Week 19 Shining Star and Buuz 201

 

We returned to Hajidmaa's safe place, "Shining Star", with a little special cheer.  She provides a safe place for children, usually from broken families, before and after school.  She teaches them life skills, helps them with homework and even feeds them.  There are upwards of 140 children coming at different times.  She is a very small woman but has a very large heart.  Her reaction was priceless.  Thanks to family and friends our tradition of the twelve days of Christmas was able to continue on, even though we are halfway around the world.  Your generosity has provided the children with socks, oral health supplies, games, school supplies, candy, snacks, large mixing bowls, electric skillet and even a new large rice cooker. (she has been cooking for these kids with one small rice cooker)

Also, thanks to our Sansar Ward sisters for helping us prepare some of the items and provide additional love to her, and us, as well as translation services.

Another successful Family Home Evening.  Again, we had several new people attend and many new friendships are growing.

Buuz-Huushuur 201 at the Sansar Ward University was a huge success.  At least for those attending who were actually able to partake of the goodness.  Fun and friendships were cultivated and nourished and will continue to grow long into the eternal realm. 

I feel so honored to have been invited to attend.  I'm sure they did this just for me to learn.  Their kindness and patience with me was great.  I am not very good at the art of making Buuz and Huushuur but I'm learning.  They would say “we have had years of practice”.  For the upcoming Tsagaan Sar (white moon), Lunar New Year, they will make anywhere from 2000-5000 Buuz.  It is a 3- day celebration where you visit family and friends and eat.  So, it is like having Thanksgiving for 3 days. The Buuuz was made of mince beef, onions, garlic, green onions, water, and steamed to cook.  Huushuur was made from minced horse meat with onions, garlic, green onions and fried.  It is like a pizza pocket. The extra dough was used to make noodles for soup.  Sansar ward sisters are all great cooks.  The Buuz and Huushuur were so delicious!  My favorite part was visiting and laughing with the sisters and sharing our dreams of things we would like to do.  They are incredible women! 

We also had the opportunity of doing apartment checks.  It was a big job, but we enjoyed a video call with each companionship.  We tried to make it fun and posted reminders during the week that we would be calling and encouraged them to schedule an appointment with us.  Overall, they were clean, some were so good we had to check toaster trays to come up with a winner.  We will announce the winners at Zone Conference next week and of course prizes will be given.  What we loved the most was visiting with each companionship and hearing about their success and how they are doing.  We have the best missionaries!