Giving Thanks for Friends and Faith

Carving the Roast Beast on Thanksgiving...

We know who usually does that, though not many gizzards were found in our Mongolian-raised turkey.

Not to be outdone of course are Renee's pies.

We needed an extra table in the living room.

The drumstick was tasty.

And soon most of the food is gone but the friends remain.

Renee relaxing with her friends and teammates after the feast.

And playing games with the kids after pie while the guys talked.  Very Thankful for All. 

Happy Fall Colors and Tastes!

Our friends from the countryside gave us a big pumpkin!

That may be routine to you, but we don't see them here in fall or otherwise.  

Even though after halloween, we carved a happy face in it.

Soon it will be cooked into pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving!

Thankful for simple pleasures.

Mourning the Loss of Colleague to COVID

Listen to understand what Jesus did for Tugsuu in his own English words.

Recorded around 2016

Nyamtugs was called Tugsuu by those who knew and loved him.

He was also called Nathaniel, a name he took from the disciple of Jesus.  

This video was taken soon after we opened the Celebrate Recovery Center together in 2014.  We got the sad news this morning that he had been sick at home, and died this morning from COVID.  He died in the night after his 47th birthday.  The doctors said diabetes was a contributing cause affecting his heart.

Here he is leading new believers in song to the Lord who saved and healed him.

He was a great speaker of God's grace and the power of Christ, healing him from Alcoholism and a paralyzing injury.  He leaves a wife and 4 sons age 9 to 1 month.  Some of his family are also sick with COVID now. 

Please pray for his wife Deggie, and his longtime CR coworker Pastor Shagai as they mourn his loss in Darhan.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." 

John 11:25

Getting Shots Up - Over Defense

Here is 10 year old "George" at the end of a lesson focused on defense, shooting over it.

And with coaches Orgil and "Toby"

Maybe one day we will have Olympic athletes like these training in the Academy.

Billboard reads: "We are one team", and of course "Team Coca Cola".

Happy to be on Team Jesus.

Basketball Beginning Again

Thank God we were able to renew our contract with the local Gym and begin training this week!

Turn out was a little sparse, but it felt so great to be back with two experienced coaches.

I can't overstate how much Mongolian kids like these brothers love basketball.

Coach Toby giving shooting pointers.    He also shared with them the verse for lesson 1:

 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" - John 1:1

All players and coaches memorize a verse each lesson, and read the whole chapter for homework.  

Amazingly, Clara's basketball tryouts were on the very same day!  Here she is in her school gym doing some pretty serious running drills.  She made the team!