Mongolia: August 2009

All is well...

Pastor Chris — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:42:03 +0000

We were able to catch our flight without a problem and made it to Seoul at around 4:45 AM on Saturday. We went to our reserved room at the airport hotel, showered and crashed.

I got up a few hours later and went to the transfer desk to get our boarding passes. Miraculously they gave me Mark's as well as mine. Only one little problem: we got the last two seats (literally) on the plane; last row against the toilets. I didn't complain because at least we were on the plane.

But, I've learned a few things and so three hours later I went back and asked if any better seats had become available. Sure enough (praise God) two aisle seats in the middle of the plane had become available and I instantly snagged them. Mark was a very happy guy to hear that.

The flight was uneventful (I say that a lot) and we arrived about thirty minutes early. Customs was a breeze and we had a few anxious minutes waiting for our luggage but it finally arrived and off we went to drop Mark off.

The trip was virtually perfect, which is saying a lot for going halfway around the world. Mark was a great traveler and was wonderful in every way with the Mongolians. We both had a great time.

I'm already missing being in Mongolia while loving being home.

You can view all my pics at www.flikr.com/pastor-chris

Thank you again for all your prayers and financial support. You have no idea the impact you make by blessing the Mongolian church with your generosity.

Not quite leaving yet...

Pastor Chris — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:05:18 +0000

On our way to the airport we got a call that our flight was canceled. After a few calls we discovered Korean Air had canceled the flight due to weather. We went back to Tom's and spent the night, waking up to waffles and pancakes. What a treat.

The hot water was still not on so we took "bucket baths" (we hadn't been able to shower for two days). Another treat.

I've been able to get all my internet work done and in a few minutes we're off to see some more sights. We catch our plane tonight at 10:00 PM. We have a hotel in Seoul for twelve hours and then we catch our flight to Seattle. We land at 12:40 AM Saturday.

Please pray that our flight leaves tonight on time. Pic's to follow.

Day 5 in Darkhan

Pastor Chris — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:59:00 +0000

After breakfast Mark and I talked for a few hours and then gave Pastor Hetee a call to see what’s up. Hetee met us at our hotel and off we went to the “black market”, which is basically now the city market where just about anything is available.

Hetee needed some meat, flour and eggs and I bought a watermelon ($5.00). I wish I could show you pictures of the meat market but the meat vendors get pretty upset when you take pictures. (The fruit and veggie vendors don’t care, though.) I told Hetee that if Sandy had to get our meat from the market she’d be a vegetarian.

We grabbed a taxi and took the groceries back to Hetee’s house. We stayed there a bit (Mark and I fell asleep on the couch) and then it was off to the church office for a meeting with Hetee’s “12” and Melanie’s “12”. They use a modified G12 cell group model in their church and we were meeting with their leaders.

Mark and I were asked to share for about 45 minutes a piece and then we prayed for all of them. It was so good to see familiar faces who have become friends over the years. I was especially blessed to be able to encourage their worship leader who’s baby died one year earlier from a fall.

After the meeting we walked across the street to the Empire restaurant for a dinner with two pastors and their wives and a leader couple from Hetee’s church. Hetee wanted to introduce us to these pastors and let them get to meet us and see if wider ministry opportunities would open up. We had one of those really great times and the Spirit of God was knitting us together as new friends and brothers and sisters.

By the end of the meeting I was almost falling asleep at the table so we began the walk to the hotel. We were supposed to go from there to pray for one of the leader’s parents but I was simply too tired to do it. We decided to pray in the morning. Mark and I said our goodbyes to Hetee and Melanie, got to our room and crashed.

Day 4 in Darkhan

Pastor Chris — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:57:38 +0000

On Monday Mark and I spent the morning discussing a myriad of topics and we can really see why God put us together. It’s a real bonus when you spend two weeks sharing a room with someone in a foreign country and you actually get along. Seriously, though, we have a long list of things in common and are enjoying talking about the Lord and His plans for Mongolia.

Around 1:30 PM we walked to Pastor Hetee’s for some lunch and fellowship. Melanie had fresh bread, sausage, egg salad and a patte ready with cherry juice and “Tang”. Hetee told us a friend from church was coming to drive us about 20 km into the countryside to look for their signature camels to ride. Kenny, Abi and Kenny were coming with us while Mel stayed behind to get some needed rest.

We found their gers and the people were great. They invited us in to their ger and while their kids sat on the floor playing cards they offered us dried milk and airag (fermented mare’s milk). This was my first time to finally have some airag and it was good. Mark had a few big gulps and then they showed us how they milked the mares to get the milk for the airag.

After a working display of horsemanship it was time to go find the camels. We hopped in the car and literally took off across the prairie in a Hyundai sedan. Up and over the rolling hills we went until we crested one hill and there they were: the famous Gobi camels with two humps. Our host had driven these camels all the way from the Gobi desert and now owned over 130, along with all his horses.

Our host put the simple “saddle” (basically a fitted piece of felt) on the camel and I was allowed to go first, no instruction. I mounted the camel, locked my feet in the stirrups and then, as it got up, I felt like I was on a rocking horse in slow motion. As this is happening I’m getting hand signals to grab on the the hump so I don’t fall off. Mission accomplished. The spine of the camel hit me right on the bottom of my spine; for the few minutes I was on the camel it was fine, but I could not imagine going much further without a caravan of chiropractors.

Mark got his chance to ride and then Nate and Kenny (Abi opted out). When we were done the kids played in the grass while the men sat down and shared some conversation. It is hard to describe sitting in the middle of a pasture in Mongolia, surrounded by rolling hills from horizon to horizon, with a mammoth blue sky overhead. Nothing but the sound of crickets and a slight breeze. Take away the car and it could be 800 years ago. Nothing has changed.

We drove our host back to his ger, said our goodbyes, paid him the 10,000 tugrat he requested for his time ($7.00) and then we were off to Hetee’s again.

We rested until dusk and then we took a taxi back to the city monument and shrine for a family walk. We walked up the many stairs to the monument then crossed the bridge to the shrine. By now it was dark and beautiful lights had come on, some on the bridge but also a very long parkway lit up. As we walked music was coming out of little Alice in Wonderland type figures. The city had provided little games and entertainment for the kids and hundreds of people were enjoying the cool of the evening.

We eventually walked to our hotel where Pastor Hetee and his family caught a taxi back to their house. Mark and I were really tired, but we were also really hungry, so we went up to the hotel restaurant to eat. We both had Hungarian goulash and it was superb, even though we both almost fell asleep eating it (just like toddlers do). Total cost for our meal: $6.00.

We got to our room and crashed. I called Sandy to say hi and then it was off to bed.

A perfect day.

Day 3 in Darkhan

Pastor Chris — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:56:21 +0000

Yesterday we went to Hetee’s home in the morning and stayed with them until it was time to go to church. We took a taxi to old Darkhan where the church meets another church’s building. The service started at 2:00 PM and after worship Mark and I were invited to share. Mark shared on the work in Sudan and then I share a short word from the Scriptures.

When we were done Mark and I prayed for the entire congregation, one by one, me on the left side and Mark on the right. As always, God faithfully met the needs of the people as they presented themselves before Him.

After we were done we walked to Modern Nomads, a traditional Mongolian restaurant, for lunch. Mark and I ordered virtually the same Mongolian meal except I ordered the kid’s size. (pictures) Mark thoroughly enjoyed the traditional food.

We took a taxi back home. Hetee plugged in the series “24” but Mark and I were struggling to stay awake. Eventually we walked home is it was getting dark and crashed.

Sorry for the delay...

Pastor Chris — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:04:06 +0000

Due to some SD card issues my blog entries have been delayed. Hopefully I'll be able to post them all later today at Pastor Hetee's.

Stay tuned...

Day Two in Darkhan

Pastor Chris — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:21:44 +0000

Yesterday I was finally able to get some real work done on the internet. Then Mark and I had our first breakfast at the hotel. Bread, two types of sausage/bologna like meat, some 3 in 1 and a cookie. Pretty good stuff. Then we were off to Pastor Hetee and Melanie's to have some fried pastry (name will follow); basically they are like cream puffs without the creme covered in powdered sugar. Amazing.

A little later Mel made some homemade beef soup that makes you feel like you're "home". Hetee was working steady on getting their new computer working... he's like a kid in a candy store.

Eventually we had to get back to the hotel and Hetee and Mel went to look at an apartment. Only problem was it was raining cats and dogs and no taxi. So, by the time Mark and I made it to the hotel we were like drowned cats; we were literally soaked to the bone. Even the Mongolians laughed at us (good naturedly) when we walked through the hotel lobby. Crazy Americans...

Pic's to follow...

We are well, well fed, and enjoying a very relaxed time of fellowship with Hetee, Mel and the kids. Mark is getting the pulse of Mongolia and loving it.

Latest from Darkhan...

Pastor Chris — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:06:39 +0000

(Sorry for the delayed updates. We have had no internet at the quest house and I’ve been unable to get enough time to get to Eagle TV to blog.)

Yesterday we went to the new Chinggis Kahn Monument out in the countryside (see pictures). It is quite an amazing piece of workmanship. Standing over 30 meters tall it is the largest monument of its type in the world. The placement of it is spectacular and the plans they have surrounding it are pretty amazing as well. It should be entirely finished by 2010.

After this we drove over to Turtle Rock. It was raining pretty hard at this point so we couldn’t ride any horses or camels or do much of anything. It was beautiful, non the less, and we had a good time.

Then it was back to UB for some lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then on to Eagle TV for a personal guided tour by Tom Terry, the Managing Director and good friend. Actually, I am now Tom’s new best friend. You can be, too, for the low, low price of four boxes of Sugar Babies.

Hetee and I left Mark to continue speaking with Tom and we went to the computer store to get his new computer. (Thank you to those who donated to the trip; this is the only way Hetee could afford the computer.) He and Melanie supplement their income by doing translation work for Eagle TV and this will make their work so much more enjoyable. Their seven year old computer is on it’s last legs. It will also be used to do audio and video work for their church.

When we were done we met Tom and Mark at Tom’s home where his wife Diane had prepared a wonderful chicken pot pie. Afterwards she blessed us with homemade ginger bread with a lemon sauce and whipped cream. Incredible.

Around 9:00 PM we had to leave. We took Mark and Nate to the guest house and Hetee and I went to the cancer hospital to pray for Tuya’s mother who is dealing with cancer. She was delightful and very encouraged to see us. We prayed, left her with some food, and went back to the guest house to crash.

This morning we pack up to go to Darkhan. We’ve hired a taxi to take us the full 2 ½ hour trip. Cost: 48000 tugrat ($35.00) total for all of us. Hetee has to be there by noon to be part of a wedding.

Once we’re settled in in Darkhan we’ll have consistent access to the internet and I’ll even be able to call home.

. . .

We’ve made the trip to Darkhan and have settled into our hotel room. Melanie and Hetee dropped by on their way to a wedding and they’ll pick us up later to go to their house.

While they were at the wedding we walked down to the market to have lunch and do some grocery shopping. Hetee just called and he’ll pick us up to take all the goodies to their house and have dinner.

. . .

Watching Melanie and the kids go through the baby clothes and other gifts is one of the best parts of my trip. There is such a need, and it goes so deep, that the look on their faces is like sunshine after a storm. Melanie must have thanked me four times, and that thanks goes to those who contributed so we could buy the clothes, the computer parts, the vitamins, food items, etc. Let me give you one example...

Melanie received a call that a poor woman had given birth but she had absolutely nothing to put on her baby. Nothing. (Let that sink in more a moment.) She knew we were coming with some baby clothes so she was able to give the woman some things she had to take care of her newborn. Very simple but very real. From one to another to another and the needs are met.

Then it was off to the Empire restaurant for dinner. Great food. We walked back to the hotel and Hetee, Mel and the kids took a quick taxi ride home.

. . .

It’s now 5:00 AM on Saturday and I’m waiting for the internet office in the hotel to open up so I can send this.

. . .

Decided to go to breakfast and now I finally get to send this. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Love,

Pastor Chris

Lightning strike creates havoc

Pastor Chris — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:05:06 +0000

We arrived last night just after a major lightning storm swept through the area. Pastor Hetee picked us up and we were able to get to sleep around 1:00 AM. The guest house is very nice.

When I arrived at Eagle TV this morning to update the blog the internet was down due to a direct lightning strike in the area.

Tom was in early trying to get things working and he found out that the mother board on his home computer was fried by the lightning. In fact, Tom runs his TV from his computer and while he and Diane were watching TV last night lightning hit near by and sparks were raining down on them from the light fixture above their heads. The computer blew and now Tom knows he needs a new mother board.

Other than that, all is well. We plan on having lunch with Skeika, Ganbold and Hetee at noon.

I'll write as soon as I can.

Love to all,

Chris and Mark

Sitting in Seoul

Pastor Chris — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:14:36 +0000

We arrived in Seoul after a pleasant, non-eventful flight. Korean Air treats you so well you don't feel like you've been on an airplane; you feel like you've been in a restaurant for the longest meal of your life. The flight attendants are the kindest you'll find anywhere.

Mark is impressed both by Korean Air and the Incheon airport, which is my favorite airport in the world. Our layover is short and we board in a few minutes, but we wanted you to know we're rested and well and moving on to UB. I'll post a quick note in the morning.