Last weekend, the Lord invited us to be a part of His harvest…
“K” is a 10-year-old firecracker, and she is smart as a whip. Her sister, “G,” is 14 and she is sweet and more reserved, but just as smart as her younger sister. Both of them speak flawless English. They are the daughters of our AirBnb host, whom we rented an apartment from in Ulaanbaatar. Last weekend, we stayed at their family’s farm in the countryside for two nights.
Early Sunday morning, K came to visit us in our little cabin. We were having our quiet times and were reading our bibles. Emily invited K to read her bible with her. Daniel suggested that they read the book of Esther, so they started reading Esther out loud. Emily read a little bit first, then K took over reading. She asked if anyone else wanted to read some, so Landry and Haley both took a turn reading, but K read the majority of the book herself. All of us followed along with our bibles while she read the whole book of Esther.
As soon as she started reading, I felt led to give her my bible. The translation of my bible is one that is straightforward and easy to understand. It is also a study bible and it has lots of maps, profiles on key people, footnotes, and supplemental information, which I knew would be helpful to her. While she was reading, I prayed for her and for whomever opens the bible to be overcome with the love, peace, and joy of Jesus, and for them to encounter Him personally. When K finished reading, I walked over to her and asked if she would like to have my bible. She was surprised, but she accepted the bible joyfully. She paced around the room excitedly, clutching it tightly to her chest. She told us that her family didn’t have a bible, and that not many Mongolians own a bible. K kept repeating that it was the best gift she had ever received.
Later that afternoon, Daniel initiated a conversation about Jesus with G, the 14-year-old. They started reading and discussing the book of John together. Soon, it was time to gather in the ger before we ate dinner. We talked together and watched as they rolled out pieces of dough, and filled it with a mixture of meat, onion, and spices. Then they pinched the dough closed and fried them in oil. The meal was delicious!
After dinner, they asked if we would sing for them. Daniel and Gina Marie took turns playing the guitar, and we sang worship song after worship song. The ger was filled with our praises, and the whole family loved the songs. During one song, my eyes locked with G’s. I smiled at her and she grinned widely in return. The Lord was stirring her heart.
As we walked back to our cabin, the two girls joined us. The moon shone so brightly and beautifully that I paused to admire it before going inside. A little distance away, I could hear Haley and G speaking softly about Jesus. There was a prayer spoken, and G accepted Jesus right then. Haley announced the good news to the rest of us, and we all shared a big group hug! Gina Marie went inside for a moment and returned with her bible, which she gave to G.
The next morning, the family told us that they wanted to plant some trees in memory of us, so we helped them plant seabuckthorn trees on their property. Before we left to go back to Ulaanbaatar, K told us that she had prayed a lot the night before, and she memorized Psalm 23, which Landry had read to her earlier. K proudly recited the entire Psalm to us. Then, K accepted Jesus and prayed to receive the Holy Spirit!
Two sisters. Two bibles. Two salvations.
God has definitely been blowing my mind in the last few weeks.
We had team changes earlier this month in Kyrgyzstan, and I am Team Leader to an amazing group of people— Gina Marie, Haley, Daniel, Landry, Emily, and Talia!
The night I was appointed Team Leader, I had trouble sleeping. I was wide awake, and I felt like I should pick up my bible. I opened to John 4, and what I read nearly knocked the wind out of me.
“You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
John 4:35-38
It was strongly impressed upon my spirit that the Lord was giving me revelation about my team. The number of times the word “harvest“ appears in the passage especially struck me. The next morning, we became team Harvest!
Apart from that, it was separately prophesied multiple times that this team would witness the salvation of souls; that people would encounter the Lord through our worship; and that we would help to birth something new, among other things…
Dang, God. You are so good.
