Crazy traffic

Crazy, it’s simply crazy. I thought traffic was bad when I left Ulaanbaatar. It’s worse now. Last night, what should have been a 15 minute ride home turned into an hour long trek that included two taxis, a walk in the rain, and a splash of muddy water from the street. By the time that we arrived home we were all soaked. But we did arrive home safely.

But first, a little bit about what we did during the day. Caleb and I joined one of Charissa’s old friends, now grown up and studying to be a doctor, on a trip to the immigration office. The bureaucracy itself was quick, and Caleb received his residency permission to stay in Mongolia. It was the traffic that was achingly slow. I was glad that I did not have to drive. Caleb starts language classes on Monday, Sep. 16 and is studying not far from where we live. I have also encouraged him to take part in the Bible classes that are offered on Saturdays at Faith Baptist Bible College.

In the evening, we joined the 2019-2020 opening ceremony of Faith Baptist Bible College of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. I was pleased that so many Mongolians came, especially so many young people. Bradly Kubik whom Elmira Baptist Church supports was there. I had the honor of giving the opening address and spoke from I Tim. 2:1-3 about being a good soldier of Jesus Christ and relying on the grace that we find in Christ Jesus.

I must mention that Caleb is off to a good start. He is speaking Mongolian with the young men that he meets and must have carried on a conversation in Mongolian for most of an hour last night. It took me over a year of study to come close to doing that. I could greet people and ask a few questions but long conversations were difficult for me. Some of you might think, of course, Caleb is speaking Mongolian well; he grew up there. And you would be correct that he grew up here. However, when he lived here he never carried on long conversations like that. It’s mentally tiring so I commend him for his efforts. If he continues to yield himself to God for service, he will be a good asset at Khan Uul Baptist Church.

Tomorrow, I will be speaking at Khan Uul Baptist Church in English and in Mongolian. I appreciate your prayers for me.