I can’t believe my squad and I have approximately a week left in Mongolia. The time has gone by fast. It is sweet to look back and see all the friends we have made so far. It’s encouraging and exciting to see how we have had the chance to pour into different peoples lives, and to see how knowing them has touched us in meaningful ways. I believe God has given us a vision of how when we go back home all the ways we can reach others in His name. Daily obedience isn’t always exciting. It’s not always pushing yourself to your limits. Sometimes it is all about consistency. Making new friends and spending time with them. Showing up in their life continually, so that they know that you care. So that they can trust in a God who cares for them too. Sometimes it means dropping your afternoon plans when a member of the church asks if you can help break down a ger (a Mongolian tent). Sometimes it means saying yes to interruptions to your own carefully planned schedule to put someone else’s needs before your own. There are daily opportunities to obey God and to love someone in Jesus’ name if you look for them, if you make yourself available to plan changes.
Wow went on a tangent there. That is not the blog I had planned to write but it is true none the less. I have really gotten to know the young women and one guy in my evening English class. I love all of them dearly. They care for others and really want to make a difference in the world. They invited me and some of my teammates to hang out with them after class. We said yes! We all had a wonderful evening watching the sunset, eating ice cream, taking many pictures together, and playing games. Before we parted ways for the night, a few of the girls exclaimed how wonderful the time together had been and how they would never forget it. I will never forget that time together either. It is so precious to me, and it fills me with joy to think I helped make a wonderful memory for others. None of that would have been possible if we hadn’t slowed down and taken the time to get to know them.
Now that you have patiently read though tangent number two, I will get to my purpose for this blog: to share the prayer needs for this area of Mongolia.
This list of prayer requests was given to me by the church here in Erdenet:
-That 10% of the population would come to know Jesus Christ as their savior
-That the distribution of copies of the Bible in Mongolian could continue with no halt in the production of Mongolian bibles.
-For the Church here to be strengthened spiritually and for them to experience a strong unity among the members
-That the few false churches that have managed to start up would not survive and would not succeed in luring unsuspecting people into their doors
-For the fathers here that struggle with alcoholism. The abuse of alcohol as a coping mechanism is sadly not uncommon here.
-For the coffee shop Cornerstone the church has started as a way to serve the community and foster gathering and fellowship
-For the coffee shop Zayas whose goal is to support Mongolian missionaries
-For the building of the church‘s future home. Right now they are renting a room in Erdenet’s community arts building. They have land to build on and some materials purchased but are in the process of raising the rest of the funds before they can start building. Their plans include a basketball court for the youth to have a safe place to play and for rooms that can act as a temporary homes for people without one.
Please share this list with friends and family. Chose the needs that really resonate with you and make a commitment to pray over those needs once a week.
Thank you for your time, care, and love. Till we meet again either in cyber space or in reality, go in peace with all the knowledge and strength of the one true God who parts the seas, gives sight to the blind, and restores the hope of the lost.
Tiina
