Hey guys!
I wanted to give you an update on what I have been up to lately! After our final week of debrief and rest for the squad in Kyrgyzstan we made our way to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia! We have been here since the 5th of this month! My co-leaders and I took a few days to rest, because we don’t get a lot of time ‘off’ during a debrief. This past week has put my squad leader abilities to the test, & its been completely FULL of SQL duties! Since I will be with a team in Northern Mongolia for two weeks, we have been trying to plan ahead as much as possible so we don’t have too much work to come back to. Mostly we have been nailing down final details for all of our amazing plans while we are in Mongolia, & how we will finish out our final month tentatively in Beijing. Organizing details for 23 people isn’t too difficult, but it takes A LOT of time!
Getting visas for China has been a battle, I could write a whole blog about just that single process & our experience because it has been so wild! At first it seemed impossible that we would be able to get visas in time, but now a door has opened for us to have the opportunity to apply. Not only are we sending two teams into the wild lands of Mongolia, we are sending one team to China next week.
I will be joining one of the teams that will be traveling to several communities near Murun, in Northern Mongolia. We are taking a two week trek by horse to reach some of the last reindeer herding communities in the world (more details on that later!). The second team is trekking to Western Mongolia into the Gobi desert. Our main focus for both teams during these two weeks is to connect with the nomadic communities, grow in relationship with them, & be able to share the love of Christ in any way we can! We get to bring gifts, basic medical items, & small supplies that are hard for them to get being so far away from society. I am so excited to have this amazing opportunity, it’s truly a dream come true!
Meanwhile in Ulaanbaatar, we have been going full steam ahead! All of our teams have made tons of connections with local organizations & churches here. For instance, my co-leader Emily & I attended a worship service at a park near the city with a local church. While the young adult worship team was playing their guitars & drums, & singing beneath one of the statues in the center, a crowd gathered around to watch. We were able to walk around & talk to a lot of the locals, pray with families, & encourage anyone we connected with! While there, we met a man who works at YMCA in UB, & we have been able to join in on their english clubs since meeting him there at the park! We have seen a lot of people in this city incredibly touched by the Lord, come to Christ, receive healing, & I have been so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here!
Aside from what is going on in UB, Mongolia, I have exciting news! I have been asked to lead another squad in August 2018 to South America! After going back & forth for a while, I feel ready to serve for another five months with a whole new squad in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Rwanda, & Uganda. I return in late June from my first 11 months on the race, & will launch again in late July with my new squad. I am so thankful for all of you have been involved in not only my journey but what the Lord is doing all over the world! I’m so excited that I get the opportunity to keep on going!
Much love to you all!
Emily
Prayer Requests:
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Chinese Visas! We would love the opportunity to take all of our teams into China. I would love your prayers that this process continues on smoothly & quickly.
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Final Debrief! We need a location for our final debrief that is able to house over 25 people! Since our visas are still up in the air, & we will be out of service for two weeks, we haven’t been able to book anything in advance. Pray for favor, & the right location with a good price that is comfortable for our last week on the race!
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The Nomadic Communities! We will be able to spend several days with many people who have never heard the Gospel! Pray that their hearts would be open to hearing our good news, & that we would be able to bless them in anyway that we can, regardless of their response.
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Endurance! We are coming down to the wire! We have just 35 days until we land in America (We arrive June 21st!)! Pray that my squad would have the stamina & the drive to give this last month their all, every single day, that we would be open to what the Lord is doing here in Asia, & that we would serve these last two countries well.
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Future SQL Opportunity & Fundraising! Please pray that my transition from this squad, into my new squad goes smoothly! I also have $3500 to raise for my next five months of squad leading, & would love your prayers that the Lord would provide as He always does!
