life ebbs and flows

There was a man living in a village somewhere. He was a foreigner but he spoke the language, dressed like the villagers, lived in the same kind of home and ate the same food. He had lived in the village for many years and he was very close to the people that lived there. One day, another foreigner came to visit the village. He asked the villagers about the man who had been living with them for so many years. "Is he one of you?" He asked. They answered "No, he will never be one of us. He will always be a foreigner." Someone told the missionaries here this story a few months ago. And this story has yet to leave my soul. When I moved to Mongolia my intention was not to become Mongolian. I came to see and share when I can, always knowing I am not the same, I don't have to be and I shouldn't be. Over the past 9 months I have learned an incredible amount about this culture and what it means to live here [I learn more each day]. These people have become so ingraine

It generally takes me a good while to process things that happen in my life. Thus, camp and VBS have been at the top of my thoughts quite a lot, recently. This trip was particularly special for me--it was my first real trip with Mongolians and put my language skills to the test. From the first days of preperation, you would have looked at us and hoped we would even made it to our destination, much less arrive, survive and thrive. But, like most things in Mongolia, predictions are impossible and the level of success would present itself in a surprise ending. Surprise! not only did everything work out fine, but it was one of the most wonderful trips I have ever [EVER] been on. In case you didn't know, around April Erin and I decided we really wanted to have a joint youth camp. We mentioned it to our youth and they were overcome with joy about even the thought of this. We knew then that somehow we had to make it work. Along with camp, my church decided they wanted to go on to another

my soul already longs to be in the countryside again. retreats for me have always been healing and binding. i am a people person with everything that is inside of me--so, spending a week with my students was like pure energy. i am bursting at the seems with hope and joy from the week. i am so proud of my youth and the way they handled everything. i haven't quite caught up on my rest or figured out exactly what i want to share yet, though. so, here's a few pictures from the trip that can give you a tiny taste of our time together. tent man. jumping pictures are universal. worship and games around a big bonfire. this is the river we got to play in. [bathing suits=underwear] the ger [where i got to sleep for the first time!] and our tents. the neighbor boy from next to the place where we stayed. epitome of cute. little praying hands. washing the children's feet and praying for them. my youth and the kids from the VBS that my church did in another town after we had camp.