Transporting to Michigan

Hey Friends,
  Well the days are getting colder here.  Last weekend it got down to -22 degrees Fahrenheit one night.  Now that is cold!  When walking home from work today it was snowing and did not feel that bad outside.  I checked the temp and it was 16 degrees.  I know I am adjusting to things when I think 16 degrees is not that cold.  The key to frigid cold temps is layers.  There is long underwear, high socks, pants, a full length coat over your sweater and long underwear top.  Then you need a scarf, hat and must put your hood up.  Your eyes feel the cold and just water.  But I would not have it any other way.  I see people who live on the streets and have to sort trash for food and to find bottles to sell to make money.  I count my blessings.  I have a nice warm apartment, food on the table, warm clothes on my back, and a job I love.  Many people in Mongolia have very few of these things.  I was talking with our housekeeper today about the price of heating a ger.  It costs around $5 a day to keep a ger warm, so that is $150 a month.  Many Mongolians make around $100-$150 a month or less, so if you do the math, that does not work out.
  Last week I had the pleasure of transporting two precious three year olds to Michigan for surgery.  The group consisted of the two boys, their mothers, an interpreter, and myself.  It was a very smooth trip.  In Beijing we ran around and wore them out before the long flight to America.  They managed to sleep most of the 13 hour flight thankfully.  And their mothers sure were troopers, never complaining and always ready for the next adventure.  These two children have been given a gift of free surgery to repair holes in their hearts.  But you know what, we have a hole in our heart caused by sin.  And that hole can only be mended by Christ.  Many people try to medicate or fix that hole on their own, but the only way to fix it is to have faith in Jesus and His death and resurrection.  By His blood, the price has been paid in full for our sins and we have been reconciled in our relationship with God.  What a beautiful thing.  I hope you realize this precious gift this Christmas season.  The group will be in the States for around 6 weeks.
  After dropping the group off, I had a night in Michigan before heading to St. Louis for an early Thanksgiving with my family.  My parents knew I was coming, but my brothers and their families had no idea.  It sure was a fun surprise!  The look on Justin's face was priceless.  I have had lots of good surprises this year between this, my mom's 60th birthday party, and flying home for Kelly's birthday.  I enjoyed all the traditional Thanksgiving food, including my dad's fried turkey (those are the best).  But most of all I enjoyed just hanging out with my family.  And then I had two more days before I came back to Mongolia.  I was thankful for how this trip worked out to see my family and celebrate so many things we are thankful for.
  Coming back, I had an entire row to myself on my long flight and was able to sleep about 10 of the 13 hours.  That made for an easier transition back.  Tomorrow at work we celebrate what has been accomplished with Samaritan's Purse in Mongolia this past year.  It will be a special day.  Tom, our country director, and his family are moving to Honduras, so we will miss them.  There are lots of changes occurring in our office, so please pray for this transitional time. 
  Thanks for tuning in.  I will try to do better with updates.  There are some pics below. 
Happy Thanksgiving,
Emily