First off, the weather is the most unpredictable that I’ve ever experienced. One day it’s warm and sunny, and the next it’s cold and snowy…it’s the strangest thing. I can’t say I’m a fan of it, haha. It keeps me on my toes tho!
The place we live in is pretty cozy. There are 3 teams placed together in a church sanctuary that is barely big enough for all our packs and ourselves! We sleep on the floor with our sleeping pads and bags every night and then move them out of the way for ministry sessions every evening.
We have one bathroom, one shower, and one fridge for 20 people to share. We’ve definitely learned how to work around others, compromise, and share well this month, haha.
Our ministry looks a little different every day. The mornings are carved out for our personal quiet times and breakfast. When 11am hits, we walk the streets of Ulaan Baatar, attempting to make friends and invite them to our evening activities at the church. We make our way home around 4pm and get ready for evening session at 7pm. From Tuesday to Friday we host activities like English class, game night, and open mic night. Friends that we make are invited to come and join the activities each night. We also invite them to our Sunday church service. This has been the basic overview of our month so far and ministry has proven to be challenging because not very many people here speak English. We often find ourselves speaking with hand motions and broken English in hopes that maybe, just maybe they’ll understand….haha. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
While walking the streets, we often hear the garbage trucks picking up trash. Normally this wouldn’t be anything to write about, but the first time I heard the trucks I thought it was an ice-cream truck! The only reason I mistook them for ice-cream trucks is because they play happy, upbeat music every time they stop to pick up trash. Music playing on the streets has become very normal now. It’s not what I expected at all – a strange thing for sure. But I’ve learned that it’s pretty fun being apart of different cultures and seeing the way they do things. What’s normal for them is strange for me and vice versa.
This month has been a fun and exhausting one for sure. I am thankful for all the friends we’ve made and the many laughs we’ve had – but most of all, I’m thankful for the faithfulness of our God. There have been many days where I’m just too tired to do ministry with a good attitude. But God has proven his faithfulness through my attitude. When I’m tired and cranky, He shows up in the coolest ways to remind me that it’s not about me!
It’s about Him and it always has been.
The theme of this month for me has been FAITHFULNESS. It’s a characteristic of God that I’ve grown to love! It’s one that I pray I am learning to carry as well.
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.” – Psalm? ?89?:?14?
