I‘m in Mongolia!!! I arrived in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia yesterday morning and I feel like I’m living inside of someone else’s travel vlog. I can hardly believe this is my life! I don’t have much to report other than that I am safe, overwhelmed, and culture shocked.
Life here is so different from what I am used to. I get to walk everywhere and cross the street when there’s traffic, because all the cars actually stop for pedestrians, and I use a squatty potty every time I need to go to the bathroom. It’s not glamorous, but it’s amazing to me how easily I’ve adjusted to this new life!
Following Jesus is a wild experience. It requires a lot of sacrifice and submission. A lot of letting go and trust. Jesus is helping me realize how bad I am at that, or rather how much potential for growth there is. I was reading in Mark today and I thought I’d share a verse that the Lord brought to my attention.
“All too well you reject the commandments of God, that you may keep your tradition.” -Mark 7:9
When I read this verse tonight and it stopped me in my tracks. I felt very called out. I want to rephrase this verse for a sec:
“All too well you ignore the commandments of God, that you may keep your peace of mind.”
Ouch.
I can hardly see, I feel so blind to what Jesus is trying to tell me because I’m trying desperately to hold on to my internal peace. I won’t listen to other people voices or stories because I don’t want to hear the Holy Spirit calling me to action. It’s so sad, but I’m already so uncomfortable that I feel like I have to find something calm to hold on to otherwise everything will fall apart. There’s chaos all around me and I feel like I never learned how to swim. All day long I pray for peace, and I pray for patience.
There are so many things I wished I believed in but I don’t know how or if I should. I wish I could explain it more.
This city is beautiful. I love trekking up the steep dirt hill to get to the coffee shop in the morning. I love seeing the colorful rooftops and distant mountains from the top of the hill. I love getting to know about my teammates, and seeing God’s heart in each one of them. I love the sound of the Mongolian language floating around me all the time. I love the quiet, and I love the noise. I love sitting in nature and listening to the sounds all around me. I am not fully at peace, but the moments of tranquility throughout the day refresh and renew me in the faithfulness of my Father.
