About 10 miles north of town the other day, we had to stop to let this herd of camels cross in front of us. They were headed toward White Lake, so named because of the salt flats on its shores. 
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Brown Herd on White Lake
About 10 miles north of town the other day, we had to stop to let this herd of camels cross in front of us. They were headed toward White Lake, so named because of the salt flats on its shores.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Alliance Women Horse-Cart Ride
Ladies from churches all over America visited Mongolia this week. On Sunday they worshipped in 5 churches within a 150 mile radius. Here they are on Saturday taking a leasurely, if not luxurious, ride on the main road of Darhan.
New Words and Animal Noises
Johanna is picking up new words and phrases all the time. She knows "rice, water, eyes, mouth" and has become quite a nose honker, doesn't matter whose nose: "beep, beep".She learns probably two English words to one Mongolian word. Though she's not above using animal language either. Here she's giving her impression of a baby bird, saying cheev, jeev - which is Mongolian for "cheep, cheep."
Our New Teacher
Boya showed up at an Alliance Women Rally on Saturday. She's only been our teacher a couple weeks or less. And she's really appreciated explaining Mongolian scripture to us. Said she'd never read the Bible before, and never even seen one. Renee shared her faith story with her this week. And we have really come to appreciate her style of teaching.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
The Romance of Life at Home and Abroad
There are moments when it sinks in that we actually live in Mongolia. This week on my way home I walked through the town square. Located high on a hill, you can see the whole town and surrounding countryside for miles. It occurred to me the privilege we have of living in a far away land, learning an exotic language and living among a people rich in culture, history and hospitality. Did you ever think of living abroad, perhaps imagining yourself the American in Paris, on a cobblestone street, contributing to their society and being the object of their children's attention?
In many ways our life is like this. Americans appear to be some of the most adored foreigners in Mongolia. It's strange to live in a land where strangers don't speak to one another, but speak to us all the time, (many times in our language) smiling at our kids, trying to get their kids to talk to ours. The attention is nice most of the time. It's what I imagine being a celebrity would be like. I was just thinking that not everyone gets to experience this and it's something special.
But this kind of romance wears off eventually. When it does, I have to again remember our purpose here. It is bigger than being a curiosity, or being curious about these people, their country or culture. Our purpose is to bring glory to Christ helping his church to change lives all over this part of the world until He comes again. As lofty as that may sound, there is only one step before us now, one Holy Order to carry out: Learn the Language.
As often as we crave for something more helpful, more meaningful, more glorious to do, the same work order comes back to us: Learn the Language.
How do we do that? By studying, yes. But moreover by living here, working, playing, shopping, cleaning, cooking, talking, complaining, suffering, thinking, dreaming...in Mongolian. When you break it down into these ordinary daily activities, Life abroad doesn't seem so romantic.
Life in Mongolia is still just life. But when we remember why we're living abroad, purpose to all the little things returns and the weariness of studying in this stage of life is relieved.
So what's your purpose? Is it to love and train people for a life of purpose, and life that matters? Maybe it is to shepherd a people - at work, church, or at home to their highest and best potential. Is it your purpose to bring glory to Christ? Maybe your purpose involves a simple but wearying task. It could be as simple as reaching out again in faith to a loved one or friend, or letting one go by that same faith. The Romance of Life is about putting forth your full effort and resting in God's ability. For us the path to our potential passes through our task for the remaining year: Learn this language!
Is there a seemingly insurmountable task in your life you need to face with faith and proceed toward fulfilling your purpose? I think there's a clearer longer look at a Life of Glory and Romance ahead for all of us. Our way may pass through a difficult thicket or bog, but it nevertheless is passable with our faith fixed on Christ and his purpose for us in eternity.
In many ways our life is like this. Americans appear to be some of the most adored foreigners in Mongolia. It's strange to live in a land where strangers don't speak to one another, but speak to us all the time, (many times in our language) smiling at our kids, trying to get their kids to talk to ours. The attention is nice most of the time. It's what I imagine being a celebrity would be like. I was just thinking that not everyone gets to experience this and it's something special.
But this kind of romance wears off eventually. When it does, I have to again remember our purpose here. It is bigger than being a curiosity, or being curious about these people, their country or culture. Our purpose is to bring glory to Christ helping his church to change lives all over this part of the world until He comes again. As lofty as that may sound, there is only one step before us now, one Holy Order to carry out: Learn the Language.
As often as we crave for something more helpful, more meaningful, more glorious to do, the same work order comes back to us: Learn the Language.
How do we do that? By studying, yes. But moreover by living here, working, playing, shopping, cleaning, cooking, talking, complaining, suffering, thinking, dreaming...in Mongolian. When you break it down into these ordinary daily activities, Life abroad doesn't seem so romantic.
Life in Mongolia is still just life. But when we remember why we're living abroad, purpose to all the little things returns and the weariness of studying in this stage of life is relieved.
So what's your purpose? Is it to love and train people for a life of purpose, and life that matters? Maybe it is to shepherd a people - at work, church, or at home to their highest and best potential. Is it your purpose to bring glory to Christ? Maybe your purpose involves a simple but wearying task. It could be as simple as reaching out again in faith to a loved one or friend, or letting one go by that same faith. The Romance of Life is about putting forth your full effort and resting in God's ability. For us the path to our potential passes through our task for the remaining year: Learn this language!
Is there a seemingly insurmountable task in your life you need to face with faith and proceed toward fulfilling your purpose? I think there's a clearer longer look at a Life of Glory and Romance ahead for all of us. Our way may pass through a difficult thicket or bog, but it nevertheless is passable with our faith fixed on Christ and his purpose for us in eternity.
Celebrating the Little Things - Dirty Diaper
Having a child sick with vomit and diarrhea this week, the sight of a solid diaper this weekend brought an unusual surge of thankfulness at something usally not all that pleasant. You may think this a funny thing to celebrate, but you may be grateful this isn't a photo journal entry ;)
It reminded me of the blessing of good health. When I look at Johanna bright and alert, with a good appetite, and gaining her wieght back, I see the power of prayer, and God's care for us.
It also reminds me that God can be praised for the most common and unexciting of things. Thank you for your care and prayers for us and for our health. And remember to be thankful for yours.
Proverbs 15:30
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
It reminded me of the blessing of good health. When I look at Johanna bright and alert, with a good appetite, and gaining her wieght back, I see the power of prayer, and God's care for us.
It also reminds me that God can be praised for the most common and unexciting of things. Thank you for your care and prayers for us and for our health. And remember to be thankful for yours.
Proverbs 15:30
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Countryside Portrait
On a trip to the countryside in August, we visited this family. They treated us to fresh bread and homegrown cucumbers, and took us on a tour of the surrounding area. Johanna didn't make the trip. She had another appointment.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Harvest Colors Us Glad
When the sight of foods make you reach for your camera, you may be a little desparate. We're really not. We can find canned corn almost always. But there's nothing like eating corn fresh from the cob. This stuff was grown by local people who are learning about corn from friends of ours who are Peace Corps Volunteers. This picture was taken just before we sat down to dinner and found out that about half of these ears of corn were actually Feild Corn...not Sweet Corn! I guess the quality of seeds at this distance is a little hard to verify. It is still good to see and eat beautiful produce from the One who gives sunlight, water and everything else.
A Car Story - "POOF!" Goes the Tire
Thank God we got a car! It's a Toyota Prado, which is a scaled down version of a Landcruiser that they sell in Japan. Ours was directly imported from there. It's a 1996 4-wheel drive, has a medium-strong engine with decent gas-mileage, and seats 8 people. It's a good fit for us.
It’s great to be mobile again. It’s nice to know that life without a car is possible, but it’s even nicer to be free to drive anywhere we need! Sincere thanks to God, and all His people who gave so we could have experiences like this one:
A few weeks ago the car was filled with people on a 90 km trip. We arrived at a town that has no church and really wants one. The people received us and took us for a tour around the valley. Standing on a nearby hill, we could see its great beauty. On one side was the meandering river, with good sized fish visible from the bridge. On the other side yesteryear’s combines were harvesting golden grain on a mid-September afternoon.
We drove through those fields and over 10 kilometers of dirt roads and back to the home of the man acting as tour guide. We went in and ate a meal his wife had prepared. We said goodbyes and thank you, walked out the gate of the yard, grabbed the keys, and glanced down to see a flat left front tire. Thank God we had a spare! But then to change a tire, you need tools. And we didn’t have the right ones. Some theft-resistant lug nut wouldn't let us get the wheel off!
That was 6pm exactly. Out came the Mongolian men carrying axes, and other metal implements in various shapes and sizes; all instruments of assistance, I hoped.
At 9pm the car hasn’t moved, but the sun has. The sky that was bright red a few minutes before is now lit only by a massive display of stars. Bright as they were, they couldn't light the work going on in the dark next to our car. The blown tire is finally off the car now. The new problem is that the spare won’t go on the hub, wrong bolt pattern.
Out come the men with the ax and metal instruments, this time adding a tiny keychain flashlight to their set of tools. By this tiny light, they break the good tire off the spare rim, break the bad tire off its rim, and put the good tire on the original rim. I’ve never seen car tires put on or off rims by hand before. But this quiet dark night, in the countryside, I saw it three times!
Now air is needed to fill the good tire on right rim. Where do you get air when the one gas station in town is closed? You go to a truck driver’s house of course. Tripping over hidden obstacles on unlit dirt roads, we walked around the sounds of strange barking dogs, and wandered our way to the other side of town to the truck driver’s house.
He’s out of gas, and can’t bring his truck (which has a compressor) to fill up our tire with air. But curiously he gives us the last of his gasoline, about one cup of it. Why? The truck driver's friend drives up to show us how to use the gasoline to solve our dilemma. This guy lays the rim and tire on its side and pours the cup of gas on the sidewall so that it drips in between to rim and tire. Someone lights a match and POOF, the tire has air inside.
Though the tire is sealed with air in it, it’s turns out to be too little pressure. The guy who almost pulled off this pyrotechnic feat said there wasn’t enough gas. He came through in the end though, be giving us his spare rim and tire, which amazingly fit well enough. Because of the Mongolian method of taking the theft-proof lug nuts off, we only had 4 working bolts to secure this oversized tire. We couldn’t turn real sharp or go too fast, but we finally got moving just before midnight, and made it home just before 2am.
Was I ever glad Renee and the kids weren’t in on this trip! The whole experience seemed amusing pretty much all along to my traveling party. They came to see this town that is known among our church people as wanting a church but doesn’t have one. All of us got to see more of the town than any of us expected. They kept assuring me that this is how things are done in the countryside: Mongolian style. Now I see another reason why Mongolian people have such a “can-do” attitude. It’s a necessary attitude for survival.
My efforts to locate the right tools and or parts by phone were fruitless. And so the education about life in Mongolia continues…And I think in what seemed to be a comedy of mishaps, along with a memorable story, some key friendships were made for God’s purposes.
It was a screw in the sidewall that caused the blowout and made it all possible.
How we were able to purchase this car without completely raising its full purchase price of $13,300 is another story. Suffice to say, we still welcome contributions to this important tool.
And Thanks again to all who already gave!
Bergevin Vehicle Fund
Christian and Missionary Alliance
PO Box 35000
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500
It’s great to be mobile again. It’s nice to know that life without a car is possible, but it’s even nicer to be free to drive anywhere we need! Sincere thanks to God, and all His people who gave so we could have experiences like this one:
A few weeks ago the car was filled with people on a 90 km trip. We arrived at a town that has no church and really wants one. The people received us and took us for a tour around the valley. Standing on a nearby hill, we could see its great beauty. On one side was the meandering river, with good sized fish visible from the bridge. On the other side yesteryear’s combines were harvesting golden grain on a mid-September afternoon.
We drove through those fields and over 10 kilometers of dirt roads and back to the home of the man acting as tour guide. We went in and ate a meal his wife had prepared. We said goodbyes and thank you, walked out the gate of the yard, grabbed the keys, and glanced down to see a flat left front tire. Thank God we had a spare! But then to change a tire, you need tools. And we didn’t have the right ones. Some theft-resistant lug nut wouldn't let us get the wheel off!
That was 6pm exactly. Out came the Mongolian men carrying axes, and other metal implements in various shapes and sizes; all instruments of assistance, I hoped.
At 9pm the car hasn’t moved, but the sun has. The sky that was bright red a few minutes before is now lit only by a massive display of stars. Bright as they were, they couldn't light the work going on in the dark next to our car. The blown tire is finally off the car now. The new problem is that the spare won’t go on the hub, wrong bolt pattern.
Out come the men with the ax and metal instruments, this time adding a tiny keychain flashlight to their set of tools. By this tiny light, they break the good tire off the spare rim, break the bad tire off its rim, and put the good tire on the original rim. I’ve never seen car tires put on or off rims by hand before. But this quiet dark night, in the countryside, I saw it three times!
Now air is needed to fill the good tire on right rim. Where do you get air when the one gas station in town is closed? You go to a truck driver’s house of course. Tripping over hidden obstacles on unlit dirt roads, we walked around the sounds of strange barking dogs, and wandered our way to the other side of town to the truck driver’s house.
He’s out of gas, and can’t bring his truck (which has a compressor) to fill up our tire with air. But curiously he gives us the last of his gasoline, about one cup of it. Why? The truck driver's friend drives up to show us how to use the gasoline to solve our dilemma. This guy lays the rim and tire on its side and pours the cup of gas on the sidewall so that it drips in between to rim and tire. Someone lights a match and POOF, the tire has air inside.
Though the tire is sealed with air in it, it’s turns out to be too little pressure. The guy who almost pulled off this pyrotechnic feat said there wasn’t enough gas. He came through in the end though, be giving us his spare rim and tire, which amazingly fit well enough. Because of the Mongolian method of taking the theft-proof lug nuts off, we only had 4 working bolts to secure this oversized tire. We couldn’t turn real sharp or go too fast, but we finally got moving just before midnight, and made it home just before 2am.
Was I ever glad Renee and the kids weren’t in on this trip! The whole experience seemed amusing pretty much all along to my traveling party. They came to see this town that is known among our church people as wanting a church but doesn’t have one. All of us got to see more of the town than any of us expected. They kept assuring me that this is how things are done in the countryside: Mongolian style. Now I see another reason why Mongolian people have such a “can-do” attitude. It’s a necessary attitude for survival.
My efforts to locate the right tools and or parts by phone were fruitless. And so the education about life in Mongolia continues…And I think in what seemed to be a comedy of mishaps, along with a memorable story, some key friendships were made for God’s purposes.
It was a screw in the sidewall that caused the blowout and made it all possible.
How we were able to purchase this car without completely raising its full purchase price of $13,300 is another story. Suffice to say, we still welcome contributions to this important tool.
And Thanks again to all who already gave!
Bergevin Vehicle Fund
Christian and Missionary Alliance
PO Box 35000
Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
River Baptism
Our chruch had service at the river on this Sunday in August. The congregation sang hymns while people waded into the water to be baptized. The river runs right along the village area of town. A bridge crosses the river just upstream. This really was a public testimony of comitting to follow Christ. I heard 16 people were baptized this sunny, but none too hot of day. All were fully immersed, and the water WAS cold! Try that for comittment! Just like natural birth is not easy, the symbol for spiritual birth in this case was not overly easy either.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Mutton Bustin'
For those who haven't heard of this Rodeo event, Johanna is here demonstrating the general idea. Mutton is the meat of choice for Mongolians. Our taste may yet prefer the junior rodeo event over the mealtime thrill.
Last Joy Ride of Summer
This Children's Park in Ulanbaatar is stocked with rides. We had the run of the place this overcast day in September. Tourists are clearing out, and people of going back to school. A fun time was had by these five kids, and the two big ones who were along with them.
First Day of School - That's Their's Behind Them
Maggie and Lydia join their parents' first day back to school. All over Mongolia September first is the official opening of the school year. This was Lydia's first time ever to go to "kindergarten". We would consider it pre-school. Kids are in the same class for as many as three years before they're ready for first grade at age 7. Lydia was excited to go as the photo shows. But reality set in a while later, when she found herself in a class full of people who spoke only Mongolian. Thankfully she speaks and understands, but looked ready to go when we came to pick her up.Renee and Jer are thankful to have the same teacher as last year (never a guarantee) and a morning study schedule. That frees us up to do afternoon language practical experience. Thank God!
Johanna is starting this new year with a new Home Teacher, basically a babysitter who speaks Mongolian. The lady is a friend of the family and we hope Johanna is happy with her while we're away at school. In the long run, she may gain as much as us in language proficiency from this arrangement.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Wild (about ) Rhubarb Pie
It's the little things, like a s'mores around the campfire, or pies like this when you get home from camping, that make you remember your nationality identity.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Ladies in Wilderness
Here's a scene from our recent camping trip. Nights are already pretty cold in late August. Our campsite by this river was about 3000 feet.
Roping the Woodpile
Camping requires firewood. On our camping trip, there were four men, including these two Mongolian brothers, to help gather and stack it up. For some diversion, they try their hand at roping the makeshift "steer horns" in the foreground.Mongolians have a tradition of roping, but mostly they use them on horses, not cows.
Roadside Rhubarb
Here's Renee picking rhubarb that grew along the road. We were on our way back from camping and someone spotted it. Not having a garden of our own, being apartment dwellers, this is the next best thing. Maybe even better. Mongolian pie anyone?
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Mongolian Wedding
Today we were invited to witness a Mongolian wedding. The bride and groom here are about to enter their brand new Ger! Just afterward, the new bride lit the fire in the shiny black stove. Fire is symbolic for health, hospitality, and is close to the Mongolian heart. Treats were passed around to all the seated guests. Then the drinks came. First hot milk tea. Then fermented horse milk. Then a kind of clear alcohol drink made by fermenting milk and distilling it. Then the plain old bottled vodka.
Gifts and singing came next. Not sure how long the party goes, but it started at 1pm on a Tuesday. Cheers to the new bride and groom!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Maggie Rides the Tallest Mongolian Horse We've Yet Seen
We took a short trip to the countryside today with some friends. They directed us on dirt roads about 30 miles from Darhan to this place. The family we visited had a tractor, jeep, 8x10 building, and a small Mongolian Ger with a tall TV antenna alongside a solar panel. But they're real wealth was the herd of horses that stood in the nearby river. We rode through a sea of Mosquitoes to get a close look at about 40 head, none near as tall as this one.Inside they're Ger we drank horse milk while a cheezy Korean soap opera with Mongolian translation hummed on the TV.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The Ultimate S'more Experience
Imported chocolate and graham crackers were delicacies, but the marshmallows we roasted really rounded into SEVERAL succulent S'mores. It's the little things you miss, and snap up when you see them again.
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