It's True...

Children live what they learn.

Abi and Nate's relplies after I complained that my foot hurt:

Abi-- "Are you sure the tag in your sock is not poking you?"

Nate-- "Maybe your foot's growing..."

Hmmmm.......

Abi has a new imaginary horse named Green tea, of all things. Where in the world did that come from?

Looking back on the week...

Well, it's a little after 5 am and Kenny's wide awake. Abi came into our room with poopy pants around 4 am and got Hetee and me up in a hurry. She's never done that before, even when she was potty training so I knew something must be wrong. It looks like she had diarrhea and couldn't get up in time. Poor thing then went to the bathroom and tried to clean herself before coming to us! We got up and bathed her and cleaned up but when we tried to go back to sleep, Kenny was too stimulated from all the excitement and the lights, etc. So, I got up with him and we shared a banana and some sweet bread. Then we played the "Where's Kenny" game where I hold him in front of the mirror and say, "Where's Kenny?" and he laughs as we step toward the mirror and his reflection. Then, I held him where he couldn't see his reflection and he looked genuinely worried so we stopped, hehe.

Anyway, it's early Saturday morning so I've decided to write some things here that made my week:

1. The other day Abi said, "Mommy, I wish you could be the mommy of everybody in the world." When I asked "why?" she answered, "Because then everybody would be so, so happy." OK, speechless and teary eyed here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. When Kenny hugs me he pats my back with his little, fat hands.
3. Really yummy gyros with cucumber yogurt sauce.
   
4. Nate bringing me my first wildflower bouquet of the season.
   
5. Seeing the berry bushes blossom.
6. Watching my darling Oyuna plan for her wedding.
7. Finding a pair of shoes that fit and that I actually liked--all for about $15.00
8. Seeing Hetee and Nate do community work, planting trees with a Japanese tree planting team. Nate worked with an elderly Japanese man and dug a hole and planted one tree!
   
9. Having Abi help make cinnamon rolls.
10. Eating REALLY yummy, homemade ginger cookies and sharing them with Grandma and Grandpa and Baagii and Zaya (my Mongolian sisters).
    
11. Nate writing his and Abi's names from memory.
12. Seeing the expression on Hetee's face when Nate told him what carbonated drinks do to your bones and teeth.
    
13. Having my angel, Beegii here, helping with the kids while I was sick.
    
14. Handing out vitamins to ALL my pregnant Little Hearts women!
15. Saving one more life!
16. Hearing that since the last university seminar we did, our UB counterparts did 4 more, all in universities bringing the total of university students who have heard the truth up to a total of 500!
17. Holding my second women's network meeting at church and having 180 women attend.
18. Getting Kenny's American passport and birth certificate.
    

Of course there were some downers, too...

1. Abi and Kenny waking me up this morning would have to top the list.
   
2. Seeing so many spiders in the new house.
3. Hearing that my friend's baby is very sick.
4. Being sick
5. Having to explain to my kids their beloved uncle's divorce and remarriage.
6. Having to give up much-needed grocery money to replace the car's blinker lights that got stolen a while back. Argh!
   
7. Waking up to 7 emails and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM being junk mail.
   

Thanks for the prayers! I'm feeling much better now that I've had a few meals and some liquids.

Today was a very busy and productive day. Hetee and the kids built a dog house for Major. Now he's moved out to live on his own, in the yard. I thought I would feel sorry for him but he looks like he's enjoying having his own quarters. With all the noise that goes on in our house I wouldn't mind having my own dog house, too sometimes.

Earlier today our landlord came by to visit. He's in the military and barely gets to come to Darkhan. He's a really nice guy but he tends to talk down to you like you're a private or something. Like, he'll say a sentence and then say, "You got me?" or Do you understand?".

To make matters...well, funnier, today the kids and I were at the kitchen table doing art time when we heard a police siren outside. Nate started teasing Abi about the police taking her away blah, blah, blah, and she started crying. Well, when the landlord came, he was wearing his army uniform and it made Abi FREAK out! She calmed down once she saw that he was having tea and talking to daddy at the kitchen table. She even warmed up enough to eat her french fries at the kitchen table while they were still in there.

Earlier today I got an interesting phone call from a woman who lives in Erdenet. She wanted to come and talk to me about doing pro-life work. She works at a counseling center in Erdenet and wanted to ask about what we do. She also brought along a girl who is pregnant and considering abortion. In fact, the girl had tried several times to have the abortion but for some reason or another could not. The girl, Dulguun's, face was covered in bruises. Her boyfriend's parents beat her when she told them she was pregnant. She cried as she told me her story and my heart ached for her. I told her I understood her pain but that she could not reject her own baby because of it. We talked for about an hour and I gave her my phone number to keep in touch. She promised me she would not have the abortion and I gave her a 3 month fetal model to take with her. I told her that whenever she felt fear about having her baby to look at the model and remember that someone in Darkhan is praying for her. Please keep her in your prayers, too.

Then I had my second Bradley class today. Well, I guess I shouldn't call it a Bradley class since I'm not a certified instructor. But I did have 2 Bradley births and in this country that makes me certified enough. =) I have 4 couples in the class and they are great! It's so much fun to give people hope and knowledge. All of my couples also receive groceries once a week through our Little Hearts feeding program. There are 3 more women that we help, too. Today my dear hubby and one of my friends did all of the shopping for all 6 women since I was still a bit under the weather. These women were faced with unwanted pregnancies and abortion but chose to keep their babies despite extreme poverty. Two of these women had planned pregnancies and the love and support of their families but were very poor so we are helping them get the nutrition they need.

I'm off to clean up the kitchen now. Hetee just finished frying liver. YUCK!

Sick

Hi Everyone, and sorry for not posting for a while. I've just rejoined the land of the living after about a day and a half of some kind of stomach bug. I was vomiting and had diarrhea and fever all day yesterday. I don't remember much but I do remember Nate and Abi coming and praying for me periodically. My stomach is all better but I'm still very dizzy.

Prayers are much appreciated!

Love you all,
Mel