Mongolian adventure for Spence family

Over the next few weeks, Omarama veterinarian Andrew Spence and his wife, Chris, will sell many of their belongings, pack up their home, and prepare to move with eight of their nine children to Mongolia.

Andrew will take a position with VET Net, an NGO affiliated with the Christian Veterinary Mission that has worked to train veterinarians throughout Mongolia since the mid-1990s.

It's an undertaking the Spences say they've long considered, starting back in 2006 when Mr Spence first worked with VET Net Mongolia for about four weeks.

"It's been in the back of our minds for many years, but we've just been waiting on the appropriate time and an opportunity to go," he said.

They'll likely remain in the country for about two years.

VET Net also operates educational programmes and a Christian ministry for the people who live in the area, Mrs Spence said, including a literacy programme. The family will likely work in those areas as well.

The family has lived in Omarama for more than four years, where Andrew currently works for the Veterinary Centre. They'll be relocating to the small town of Ulzyiit, about 25km southwest of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.

Mr Spence said he was expecting to encounter a range of professional challenges.

"The facilities might be a bit more rudimentary compared to what we deal with in New Zealand, and there will be diseases there that we don't have," he said. "Along with that, much of the professional support will be over a long distance via the internet, instead of regular meetings as we do here."

The Spences' first goal will be establishing a large animal practice, including construction of a new building. Veterinarians in the sparsely populated country most often work with large stock animals managed by herders.

Mr Spence will also work in teaching initiatives with university staff and veterinary students.

The family made a firm decision to go to Mongolia as recently as February, Mr Spence said.

Since then, life for the family had been a flurry of planning and preparing visas, organising to sell or give away possessions and trying to make arrangements for a new life in a new country, Mrs Spence said.