I am sitting in an internet cafe in Mongolia writing again on my blog - hard to believe. Leaving Friday morning I arrived in Ghingis Kahn Airport Sunday morning at 12:30 and the first question asked after making it through customs and luggage: Need a taxi? I declined, looking for Turuu my personal taxi. He was there and we headed to my apartment for the next 2 weeks. I arrived safe, half way around the world - our God is gracious.
Part of my flight took me into Vancouver, a place I had never been before. I sat in an aisle seat but I could see out of the plane's window a portion of the magnificent mountains and marvelled again at the majesty of God. I thought that is probably how I see God - just a porthole of his greatness. The mountains seemed so magnificent as they rose to the clouds lifting their hands in praise and I only saw a portion.
If you would pray - God would show more of His glory! We will be looking at how to prepare and preach God's Word to the people.
Please pray as the lessons in preaching begin tomorrow. Pray that the glory of God through His magnificent grace would compel his called pastors to preach the Word faithfully and with deep passion.
I thank you for your prayers - in weakness God has given strength.
Showing posts with label mongolia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mongolia. Show all posts
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Praying for the Church in Mongolia
This past Sunday night I was able to show some pictures of my recent trip to Mongolia. I showed the people Sunday night a little embroidered picture of "gers" with the word "Pray for Mongolia" - a gift given to me by the students. How then should we pray for the Mongolians?
Pray for the leaders - there are many challenges in "the early church of Mongolia" for which they need much wisdom. Pray that God would give them wisdom as they are lead by His Spirit.
Pray that there may be a burden to preach God's Word. One of the pastors shared with me that after my last visit, he determined to preach more in his church. While there was a little opposition, he persevered and now preaching is part of his weekly work. God's people will be built up through the preaching of God's Word.
Pray for the church as they grow. The Lord continues to work as hearts are changed in repentance and faith to the finished work of Jesus. Pray that the people would mature and continue to have a heart for evangelism.
Pray for families. While family units can be strong, alcohol and other vices rip families apart. Pray that the gospel works in marriages and families so they live out the gospel in a radical way.
Trusting that God will continue to work in amazing ways in the country of Mongolia ...
Pray for the leaders - there are many challenges in "the early church of Mongolia" for which they need much wisdom. Pray that God would give them wisdom as they are lead by His Spirit.
Pray that there may be a burden to preach God's Word. One of the pastors shared with me that after my last visit, he determined to preach more in his church. While there was a little opposition, he persevered and now preaching is part of his weekly work. God's people will be built up through the preaching of God's Word.
Pray for the church as they grow. The Lord continues to work as hearts are changed in repentance and faith to the finished work of Jesus. Pray that the people would mature and continue to have a heart for evangelism.
Pray for families. While family units can be strong, alcohol and other vices rip families apart. Pray that the gospel works in marriages and families so they live out the gospel in a radical way.
Trusting that God will continue to work in amazing ways in the country of Mongolia ...
Monday, October 06, 2008
Arrived and Settled
13 hours after take off from Seoul, I landed in Toronto to meet my family. Missing them for two weeks, you can imagine how fantastic it was to give them all a big hug! On the trip home, they regaled great adventures of home life while I tried to match them with a few stories from Mongolia.
I am thankful to be home once again and look forward to showing pictures and sharing the work in Mongolia this coming Sunday night at Grace. Thank you for your prayers and I thank God for hearing and answering.
Now - I think it is bedtime, isn't it?
I am thankful to be home once again and look forward to showing pictures and sharing the work in Mongolia this coming Sunday night at Grace. Thank you for your prayers and I thank God for hearing and answering.
Now - I think it is bedtime, isn't it?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
A Typical Day
So, what takes place here in Mongolia? What happens in a typical day? Let me begin with last night as it was rather special and then we will end with tonight.
After teaching class yesterday, I was invited to a student's home. We walked up the three stories of a very run down building and the door opened to a spacious apartment with a beautiful family. This man has 4 children and I was able to meet them as I entered. I also met his wife who invited me to the kitchen were we sat and had supper. The man of the apartment invited another student and the four of us had a time of fellowship. I was able to ask about their lives and the church in Mongolia (the man spoke English) and they were able to ask me questions. After the meal, we played a game, talked some more and then had a word of prayer. It was a rich time of fellowship and you could sense the Christian unity. On the way out, the man showed me his home and in one of the rooms was his 92 year old grandma - a short, hunched over lady. I took pictures of her with her family and then reached down to shake the elderly ladies hand while she pulled me to her and kissed my cheeks. What a blessing to see how the gospel impacts a whole family and the warmth of fellowship in Christ.
After being driven home, I got ready for bed and was asleep by about 9:30. I woke up at 6:00 and began to prepare for the day by reviewing Romans 4-6. After some serious instant coffee, I was picked up at 8:30 to begin class at 9:15.
This morning I began with a devotional asking how the church grows in maturity? We looked at the end of Hebrews 5 and saw that the church must go from drinking milk to eating solid food. There were some questions about sermon preparation and ministry in general that lasted until 10:30 - time for our first break. I had originally wanted to begin with Romans 4 but once the questions started pouring in, these immediate ministry concerns became front and centre. At the end of this time, one of the students talked about the need for all sorts of demands in ministry, such as mentoring, church planning, evangelism, etc. The interpreter told me what he had said so I thought I would address the concern after the break.
I said I would like to make four comments about the man's question but then we should really begin to look at Romans. I said first - be patient because growth happens over time; second - do not panic - God is sovereign; third - love your wife and children (God first, then marriage and family, then church); and fourth, preach the Word (make it your main goal to preach the Word and pray for the people - all else leads from this). It was a unique moment as this young Mongolian church grows in their faith and knowledge.
We began to go through Romans 4-6 which lead us through justification, propitiation, faith, saving faith, faith and not the law, assurance, representation and many other teachings. One of the aims for me is not only to bring them through the book and teach them doctrine but to first show that doctrine impacts all of life and second to show that God gives grace to preach the Word.
We finished a little early today at the end of Romans 6. I travelled back to the apartment to get ready to take a family out for dinner (this is the family that took care of me last year and also has done a lot to help me this year). While we ate in a Mongolian Grill style restaurant, near the end of the meal the lights went out. No problem - they just brought candles to the tables and life went on. (The power has gone off in my apartment several times, one time for about 30 minutes. If you are on the elevator and the power goes off, you just have to wait until it the power is on. So, every time I get on the elevator, I pray that God will keep the power on!!)
I arrived home to email my wife and family and write this quick blog. During the day there are still those special, real moments. A man received a call to hear that his child was sick and was going to be brought to the hospital. Before he left, he asked for prayer so the men sat, prayed silently, concluding with one man praying for the young child. Then there are the moments when we are going through Romans and their faces light up with the truth of the gospel. These brothers and sisters have been God's gift to my life and I have learned a tremendous amount about vulnerable, simple faith in ministry.
After teaching class yesterday, I was invited to a student's home. We walked up the three stories of a very run down building and the door opened to a spacious apartment with a beautiful family. This man has 4 children and I was able to meet them as I entered. I also met his wife who invited me to the kitchen were we sat and had supper. The man of the apartment invited another student and the four of us had a time of fellowship. I was able to ask about their lives and the church in Mongolia (the man spoke English) and they were able to ask me questions. After the meal, we played a game, talked some more and then had a word of prayer. It was a rich time of fellowship and you could sense the Christian unity. On the way out, the man showed me his home and in one of the rooms was his 92 year old grandma - a short, hunched over lady. I took pictures of her with her family and then reached down to shake the elderly ladies hand while she pulled me to her and kissed my cheeks. What a blessing to see how the gospel impacts a whole family and the warmth of fellowship in Christ.
After being driven home, I got ready for bed and was asleep by about 9:30. I woke up at 6:00 and began to prepare for the day by reviewing Romans 4-6. After some serious instant coffee, I was picked up at 8:30 to begin class at 9:15.
This morning I began with a devotional asking how the church grows in maturity? We looked at the end of Hebrews 5 and saw that the church must go from drinking milk to eating solid food. There were some questions about sermon preparation and ministry in general that lasted until 10:30 - time for our first break. I had originally wanted to begin with Romans 4 but once the questions started pouring in, these immediate ministry concerns became front and centre. At the end of this time, one of the students talked about the need for all sorts of demands in ministry, such as mentoring, church planning, evangelism, etc. The interpreter told me what he had said so I thought I would address the concern after the break.
I said I would like to make four comments about the man's question but then we should really begin to look at Romans. I said first - be patient because growth happens over time; second - do not panic - God is sovereign; third - love your wife and children (God first, then marriage and family, then church); and fourth, preach the Word (make it your main goal to preach the Word and pray for the people - all else leads from this). It was a unique moment as this young Mongolian church grows in their faith and knowledge.
We began to go through Romans 4-6 which lead us through justification, propitiation, faith, saving faith, faith and not the law, assurance, representation and many other teachings. One of the aims for me is not only to bring them through the book and teach them doctrine but to first show that doctrine impacts all of life and second to show that God gives grace to preach the Word.
We finished a little early today at the end of Romans 6. I travelled back to the apartment to get ready to take a family out for dinner (this is the family that took care of me last year and also has done a lot to help me this year). While we ate in a Mongolian Grill style restaurant, near the end of the meal the lights went out. No problem - they just brought candles to the tables and life went on. (The power has gone off in my apartment several times, one time for about 30 minutes. If you are on the elevator and the power goes off, you just have to wait until it the power is on. So, every time I get on the elevator, I pray that God will keep the power on!!)
I arrived home to email my wife and family and write this quick blog. During the day there are still those special, real moments. A man received a call to hear that his child was sick and was going to be brought to the hospital. Before he left, he asked for prayer so the men sat, prayed silently, concluding with one man praying for the young child. Then there are the moments when we are going through Romans and their faces light up with the truth of the gospel. These brothers and sisters have been God's gift to my life and I have learned a tremendous amount about vulnerable, simple faith in ministry.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
My First Mongolian Head Butt
I'll get to my trip to the countryside in a moment, but I have to tell you about a first for me in Mongolia. I had supper tonight (chicken and Greek salad - very tasty and no ill effects - very thankful) and on my way home I stopped to get some groceries. After picking up a few things, I was walking down the sidewalk looking for a place to cross the very, very busy road when I saw a group of three young guys heading towards me - they seemed somewhat unstable on their feet and a little happy. One of the guys approached me and I did not know what he was going to do. I know that alcohol and violence are a problem as well as pick-pocketing.
I was carrying a bag of groceries and this young man (he came to about my shoulders) leaned into my chest and gave me a subtle head butt. I didn't know what was going on. It didn't hurt at all but I did not know what he was going to do. My money was well protected but I know these guys can wrestle. However, he simply moved on down the street with his buddies - thankfully.
And now that I am safe in my 12th floor apartment and writing this, I wonder if instead of a moment of potential violence, he was simply trying to reach out and become my friend. I wonder? Maybe it was a cry for help? Seemed like a rather nice guy and maybe I mistook his rather aggressive stance - you know, judged him too early - for hostility when I should have been more open. Oh well, just thankful to be safe.
Today I had the opportunity to go out into the country. The Mongolian countryside has a rugged, dry beauty with wide open plains surrounded by rolling, steep hills. The countryside is vast. After a 45 minute drive, we first arrived at a new statue of Chinggis Khan - gigantic Chinggis. Made of steel, this vast structure is like the America Statue of Liberty and the Canadian ... the Canadian ... oh well, I'll move on (boy, that was uncomfortable, eh?). It was quite magnificent. After stopping off the beaten path by a river and having a small fire with some snack food, we travelled to a 1500 year old monument to dead Turks (not Turkey but the ancient Turkish people). Cylinder stones planted in the ground many years ago still contain noticeable writing while a broken stone table 20 metres away lays crumbled. There are also stones "planted" every metre or so apart from one another in two lines that run 200 kilometres through the countryside in remembrance of all who died in their wars. 200 kilometres! It is said in those days war was so prevalent that 25% of men would die in battle. It was a real moment walking through history, remembering our fallen world and longing for Christ to return once again.
Tomorrow morning I will be preaching in a church of one of the students. Please pray that God's Spirit may lead and the Words of Life may penetrate the hearts of the hearers.
I was carrying a bag of groceries and this young man (he came to about my shoulders) leaned into my chest and gave me a subtle head butt. I didn't know what was going on. It didn't hurt at all but I did not know what he was going to do. My money was well protected but I know these guys can wrestle. However, he simply moved on down the street with his buddies - thankfully.
And now that I am safe in my 12th floor apartment and writing this, I wonder if instead of a moment of potential violence, he was simply trying to reach out and become my friend. I wonder? Maybe it was a cry for help? Seemed like a rather nice guy and maybe I mistook his rather aggressive stance - you know, judged him too early - for hostility when I should have been more open. Oh well, just thankful to be safe.
Today I had the opportunity to go out into the country. The Mongolian countryside has a rugged, dry beauty with wide open plains surrounded by rolling, steep hills. The countryside is vast. After a 45 minute drive, we first arrived at a new statue of Chinggis Khan - gigantic Chinggis. Made of steel, this vast structure is like the America Statue of Liberty and the Canadian ... the Canadian ... oh well, I'll move on (boy, that was uncomfortable, eh?). It was quite magnificent. After stopping off the beaten path by a river and having a small fire with some snack food, we travelled to a 1500 year old monument to dead Turks (not Turkey but the ancient Turkish people). Cylinder stones planted in the ground many years ago still contain noticeable writing while a broken stone table 20 metres away lays crumbled. There are also stones "planted" every metre or so apart from one another in two lines that run 200 kilometres through the countryside in remembrance of all who died in their wars. 200 kilometres! It is said in those days war was so prevalent that 25% of men would die in battle. It was a real moment walking through history, remembering our fallen world and longing for Christ to return once again.
Tomorrow morning I will be preaching in a church of one of the students. Please pray that God's Spirit may lead and the Words of Life may penetrate the hearts of the hearers.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Super Hero Moments
As I begin to write, it is presently 5:50 p.m. Tuesday night in Mongolia. I arrived safely Saturday night around 12:00 at night and got to my apartment at around 1:00 in the morning. I was so thankful to God for a safe flight.
It is good to be back and I am thankful to have some familiarity with the surroundings. It still takes a while getting used to the traffic - it is completely insane. For example, if there is not a lane, they will create a lane all on their own and it does not really matter if another vehicle is heading straight for you - that is his problem, not yours. Crossing the street still ranks up there as one of the most dangerous moments in your life - EVER!!! Agility, a keen eye and lightening speed all come together in a great "super hero" moment as you bound across the street and hopefully don't get wiped out by someone honking their horn.
These past two days 17 students have met to study Systematics I. It is a tremendous time to share God's Word to these church leaders. At one point today, we talked about how the knowledge of God leads to practical living. It was one of those moments in the class that you could sense God's presence as we talked of knowledge that leads to greater worship of God. If we are going to truly worship God, then we must see His glory and taste and see that He is good, so that all the other false gods that we taste pale in comparison. We also saw how in 1 Corinthians 8:1 knowledge does not puff up but leads to a life of love.
This year I am intentionally seeking to get to know the men and women better. The language is a huge barrier but I was able to talk with 2-3 men and learned more about their ministries. It is a real privilege to stand alongside of these leaders and serve God with them.
I walked home after having supper last night at around 8:00. Actually, I had supper at the Irish Pub (that one is for you Nick!!) and had bacon and eggs - nothing like breakfast for supper!! During my 45 minute walk I saw a fwy young children begging with one little boy holding his even smaller sister and another little boy swaying and in a very quiet voice singing; I saw a number of drunk men, staggering, one man in particular trying to find a wall just to brace himself; and I saw just lots of ordinary people enjoying the night life. Sights like this common all over the world emphasize once again the need for the great gospel of Jesus Christ to penetrate Mongolia.
Please pray for the leaders of Mongolia - the church is growing and God is moving. Pray that the church might serve with passion and faithfulness for His glory.
It is good to be back and I am thankful to have some familiarity with the surroundings. It still takes a while getting used to the traffic - it is completely insane. For example, if there is not a lane, they will create a lane all on their own and it does not really matter if another vehicle is heading straight for you - that is his problem, not yours. Crossing the street still ranks up there as one of the most dangerous moments in your life - EVER!!! Agility, a keen eye and lightening speed all come together in a great "super hero" moment as you bound across the street and hopefully don't get wiped out by someone honking their horn.
These past two days 17 students have met to study Systematics I. It is a tremendous time to share God's Word to these church leaders. At one point today, we talked about how the knowledge of God leads to practical living. It was one of those moments in the class that you could sense God's presence as we talked of knowledge that leads to greater worship of God. If we are going to truly worship God, then we must see His glory and taste and see that He is good, so that all the other false gods that we taste pale in comparison. We also saw how in 1 Corinthians 8:1 knowledge does not puff up but leads to a life of love.
This year I am intentionally seeking to get to know the men and women better. The language is a huge barrier but I was able to talk with 2-3 men and learned more about their ministries. It is a real privilege to stand alongside of these leaders and serve God with them.
I walked home after having supper last night at around 8:00. Actually, I had supper at the Irish Pub (that one is for you Nick!!) and had bacon and eggs - nothing like breakfast for supper!! During my 45 minute walk I saw a fwy young children begging with one little boy holding his even smaller sister and another little boy swaying and in a very quiet voice singing; I saw a number of drunk men, staggering, one man in particular trying to find a wall just to brace himself; and I saw just lots of ordinary people enjoying the night life. Sights like this common all over the world emphasize once again the need for the great gospel of Jesus Christ to penetrate Mongolia.
Please pray for the leaders of Mongolia - the church is growing and God is moving. Pray that the church might serve with passion and faithfulness for His glory.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Mongolia and Hot Tubs
Well- my second trip to Mongolia begins. I am presently waiting in Toronto Airport for an 11:50 p.m. departure so I only have another 2 hour wait. After waiting in line to hand over my luggage, the kind gentleman ushered me to the window with the sign above it reading PRESTIGE CLASS. Now this is the life, I thought, they have upgraded my ticket! I can see it now - I will stretch out the entire flight, maybe take a dip in the hot tub that I am sure is on the plane somewhere (did I bring my bathing suit???), and then finish off with a fine three course meal- maybe T-bone steak with some mashed potatoes and a pile of gravy.
I am loving this. The kind lady behind the counter processed my luggage (I was a little over because of a huge container of peanut butter I am bringing the family I stayed with last year - but she let it through. One of the perks of my new status, I thought) and then handed me my ticket. Seat 51!!! I thought - PRESTIGE has taken a hit these days.
Knowing my hot tub moment was over, I asked one more question before a real Prestige person presented himself - is it an aisle seat?
She nodded yes and I walked away a happy man. An aisle seat! May not be a hottub but on a long flight, it ranks right up there.
I am loving this. The kind lady behind the counter processed my luggage (I was a little over because of a huge container of peanut butter I am bringing the family I stayed with last year - but she let it through. One of the perks of my new status, I thought) and then handed me my ticket. Seat 51!!! I thought - PRESTIGE has taken a hit these days.
Knowing my hot tub moment was over, I asked one more question before a real Prestige person presented himself - is it an aisle seat?
She nodded yes and I walked away a happy man. An aisle seat! May not be a hottub but on a long flight, it ranks right up there.
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