Remember Mongolia

For Sale (to the highest bidder, or to the second highest?)

For the past few weeks, our UB team has looked at several buildings to rent or purchase. This search is becoming more urgent the longer we remain in the rented basement and smell the stench that remains after the upstairs bathroom overflowed dumping two feet of sewage into our “church.� Fortunately (I think), we are able to have our Sunday service upstairs in the theatre type room where the approximately 20 of us rattle around like marbles in a ten gallon jug.

But the sale of buildings isn’t really what is on my mind right now. It’s the sale of the soul of the people of Mongolia. Over the last few weeks we have had similar conversations with various people and this is the conclusion I’m coming to. There are many people in this country who are for sale to the highest bidder. How does that look, exactly?

The Mormons come in and build their big American looking facilities which appear very appealing with the dilapidated Soviet-style block apartments surrounding it. In a country with high unemployment and incredible poverty, curiosity is understandable. They take the bait and then are reeled in with offers of going to the States for a year to learn English.

For over a year, we have walked weekly by a large building in the center of town. It is very impressive looking. Now we are hearing that this building is going to be a Mosque. The Muslims have been coming into Western Mongolia in a similar way, offering free passage to Turkey. Now they are making their way to Ulaan Baatar.

Buddhism is also making its bid. There is an insurgence of monks coming to the city, even some whose Caucasian skin looks odd wearing the maroon and saffron colored garb. Their bait is patriotism, urging Mongolians to remember their heritage. Under Russian rule, they were not allowed to speak of their hero Chingis Khan, but now they are praying for his spirit to return to this land. They desire to be once again esteemed as a great nation.

Even among Christian organizations, there are difficulties. Many Mongolians equate foreigners with wealth. Some groups put the young believers on staff for a couple of years and then cut them off and expect them to “raise support.� Unfortunately, their churches and family don’t have the funds to do this and there aren’t enough foreigners to go around. Sometimes when the money stops, so does their commitment. Sometimes, not always.

So, what should our bid be? What do we use for “bait?� (Yes, I know I am mixing my metaphors.) It is tempting to make things easy. To talk only of the things God will do for them if they believe. But the bottom line is if we want to be His disciple, there is a cross to be taken up. Jesus required of the rich young ruler the sale of all that he had. There is a promise of tribulation and persecution. We will be hated by the world, not esteemed. (Luke 14:27, Luke 18:18-30, John 16:33)

We call them to delay their gratification. To live for a city whose founder and architect is God; to wait for our room in the Father’s house. In return we will know peace and joy. And Him.

So, the question begs to be asked, “Do we stop looking for a building?� No, not necessarily. We trust God for a building, not to draw them in with grandiose promises and a lure to live the good life here and now. We trust God for a building where we can offer a cup of cold water in Jesus name. Where we prepare them to live as sheep among wolves dressed as sheep. Where they can come for sanctuary when life is hard and waiting for heaven seems impossible. Where we can encourage one another and build each other up.

Jesus paid too high a price for these people to be sold to the second highest bidder.

1 comment September 28th, 2007

School Daze

This week it’s been something of a daze. Or a fog.  Or bright dazzling sunshine that blinds the eyes.  Or some mixture of the above.  School started for all of us two weeks ago.  Jonathan and Cori are beginning their second year at ISU (10th and 8th grade respectively).  This year will be quite different due to the fact that the International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU) is in a brand spanking new orange and blue building.  We attended opening ceremonies which included the American Ambassador and the President of Mongolia.  The building is large and very western.  One of Jonathan’s teachers quipped “It’s just like a real school now!”. 

The Principle of ISU with the President of Mongolia, Enkhbayar.

Renee’ and I have also re-started our classes at the Bridge International College.  We’re back in the throws of homework, school buses and complex sentences.  Coupled with that, we are also meeting with Church leaders once per week and helping with music and teaching on Sundays.  The nice thing about it is that we only studying four days per week, now.  This will give us more time to work with the church and practice language.

Language learning has so many ups and downs.  This past Tuesday I went to a little coffee shop to do my homework.  I was studying a new way to essentially give the reason for doing an action (e.g., “therefore” and “because”) so that I don’t sound like a 5 year old when I talk.  While I was paying my bill a chatted for a few minutes with the lady who owns the shop and realized that I had an opportunity to use my new grammar.  So after a moment of getting my head straight, I said, “I might be able to come drink coffee on Friday mornings, because I don’t have class on Friday anymore” (woo hoo … nice complicated sentence).  She understood me.  Success. An hour later we had a living room full of Mongolian students.  I understood little and could speak less.  We still need a translator for pretty much anything we need to do beyond small talk (and sometimes for that too!).  I went from being thrilled at what I could do to being totally bummed by what I couldn’t in a matter of an hour.  But, that’s what I am finding to be the the nature of language study. 

So the school daze has begun. 

1 comment September 13th, 2007

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Here is one of the brightest rainbows I’ve ever seen hovering right over the Russian embassy.  This is was taken right out of our window.

Sorry for the delay in updating our site, but my computer is in the shop.  Hopefully it will be out sometime this week.  For all of my friends(and even some family) who are trying to convert me to Mac … (Pieter, David, Joel, Josh, Doug, Scott … and I think there are others out there), I am almost there.  If my computer can’t be fixed, I think that’s the direction I will be heading…

Until then, here is our rainbow.  Maybe there is a Mac at the end of the rainbow?

2 comments September 10th, 2007