In a couple of days I will be heading to Mongolia. It’s pretty crazy to think that I actually have the opportunity to go to this foreign land. Not long ago I would have nothing to say about the country. Throughout the last year numerous random things caught my attention and pointed me in the thoughts of the cold nomadic country, squished between Russia and China.
I have heard in school about Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Empire. I know a little about their skills in combat, riding horses and their perfection in archery. But recently, since preparing to go and serve in Bayan-Ulgii, I have learned a whole lot more. I have learned about the nomadic lifestyle that many still live in today. How harsh the winter can be and how they eat lots of meat like goat, beef, horse, muskrat and how they wash it down with salty hot tea.
I’ve read about the cultural differences and how many Mongolians have migrated from Kazakhstan, Russia and China and the religious differences between them. I’ve seen photos of the large capitol, Ulaanbaatar, and how it reflects its past under strict soviet control. I have learned that Mongolia is second behind Greenland in the least amount of people per capita. I’ve heard how hard life can be especially in the winter as women dedicate each day to keeping the ger, (like a portable yurt) warm and prepare food for their large calloused and weathered families.
I have heard much about this country, but I’m looking forward to experiencing it for myself and writing about it first hand.
I will be going to rural western Mongolia with Joey Myers to encourage and help build for a couple of weeks. We will be meeting with a Spirit Filled American Family that Joey has known for a long time. They have five children of their own and are responsible for a number of orphans in the area.
Thank you so much for everyone who has supported this and please keep us in your prayers as we leave soon (sept 28 – oct 14).
As I have been living in Colorado Springs for the past couple of months, I have been challenged to be patient and rely on the truths that God has given us through his word, and through his spirit. As I have traveled some recently I have faced some doubt and hardships through people that I have come into contact with. People who have been wronged. Life has not been fair to them, and the results are dirty and hopeless. They wonder in their own minds enslaved by mental illness and confusion.
I feel discouraged when subbing and coaching somedays by the same kind of hopelessness from kids who don’t seem to have a fair chance. They seem to lack motivation and the desire to grow and encourage others around them. It can be exhausting when we constantly work so hard to please ourselves each day to get by. But for each hardship there is always so much more to be thankful for, people that focus and love on others first and foremost without hesitation.
I have been reminded of the simplicity of God calling us his children. We are his, what we own is his, our talents and our achievements are his, our relationships and knowledge are all his. Without the simplicity of doing the things that bring us joy and make us laugh like children, then we will miss some of the greatest opportunities in our lives. We may live stressed and overwhelmed by fear without much to look forward to.
I believe we have the ability to notice others and find hope in hopeless situations, when we choose to live our lives by making time for joy and fellowship.
I am looking forward to writing more about Mongolia soon. Thanks again for all the help and support! I hope to sit face to face and tell stories sometime with each and every one of you.
