Hobbit hills in Mongolia…UPDATE AND PICS

 

Here is an update on what has happened, where God has showed up, where we are, what we are doing, and where we are going! 

 

TRAVEL DAY

Travel days added up to about 44 hours total with many God moments thrown in. 

First we took off from Atlanta and headed to JFK airport where we had a 16 hour layover. Most of the squad spent the time in the city. I chose to stay behind with some of the team leaders and spend time resting, fundraising, spending some time getting to know the leaders, finishing the “Insanity of Obedience” book, and get some good quality Jesus time in while I could. Sitting in a chair overlooking Starbucks and JFK for 10ish hours wasn’t as bad as I thought. I also lost part of my tripod for vlogging…so duct tape is coming out soon so I can keep up! Also, totally took advantage of every chance I could find salt and vinegar chips…probably some of the food I will miss as well as kombucha. New food is always fun though!

 

my favorite chips…for realzzz

 

TURN AROUND

Then we hopped on the plane heading over the pole to Beijing, a 13 hour flight of uncomfortable muscles…thank you for yoga to stretch out! We flew passed Beijing, circled back north and headed to Shenjang because of bad weather. With about four hours of “layover time” in between when we should have landed in Beijing and takeoff for our last plane, we sat at Shenjang wondering what was going to happen as Shenjang was a good 8 hour bus ride to Beijing. After about an hour we took off from Shenjang and headed to Beijing just enough time to get through Beijing TSA, freshen up and then catch the last flight. God is good. 

We embraced an older bird which introduced itself with a load of turbulence almost the whole flight….already battling a headache from not drinking enough on flights, the queasiness decided to show up to for many of us. 

 

outside the Ulaanbatar airport

 

LUGGAGE?

We landed in Ulaanbaatar twoish hours later—these Asian airports are quite quiet and love their classical music. Five of our squamates lost luggage. Thankfully my two teammates that lost luggage had it found a day later. We haven’t heard from the other three squamates as they are on different teams in different places in Mongolia. Praise God though that my teammates have their bags!

 

STILL HAVE A STOMACHE..MAYBE

We and another team headed off to the same ministry host. I dozed off and on listening to the hustle of the city, horns and having the cool breeze from the open window on me. The hosts of the church graciously served a meal of bread pockets of meat—what my Russian friends called  poroski- and a salad of cucumbers, tomato, and romaine lettuce. I ate a little of the poroski…yup, gluten…something I need to work on is actually telling people my body can’t handle bread and milk well…especially when we are with hosts. 

After we left to another church, we experienced the winding roads, pot holes, cute two story houses and colorful roofs. We fit five of us into four seats..I’ve been taking turns sitting on the girls’ laps and embracing that feeling of…three, two, one…BUMP! 

After we got to our host house for a week I lost my stomach. From the traveling, turbulence, dehydration, hunger, and gluten…stomach wasn’t having it. I ate some rice…they bless us SO much with such good Mongolian food. In my rice I put my herbs in, took some vitamins, and drank down some DE. Stomach slowly stopped swaying thankfully. 

Some of the team left to get food in which the pastor’s wife helped get so that we all could cook Mongolian style-together. What a blessing! She is so hospitable.

 

 

VISA PREP

We spent our second day in Mongolia getting immigration papers since we are in Mongolia for 31 days, not 30. We got our Chinese visas printed out and ready to go to the office in the at 6:00AM in the morning since the embassy isn’t open but Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Yet they told us that we need to come back next Tuesday to get number tickets to get the visas on Wed/Thurs/Fri/ or Mon. Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape-a phrase I have been saying more and more often the last few months.

We are going to stay at this home probably until the end of next week. 

 

outside our girl’s room window at the pastor’s house–some of the hobbit hills

 

WHAT HE IS TEACHING US

First time actually having the team together and it is crazy. We are all still tired from traveling, but the grace and love that is brought into this team is so refreshing. We are learning to be flexible, pour into these believers as much as google translate allows us, and rest in Him. There are a fun group of teenage girls as well as the pastor’s three small children who bring so much joy and laughter. The teenage girls have given us Mongolian names. Mine is pronounced “Saurah” which means moon. The kids love playing with the rubber duck I have and the balloons that Hudson brought. 

Being a gluten/dairy free person is teaching me a lot of humility…still. It is so hard when people give and I can’t eat it, but they are so understanding and gracious. Jesus is doing a work. 

God is at this place. I can feel His presence, His joy, and His love. 

 

FUNDRAISING UPDATE FROM OHANA

-I am $1970 away from being completely funded. I have peace that He will provide all of this in His timing for He promised me He would!

-Caitie is currently $11,100 funded. Today she found a $500 gift in her account-huge blessing!

-Jo is at $10,000ish funded currently. God is faithful!

-Eric is at about $11,000 funded!

-Hudson is about $2000 away from being fully funded!

 

Thank you for your prayers and support! This is such an amazing experience to do life with fellow believers in other parts of the world!