Pictures, Update to Come

At an amazing park outside of UB called Terlj

A special little girl who loves the Lord so much.  She is the bluest child I have ever seen due to her heart defect.

A special reunion for three CHP boys with their host father along with Anya and Gany, SP staff.

Uugna giving out Gospel bracelets

This camel did not appreciate me trying to pet it.

Our CHP boys and SP staff out for a ride

Ken's reunion with 5 of his kids.  This little girl called him grandpa.

The group I transported to Mayo.  Togi is recovering well after surgery.

How they type and cross blood in Mongolia!

I walked into the hospital room to see this precious little one just sitting on her bed with her shades on.

She was a champ getting out of bed the next day after open heart surgery.

The first two boys operated on recovered so fast.

I was so thankful he was able to receive surgery!

David and Johnny

Erik and Justin

So excited for Justin and Joanna

Wendy

So thankful to have another awesome sister in law Joanna

Mom and Dad

The wedding party

Sarah

Kelly and Rusty

The beautiful couple!

My bestest girls!

My cousin Meg! 

Noah, my newest nephew, enjoying the dance floor

Sam danced the night away!

Aunt Amy, Meg, and Mom

A reunion with my Theta sisters

The Marathon Begins

Yesterday this verse came alive to me.  Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."  I went out to the countryside, just outside of UB, to a national park called Terelj yesterday.  It was just beautiful.  I was amazed at how much the landscape could change so quickly.  It has these giant rocks, reminding me a lot of Red Rocks in Colorado, but the rocks are not red.  I hiked up a hill overlooking a valley and just sat on a rock and prayed.  There has been so much on my mind with the busy weeks coming up and seeing so many children and families in such great need.  The Holy Spirit really spoke to me about how He is at work in people's hearts who are facing difficult circumstances.  There is really only so much we can do as humans, but the Holy Spirit can truly change people's hearts and attitudes.  It also was a great time of praise as many awesome things are happening in our ministry, which the Lord deserves the praise alone.  And seeing amazing mountain and rock structures, along with the vast blue sky of Mongolia, I couldn't help but praise the Lord.  He spoke earth creation into existence.  How AWESOME is that!  And how unbelievable that the Lord wants to have a personal relationship with us, so much that He sent His son to die for our sins so that we, who trust him, can be justified and join Him in heaven one day.  Every day I am amazed by the depths of the love of our Lord!
As my title eludes to, the marathon begins tomorrow.  Well most of you know I am not a runner, but these next few weeks will be like a marathon which I am very excited for.  My friend arrives tomorrow.  She will be joining the team that arrives the end of this week, but she is coming a bit early to serve at an orphanage and hang out with me.  I am thankful to share about our work with a dear friend.  Then the team arrives the end of this week.  A pediatric cardiologist from Texas leads this team every year and they partner with Samaritan's Purse.  They will be doing a week of searching for children with heart defects down near the Gobi desert and then a week of operations and cardiac cathetarizations on children to repair congenital heart defects.  I am thankful I will get to join their team.  Myself and another CHP staff will be going to the Gobi and then we will be involved with the surgical aspect of things as well.  This is awesome as many children will get their heart defects repaired right here in Mongolia.  As you can imagine their are many prayer needs associated with this trip.  I will list some of the prayer requests below.
And as this team wraps up, I get to fly home with a special boy who is having surgery at Mayo.  I will be transporting him, his mother, and an interpreter.  This is very exciting as this child is able to receive surgery.  And then I will fly home for my brother's wedding.  I am so excited for Justin and his fiance Joanna.  It will be a fun week spent with family and friends in celebration of a very special marriage.  I feel very blessed I get to go home for it.  And then, I will fly to North Carolina to go to SP's headquarters.  I am pumped to spend some time with our team stateside who supports us so well in Mongolia.  So these next five weeks are exciting and BUSY!
I feel like I am settling into things well here.  I have been able to hang out with some friends who are great.  There is a Thursday night study and fellowship that I went to last week and was so thankful for the fellowship and encouragment.  I am really enjoying my international church.  Language study came to a hault with all the busyness of work with the team coming and sending off many medical records for children newly enrolled, but I think in October when I have more time, I will make that a priority.  I know enough to get around, but wish I knew more.
The weather is getting cooler.  Two days this week, it was just plain cold, even seeing snowflakes, but it warmed up nicely this weekend.  The heat has not come on yet in my apartment, so I have to bundle up a bit, but thankfully I brought a lot of warm clothes.
Well please join me in prayer for the following:

• That the Lord would open the hearts of the families we meet these next few weeks with searching for children with heart defects and repairing the defects through surgeries or cathetarizations
• That we can get our container out of customs.  Yes we are still working on this and we think we have all things in order to pull it tomorrow.  This container has all our supplies for the mending part of this trip. 
• For the families as they travel to UB for repair of their child's heart defect.  May they have safety in travel both ways, may the see the love of Christ in what we do, and may the children recover quickly. 
• That many successful surgeries and cathetarizations can be performed as planned with little complications
• Open communications with all members of team both Mongolian and Americans   
• For all the details and logistics to come together well and smoothly
• Safety in travel for the members of the team as they arrive this week, for our trip down to the Gobi, return travels, and my trip to the US. 

Well thank you for all your prayers.  I really value them and that keeps me going and will keep this team coming strong.  I will update when I can.
Blessings,
Em

Korea Pictures

A beautiful palace that dates back to the 14th century, right in the heart of Seoul.

Oh how I love market.  This was a food market where I tired a fried mung bean pancake and I loved it.

A south Korean soldier. 

A garden in the palace.

I got to see a cultural performance and loved it. 

  This was a week that challenged me, but am so thankful for the Lord's provision.  He gave me so much peace in challenging situations.  A highlight for me was seeing six families who we are entering into our project.  I was able to take some time to educate them on their child's heart defect and that was just awesome.  I had picture diagrams to show them the structure of their child's heart defect.  I pray this helps their understanding of why their child is sick.  Please pray that hospitals will accept them soon.  Also please lift up our container that arrived last week.  We are having some difficulties getting it cleared from customs, but I know Lord is working through this situation and I am learning about patience which is always a good lesson for me.  This weekend, I am just taking it easy.  With traveling last weekend and an incredibly busy week, it is nice to just hang out, watch some TV, and read.  I am blessed to be building some friendships here.  Oh and the days are getting much cooler.  It is not getting much above 60.  Fall is here!  Thanks for tuning in friends!
Blessings,
EM

I'm a Mongolian Resident

                Well I have some amazing news to report, it’s official, I can now be a Mongolian resident.  Hip Hip Hooray!  I arrived to Seoul and headed straight for the Mongolian Embassy.  They found my paperwork quickly, I spoke with the Consular, paid the fee, and the next morning when they opened my visa was ready.  This is a true blessing from the Lord!  I had allowed some extra time in my trip in case of some difficulties, but there was none.  Now I just have to get registered at immigration in Ulaanbaatar to get my residency card and I am set.  Praise the Lord!

                While I was in Korea, I figured I should make the most of the experience and I went on a tour of the DMZ.  This was a very eye opening experience to see the border of the most closed nation in the world.  The DMZ is the 4 km wide zone that runs the length of the Korean peninsula separating the north from the south.  A US Army soldier told the history of this area since the Korean War including many stories of what has happened on the border.  It is estimated that only 20,000 people have escaped the north in the last 60 years-that’s not very many.  My heart was so burdened for the people.  Many of the details of what I heard on this tour are extremely sad, so I encourage you to be praying that the Gospel can give people hope in the north.  It may seem impossible to reach people in such a closed area, but God is bigger than borders, dictators, etc.  We were able to step foot inside the north inside a building where they hold negotiations.  We also saw the Bridge of No Return, the Third Tunnel, and a train station the south built in hopes that it will someday be an international train station.  One night as I had dinner in Seoul, where it is so modernized and developed, I had left overs from my meal.  And I sat and thought about that food as people are starving to death just over the border and I have more than enough.  Please, please, please pray for the people of the north.

                I hit a few markets as I always love seeing open air markets.  I found some good deals on things I need for my apartment in UB.  And I even tried lots of traditional Korean Food.  It is very good and healthy, for the most part.  But I stuck to veggie dishes as I did not want to eat anything raw.  I was totally impressed with Seoul.  It is so easy to get around, public transportation is great, many good restaurants, and there seems to be an information desk in every major area with people who speak English to help.  I highly recommend a vacation here.  And if you like shopping, it is endless for very good prices.  I stayed in a traditional hanok, which is a square home that has a courtyard in the middle.  I loved it and it was so much cheaper than a hotel.     

                While I was away, there was so much going on back at the office.  So I was trying to balance working from another country.  Thank goodness for internet!  Our container arrived last week and we have found the paperwork to get it out rather difficult.  But I think we are almost done and should be able to get it out in the next few days.  We also have many new children to enter into the program, so we are trying to complete their medical files.  I am also making my first budget for next year.  This is stretching me in a new way, but I am cranking out the numbers as best I can.  I did always love math, so now I get to use it a little more.

                I will try to post some pictures soon from my trip.  Please be praying for our container, that we can quickly complete the medical records of our new children, and for the country on the northern end of the Korean Peninsula. 

Korea Here I Come

Well tomorrow morning, I have an early departure for Seoul, Korea.  I will be heading there for a few days to get my Mongolian visa.  Please pray that it goes smoothly and that I will be able to get the visa I need to continue to live in Mongolia.  We believe all things are in order for this, but you just never know.  I faced these same difficulties in Tanzania and the Lord worked it out, so I trust He will work this out for me.
It has been a busy time in the office.  We are gearing up for a busy September as a team will come to operate on many Mongolian children who have heart defects.  Each of the CHP staff has trips coming up, so it seems we are never all together.  I guess when it is very cold in the winter, we will have lots of time together.  But now while the weather is good, we are busy visiting lots of families.  Next week, I plan to visit a couple families with a coworker who live outside of UB in the countryside.  I really look forward to meeting with the families.
This week I started to recognize some Mongolian words when I heard them.  I was so thankful for this.  I heard words like work, driver, down, and a few others.  I was rejoicing that I am starting to hear and know some words.  I really need to make a commitments to learning a few new words a day.  It is hard when most of our staff speaks perfect English.  But by learning a language, you can build relationships.
Well I have to get to bed early to be up in time for my 6:45 am flight.  I have mapped the buses and subways I need to take to get around to the Embassy and guest house.  It will be a bit different traveling in a country that I cannot read any of the language, but I have some connections there, so I know things will be great.  I will post some pics next week.
Peace Friends!  Em  

Pictures

Here are a couple pictures you might enjoy.  The first is of the cutest little baby being screened for a heart defect.  She just giggled while her mother dangled toys above her head.  And here I am at a Bible Study program where young adults from a local church lead a study around town every Saturday. 

Be sure to check out my prayer letter below. 

August Prayer Letter

Hiya Family and Friends!

                As I sit down to write this letter, I am a bit embarrassed I have not written sooner.  There is so much to share, which makes me wonder why I waited so long to write.  I have called Mongolia home for two months now.  I am settling into my job and life here.  Mongolia is a beautiful and intriguing place.  I am humbled daily by how Mongolians survive as poverty is all around.  They are some of the most resilient people in the world.  The nomadic herdsmen care for hundreds of animals and pack up their ger to move where grazing is good.  We asked a nomadic family how long it takes to pack up and move their ger and they said about two hours.  How many of us could pack up all our possessions in two hours?  The rains have been very good this summer, so we pray for a moderate winter so livestock survives.  Two and three winters ago were very bitter cold causing some herdsmen to lose many if not all their animals.  The Mongolians who live in the city face a very expensive life.  Everything is expensive from food to household items because few things are manufactures here and it is difficult to import anything.   As mining has a greater influence on this country, I pray it reaches Mongolians on all levels, not just the wealthy.  The one thing that encourages me so much with this country is the hope in Christ many are coming to know.  The church just celebrated it’s 20^th anniversary and Christianity is taking hold and growing.  My biggest prayer for the church is that it matures and continues to grow and be solid in their Biblical foundation. 

                These past two months have been shaped by learning a new job, settling into a new community, and learning to travel Mongolian style!  I had two weeks of orientation and then jumped all in.  There is so much to share with you about my work, but I think the highlight for me this summer is to see the Lord’s hand at work within our Heart Camps.  Over 70 children attended our three camps.  Our camps program centered on The Greatest Journey, a discipleship program that teaches kids about Jesus, how to accept and follow Him, how to study God’s Word, along with how to share about Him to others.  Each day was packed full with two large group sessions full of skits, worship, and games, small group studies that focused on a specific story in the Bible, games, crafts, and special activities.  The Heart Camps were great follow up to the families we have served the last 11 years here and I feel a great encouragement for these families to grow in the Word.  We are already thinking and praying about next year’s Heart Camps.  Some parents attended the camp and here is what one mom wrote about CHP and Heart Camps:

“I live with my husband, two sons, and two daughters. “D” is my youngest son. Even though my son started to have symptoms when he was one year old, it was because of certain problems that we started to go the hospital when he was four years old.  At that time I heard about Jesus through CHP and soon my son was accepted to have surgery in the States. Through this event my whole family heard about Jesus. Through the love of God my son’s surgery was successful and my son’s healing happened through all the people who prayed for my son. My whole family and relatives are so thankful for this. Even now I am still feeling God’s blessing that He sent me to this great camp and let me meet these nice people.  I thought I want to thank God for everything He did for me and I love all the people in this camp.”   

                Your prayers for these camps and this ministry are vital! 

 These past few weeks, I have focused my work on knowing our waiting list.  We have so many children on it and just added 11 last week when an American pediatric cardiologist came in town to screen children for heart defects.  I desperately wanted more time with each of these families to encourage them that we care deeply for their child and are concerned with them about their child’s heart defect.  Many asked how much our program costs, and we would say free.  That blew their mind, but it was a great prelude to sharing that the greatest free gift of all time is Jesus.  God gave us the free gift of salvation through His Son’s life, death, and resurrection.  We just need to accept and believe in this truth and we will forever be a part of the Lord’s kingdom.  Our work through Children’s Heart Project is not solely about mending physical hearts, but a complete spiritual repair through faith in Jesus Christ for the entire family.     

My work as program manager of Children’s Heart Project encompasses many things.  I manage the staff of three Mongolians who work for CHP, use my nursing skills to understand and help prioritize the children on our evaluation list, work to keep records organized, plan post visits, educate families on their child’s heart defect, know our interpreters who go with the children abroad, and keep our Mongolian team focused on the vision and accomplishing our goals.  Many of you know I love numbers and statistics, so here are some about that last two months:

·         Traveled over 6,000 miles to get here

·         Assisted (I say assisted, but really our Mongolian staff and intern did all the work) with 3 Heart Camps  where 75 children attended

·         2 trips to the countryside (so thankful for good Land Cruisers)

·         Helped screen around 40 children for heart defects

·         Assisted with hosting a group of Australians (for a week) and 6 visitors from the US over the last 2 months

·         1 cup total of fermented horses milk drank, but thankfully have not eaten horses meat or marmot yet

I love my apartment and feel so spoiled to have electricity, running hot water, a washer, an oven, tv, and internet.  This is a huge step up from the standards in Tanzania.  I can walk to work and am learning where to get all my groceries.  You can get almost anything here, but you have to hunt around town for it.  With the weather being good, I can walk anywhere, but come winter, I think I will depend on taxi’s and buses.  I have found an international church that I really enjoy and am beginning to meet people.  My roommate this summer was a young lady who came to work on Heart Camps.  She was such an asset to this ministry, but also became a dear friend.  I was sad to see her go this week.  I started Mongolian language lessons a few weeks ago.  Let’s just say it is a challenging language, but I have a great language teacher.  I will finish up a 20 lesson survival course and then move to lessons a couple days a week.

                These next two months are sure to be just as busy.  In the next few weeks, I hope to have a vision meeting where we can see how the Lord is guiding our ministry.  I have some ideas, but I need to see what our team comes up with.  I am truly so blessed to have such amazing coworkers here in Mongolia, but also at Samaritan Purse’s headquarters in North Carolina.  I feel each person is uniquely gifted to balance this ministry.  I feel my gifts of administration fit it well, but sometimes I think I drive them a bit crazy with planning and preparing for all variables.  I am learning and seeing how the Lord intervenes and takes care of details in amazing ways which is a blessing from not planning so strictly.  Lessons I have learned while living in Mongolia have really helped to grow and stretch me.  My faith is getting stronger every day, but let me tell you many things bring me to my knees.  Our staff has been busy traveling across this country doing follow up visits for our children who have had corrective heart surgery.  That is no easy task, but they sure do it well.  I have been on two countryside trips and they wiped me out.  The roads can be awful.  A 500 kilometer trip took us 12 hours.  I need to learn to just enjoy the ride! 

In a few weeks, I will be heading to Korea for a few days to settle my visa issue.  In September, a team is coming that partners with SP to screen children for heart defects and then will do a week of operations and cardiac cathetarizations here in Ulaanbaatar.  And I will be accompanying a child, his mother, and an interpreter back to the US September 30^th so the child can have surgery.  Then I will get to be in St. Louis for my brother’s wedding which I look forward to very much.  Following that I will spend some time at Samaritan’s Purse’s headquarters for meetings and orientation. 

Would you please join me in prayer for the following:

·         For the continued growth of the children following camp, may they read and study their Bible’s, and share with their families and neighbors

·         For hospitals in the US and Canada to continue to take our children and that new hospitals would be connected with our program

·         Safety in travel with all our staff’s trips to the countryside to visit children

·         For the upcoming surgical team that comes in September to operate on many children

·         My management skills-that I would learn to manage and guide the staff well so that we can be effective in our ministry

Thanks for reading such a long letter.  I will do my best to make sure it is not two months before I write again.  I dearly appreciate your partnership in prayers for this ministry.

Blessings,

Emily

PS-If you want my address here, just email me and I will get it to you.  It’s tricky with the Cyrillic alphabet.