This was the ministry described to us this month:
- Ministry time: Tuesday through Friday 11am-4pm, and Sunday for leading church service
- From 11am to 4pm, we are to walk around Ulaanbataar and meet people, build relationships, hold English classes, and invite people to church
That’s it. At first it seemed appealing because I love meeting new people and getting to know their stories. However, I hit my stumble block in the very first week when I merely walked down the main street of UB and prayed, feeling very, very lost. Asking God every morning, “where do You want me to go?” and “who do You want me to meet today?” and getting nothing through the end of the day became frustrating and discouraging. On top of feeling this, I felt disconnected with my team because we would be going out to do ministry on our own and somehow that made me feel inadequate.
Two days ago, or Tuesday, the Lord gave me a passage from John 16:5-33 where Jesus talks about leaving and the Holy Spirit coming, that when Jesus leaves we will mourn and weep but our mourning and sorrow will turn into joy, and that He has already over come and have install peace in us. To be honest, I felt bleh about the passage until I read into it and saw how much Jesus loved his people. Jesus, the son of God, knows the heart of man—how foolish and wicked it is and yet still has compassion for us. He knows that in order for us to be one with Him, a Helper is needed because otherwise we do not have the capacity or the understanding in our flesh and spirit to even come close to the presence of God. And because He loved us and wanted union with us so badly, in John he tells us that he will leave just “for a little while”, and that in the meantime, that Helper who will transform the relationship between God and humankind entirely will come upon—in and through—us, just so that we can be with Jesus even though he’s not with us in the flesh. This blew my mind…Man, I’m so lovesick even just typing this right now.
That same day I joined two of my squadmates, James and Haley, for ministry. We walked towards the Parliament Square because there are universities nearby and thus high school and college students we might be able to meet and minister to. When we got there, instead of approaching individuals , we did a treasure hunt which is asking God for ‘clues’, or images of items, colors, etc., and then go out and look for people that have these ‘clues’. We prayed and got green, balloons, yellow, and someone who would approach us and talk to us, whatever it’s for. First, we headed to a theater because it had green tinted windows and there was a yellow box on top of the building. We walked in and almost immediately Haley spotted two guys conversing in Mongolian sign language. She went up to them and starting signing in ASL and one of the guys knew some ASL and so we were able to ask them questions about themselves and invite them to come to English class and hang out with us. My prayer for the past week was answered when after English class that night, X, a young, beautiful girl James and I were teaching English to, asked us in very broken English to pray for her. It was definitely God leading us to that moment because the whole time we were teaching her simple phrases like “I drink tea, I don’t drink coffee,” or “I live with my family” and she hardly spoke…just to show you her English speaking level. However, after our English class, she said, “pray…I marry…he have woman…Canada.” We found out later that X was married last year but right after she got married her husband left her for Canada and now has another woman in Canada. X wants to file for divorce but she cannot do so until he comes back (and the problem is that she cannot reach him and he has completely abandoned her) and asked us to also pray for her family because they are all Buddhist except for her. We prayed for X and I felt that she was the ministry and the answer to my prayer.
Although I am still lost as to what He wants me to do or receive this month in Mongolia, I am going to trust. I may not have a plan, but I am going to trust in His plan, which is far better and greater than my nonexistent one. In the midst of confusion and feeling lost, I will choose joy. For looking to Jesus is far better than looking for anything else.
John 16:22-24, 33
“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
