The school year has begun!!

The school year is underway at LEI. The weeks have been busy but good. A week ago we at LEI had our student orientation, and then Monday classes began. There was lots to organize and problems to solve, but much was resolved. It is great to work with the teachers this year. Anar, Inna and Juhei have returned, and Chimgee, Chaagii, Natasha and Nina are new. Great to have them all with us! Ricardo, who is director of LEI, and I have teamed up again to keep things moving and create an atmosphere at LEI to help the students to learn English, and we want to provide encouragement and guidance to help them develop as individuals.

Some of the LEI staff from upper left: Anar, Chimgee, Inna, Ju Hei, Chaagii, and Bayarmaa, with Ricardo and me

Inna addressing the students at the student orientation day

Chaagii...

Chimgee was MC for the day

Anastacia, who earned top honors in LEI last year

Ju Hei talking in Korean with Korean students who are studying at LEI

Inna speaking in Russian with the Russian students studying at LEI

Chimgee speaking in Mongolian with the Mongolian students at LEI

Several weeks ago some high ranking officials in the education department in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia (a province in China) came to MIU to forge an agreement to work together for several purposes, including the sending of Chinese students to LEI to learn English. It was a good time with them... and we hope we will be involved with them to see their system grow as well as ours at LEI. 

We had some fun getting to know each other and breaking the ice formed at times by cultural differences! I seek to be myself, and to show respect and genuine care for people I meet in these kinds of situations. 

Dinner with education officials from Inner Mongolia who visited MIU to form an agreement with our university

Guan Li Ren from Inner Mongolia with me

We had an impromptu barbeque a few Fridays ago. Great view from the roof!!! And great food... :)

A Friday afternoon barbeque on the roof of one of the buildings at MIU

Paul and I at the barbeque

Here are a few random photos I took in Ulaanbaatar....

Friends and places in Ulaanbaatar!

The last few weeks have been super busy as I have spent time in the office in LEI getting ready for the new semester tomorrow. There will still be lots to do, but all is ready... :)

But there has still been time for friends and visits to places and churches in the city. The weather has generally been good, though the nights are cooler now. No doubt the freezing cold of winter is approaching!

Take a look at what Kathy and I have been up to in the last couple of weeks.

Kathy and I went to a movie with Nasim and Baaska one evening....

Me, Baaska, Kathy and Nasim

A few weeks ago we visited the church of our friends Gansukh and Oogii. The church met in their home and some activities with the church people took place afterwards. Nice time!

Gansukh is speaking during the church meeting

Lunch time!

We tried to all jump together, but I guess we need some practice...... !!

The view from our window often offers new and sometimes beautiful scenes...

Our Saturday evening meal and Bible study has continued. It is a great time to be together. All of you are invited :) Here are photos of some of the friends who visit....

Munguu and her nieces Hariuna, Khoran, Altjin and Bilgee wait for the meal while Kathy and Anu get it ready... :)

Some of us are ready for the meal while others are soon to arrive... :)

Nasim having a good time showing some of his slight of hand tricks ...

Nasim and I headed to Sukhbaatar Square afterward to see a concert going on...

Classes at most schools opened on September 1st. There is a grade school near MIU, so I stopped by to take a few photos.....

A time at Wendy's Coffee House with our friend Tanya :)