With laughter, a constantly ringing doorbell and a large supply of cheese pita pizzas, on Monday night we said "see you later" to one of our close friends, Nandia. She is studying abroad in Korea for the next year. I am excited for her but also very sad (and selfish), because she is one of the best English speakers I know here. The party evolved from a simple question from one of the young adults at my church, "Do you cook delicious food?" "Of course," I jokingly told Bulgaa after he asked if I made delicious food. So, I began inviting some people over. Eventually, the party turned into a goodbye party for Nandia. I wanted to give her one weeks ago but she protested. She is modest and at that time she was having visa problems. But Sunday she had no valid excuses because she was leaving on Wednesday morning. The party would happen and there would be food--delicious food (hopefully). I had no idea who would show up or when. Mongolians beat to their own dru...
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How beautiful that we are simply and freely children--expected to make mistakes but loved just the same. I was reminded recently about how the Gospel gives us freedom. My friend said that the Gospel gives us "freedom to simply be His sons and daughters." That speaks so much truth into my life. Children have always been a source of joy in my life. I love being around children. They are hilarious, free, giving, stingy, dirty, soft and geniuses. I've learned countless things from children. One of my favorite parts of being a child is that it gives so much freedom. Children do not know everything and they don't have to. They are essentially expected to make mistakes--learning as they go. Even in though they make mistakes they are loved just the same. It's unconditional. Sure, kids get in trouble--sometimes they do know the right thing--but on the whole they are simply forgiven without question. That's the beauty of the Gospel--among many other things--that we are ...
"There are some people who, in order not to pray, use an excuse the fact that life is so hectic that it prevents them from praying. This cannot be. Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work, but that we continue working as if it were a prayer. It is necessary to always be meditating, nor to consciously experience the sensation that we are talking to God, no matter how nice this would be. What matters is being with him, living in him, in his will. To love with a pure heart, to love everybody, especially to love the poor, is a twenty-four-hour prayer." Mother Teresa
A few days ago someone sent this video for me to watch. After I watched it I couldn't stop thinking about it. How should I ever claim to know what is good or what is bad? I remember at the beginning of my time here, I was really frustrated with teaching English all the time. I couldn't understand how learning English would really better their lives. Erin, so graciously, reminded me that i do not know what is good for them. She reminded me that only God knows. I needed to hear that (even though I strongly resisted it at the time). At four months I think I can safely say that is what I have learned the most about, realizing who everything is about. I have realized God is the only one who knows what is good. I am coming to believe with all of me that "[His] grace is sufficient for [me], for [His] power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Mongolia, if I could define it in relation to my life, would mean not Holli . Being here has been a continuous process of...
Tsagaan Sar Eve. What is that you may ask. I don't really have a good answer. Tsagaan means white and sar means moon. So, put it together and you get white moon. This is a Mongolian "traditional" holiday of the Lunar New Year. There are two main holidays in Mongolia. One of them is Tsagaan Sar and the other is Naadam Festival . Naadam is in the summer and is an lyompic style celebration of Mongolia's free country status. There are three main sports: archery, horse racing and wrestling. My observations about Tsagaan Sar are that it is a lot like Christmas in the United States, because: 1. They clean their houses, top to bottom. 2. They buy presents for everyone in their family. 3. They cook everything under the sun. 4. Everyone in their family comes over to visit them and they go visit everyone in their family. I think they must apparate from one place to the next. I don't know how they do it. 5. They eat for 4 days straight. So, ...
Thank you person who sent this to Post Secret . I continuously wonder why I'm in a place like this. Mongolia is not exactly where I saw myself ever living. But, I think at some point, you just choose to be content. A point where you choose joy.No, I do not enjoy living in negative degrees but I enjoy getting to know my brothers and sisters. Otherwise, I would have never gotten to go to church in a tent (ger) every single week. I would never have come to know an obscure language. I would have never known that words like Hallelujah, Hosanna , and Amen are the same in Mongolian and English. I would have never been so convinced that my vocation simply is belonging to Jesus, whatever that looks like and wherever that is. I would have never been able to teach Kindergartners how to tickle or play the funny face game. There are days when the wind is so strong by the lumber yard that saw dust filled my eyes and I wonder how I got here. But, then I go "skiing" with the youth at...