Month 9 has probably been my favorite so far on the race. Our team was a 9-hour train ride outside of the capital of Ulaanbaatar in a small town called Sukhbaatar. This town had about 25,000 people and was known for it’s bread, which we ate everyday of course!
View of the city, I loved the multicolored tin roofs: orange, blue, purple, yellow, pink, green, and grey!
What really strikes me about Mongolia is how beautiful it is. Now over the past few months I’ve been to some of the most beautiful places in the world but nothing has looked like this. Mongolia is beautiful in how untouched it is. Miles of lush forest-covered mountains followed by desert like sand-covered mountains, it’s amazing!! We took a 2 hour drive to the 2nd largest city in Mongolia and saw more camels than we did cars or houses.
View from a popular lookout mountain!
This month we partnered with a local pastor and his family. Our month consisted of coming alongside them to provide encouragement and support. That ranged from watching their kids, to helping with yard work, to cutting and peeling hundreds of carrots, onions, and potatoes for a pastors’ retreat, to a prayer walk to a Shaman place of worship, just to name a few.
Pastor Unooru and his wife Naraa with their four children.
The work that they do with their church and outreach has taken it’s toll on them, so it was really rewarding to be able to partner with them and provide them with resources and hands to do things that they could not have done without our team being there. It was a great picture of what short-term missions usually looks like, coming alongside the long-term missionaries and doing the little things; and it was supremely rewarding.
One week we even partnered with Aruna, a different pastor who also ran an English school. During the mornings, we deep cleaned the classrooms, organized a room for future Worldrace teams, and redid their library. And then in the afternoons we taught English. Then on Sunday we were able to attend the church and share our testimonies and pray together.
Prayer time on Sunday.
Two of our English students took us hiking one day!
Library before.
Library after!!
Many things were different about Mongolia compared to the other countries we’ve been to thus far in Asia. First off, since we were less than 12 miles from the Russian border, there was a heavy Russian influence, from vodka, to the language, to food. For example, pastor and Naraa went into Russia once a week to buy groceries because they were cheaper and better quality. Another difference was the day after we got there, it started snowing. After the past 8 months averaging temps above 90 degrees, this was a shock. It was cold all month, but none of our team was complaining, even when we had to use the outhouse in the snow, because it was such a nice change of pace.
Our outhouse…in the snow!
Mongolia has a strange pull on my heart. How different yet beautiful it is makes me want more! Shamanism and Buddhism are predominate culturally, yet mostly there is an apathy towards religion. In our town there was also a huge problem with alcoholism. When vodka is cheaper than water, that’s not too surprising although it is sad. I hope to return to this gem someday though, because there is a lot of need and the workers are few.
Fun fact about Mongolia: About 40% of the population still lives a nomadic life. The traditional homes are the above 1-roomed structures, called gers.
How to really cook Mongolian beef.
PS – So one time in Mongolia I held a falcon/vulture thing that was huge and weighted over 20 lbs.
Prayer Requests:
- That the Spirit would overwhelm the people of Mongolia!! And that the Kingdom would rain down there.
- Prayers for Pastor Unroou, Naraa, and Pastor Aruna that their efforts would be multiplied and that the seeds that they are planting would be fruitful!
- For my team, that as we are in this last home stretch, unity and continued pursuit of everything that the Lord has for us.
Much love from all of Team Street Food!!
