July 28th, 2013 –Sunday afternoon
This past weekend we got to be a part of a 20 year
celebration of our church here in Mongolia.
I was amazed at the testimonies of lives changed and the unreached
tribes of Mongolians reached with the Gospel of Jesus in all corners of Asia. And this is just the beginning. As part of the celebration service, they
handed out commemorative coffee mugs with John 3:16 in Mongolian written on
it. This little coffee mug has probably
been one of the most significant things I have received so far in our time
here. Let me explain:
When John and I obeyed Jesus and started making plans to
move our family here, after our home was miraculously rented and our jobs were
notified, I was beginning to get overwhelmed. We Skyped
with an amazing missionary family stationed in
the Middle East to pick their brains on how to prepare for such a life
change. With only 5 suitcases for 8 months, my questions revolved mostly
around what to pack. One piece of advice
that she gave was to bring things that make your place feel like home, even if
they seem impractical. So because part
of our routine every morning is to greet Jesus with a cup of coffee, we wanted
to bring our mugs from home. I brought a
Dallas Starbucks coffee mug that I have used every morning for now the past 2
months of living here in Ulan Bator.
After receiving this new Mongolian mug this weekend, I decided to give it
a try for the morning. And then it hit
me: I really am living in Mongolia. I’m
here. Not back there. And so while the mug may sound like a
melodramatic symbol, I have decided not to use my Dallas mug anymore. I am determined to be where God has put me;
mentally, emotionally & spiritually.
In this process of being where I am, I go through waves of
excitement for the adventure here and longing for comfort back in Dallas. Sometimes the fear of regret motivates me to
press into ministry; but on the good days, I am motivated by the love for God’s
people here that He has downloaded into my heart. I pray that each day God will help me see
with spiritual eyes the people in front of me that need to experience his love
through me.
Living with intentionality is a quality and a discipline we
all admire. Jesus was the best at this.
He came to earth and in less than 40 years he accomplished more than
anyone ever could or ever would. He healed
the sick, made the blind see, conquered death and provided us a way to have a
relationship with the Most High God! He
resisted the temptation to run to every problem that demanded him or worry
about the future. He simply lived in
constant communication with the Father and obeyed what he was told with joy.
I hope that in my time here I am able to learn how to live
my life with a greater sense of purpose for each day. This is my prayer not just for my time in
Mongolia, but I hope Jesus builds more of his character in me so I too can be
propelled with love and live with no regrets.
“…But one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press
on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
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