Ulaanbaatar

the city where we serve

Picture of the Week

This week have I got a picture for you. Driving around town last week, I found myself behind two Hummers. These huge, gas-guzzling vehicles are quite popular in Mongolia. Yes, there are many Mongolians living in poverty but there are some with money to burn.

Rainbow

A rainbow always reminds me of God’s promise to Noah. Extrapolating from that, a rainbow reminds me that God is still in control.

We saw a beautiful rainbow out of our windows today: another reminder that God still cares and guides the events of our lives.

Chicken Parmigiana

Since I am reorganizing my life and actually planning menus and grocery lists for a change –starting this week, that is –I decided to try Pioneer Woman‘s Chicken Parmigiana.  You can find the recipe here.  It looked delicious, and it had Dustin’s name written all over it!

I think the only variations were splitting the recipe in half since there are only two in our household, eyeing some amounts instead of precisely measuring them, not beating the chicken breasts thin, and adding chicken broth in place of wine.

Here’s how it turned out!

Observations:

1. Next time I would half or quarter the amount of sugar, as I thought it was too sweet.

2. Dustin likes a bit of sugar in the sauce, something I did not discover until today!

3. It would be nice to pound the chicken thinner as the recipe says to do next time.

4. This recipe uses LOTS of dishes!  *Note to self: Hire a maid next time this meal comes around!

I also made a variation of PW’s Garlic Cheese Bread to accompany the Chicken Parmesan.  I had to vary the recipe since Dustin doesn’t like mayonnaise!  It turned out alright, but it is probably best to stick to the exact recipe.  Maybe we can just come up with our own recipe for a cheesy garlic bread next time!

Altogether, it was a delicious meal, and Dustin really liked the Chicken Parmesan especially!

“Hm, hm, good!”

Baltimore

Yesterday, Dustin threw me another of his surprise, spur of the moment, “Let’s go spend the night in a hotel and take a day-trip…”  –and this time to Baltimore!  I guess we were made for each other, because, my reaction is always, “Fun –Let’s go!”  I like to know ahead and plan, and look forward to things, but this way I don’t have to wile the time away waiting for a special event to happen…I get instant gratification!  (Yes, I know, that is a problem with our age –which could be another
whole post of its own –but never mind…Let’s keep to the topic at hand!)  So, once again, I had about twenty minutes to pack my bags, and then after the evening church service, we headed straight to Baltimore.

This time however, it was not just any hotel…the Hotel Monaco, with four stars, and for a great deal at that!  I don’t know if any other Hotel Monaco guests ever ordered Domino’s Pizza, but we did!  We also took pictures of the things all the bigwigs just kind of brush by –like ornate ceilings, the decor of our room, and the beautiful balcony.

Complimentary bathrobes to use…and only $90.00 if you want to keep it!

We spent the day EATING, of course, among other things…you have to take advantage of the scrumptious food big cities always offer.  We went to Potbelly’s sandwich shop for lunch which was delicious.  We both had their Italian sandwich with lots of toppings.  We also tried their Southwest chicken soup.  Leaving there, we did some walking and sight-seeing.  Lots of places were closed, it seemed on Mondays (at least in the winter), but we still got to know the city to some extent.  We walked around the Inner Harbor seeing several historic ships and a submarine.  We also saw the Flag House where Mary Pickersgill sewed the
Star-Spangled Banner.  We ended off the day in the Little Italy part of town, at Vaccaro’s Italian Pastries, a specialty Baltimore is famous for.  Here Dustin ordered a Belgian waffle topped with delicious, light  and fluffy ice cream, whipped cream, and walnuts and strawberries;  I, on the other hand, could not get away from their éclair.  O dear heart, hast thou known a morsel more lovely?  It was about eight inches long by four inches in diameter, and the majority of that space was creamy, smooth custard!  The pastry itself was very good, obviously fresh and homemade, and it was topped with a thick layer of chocolate icing.  Then, upon removing it to a plate to serve it to us, they drizzled chocolate syrup over the whole plate and sprinkled powdered sugar over it!  I could only eat half!  I brought the rest home, and ate a few more bites, and maybe tomorrow I will take the remainder to work and share with my friends…they must be friends, too, for me to share my éclair with them!  It was a wonderful day!

A Lightship

Potbelly’s Sandwich shop

Baltimore skyline

The Flag House

Vaccoro’s Italian Pastries

A Good Day!

New Years Eve church celebration

With Tonga’s recent passing I have hesitated to post about the church’s new year’s eve celebration. Here goes.

It was a great time; many of the folks who attended told us how much they enjoyed their time. Many Mongolians stay home on new year’s eve to celebrate. Getting together as a church family for the celebration was special.

We began with a sermon on the necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus because there were many visitors some who perhaps for the first time heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. Afterwards, Baysaa led in prayer.

Then there was food—what is a Baptist fellowship without food! Lots of good food both Mongolian and American.

We also had a ping-pong tournament. I made it into the quarterfinals (that’s not hard when you start with 12 players). Dashka ended up as the champion on the men’s side. Kristie took the championship for the women’s side. Many of the people seemed to enjoy watching as much as they did playing. A special thank you to the people of Westgate Baptist Church who provided that ping-pong table several years ago. It has been a source of many hours of enjoyment.

We also played a game of pictionary which I think is a new game to most Mongolians. They enjoyed trying to guess what their fellow Mongolians were drawing. There was a small difficulty as we had some other Americans in attendance. They also wanted to guess; but my mind had difficulty listening to both the English and the Mongolian at the same time.

There were also some table games. The game Set has become very popular with the Mongolians and is language independent which means both Mongolian speakers and English speakers can play without needing to communicate verbally with each other.

It was a relaxing evening with a few visitors and lots of food. We may have fellowships like this more often now that we are better set up for these types of activities.

What I Learned this Christmas…

1. Husbands tend to overdo the gift-giving!

2. I can’t say I am unhappy about the overdoing…I kind of enjoyed it!
3. There is something special about having the family all together.
4. Getting and wrapping everyone’s gifts is nothing to be stressed out about.
5. Sisters who live in Utah ought to come visit more often!

6. Lindsey is the most enjoyable person to give to.  At nearly twenty years old, you can give her Play Dough, and make her extremely happy!  Then you get
repaid in hugs and smiles and enthusiasm over the new gift!

7. Sandy has really good taste in picking out gifts.
8. Jim and his new wife are definitely in love, and apparently have a happy, albeit busy, home.
9. Christmas trips to downtown Chicago are just as fun as they always were.

10. It is good to see loved ones you haven’t seen in a very long time.
11. Daddies are pushovers for daughters!  (And I am not just talking about my Dad and I!)
12. There’s something special about Moms –all of them.
13. Jim is all grown up now…no longer a nerdy little brother!  Just teasing, Jim!
14. Adam and Catie are not grown up…still ner–…I mean,  –sorry about that Adam and Catie!


15. Mom Murdock really does make the best peanut butter balls.
16. Next time I go to Maggianos, I am going to order Chicken with Lemon Picatta!

17. Christmas Goodie trays will never go out of style…not as long as we’re all still munching!
18. Don’t plan to crochet too many scarfs for Christmas gifts…you may not have enough time!
19. It is fun to keep Christmas with friends…friends from around the world…Jamaica, Mongolia…
20. Christmas is all about Emmanuel – “God with us.”
21. We do not deserve a Saviour, but He still came.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people…

Luke 1:46,47,68

Some night pictures from Ulan Bator

Recently, the newly renovated children’s park re-opened here in Ulan Bator. Here are some pictures that I took from outside the park.

Pre-e-Christmas greetings from the Hardeckers

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

Merry Christmas!

Another Ancestry.com Ad

I have found out even more about my family history through my birthday present, a subscription to Ancestry.com!  Here are a few updates:

• My dad is definitely 100% German, making me 50% German.  However, most of his side came over before 1860, making them in the country longer before the huge German, Italian, and Irish immigration waves of the late 19th Century.
• My third great-grandfather on my Grandpa Speckhals’ side was born in Hannover, Germany in 1837.  He arrived in New Orleans, then probably took a steamship to St. Louis, Missouri, then to Hermann, Missouri (where nearly all of my dad’s side is from, and still live near to this day).  He fought in a small skirmish in a Union militia regiment (54th of Missouri) near Hermann against General Pierce of the Confederates.  To make a long and very interesting story short, they won.  I even have a scanned copy of his military mustering slip…this is one of dozens of treasures I have found.
• I found a neat picture of my 3rd great-grandfather on my Grandma Speckhals’ side.  His name was Carl Brunning.  He arrived in New York on the ship Rudolph from Hamburg, Prussia on May 9, 1857.  He then settled in the Hermann, Missouri area that same year.

Carl Brunning: Born in a village near the Rhine River in 1827

• My mom appears to be mostly of British descent.  One direct ancestor (16th great-granfather) was in the second expedition to Jamestown, Virginia.  He and his wife were one of the first couple to have a child at the settlement.  Also, some ancestors fought in the War for Independence, War of 1812, Civil War, World War 1, and World War 2.  Quite the history of service to our country!

I look forward to sharing more with everyone!  Thanks, Andrea for an awesome (I know, awesome is a 7th grade word) and thoughtful birthday gift!