after sitting for so long on travel days. The view was amazing! The town is larger than I first anticipated. Shops and apartments line the main road for just a mile, but houses sprawl out every which way in the distance.
Color permeates my vision in every direction from the yellow apartment building with red accents by cornerstone to the rooftops of every house splashed with brick reds, lemon yellows, sky blues, and Kelly greens. Even the stairs in some of the apartment complexes are striped with a rainbow of yellow, red, and blue running up and down.
I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. There is a treasure to uncover and a mystery to solve around every corner and in every smile I encounter. 
