A Christmas Story

Kids play with toys after opening presents at grandmas house 

Cleveland's Play-House Square Allen Theatre

We got tickets to A Christmas Story

for Christmas!

If you have seen the movie you'll understand these quotes

The best parts of the play were the parts that aren't in the movie.  Like Red Ryder's speech on what it means to be a cowboy, and American.  If you get the chance, go see it.

A few days before, on our way from the airport to Akron, we even saw the original house where the movie was filmed in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.  There's a "major award" lamp in the window.

White Christmas in Ohio

The weather was pretty raining our first week in Ohio.  So our hopes for snow were not high.  Notice the warmth on compared to our other frequented places.

Then Christmas morning we woke up to white, if not deep, snow!

See Renee's new Ohio State Buckeye sweatshirt

Notice the family dog is excited too.

After opening presents Christmas morning with Uncle Aaron, Pop, Gram, and Aunt Kristin

Dinner for 21 at the Bisheimer table

 Cookie making maids and maiden or two.

Playing board games the day after with blankets since its now 12 degrees outside.

Kittitas Valley Views

After Thanksgiving, we headed for the hills for a hike around the outskirts of Ellensburg.

The mild fall has been surprisingly moist, making green grass grow in late November.

The local hardware store hosted families for birdhouse making.  

Look for these in and under trees near you ;~)

River of Life Greets Mongolian Alliance

"Sain Baina uu!"

Vote (in comments below) for which one is best in volume or pronunciation:

 Youth Group

 First Service

Second Service

Mid-America District Tour Views

Coming to Grand Junction, Colorado from Omaha and Lincoln churches, I stayed in the town of Mesa and woke to walks with deer and sweeping views.

Also, got to visit Fruita, CO.  One of the mountain-biking capitals of the west, we rode trails overlooking the Colorado River and its magnificent red rock canyons.  Some of the above shots are from the Colorado National Monument.

Cooperating with Christ

This morning I had a vision of believers being a bridge between working healthy 'haves' and the hurt, sick or homeless, 'have-nots'.  Such a three-standed cord 'is not quickly broken'.

Most societies, Mongolian included, have understand the need to help the poor.  Most materially secure people also have an understanding you can't just give people money and food irresponsibly, or you can make matters worse.  Taking too much responsibility for people can rob from them their own responsibility to care for themselves and loved ones.  The church can help with that.

Christian people have limited quantities of wealth to share with the massive needs or the world.  So partnering with entities that want to help can be a fruitful partnership.  Union Gospel, and other city missions are right to seek and accept contributions from both Christian and non-Christian sources.

In Mongolia, our efforts to help the poor have been fully supported by the Great Commission Fund of the C&MA, funded mostly by American Alliance people.  Very little buy in from the local Mongolian economy or society can severely limit effectiveness of charity.  I believe we are going to see much more fruit for the kingdom and measurable benefit to society if we seek, expect and see cooperation of the local people in helping their own people.  We don't need the local people's money or control that may accompany it.  But we do need their buy-in, relationship, and possible back-up.

Further, if we do our job well, with culturally appropriate local buy-in and back-up, our 'meaningful impactful presence' should result in trusting relationships with our more financially secure neighbors. Even if they choose not to partner with our efforts to help the poor, they will appreciate being asked and may understand more our purpose more for being there.  That will help them trust us more when we get a chance to help them understand the message of Christ 'to seek and save the lost'.

Pretty Good Birthday Card

Fall Family Photo

This was a memorable moment for the kids to recall having grandparents in from Ohio.

Grandma Suzi, aunt Jeanne and baby Michael also joined the festivities.  Their daddy was glad to be home from tour for a while and take part too :-)

Small town USA Fall Scenes

Dropping off Clara for choir at school this morning Johanna and I noticed the fall morning fog. 

Later after dropping off Josiah for kindergarten and talking with my cousin Tim, who was dropping off his daughters too, I saw this other scene.

The hawk that caught my eye took flight just as I snapped this.  The Mongolian song "Amazing Creator" was broadcast from the iPhone that contains the camera that took the picture.

Pretty amazing Creator who created this nature and creatures who created technology to record and adore and share it.

Wyoming Milk Pail Meal (aka Horhog)

Unbelievable, among the similarities between Wyoming and Mongolia (exact same low population density, wide open spaces, herding animals and mining industries) they prepare special food like this:

Meat and vegetables (albeit different kinds) put into a milk can over an open fire.

Feeding of the multitudes.  The only question from our Mongolian friends who saw the pictures was: "Is it sheep?"  In Wyoming, it most definitely was not, rather a fancy kind of hot dog, which they didn't want to be called hot dog :=}

That's okay, our Mongolian leader/friend informed us that Horhog (what they call this meal in Mongolian) literally translates as 'poison garbage'.  

They both taste much better than they sound, and always a memorable meal.

Medicine Bow Lodge

Tim and Debbie Bishop of Saratoga Alliance Church run this dude ranch.

At 8000 feet, the fall colors were early and bright.  My first day I was taken on a hike that reached above 10,000 feet.

My last day there Tim took me on a trail ride through snowy trails.

I rode a 3/4 draft grey Percheron named Pedro.  It was the first I'd been on a horse in probably more than a year.  

The Next of a Holy Generation

Wyoming girls from Saratoga Alliance wearing Mongolian princess hats.

One of them came right up to me after church, sat down beside me, and said:

"I'm going to be a missionary too!"

Maybe we'll see them in a place like Mongolia sometime in a decade or two.  May God bless and Alliance people pray for those who are called to go wherever God guides and faithfully provides.

"You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."  1 Peter 2:9 AKJV

Rocky Mountain District Tour Sites