Mongolia Wrap up Trip Day 1-3

I haven't been able to blog much here. We have been agonizing about our future plans and now that the news is out that we are leaving Mongolia to get help for Sierra, I feel that I can write again.

Making that decision has been a real struggle. We are still sure of our call to come here in 2005 and are glad to have been used of God in Mongolia for the last 6 years. We are thankful that there is a church here now. We had wanted to help with the church formation/discipleship stage of this ministry, but know that we cannot risk Sierra's speech and development.

Our dear girl has improved, but it very much at the phonic level. Meaning that she can properly produce sounds but not words. Everyone agrees our place is back in the US for now. We are looking forward to a great role with ReachGlobal and will share details asap.

For now, I want to use my blog here to remember this time of goodbyes in Mongolia.

Day one: Arrival in Mongolia. I can understand some of the plane announcements in Mongolian. We arrive and headed to the restroom with the kids. I notice the hand soap in an empty beer bottle on the sink. I smile. The simplicity is great after a year in complicated America. :)

We negotiate a cab and they load our bags. Sierra begins to scream as we enter the cab. She doesn't want a driver in with our family. :) We drive towards UB and smell the familiar coal smoke air. We are strangely comforted that we are home. Arriving at our guest apartment, ASCOM, we head up the flights of stairs with the HEAVY bags that I packed full of low-calorie canned veggies and high protein snacks. :) Peter is so happy with me! He loves the way I always travel light. LOL

We pass out after being awake 30 hours.

Day 2: We start the day at 3 am with PBJ sandwiches for the kids. They are wide awake and hungry. Gotta love jet lag. We are up for so long before we're able to make noise in the apartment. We plan the day, did summer school, read and prayed and took off. We walk 3 miles to our favorite Indian food cafe. YUMMO I love love love it. I could eat it everyday. I mix my Madrasi with a cucumber and tomato salad avoiding the wonderful rice and naan bread. I have one bite of each and thoroughly enjoy my spicy meal. We sit on pillows on the ground in a tent. fun.

We head to the state department store to get pictures for Sierra's new passport. Can you believe hers expires already? Her passport has a picture of her 2 days old. At the photographer, she starts screaming and screaming when the woman wants to take her picture. After 15 minutes of talking, disciplining and bribing to no avail. I ask the women to just take the picture.

It is the most horrible picture EVER. Her eyes are red, drool is running down her face and her mouth is contorted. We start laughing like mad when it's developed. She looks like a crazy person. Although she deserved to have that picture on her passport until she's ten, LOL, we knew she'd kill us for putting that on a legal document and she would be so embarrassed later! So since we don't want to scar her for life, we take a picture with our own camera. We should have thought of that 20 minutes ago, I blame jet lag entirely. We got it developed and it is very cute! :)

We got a taxi and drive home. We had a wonderful dinner with our friends the Sprengers. They are so amazing.

Day 3: We wake up and I begin P90X. Yes, this is crazy, but I need a focal point for the next 30-50 days of transition. I need a stable that will be the same world wide. I need a healthy output for all this stress. I got this for free from a friend. Opportunity knocked and I opened the door. I shred my body for 75 minutes. I am amazed I can even do the program, but I CAN! Thank you Lord. We did summer school again, this time starting the day at 4:30.

I think that homeschooling can work. I am drilling our family rule into the children- two words. NO COMPLAINING. It's working. Weston is challenging himself and begging for school. Today he read for 30 minutes when I only asked him for 10. Could that CAVA program really work for us?

We eat- the food that loaded the bags, is already a blessing. Yest I did bring a big block of frozen low-fat cheese. It makes eggs so much nicer. Peter smiles. I thank him again for carrying my insanity, but now he is truly thankful. We had nice USA powdered milk with our french pressed coffee.

We hop in yet another cab. We drive a LONG way to register. We fill out gobs paperwork for the recovering communist need for this many pictures, stamps and papers. We divide and conquer. He fills out the paper work. I wait in the foregners line. We wait and wait. We have a number. There are 47 people ahead of us. But this is ASIA--- no one is obeying the rules. I use my old basketball stills to block and box out the cutters... :) I get to the front of the line. She asks, "Where's your number?" I hand her the number and she says that I have to wait. I rudely tell her that no one else is giving her a number. She grudgingly takes my paperwork and Peter gently takes over. We joke that she probably wrote a note on my passport to fine me at the airport or something. We recall the Seinfeld where Elaine get's the word "difficult" written on her medical chart. I'm sure my passport says, "DIFFICULT!" HA HA--- that is for you T.

We hop in our cab, he's been waiting. We pay 40 dollars to the taxi to arrive at a cafe. We eat in a hurry. We hop in another cab.

We direct him to the Embassy to get Sierra's passport. We are sworn in and she is cleared to get a renewal. We walk along the river. We see a group of boys splashing in filthy water in the wash. Weston begins to yell, "it's too dirty. They shouldn't swim in that water." At the same time Sierra starts yelling one of her favorite words, "Poo Pool.... I want poo" She wants to swim in the same filthy water that is giving our son a panic. We have to instruct Weston that these boys swim there because that is the only time they'll get to swim and they are happy to see water after seeing ice for all those months and to remember to think and be polite before screaming at others. AND we coax Sierra away, while she screams and cries because she wants to swim in the mud puddle. :)

Ah the joys of parenting international kids!

Is your wife home?

The other day someone came to the gate and was trying to sell honey. Peter went out and the first thing that the sales person asked was, "Is your wife at home?" Peter laughed. My reputation has proceeded me. It is hard for me to say no and this person knew that too.

It is not hard for me to say no to ridiculous things, and I don't think I'm a sucker. However saying no to poor people at the gate with perfectly good products is difficult. Saying no to people that need help is nearly impossible.

I've only done it once here in Sukhbaatar. Last summer a women was selling carrots at my gate. I said no because they were really overly priced and I didn't need carrots. She looks so sad. I nearly cried on the way back to my house!

I am home now in the good ole US of A and it is so wonderful. It is so clean and warm. The food is deliciously easy and good! Seeing my kids with their family is the biggest blessing. And I am caught. I am caught by the sad fact of saying no.

I was overwhelmed yesterday at church and could hardly hold myself together. I was crying all over the place and the "saying no" was so strong I could taste it in my mouth. I could feel it around my neck as I tried to hold back the tears so hard they choked me. I could taste it when I failed and the salty tears rolled down my face.

It is so clear that saying yes to Sukhbaatar is saying no to all these other wonderful, amazing blessings. I'm so sorry for that my dear, sweet, wonderful family and friends. I love you so much.

And this comes to mind...

Matthew 19

²⁸Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Thank you for giving us up so gracefully and supporting us in this work. Your rewards will come a hundred fold as well of that I'm sure.

A Neat Song

This is a song that Peter really likes. He says it is our Mongolian theme song.

I think there is a slide show thing on You Tube that goes with the song if you want to hear it. It is too much for me to download here, so I haven't seen it.

Enjoy!

If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens
The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

ya oh oh no

So When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley If You want me to

Haiti

I just read about Haiti online. So terribly sad!

We wanted to do something right away and were glad to learn that EFCA already has people on the ground there and they have set up a donation page online.

If you are interested click here. They have details and a place to give online on that webpage.

It made me glad to know things were already being done to help. So I thought I'd pass it on.

August

Bringing in the harvest together.

Weston's field trip to the felt slipper factory!

Our puppies!

Baptism- what a wonderful day!


Peter making our deck!

homeschool starting-- Kindergarten

April 2009- a walk down memory lane

More great memories...

April 1, 2009 we got the keys to our house and were homeowners! We said, "Boy I hope we aren't the April fools getting this house!"

Now we know it was really the perfect low market to buy in and during the summer and last fall the prices began to rise slowly.

Now we had to clean up so we could move into our new home!!! We worked tirelessly and were able to move in after NINE days of working morning to late night!

The kids were with us for the first few days and then Grandma came and saved them and took them to Lake Havasu so that they could play and eat shrimp daily, while we worked like dogs.

We were so thankful to have that time to get things ready and move in.

Here is day one in the living room-

This is nine days later- the change in real life was HUGE- in the picture it's subtle. It went from filthy and grey yucky walls to warm tones and clean!

We decided to move midday on day nine. It was a work day and so there was no one to call to help. But the kids were at Grandma's and Grandpa's and we were heading out for Easter weekend the next morning.

We were so tired that we just wanted to lay down, but we knew the kids would be better off if everything was at least moved. So we got up, grabbed they yellow pages and when out for a burger.

We called and rented a UHAUL. :) We worked for the rest of the day packing up our rental house and slept in our house for the first time!
The end of move in day in the living room!

The living room at the end of April, all situated and finished!

The kids room day one-
The kids room all set up at the end of day nine-
the carpet's clean,
walls painted,
closet and dressers filled
and dark curtains to help them sleep with a south-eastern window in their room.The kitchen at the beginning of day one- Hasn't been remodeled since 1964 and hasn't been cleaned much in the last two!

This the kitchen at the end of day nine. We wanted to get the cabinets stained before the kids came home too (sticky kids fingers and wet stain don't mix!! Also the fumes were gone before the kids came.)

This picture cracks me up!! It shows priorities--- we have NOTHING in the cupboards but cleaning supplies. But I MUST have a radio so I can listen to music while I work and Peter MUST have coffee-- PRIORITIES YOU KNOW!



This is an egg hunt at Nana and Papa's house, during those first few crazy days of work! It was a fun time together- I must have been tired, because this is the best picture that I have of that day- and it's not so great!


There are so many Disney days that I have skipped over--- last year instead of going on a Peter Bunnell family vacation, I BEGGED for Disney passes!!! We were able to go whenever we wanted to and were able to tuck in so many good Disney days or half days--- sometimes we just went for the evening fireworks after running errands! LOVE IT! I will never live in so cal again with out passes!

When I finally get into Disney- after all the driving, parking lot, stroller arranging, security- I step onto Main Street and for me I am instantly on vacation. Walt knew what he was doing.

Sierra's favorite thing about Disneyland- hanging on the chains while we wait in line.

Here is Abby getting Sierra with a great big hug. LOVE IT!
We went to Disneyland with the girls one day during Nana and Tina's Spring Break, just the girls!
The end of ever Disney day looks like this!!! They are wiped out!!!

Easter morning at Grandma's and Grandpa's- later on we dyed eggs too and looked cute in our church clothes, but again, I must have been tired I don't have many good shots!!

I love this picture of Grandma and Weston making Key Lime Pie. Weston had a ball!


On the way to speak at a church, Peter and I divided and conquered. I drove my dad's old red truck up to Santa Clarita and spent the day in Santa Barbara with my dear friend Tiffany. We ate a beautiful lunch together and we stayed there to chat for a long time. It was a fun time together.

Then I drove to meet my family. We spoke at this supporting church about Mongolia and about the importance of family and how we our family works on the field. They wanted us all up on stage- We bet they regretted that!

Sierra wanted the microphone and Weston crawled around with a water bottle the whole time. Let's just say we won't be asked back to speak at any parenting conferences!!! :)

Did I mention we were a little busy in 2009?

Christmas Church Service

We had a nice Christmas service on Sunday. First we sang and then we listened to a the story of Jesus' birth. Then people stood up to tell why they were thankful and things they hope to happen in 2010.
It was our first try at a potluck and it went really well. Everyone pitched in and it was fun to put it together for We ate salami, bread, fruit, candy, cookies, and drank juice, tea and coffee.

Then there were some games it was fun to see them play musical chairs, where they had to waltz around the chairs in pairs. We also played singing games. Teams of about seven people singing songs in a certain category. They have to take turns singing back and forth never repeating the same song! You cannot believe how many songs there are in Mongolian to honor fathers and mothers!

interesting day

I study Mongolian with my friend and tutor, Daganaa, on Monday, Wednesday mornings. She comes to my house and we spend an hour chatting and reading a textbook together. She is a Buddhist and one of my only and best Mongolian friends.

Sometimes she works for World Vision. She helps deliver aid in this neighborhood and checks up on needy families to make sure their children are healthy. She hands out letters from the Australian families who "adopted" the children.

On Monday she informed me about a family. This family has no father he passed away four months ago. The widow, around age 35, is unemployed and is left with 15 year old, 9 year old, and 6 year old sons. Her 15 year old is deaf and has no education, because there are no services here for handicapped children.

When Daganaa delivered the food to her family on the weekend the women was worried to find out that world vision was not providing any clothing. Her children don't have any shoes. Because of this, her boys cannot go to school.

As soon as I heard this tragic story, I knew something had to be done. So today after our lesson, we went out to brave the cold and find some shoes. :) It was -35 our car is in UB with a friend, so we bundled up and walked to the taxi stand.

I wish I had a special spy camera that I could use to show you what my day was like-- it is rude and difficult to be the weird foreigner always clicking pictures, especially when it comes to people's poverty.

First we go to pick up a "emee" grandma. She has to go to the Red Cross. So go to her house and pick her up. We sit down. I do what Daganaa does. We sit, we accept tea, it is salty weak fruit tea. I sip it thankfully. I am COLD.

The house is three rooms, probably a total of 700 square feet. There is a block stove. This family is doing OK. They have a washer and a refrigerator. Emee is ready so we finish our tea and head back out. We hail a taxi right away. We climb into the car. It is a Hyundai-- the old ones from the 90's that gave Hyundai a bad name in the first place. I promise you that every one of those cars has been shipped here and they are taxis in Mongolia.

This car has just been started for the day. The inside of the car is colder than outside. When my rear hit the frigid seat, I thought that I was truly frozen to the seat. We can see our breath as we speak to one another. The inner door handles are broken off and strings have replaced them. The windshield is shattered, but keeps out the wind. The car is sputtering and rebelling against its early morning work. We drive around looking for another passenger. The taxis never leave until the seats are full or overly full!!

The heater is still off- there is not enough heat in the engine to use it. We find another passenger and we head to town. The car is sputtering and coughing and all around sad. Our driver knows his vehicle well and treats her gently with finesse as we roll down the road at 15mph. We finally get some speed and the car is sounding a little better. The driver pulls into the gas station. He gets a liter of gas (1/4 gallon.) Back on the road again. We make it (of course-I've never broken down in a taxi. It just seems like we will) and Dagnaa tells him to stop.

We get out and walk with emee to the Red Cross. We pass the building and go behind to a ger (yurt.) It is full of women. They are making milk tea above a big fire in a giant pot. I am given the seat by the fire along with. They are afraid I am cold. They ask me again and again if I am warm enough. I feel like a big dork! Everyone is quietly waiting. Daganaa disappears. I have no idea what I have gotten myself into. I try to make conversation and be polite. I watch the women working on the tea.

She has a blog of frozen milk inside of a half cut open water bottle. She cannot get it to melt. It takes a long time. Finally, after fifteen minutes of fussing, she gets it to melt. We are all, twenty of us, sitting and waiting. For what? I don't know. I don't know why I'm at the Red Cross--- that is Mongolia for you.

I am given tea. It is hot, creamy, salty and good. I like cyy tai tsay (milk tea) now. I just imagine it's broth, in the American mind, it is NOTHING like tea. :)

Finally I hear Daganaa's voice. She is coming. She drinks tea and eats candy. We are all told to go outside. I still have no idea what is going on, and I don't want to ask and look like a dumb dumb. So we all file out into the snow and sun. It is about -30 now. We all stand around on the snow waiting. Finally, it becomes clear it is a dedication service.

This is a new ger and they are all here for a little party. They get a ribbon and hold it in front of the door. The managers come. They are given scissors and both snip the ribbon. It is done. Everyone goes back into the ger. There will be a meeting. We are invited. Thankfully, Daganaa declines :)

We then walk to the store. It is 1/2 mile walk. We walk briskly. My nose freezes. My socks, both pairs, are wrinkled in my boot and bugging me. My feet are cold. My everything else is OK. We make it to the outdoor swap meet like market and choose boots. This stand is in the shade... it is frigid. She doesn't know the sizes. We buy them and I hope for the best, trying to not let my American mind worry about perfection of size, color, and style! We also buy some warm socks.

We are both cold. I ask if she needs anything else from the market and she also asks me. We both are ready to go! Thankfully on the same page. We walk to the taxi stand and get into another cold car! By this time we've been outside about 45 minutes. I am wimpy and need heat--- STAT!

We wait and wait. My rich American self wants to just pay a double fare so that we can leave now, but I don't. We wait some more and of course two men arrive. We are all larger adults. The four of us squish into the sedan back seat. I am thankful for the heat of the bodies of those squashed in next to me.

We drive and arrive in our neighborhood. We walk another 1/2 mile in the snow and cold. I find out there is a place to buy cheaper flour and that there is a little man made ice-skating rink about 2 blocks from our house.

We arrive. The women is there with her nine year old son. Their home is warm- they have firewood and I am so glad to see that. I politely and not too obviously scan the room. Their house is about 300 square feet. They have about 5 cups and plates, one single bed. I table that is attached to the wall on one side and there is a broken bench that Daganaa and I both sit on. They have a TV and that is about it. They have no dressers or boxes, so everything they have is seen in this one room. They don't have any extra clothes. They are wearing what they have. They only have five thin blankets for all four of them. The shoes in the corner are ripped and strapped together with a shoelace.

We drink more salted black tea. Daganaa pulls out the shoes. They are truly pleased. The women smiles and they try on the new shoes. They fit everyone perfectly. Daganaa knows her stuff!!! :) The boy is happy. Mongolians don't express emotions or generally thank the giver for the gift. Usually, they accept a gift but open it later at home in private. This was a treat to see the boys eyes light up and enjoy his new shoes.

Daganaa admonishes the boy to help his mother and study well in school. This is a very communal society and it it ok to teach or direct other's children. They call children, "menee who" (my son) regardless of relation.

We say thank you and walk out. Short sweet and to the point. We walk together, Daganaa says "We are all mothers and now this women may worry a little less and her children will be able to go to school and be educated." I agree. To give is more blessed than to receive.

I walk home- another 1/4 mile. I kiss and squeeze my kids and enjoy our warm kitchen. We found out today that a church from America sent boxes of quilts. We know who will get some of those! Our church and family will continue to give help to this family. While my legs are pins and needly and thawing, I am thankful to do something to help and feel blessed that God is using us here.

Why are we here?

Monday-- Ministry focus ---- (please bear with me today as I preach to myself!)

Sometimes it is good to refocus again and rethink why we're here. The main reason we are here is because God wants us here and we are following Him in obedience. We are here because of God's heart for all of humanity. We are here because Jesus died for all people. It is not our drive that keeps us here, after four years we would have given up already. It is not our love for the Mongolian people that keeps us here. It is HIS love and HIS alone.

Sometimes with our human eyes it is difficult for us to see that us being here actually accomplishes anything. But Christ uses people to reach others, right? He doesn't have to do it that way. He could have the rocks speak out. He could open the heavens and declare His greatness and Christ's saving power to all. But that is not how He chose to save mankind.

Our job title is "church planter." Christ reaches out from person to person worldwide in the church. The church is not a building or a group of rules. It is a mass of people that believe in faith without sight, that Jesus is the way the truth and the light. So here we are an arm of the worldwide church- helping to start a new group of people that believe in Jesus.

The word of Jesus are so encouraging. He said, "I will build my church." He will do it. It is His work. What great news for us who have no idea what we are doing sometimes!

Here are some pictures that speak a thousand words about why Christ's love is needed here.This is the Mother Tree. I hate it! This is where people go to worship the tree's spirit.
It is where manyMongolians go when they are in trouble They offer scarves, matches, milk, vodka, money, tea, grain candy- it is not just a cultural thing to do.
They believe will help them.
This boy is laying on the ground amongst all of the offerings.
He is praying at the stump of the tree.

On this day the shaman (kind of like witch doctors) were there
dressed up in full costume and drumming.
They were trying to contact the souls of the dead.
All of these people are here worshiping and giving sacrifices... it is not a cultural show.
It is truly a act of faith that the spirit will help them.

Monday- Ministry highlights

Ministry- a) the act of ministering or service (Webster's)

Sometimes I don't know how to describe our "ministry." I feel as though our whole life is service and that the lines of division are not as cut and dry as they were for us in America.

It is hard to put a face on ministry when I write about it. Sometimes when writing and more formal "update" I feel that it needs to be a business like kind of letter because it is our business/job. Therefore it seems that it should be formal, grammatically correct and be something that someone else wants to read. It also needs to be short, so it is not the place to really describe life. It is just what it is, "an update."

So I will take this opportunity to share in a more blabbery way here. I want to give more shape to my blog be more thorough for you. It is so much easier to write a recipe or a daily experiment but I want to also log ministry thoughts so I will do this on Mondays. Hope you enjoy.

The ministry we do here has less shape and is more like a changing and moving blob. It is because the culture here is organized differently from America. The culture here is event based and not time based, so that effects each part of our lives and ministry. There is no church calendar and there probably will never be. There is really not much planned far in advance.

Peter has grown so much through this process. He is much more organized and methodical than this culture allows. He has truly had to change the core of who he is to be able to live and work in these circumstances. He does a great job.

He is working on discipleship with Munkbold. It is not formal or planned and moves in the blob like way through conversations and last minute planning via cell phone. But it happens and it is going well. He is available to meet with him and really discuss things, to listen in a foreign language and try to work through what is being said.

It is so much more than that. He has to understand, but also work to direct Munkbold towards Christ and the Bible. Communicating these ideas in Mongolian is a challenge and he is really working to do that. He comes home so tired and says, "How can I be this tired? All I was doing was sitting and listening and talking." But we both know doing that in Mongolian is actually work for the mind and it is exhausting.

Peter also works at the school and teaches English as a service. A blessing that has come through this service is really knowing how much he enjoys teaching. It is a joy to see him really love his work in this area.

Peter is also working on learning songs on the guitar and plays them at the Mongolian service. He really enjoys this as well and it is a BIG need. We've been singing the same 12 songs with a CD for YEARS! ;)

Peter always ministers to me and he is truly a servant in our home. He takes care of the children in the mornings and does the breakfast hour so that I can run and read my Bible. If it has been a tough night for me with Sierra, he does the breakfast hour so that I can sleep in and catch up on my rest. He is really an amazing husband. He is a man full of integrity and I am so blessed.

I, however was born to be in an event based culture. I LOVE NOT worrying about time! I really enjoy only thinking about events and not the clock.

I have actually had to grow into a more organized person in this place- isn't that strange? Why is that? Because American culture keeps me organized. American culture, friendships, family and church all worked to give me accountability and motivation. With the lack these things I was set adrift and not able to function very well.

Also I had to be more organized because I only leave my house twice a week. There is no one to know if I am slug. I have to MAKE myself do the things that need to be done. I have to MAKE myself minister to my family. I have to MAKE myself study Mongolian and get out to my more so that I don't hole up and hide from this world I don't understand. I have to MAKE myself exercise.

But these are all good things. Peter is more laid back and I am more organized. God has used this place and our ministry to grow us.

Baptism Pics

I am slowly catching up and posting pictures from the time my camera was broken. I borrowed a friends camera, but needed the cord to get them onto my computer.

Anyhow, here are pictures from the baptism 2 weeks ago. It was a good day of fellowship and the celebration of following the Lord!

Eternal Love Church

This weekend while I was in UB, Peter and the kids went to church.

The church read I Timothy 3 about elders and deacons and then nominated the people they thought would be good and now we have a church leadership team. Just like that!

It was a little abrubt and not very American in style(which is probably good!), and it is an exciting step towards a leadership team that we are envisioning. We hope that these now that they are leadership will be interested in leadership training to deepen their faith and grow as a body. Please pray for these that have been nominated.

They also decided to collect an offering by putting a box in the back. They decided to use the money to help people that are in the hospital.

BIG DECISIONS!

Musings by Peter

It has been a bit of a discouraging week. Fevers have kept us home and Peter unable to work. When he is sick it increases my workload. It make him feel bad and make me a little grumpy and tired!

He was writing and when I came in from gardening I found this on the computer. I thought it was interesting. He is worried about me posting it because it seems a little bleak, but it is honest and from his heart. God will do what He pleases both with us, Mongolia and you.

I have faith that God wants us in Selenge, Mongolia. I have faith that He wants my children to grow up here and experience His creation in a way different from their American peers. I have faith that He wants my wife to struggle with the unbelievable difficulty of loneliness and extremes that Mongolia brings. I have faith He wants me to labor in this language so I can communicate His truth more clearly and deeply. I have faith that we as a family have to labor for the cause of Christ, His church, which He will establish.
I believe that God wants us to toil in the same ground as our Mongolian neighbors, to suffer the same sicknesses, and to endure the harassment of the same police and government officials. He wants us to experience the freeze that shows His power over creation is mighty, and the heat that makes us yearn to be in the river He created, so we can experience relief from His awesome sun. In as many ways as we can to identify with their life so that some might see Christ in us, instead of an American. May our resources seem more spiritual than monetary as we live.
I know that we have an enemy. He is unseen and his droves of demons are in constant wait for destroy Christ’s work. They are my enemies because they are His enemies. Their weapons are temptations. The temptations are to turn from the call, because it is just too hard; to turn to pleasure because life is so un-enjoyable; to stop pursuing success, because the fruit is so limited; to burn with anger at God, because the injustices seem so great. But we can overcome these, simply with our faith, the truth, the Spirit, righteousness, and the gospel. We can overcome these.
I believe God has a plan for this sacrifice we’ve chosen to make, a plan that begins with our neighbors and extends to the new believer in a church that supports us. It includes our siblings and our parents. It is a plan that is so much broader than I can fathom. Therefore, I just have faith that today’s small and seemingly insignificant acts of obedience will bring forth His Kingdom, in His time.

Eternal Love

This was our first Sunday back to church here in Mongolia. We attended and the meeting has switched locations from the small teacher supply room to the large meeting room. The chairs were set up and tea was made. There were about 12 (a total of 20) new people who have begun attending. We had tea and then began with singing. Prayer time was excellent with many more people willing to pray aloud and together.

Tsagaa taught about the character of a Christian and everyone followed along in their Bibles. There was a lot of discussion and participation!

Then at the end after prayer, they began discussing the name for the church. People had begun calling us the school church, because we meet at the church. They discussed the name for awhile and came up with the name "Eternal Love Church." So it's official!

They are also beginning to tithe and want to have discussion about this topic. We are excited to see how God grows this church!