April prayer letter

This is our prayer letter from April. I meant to post it earlier and forgot. Some of you may not get our prayer letter by mail or e-mail and may want to read it. However, if you follow this blog closely, this information is all old news.

The exciting news for this month comes from Resurrection Sunday when I visited Ganbold’s ger to teach him and his family another Bible lesson. A surprise was waiting for me as I looked around Ganbold’s ger that night: all his idols were gone. When I asked him where his idols were, he told me he had disposed of them. I followed up my initial question by asking him why he had done that. He told me that he now believed in Jesus and no longer needed his idols. At the end of our lesson, Ganbold also prayed to ask the Lord God for forgiveness of his sins. Since many of you have been praying for his salvation, I am glad to report that I believe he has shown fruit appropriate for repentance.

Resurrection Sunday night I also asked his sons if they wanted to pray to ask God to forgive their sins. They said they were not ready. Frankly, even before I asked I expected that they still were not ready. However, I am not discouraged because they are still listening to the preaching of God’s Word. I told Ganbold that he needs to pray for the salvation of his sons. Please join with us in praying for their salvation: Gantulag, Gerel-od, Gerelsaikhan, and Darkhanbold. Certainly do not neglect to pray for his wife, Khorloo. She seemed genuinely interested in the Bible teaching on Resurrection Sunday.

The potential impact we can have through Ganbold’s family is truly amazing. First, there is still significant respect for age here in Mongolia. Since Ganbold is the oldest in his family, his testimony and his beliefs will carry considerable weight. He has two younger siblings who are Christians, but they are the youngest in the family. Five other siblings could be substantially influenced by his decision. Second, the idols that Ganbold had were not just any idols. He had received them from his father who was a famous shaman in his local area. That Ganbold rid his home of these idols was a decision that surprised several of his relatives. To me, his willingness to give up his gods is just another evidence of the Holy Spirit regenerating a wicked heart. Please pray that Ganbold will grow in grace and be a bright testimony for our Savior to his family. Third, Ganbold has four grown sons, two daughters, and three daughters-in-law. Almost all of them have come to at least one Bible lesson that I have taught in Ganbold’s ger. Please continue praying for their salvation.

The greatest obstacle, again, is time. Ganbold and his sons all work as bus drivers, often spending 12-14 hours a day preparing their buses, driving, and repairing them. They all work six days a week and many times work seven days to cover for other drivers. When I teach a lesson, it is rare that all of them can be there. Pray that time will be given them to study God’s Word.

Lunar New Year - Day Two

I wanted to post this last night but did not get in until late. So I am posting it today. Check back tomorrow for another update.

Our first visit on the second day of the Lunar New Year was to Bilgee’s family. Even though we did not arrive until 11:20, we were still the first ones there. Most visits during the Lunar New Year are composed of talking. So we talked with Bilgee and his mother for some time. After we had been there about an hour more family members arrived. We also talked with them; some of them are Catholic. After about two hours at that place we excused ourselves to make another visit.

During the Lunar New Year, families buy many different gifts. Instead of the visitors giving gifts to the host, the host gives gifts to the visitors. There actually is a polite question that asks, “Have you received many gifts?” As far as I can understand, the question really is intended to ask if one has visited many homes or not. One consequence is that during this celebration our children receive much candy and sweets, and Kristie and I receive soap, ties, belts, and other things.

Our second visit was to Tovshin’s house. Tovshin is actually much closer to our American friends, but he is kind enough to invite us over every Lunar New Year celebration. We went with another American family. The unusual part of our visit to Tovshin’s was that he spoke English to us despite the fact that one of his Mongolian friends was visiting who spoke little English (I asked.) Whenever we would make a statement or ask Tovshin a question in Mongolian, he would respond in English. We spent nearly two hours there.

We then went home and had a relaxing afternoon. After several hours, I left to make a final visit for the day. I was going to visit Ganbold’s home. You might remember Ganbold from previous blog entries (first here then here and here). He is interested in studying the Bible, but because of his work schedule, we have been unable to establish a time to meet. I understood from other family members that he must return to work on Tuesday, and that if I was to visit him, I should do it on Monday. Now Ganbold had not invited me to his house; however, the nice thing about the Lunar New Year is that you can visit just about anyone you know without causing offense.

My visit to Ganbold’s was very pleasant. He seemed glad to see me. When I arrived there were about a dozen other family members that were getting ready to leave. After they left, Ganbold and I were by ourselves. Though Ganbold knows that I do not drink, he offered me some wine. In Mongolia when you tell people that you do not drink arkhi (the word commonly used for alcohol) then they assume that you do not drink hard liquor. They still expect you to drink wine or beer. I told Ganbold and his wife that I do not drink any intoxicating drinks. Surprisingly, Ganbold’s wife said, “That’s wise.”

He told me that he has been reading the Bible that I gave him starting in Genesis. He repeated that he would like to study the Bible. When I asked him when he would like to study the Bible, he said that he would call me when he had free time. That was the same response he had given me on my previous visit. The only trouble was that he never called. So this time, I told him that I would call him on Friday so that he could tell me whether Saturday or Sunday was the better day to visit.

Ganbold and I then went to a adjacent ger where his son lives. His son’s in-laws were visiting and were very drunk. They offered me vodka and insisted that I drink some; I refused as politely as I could. They insisted that I at least taste it. I explained that I did not drink any intoxicating liquor. Later, they decided to do a very common Mongolian practice: everyone would drink a shot of vodka and then sing a solo. Well, I explained that I did not drink and did not know any Mongolian songs. They said that I could skip the drink and just sing a song in English; then they just stared at me waiting for me to sing. So I sang “How Great Thou Art.” They said that they liked it. I must learn a Mongolian hymn by heart so that I can be prepared for the next time. Between the talking and songs I spent more than three hours at Ganbold’s place.

Please pray that Ganbold would make time to study the Bible with me and that I would have wisdom as I teach. As always, I am well aware that your prayers enable our ministry.

Resurrection Sunday

This past Sunday we remembered our Savior's resurrection from the dead showing His victory over the grave. Unfortunately, two of our faithful men were called away by work, and for the first time since our return to Mongolia, we had more women at the service than men. For those of you who are interested in the numbers there were seven Mongolian adults (four of whom were women) and seven Mongolian children.

But the best news of the day came in the evening when I went to teach Ganbold and his family another lesson from the Bible. In the past his wife, who seemed quite antagonistic toward my Bible teaching, would always leave as soon as I began my lesson. This last Sunday night, I asked her if she would stay for the Bible lesson. She surprised me and agreed to stay. Along with his wife, Khorloo, three of his four grown sons were also there.

Another surprise was waiting for me when I looked around Ganbold’s ger last night. All his idols were gone. When I asked him where his idols were, he told me that he had disposed of them. I followed up my initial question by asking him why he had done that. He told me that he now believed in Jesus and no longer needed them. At the end of our lesson Ganbold also prayed to ask the Lord God for forgiveness for his sins. Many of you have been praying for his salvation, and I am glad to report that although I cannot see his heart, I believe that he has shown the fruit appropriate for repentance.

Monday, when I told one of Ganbold’s relatives that his idols were gone, she expressed surprise that Ganbold would have already given up his gods. Ganbold’s father was a Mongolian shaman, and the idols that were in Ganbold’s house were his. The whole family felt that he would never give up his idols because they had been his father’s. To me, his willingness to give up his gods is just another evidence of the Holy Spirit regenerating a wicked heart.

Khorloo & Kristie

Sunday, I also asked his sons if they wanted to pray to ask God to forgive their sins. They said that they were not ready. Frankly, even before I asked I expected that they still were not ready. However, I am not discouraged because they are still listening to the preaching of God’s Word. I told Ganbold that he needs to pray for the salvation of his sons. I will prepare another lesson on salvation next week and be back to preach Jesus Christ to his family. Please join with us in praying for the salvation of Ganbold’s sons: Gantulag, Gerel-od, Gerelsaikhan, and Darkhanbold. Certainly do not neglect to pray for his wife, Khorloo. She seemed genuinely interested in the Bible teaching last night.

Weekend update

This past weekend I was able to visit both Enkhee and Ganbold. Enkhee was electrocuted and burned about a month ago. The electric shock knocked him unconscious. Some co-workers dropped him off at home unconscious and left. (I'm not sure why they did not take him to a hospital). The next day Enkhee returned to work. When I visited him I saw the scars from the electrical burns. He attributes his safety and "quick" recovery to God's protection. He still works seven days and about 80 hours a week. In fact, the last two times that I met him, I visited him at work.

Ganbold continues to work seven days a week too. He recently won an award as a top bus driver for his company. The company offered to send him on a vacation (unpaid) for seven or ten days. Ganbold declined to go because he needs the salary more than he needs the vacation he said. Neither of these men though saved is able to attend our church services. My heart is burdened because their spiritual growth is stunted by their lack of personal Bible study, lack of prayer, and lack of fellowship.

As an example of this, on Saturday Ganbold's father-in-law came to visit. He noticed that all the pictures of gods and idols were gone from Ganbold's ger (that's good). He began to rebuke them for not having their gods out. But Ganbold did not talk this opportunity to witness to his father-in-law. Perhaps the spiritual discernment and boldness necessary for such a time is missing because of Ganbold's weak spiritual life.

On Sunday, the numbers were down but still above where they were in the fall. Ganpurev preached in my place on the love of God and did a good job. Obviously, he speaks the language much better than I do. I had given him some help and some verses to use but was impressed because most of his lesson was not a restatement of what I had taught him and he had some verses that he did not get from me. It is good for me to listen to Mongolian preach and exciting to think that God understands Ganpurev's Mongolian preaching as well as He understands my English preaching!

Please pray for these Mongolians. They need to realize that they must put God's kingdom first and then God will work on their behalf.

News and prayer requests

I hope that there are some of you who still check this blog regularly for updates. In Mongolia, there are some weeks, months even, where not much of interest happens. I have learned to take a breath and prepare because at some point I will plunge into a swamp full of responsibilities. The last few months have been rather slow until Ganbold's recently renewed interest in studying the Bible with me. But this week it seems that the logjam of uneventfulness is starting to break free. I just hope that I have taken a deep enough breath.

Of course, this past Sunday, I saw Ganbold's change of heart and noticed that his idols were gone. This has rejuvenated my hope that events will start moving faster with his family. He has three married sons, a college-aged son and daughter, and a high school age daughter. There is so much potential there. Not only his children, but Ganbold is the oldest in his family. There are eight of them, and three are now Christians. Age and birth order bring significant respect in Mongolian society. The other two were the younger ones in the family, but Ganbold is the oldest. I suspect that should Ganbold's life change as radically as others have, his whole family will sit up and take notice.

Then another thing came up this last week. Enkhamgalan and I had some conversations last year, but recently have had little contact. When I visit Bilgee at work and see him in passing, he often teases me by speaking Mongolian very quickly and saying odd things. However, when I saw Enkhamgalan on Thursday, he was very serious and told me that his father had stomach cancer. His father has had an operation and is still in the hospital. Obviously, this has upset Enkhamgalan very much. He told me that he intends to came this Sunday to our meeting. The peace that he is desperately seeking is only found in Jesus Christ.

That was Thursday. Friday Daimkaa came over to my house. It has been years since Daimkaa came to my house, although I visit Daimkaa's ger several times a year. His life is in turmoil too, he says; and the answer to him is to move to Ireland. But to move to Ireland he needs several thousand dollars which he does not have. I told him (again) that what he really needs is Jesus Christ. This time he listened to me. He response was that he has heard all this before and respects the Bible. He just does not believe. But he agreed to meet with Ganpurev and Ulzee and hear their testimony.

So you can see that there will be more opportunities in the coming weeks than there have been in a while. Pray for the salvation of Ganbold's children, Enkhamgalan and his father, and Daimkaa. I will keep you updated.

Many prayer requests

Personally, I feel a little overwhelmed now with some specific prayer requests. However, I know that many of you are reading this blog so that you can know specific ways to pray. So let me just dive right in ...

The Bible study at Ganbold's (blogs about Ganbold) ger went profitably for a little while. Then, the last two weeks they have been unable to find time when I can teach them although I did visit Ganbold last week. When I visited none of his sons were home; most of them were still at work when I visited about 9:30 Saturday night. Please pray that Ganbold and his sons would make time to study the Bible and would be blessed by their efforts to seek God (Jer. 29:13, Heb. 11:6). Thank you for praying about that Bible study. The good news is that I believe Ganbold is now saved.

I have a man with whom I meet occasionally. I do not think that he is a Christian yet, but he is searching for something and is slowly growing in his understanding of the Gospel. His name is Enkhamgalan (blog entries about Enkhamgalan). Though his name means "peace," he certainly lacks that fruit of the Spirit. He now has two prayer requests. First, his father is dying of cancer and is not a Christian. Secondly, he just found out this week that he is losing his job. Even more than in the U.S. losing one's job can be extremely discouraging in Mongolia. Please pray that the circumstances of Enkhamgalan's life would drive him to Jesus Christ and that he would learn that in the midst of difficult situations Christians are "more than conquerors."

Many of you remember Enkhee who made a profession of faith in Christ (his salvation testimony). For several reasons, he feels that he cannot leave his job. However, his job requires him to work seven days a week. That means that he cannot attend our Sunday services to be fed God's word and be encouraged by fellowship with other believers. Recently, he works as an electrician and recently was electrocuted burning his arm and knocking him unconscious. His co-workers brought and dropped him off unconscious. The next day he returned to work! As an American, I cannot understand it. Please pray that he too would make time to fellowship with believers and to study God's word.

Then Ganpurev would appreciate your prayers too. He has a good job as a driver and manager and fix-it man. His boss really likes him because he is a faithful and trustworthy worker. Unfortunately, in the last few months his boss has been asking him to work 70-80 hours a week including Sundays. He missed two Sundays in a row for the first time ever back in April. He recently talked to his boss about it, requesting Sundays off. His boss responded that he was the only driver she had (which is the boss's problem if you ask me). So he is wondering what he should do. He would rather spend the time with his family and with the church; however, like all the other Mongolians, he is very hesitant to leave his job. I told him that I think God has led him into this trial to teach him something (James 1:2-5). Please pray that God would give him wisdom to respond to his boss correctly and to be a shining testimony for Jesus Christ. We know that God wants Ganpurev to work and to provide for his family; perhaps God has another job for Ganpurev. If so, pray that Ganpurev would recognize God's direction and walk by faith.

Another young Christian man who regularly attends church also found out this week that he will be laid off from his work. (He's the one who introduced me to Enkhamgalan.) He too is searching for work. But I see these work-related problems as an opportunity for these saved ones to exercise their faith. But it takes a lot of faith for a new Christian in Mongolia to see God's hand at work in (what to them) are desperate circumstances.

On top of this, there are three people in our church who are praying for the salvation of their spouse. The spouses names are Bob, Mandaa, and Tongaa. Please pray that the saved spouses would have God's grace to show the love of God to their husbands/wife and pray for the salvation of the unsaved spouse.

I trust that all of you who read this will pick at least one or two of these prayers requests and ask God to give you a burden for them so that you pray for them fervently, earnestly, and regularly.

Prayer update

If two Sundays ago was a good one with eighteen total Mongolians, this last Sunday was a bad one with only five Mongolians - all adults. Some of the adults were sick (like the children's Bible story teacher), some were at work, some just did not come. About an hour before the meeting was to start, the Mongolian lady who has been teaching part of the Sunday school lesson called to say that she could not come. Kristie, always ready for a challenge, prepared to do something with the kids in place of the Bible story. Strangely though, not one child came. That is the first time not one child has attended since we returned.

So that night, I headed over to Ganbold's ger. I had visited Saturday night to see what was happening and to ask him why he had not called me to teach another lesson. He was very friendly Saturday night, said that he had trouble disposing of the family idols because they came from his father, and asked me to teach another Bible lesson to his family on Sunday night. There were three adults present at Bible study at Ganbold's ger which was almost as many as I taught in the morning. Though Ganbold and his son Gantulag, in particular, seemed to be very close to salvation, I am very cautious about teaching them about the assurance of their salvation before I see "fruit meet (appropriate) for repentance." In Ganbold's case, I would like to see him throw away his idols. I have another appointment to go back next Sunday night again. Please continue to pray for them.

September prayer letter

One of the first Mongolian friends I went to see when I returned to Mongolia was Bilgee. Bilgee is probably the second Mongolian man with whom I developed a friendship. He is in his late twenties and unmarried, so he still lives with his mother. He has two older brothers (Ganbold and Ganzorig) and five older sisters (Tsetseg, Selenge, Gantseteg, Ganbolor, and Gantuul). Ganbolor was Kristie and my Mongolian tutor and was the one who introduced us to Bilgee. You know Ganbolor by her shorter Mongolian name, Ganaa.

Usually when I visit Bilgee, I talk to his mother whose name is Soli. (For those of you who are interested in pronouncing her name correctly the “i” is silent, and her name sounds much like “sol” as in “solar.”) Older Mongolians are difficult for me to understand because they seem to talk faster and slur their sentences more. Once while talking to her several years ago, she told me how bad the children were in her neighborhood. She told me how disrespectful the children were and how they threw dangerous objects. I tried to turn the conversation toward biblical truth by pointing out that all of us are sinners. While it is true that some sin more than others, all are sinful. She did not seem interested in that kind of talk. For a while I taught a Bible story each week to the children who lived in the same area as Soli, and often she would come. I would try to ask her questions to see what her level of comprehension was, but often she would not respond. In short, I was not sure how to reach her with truth.

So you can imagine my surprise when I went to visit her and Bilgee, and she began to speak about being a sinner. “I’m a sinner; we are all sinners,” she said several times. Then she added that her oldest son (Ganbold) has two children who are married. They were all living on the same property and had problems. They need to change she said. After repeating this several times, she left the small shack that she lives in to go outside. Her son Bilgee speaks some English. We had been speaking Mongolian out of respect for his mother, but when she left, Bilgee said to me, “Did you understand what my mother said?”

“I understood that Ganbold and his children need to be changed,” I replied.

Looking at me seriously, Bilgee responded, “Yes, she thinks you need to change them.”

Bilgee’s relatives include not only Ganaa but Ganpurev and Ulzee and Enkhee and Bayambaa. Having observed their lives, Bilgee’s extended family has come to think that I am responsible for the changes in their lives. I knew this, but had never had anyone say it to me directly. Of course, I never talk about changing people; I only introduce them to the One Who can change lives.

Bilgee then asked me frankly, “Can you change people?”

“No,” I replied.

When his mother came back in, Bilgee and I switched back to Mongolian. I explained to his mother that I do not change people. She responded by pointing out several relatives whose lives have changed since meeting me. I do not change people, but I know Someone Who does!
The whole conversation brought things sharply into focus for me. First, although I had thought my conversation with Soli about man’s sinfulness had gone unheeded, she obviously took it to heart. Second, she sees the changes in the lives of people. What a testimony to the power of God!

But there are also several prayer requests that result from this story. I need you to pray for my ability with the language. Being away from the country for a year has not totally eradicated my ability to speak the language, but there is room for improvement to get back to the place where I was. Also, I need to be able to capture the nuances of language, both in listening to others and in talking to them.

I need you to pray for Ganbold and his family. Bilgee and I are already making plans to visit them. But I know that I am powerless to affect any change in their lives. Only Jesus Christ can make sinners into saints.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Every day is a new day to serve God and Sunday, April 15, 2007, was no different. We had a good attendance in the morning; the number of those who come is slowly growing. Those that came paid good attention to the teaching and preaching of God's Word. It is thrilling to be here and watch these young Christians grow in their understanding of and desire for God.

In the evening I went over to Ganbold's again to teach a lesson. Three of his sons were there and listened well. They all certainly have heard the Gospel multiple times now. Continue to pray for the conviction of the Holy Spirit that would lead to their salvation.


I took this picture of Ganbold's family while I was there. One unmarried daughter is missing. This picture gives you some idea of the ministry that I have. The grandmother in the back sitting next to Kristie is Soli and is a Christian as is Ganbold, I believe. Ganbold is the one holding the little girl. Most of the rest have heard the Gospel clearly but have not yet responded.

Update on Tonga and Ganbold

Tonga is home now having been discharged from the hospital on Saturday. Obviously, she will have a special diet the rest of her life since her stomach has been removed. I'm not certain whether she faces additional cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation. Continue to pray for the family and especially Dashka. He will need to be dad, "mom," and primary care giver to Tonga for a while as she recovers.

Ganbold came out of his coma last night and seems to be doing better. The first person he called was his mother to tell her that he was doing better. We are all glad to hear that Ganbold is out of his coma. The doctors say that his heart and arteries look good. Let's pray for a complete recovery and a renewed interest on Ganbold's part in the things of God.

Sunday update

Sunday was quite a day! When I woke up in the morning I felt sick to my stomach. The whole family has been fighting stomach problems, so I was not surprised. Then I began to feel nauseated and became concerned about whether I would be preaching or not. But although the feeling slowed me down, I kept getting ready to go and left on time.

On the way over to the rooms where we meet on Sunday morning, I slipped on the ice and fell flat on my back, smacking my head against the ice in the process. I was still sore on Monday. On Sunday, the soreness in my back made me forget the soreness in my abdomen though.

We had eight Mongolian adults and seven Mongolian children Sunday morning. I thank the Lord for the good turnout. We continue to have more men than women coming, and I praise the Lord for His goodness in blessing us with men. Roland spoke about soulwinning from John 4. My sermon was about the purpose of the law. Last week, Bilgee asked how the ordinances of the Old Testament apply to Christians. That prompted my sermon about the Old Testament law.

In the evening, I went over to Ganbold's house to teach a Bible lesson. I was hoping to avoid buuz for at least the month of March (especially since I was sick to my stomach), but there it was - the quintessential Mongolian comfort food. Anyway, after eating some the lesson started with Ganbold, his wife, and two of his adult sons. Two more adult sons were planning to come but had to go to work suddenly Ganbold explained to me.

The lesson went well; the Mongolians seemed to understand what I was teaching. I took my time and presented who God is, man's inherent sinfulness, the wages of sin, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that makes it possible for us to receive forgiveness and eternal life. I think both Ganbold and his son Gantulag are close to salvation. Please pray diligently this week for the conviction of the Holy Spirit and for their salvation. I am to return next Sunday to teach another lesson on the Bible. I am searching for the right Biblical parallel or parable to help them understand this concept of salvation. Also pray that the other two sons can sit in next week's lesson.

Sunday update

Temperatures are finally breaking the freezing point here. We had a few days of nice weather with temperatures in the forties the last few days of February that caused us to long for spring here. Instead the last two weeks have seen winter-like temperatures with nights in the -30's and days just above zero. Perhaps now spring is on its way.

Our attendance was down this last Sunday with only five Mongolian adults. One family was away due to a death among their close acquaintances.

Ganbold has been "unable" to meet with me recently. I found out that some of my teaching from the Bible may have offended him. I am not worried about it but have been praying for his salvation. The obstacle is that he does not like the idea that he must get rid of his false gods. He wants God to bless him and ease his hurts and fix the consequences of his sin without actual repentance. I Thessalonians 1:9 summarizes it well: "...how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." In Ganbold's case he does not want to serve God; he wants God to serve him. Many Americans are like that too. Please continue to pray for Ganbold because I plan to stay in contact with him.

I have a blessing to share. On Sunday, after the preaching, Ganpurev said to the people assembled, "Let's meet once a week to pray for the salvation of our relatives, friends, and neighbors." I was very happy to hear him suggest it. They discussed it a little and decided to meet on Wednesday nights. I told them that I would definitely come! I am excited to think about what God will do through your prayers and their prayers combined!

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!

Deans' weekly update

The highlights of this week are more visitors, the building continues to progress, and a fall-off in attendance at the Bible institute. Let's dive right into these items.

I am glad to report that we continue to have visitors. Last Sunday morning Ganbold came in off the street to sit in on our service. When I talked to him he told me that he just came in off the street with his son. We talked a while, and he left with our detailed tract describing salvation. This week he was back without his son whom he said was sick. He came in about halfway through and said to me (I was greeting late-comers at the time) something about being late. Please pray that Ganbold would continue to come and that others like him would join us.

We had three others come in but they left without even sitting down. One man came and asked what kind of lesson was being taught. I told him that a Bible lesson was about to begin and invited him to take his coat off and join us. I left him as he began to take off his coat and walked around the corner to give him time to take off his coat. A minute later he was gone. I looked out the door and saw he was already far down the walk. Perhaps he was looking for an English lesson. Two more came in a few minutes later, said that they had only come to church to meet someone and that they must be at the wrong church because their friend was not there. They then left.

The building project is going very well. The tile upstairs is nearly done. Work remains to be done on the walls, and the plumbing needs to be installed. All in all, I am impressed with how quickly everything is coming together.

Last week's Bible institute class was not very well attended. We started with four Mongolian men and added a fifth the second week. But last week, one man was in the countryside for work, another student was in the hospital prepping for surgery, another student was struggling with chest pain and had an EKG, and the fourth did not show up. With a single student and a big test scheduled in one of the classes, we postponed the class for a week. Keep praying because for me, training these men is one of the main reasons that I am here.

Prayer update

Attendance continues to be good, and more men than women continue to come. One continuing improvement is in the congregational singing. We Americans have always sung enthusiastically ("if we don't, who will?"). Recently, however, the Mongolians have started to equal the foreigners in enthusiasm and volume.

It has been a while since I have been to Ganbold's place and taught a Bible lesson. I understand that part of it is because they are really busy and part of it is because they do not like the Bible lessons. I would guess that it is a combination of the two: in other words, they did not think the Bible lessons were productive enough to make the time to listen to me teach the Bible. As someone whose entire ministry revolves around the word of God, I am always bothered by young men who think it is a waste of their time to study the Bible. Because of sin, this world is a dangerous and painful place. Only a relationship with Jesus Christ brings meaning, joy, and peace to an otherwise very difficult life.

Bayambaa (there are two, this one is the newer Bayambaa) went to the hospital expecting her second child. We watched her 18 month old son all day, all night, and part of another day this week. She has been having some difficulties this last month of pregnancy - something with her thyroid. We were hoping that she would have her baby this week, but she has not had the baby yet. Please pray for a healthy baby and for her husband Mandaa to be saved.

Prayer update

I have not had an opportunity to teach a Bible lesson at Ganbold's house for the last three weeks. He calls on Sunday afternoon to tell me that they are all busy at work or otherwise and will not be able to have me teach a lesson. He needs to recognize the truth of Matthew 6:33 but as a young Christian still does not understand the importance of making time for God.

Enkhee is also struggling. When I called him Monday to visit him, he said that he is never home. I suggested that I might visit him at work, and he agreed to that. Still, he too needs to make time for God.

Bilgoon, the boy with brain tumors, had a CAT scan taken this week. Pray that the scan will enable doctors to make a diagnosis and that it will give Bilgoon's parents some direction on what should be done next.

Balmy weather, good attendance

This blog post will be a little more chatty than most for those of you who enjoy chatty posts. We've had beautiful weather here for the last week. Temperatures have been in the high 60's and 70's. We actually hit 84 on Saturday. That about 25 degrees above normal for us here. So the children have been enjoying playing outside without coats. And it's been nice to get ready to go without spending 5-10 minutes with hats, gloves, and other cold weather clothes items. The weather is forecast to be cooler the next few days before it warms again at the end of the week.

You might remember Dashgaa from a previous post. His father passed away last week. Please pray for him and his family. I believe that he is the only one saved in his entire family. I know that his wife needs salvation still.

Also, Sunday we had a good turnout. Bilgee has brought a visitor on Sunday every week for the past four weeks. None of them have come back a second time yet, but he keeps bringing them.

Some of you may be wondering, "So how many were there this last Sunday?" Well, we had ten Mongolian adults, five Mongolian children, and nine foreigners (including my family) for a total of twenty-four. I noticed this morning in my blog that I was happy to have six Mongolian adults back in February, so we are making progress. Don't forget that we have some special meetings coming up in the middle of the month. Please be praying for those meetings.

It seems as if every family in our church is struggling with work-related issues right now. One is losing his job this week. Another may be losing his job for refusing to work on Sundays. A third recently missed receiving his salary because his boss took the money that he received for a job and spent it all on alcohol. I think this is a good opportunity for our church family to grow through trials. Please pray that they would accept the grace that God is offering them to deal with difficult circumstances.

I was scheduled to teach a Bible lesson at Ganbold's Sunday night. However, he called Sunday afternoon and said that whole family was not at home because they had taken a mini-vacation outside the city. He said to come next week. Keep praying for the salvation of his sons.

I haven't heard from some of you in a little while. Don't hesitate to e-mail me when you have a chance. I'd love to hear from you.

Sunday's services

Today, about half the people who normally come were not their. Yet we still had a first-time visitor and seven adults in attendance. Praise the Lord for progress. Now if we can only get everyone out at the same time.

I was at Ganbold's last night. He is very busy with work right now but asked me to come next Sunday. Let's all pray this week that all four of his sons, his two daughters, and his wife will be there. We also need to pray that the Holy Spirit would work mightily in their lives!

Ministry since returning to Mongolia

I returned to Mongolia to find that only Ganpurev's family had been faithful to continue to come to the meetings on Sundays. Since no one else was coming, I made the decision to continue to meet with Ganpurev’s family on Sunday: last week, we met in my home, this week in his. Next week I have already begun to invite people out to a meeting on Sunday. Also, I have plans to visit unsaved, unchurched families in the coming weeks to begin home Bible studies with them. Several families have expressed an interest in seeing me again though not necessarily to study the Bible with me. Here are some specific prayer requests.

Please pray for Bilgee. We are planning to visit his older brother Ganbold to preach the Gospel to him and his family. Two of his children are already grown and married. They live in the same fenced area with their father. Pray for Ganbol's family to be receptive to the Gospel.

Please pray for Moogii and his family. I intend to visit them this week. In the past Moogii has been uninterested in the Bible though not antagonistic. His wife is expecting a baby, and that provides an opportunity for me to stop by and congratulate them. I have already mentioned to Moogii since my return that I would like to teach his family the Bible.

Please pray for Mendee (two e’s at the end of a Mongolian name are pronounced ‘ay’ as in day). I mentioned my desire to study the Bible in their home when I was with Mendee in February. I have not met him since I have returned but heard through Ganpurev that he is looking forward to seeing me. He lives on the far side of town.

Enkhee also lives on the far side of town. He works seven days a week sometimes until midnight. He wanted to come to Ganpurev’s house Sunday when we met to study the Bible but could not because of work. Pray that he would have the time and desire to study God’s word. I believe he is saved but is putting his job before our God. That is easier to do when you are living hand to mouth.

Daimkaa called me on Sunday and talked to me for a while. I need to get by and see him. I have been praying for him the year that I was in the States. He thinks his greatest need is money (and that I can get him to the U.S. to work), but I know his greatest need is Jesus Christ. Please pray that he would realize that his greatest need is a right relationship with his Creator God!

I met with Bob this last week. He seems very cold to truth. He continues to believe that there is some secret meaning or code in the Bible that he needs to de-code before he can understand it. I tell him to take it literally. Please pray that the Spirit would take the veil from his eyes and show him his need for Jesus Christ.

Buren’s job has kept him busy. I’ve met with him twice, once briefly. Please continue to pray for his salvation.

Please do not hesitate to write to me. I would love to hear from you. Also, if you’ve taken time to read this blog entry and will pray for some or all of these men and their families, please send me an e-mail at jdean@baptistworldmission.org.

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.