What can we say? God is so good. Hope to share a lot of pictures in this summary post:
It was such a gift to be back after 3 years away, and move back officially to the USA with 15 suitcases. That's the exact number we moved there with in 2005!
Our ordinary family's journey living among the amazing people of Mongolia, was multiplied when God blessed us with two more children than our original three. Maggie was 3, Lydia 2, Johanna 2 months when we arrived in late August 2005. Clara was born in Ulaanbaatar in 2007, and Josiah was born in good old Ohio in 2012.
If you want to see the photos of us when we arrived, you can click the 2005 tab to the right, and see our first journal entries after arrival. Here we are back in Mongolia, arriving from 4 different states, united together, an ordinary family of faith, grateful for the journey.
Here's the attempt at encapsulating our two weeks in Mongolian from July 28th to August 10th, 2026:
Our first morning we woke up in Mongolia in 2005, we went to Mille's Espresso for an American breakfast. Here we are in 2021, back at the same place:
In November of 2005, the US President George Bush visited Mongolia. His official visit was hosted by Mongolian President Enkhbayar. That former president of Mongolia was sitting in the corner table at Millie's restaurant when we walked in Thursday morning. It was a pleasure to meet him. He asked why were leaving and offered an apology for all the resistance. You can see his state visit with our country's president and many other interesting (and dated) facts about Mongolian in this cool video (created in about 2009 and shown in about 100 churches that we visited over the years - do you recognize it?)
Our two weeks in Mongolia in this perfectly timed trip, was hampered but not too badly by long gasoline rationing lines. Our friend and fellow C&MA missionary spent all night from 11:30 pm to 9:30 am to get his tank filled. Our friend Pastor Lxavga offered to drive us to Darhan in his 12 passenger van, which runs on diesel. Didn't hear why but diesel fuel was readily available as predicted. It was so nice not to have to drive, and be free to see and take pictures. (Found out later my Mongolian driver's license was expired anyway)
Our first Sunday, we worshipped in Ulaanbaatar at a Mongolian church in the morning, then together at our English speaking Cornerstone Church of All Nations:
We worshipped with a gathering of 3 Mongolian Alliance Churches in Darhan, and a group from the USA's "Joni and Friends" international ministry was also in attendance. It was so nice to be able to gather and say goodbye to the body of Christ, and farewell to friends. As the Lord leads, we will meet again, "Here, there, or in the Air".
"Love never fails!" (1 Corinthians 13:8)
To God be the glory! He knows the rest of the story! His 'Kingdom come' has no end!
Here's the whole photo journal of the journey from our Epistle email updates in case you missed those:
Security line in Cleveland a little easier with Johanna aged 21 instead of 2 months ;D
Over Canada and Alaska from New Jersey to Tokyo, a 14 hour flight, then 5 more to Ulaanbaatar!
Gas rationing lines, I was lucky to be only 4th in this one, waited 2 hours but only got 1/4 tank
Playing basketball with IMBA team and friends
The International Mongolian Basketball Academy continues!
Lydia and Maggie arrive during 2nd week
Lydia and Johanna looking through photo albums and homeschooling material
Lydia's 23rd birthday gift, much belatedly brought to her via Mongolia, not Indiana.
Walking out toward dinner on their arrival evening
Seoul Street was a location of lots of our date nights
Suxbaatar Square and Statue of Genghis Khan are in the background
Nice dinner at Silk Road Restaurant
Our Mongolian Language Teacher Enkhee (left) church and IMBA accountant Duya visit, give us gifts
Renee, Enkhee, and Jeremy studied Mongolian our whole first year together in 2005
Johanna (left) came with us to her classroom as an infant that whole first year 2005
IMBA Basketball team enjoys some Dodo's pizza and time together talking about dreams and life vision
Saying farewell to growing friends, most in high school or college, were in middle school when we left in 2023
Maggie treats her mom and sisters to Oriental Treasure restaurant's specialty, various dumplings!
Millie's Espresso, restaurant for American breakfast, our last morning in UB, also our first morning in 2005
Major Ulaanbaatar city tour attraction, National Monastery Museum
Heading north to Darhan, we stopped for a short horse roundup with Pastor Lxavga
Most gloriously warm part of summer, everything was so green and lush
(Diesel Hyundai Starex van on left) Allergies began to catch up with Josiah and Maggie at the "ranch rodeo"
In Darhan, with our friends Tim and Naiomi, who also served in Darhan with their 5 children
Staying in our old home apartment, it seemed a little smaller with our daughters now adults
North of Darhan at White Lake, we found a herd of Bactrian Camels!
Two humps are better than one! ;D
Wonderful windy day keeps the bugs and allergies at bay
Pastor Lxavga has rope, will travel
Baynaa and Renee, good friends for 20+ years
From youngest to oldest, left to right, Josiah, Clara, Johanna, Lydia, Maggie, Renee and Jeremy
Their cuteness draws Clara and the rest of the crowd into the corral
Maggie holds a horse (Josiah mounted) and camel
Walking the bridges between the parks between New Darhan and Old Darhan
Where's Waldo? There were so many new apartment complexes! Progress marches on.
Johanna and Lydia take a ride at Naadam, a kind of county fair with horse races, one hour north, close to the Russian border. Let's see if I can add a video here:
(doesn't appear to work yet, maybe we'll get it fixed soon)
Eating Huushuur, a fried salty meat-filled tortilla, a summer festival tradition, kind of like our American greasy fair food
With Dawaa, pastor, brother, great family friend (right) in Sukhbaatar, with church leader Tsoggie and her new husband Tugsuu
Josiah helps pour the Airag, fermented mare's milk
New Darhan apartment 4-4 building our kids grew up in
Grown up with pencil marks on their bedroom door, oldest to youngest on top
Maggie went to this public preschool when she turned four years old, now 24, she's a public school teacher in Illinois
Reception by church ladies on Sunday morning outside kids' childhood classroom on first floor
Upstairs getting ready for church service, last place for church, same as the first 21 years before
Worshipping with Mongolians in their language
Trying to say farewell, God is Love, is all we could say
Mongolian pastors pray for us, may more worshippers join us in eternity!
"When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun"
