After the rain there’s always a rainbow

I hate to start off this blog on a bad note but this month in Mongolia didn’t start off well. It all started when China’s airport held back my luggage, as well as four of my squadmates, leaving us to lean on our squadmates to provide us with what essentials we were missing. Turns out China has strict rules on carrying extra battery packs with lithium, they ended up confiscating it even though we were on our way out of China and it was in my check-in bag.

 

After debrief my team along with another team of seven moved to a small church that we would call home during our time in Mongolia. Our ministry site is a church that has been established for only six months and it sits on top of a hill. 

This church is where all fourteen of us sleep, eat, and host our daily activities. Our activities include teaching English, game night and open mic night. 

 

 

A regular ministry day consists of us having prayer time in the morning by ourselves and with our team. We then pair up to go into the city to build relationships with the locals. I’ll usually sit a coffee shop and find someone who speaks English or I’ll walk around the city doing prayer walks. 

I was sitting in a coffee shop with a fellow squadmate and as we were leaving we seen two girls sitting together that spoke English. We asked them where they were from. They are from the States and working with another missions organization. They were leaving in a week but gave us contacts of ministries in the city for us to work with. One of the ministries, Streams in the desert, works with sex trafficking victims.

Streams in the desert employs women who have decided to leave a life of sex trafficking while bringing them to Christ. One way they raise money to help fund their organization is by having the women make jewelry. The picture below features two of their bracelets. 
Because many of these women are single mother’s, Streams in the desert provides a daycare for them while they make the jewelry. I helped out in the daycare one morning, these kids are so well behaved and not to mention so adorable! That day we had about 14 children, ages ranging from 5 months to 4 years old. Most days there are only two women to look over the children but they do such a good job doing crafts and praying with them. 

 

 

If you want more information about this organization or want to purchase some of their jewlery go to http://streamsinthedesertjewelry.blogspot.com/

 

Referencing the verse I opened up with, I chose it because this month has been a bit rough. This month has been challenging with having to fight for my personal space, not always having running water, the sporadic black outs, sharing one bathroom with 13 other people and lack of daily showers. I do realize that this is what I signed up for but it is different when you actually are going through it. Another thing I realized is that the worst is yet to come.

Even though this month has been challenging I feel like this month I’ve grown more spiritually. I feel my prayers are stonger and I hear the voice of God a lot clearer. Maybe getting out of my comfort zone is what I needed.  

On anoter note, this past Sunday was our last church service. Not only was it a packed house but TWO people got baptized! It was my first baptizm I have seen on the race and it was such a blessing to be apart of somethings so amazing. 

This church is so small but mighty, I have no doubt God will do great things here! 

With bad days also come the good! “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on!” The last day of debrief my whole squad were able to ride horses and camels. 

Thank you all for the love and support you have shown me. Please keep me and my squad in your prayers! #RayofLightinMongolia