Boxes Shipped!

Yesterday we shipped our boxes to Mongolia!  Imagine dwindling a household of 25 years down to 8 boxes 20x20x20!  Well, not entirely, we did store alot of stuff, but these 8 boxes will be our home away from home in Mongolia.  What to pack were the hardest decisions!  And finally getting them boxed took us an entire day of concentrated effort after 3 weeks of gathering and semi packing.  Needless to say, Richard and I were exhausted and emotionally drained.  However, it is finished and we are rejoicing! Hopefully, after 45 days they will arrive in Ulanbataar and we shall be there to pick them up!  This is a walk of faith!  I say that tongue in cheek for I do believe that we will be there by then. Our visas are due to arrive next week in Washington DC.  Then its 3 weeks and we will be winging our way to Mongolia, our new home for however the Lord allows us to be there! 

Our bags are Packed but No Visas Yet

Mongolia awaits us but still no visas.  Its taken more time than originally planned.  Its good to know that this is all part of the Lord's plans.  As of today's email - 3 weeks for the visas.  That brings us up to March 3rd!  By the way, March was the time the Lord gave me as the time we would be going.  So we're right on schedule.  

We've gotten some really good advice as to what to bring.  One suggestion was a cement drill because most walls are made of concrete and you must pay someone $1 per hole to hang stuff for you!  I thought that was interesting.  Here's another suggestion to bring a memory foam pad for each of us!  You can just put them on the floor and forget buying a bed.  Another suggestion was a water filter - didn't think about that one.  So very helpful advice all around.  

We are working on getting a Vonage Internet Phone system which won't cost anything extra than a local call while in Mongolia.  So we can call our friends and they can call us on that number and not be charged more than a local call.  Pretty amazing stuff.  

I've talked with the Vice President of the school I will be working at - (MIS) and he has set up my office and ordered by business cards.  So the illusive is becoming a reality!

Meanwhile back at the ranch....Christy and Audrey are coming for a visit Feb 28- March 3rd!  We are so happy to see them once more before departing on this great adventure.  Because of our leaving so late in the year we will not come back in the summer as originally planned but come back at Christmas, if all goes well.  

Still, thanking God for the beautiful California weather before departing to the arctic tundra!

Love, Kathy