Heating in Mongolia

Those of you who heard me speak during our furlough in the United States may remember that I mentioned that we cannot control the heat in our apartment through a thermostat. Someone sets the apartment heat for the building and walks away. If its too cold or too hot, there is nothing that the building occupants can do other than complain to the people who control the building's hot water system, and I am still not sure who that is.

One consequence is that buildings and some districts have obtained a reputation as a "hot" building or "cold" building or "cold" district. It can even affect the rental value or resale value of an apartment. The first apartment we had was in a cold building and the problem was exacerbated by the old, leaky windows. We sealed the windows as best we could, bought several space heaters, and wore sweaters.

Our current apartment is in a warm building with vacuum sealed windows. It is a "hot" building and has stayed warm all winter. Amazingly, we only pay about $15 a month for the heat.

However, the rooms that I use for an office and church meeting place are in another building nearby. Last week there was a leak in the hot water radiators. All night hot water steadily dripped on the floor while I was away; by morning, the carpet in one of the rooms was soaked. I have included a picture of the doorway that shows the frost build-up around the door. The warm water would evaporate from the floor, fill the air with moisture, and then freeze when it reached the door.

The plumber who deals with such things was called and came and fixed it. However, he said that he thought the pipes were too hot and that the hot water running through them needed adjusting.

Sunday the temperature in the rooms was fine. Monday morning, a church member came by to inform me that there was no heat in the rooms and that it was very cold over there. I went to check it out for myself and, sure enough, the heat had been turned completely off. It turns out that Sunday night, whoever controls the heat turned it off. A Mongolian had them turn in back on, but it is still chilly over there. And no wonder, it was about -30 below over night and perhaps has warmed up to zero outside today.

My wife heard that some buildings in the city have had their heat turned completely off overnight and by mornings apartments in those buildings are chilly. I speculate that the city is having trouble providing heat because of all the new buildings that are being built. But it is hard to say. Just another part of living in Mongolian, I guess.

Sunday update

The weather was clear and cold in Mongolia today. I think we missed reaching zero; the high was about -5, I think. A Mongolian told me yesterday that the weather was beginning to warm up. When it has been as cold as it has been here, it is unsurprising that the temperature is becoming warmer. I cannot imagine it becoming much colder.

Despite the cold, we had our best turnout in some time. Our two visitors from last week returned. She used to be one of my English students the first year that I was here. She has come with her mother two weeks in a row. Hongoroo was recently married and is now expecting her first child. I think she is walking through the sub-zero temperatures for about a mile to come to the church services.

Ganpurev taught again and did a good job. He taught for almost an hour about false teachers, their characteristics and condemnation. He and I work for hours to prepare his lesson before he works by himself to polish and finish it. Maybe I will take another post to talk about Ganpurev's preparation to teach.

Hudson Taylor quote

Why should a foreign aspect be given to Christianity? We wish to see churches of such believers presided over by pastors ... of their own countrymen, worshiping God in their own tongue, in edifices of a thoroughly native style. - J. Hudson Taylor

Prayer update

History tells us that the Mongols were the only army to make a successful winter attack on Russia. From my experience I can tell you why: Mongolians know winter as few others do.

The cold persists. The lowest low this past week was -40° F; the highest high was five above. All week the temperatures have been between those two "extremes." Yesterday's high was -15° F. The cold seems to put everyone into hibernation. Small shops that are supposed to open at ten sometimes are still closed when it is nearly noon. Nobody wants to meet in the mornings except for a few hardy expatriates who have vehicles. It can be a challenge just to leave the confines of a warm home to brave sub-zero temperatures.

During this past week, I have felt as if I have had to force myself to go out into the weather. But God blessed me with a very productive and positive visit to a church member who has been struggling. Pray for me to have boldness to continue to get out and visit when the weather is so cold.

Ulzee is out of the hospital

Ulzee was discharged from the hospital on Monday a little unexpectedly. She had just begun a five day regimen of treatment on Saturday which I thought would keep her in the hospital until Wednesday. So I was a little surprised when her husband Ganpurev told me that she was discharged Monday morning.

I asked him about the five day regimen of treatment. He told me that she was completing her treatment by visiting the hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. He then went on to explain that they discharged her because she had been in the hospital ten days (the magic number in Mongolian medicine it seems) and they needed her bed for another patient.

So she is home now.

The Expat Life - WSJ.com

The Expat Life - WSJ.com

I found this article interesting. This article may enlighten those of you who have not experience living outside North America for extended periods. Those of you who have may be interested to contrast your experience with his.

Let me say that unlike the writer of this article our children do not need to worry about being spoiled by fancy private schools, household help, or five-star Asian vacations.

Our idea of an Asian vacation is to travel out a couple hundred of miles from the city where there is no electricity, showers, or toilets and spend a week with the sheep and goats.

Charissa and Emily wash dishes, fold clothes, and generally make themselves useful around the house and all the children are responsible to clean their rooms and make their beds.

Charissa, Emily, and Caleb experience the joys (and frustrations) of school at home with Mom and Dad. Elsie will start next year.

But missing family is one thing that we do have in common with the author's family.

Which brings me to another way that you can pray for us: pray that we would accept that grace, peace, and joy that God offers us as we are away from our loved ones. Also pray that we would find comfort in the God of comfort and be able to comfort other expatriates who are experiencing the heart anguish and loss of being away from family.

By the way, I only read the article, not all the comments so read at your own risk.

Sunday's attendance

We had two first time visitors this week which was a good thing because there were several regular attenders who were absent because of illness. Ganaa has been sick all week, and Ulzee is still in the hospital. I am not sure when Ulzee will be discharged from the hospital. It seems to me that the doctors have not yet decided.

Prayer is a mighty instrument ...

Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in Heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth. – Samuel L. Brengle

Wednesday night prayer meeting

We have a prayer meeting on Wednesday nights primarily for the men of our church. That is not to say that women cannot come, but almost all the men of the church work close to the church rooms and so we invited them to come directly after work to pray.

Often we only have one or two Mongolian men attend. I cannot remember a time when no one came, but there have been times when just Roland and I started the prayer meeting and the sole Mongolian came late.

That is what makes last night so special. I was working at the church rooms (my office is there too) waiting for others to come. The first knock at the door was about ten minutes early. It brought me to my feet; I expected it to be Roland who is usually the first to arrive. But it was not Roland but Bilgee. Shortly after, Bilgee opened the door for Ganpurev. After Ganpurev came in, Bilgee's phone rang. He talked briefly with someone and left which surprised me. But in a minute he returned with his friend Jagaa in tow. Jagaa is a Christian young man whom I have met on several other occasions. He attends another church in town and works for a man from New Zealand that I know.

A few minutes passed and then, right on time, another knock. But it still was not Roland but Dashgaa who had been unable to attend the prayer meetings recently because his wife's pregnancy meant that he had been picking up his children from school (no school buses in Mongolia). Roland followed shortly after and entered the room to see not one or two or even three but four Mongolian men gathered to pray for the salvation of others and the strengthening of our church. It was encouraging to me to see such a good turn out. As you pray for us and Faith Baptist Church in Mongolia, please remember to pray that these young Christians would see the power of God through prayer, realize the importance of prayer, and make attending corporate prayer meetings a priority as well as give time to prayer in their personal lives.

the cold front

We are in the coldest part of the year according to Mongolians: I believe it! The high yesterday was -8° F. I won't even tell you what the low was.

The doctors have decided to treat Ulzee with medications and not with surgery. She will probably remain in the hospital another week. Continue to pray for her and her family.