World’s Languages Dying Off Rapidly - New York Times

World’s Languages Dying Off Rapidly - New York Times

This was an interesting article. Monolingual speakers of English are usually not away that languages could die out. Should our Lord delay His return for another several hundred years, Mongolian will probably die out too.

Arrival in Mongolia

We arrived in Mongolia last night where we were met at the airport by Roland and Ganpurev. Although the line through immigration was long it went quickly and we found ourselves at home shortly before midnight. We actually slept well last night. Let me take this opportunity to thank those of you who prayed for our trip.

August prayer letter

Our time in Oregon is quickly drawing to a close. Our home church's 25th anniversary is the second Sunday in September. Following that is a three-day teen retreat at which I will be a counselor, and then we return to Mongolia in time for the next Sunday. Our whole family has so enjoyed our time with parents, grandparents, siblings, and cousins that leaving for Mongolia will be difficult. Still, we are so grateful for the opportunity to be together, if only temporarily, with our families.

While we have been away, our church in Mongolia has been doing well. In August Tsendee, to whom I have witnessed and for whom I have prayed for many months, made a profession of faith in Christ. Specifically, he told some men in the church that he believed there was only one true God, that all other gods were false, and that Jesus alone was the way, the truth, and the life. How excited I was to hear the news! Some of you may be wondering why I was not disappointed to be there when he made his profession of salvation. Yes, it would have been exciting to be there in person, but it was even more exciting that the work goes on in my absence. My goal is to eventually leave behind an independent Baptist church where the work continues without my help. The Mongolians are not quite ready to take that step but, even in my absence, Mongolians are preaching Jesus to their friends, neighbors, and coworkers. And they are seeing people become Christians! We praise the Lord that He is at work.

Also, there have been several visitors recently, even though August is usually the time of year when people do not visit church services. Two young ladies came recently who worked with one of our young men. During August many of the people in Ulan Bator take a trip to the countryside. They leave the city to enjoy the fresh air and airag, a fermented drink made from mare's milk. We should be returning to Mongolia just about the time that most of the Mongolians are.

When we get back, there are several people interested in being baptized and becoming members of the church. Tsendee is one of the candidates, along with Ganaa, Kristie's language tutor with whom Kristie has been working for some time. Tsendee's baptism will mean that we have four Mongolian men who are saved and baptized. Continue to pray for more Mongolian men to be saved, baptized, and excited about growing in Christ.

News about alcoholism in Mongolia

I've posting a link to a Christian group that works with alcoholics. I am posting this link not because I think that I should work with this group but because there is information in the article about alcoholism in Mongolia that might interest some of you.

Prayer update

We are still in Oregon but eager to be back in Mongolia. Sunday I preached here at Westgate Baptist Church. It encouraged me that several people found me later and told me how the sermon was a blessing to them. Next Sunday we will be at Berean Baptist Church in Dallas, Oregon.

Some of you may know that my dad and I are planning to try to open a carpentry shop in Mongolia in several years. My dad is planning to come to Mongolia and teach the Mongolians carpentry skills. The plan helps me because I can get a visa through the carpentry shop and use some parts of a building for the church to meet in. One of the obstacles to be overcome is a source of inexpensive wood. Tuesday morning my dad and I visited Lumber Products, a company that is a big supplier of lumber to many carpenter shops in the Portland area. They agreed to let us look through a stack of discarded products occasionally and take what was of interest to us. Of course, we'll still have to pay to ship it to Mongolia, however the wood itself would be free or very low cost.

Things are going well in Mongolia. We had two young ladies attend our church service for the first time last Sunday. One of the young ladies is familiar to me: she has visited my house before. Buren has been attending services on Sundays, Bob has not. Also, Ganpurev's preaching on Sundays is going well. Keep praying for them and for us.

Ministering at Westgate Baptist Church

Yesterday I preached at Westgate Baptist Church, our sending church. As a preacher it is always gratifying when someone makes a special point to find me and tell me how my sermon blessed their life. Two folks yesterday came to me to tell me how the Holy Spirit had used my preaching to bless their lives. It is thrilling to be an instrument that God can use.

Westgate Baptist Church's 25th Anniversary is in two weeks (September 9). The anniversary is the main reason that we returned to the States, and so we plan to stay in Oregon until the anniversary and then return to Mongolia.

Speaking of Mongolia, I have not received an update from there in some time. Consequently, I do not know much of what is occurring there. I will try to get an update and post it to my blog this week.

Update

We are still in Oregon for a few more weeks. We have meetings and speaking engagements every week from now until we leave.

The news that we have been hearing from Mongolia is sparse. It seems as if attendance has been flat which is better than hearing that attendance is plummeting.

I have made a couple of calls to Mongolia. Between my Mongolian and the telephone connection, it has seemed difficult to understand and make myself understood. I am eager to get back to Mongolia and continue my ministry there face to face.

Investing in the future

"Invest your life in something that will outlive you – PEOPLE!" – Ron Brooks

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." – William James

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." – Jim Elliot

These three quotes all share a similar idea: there is a way to invest in the future that always yields good returns. Many Americans seem to be very eager to find the highest return for their money. Stocks, mutual funds, bonds - all these tempt Americans with talk of high returns. Then there are the get-rich-quick schemes that threaten to inundate people's e-mail boxes. Yes, too many Americans are obsessed with finding an investment that will allow them to get rich while doing very little.

But there is a better way to invest. It is a venture that promises good returns. It is people. The people whom we lead to our Savior will be eternally grateful for our witness. The people whom we disciple will ultimately disciple others who will ultimately disciple others until the returns in eternity are beyond our comprehension.

Besides, what could be more important than people. We know that our gold will perish, our buildings will eventually collapse, our clothing will wear out, and one day all those things will seem so unimportant. But people - this is one of the few things that will continue on into eternity. What better way to invest our lives!

Prayer update

I have not been updating my blog as much because we have been traveling.

I sent out the good word about Tsendee's salvation last week. Because I have not heard more, I have nothing new to report. Please continue to pray that he would grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. I have heard that attendance has been down at the church services in Mongolia - mainly people traveling, I would guess.

My family will be traveling to Eastern Oregon and Idaho this week to see some family. Next Sunday we will be in a supporting church in Northern Idaho. There is quite a bit of traveling in front of us this week. I counted them up and believe that I will have the opportunity to preach another eight or ten times in the next month before we return to Mongolia. Pray for us.

Praise the Lord!

It has been some time since I posted an update. We have been camping. Two weeks ago we were at Westgate Baptist Church's Family Camp where I was the featured speaker. Last week we were at the Dean Family Annual Fishing Camp on the Kenai River in Alaska. Next week, we will be at the Jaquith Family Annual Camp in eastern Oregon. Wow! That is a lot of camping. But it is not the camping as much as the time with family that we are cherishing. Last week was the first time that our children were united with all their cousins on the Dean side of the family.

I have heard good news from Mongolia: Tsendee who is Bayambaa's father has become a Christian! He has rejected all other gods, recognized that the God of the Bible is the one true God, accepted that Jesus Christ is His Son, and believed that Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection paid the penalty for his personal sin. That is the report that I received this past week from my colleague in Mongolia, Roland Gay. I have been personally witnessing to Tsendee and praying for his salvation specifically for some months now. So his repentance is significant to me personally. Continue to pray for his son-in-law Mandaa to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior.