Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Picture UPDATE

October trip to Paradise with MIS

The Bridge we had to walk to get to Paradise - it was every man at his own risk!

Everyone brought meat and food to share

This is the Mustangs Homeroom

The meat was Korean BBQ and it was DELICIOUS!!  These kids can cook!




Michelle Lee, our Director on the left

Sunny, our Chinese teacher on the right and Bilgae (student)

It was beautiful in its own way

Trying to get a decent photo!!!

Everybody was wowed by the ducks! The only wildlife we saw!



Hanging out and talking in the cabin

This is Parker from Oklahoma - a new teacher this year

These horses knew how to run!

The locals come to gawk at the inexperienced horse riders!

Tommy had a real stubborn horse

He wouldn't budge and his eyes are telling me so!!

This is Lucy and she's a dog lover!

This is Ara who is not a dog lover climbing the tree to get away!

Birthday cake for Faith

There she is blowing out the candles

Then they smashed her face in the cake and it was a food fight after that!

Sunny got it good!

Pretty sight






This cow was walking next to me back to the bus. He had his eye on me

One last look at the river

Our school portrait

This is Kimberly from Canada who joins in on our Bible study and two of the pixies!

The Happy Group

Except for Nergui on the right - she doesn't look too happy

Playing Spoons on Game Day

Pure tension

This is Zolboo

Hurry up and pass!

Zolboo's sister Tsoomo

Grabbing for the spoons

Look at the determination!

The loser had to sing a song!  Richard sang a love song to me

Here is Altjean

Nergui, Richard, Emily, and Anu

Signing Off..........

Sunday, November 6, 2011


The Absence of Color


Recently while sitting at my computer my photos came up on the screen display and I was not only struck by but absorbed in the vibrant colors of the photos.  Colors are brilliant, rich, and beautiful.  Here in Mongolia, we are in the season of non-color.  We see every extension of brown, brown and brown.  It is very dull indeed.  


I teach a photography class to our High School students and gave them an assignment of taking portrait pictures.  Happily, I showed them many examples of portrait pictures discussing color, light, backgrounds, and composition giving them many ideas of what they can do.  I was looking forward to seeing the results.  However, next class as they displayed their pictures there was such an absence of color and the pictures were so dull and boring, that I found myself so disappointed.  I then reiterated the assignment regarding color, light, backgrounds and composition and they said to me, “we have no color in our apartments, we have no bright clothing, and our parents work too hard and are too tired to dress up for us to take their pictures!”  I was shocked.   But upon reflection I discovered it is true what they say.  The apartments here are all painted dull beige, the curtains are the same.  Everyone wears dark clothing because it is such a dirty city and keeping things bright and clean is work indeed!  Parents are way too busy for their children.  Most children don’t even see their parents till 10 o’clock at night when they come in from work.  Children are mostly independent riding the buses by themselves at all hours, fixing their own meals, doing their own wash, etc.  


This is the state of society in Mongolia – no color both in the physical and the inward soul for many.  No color – imagine a world with no color and little joy.  I find it appalling and shocking!  God is brilliant in color, light, and the warmth of love and beauty in all His being.  Shouldn’t his children also express such?  I’m beginning to understand the reasons that people are so moved when shown love and care.  There is such a lack of it here.  


I’m so glad that God made the sky blue in whatever country you may live and He creates such brilliant sunsets that all may enjoy and see the brilliance of His creation.  He wants His people to be people of beauty, inward beauty - the reflection of Himself and to express and magnify His beauty to all people so that they may know the warmth and kindness of His love and be drawn to it. 


Exodus 28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty."
Psalm 90:17- “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”
Isaiah 28:5 – “In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people”
Isaiah 61:3- “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”


Exodus says the Priests garments were to be holy for glory and beauty.  I think that is lovely!  We are to be holy, filled with His glory - beautiful!  May the beauty of the LORD our GOD be upon us!  Amen!