More to come...Don't Forget to Start from the bottom!

We did our own cooking and shopping for almost every meal, lots of rice and carbs, but we tried to be inventive, I learned to really like cooking, not much to cook with and all from scratch but a stretching experience. 

a high place, a buddhist spot of reflection and type worship, they overlook the cities and are sources of superstition for the people, dropping their crutches and dead animals there. The blue rags a sacred colour in Buddhism there signifying a gift.  

Erdenet, our first stop, typical block russian style building, many half finished when the Russians left Mongolia, most buildings unfinished cranes still suspending giant blocks of concrete in the air. The Mongolians never got taught how to rebuild. 

The Transmongolian Express, a branch of the TransSiberian, this one took us overnight to Erdenet, but continued on all the way to Beijing 

The great teachable kids in Mongolia, we taught them songs and acted out stories for them and shared about Jesus, and played games, they loved us and the feeling was mutual. 

Like this photo, and Marielle's goal, the goal of all our hearts in Mongolia: Bring light into darkness 

Ger district - UlaanBaatar 

sandstorm in UlaanBaatar our frist day there (April 26th, 2005) 

Teaching English in BarunBuren (they look like they're paying lots of attention LOL) Very smart kids there, if they had proper access to education they would be able to do anything! 

My Mongolia outreach team from top to bottom left to right: Luke (USA), Edith (Switzerland), Gaelle (France), Ernest (Switzerland), Sabrina (France), Michelle (USA), Marianne (Switzerland), Kambani (S. Africa), Marielle (France), Michel (Switzerland), Jonathan (USA), Jonathan (Canada) 

the baby that we helped save that had malnutrition and pneumonia, this was the day after she had started to recover and gain strength. Photo c/o Jon Renich (my staff buddy). - BarunBuran, Mongolia

my first manual shave in Ulaanbaatar, Jonny my staff and friend teaches me the key is hot water 

mongolian garb and the Ger I slept in 

From Jerusalem to Budapest and in between

In the Steppe of Mongolia, near Erdenet, we were camping in those tents and went throughout the valley to each Ger(the white hut in the background) to share our testimonies and the gospel if they were interested. I grew teh hair and the beard cause who was there to tell me to cut it. There's just something about this pic that draws my gaze.

Just the first pic in many, countries I went to on the trip include( in order): France, Switzerland, Mongolia, Israel, England, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria, Hungary, Spain
TOTAL 11 in 8 months

Week 2 back in Calgary!!

Today, famous thanksgiving monday here in Canada. Everyone is off the roads and sleeping because of overeating yesterday. For those of you not from Canada, our thanksgiving is the 2nd Sunday/Monday of October where family all get together and consume a very large turkey, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, everything topped with cranberries and gravy, ooh and how could I forget the mashed potatoes.
Honestly i shouldnt be on the computer I should be excercising.
Happy Thankgiving to all of you by the way.

So week two is underway being back. The culture shock is wearing off a little bit, but the lack of social life to start has left me a little out of sorts. I still get a shock every time I pay tax that isnt in the price posted, when I look for the sign 'WC' or 'toilette' when I need to look for the sign 'Washroom', when I dont have bread with every meal, when I leave the house without my camera, passport and backpack, and when I board any transportation often thinking I will have to use sign language to speak to the operator.

Currently working at a restaurant downtown called "The Gypsy" as a waiter, the same one I worked at for aroung 2 months before I left for Europe/Asia. Wanted to go back to Starbucks, but went down to the old store and didnt know a single person and just needed something farmiliar at least with the same faces. Recently working there they sent me to a wine tasting of the southern Italian wines, so my knowledge of 'vino' is increasing! Also I now know how to properly taste it, not like in St Paul 3 Chateaux where a certain English girl, South african guy and myself couldn't bring ourselves to waste good French wine by dumping it out. LOL

Still missing my bag from Tel Aviv(more than 2 months ago), at least they tell me -after too many euros spent on the phone with CSA airlines- that they "have it under control" and will contact me when it gets to Canada, not sure if I believe them but I cant afford any more long distance calls.

I have been forced to weigh and consider the options of staying in Calgary while my father moves out to Vancouver Island to Nanaimo.....

the verdict: I need to get a little bit grounded for a while and see from there. I'll be in Calgary until the end of April at the least and that is for sure unless something unforseen happens.

Thought i'd post some cool pics from my travels for you all who didnt get them or werent able to open them while I was away.

enjoy

In order to save you from my long emails

Yo,

So this is the first of my "blog" inorder to help you all be able to follow if you like anything that is going on. I will still send out my normal emails around once every month or two, but this will enable you guys to view the longer details so that the emails are not so long. How's that sound?!

Lets get it started in here.