Pictures from Mongolia

Where has time gone?!

Our trip to Mongolia is over. I did not post nearly all the things I wanted to post. First of all, my Internet access in Mongolia was sporadic and slow. Some days I could easily access my blog, other days I could not. Second, I had trouble posting pictures. So for the next few days, I will post some more pictures and updates from our trip to Mongolia even though I am already home.

This is a picture of me with Pastor Ganpurev and Baysaa.

Update & prayer requests

We have packed our 10 days here so far with much exhortation and encouragement. Usually visiting two, sometimes three families in a day, Mongolians and Americans, we have reached out to bring a message of hope. 

One important reason for this trip was to encourage and strengthen Pastor Ganpurev and his wife Ulzee in order to energize Faith Baptist Church. I cannot say how much we energized Faith Baptist Church (more on that in a moment), but Ganpurev and Ulzee are noticeably encouraged. Our good friend, Jason Ritchie, remarked on how encouraged and positive Ganpurev has been this past week that we have been here.

Two of the families whom we saw saved and baptized during our time in Mongolia have started to grow in ways that we did not see when we were here. Gantsetseg came to us when she was estranged from her husband and had no where to go. God arranged a meeting between her and my friend Bilgee. Bilgee brought her to a church meeting on an unusually wet Sunday. I have often wondered if Gantsetseg came to the meeting because she wanted to know more about Jesus or if she came to the meeting with her little daughter to stay dry.

She kept coming because our family aided her when she had no place to go. Eventually, she became a Christian. I baptized her, and she became a member of Faith Baptist Church. In the last few years she has begun to change. One evidence of this was that she has stopped drinking alcohol despite the pressure at work to drink. (She is an elementary school teacher.) Recently, she had an argument with a Christian woman who attends another church. After the argument, she called the other woman to admit her fault and apologize. This is a huge change for her. Unfortunately, she has been attending another church that is geographically closer to her.

We also visited Togsoo & Gantuya. You may remember their little son who when still a crawler stuck his arm in a pail of just-boiled water and was severely burned. The Lord providentially used that experience to bring Togsoo to saving faith in Jesus some time later.

Three years ago when my wife and I visited their home to encourage them they had quit attending church. When we left Gantuya started crying. At the time, my wife and I both considered it and thought that it was perhaps a melodramatic reaction to our visit. She told Kristie during this visit that she was crying because she knew that at that time she was doing wrong. She was sinning and knew that we would not approve. She was under conviction but did not want to talk about it.

About a year later after Elsie and I visited their home, her husband became serious about his relationship with God. They both confessed to God and to one another their various sins and agreed to serve God. How they have grown since that time! They still admit that they have their problems but not like they used to have.

Pray for a massive project of gers (yurts) to be shipped to the United States to come through. It would provide about six months of work for the carpenter shop. If that order goes well, it may initiate another order. All told, it could mean much work over the next few years for these men. But it starts with this first order. Pray by name that our carpenter shop would have favor with Bill, the Mongolian side liaison, and Richard, the man in the United States to place this order with our shop.

Pray for Mary Ritchie. She has been quite sick since before we arrived. We brought a few things to alleviate the symptoms, but nothing seems to help. When we visited last night, we really enjoyed our time with the family, but Mary was unable to join us.

We leave on Friday. I have a couple more important events yet. Today, we will visit a former friend who is at the hospital with his daughter. Then we have a dinner scheduled with Ganpurev and his family. Tomorrow, Jason and I will have a meeting with the carpenter shop. We also have a farewell fellowship with anyone who wishes to join us on Thursday ahead of our departure the next morning. 

Thank you all for your prayers.

Caleb is really doing well with the language

Thursday Kristie and I spent some hours with Bill & Marcy Patterson. They are good friends! We left Caleb at our room. There are other people in the building including Noah Kruchkow a missionary kid about Caleb's age. We told Caleb to talk to Noah, read his book, and get some rest.

While we were gone, Caleb went out, found a little Mongolian cafe, and ordered himself some khuushuur. It is one of my favorite Mongolian dishes. He said he waited for a while, and no khuushuur came for him. So he finally asked the cafe how long he would have to wait. They told him thirty minutes. So he left, came back thirty minutes later, and got his khuushuur. 

My wife and I are amazed at his ability in the Mongolian language after being away for five years. He never spoke it much when we lived here only using a few phrases and simple sentences. But on this trip he has been answering questions and following conversations.

Also on Thursday, we had dinner at Bob & Ganaa's house. They are one of our oldest friends in Mongolia. Ganaa was a help to my wife particularly, helping with the issues of running a household in Mongolia. She also taught my wife Mongolian which is one reason that my wife speaks the language so well. They seem to be doing better than they have in the past. Bob has a bum knee. The doctors say that surgery would be the best way to treat it. He injured it thirty years ago playing soccer. At that time, he did not seek treatment for it. After a few months it seemed better. But recently it has been troubling him again.

On the way home last night, I told Caleb to go ahead and tell the taxi driver where we wanted to go. So when we got in the taxi, Caleb told the driver the directions. I spoke to my family in English but was tired and said nothing in Mongolian to the driver. We were most of the way to our destination when the driver as traffic slowed rolled down his window and asked a Mongolia a particular about Caleb's directions as if he did not know exactly where to go.

At that moment it occurred to me: the driver clearly understood what Caleb said; he just did not know that district well enough to make it to the end. He waited until he reached the district Caleb mentioned to ask a Mongolian if he was going the correct way. (He was.) Second, the driver, who had never heard my wife or I speak a word of Mongolian, assumed that Caleb was the Mongolian speaker for the family. 

As soon as I heard the driver asking for directions, I spoke up in Mongolian. "Keep going straight," I said. "You're on the right road."

Some things never change

You forget about how Mongolia is until you are here again. One never knows what will happen on any given day. Two examples from yesterday are in order.

As I mentioned in yesterday's update, I unexpectedly ran into Bold while I was walking the streets yesterday. It was in 13th microdistrict where we lived when we were here. But Bold does not live or work in that part of town.

Second, we scheduled in the morning to be at Bobo and Ganaa's house last night. Then about an hour before we were to leave, Ganaa called asking if we could re-schedule. We agreed to visit their house on Thursday night.

With a night free, we decided to see if the Ritchies would like a visit. I will have more news about them in future updates. At present, I will just say that although they were open to a visit, Jason was preparing to meet with Dr. Keen of FirstBibles International and Mr. Arnold from Trinitarian Bible Society. Mr. Patterson was to be there also. I asked Jason if Caleb and I could come to the meeting. It turned out that all three of us went. Kristie and Marcy had a pleasant conversation together while the men talked about the Mongolian translation of the Old Testament.

I cannot share the details of that meeting at this time. I anticipate that there will be some public announcements soon, perhaps even tonight at the dedication of the New Testament. God is at work in many people's hearts. We are at the fundraiser stage of the Old Testament translation project now. I look forward to many good things happening.

As you meet to pray tonight, here are my requests: pray that I could encourage Pastor Ganpurev. He has had some rough circumstances of late including kidney stones. He could use a dose of spiritual vision and energy.

Also pray for the Mongolian New Testament Dedication tonight and its ongoing results. This translation has touched more people and had a wider influence than I realized. But there is still opposition and doubt from some quarters. Pray for unity around the truth and a passion for the word of God in Mongolia.

Jet lag is quickly getting better. We are sleeping through the night. Thank you for your prayers.

First update

Jet lag has hit Kristie & Caleb pretty hard. They were both up at 2 this morning. Caleb went back to sleep about 5. I slept through the night – praise the Lord! We went to Ganpurev & Ulzee's place for dinner last night and enjoyed the food. Caleb was especially looking forward to eating genuine Mongolian food and was not disappointed.

Several months ago, Ganpurev & Ulzee visited their local clinic with some health issues. At that time, they took some health tests. The local clinic told Ulzee that she tested positive for hepatitis B. Ganpurev had some swelling in his liver, thickening of the gallbladder wall, and some kidney issues. Both of them were given specific advice about their diets which they have followed.

After we arrived Sunday night late as we were driving from the airport, I specifically checked with Ganpurev regarding Ulzee's condition. Jason told me that she had hepatitis C which though curable is a disease that is expensive to treat (about $80,000 a treatment in the U.S.) Ganpurev told me that Ulzee did not have hepatitis C but hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is not curable but its effects can be treated. The Mongolian doctors told her that if she was not careful about her diet she would die of the symptoms of hepatitis B within 12 years. (I have no idea why such a specific number, 12, rather than say within 10-15 years.) That was the news Sunday night as we left the airport.

Monday morning, Ganpurev & Ulzee went to First Hospital for the results of tests that the took at First Hospital June 21. These tests were separate from the tests that they had taken at their local clinic. One of the tests that they had taken was for hepatitis. At First Hospital, the doctor told Ulzee that she does not have hepatitis B. And because hepatitis B cannot be cured, he told her that she had never had hepatitis B. He suggested that the local clinic's hepatitis test was incorrect.

Ulzee told us Monday night that she sees her diagnosis as not having hepatitis as an answer to prayer. She said that when the local clinic diagnosed hepatitis B and told her that she had 12 years to live, she began to pray that God would heal her. After all, she said, God raised Lazarus from the dead, He could certainly heal her. So she thinks that she had hepatitis B and that God miraculously healed her. I am not a doctor and did not see the tests, so I cannot say. But we rejoiced with her that she does not have hepatitis B now.

We also saw Buren today. I missed him the last time I visited Ulaanbaatar because he was in the countryside. They now have five grandchildren. Their youngest daughter Uchkaa has four children! Their oldest daughter Urnaa (she trained as a doctor) has a daughter. Urnaa is with her husband working in Istanbul, Turkey. But they left their daughter with Buren and Sonin in Mongolia. They will be gone another two years. Their middle daughter Chimgee still is unmarried, lives at home, and works near them at a photography shop.

On my way out of Buren's place, I literally found Bold. He is the Mongolian fellow who came to Oregon during our last furlough. He stayed with the Deans for a few days and visited Westgate Baptist Church. I was hoping to see him but had lost contact with him. It was providential that I met him! He was busy with work at the time, but we exchanged phone numbers. Lord willing, I will visit his house this weekend. He is a Christian man and a great source of ideas.

Tonight we are headed to see Bob and Ganaa. They leave for the far countryside next Tuesday. We will update you on that visit tomorrow.

Tomorrow also is a meeting regarding the Old Testament translation work that lies ahead. I am not sure if I am invited to that meeting or not, but Jason would like me to attend. We happen to have the same goals about the translation issue. Then in the evening is the dedication.

Arrived in South Korea

We arrived in South Korea. As I mentioned in my previous post, Kristie's tailbone is bothering her some. But other than that, we are doing well. I probably will not post again for about 24 hours because we will arrive in Ulaanbaatar late at night. I will not have an opportunity to connect to the Internet until the next morning. Thank you for your prayers.

It's a long flight to Korea …

We leave for Mongolia tomorrow. We fly from Portland to Seattle, have a short layover, fly from Seattle to Seoul, and then Seoul to Ulaanbaatar. It was often a long trip taking over 30 hours from the time we left our American residence until the time we arrived at our Mongolian home.

The layovers have been shortened for this trip. It will be almost 24 hours from the time we leave our home in Oregon until we arrive out the place we will stay in Ulaanbaatar. Much of that time is spent waiting to check baggage, waiting to go through airport security, waiting to board planes, waiting to go through immigration, waiting to collect luggage, and waiting to have our luggage inspected. My children often asked me why we are in hurry to get to the airport when once we are there we do so much waiting. I told them traveling to Mongolia required us to "hurry up and wait." It is just one of those requirements of international travel!

The longest flight is the segment from Seattle to Seoul. From gate to gate it is about twelve hours seated on a plane. Not a particularly long international flight, but it certainly seems long.

Kristie injured her tailbone some months back. When we scheduled tickets she felt fine. Later when she realized it was injured she began to see a chiropractor to alleviate the pain. So far her visits to the chiropractor have been without much success. We purchased an unusual pillow that is designed to help avoid pressure on the tailbone when one sits for extended periods of time. However, twelve hours is a long time. Please pray for Kristie to be relatively pain-free on this trip.

The next update will probably come from the airport. So many of you have already mentioned that you are praying. Thank you!

Prayer request for Ulzee

Kristie, Caleb, and I leave in two days for Mongolia. First, I need to finish up Neighborhood Bible Time and Westgate Baptist Church. It is an exciting & intense week. I am glad that I can be here for it.

Please pray for Ulzee, Pastor Ganpurev's wife. I heard an initial report that she has hepatitis C. I will check while we are in Mongolia and post an update to confirm that report. Hepatitis C is prevalent in Asia and especially Mongolia. (See this map on worldwide prevalence of Hepatitis C.)

Upcoming trip to Mongolia

It has been about five years since we returned from Mongolia to the United States. Kristie's health remains about the same, stable but little energy. For the last five years I have served as assistant pastor at Westgate Baptist Church and principal of its Christian school.

In the past five years, I have visited Mongolia three times. My fourth visit is coming up this July. I beg for your intercessory prayers on our behalf as Kristie, Caleb, and I travel to Mongolia. During our trip I will be updating this blog. Please follow the details of our trip from July 1-14 here.

On Wednesday, July 5, we will be holding a dedication service for the Mongolian New Testament. I had a small part in the translation of the text but a much larger part in praying for and supporting the translation work. This is the culmination of our work over a period of more than 10 years! When we bought our tickets months ago to travel to Mongolia in July, I did not know about the dedication service. In fact, I once considered traveling to Mongolia in June. The Lord intervened and caused me to buy tickets for July instead. After I purchased tickets Bill Patterson informed me about the dedication service. I thank the Lord for arranging the dates of our trip providentially.

The church we planted in Mongolia has struggled. Pastor Ganpurev has had some difficult things happen in the church and in his own family that he has allowed to discourage him. We hope this trip will be a reminder to Pastor Ganpurev that God is faithful! And that from this visit, he will take courage and press on.

The carpenter shop that my father and I founded in Mongolia has also seen hard times. Despite difficulties, the company is still a going concern after 10 years. Recently, the shop heard about an opportunity to build ger furniture for six months and send it to the United States. This would be an excellent job for the Mongolian craftsmen. Please pray that they would be able to obtain this work and do it well.

During our time in Mongolia, the company provided a visa and residency permission for my family. Since our departure the company has provided a visa and residency permission for another independent Baptist missionary family. My father and I are glad that the work God gave us a vision to start 10 years ago continues today and still makes it possible for missionary work to continue in Mongolia.

This has become critical recently for the family whose residency is through the company we founded. The government has made it harder for foreigners (including missionaries) to reside in Mongolia. They are happy for foreigners to visit; they just do not want foreigners to live in Mongolia. Recently, the missionary who has his visa and residency permission through our company told me that he knows of two missionary families whose residency permissions were not renewed. Both were forced to leave Mongolia and have not yet returned. A third missionary family who arrived in Mongolia before we did using another means may also lose their residency permission soon. He has approached my friend about using our company to obtain residency permission. As you can see, the company's provision of residency permission has increased in value since we left.

This trip has several goals. First and foremost, we wish to encourage Faith Baptist Church, its pastor, and evangelize the lost nearby. My wife and I have a particular burden to strengthen Pastor Ganpurev and his family. Second, the business we started may be even more profitable if we make some changes to its structure. Those changes require my physical presence in Mongolia. I will be taking some time during our visit to make those adjustments to the company's structure and enable it to provide residency permission to more independent Baptist missionaries. Third, our son Caleb is eager to renew old acquaintances, practice his Mongolian, and eat some genuine Mongolian food. Finally, it is an incredible privilege to be even a small part of the translation of the Bible. I am grateful to God and to Westgate Baptist Church for making it possible for us to travel to Mongolia and be a part of the New Testament dedication service. We will enjoy the opportunity to see many old friends.

Please intercede for us, for Faith Baptist Church, and for the Mongolian New Testament to be used powerfully in Mongolia. We have seen the Lord work mightily before and look to Him to work mightily on behalf of His people in Mongolia again. Through the middle of July please check the blog daily for more information. I can be reached by email at sdean@wbc-wcs.org. Thank you for your prayers.