Nadaam

Nadaam is the huge national festival for Mongolia.  Mongolians look forward to this event every year.  They showcase their national pride and there are competitions in all their favorite sports-horse racing, archery, wrestling, and ankle bone flicking.  It is a week of holiday for the Mongolians where they gather with their family and watch the events on TV and enjoy two traditional Mongolian food and beverage that being hoshur and fermented horse's milk.  Nadaam was this week and it was so special to be a part of this unique cultural experience.  We went to the national stadium for the opening ceremonies.  It was awesome.  There were lots of performers dressed in traditional Mongolian costumes.  I think I saw Chingis Khan many times!  Children had dance routines, hundreds played the traditional horse fiddle, there was a big performance of men in very old traditional military costumes, and lots of showing of national pride.  I was so impressed with the performances.  After the opening ceremony, we went and had hoshur, but I skipped the horses milk as I just cannot acquire a taste for it.  Then we went on to see wresting, archery, and ankle bone flicking.  Wrestling has no weight classes and it starts with over a thousand men competing and in two days, they crown the winner.  Ankle bone flicking was a very interesting sport.  Men flick this small piece towards a box that has two small ankle bone pieces to try to knock them off.  They flick this piece about 3 meters, so pretty far.  I thoroughly enjoyed my first Nadaam and am joining in their national pride.
I went into the countryside again last week with some visitors from Australia.  We had a great trip and I had the opportunity to learn more about the agricultural projects Samaritan's Purse does.  The province we visited was hit hard with a very dry summer and a harsh winter two years ago (called a Zud), killing nearly 8 million animals in this country, so SP did disaster relief to give families who lost all their animals new animals.  They could choose 5 yaks with 5 baby yaks, or 25 sheep with 25 baby sheep.  We visited some families who received yaks and they were so grateful.  We shared with them that we give God the glory for providing.  Many shared with us some yak butter which was so rich and creamy, very good on bread.  SP is doing some model farming work to help teach them to better care for the land.  We are so blessed to have some very wise Mongolian men who lead this project.  I think they have a strong influence on their community which will so positively impact the work there.  It was fun to showcase the work to the Australian visitors. 
Because it is a week of holiday with all our staff off, it has allowed some time for me to catch up and get organized.  I have tried to rest lots as I was getting tired from all the trips.  My stomach is back in order after being a bit off from all the new food and meat.  I am not used to eating much meat at all.  We went floating and it was awesome, but a true adventure.  I did not do so well navigating our small boats and popped one chamber going over some sticks.  But we were able to mend it to finish the float.  We laughed a lot.  In good weather, Mongolians love to be out by the river, so they had lots of comments for us, luckily we did not know what they were saying.  Today I have been resting at home.  I do not know what to do with myself with a whole day free.  We plan to get an early dinner and see a movie.  Thank goodness there are english movies!
I am starting a new Beth Moore study called Living Beyond Yourself, a study about the fruits of the spirit.  I am very excited to begin this study as I think it will grow me personally, but also help me in my new work role.  Beth quoted John Stam's speech at Moody Bible Institutes's graduation in 1932:
"Let us remind ourselves that the Great Commission was never qualified by clauses calling for advance only if funds were plentiful and no hardship or self-denial involved.  On the contrary, we are told to expect tribulation and even persecution, but with it victory in Christ...It is ours to show in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in personal communion with Him, a joy unspeakable and full of glory that cannot be affected by outside circumstances."
Aren't those words very powerful! Our victory is already won in Christ.  Think of what Paul and Barnabas endured as they reached out to the Jews, discussed in Acts 13.  They faced persecution, but they "shook the dust from their feet" and "were filled with joy."  Let us have joy when we face trials and persecution. 
Thanks as always for your prayers and support.  Next week brings lots of important meetings.  Please pray for those as we need the Lord's intervention in several issues.  I plan to start language lessons, which I am excited about.  Up to this point, I have not had time to make that a priority, so next week is the week.
Blessings,
EM