Funeral for Bold's sister

"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that it the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." Ecclesiastes 7:2

I attended the funeral for Bold's sister today. Bill went with me and was an encouragement to me and, I believe, to Bold also.

It was different than most Mongolian funerals in that there was no Buddhist monk present at the funeral. Nor had a Buddhist monk visited the family's home. The mother had refused to allow a Buddhist monk to enter her home.

We left for the funeral at 5:45. Mongolians always have very early funerals. The temperature outside was a little above zero as we stood in the early morning sun and watched the ceremonies that mark the depositing of a body and casket into the ground. My feet began to lose their feeling because I chose to wear a pair of dress shoes rather than my winter boots. Still I was glad to be there to encourage my friend during his time of mourning.