Christmas is for Mongolian kids too!

This week I have had one of the best times of my life. I've always loved gift-giving, but celebrating Christmas with our orphan kids has given me great joy. My good friend Justin agreed to play Santa, and he was a major hit. As it turns out, "Ho, ho, ho" needs no translation. On Monday and Tuesday nights, I visited the kids and read them the Night Before Christmas story. They asked me questions about Santa, and then Santa Justin knocked on the door and surprised them. You should have seen the amazement in their eyes. There was Santa, right after I told them the story!

Santa Justin delivered small gifts to each child, plus a small chocolate. Every time he said "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" and patted his belly, they laughed. And they all wanted to have their picture taken with Santa.

Our kids know the true meaning of Christmas. They know it's really about the birth of the Savior Jesus. But every kid loves Santa, and I wanted them to experience that excitement. The younger ones will all be singing Christmas carols in church on Sunday. In the meantime, there will be lots of drawing in new notebooks, matchbox car races, and superhero action figure battles.

Frosty the Tomato

Tonight I visited our young girls' apartment, as I normally do on Tuesday nights. Four nights each week, I spend an hour with our kids teaching them English and enjoying their company. Christmas is growing in popularity in Mongolia, and our kids have shown a tremendous interest in learning more about it. They are even learning traditional Christmas carols to sing in church (translated into Mongolian, of course). I arrived at their home tonight armed with an old Frosty the Snowman book and my iPod+speakers, with Harry Connick's version of the old tune. With the help of my translator, I read them the story, and then played them the song. They absolutely loved it. The girls are eager to pick up new songs and more English. Some have better English abilities than others, and tonight one of them struggled to repeat the word "snowman," instead it inexplicably came out "tomato." So as I started the song for a second time at their request, she mumbled something like "Frosty the Tomato." I giggled quietly and discreetly, but there was no way NOT to giggle. They are such a blast.

Winter necessity

Thought you might want to see my winter coat. Thanks to the sacrifice of a few good sheep, it's the single most important item I own in Mongolia. This picture was taken about a month ago, on a nice sunny day. The temperature was about 30 degrees, right around freezing. Now, the daytime high is running around 10 degrees, and I won't be standing outside long enough to take a photo, if I can help it. For my mother and other concerned readers, yes - I do have a hat which I normally wear.

I've been wondering if this coat will make the trip home with me or not. It would literally take up an entire suitcase, and when would I wear it? A decision to be made in the future.

Julia

Many of our kids have chosen English names for themselves, and this is Julia. Her Mongolian name is Ganaa. She lived in an orphanage from the age of 5, and came to live with us when she was 10. She is now 19 years old. Her mother is an alcoholic, and she doesn't know who her father is. She suffers from kidney problems, including recently having kidney stones.

Ganaa is a special and kind young lady. She is especially talented with crafts, taking simple paper and making beautiful origami-type art. As the oldest girl, she is also very helpful at home with the younger kids. Her English is steadily improving, so I have enjoyed being able to converse with her more and more without a translator.

We don't have an "age limit," where we force our kids to leave once they reach a certain age. We happily support our older kids who want to go to college, or to help others enter the workforce. Our organization is like a family for these children, so we are here to support them as long as necessary until they are ready to live independent lives. Some of them may even end up working for us. I'm watching our older kids with great interest, to see what futures they will choose for themselves.

Where God lives

Yesterday's sermon at church got me thinking. Right in the middle of it, too. The pastor introduced his main point and verse, and then the Holy Spirit starting teaching me and I sort of tuned out the rest of the pastor's sermon. I spent the rest of the time writing and thinking. The pastor's opening verse was Exodus 29:46, which says in the NASB, "They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God." God rescued the Jews from slavery in Egypt not just because He "heard their cries," but for the purpose of dwelling with them. And not just in spirit, but physically and visibly dwelling with them. Wow. It struck me that from beginning to end, the bible describes God's desire and intention to dwell physically, not just spiritually, with people. That, after all, was His original creative purpose with Adam. God was physically there with Adam on earth, walking and talking with him. I don't know what form God took, but it was physical and visible. Why else would Adam and Eve have to hide from Him later?

Here's where my mind went while the pastor was speaking:

• Jews from the Exodus - In the form of a cloud, God rested on the tabernacle in the wilderness. "...the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:34)
• Solomon's temple - after Solomon's 7-year construction of the awesome Jerusalem temple, the king consecrated it and offered up a great prayer and sacrifices to the Lord. God then appeared in the temple in a thick cloud. (2 Chronicles 7:1-2)
• Jesus Christ - the obvious and ultimate example. God in human form, Immanuel, meaning "God with us."
• Holy Spirit - after Jesus' departure from earth, this is Jesus in people all around us.
• Second advent - Jesus will return in bodily form to rule the earth. (Revelation 19)

At one point, I did hear the pastor ask the congregation, "Who here would like to see God?" Hands shot up all around the room. But history shows otherwise! God keeps trying to live with us, and mankind has continually rejected Him for lesser substitutes. I can partly understand why, since I myself fear God. Being in the physical presence of God sounds wonderful, but it also sounds kind of terrifying. Nevertheless, that's the Christian's great hope and reward. Right now we have the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. But that's not the best part - ultimately we will truly see God, and dwell with Him. That's what He has intended from the beginning.

A new hobby

Necessity is the mother of invention, and in Mongolia, that means Susannah is cooking. And yes, I mean that I am actually making meals in my kitchen from raw ingredients. It's not that I've never cooked at home, but it's rare. Why should I? Living in Houston, it's way too easy to eat out or take home some of the best food in the world. But Susannah is not in Kansas anymore.

As I type this, I am enjoying my latest masterpiece, homemade BBQ chicken pizza. For the doubters out there (i.e. my family), here's proof:

The primary reasons I have been driven to cook are: 1) there are only a handful of good restaurants in Darkhan, 2) it's too dadgum cold to walk outside every night for dinner, and 3) let's face it, I have the time. Cooking here has its limitations, like any foreign country I'm sure, and I'm learning how to substitute ingredients or get creative. Example: did you know that sour cream substitutes well for milk or buttermilk in muffins and pancakes?! Don't worry, I can buy milk here, but I can't buy everything that's available at home.

I have to give some credit to my friend Kari, who spent the summer here. She kickstarted the cooking within our little American group, and I've taken it to another level. I find recipes on the internet (allrecipes.com), and search for anything that has "easy" in the title. Not because I'm not up to a cooking challenge, but rather because I'm more likely to be able to find the ingredients locally.

Here are some of the fabulous things I've made. All totally from scratch - there is no such thing as mixes or ready made meals here. And for the record, they all have turned out well! No disasters yet.

• Buttermilk pancakes (I used sour cream. Or, it turns out you can actually make your own buttermilk by putting lemon juice or vinegar in regular milk. I'm so embarrassed that I know that).
• Blueberry muffins (using jam I bought from the Lake Khovsgol area which was homemade from local berries)
• Chicken salad with pinenuts
• Aztec casserole (a southwestern type dish)
• Eggplant parmesan
• Spaghetti and meatballs
• BBQ chicken pizza

I still feel a little out of my element on those cooking websites, and I sure won't be signing up for their mailing lists, or going to any Pampered Chef parties when I get home. Who knows if I'll sustain my new hobby when I return to Houston? Probably not. It's best to let the professionals handle it.

Roma

Time for another "kid post!" I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but it's hard. Anyone who has visited us with mission teams knows that there is always one kid that leaves a special mark. For me, that kid is Roma.

I first met Roma in 2004, when he was 15 years old. He and his younger brother Igor are half Mongolian, half Russian. They both came to our organization in 2000, after living together on the streets. Their Mongolian father died, and their Russian mother became an alcoholic, selling everything they owned (including their apartment) to buy alcohol. Roma and Igor were left to fend for themselves at a young age. Jerry saw them one day digging through trash, and brought them to our organization.

I was able to connect with Roma instantly because he knew a little English. Now, he's 18 and able to do basic translation with our teams in the summer. He is one of the most impressive kids I've ever met - 100% genuine, eager to learn, a devoted Christian, compassionate with the other children, willing to do anything you ask, etc. To me, he represents the bright future of Mongolia. And, the fruit of what our organization is trying to accomplish - caring for and raising helpless children to become successful, loving people.

Here's Roma back in 2004, a day in the summer when we all went to the park to play. He's always smiling - I've really never seen him in a bad mood. I'm pleased he's traded that camouflage hat for maroon!