Wacky Mongolian moment

I took this picture of a man painting his window frame. The only thing is, he is painting a window on the ninth floor without any safety equipment. You can see five of the nine floors; there are another four floors that you cannot see. 

One weekend, three visits ... or was that one visit?

I posted a little update about the upcoming weekend at the end of last week. I mentioned that I planned to meet with three men: Zorigoo, Daimkaa, and another Zorigoo. Well, as seems typical since we've returned to Mongolia. I only met with the first Zorigoo. We had a talk about the Bible. He's interested but said that his wife has no interest whatsoever.

When I sent Daimkaa an SMS (short text message - we commonly use SMS here in Ulan Bator) to say that we'd be coming over in the afternoon, he responded that he was unable to meet with us but offered to have us over next week.

I was planning to visit Zorigoo on Sunday afternoon, but he was not home; he was at work. So I agreed to wait until he had a day off to visit him.

Keep praying for the salvation of Mongolian men!

Weekend opportunities to minister

I know that some of you check this sight regularly to know how to pray for us. This weekend I have several people with whom I hope to meet for whom I would ask your prayers.

Friday evening I will be with Zorigoo for a while. Please pray that I will have another opportunity to witness to him. I will actually be meeting him to try to accomplish some work for another missionary. Still, I believe in using every opportunity that presents itself.

Saturday, I will go to visit Daimkaa at his home. Although I've prayed for Daimkaa for some time, I can rarely seem to get him to focus on spiritual things. He thinks his biggest need is to get to America. I think his biggest need is to be reconciled to the true God.

Sunday afternoon, I've been asked to visit Zorigoo, Bilgee's brother. This is a different Zorigoo than the one with whom I will be Friday night though they are both carpenters. This Zorigoo is usually quite opposed to hearing about Christianity. Pray that the Holy Spirit would open his heart to hear truth and would give me boldness to preach.

Of course, on Sunday we also have our regularly scheduled meeting. Please pray for Mongolians to come. I will try to update you on the events of this weekend on Monday. Visit the blog again for an opportunity to see how God has answered our prayers.

Missions quote

"So many missionaries, intent on doing something, forget that His main work is to make something of them …" – Jim Elliot

Prayer update

Wow! The last few weeks I couldn't seem to find a Mongolian I knew who had time to meet. In the past week, I've met with five different Mongolian men, two of whom I had not seen at all since I returned to Mongolia.

One of those was Buren. He still needs pray for salvation. I do think his work is finally winding down and that I should be able to see him more often. I met with him for the first time since the first week of September.

Whew! it seems we are finally recovering from our various and sundry illnesses. There are still some sore tummies left, but the worst of it seems to be over. Thank you for praying about our health. God has answered your prayers and has increased my faith and patience too. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to help.

These updates have grown from a single e-mail to Westgate Baptist Church to include more than a dozen family members and friends. It is encouraging to know that so many are praying for us. Remember that we are a team working together to make Mongolians disciples of our Savior!

Prayer update

Things continue to move along slowly here. Nothing ever seems to happen as fast as I wish it would. But here are a few updates about people for whom I asked you to pray last month.

I visited Ganbold and already mentioned his openness to study the Bible. Like many Mongolians, he seems to lack time. Please pray that Ganbold and I would find a good time for him to study.

Moogii’s baby was born at the end of September. I plan to visit, congratulate them on their new baby, and offer a small gift. But in Mongolia, friends do not visit the newborn and family until after a month has passed. Here in the next few weeks, I should be able to go by to visit.

Last night, I visited Mendee and was able to see him for the first time since I returned. He has a government job that takes him to the countryside for weeks at a time. Ganpurev and I visited him together and told him more about salvation, the one true God, and repentance. He and his family listened intently and asked many good questions. His grown son Bayaraa, who is a student at the border soldiers’ officers’ academy, was surprised when he was told that man can have a direct relationship with the true God. They seemed open to meeting regularly to study the Bible although Mendee’s frequent trips to the countryside may hamper regular meetings. Pray that we could visit them regularly and that they would be saved.

I finally saw Enkee last night too. He seems to be struggling. His work has him working 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week. He says he does not have any time to meet and no hope of a break from work for some time.

I have a visit scheduled with Daimkaa next Saturday. Daimkaa remains convinced that his only hope in life is to travel to the US to work. Please pray that he would see that his greatest need is Jesus Christ.

Bob continues to come on Sundays. Sometimes he takes an adversarial approach to the lesson. Sometimes he seems to be listening intently to what is said. Continue to pray for his salvation. I believe that the biggest obstacle is his own pride.

Don't forget that we are laborers together for the sake of the Gospel!

Prayer update

What a couple of months it has been. Kristie and I both expected that we would come back and slip back into the flow of things and all would be well. It certainly hasn’t turned out that way. The turn signals were stolen off my car, Kristie was sick for over a week and still doesn’t feel entirely well, Charissa contracted pink eye, and this last Sunday only three Mongolians adults came. Despite the fact that several of you faithfully reminded me to rejoice in infirmities, I clung to my disappointment that circumstances were not better. Still, I cried out to God for help to deal with my disappointments and discouragement.

God recently answered my prayers in something I read. I reproduce it here for your edification.
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan and his wife went to hear a young preacher in whom they were particularly interested. He was eloquent, fine-looking, and he delivered a great sermon. Afterward, on the way home, Mrs. Morgan was profuse in her praise and was surprised that Dr. Morgan made no response. Finally, she asked, “Don’t you think he is a great preacher?” He answered, “He will be after he suffers.” Time went by, and this young preacher found out by experience what it cost to stand for Christ. He went through problems at his church. Then one day he stood by an open grave as he buried one of his beloved children. Dr. Morgan and his wife loved the young man and went to hear him speak after this. After the service, Mrs. Morgan asked again, “What do you think of him now?” Dr. Morgan answered, “He is a great preacher.”

It reminds me of two quotes that I collected somewhere. Helen Keller said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” A. W. Tozer once commented, “Seldom does God use a person greatly who has not been hurt deeply.” These stories and quotes reminded me again that God prepares me by passing me through the fire so that I can do greater things for him later.

So I am rejoicing in my infirmities and claiming for my life the truth of I Peter 1:6-7. Please praise the Lord with me that even when I am faithless, He is faithful.

Prayer update

We've had good and bad things happen this last week. I would like to publicly thank our great God for bringing me people who are interested in studying the Bible. Details are on the blog.

But we've also had more small obstacles (I think steps of progress and overcoming small obstacles go hand in hand). Last week, several things happened to the car that cost us several hundred dollars and still are not finished. Then over the weekend, Kristie became quite ill. It is Wednesday morning here, and she still has not fully recovered. I had spent extra time last week preparing for Sunday's preaching only to have it seemingly fizzle out. I was tired from nursing my wife and taking care of the children and concerned about my wife sick in bed. On top of that, the Mongolians asked several good questions which I was not able to answer as thoroughly as I would have liked to answer.

So our prayer requests this week is that Kristie would recover from her illness and that the rest of us would avoid it. Please also pray for wisdom and ability as we use the Mongolian language to point sinners to Christ.

Update

Various projects in Mongolia has kept me from updating my blog as often as I would like. So for those of you still reading this … thanks. I hope that today’s update will inform you about what is going on in Mongolia and give you some specific ways to pray.

Much of my recent busy activity has been to help Mickey Cofer, director of FirstBibles Mongolia, to set up a printing press and other printing equipment that recently arrived in Mongolia. My job has primarily been interpretation and finding supplies, but I also helped set up the imagesetter.

I know that people are praying! While traveling last year one pastor reminded me that many missionaries experienced a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on their ministries after returning to a foreign country after a furlough. They often attributed it to the prayers of people who were challenged to pray more by hearing about their ministry. I believe I am beginning to see some of the Holy Spirit’s work here in Mongolia. Not that I haven’t seen it before … it’s just more obvious now than in the past.

First, my wife and I talked recently about how many small obstacles to accomplishing things we have faced since we arrived in late summer. We both expected that coming back to Mongolia would be relatively easy: after all, we knew the language and culture, had our own place, and had some friends here. It has been unusually hard to accomplish the little things such as register my car, find items that we need and expected to be in Mongolia, make minor repairs, or even meet with friends. We know that Satan works to discourage us. We also know that God is interested in conforming us to the image of His Son and that He uses little pressures and disappointments to focus us on what is truly important! We believe that God is in the many frustrations and disappointments of our first few months. He has taught us patience, perseverance, and trust. He is preparing us to be more effective servants.

Second, Bilgee brought a friend from his workplace to my house some weeks ago. Enkhamgalan’s name means “peace,” but he has very little of it. At the end of our second meeting two weeks ago, Enkhamgalan asked, “Can I come to your meeting on Sundays?” It’s the first time anyone has ever asked if they can come to our meetings and a clear sign to me that the Holy Spirit is at work. He came this last Sunday and said that he will come again this Sunday.

Third, I mentioned in an update some time ago to pray for Ganbold because his mother Soli had asked me to visit him. Because he works seven days a week, usually fourteen hours a day, it has been difficult to find a time to visit him. I finally arranged to go to his house this past Friday night. He was glad to see me. When the conversation turned to the Bible, he was glad to talk. He talked about how the Lord was watching over him two years ago when a bus ran him over and his lung collapsed. He also mentioned that he was never alone because the Lord was always with him. He even talked about asking the Lord to forgive his sins. He asked me to come to his ger and teach his whole family the Bible. Again, I have never before been asked on a first visit to come back and teach the Bible. I attribute this to the work of the Holy Spirit and the prayers of God’s people.

Fourth, Bob seems to be more interested in the Bible than I have ever seen him. He comes on Sundays, sings the songs with us, listens attentively to the preaching, and asks questions. I am greatly encouraged by his interest and trust that he will soon trust Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

So be encouraged that your prayers do count and pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to work in the hearts of Mongolians. I need wisdom, direction, and ability in the Mongolian language as I seek to minister to Mongolians as Jesus ministered to people.

Sunday

Fifteen minutes after the hour on Sunday, exactly zero Mongolians had arrived. The week before we were pleased with fourteen Mongolians in attendance. Several times in the previous week, I had suggested to Kristie that maybe there would be a big drop in attendance. I wondered if my suggestions were prophetic. But then, within about five minutes, eleven Mongolians arrived.

Much of the rest of Sunday was spent with a Mongolian family whose father was out in the countryside. They needed their ger set up and called Ganpurev for assistance. When Ganpurev told me their plight, I offered to go with him to help. Ganpurev is known locally as the ger setup expert. Anytime someone needs a ger setup, he’s usually the one they call.