Deans' weekly update

In a country where every victory seems dear, the most recent story of Aya (pronounced Eye’ya) seems like a playoff win.

I wish I could bring you to Mongolia to meet these folks about whom you read. These are not fictional characters in a book; these are real life, flesh-and-blood, people with an eternal soul that will spend eternity either in the presence of God or the torments of hell. It can be easy even for me—and I live in Mongolia—to become apathetic and view these stories as just that: stories.

Aya is Ulzee’s mother. Aya’s mother Buurai (Bore’eye) had seven children. Some live in my city, some live north in another town, but because of the vicissitudes of life the family is very close. Buurai passed away some years ago. Because I had a burden to witness to her, I asked to be introduced to her once when she came to town. I told her that Jesus was the Savior of all men. She readily agreed that Jesus had been good for Ganpurev and Ulzee but tragically failed to see the need for personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Her oldest child is Aya. After Buurai passing, Aya became the matriarch of the family. At Tsagaan Sar nearly every member of the extended family comes to Ganpurev and Ulzee’s house to visit Aya. This has enabled Ganpurev and Ulzee to be a powerful testimony of God’s righteousness to the relatives.

I have had a couple of opportunities to witness to Aya in the past. She recognized the impressive change that God had worked in Ganpurev’s and Ulzee’s lives. Finally, several years I asked Aya if she had faith in Jesus. She told me that she was trusting Jesus in her heart.

Her son-in-law and daughter told us that she had given up the Buddhist rituals that she had done all her life.

About three years ago, Aya was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. Aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments over the course of a year seemed to work wonders. However, the Christians of Faith Baptist Church knew that it was the power of God that spared Aya’s life. We prayed regularly for her health and entrusted her to God’s care. Though initially the doctors said that Aya’s cancer was too advanced to have any hope for long-term survival a year later the doctors were amazed that the initial tumor had shrunk to insignificance and other signs of cancer were non-existent. The entire church praised the Lord for sparing her life at that time. Aya herself expressed gratitude for our prayers.

Recently, Aya’s cancer which was in remission returned. The doctors have ordered tests some of which will take two weeks before the results are known. She is in some pain and cannot walk well.

A few weeks ago, someone asked Ganpurev in front of me about Aya’s spiritual condition. He admitted that she has professed personal faith in Jesus Christ and given up performing her Buddhist rituals in public. But he said that perhaps she continues to keep up her Buddhist traditions in secret. Because of Aya’s matriarchal position within the extended family she would be unlikely to abandon her Buddhist religion unless she were truly a Christian. However, I did not respond to Ganpurev’s comments.

Since hearing of Aya’s illness, I have been praying that she would have a way to express her sincere faith in Jesus Christ to her family and relatives.

Because most Mongolians are nominally Buddhist, on the occasion of one’s death in Mongolia Buddhist monks are called to begin making decisions about when and where to bury the body and which rituals need to be performed in order to lead the soul forward in its migration to the next life. Of course, all of this Buddhist tradition is nothing but lies from the father of lies.

It is tragic how relatives will almost ignore the physical needs of a family member who is terminally ill. However, once the person dies they will go to great lengths to provide for them in their after-life. When I mentioned this to a Mongolian Christian who is a member of another church in the city, he agreed that it was regrettable to see the way a family would neglect a sick person and honor their corpse.

Returning to Aya’s condition: Ganpurev and Ulzee have been a shining light to their family in their sacrificial care and seeking of treatment for Aya. Their selfless acts stand out to Mongolians because it is so unusual in this society.

They have taken Aya to see several doctors within the national health care system. Last Friday Aya’s son came to visit. He was concerned about his mother though it was his first visit since he heard of the return of his mother’s cancer. He and his wife offered to take her to a private hospital to see if the doctors there could perform any cancer treatment. Ganpurev and Ulzee did not accompany Aya when she went with her son to the private hospital.

The private hospital told Aya and her son that while there was not any Western treatment that could be performed that would heal her cancer, there was a private hospital nearby connected to a Buddhist temple. They might have a traditional treatment that would help Aya.

So they went next door to the hospital with its Buddhist treatments. They suggested an herb that would alleviate some of her pain. Then they proposed that they perform a Buddhist ritual for healing. Aya refused. So then they recommended that Aya walk a prescribed path by a series of idols because it would help her. Again Aya declined and insisted that she did not need to do that.

When the report came back to Ganpurev and Ulzee it seemed that the son was surprised to hear of Aya’s refusal. Reality in Mongolia is that many people make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. But when illness comes or tragedy strikes they often revert back to their old Buddhist ways. To Ganpurev, Aya’s refusal to do so was a clear indication of her sincere faith in Jesus Christ. I cannot think of a better way that Aya could have made clear her turning from idols to the living God.

We need to pray that the family would respect Aya’s wishes both now and in the future. It would not be unexpected for the relatives to begin to pressure Aya to forsake the “foreign” religion and return to her Buddhist “roots” as they see it. My prayer is that Aya’s stand for the true God would be a lasting testimony that Jesus is the Savior of the world to her extended family.

Also, Aya’s position as the oldest member of the family makes her testimony of faith in Jesus Christ more culturally significant than other family member’s witness. This is one reason that I have been praying for her to make a clear profession of faith in Jesus to her relatives. Pray with me for this!

July prayer letter: Aya's testimony

We came to Mongolia because we love the Lord and desired to obey the Lord’s call to Mongolia. But what brings a smile to our face and joy to our heart is to see the work of the Lord in Mongolians’ lives. We understand Paul’s heart when he said: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”

Ulzee’s mother was diagnosed with cancer some years ago. At that time, the doctors said there was no hope of her cancer going into remission. But the church prayed, and many of you prayed, and Ganpurev and Ulzee sought medical treatment for Aya. A year later, doctors were amazed that her cancer seemed to be in remission.

Several years later, or about three months ago, doctors said that Aya’s cancer had returned. This time, the doctors said that they would not treat it. Ganpurev and Ulzee found hospice care for Aya and have done their best to make her comfortable.

Most of Aya’s extended family members are not Christians. Several of them have taken Aya to see other doctors, none of whom have been able to help her. Some relatives have taken her to see Buddhist monks to seek treatment. The monks have prescribed various remedies, which include performing certain Buddhist rituals and saying Buddhist mantras. Aya has consistently refused to take part in any Buddhist activities because she worships Jesus, she tells her relatives.

Many older Mongolians tend to become more enamored of their traditional religion as they grow older and sense the nearness of their demise. Because of this, Aya’s steadfast insistence that she is a Christian and trusting Jesus Christ is a great encouragement, especially to Ganpurev and Ulzee.

Strangely enough, a major impetus for Aya’s belief in Jesus Christ was a comment that her mother made before her death. Aya’s mother, Borei, once commented to her, “If I were younger, I would believe in Ganpurev and Ulzee’s God.” According to Ganpurev, this gave them opportunities to speak about Christ to Ulzee’s mother.

At this time, it does not seem that there is much medical hope for Aya. However, we know that she has a bright eternity ahead of her. The church has been praying that Aya would give a clear testimony of her faith in Christ to her extended family. We have been thankful to God as we have watched Him answer our prayers and hope that her clear testimony of faith in God would influence many family members to turn from idols to the true God.

Aya update

Aya is Ulzee's mother. Several weeks ago she had surgery to remove some abdominal tumors. The results of the biopsy of those tumors came back today, and they are malignant. The doctors are saying that she needs chemotherapy.

I have three prayer requests in all this.

First, I would like Aya to present a clearer testimony of her salvation to her family and me. She says that she has given up her other gods and believes in Jesus. I am grateful for this confession and for her obvious decision to quit performing Buddhist rituals.

Second, pray for comfort and strength for Aya. If she does endure chemotherapy here in Mongolia, I can assure you that it will be more physically demanding than chemotherapy is even in the States.

Third, pray that through this situation Aya's extended family members would come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Aya is currently the eldest member of her extended family and that carries some amount of respect with it. As difficult as the circumstances are, it is a unique opportunity for Ganpurev, Ulzee, me, and Aya to be a witness for Jesus Christ. But we need the Holy Spirit's power, strength, and help to be a witness and the convict the hearts of Mongolians.

Your prayers at this time for us are greatly appreciated.

Deans' weekly update

I was reminded this week of these verses from Philippians 1: "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Those verses aptly describe all of you! I am so grateful that you pray for us and believe that your fellowship in the Gospel is an integral part of our ministry.

The next verse in that chapter is well-known. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." There are two ways to look at the difficulties that we are facing. First, we can take the pessimistic view that our struggles are because God has forgotten us. Or we can take the Biblical view that our struggles are a constant reminder that God is at work in our lives working all things together for good to conform us to the image of His Son.

So, Monday was the first day of Naadam which is the big summer celebration in Mongolia. On that day, a thief broke into a church member's little shop and stole several items of value. We know without doubt that God was still sovereign the first day of Naadam. While we do not know the reason we know that God is working to conform those church members to the image of His Son.

Aya is Ulzee's mother. Her health is progressively deteriorating. We know that she has terminal cancer. There is no hope of successful treatment for her from the doctors. We can only hope in God. Currently, she is having trouble sleeping and is in quite a bit of pain. When Kristie and I visited Saturday, she was in good spirits as always. We see this as evidence of God at work in her life. When we talk to Ulzee about her mother's condition, you can see the tears come into her eyes. The pessimist says that maybe God is unconcerned. But Biblically speaking, God has promised to continue His good work in both Aya and Ulzee.

For example, someone recently gave Aya some medicine and told her that when she took the medicine she had to say a mantra to a particular god. However, Aya refused to say the mantra because she believes in Jesus and the other gods are false. When we consider that many Mongolians as they age tend to revert to their traditional religion, we are encouraged to see Aya remain steadfast in her faith. What a great God we serve!

We have people in the church with unexpected financial demands because the transmission on their car broke suddenly. We have people whose mother just died. Ulzee's mother Aya's condition is worsening. Their are members with ulcers. But rather than worry, we praise the Lord that He continues His good work (Eph. 2:10) conforming us to the image of His Son.

But we need wisdom, perseverance, strength. We are so happy to serve a God Who gives us all these and more without reproving us. Pray with us this summer that we will see the fruit of God's work in our lives and the lives of church members as we yield to the Holy Spirit and remain faithful to our loving God.

Aya update

Aya has been going through a course of ten radiation treatments for her cancer: one each day. It is an outpatient treatment. On Friday she went in for another treatment, but after the doctors checked a test that she had given, they decided that it was not wise to continue the radiation treatment at this time. From talking to Ulzee it is not clear what the hindrance is.

Ulzee is very concerned about her mother. She says that someone needs to be close to her at night when she is sleeping. Maybe I misunderstand her Mongolian, but I think she is concerned that Aya will slip away in her sleep. She talks about her breathing stopping.

Aya has not been eating well either. The radiation treatments make her vomit up whatever she has eaten, and even before the treatments she did not have much appetite.

She is also in between chemotherapy treatments. The chemotherapy doctor saw her this past week and said that he would need to wait until after her radiation treatments were over to decide when to treat her again with chemotherapy.

I am truly grateful to all of you who have been praying for Aya, Ulzee, and Ganpurev. Ulzee asks me yesterday to pray every day for them. I will continue to post updates as I know more.

Prayer update

This week I would ask for your prayers for some of our Mongolian friends. Ganpurev and Ulzee are doing well enough, but their son Bilgoon (the one with the eye trouble) and Ulzee's mother Aya are both suffering this week. Last week something like a boil developed on the back of Bilgoon's head. When the boil-like bubble was lanced, pus and blood came out. His parents expected him to make a swift recovery; unfortunately, pus and blood continue to drain from the lanced boil nearly a week later. The school nurse looked at it and sent him home. Currently, Bilgoon is taking antibiotics and resting at home.

Aya is probably in her 70's although I have never asked. (I am one of those who firmly believes one should never ask a woman's age or weight). One of her knees has developed a problem that is painful and makes it impossible for her to walk without assistance. She has been to see the doctor, and they have ordered some tests. However, I do not hold out much hope that Aya will have the treatment she needs in Mongolia's national health care system.

Most of all, Aya needs to recognize that Jesus Christ is her Savior. Virginia Powell has been praying for her salvation for some time. Would you please take any opportunity you have this week to pray for her salvation? I dearly enjoy seeing Aya make a public profession of faith in Christ before it is too late.

Deans' weekly update: Aya

Our God is good, all the time. However, as finite humans we do not always understand His goodness, mercy, and grace to us. Recently, we have experienced God's goodness in a particular way and wish to thank Him.

Kristie and I visited Aya last week. At the beginning of August, I doubted whether she would still be with us. Sleeping, eating, talking—she had cut back to nearly nothing on all three. Her cancer had caused a blockage that prevented normal bodily function. Since a doctor inserted a catheter to provide relief she has been noticeably better. When we visited last week, she was talking and smiling just as she used to do. She praised the Lord for her health.

As a Christian, it is so refreshing to see God give peace to His children. Despite a poor prognosis, Aya has maintained a good spirit and even has been telling her other daughter Tonga that she needs to pray because God answers prayer.

Yes, the doctors have provided some relief. But the Lord has given emotional and spiritual relief. We had been praying that Aya would be with us until her newest granddaughter was born. Nandinbileg is now over a month old and healthy, and Aya shows no signs of leaving us anytime soon. We praise the Lord for His goodness and His wonderful works to the children of men.

Aya update

Aya had some chemotherapy treatment last week for her cancer that was discovered in her lymph nodes. Next week, she will go in for more tests followed by more chemotherapy treatment the following week.

For being 70 years old, she seems to be holding up well. She is tired of all the doctor visits and trips to the hospital for treatment. Her first trip to the oncology hospital was fairly traumatic. There were many patients there some in tears, many who had lost all their hair. The patients were discussing all the symptoms stemming from their treatments and encouraging Aya to cut off all her hair before she loses it.

I believe Aya to be saved but would ask you to pray for her to give a strong testimony of her faith in Jesus Christ alone to her relatives. As the oldest surviving member of a rather large, extended family she has much influence that she could use to glorify our Savior.

Aya's health

Aya's health is starting to deteriorate again. For several months she's been relatively stable. She did start taking morphine for the pain some time ago.

Yesterday, she had some external bleeding. The cancer is beginning to "come out" the doctors informed Ganpurev. Aya's pain is also increasing. Please pray that through this Ganpurev, Ulzee, and Aya would be filled with all the fullness of God and the love of Christ.

Update on Aya

Many of you have been praying for Aya. My parents, Kristie, and I went to visit her this past weekend. She is having trouble walking; her doctor told the family that it is because her cancer is beginning to effect her legs. She remains in good spirits despite her increasing disability.

She was recently able to attend an extended family gathering. At first she did not want to go because of her fragility. But Ganpurev and another family member talked her into going. She so enjoyed herself.

Every time that I visit Aya I am encouraged. Despite becoming weaker and weaker as her body succumbs to cancer, she remains cheerful. Every time I go over, she has a testimony of faith in Jesus Christ to share. My prayer for Aya is that her strong testimony of faith in Jesus Christ will have a lasting impact on her relatives.

some more prayer requests

I talked to Ganpurev on the phone yesterday and wanted to update you all on how they are doing.

The Sunday service was well-attended. It's their first Sunday without me in several years. I think that the church will do just fine. However, we need to continue to pray for their growth and that they would reach out to others. Ganchimeg mentioned at prayer meeting last week that they hope to reach out to their neighbors in the area immediately surrounding the church. We have had activities to reach out to the community previously, but such outreaches were initiated by me. So it is particularly encouraging to me to hear that the Mongolians comprehend their responsibility to preach the Gospel to their neighbors. I am convinced that they will do a better job than I did of presenting our Savior to their fellow Mongolians.

In family news, Ganpurev said that Ulzee is out of the hospital and doing better. But Aya has been doing poorly. She has been on morphine for some months now. The news Ganpurev had for me was that Aya is in a good deal of pain even though she is taking powerful painkillers. There are several other indications that Aya's health is deteriorating. So pray for Ganpurev and his family as they care for Aya.

Health update

Kristie and I visited Ermune's mother Bayambaa in the hospital. Ermune must stay isolated so we were not able to see him. According to his mother, he is doing fine. They are giving him some medications now. He probably will be in the hospital another week or so. He is scheduled to have another test next Monday after which they will evaluate his condition.

Also, we heard today that when Aya recently visited the local health clinic the doctor there said that she should see a cancer specialist. There are two growths on her abdomen that are causing some concern.

Aya is Ulzee's mother. (That is Aya in the picture with a table prepared for Tsagaan Sar in the foreground.) I am still not certain about Aya's salvation. Please pray for her.

A visit with Aya and Ankhaa

I went to Ganpurev's hashaa last night and had a good talk with both Aya and Ankhaa. Aya is much more comfortable talking about Jesus Christ than she has been in the past. She told me that she has been thinking about Jesus Christ and listening to what Ganpurev and Ulzee were teaching her. When I asked her if she believed in Jesus, she said that she believed in Jesus "on the inside." I do not really know what that all means, but those of you who are praying for her should be encouraged as I was. Because I wanted to understand more about what Aya is thinking I talked to her daughter Ulzee about it. She said that her mother told her that she had been thinking about Jesus and that she did not need her old gods anymore because Jesus was her God.

Ganpurev and I had an excellent talk with Ankhaa. Starting from Romans 10:9-10, we discussed Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, sin, and judgment. He listened carefully and seemed to understand, but it is as if there is an obstacle to his willingness to submit to the teaching of the Bible and our Savior Jesus Christ. It may be the opposition of his wife or family who are quite Buddhist; or it may be something else.

A young man and an elderly woman

Basca came to my house for a Bible study last night. We both thought it went very well. His Bible knowledge is very wide and quite orthodox. However, he lacks the self-discipline that he needs to grow consistently. We talked about that too.

Aya has started radiation treatments for her cancer. After after treatment she experiences nausea and vomiting. She has been wearing a bandanna on her head to cover it. However, I saw her the other day without it; she has lost almost all of her hair. For being such an elderly lady she has held up to the chemotherapy and radiation treatments well. Ganpurev was telling me that they see many people at the cancer hospital where they visit who seem far worse physically than Aya is.

Pray for Ganpurev and Ulzee. It is difficult for them to watch Aya's health decline. The make trips to the hospital with her almost every day. It is good for them that their employers are so understanding.

Prayer update

There is a bad case of colds and pneumonia sweeping through Mongolia currently. It seems that every family that we know both Mongolian and expatriate is being affected. Our own family has three family members with bad colds. Kristie was seemingly starting to recover after a month of various ailments when she came down with the latest cold. She has not been well since before her parents arrived at the end of September. Please pray for complete healing for her.

Ulzee's mother Aya continues to receive cancer treatment for lymphatic cancer. Physically, she seems to be becoming weaker and weaker. She cannot even perform basic hygiene functions for herself anymore. Ganpurev and Ulzee have experienced a very real peace that passes all understanding during this time of trial. Continue to pray that God would be glorified in their response to Aya's illness. Aya herself has told me that she believes in Jesus and has given up all the Buddhist rituals that she used to observe. Please pray too that she will have a strong testimony of faith in Jesus Christ before her mostly Buddhist extended family.

We heard this week that Ganpurev's nephew Ankhaa has spinal tuberculosis. He is a young fellow in his early twenties with a wife and a son who is not yet a year old. Ganpurev especially has witnessed to his nephew many times, but Ankhaa has always resisted hearing about Jesus Christ. Recently, Ankhaa was in such pain that he could not even talk. He thought he was dying. Ankhaa was living on Ganpurev's small plot; they have since moved away. Please pray for his salvation. Below is a picture of Ankhaa with his wife.


I also found out this week that a lawyer who occasionally helps me with legal matters has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's Disease). So that gives you many things to pray about this week. We here in Mongolia need your prayers!

Deans' weekly update

Some weeks just seem to have more things that "happen" than others. God has been teaching me that He is in charge, He has a plan, and His plan is always best.

I begin by asking you to pray for Ganpurev, Ulzee, Aya, and the rest of the family. Aya is slowly losing her strength. Ganpurev and his family have been such a good support to her. I pray that God will bless them with grace and peace for the days ahead. I recall last summer that I doubted whether she would make it a month. And yet, she still holds on.

My family's problems do not seem like anything at all when compared to Aya's poor health. However, last week flu symptoms ripped through our family and laid many of us low. It started with Charissa and then began to afflict the rest of the family. Charissa, Emily, and Kristie were all down last week. Kristie is still not feeling well at the start of this new week. Of course, when mom is sick, it seems to slow the whole family down. And yet, despite being slowed by personal sickness and the sickness of my family, the peace of God ruled in my heart. I do not recall feeling anxious or hurried or harried. Isn't our God good?

I visited Togsoo and Gantoya in their new home this past week and rejoiced when I heard that they want to re-start their home Bible studies. Togsoo lost his mother and an older brother in a few short months. He has not been reading his Bible; has not been coming to church; has not been his normal, exuberant self. I also had a chance to visit Dashka's mother and introduce her to the person of salvation: Jesus Christ. Please pray for the seed that was planted to grow into saving faith.

Aya's health

I have been wanting to update my blog for some time. But let's just say that I've been providentially prevented from updating my blog.

Aya's doctors seem encouraged by her body's response to treatment so far. The tumor is softening and shrinking they say. However, the doctors are now suggesting more potent treatments. I am not sure how Aya's body will hold up.

Ganpurev & Ulzee were very encouraged by the doctors' prognosis. The doctors were saying that the outlook was not very good; now they are saying that there might be hope for a full recovery. Keep praying.

A visit to Aya's

The family and I were able to visit Ganpurev's house earlier this week and saw Aya while we were there. She seemed in really good health. We were able to get a few pictures of her while we were there. This one included Aya with her great granddaughter Nandinbileg.

Updates

Dashgaa said yesterday that Tunga reads the Bible occasionally. She remarked to him that Christianity seems like a "developed" religion. (I am not sure what to make of that). He said to her that she should read the Bible more often. She responded by telling him, "You read it!"

I have been trying for some weeks to meet again with Gustavo's wife Bayarmaa. It seems that there has not been a good time to meet her. But Gustavo told me earlier this week that his wife told him, "I don't want to think about Jesus Christ right now." Please continue to unite with us in prayer for these spouses that are not saved.

Also, Ulzee's mother, Aya has some tumors in her abdomen. The doctor initially recommended surgery to remove them. Several doctors are having a meeting today to determine a course of treatment. Please pray that they would have wisdom about how to treat her. Ganpurev remarked to me that Aya is very calm about all this news. Could it be a mark of the Holy Spirit's influence in her life?

Weekly update

To those of you who pray for us I want to again express how grateful we are that you care enough to pray! The family is doing well except that Kristie occasionally becomes nauseated at night for no apparent reason. She has seen a doctor about this and has yet to hear a diagnosis. We leave in two days for Israel; please pray that she will feel well for our trip.

The church in Mongolia continues to do well. I am pleased to hear the good reports from Roland, Bill, and Ganpurev (in that order this week). Keep praying for Dashka's wife Tonga who desperately needs salvation. Also, Ulzee's mother Aya has been struggling with some problems with her legs. She cannot walk and is experiencing considerable pain. I have included a picture of Aya; she is the one in the middle of my family. That picture was taken two years ago before her cancer was discovered.

I will attempt to update my blog while I am in Mongolia—perhaps even post a picture or two. But I cannot promise anything.