Dashka's health & family

I know that many of you are praying for Dashka’s health and his family. Here is an update on them.

Let me begin with a little background. Dashka has a wife and four children. The oldest is about Charissa’s age (14) and the youngest is about two years old.

About six years ago, I traveled with Roland Gay, Mickey Cofer, and Dashka to Uvs aimag where Roland looked at the possibilities for ministry. At that time, the three of us were able to witness to Dashka.

About five years ago, Dashka became a Christian. Roland had a large part in his coming to Christ and later baptized him. Dashka’s wife Tonga, however, comes from a devout Buddhist family. While most Mongolians consider themselves Buddhist, most of those who consider themselves Buddhist are not very devout, but rather are nominally Buddhist. Because of her Buddhist background and mother, Tonga has been resistant to even hearing the Gospel. She has heard the Gospel before but not been responsive to it.

On occasion, Dashka’s children will attend church services with him. Usually, he leaves them at home when he attends the services.

About 18 months ago, Tonga was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The doctors advised her to have surgery to remove her entire stomach followed by aggressive chemotherapy treatments. Having her stomach removed was difficult enough; the chemotherapy was even worse, I understand.

In August, she had a follow-up visit with the oncologist who told her that her cancer was in remission. However, near the end of September she began to experience abdominal pain. Visits to the doctor led to tests. The tests revealed that she now had pancreatic cancer.

Meanwhile Dashka has been struggling with a physical ailment that finally required surgery last week. He is currently recovering from surgery. He expects to make a full recovery.

Bill and I want to visit Dashka’s family recently. His three oldest children were at school, leaving only his youngest, a two and a half year old daughter, at home. Tonga looked so frail during our visit. It seems incredible that she could endure more cancer treatments.

The doctors have not been explicit as to how bad her cancer is; however, they have already ruled out surgery and are advising chemotherapy. Because there is a single hospital specializing in cancer treatment in Mongolia currently, it means long lines to see a doctor and long waiting periods for treatment.

As Tonga described a small part of her situation to us during our recent visit she began to cry. She is obviously under an incredible amount of stress. Although she said nothing of this nature to us, she has mentioned to others including her husband that it would be better if she simply died. Whoa! That would be a difficult sentiment to hear from one’s spouse. She is only thirty-six years old.

She was admitted to the hospital the day after our visit to undergo her first round of chemotherapy. I will try to keep you updated as I her more.

I had a brief opportunity to preach the Gospel to her during our visit. Please pray that the clear witness would lead her to ask questions and open up the door of opportunity for Dashka to speak to her about our Savior. We know that hope, forgiveness, and eternal life are only found in Jesus Christ. It is my hope that Tonga will realize that, admit her sinfulness and her need for Jesus Christ, and accept the gift of eternal life that God offers to her through His Son.

Quote of the week

"The 'pride of life' is one of the greatest curses in [churches today]. The false teaching desires a holiness like that of the Pharisees. It is just a question of not doing certain things that we ourselves have agreed upon because they do not happen to appeal to us in particular. Thus we have reduced holiness into something that is easy, and we crowd into that broad way and try to practice it." —Martin Lloyd-Jones

Weather update

It was 9〫F (about -13〫C) when I went out this morning about 8:30. How's the weather where you are at?

Deans' weekly update

The highlights of this week are more visitors, the building continues to progress, and a fall-off in attendance at the Bible institute. Let's dive right into these items.

I am glad to report that we continue to have visitors. Last Sunday morning Ganbold came in off the street to sit in on our service. When I talked to him he told me that he just came in off the street with his son. We talked a while, and he left with our detailed tract describing salvation. This week he was back without his son whom he said was sick. He came in about halfway through and said to me (I was greeting late-comers at the time) something about being late. Please pray that Ganbold would continue to come and that others like him would join us.

We had three others come in but they left without even sitting down. One man came and asked what kind of lesson was being taught. I told him that a Bible lesson was about to begin and invited him to take his coat off and join us. I left him as he began to take off his coat and walked around the corner to give him time to take off his coat. A minute later he was gone. I looked out the door and saw he was already far down the walk. Perhaps he was looking for an English lesson. Two more came in a few minutes later, said that they had only come to church to meet someone and that they must be at the wrong church because their friend was not there. They then left.

The building project is going very well. The tile upstairs is nearly done. Work remains to be done on the walls, and the plumbing needs to be installed. All in all, I am impressed with how quickly everything is coming together.

Last week's Bible institute class was not very well attended. We started with four Mongolian men and added a fifth the second week. But last week, one man was in the countryside for work, another student was in the hospital prepping for surgery, another student was struggling with chest pain and had an EKG, and the fourth did not show up. With a single student and a big test scheduled in one of the classes, we postponed the class for a week. Keep praying because for me, training these men is one of the main reasons that I am here.

700 posts

The previous post was the 700th post for this blog. my first post was June 28, 2006 talking about goals for this blog. Now 4 years and 4 months later, I have reached 700 posts. Thanks for reading.

Sunday update for the 4th Sunday of October

We only had fourteen Mongolians in attendance at the Mongolian service yesterday—a disappointingly low number for October; not that I am discouraged, not at all. It just means that I need to focus more on reaching out to new people and less on discipling the ones that I don’t have.

I felt like my Mongolian during my sermon yesterday was clear and flowing, a feeling that I have not had for some weeks. I was sitting through Ganpurev’s sermons and enjoying listening to his good preaching. However, recently I have been sitting in the entryway to greet people and ward off thieves. We have lost many coats over the years to people who come in off the street, notice that no one is watching the coat rack and make off with whatever they can. Currently, there should always be someone sitting in the entryway to greet people as they come in; however, every once in a while someone overlooks his duty and something goes missing.

Three people came in on Sunday morning, found out we were having a Bible study, and abruptly left. Two of them claimed that they were looking for a different church. The storefront where the church currently meets is surrounded by “Christian” churches. There are literally about four building used for religious purposes within a long stone’s throw of where we are.

Sunday evening we had a decent crowd come out for the service which is in English. It never ceases to amaze me the group that we have come: some from Mongolia, some from Europe, some from North America.

Kristie continues to struggle with her health. Some days are better than others. Sunday was a good day for which I am grateful. Today she seems to be recovering from Sunday. Please continue to pray for her.

Quote of the week

"Let us see that we keep God before our eyes; that we walk in His ways and seek to please and glorify Him in everything, great and small. Depend on it, God's work, done in God's way, will never lack God's supply." —Hudson Taylor

We often hear the second half of the quote but rarely hear the first. The two parts go together.

news from Mongolia

They are filling the rooms and spilling out into the hallways. There are so many of them that there is not room enough for them all. Such is the latest report from the children's hospital here in Mongolia where a flu epidemic has sent many little ones to the hospital to prevent dehydration. I think Kristie and Charissa have already experienced this flu outbreak. The rest of us have yet to be sick with it. Young children are especially susceptible to dehydration. Several church members' children have been very sick with this.

Several members who once came regularly to church have quit coming. Perhaps they just do not have time for church. On the other hand, we have had several new visitors recently. Here is an interesting story about one of our visitors.

The current location where the church meets is not easy to find because it is surrounded by construction projects that make it seem as if nothing could be there. Further, the entrance to the store front that we rent is in the side of the building away from the alley that passes by. What that means is that people in vehicles cannot see the church's sign unless they park their cars and walk around the building. (I hope to have a more prominent sign in the future.) I was expecting guests to come to the English service last Sunday night. I had actually invited them three weeks before but a series of events (including a fishing trip) prevented them from attending. As I waited for them at the entrance, I realized that maybe they would come down the alley and miss the church's sign. I walked around to the other side of the building to catch them. As I turned the corner, a taxi whizzed by me; and I caught a glimpse of Tengis sitting next to the driver. Unfortunately, they had already passed driving at a rather high rate of speed for an alleyway with pedestrians. I immediately called Tengis on my cell phone.

"Hey, I just saw you pass our building in a taxi. Turn around and come back," I told him.

"Stand in the street where we can see you," he told me.

I hesitated to stand in the street remembering how quickly the taxi had been traveling before. After all, it is hard to stand and lead songs if you have two broken legs ... anyway, I did as instructed, standing in the street and waving as soon as I saw the taxi. There turned out to be no danger, and Tengis and Bolormaa attended the service. Please pray for their salvation. Tengis is depending on his good works to make him righteous. Bolormaa told me that she is Buddhist (but interested in improving her English).

Until the next update, keep praying.

Sunday update

There are so many things that I could write about that I am not sure where to begin. There are church members who have a daughter in the hospital, another member who is scheduled to have surgery this week. His wife’s cancer has come back, this time in her pancreas.

We have visitors coming; praise the Lord! And members who have quit coming.

The construction project is going well: pieces falling into place that evidence the hand of the Lord. But as fast as it is going, it always seems that it is taking a long time.

Ganpurev preached today on celebrations. After a discussion earlier this month, Ganpurev and I felt that someone should preach on Mongolian celebrations. People will borrow nearly a month’s salary worth of money from family and friends to celebrate something as simple as a birthday. It seems to both of us that much of the impetus for such elaborate celebrations is the desire to show off wealth that they do not have.

Along with our partners in ministry here, Kristie and I perceive a significant amount of spiritual opposition. Discouragement, temptation, illness, disappointment, failure—trouble seems to surround us. But we are not defeated; in fact, we are on the victory side!

But we need your continued prayers. We hear that many of you also are facing discouraging circumstances. At the same time, we hear of God’s power being evident. We should not be surprised that our adversary fights us the hardest when we are closest to victory. Perhaps our present distress is the sound of abundance of rain before a season of revival. Let’s keep praying, keep working, and keep hoping.

Weather update

This may be the last week of "nice" weather before it becomes cold. Highs have been in the forties this week. Next week's lows are predicted to be in single digits (near -15 for those of who track your temperatures in Celsius). Typically, October is the last month in which we have weather that is above freezing. November, December, January, and the first part of February rarely see temperatures that are above the freezing point. If you live in Mongolia, get ready for the cold.

A Day of Difficult News

Dashka told us today that his wife’s cancer has returned, this time in her pancreas. Considering her still recent bout with stomach cancer this is not good news. During a visit to the doctor in August she was told that she was doing well. A ultrasound of her abdomen yesterday showed a recurrence of cancer.

With tears in his eyes, Dashka told me today, “I have prayed for my wife to be saved; I have prayed for her to be healed.” We then took time to pray together.

Dashka’s wife Tonga has been on the top of the prayer list for salvation for some time. We had been thanking the Lord for giving her victory over cancer. But the last few weeks she has been experiencing some pain that she thought might be a symptom of her cancer’s return. Her visit to the doctor yesterday confirmed it.

As I understand it currently, the doctors say that Tonga’s pancreatic cancer is inoperable. She may be able to undergo radiation or chemotherapy treatments. However, she is still very weak physically because she just had her stomach removed about 15 months ago and then underwent about a year of intensive chemotherapy treatments. She is hardly in a condition to undergo a rigorous round of chemotherapy.

Dashka himself has been going through a difficult time. On top of his wife’s condition, he has a physical condition that needs surgical treatment. His surgery is scheduled for next week. Dashka’s older brother Dawaa has cancer that most doctors have said is untreatable. Dawaa is currently at home gaining strength before starting chemotherapy treatments.

There is much pressure on Dashka from many directions. Mongolians are so quick to attribute bad circumstances to a god that has been offended or who does not care. I desire for our God to show Himself mighty in these circumstances and to bring glory and honor to Himself in the way that He answers prayer.

Please pray with me that our Lord and God would be glorified in Tonga’s health and in Dashka’s life. And pray earnestly for the salvation of Tonga.

Quote of the week

"The missionaries realized [that paying nationals to do the work of the ministry] would have proved a hindrance in the long run rather than a help. To pay young converts, however sincere, for making known the Gospel—and to pay them with money from foreign sources—must inevitably weaken their influence if not their Christian character. The time might come when their call of God to such a work would be evident to all, and when the Christians themselves would be ready to support them. How was China ever to be evangelized but by the Chinese [Christians]? And how were the converts ever to know the joy of unpaid, voluntary service, from love to the Lord Jesus Christ, unless the missionaries could be patient and wait for spiritual developments?" from Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret

Oregon cherries in Mongolia

The items that I sometimes find when I am out shopping is very interesting. You just never know what you will find: a 103" television set, for example.

This week while I was out looking for hamburger, I found cans of Oregon cherries. I have seen them in the U.S. in Oregon (of course) and Indiana. But I would not have guessed that you can find them in Mongolia.

Get them while you can though; we may never see them again. For those of you who are wondering, the price is approximately $5.40 a can.

Weekly update

I am blessed to have a good crew of folks who take an interest in us and pray for us. Google Analytics tells me that I have readers in 18 states (including one state I have never visited), Mongolia, Canada, and Brazil. Amazing to think, huh? I never cease to be amazed.

I had not been up very long this morning when I checked the temperature outside. It was -9 C (16 F for you Americans). That is cold enough for me. But it is only October and should become much colder here in the next month.

We have some very real spiritual opposition facing us, perhaps I will post about it another time. I want to take this opportunity to inject a little bit of humor into our situation here. In the last three days, we have had three door handles break off. I am trying to remember if I ever remember a door handle breaking in the States, much less three in a matter of days. Do your door handles break off regularly?

The first one was the bathroom door handle in our apartment. My daughter brought me the handle from the hallway side and said that it came off in her hand. At first several in my family wondered if the bathroom could be used effectively without a lock, but they did not need to worry. Have you ever tried to open a door from the hallway when there was no handle? The trouble is that if someone accidentally shuts the door, it takes special tools and skills to open it.

The second handle was the bathroom door at the building that we use for church services. This handle broke on the bathroom side which meant that someone had to stand guard on the outside to prevent inconvenient interruptions. Ganpurev is already working on repairing that handle. I insisted that such a repair needed to be done right away (tongue in cheek).

The third handle is on the front door of our apartment. We have a door handle with an armature, not a round knob. I came home yesterday to discover that our door handle's armature instead of pointing to the right was pointing down. Odd, I thought. Opening the door, I discovered the interior handle was missing entirely. Pieces that should be there were also missing. The children and I used a flashlight to search for the pieces without success. I am not sure how to fix that one. One of the children was closing the door and found the interior handle in her hand. Come to think of it, it was another daughter who ripped the handle of the bathroom door.

So I need to get a handle on all these door handles. It is the little frustrations that can build up and give room to bitterness or apathy. Pray for God's grace to be evident in our lives. Oh, and if anyone needs a super-strong girl to rip door handles off, we can send you one.

Quote of the week

"Many times have I been ready to shrink back, and to say, Lord, I pray thee, have me excused; but if God should honor us by permission to lay foundations, foundations of his church in Siam, ... we shall have reason to praise Him through all eternity, for having employed us in such a service. Over and over again have I been obliged to say to myself, that the only way of doing any thing to promote a great object is to try and try again, and when one plan fails, to resort to another; and if God spares my life, I am resolved to keep on trying till my work is done." —Eliza Jones (from This Day in Baptist History II)

Forty years in the wilderness

I was reminded again recently in my Bible reading that Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before returning to Egypt to confront Pharaoh. Forty years that must have seemed pointless to well-educated Moses. Forty years of watching sheep, a job despised by the Egyptians among whom he grew up. Forty years of desert heat and cold. Forty years of dust and thirst. Forty years of wasting his talents.

Most likely Egypt reached its pinnacle of power during Moses time in Midian. He may have even heard whenever he was around human company of the great power of the Pharaoh, of his many exploits, and his victorious campaigns. All that while, he sat in the desert. He had been trained in all the wisdom of Egypt. But while men with whom he had grown up reached the zenith of success, he presided over stinky, stupid sheep.

But God was at work during this time. He was giving Moses the opportunity to learn what life in the desert was like. He was training Moses to deal with childish, superstitious people. He was preparing Moses to be completely reliant on Him. Wow! And Moses had no idea.

It was not Moses plan to return to Egypt in triumph. When God told him to go back to Egypt, he made every excuse that he could. Moses did not want anymore to do with his fellow Hebrews; he even married a Midianite and neglected to circumcise his sons, an obvious sign of forsaking his Hebrew heritage.

And so God plucked another man from among sheep—a forgotten no one—to challenge the greatest ruler on earth at the time. Do not fret in your time in the wilderness. Maybe God has you there for a reason.

Prayer request

I am planning several visits tomorrow to be a witness for Christ and strengthen other Christians. Please pray for the Holy Spirit's power to be evident. Pray that God would remove obstacles and give me boldness and wisdom tomorrow. Acts chapter 4 has been a challenge to me recently. Read it for yourself and pray as the Spirit leads you.

Keep praying

It sounds like Dashka himself will need surgery next week. His wife Tonga is scheduled to go to the hospital on Saturday when she might be admitted. Please pray for that family.

Weekly update

We had an unusual Sunday morning this past week ... again. This time the item of note was that few people came. We had Ganpurev's family there, of course; and another visiting family joined us. Though we had bits and pieces of a few other families it was a disappointing turnout. I was preaching on the benefits of meditation too, a topic that I believe is important to every Christian's life. Neither of the two ladies scheduled to be in the nursery were there! But it was not a big deal since only two nursery age children came. The other members valued other opportunities above the chance to join with their brothers and sisters in Christ to worship, fellowship, and exhort one another. Some were sick, some were doing home repairs, some just did not come.

Please pray that these Mongolian Christians (many of whom are young in the Lord) would learn to place the most important priorities first. This past Sunday I encouraged them all to read their Bibles daily, pray daily, and meditate on Scripture daily. I even gave them a little booklet of verses which they could memorize and use to meditate. Spiritual growth occurs when we make a conscious effort to follow Jesus Christ and place heavenly things first.

We had another good turnout in the evening for the English service. A family that Kristie and I had visited and invited to attend was unable to join us because of illness. They were healthy enough on Saturday when I visited. But Sunday afternoon when I called, the husband was sick. Could it be our enemy trying to prevent people from hearing truth? Pray for those to whom we minister to be impacted by the word of God.

Quote of the week

"Protestant missions had enjoyed over one hundred and fifty years of contact with the Tibetan Buddhist world since William Carey's visit to Bhutan in 1797. For much of that period Western Christians had been a favored elite, free to evangelize and set up permanent mission stations at strategic spots on the borders of Tibet and Mongolia. Faithful missionaries had prayed, preached, and given their lives. Yet despite these great sacrifices, nowhere did a strong Christian movement appear among a Tibetan Buddhist people. The results were disappointingly different from the high hopes of early missionaries." Marku Tsering in Sharing Christ in the Tibetan Buddhist World