Mongolian Update

Dear Friends,

Not sure how cold it is where you live, but wow has this winter been cold in Mongolia so far! The past two weeks the average temperature in the morning has been in the –30 C to –35 C range (-25 to –30 F)! Global warming seems to have forgotten Mongolia! We went to a prison yesterday about 130 klm outside of UB and I was cold the entire day! Ice like took on new meaning for my feet!

Just wanted to update you on the many things I had asked prayer for a few weeks back and some new things.

1.) Our staff relationships: Our female staff went on a retreat and the Lord worked in their lives. There is now a much greater sense of them being a real team, fighting a battle out there rather than amongst themselves. There are still lots of areas that need to grow and change, but I feel we turned a major corner. There is also a much clearer sense of where we see ourselves going as a project and a church.

2. ) Community Center: After meeting with our leaders and praying we really sense the way to tie the projects and the church together in a common vision is to find a building that would house both the church and our job creation work places. That way we can offer training classes to everyone together as a way of both reaching out to our Ladies and the Men but also to the broader community and to continue to help unemployed church members. We will offer our classes to everyone and mix everyone together. That has worked well in our church. Many in our church do not know that some of the ladies there or men are from backgrounds incredibly different from theirs. Everyone is just accepted as a believer. Please pray as another mission organization has found a building they are trying to buy and since we are really on the same page in terms of ministry heart, vision and goals they have offered to allow us to share the building. If they get this building we are seriously talking about working together. Our Mongolian church would use the big space in the morning and their church would meet in the afternoon. It is a 3 story building and would be perfect for what we are attempting to do.

3.) Nomin: She is in the Trauma Hospital and her body is progressing but this time it does not look like her wounds will be able to be closed. She may just have to deal with them as open wounds that are dressed daily. Please pray for her as we are really challenging her about her life and her future.

4.) Businesses: We have started a coal business. This was a stretch for us financially (buying a truck) but the Lord has helped us to start it. The business employs about 10 people and has been a lot of work but also a new source of income for some people who had no other source of income previously (our sellers at five locations for instance; the coal gets dropped of at their home in small bags, they sell it for what ever price they can get for it, then give us a pre agreed amount per bag.) Of course we have had truck break downs and all the kind of fun that comes with a new business start up. Please pray that God continues to bless this new business.

Please pray as we an opportunity to expand our wallet making/shoe business in the next month with someone in the US. That would be a great opportunity for those involved with us. We also have one former Lady who comes everyday to make jewelry. Please pray that we can develop a distinctly Mongolian set of jewelry for her to market.

5.) Oyuna and Erka: They moved out into their ger and are doing very well. And she will be getting married to a great guy this March who is a part of our church! It has been a long journey for her but it is a blessing to see where God has taken her from and where He is taking her to. Continue to pray that she grows in her relationship to Christ and that she can find a job that works with her needs to be a single Mom for the next four months.

6.) Ladies Christmas party: The party is this coming Monday. We decided to try a new location, a small Christian coffee café. Please pray for God’s blessing and touching of many hearts on Monday! We have a YWAM team joining us from Russia that will help us and will be working alongside of us for the next six weeks.

7.) Alcohol recovery shelter: This has been going well though not without it’s challenges! We are attempting to do something different. We have a shelter with about 12 men but it is not your typical live in program. We have some guideline and a schedule but we do not police the guys, nor do we have any staff living with them. They have to in a way police themselves. We come every day and share with them. We have a once a week Celebrate Recovery meeting with them and offer leather training, but otherwise they cook for themselves, pay the rent and are responsible to get food for themselves. Please pray for the guys to continue to open their hearts to God and His life changing power (the picture is of us on a mountain top a few weeks back outside of UB).

8.) Apartment: Some of you know I had found an apartment I really liked and wanted to buy. I was short on the money needed and God used some of you to help with that need. And now I have all the money I need but did not have it in time and so lost the apartment. But I am thankful as now I have the money ready to buy as soon as I find another apartment. I will start looking again in the first of the year. Please pray that I can find one soon after the beginning of the year.

Thanks again for partnering with us. You guys by your giving and praying make what we are attempting here possible.

Continuing in His radical grace,

John