Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

This has been a big year for us as we've seen God blessings in many ways. The highlight for this year was, of course, our wedding in July. We have been enjoying our first year of marriage, learning more about each other and are excited about the opportunities God is giving us for the year 2013.

We've spent the last five months in Mongolia, and are excited about how the church is growing and maturing (Christianity is only 20 years old). Manasa had the opportunity to do some teachings on how to teach and study the Bible, as well as some preaching opportunities. We feel God growing our hearts for mercy ministries as we regularly faced the homeless, broken beautiful people of Mongolia. We look forward to seeing where God takes and uses that heart. Being from a strong shamanism and Buddhist background, more people came to experience genuine love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and a willingness to lay down their life and follow Him. Many Mongolians took the challenge and answered the called of God to further the Gospel to their own people and also to the nations such as Afghanistan, China –Inner Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia – Buriat Mongol, and a heart to reach North Korea.

In October, Alissa faced some health issues, possibly liver inflammation and gall bladder issues. After much prayer, we felt God start to close ministry doors in Mongolia and guide us to take a 3 month break to return to the USA for medical care, preparation for this next season of ministry and family fellowship. This is Manasa's first time to the USA, so we look forward to traveling a bit and being able to support our friends and family. Alissa is currently taking some medical tests and expect the results to lead to full healing to be able to get back to ministry. We are praying about the many upcoming opportunities and would appreciate your prayer support during the next few months. We are also looking to increase our support base. While in Mongolia, we realized that we are able to meet our personal needs (rent food) however we would love to be able to have some finances available to pour into the ministries also (food/blankets for homeless, books/handouts for evangelism etc).
We can't say enough how important it is for us to connect and appreciate our supporters. There are still a lot of people living in darkness and we can unite to reach them, each using the gifts and blessings we've been given. What a great privilege to be used by God as an instrument of proclaiming God’s love through His Son Jesus Christ to the lost and dying soul on the mission field and in our own backyard. Our prayers are that God will continue to bless each of you, and that many people, nations and tribes will be blessed through your faith, love, prayer and generous support.

We wish you and your family a blessed Christmas season~

Email us at : knomads@excite.com or skillet25@gmail.com

Ulziimaa's Testimony at Times Square Church

New language

Learning a new language isn't easy...when you are over (cough cough) 30.... So we have greatly appreciated our Mongolia teachers who teach with a sense of humor, and using lots of practical everyday terms. Even learning an alphabet that uses different sounds (example the r sounds like a 'g') and new symbols (there is one that looks like a tent that is the "d" sound....) doesn't come easy so having a professional teacher is important! Here is a picture with our teacher Tuya (Tuya Bagsh) at a Korean restaurant ~

The broken...the homeless

As Manasa and I continue to pray about how to serve the people here in Mongolia, our hearts and more and more stirred for the homeless population. Because the winters get so cold here, there are often hungry, frost bitten (and sometimes passed out drunk) men and women (sometimes children) finding their warmth in apartment corridors, or even underground (as picture shows). Just the other night Manasa passed by a man who was in the drainage pipe, passed out. He was worried enough that he later went back out to see if this man was okay (he was already gone by that time). This youtube video was taken by an organization in the main capital city, we have not yet heard of a homeless shelter in our town. We do know a church that provides a meal once a week...we hope to be a part of increasing the resources for those who are poor, or without a home. Feel free to check out this link.....

"Being homeless in Mongolia"
http://youtu.be/PXqON2dDnd0

Back to schoooooool

Taking classes to learn Mongolian isn't easy. I am however thankful for such patient and supportive teachers as we've found at our Mongolian language school. I am now starting to learn common phrases and the brain feels so tired after a three hour class. I attend class Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Manasa is more advanced so he attends just two times a week, Tuesday and Thursday. The positive of having one on one time with a teacher is being able to review the 'hard' parts and practice practice practice. Our last session included asking and responding to family member's names (what is your husband's name, what is your sister's name), as well as asking "will you go _____?" , do you want to eat ____?, do you want to drink ____? and do you speak (and study) followed by the different languages. Sometimes the question is easy but forming the answer isn't hahaha. Looking forward to continuing to learn phrases and words that I often hear amongst my friends.

Reading ~

We are always on the lookout for new and truthful ways of introducing people to the story of Jesus. When all you've heard about it is either from word of mouth or a small four minute clip on television, you don't really get the joy of understanding the full story and the power of who God is. This last weekend a friend showed us this Mongolian comic book that they are using and we were so excited!  Looking forward to sharing the Jesus story in a new way!

Put this up on facebook earlier and thought Id share

 

Highlights from my day so far
Me: "I feel like a stuffed potato"
island husband: "gooooood"

Went to school only to find door locked, called teacher and apparently it's Chinggis Khan's birthday so NO SCHOOL!

On way home from school
husband: "im going to watch a movie when i get home"
me: "oh I thought of maybe exercising"
husband : *pause* "we are not on the same page"

Fun day!

Birthday of Genghis Khan

Today is Genghis Khan's birthday. I did not know this until Manasa and I arrived at my school for Mongolia classes and the door was locked. After calling the teacher we found out it was a national holiday to celebrate this respected leader's birthday. When we got in the taxi, we decided to stop at the store on the way home, and the taxi driver was saying how Mongolians are crazy because they celebrate this birthday today even though no one knows for sure what date is Genghis Khan's day of birth. He described that it's a day when families get together. When we got home we turned on the television to hear the very wise President ( Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj) of Mongolia discuss Genghis Khan's victories but more importantly used it to promote decisions to unify and strengthen the country today.  Genghis Khan was known as a warrior, fearless and smart. He was only 20 when he began building a large army and started destroying the armies of the rest of Asia. He was successful – the Mongol Empire was the largest empire in the world before the British Empire.

The words  "Genghis Khan," mean "universal ruler". All this rich history makes me think of the lineage of Christ. Ask any Mongolian to tell you some stories about this warrior (also known as Chingis Khan or Jingis) and they will be able to tell you folklore stories, historical facts, maybe something about a family member or the town where he was born. I asked myself what would I say about my 'Lord', and ruler- Jesus Christ. Would I be able to tell you stories of His victories, great speeches and legacy? More importantly would I be bold enough to share what He is doing in my life today? Good challenges and thoughts on a day where Ive been blessed learning more about the culture I live in, and also thankful for the 'leader' that I will always follow ~
*Me in front of Genghis Khan's monument in Sükhbaatar Square, UlaanBaatar Mongolia

Highs and Lows

I found this table interesting, found at World Weather website (for Mongolia).... ah something to look forward to...

Climatological Information

Month Mean Temperature oC Mean Total Precipitation (mm) Mean Number of Precipitation Days Daily Minimum Daily Maximum Jan -30.8 -16.4 4.3 6 Feb -26.5 -9.6 2.8 5 Mar -14.5 1.1 3.2 4 Apr -4.8 12.1 8.9 6 May 2.4 20.4 19.9 8 Jun 8.8 24.6 57.0 14 Jul 12.6 26.0 86.6 16 Aug 10.5 24.1 82.0 14 Sep 2.5 17.8 40.8 10 Oct -5.8 9.6 14.4 7 Nov -17.4 -3.3 5.6 7 Dec -25.8 -12.2 5.2 8

Let it snow , let it snow....

We were met with a delightful snow today. Delightful only because I could stay in my warm house today while Manasa ventured out to attend Mongolian class. I watched as people slipped a bit then noticed a man sitting on the ground. A few passerbys helped him up and I realized he was drunk (not unusual for this area). As I watched him stumble and slip I thought about how this moment, possibly entertaining and funny, only made my heart hurt. I wondered how far away he lived. When he got home would there be someone there to take care of him? Did he have heat? If he has coal burning stove, is he too impaired to know how to warm it? I prayed for all those who are cold, sick , or like this man struggling with substances. God can keep them warm and safe and ultimately reveal Himself in a personalized way. For now Ill enjoy my warm apartment, venturing out tomorrow in my new (second hand) coat bought yesterday and thank God for His provisions.

Faith Hope and Love

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love (2 Corinthians 13:13)

Taken from Stuart Briscoe's book "Living Love God's Way"

Something that becomes evident without much meditation is that these three qualities- faith, hope and love- go together. You can't pick and choose among them. The Bible draws a picture of these three graces as inextricably related and bound up in each other.

Faith is at the root of human experience. When you have faith in a valid object of faith, it produces hope. Hope becomes a branch that grows out of the root of faith. When you become a person of faith and hope, you develop a faith and hope in other people and in God, and that leads you to love God and love people. Love is the ultimate fruit.

Of these three superb Christian graces-absolutly interrelated, absolutely indispensable- love is still the greatest. We don't need to diminish faith or diminish hope in order to glorify love. Instead, we need to upgrade both faith and hope; and that allows love to flourish. Without hope, we become pessimistic and lethargic. Why do anything, since everything is such a mess anyway? That certainly isn't conducive to love. And faith is the ability to see what God sees- the divine potential He's planted in people. Faith keeps us from giving up on one another. Faith sees ahead, and love energizes growth toward that vision. Without faith, we could be sentimental and wish that things might work out, cry over another person's struggles, without the confidence that the struggles won't have the last word.

And what do we have if love is missing? Love is our ability to act in such a way that we build up others and ourselves. Love is action that springs from the very goodness and holiness of God. Love is what makes is all happen. That's why its the greatest of the three. Love is actually God's very character translated into something tangible for us to know.

Manasa took a long walk yesterday to his Mongolian class and took some pictures along the way, thought I'd share a few.

Chocolate Cravings

It is 3pm and as I wander around the kitchen looking for a quick snack I realize I already know where I am headed....to the chocolate. Now to some that may not be so bad...but for me I am to avoid chocolate. I pick up the chocolate cake neatly packaged and after I eat it I begin to think...I KNOW that eating this is not healthy for me. Problems with the gallbladder means I am to avoid chocolate AND processed food, both found in the chocolate cake now in my belly.

And it reminds me of the verses in Romans 7 where Paul talks about doing what he does NOT want to do, and not having the will to do what he knows he should do. Its true...I do NOT want the chocolate cake, yet it's now what I crave. Keep in mind that Manasa and I do not typically buy sweets for two reasons: one health wise but the major reason is the tight budget we are on. We may only have thirty dollars for food to last us two weeks so our priority goes to vegetables, meat, milk and bread. However we were given a nice care package when I was sick including yogurt and fruits (now gone) but the chocolate cakes stayed in the back for a while. I am feeling better this week and just thought I'd try ONE....little did I know that now every time the stomach growls, its that ONE that I crave (not the yogurt, not the fruits, not the leftover vegetable salad).

That too reminds me of the power of sin...compromising once with the false notion that we have the will power in ourselves to not choose that option again. I'm hit with gratitude that Jesus left us with the power of the Holy Spirit yet saying "thank you" doesn't seem to be enough. Because as Paul says, by my sinful self I am not able to overcome my flesh, but only by power graciously shared with me by my God in heaven, who knows me better than I know myself. I know the chocolate cake will soon be gone...especially as I encourage my husband to finish them. Most likely my refrigerator or pantry will continue to be empty of sugary processed foods but the point is that EVEN IF they were full, the Holy Spirit can grant me the power to resist the temptation...because my own knowledge of it's negative effects is not enough :)

PS I'm in NO way passing judgement on people's eating habits; food is meant to be enjoyed...including chocolate in moderation ~

CHURCH

Missionary moment- staying up past midnight to have 'church' through an online live stream of Times Square Church. They have amazing worship and we appreciate the sermons that are biblical, educational, and always with a heart of compassion for the broken. We may not be able to go to a local church (there is only an english service once a month) to be filled but God provides other ways so we can in turn pour out into the local Mongolian churches.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Welcome Lyvia and Sofie

Today marks an important event - the birth of my twin nieces, Lyvia and Sofie.  How blessed our family is! The birth went well and big sister is being cared for by grandma as everyone prepares for the blessings to arrive home. It reminds me of the verse in Genesis:

Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground." My sister didn't expect twins to run in our family, but God knew how much 'multiplying' He wanted to be done. In my opinion, there is no greater call in life than parenthood- increasing the Kingdom of God through discipling your own children. I won't get to meet the twins right away but am blessed to still be a part of the process, knowing my family is thinking of me and of course my prayers and praises being raised up across the ocean.  Looking forward to seeing if skype will work as the wonders of Internet being available in the hospitals in the USA is to my benefit! Praising God for health and His marvelous design of creation ~

Who are 'the least of these' ?

Henri Nouwen wrote "Compassion is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is not reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull. On the contrary compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there" 

Two nights ago we heard a man snoring outside our apartment door. Typically we have an outside door that remains locked but this night it must have been left open and this older homeless man made his way inside to get out of the wind. Our hearts broke and as my husband wandered around the house brainstorming what we could give this man, I was thinking of our 'extras'....Maybe we didn't have a blanket to spare but we had an extra thick curtain that can offer warmth. I grabbed a small pillow from the couch but Manasa pulled out a bag with two extra full length pillows. He went out and offered the pillow and 'blanket' to the man who was grateful (and he returned them in the morning). As we went to bed we were still brainstorming how much more we could do. 

And I was convicted.... convicted because my heart still struggles with full abandon to 'giving'. I automatically think of my needs first, my survival....THEN sharing what I have with others. My heart is still full of compassion but my flesh still sneaks in. I lay there asking myself "Why didn't I take the blanket off my bed? My apartment is plenty warm without it. Why didn't I offer one of my two pillows that I sleep with?" And I turned to confess to my husband and to God and still battle that dilemma-- how do I take the next plunge. Yes I am 'giving'....but how much sacrificing will I do.   


The next day we discussed some ideas for the return of this old man, wanting to build relationship with him. We threw out ideas of offering a hot shower, doing his laundry with some extra clothes on hand, perhaps making him a warm breakfast.  We realize opening our home to one man may lead to many other curious bypassers stopping by....but I cannot limit my love based on who might take advantage of me, or how it might overwhelm me. That's in God's hands. The old man has not yet returned the past few nights. His pillow and 'blanket' remain in the closet by the front door just in case.... and my heart is now more prepared....to give abundantly, not out of my 'extras' but instead out of my 'best'... Another lesson in the process of being learned :)

Healing

The past few weeks have been focused on health and rest as I have still been struggling with some infection. After getting a fever (chills,sweats, body aches) I returned to the doctor in the capitol city and she confirmed that there was still an infection. I began some medications but had to wait a few days for final test results. She recommended being admitted to the hospital in my home town so they can administer IV antibiotics and shots numerous times a day. The hospital room was private, much to my relief and Manasa was able to stay overnight with me. They provided food three times a day, typically Mongolian stew, so Manasa brought food from home. I have to admit that the mind takes a battle when it comes to not feeling well and one night I was overwhelmed with frustrations (the medical care being less than my expectation - skipping medications, not taking any vitals, cleanliness standards etc) and began asking the dreaded questions "What am I doing here?". I think any missionary can appreciate that more than once your tasks, responsibilities, or uncontrollable situations will leave you sitting at Jesus feet, again asking for His word as to why you are called to such a challenging position. Looking out my window at the natives going about their daily routines, I was reminded that I may not be called to lead a conference or initiate a revival but I was called to love. And that Love I can do...even when frustrated, sick, wishing for hot water etc...I can still love. I am now home in my comfortable apartment and can't say enough about how my husband has provided and taken care of me. We are still keeping on eye on my health, knowing in the back of our minds that an earlier trip to the USA might be in order. I have one set of pills to finish this week. I know my fever is gone (and assuming the infection also) but am still not feeling myself. I've attached a picture Manasa took at the hospital (even though I wasn't a big fan of his photography at the time).... Always reminded that God is the ultimate Healer and we are only deceived into thinking we have control with our medications, testings and medical knowledge. Yes, He uses those things for His good but we are always dependant on the One who made us.  A big thank you for those who have been praying during this time!

Home sweet home , move number TWO

....so after consulting with our Mongolian teacher she recommended we move again, to an apartment we had looked at previously, a bit further. The owners are subleasing the apartment to raise money for an upcoming wedding. After moving in we realized they left some of their furniture so it makes for a tight squeeze but we are not complaining. They are apparently working on the hot water pipe for the building so bucket showers have been my friend. We are thankful for a working toilet and you can imagine how happy I am to get the kitchen up and running and a fridge with food in it again (after going with no electricity). Our neighborhood is by a major market so we do not have to walk far to catch a taxi. On our way there we pass by an opening in the ground leading to the hot water pipes, where a couple homeless people live. We are still working on unpacking boxes, connecting internet etc but feel much more settled, again glad for the support of the YWAM boys. I am especially thankful for my Manasa. We found out a 130pm on Thursday that we were going to move, the house was ready again by 4pm and the boys had us moved in by 730pm. We then woke up early the next morning to head to the capital city, Ulaanbaator , to check in with a Korean doctor (a three hour road trip). Attached are a few more moving pictures.... whew

MOVING day number ONE

So with our adventures in moving.... we have been staying with missionary from Brazil, Ivania, in her studio apartment (yes three people sleeping in one room!) and have been grateful for her accommodation. Finally moved in on Sunday during a dust storm! I stayed home after just having kidney pain, and some of the young men from YWAM helped Manasa to move his things into the new apartment. When we returned the next day there was no electricity, but we didn't mind and enjoyed the candlelight dinners and worship time with guitar at night (nothing else to do!). However we received news from our landlord three days later that she was increasing the pay by fifty dollars a month and asking for the year's worth in rent (we chose this apartment because we live on monthly donations and would not be able to have that amount of money in one time). We decided to not unpack everything as we waited to hear back from her..... (more in next post)

Gallbladder too?

So after my symptoms seemed to continue I took a trip to the capital city to see a Korean doctor, who spoke English. She was helpful and information, showing me the high white blood cells, glucose etc She also took a look at the ultrasound and said not only was kidney inflammation but also the gallbladder is bend, or curved. It could have been showing symptoms for a while. A new test showed the infection was gone but continued a round of medicine for a week and also added medicine for gallbladder. I am feeling quite better, with a few changes in diet (no coffee, chocolate, fatty/fried food and limit eggs) The hardest is to limit the eggs, as I am a big fan of that type of protein and finding lean meats here is difficult. So I'm thankful for all the healing prayers, and am on the mend. I'm expecting to check in with American doctors if/when I am in the USA again for visit. Attached is a picture of me 'recuperating' after a painful weekend.

New friends

  A group of us got together to wish our Brazilian friend, Ivania, a farewell as she ventures off to another part of Mongolia. It was quite the international night, having made friends through Mongolian classes, the neighborhood etc. I giggled as I watched the Filipino and Australian chat in Tagalog, while the Brazilian and Korean laughed through a mixture of Mongolian and charades and the American practiced her Chinese from Chinese classes with a lady from China. What fun! Essentially, the human heart is to connect and communicate- even if it takes work, concentration and trial-and-error. Hopeful to get together with these ladies again soon!

KIDNEY stones?

Wednesday night I woke up with sharp pain in my side and back. After numerous trips to the bathroom and tossing and turning I realized this wasn't a pain I had experienced before, not digestive, not ovaries etc.. I woke my husband up and he prayed for me in Fijian then went back to sleep. By 6am I was hit with nausea and asked to be taken to the hospital. That began by adventure with the medical system and my American assumptions as to how it should work. By seven we had stopped at three different doors on the hospital only to be asked to come back at 830. We went to another more private clinic a 830 to get bloodwork and urine test done only to find out results would not be available until 2 pm. Concern for appendicitis led our teacher to take us to another private doctor in old darhan where i was able to quickly get an ultrasound. That doctor said I was okay but my kidney was large. The doctor poked and prodded and agreed it must be the kidney and said to wait until the test results. Finally getting the results back and a trip back to the doctor came the vague diagnosis of ~bad kidneys~and an emphasis that it was from the cold and to stay warm in Mongolia. Of course with translation I just clarified that they were putting me on an antibiotic. In a world where a typical American has a good basis of how the body system works, viral vs bacterial infections, blood counts etc it was difficult for me to be confident in my diagnosis. But i remember who the Ultimate Doctor is, and that is my God who knows my ins and outs much better than I. I believe it is kidney infection or stones and have begun the antibiotics (by pills since my eyes got big when i saw the size of the needles and the process for mixing the medicine in vials before it goes into the needle, which my kind husband would have to give me every 8 hours!). If things have not improved greatly in the next two days we will take a trip to the capital city where they have more choices including a Korean hospital and an International hospital. At the moment I am not feeling the sharp pains very often, just a dull pain and was able to sleep. Thanking God already for His healing and believe the prayer support around the world is the source of that healing process ...

Not unusual

Walked into the toilet marked with the woman with the skirt to find a buddhist monk (male) using it...awkward right? That wasn´t the unusual part....the unusual part is that I did NOT find it unusual at the time....lol  (oh and of course no toilet paper)

Place to lay our head

No place to lay our head...
We had a beautiful and quick trip back to the city of \Darhan from Erdenet only to find no room available at the YWAM base. A quick call gave us room with our Brazilian friend Ivania, even though she only has a studio apartment. Her hospitality has saved us as it´s taken us this full week to find an apartment. The new trend is for owners to want the entire years rent pay and living by faith, on a month to month basis, means we cannot reach that need. God opened doors for us and last minute (ivania moves tomorrow) we found a one bedroom apartment for reasonible rent, and will do 3 month rents. Its a bit further from our Mongolian school than we would have liked but we look forward to nice walks until it gets too cold. God provides in His timing and we move tomorrow! As my husband recently put on his facebook page :

"A scribe came and said to Him, 'Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.'" [Matt 8:19-20] and Jesus replied - "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

Mickey Mouse and kissing the puppy

Today I was able to skype with my niece, April and family. My sister and brother-in-law are spending the weekend with my parents (happy birthday dad!) and since my sister does not have Internet at home, this was my chance to skype with them. My beautiful sister is pregnant with twins due soon and it brings joy to my heart to see her healthy and ready to be a mommy again. Little April is just about 2 years old and her jabbering sounds so grown up. Skyping was fun , seeing her confused look turn into a little grin as we begin to talk. I suppose that would be confusing that the 'tv' is talking back and calling her by name. But she seemed to catch on and we had fun giving kisses to her toy puppy and baby, and singing Micky Mouse. She's getting so grown up! Being on the missionary field, it's one thing that often gets stressed in my prayers : that God would guard my family while I'm away. In reality, even if I was living in the same house, His hands are much better protection and provision than mine could be! Being far away however, not even a phone call away at times, brings it into a different perspective. To get back home would easily take me up to 30 hours of travel time, and that's only if a plane was leaving that same day. On another hand, its somewhat to think that while I'm sleeping, the family back home is living, and while they sleep its my turn to pray and cover the day. I'm so very grateful for my church family back home because you know that they will fill the voids, if there are any, just as we would for their families. Missing my family back home today but thankful for the opportunities that the Internet provides for me to stay connected! Imagine the missionaries years ago, where a letter would take months to arrive. Hoping to get back to American around the holiday season to reconnect, make memories, and meet the new arrivals :)

Those who understand the heavenly vision of what His house is called to be will, like Abraham, leave everything to wander in places where they do not even know where they’re going, but do know what they’re looking for—the city that God is building. ~Rick Joyner. 

Thinking about this quote and the different places God has called me. Some have the misconception that missionary life is wonderful because of all the travels and sightseeing. While we absolutely appreciate the beauty of where God takes us, that is not the motivation (for most of us!). The inner unrest at knowing that we are the Kingdom of God, and that there are still more daughters and sons of God out there in the vast diversity of the nations, unaware of their inheritance and the beauty of the love of God  - THAT is what we pursue, and THAT heart longing is what gets us out of bed in the morning. Mongolia is known as the "Land of Blue Sky"....but underneath that sky is my call - the gorgeous owners of this land who live in the darkness of shamanism (worshiping many different gods/spirits, using trances and crafts to touch the supernatural) or who aimlessly practice the traditions of Buddhism...those who are still in need of our Creator God to save them. They motivate me.  

And tomorrow...it may be another nation and another country...but ALWAYS it is my neighbor.

Titus Graduation

Last night we graduated our Titus Project students. Ten of these students (YWAMers) will continue on with their outreach phase (teaching) while the rest will return to their ministries (pastors, sunday school teachers etc). We are SO proud of the steps each one has taken and love seeing them inspired to teach others what they've learned!






The night started with some munchies, and worship. We then handed out the individual diplomas with picture taking time. The meal (provided faithfully by the YWAM base cook) was devoured along with raisin juice (boiled raisins with some sugar). The night wrapped up with what I call a 'talent night' as many were called up to sing, dance or share a poem. Jeanine from the Dominican Republic taught us the "salsa dance" while Manasa taught an abridged (and hilarious) version of the "haka". The Mongolians loved it , the children might have been a bit frightened hahaha.
We also were called up to learn a traditional mongolian dance which was fun and I look forward to learning more.

We were given thank you cards and a gift, which was most practical for Manasa and I - a pair each of "slippers" as well as coffee...they know us well! As staff we debriefed and brainstorms ways to improve the next TITUS and look forward to seeing it run again here in Mongolia.

English TV

Mongolian fact of the day: On a minimum salary you will collect US$150 a month for full-time work.

Browsing through the TV there are only two English stations - one is  "Outdoor Channel" and the other is "RT" (business news). Thankful for one Chinese channel that sometimes has English movies with subtitles rather than dubbed voice overs.  I noticed a Russian channel is Russia MTV....  Thankful for the Internet which of course offers more options and news updates in English!

Keeping our youth pure...one step at a time

Reading through some of the recent news item and came across this article. Appears that one of the founders of the campaign not only is a Christian but belongs to the family that owns the magazine (ironically)....interesting to see where this goes! This compaign is aimed at keeping our youth pure... in this case by keeping pornographic descriptions off the shelves and away from wandering eyes. Warning: does contain graphic description (which is the point of this petition! To keep the buyers 18+)  Feel free to click the link and sign!

Change.org|Free Online Petitions

Im so American!~

I'm soooo American :) I'm in charge of snacks each day for the students of Titus school ...last week I made M & M cookies, and today I made hazelnut BROWNIES! Can't get more American that BROWNIES!! YUM

Mongolian Countryside

A few pictures from the Mongolian countryside- horse milk , lots of good food, and football for a relaxing day.

toilet paper necessities

So in every culture Ive run into 'toilet paper' stories, usually running out of it (in one Pacific island after two days of no toilet paper supplied, I asked what the locals did, and the answer was to go straight from the toilet to the shower...so I began wearing my flipflops in the shower each time and bought my own toilet paper). The one thing Ive learned from these experiences is to always travel with toilet paper/Kleenex. And when I say travel, I don't mean a move, or an airplane run...I mean to the grocery store, to church, etc.... You never know!  Here ins Mongolia there are places where you have to be careful not to flush the toilet paper as it easily blocks the system. I've noticed often times that the brand of toilet paper used is a thicker version- I guess comparable to the paper towels dispensed at public places in the USA- the brown thick , most likely recycled, kind. There is nothing wrong with that but when it comes to deciding whether to flush the toilet paper, or place it in the waste bin as asked...i prefer to buy my own, thin white flushable kind. I'm sure there is a happy medium but this is just another moment of taking MUCH more thought in another culture on something that used to come naturally.  :)

Greetings From Mongolia

Since our last newsletter, we arrived to Mongolia safely on August 8th from Fiji. We had to stay an extra few days in the capital city of Ulaan Baatar as we worked on our visa to stay in Mongolia. We are currently studying under the 'student visa' and will be taking Mongolian language classes starting next month. We were surprised at some extra expenses this visa incurred, including monthly class fees but are confident God will provide to keep us here in this beautiful country. We spent one week at the Darhan YWAM base, and were busy looking for apartment, running errands, setting up classes etc. We were happy to take a break from the business to take a base outing to the town of Selenge to see the border of Russia and enjoy nature (despite the poor weather). Alissa has been adjusting to the new culture, trying new foods and repeating Mongolian words. We made our way over to Eredenet to staff the YWAM 'Titus' school (www.titusproject.com). We were so encouraged to start with just a few participants but have 19 show up on the first day, with three more following the second day. A mix of pastors, church teachers and YWAM staff make up our participants and they are passionate about laying a firm foundation of Biblical teachings in their ministries. The church in Mongolia is only 20 years old so the importance of accurate teaching is essential during this time. The participants are spending three weeks in class with a focus of being equipped to effectively teach the Bible, followed by an outreach period later this year. We are thankful for the support team including us, Jeanine from Dominican Republic, Bogi from Mongolia and Pascal from Switzerland. Manasa spoke last week on “Inductive teaching” and was well received. There will be more teaching the next two weeks.

Here is an overview of the purpose of this school: “Titus Project was born out of a vision to bring Bible training to areas of the world where there is great need, great hunger, and limited opportunity to receive Bible training otherwise.  We aim to provide training for pastors, church leaders, and church planters passing along tools for Inductive Bible Study so that they can more effectively study God's Truth for themselves and then in turn pass that along to their congregations.”




Prayer Points: One of our great prayer needs right now is for continued protection. This week we've faced a few spiritual attacks in the physical form. While Alissa was walking home from grocery shopping she was confronted by a lady who grabbed her bags and stole the snacks that were for the YWAM students. That night we also had pounding on the door (probably teenagers). Last night (Saturday) the pounding at the door reoccurred and Manasa called a few church friends to come and confront the young men. Each of those instances provided us an opportunity to thank God for the chance to be in this country and increase our heart for the natives here. We don't believe it a coincidence that each of these occurred on the evening before Manasa was to teach or preach.

A second prayer need is that we are still searching for an apartment in Darkhan. The one that was to be provided for us required the entire year's rent payment and as we live on a monthly budget we were unable to meet that request. We are still currently looking for a safe apartment within our budget for our return in two weeks.

A third prayer request is for our computers. Manasa's computer has been acting up recently and we are faced with the usefulness of our computers in our ministry. We keep all our training and correspondence as well as research on our computers, using it daily. We pray that God will provide what is needed for us to continue to be effective in our ministries.

We are asking for continued prayer for our finances as we are trusting God and being wise stewards of our blessings. Please let us know if you would like to be a monthly donor, or if you would like to receive more information about direct deposit into our bank account or through “Paypal”.

We appreciate all who have kept in touch with us and most importantly those who cover us daily in prayer.

Manasa & Alissa Qaranivalu

I can read..... or not

Being introduced to a new country has its adjustments. I often find myself sighing at the things I took for granted. A daily example is grocery shopping. After scouring the individual stalls, I realized I was getting frustrated. I'm used to 'one stop shopping'. Grocery stores carry numerous daily needs (toilet paper, cleaning supplies) and with the likes of "Walmart" you can find everything you need in one stop (even gas!). After telling Manasa I was getting frustrated we made our way to the closest thing to a grocery store and I felt relieved. Manasa left to the other side of the store to look for needed supplies for the YWAM school and I realized I had two items "on hold" because I need him to translate the label for me. An added level of confusion is that Mongolia imports many products from Russia so neither Manasa nor I can read the label. Ive attached a picture as an example. We both thought we were buying ketchup (notice the nice juicy tomatoes on the label). The first time I used it I looked up at Manasa surprised. "Did you put hot chili in the dish?". After trying each individual ingredient we realized the 'ketchup' was spicy. There really should be a law that spicy food should carry a big red hot chili (pepper) picture on it! Good thing Manasa likes "hot" food as I may not be enjoying the rest of that bottle! The good news: I'll know better next time!

Vows to protect

As Manasa and I married, we took our vows seriously. But I didn't expect to see the protective side of my husband so soon. Recently, we've been facing some spiritual warfare in the form of physical. A series of unrelated events, always the day before Manasa is to teach or preach, has been an reminder of the verse in Proverbs 91:
"I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." vs 2. I was walking home from the shops when a homeless lady followed me home and stole the cookies intended for the YWAM base. On one hand, I understand that a few dollars of cookies lost is nothing. But the bigger picture was a frustration with not feeling safe. Even though I am in another country, Mongolia, I want this to be MY neighborhood. Not knowing the language after only being here a couple of weeks prevented me from asking anyone for help. Of course Manasa was beside himself when he found out. Later that night we had some neighbors kicking on our door and running away. Finally Manasa chased them and they did not come back (they may have been surprised when he yelled at them in Mongolian asking what they wanted). We assume this same group of young men, a week later, came again to pound on the door only this time I was home alone while Manasa was meeting with pastor. I called him and he was already on his way home so once he spotted the young men in front of our apartment he stayed back and called the pastor and a close friend. Once they arrived a small scuffle ensued and the three men confronted the boys, called one of their mothers etc. Manasa let the Mongolian men do the talking and hopefully the incident is resolved after apologies were done on both sides. I was proud that my husband could get up the next morning, and preach his sermon without distractions. I don't know that I could say I would have done the same. We spent time asking God to give us an even bigger heart for the Mongolian people, especially those who persecute us (even unknown to them) and those being used by the enemy. I will say that I am affirmed in the love of my husband, and I believe him when he says he will do anything to keep me safe. But most importantly is the joy in praying with my husband, thanking God for His unconditional provision and protection. Knowing that God will not give us more than we can handle allows these incidents to be put in their proper place: a distraction to the battle we face to spread the Gospel and disciple His people. With or without family, God is my fortress, and my refuge.

Students

We started off with just 4 official applications for this school last Wednesday. By opening day we had 19 students with another 3 joining us today (the second day). Praise God for the interest in laying a firm foundation of Biblical values and teachings in this land of Mongolia!

Titus School has started~

We started TITUS school with YWAM here in Erdenet and are so excited to see ywam staff, local pastors and teachers attend. The purpose of Titus is to equip each of us to be more effective teachers of GODS word. We will spend three weeks learning and reading and also can do outreach to put into practice the teaching methods etc that we've learned. The picture shows the staff- Bogi Jeanine and Manasa have been inspired and working on translations etc for Titus for the past 2 years. Also joining them is myself and Pascal (Bogis boyfriend from Switzerland). Manasa will be teaching and I am supporting the team by being in charge of hospitality . We look forward to the journey God has taken us on!

Diary from middle of the week

Manasa has been busy studying most of the day so I made lunch, set up the kitchen, put away our clothes into the wardrobe so we dont live out of a suitcase, dyed my hair and started a load of laundry. Am i domestic today or what? We went grocery shopping and it was so funny, down back alleys and in the basement .... little stalls of vegetables and mutton meat laid out on makeshift tables. And NO CHICKEN!  Yikes! so glad manasa has an idea of what he is doing since Im still learning. We both laughed about what if we were doing this without knowing the language. Once some more money comes in maybe I can buy some flour and make some muffins or something. But then again school will starting so might be busy.

We had a meeting this morning to finalize the schedule for Titus school starting next week. We are excited because quite a few pastors are interested in taking the lecture phase (3 weeks) to improve on their teaching methods. Titus is focused on instructing Bible teachers how to most effectively teach the Bible. Im excited to sit in on the classes. Currently we only have Mongolian students signed up which will cut down on some translating from Mongolian to English. I will be helping to prepare welcome baskets, help with daily snacks etc.... The 'behind the scenes' things that are so important but releases our main staff to focus on their teachings. We have quite an international group of staff- myself from the USA, Manasa from Fiji, Bogi from Mongolia, Jeanine from Dominican Republic and Bogi's boyfriend Pasqual from Switzerland. All united with the same goal of equipping Mongolians to lay the foundations of Christ's teachings. Inspiring! 

Please continue to pray for the team as we settle into routine, prepare teachings, fundraise the rest of the money needed to buy materials etc...

New Foods

People often ask about the food. Mongolians eat a lot of meat, and the children are often surprised if their meal does not include meat. They also use a lot of the fat from the meat which is quite an adjustment for my stomach.  Some common vegetables used are potatoes, carrots, and cabbage etc. Pickles are also common. The bread/biscuits tend to be on the harder side.
A ritual drink served to guests and at special events is horse milk. I tried by first sip last week as we were invited into our neighbors Gher tent. A band of brothers had arrived to ask for the family's daughter's hand in marriage so they had prepared traditional meal items including Buj (the pastry dough with meat in the middle, first picture with a carrot salad). They served us a large bowl of horse milk (tasted fermented) followed by a clear liquid in a smaller bowl which I found out was also from horse's milk (heated milk and collected the vapors) which is a stronger version of the first bowl. Then they follow it up with a shot of vodka. Another item , with a strong taste, was what looked like a white cookie however it was dried horse's milk. It was soft in texture but had the same bitter fermented taste. I was so thankful to try this tradition but even more thankful that my stomach was not upset after since it was so strong.
At our YWAM base we often eat noodle base dishes, and they make the noodles from scratch each day. This picture shows me eating the noodles with fried meat, and pieces of carrot.

Camels

Did you know they have camels in Mongolia? I was so surprised because Ive always had the idea that camels needed to live in the desert. While some of Mongolia is desertland, it gets very cold in the winter. The ones that I saw were drinking water surrounded by rolling green hills on the way north almost to the Russian border. When I asked what they did in the winter the reply is the same as the cows and horses, they are kept under a shelter and let out to graze on the grass that peaks through. Learn something new everyday.

Outing to the border of Russia

Outing to the border of Russia, only about 1 and half hour drive from Darhan.
First picture is of Manasa and I , with Russia in the background
Second picture is a common monument ( called ovoo) constructed to pay tribute to the gods, in high places (blue bands are even placed on tall trees)...donations of money and empty vodka bottles were made at this one (Shamanism).

Made it to Mongolia Safely

We've made it safely to Mongolia. Spent the first week at the YWAM base in Darhan (pic of a group outing) and today traveled to Erdenet where we will be staffing the TItus school with the YWAM here. They are accommodating us at a guest apartment off base so it is nice as a newly wed couple to have our time away from everyone, and our own kitchen! We are still trying to nail down an apartment in Darhan for our return so that is one major prayer requests as well as finances to cover our rent, staff fees, and school fees when we begin Mongolian language class next month. Adjusting to new culture, food, language etc. Was blessed with a YWAM outing last saturday that included a trip to the Russian border! Its COOOOOOLD :)

July Newsletter, pics to come!

Greetings from the Qaranivalu's

We would like to take this time to thank everyone for the recent
words of congratulations and financial blessings during this season
of two becoming one.  We want to use this time to give an overview of how our wedding went. We had beautiful Fijian weather, with no rain. We were honored to have family surround us during out day.
Alissa's father, mother and best friend were able to travel from
America. Manasa's family was reunited in one place (three brothers and one sister, and their families) after 12 years.  

Our wedding location was a nearby resort, held in a traditional Fijian "bure" (hut) that overlooked the mountains on the left, and the ocean on the right. Our heart was to give God the honor, while publicly declaring our vows to each other.  We were blessed with many YWAM members and church representatives in attendance also.  

After the pastor pronounced us as Mr and Mrs Qaranivalu, we honored our parents in washing their
feet as the first thing we did as a married couple. It was a blessed, emotional and joyous morning. 

We held a Fijian 'tevutevu' (homecoming) in which each family declared their blessing, and we
received mats, pillows etc from family members. After this tradition, we held a reception that
included traditional dances, a live band, father speeches and lots of food. We were thankful for the
church and YWAM volunteers who allowed us to host such an event. We are thankful to God that
we were able to take a few days out for honeymoon at a nearby resort.

We look forward to a new chapter, returning to the mission field  (Mongolia) as a married couple
(hoping to leave Fiji on August 8th). We will start the end of August by staffing a YWAM school
called "Titus" (Manasa will be doing teaching, worship leading, small groups etc and Alissa will
support with hospitality etc). The school is primarily being held in the Mongolian language, with
translation into Russian for a few Russian students. Students who have completed the SBS (School
of Biblical Studies- 9 months program) are eligible to take "Titus" which has a focus of teaching
students how to present the bible with different teaching methods, keeping in mind the differences
of learning styles in different cultures. After staffing this school, we plan on returning to the town
of Darhan and continuing to work part time with the YWAM base, focusing on English as a second
language outreach ministries, our community night, and various other events/outreaches. We will
learn as we go as we are sensitive to the fact that this is our first year of marriage and will be taking
time to set up our apartment, and building the foundations of our family etc. 

We want you to know we include you in our prayers and look forward to continuing to send you
our updates. We would love to hear from you!
Please continue to pray with us in the next few weeks as we are waiting for our Mongolia Visa, air
ticket and adjusting back to Mongolia.

 
Vinaka,
Mr and Mrs Qaranivalu 


http://www.kingdomnomads.blogspot.com
Emails: skillet25@gmail.com (Alissa), mahnsrq@gmail.com (Manasa)
Skype: alissa.kennedy, mahns.qaranivalu