Category Archive

by Cinda

We have been delinquent in posting new blogs lately, but we are still here, still going to language classes and schools, and still thankful for our friends and family!  Toby and Annika have been keeping us hopping the past two weeks with a stomach bug.  Toby was sick for several days and we had to juggle schedules to take care of him, then Annika came down with it over the weekend while Mark was away on a “fishing” trip (the ice on the river was at least 12 inches thick, so there was no fishing!).  It has been a difficult virus to rid ourselves of but it seems like we might be on the other side of it now.  I don’t want to speak too soon, though, so please pray for all of us to be healthy.  Thank you so much to those of you who have been praying during this time — it helps us greatly to know you are there and interceding for us. 

It has already been a month since Annika’s 8th birthday!  We had a big party to celebrate Annika and Isaiah (Liberda) turning 8 and Malachi (also Liberda) turning 10.  It all came together at the last minute and thanks so much to Kirsten and Ali, as well as pretty much the entire Darhan team for pitching in and helping.  The plan originally was to have separate parties for each child, but when Liberda’s received word they were going to the States at any time, we all wanted to be sure we had a chance to celebrate with the boys before they left.  Annika had a wonderful time with all of her friends there together.  Even the Bergevin family was able to be here, which added to the celebration.

There are many more pictures where these came from, but it’s time to put the kids to bed!  We look forward to hearing from you soon.

by Cinda

We dropped Toby off at tsitserleg this morning as usual.  As usual, he was wearing his light-up Spiderman sweatshirt and his Spiderman shoes.  In the coatroom two Mongolian boys were showing each other their Spiderman caps they wore to school, another boy took off his coat to reveal a Spiderman t-shirt, and one more boy in a Spiderman t-shirt came over to say hi to his friends.  Did Toby start a trend or is it just the in-thing this year? 

We really appreciate your prayers for Toby’s adjustment to school, especially now that Levi Liberda is in the U.S.  Yesterday when we picked him up he was sitting on the rug playing alone while the other kids ate their lunch.  Before we took him back today we asked him to sit down at the table with the other kids at lunchtime and to try to play with some of the kids.  When we picked him up today, there he was sitting at the table with everyone else!  He was wearing his exercise clothes (every Tuesday is exercise day) and he tells us he exercised AND played with some of the kids.  As he was getting ready to leave, 5 or 6 girls and 1 or 2 boys came to tell him goodbye.  They all know his name very well, but we’re still working on getting to know their names!  Keep praying for him.  It can’t be easy for him to go into a room full of kids (and teachers) who don’t speak any English, but he has a much more positive attitude now than he did just a few weeks ago.  It’s all in God’s sovereign hands and we see so many signs of how He has already been working in Toby’s heart, so we rest in His promise that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.  You bless us greatly when you pray for our kids– thank you all from the bottoms of our hearts!       

by Mark

We received word that the Liberda family safely made it to Minnesota!  That’s a great praise.  Lisa is undergoing tests and meeting with doctors over these next several days.  Thank you for praying for them and for all of us! 

by Mark

Makes a noise and no one hears it is it still an earthquake?

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2009duak.php

This is a far way from us, didn’t feel a thing or know it happened.  In the Gobi region and Inner Mongolia there seems to quite a history of seismic events. 

PS-

Keep praying for the Liberda Family.  Lisa is clear to travel (praise) and they are on their way to Minnesota. 

Thank you for your all your prayers for our friend and sister, Lisa.  Following surgery, Lisa developed a blood clot below the break.  The doctors in Korea felt that she needed to stay in Korea for further care and monitoring.  She has been there now for almost 4 weeks.  The clot was discovered to have moved when it was checked last week, and further tests revealed an unrelated health issue that needs attention.  Because of the complications, Brent and the children will join Lisa in Korea in a couple of days and return to the States with her when she is released for travel.  Pray that she will be released tomorrow following her sonogram and that she will be strengthened for the trip home.  Pray for the clot to dissolve and for her overall health, as well as for the tests and recovery in the States to go well.  Pray for Brent as he completes all the preparations for their family to travel and be gone during this time.  Praise our Father for the details He has worked out for them and for His continual care for Lisa.  Lisa is very thankful for all those who are praying for her and her family!       

by Mark

If you met Harold Walker at first glance you might think him a bit gruff.  His salt and pepper hair was cut close in a brush cut. He had a barrel chest and powerful arms with a faded tattoo.  His voice had a bit of a growl to it.  Harold was a Navy Corpsman.  Under his skin he still carried around shrapnel from Okinawa when he landed with the Marines, the bloodiest war in the Pacific Theatre.  Harold Walker was not a man to be trifled with, he was brave enough to take on teaching a class of young boys.  Mr. Walker was my Sunday School teacher. 

It was his smile that gave it away- there was something different about Harold, he loved Jesus.  Thinking back I can’t remember when Mr. Walker came to Christ but you could see it in his life.   During my fifth grade year our class met in the church kitchen.  Sitting on folding metal chairs surrounded by big pots and aluminum foil we were fascinated by Mr. Walker’s stories of going on patrol at Okinawa.  Corpsmen were popular targets for snipers and sometimes were called up to be targets (unwilling ones) to flush out snipers.  I’m sure he saw more than he ever wanted to.  Mr.  Walker was a man of commitment, as a warrior, he went far beyond what was expected as a Sunday School teacher.  Mr. Walker was a warrior of another type, a warrior  seldom seen today  but urgently needed.  Harold was a prayer warrior.  Like my grandfather who went before him, from his knees he battled in a realm that was not seen.  He covered me in prayer. Every time I saw him his face would break into a great grin and ask me how I was doing and then let me know he was praying for me.  He continually greeted my parents at church and expressed to them that he was praying for me.  How many times he interceded on my behalf when I needed it most I do not know.  I believe one of the reasons that my family and are are in Mongolia today is because of people like Harold Walker who prayed for me and those who continue to pray. 

Mr. Walker died last week of a stroke.  In that moment when he died and went to be with Jesus Harold joined the throng- the ones who have gone before and cheer us on in finishing the race.  The picture painted in Hebrews is a beautiful one- a race that comes into the arena, the runners giving it all they can.  Across the stadium there is a roar, people standing on their toes, hands in the air cheering for the runners to give it there all.  Encouraging them to strive with all they have left to cross the finish line.  Mr. Walker finished the race, he is now among the crowd with so many others that I have loved who finished well and gone on.

  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Heb 12:1 ESV)

Thank you Mr. Walker, you are one of my heroes.    Thank you for loving Jesus, thank you for praying.  Keep cheering.  I will see you over the line. 

posted by Cinda

Our teacher called it a party, but we think it was a lesson in disguise!  Whatever it was, the food was tasty, everyone was dressed up, and the singing and dancing were terrific.  Toby wouldn’t wear his dell after the first five minutes, but aside from that, he had fun.  The kids weren’t sure about most of the food, so thankfully there was plenty of fresh fruit and dessert to make up for the things they wouldn’t eat.  Mark was called upon to answer a few Tsagaan Sar history questions, for which he was well-qualified since he’s gathered a lot of information about it lately.  Some things never change!

We mingled, we wrapped and re-wrapped our dells, then we had the teachers re-wrap us, we learned about the foods, we ate the foods, and we enjoyed the traditional music and dance.  Then, when we were sated and lulled into complacency, they tested our Tsagaan Sar greetings.  I think we did okay.  We find out tomorrow when we start visiting for the actual holiday.  We have 3 days off school for the holiday.  We have at least 4 invitations to visit Mongolian homes and will get to practice our language while we celebrate with our friends and their families.  Everyone says we will be expected to eat boadz and drink milk-tea nonstop.  We joked about having a weigh-in today and another one next Monday–too bad we don’t have a scale at our house . . .  Maybe just “before and after” photos will work!  The kids will be given a lot of candy — anybody know a good dentist? 

It’s a huge privilege for us to be serving here.  We are very thankful for so many things, among them the opportunities for our children to learn about Mongolian culture.  Mongolia is a beautiful place with an intriguing history and amazing people.  There is no doubt it isn’t easy to live in Mongolia, but God has used difficult circumstances to create incredible strength and perseverance in Mongolia’s people.  

Mongolian Singing and Mooren Hor (Horse fiddle)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Alliance launched a multipurpose ministry center, including a student outreach, in Ulaanbaatar, the cultural hub of Mongolia. The grand opening of the Grain of Wheat Student Center took place on February 16, 2009.

Each year, 250,000 students pour into Ulaanbaatar from across the country to attend university. “The center is located in the heart of the city, close to several major universities,” says Bernie Anderson, who serves with The Alliance in Mongolia. “The center exists for the benefit of students who come to the city to study.”

Many students enter the university dormitory system, which consists of up to 10 students sharing one room with no furniture. “They have no quiet place of their own to study,” says Anderson. “There is no place in the city to simply ‘hang out,’ with the exception of the abundant number of bars and pubs. Alcoholism is a huge problem in Mongolia, and much of the time it begins with university students.”

The Grain of Wheat Student Center will help meet some of these needs, providing a warm and inviting environment for students to gather. It will feature a library and eventually computers for research, a quiet study area, and a coffee shop. Students will be able to attend English and vocational classes as well as movie and music nights.

The Alliance ministry team in Mongolia believes that the best way to build relationships with the people of Ulaanbaatar is to have a visible presence in the city. Dennis Maves, field director for Mongolia, says, “Our first priority is to establish a beachhead in this strategic city by purchasing a permanent location for a multipurpose ministry center that will serve as a tactical hub for student outreach and outreach into communities throughout the city.”

The Alliance is a fellowship of evangelical believers joined together in local churches, dedicated to caring about the whole person and meeting people’s needs. The Alliance maintains a “big tent” stance in reference to many doctrinal matters, encouraging believers of diverse backgrounds and theological traditions to unite in order to share the love of Jesus Christ through tangible acts of compassion. 

go to www.remembermongolia.org and www.camamongolia.org for more pictures

It’s been awhile since we posted anything new, so we thought we’d just take a few minutes to at least say hello!  After a brief warm spell, it has now turned “AAAMAR Wheaton”, which means frightfully cold.  We’re bundling up as usual and managing to persevere.  The most difficult times are waiting for the bus in the mornings (for Annika) and walking to and from language school.  However, our apartment continues to be very warm — for which we are extremely thankful!  Mark was able to celebrate his birthday (38!) in Bulgan at Jeremy and Renee Bergevin’s home.  They invited us out and we were happy to take them up on the offer.  It was a fun time for all, playing Dutch Blitz and cribbage, eating cake, and worshipping together.  We also had the fun of taking Isaiah Liberda with us to add to the enjoyment of all the kids.  Jeremy gave us a ride out there on Friday afternoon and we came back to Darhan in a taxi on Sunday afternoon.  I’ll leave space for Mark to describe the taxi ride home (related to the vulture pictures below), and to explain the eagle. 

The kids all painted together Saturday afternoon — thanks, Aunt Renee and Uncle Jeremy, for a great weekend! 

I’m not sure if this is a golden eagle (its a bit small) or a falcon (its a bit larger than the Red Tails I’m used to seeing in Arkansas) Unfortunately it got hit by a car and met and early demise.  What a beautiful creature!  Its talons are truly razor sharp and its plumage spectacular.  (Yes I was thinking of all the flies I could tie but do not want to start any extraordinary demand for these beautiful creatures.) 

On the way back from Erdent our taxi driver was quite a guy.  I asked him if he had seen any camels or eagles on the road.  He said that he had not but he did see some camels north of Darhan.  As we were passing a field he stopped and said that there were big black birds- would we like to look at them.  Sure!  I said. In my mind this meant stopping and watching the birds from the road, the driver had other ideas.  To our delight he drove off the road and towards the birds, chasing them.  Toby, Annika and Isaiah thought it was the greatest thing.  We had fun.  We were able to get a few great shots of them as they flew off.  These vultures are the same birds that are used to fletch arrows on traditional Mongolian arrows.  What an adventure and great ending to a special birthday weekend.

  In an unrelated photo, Smokey is sporting her new collar — a gift from Grandma! 

Thank you for all your prayers and emails regarding our friend, coworker and neighbor Lisa following her accident.  We just wanted to let you know that she had surgery yesterday, the doctor said it was “ideal” (if I understood Lisa correctly on Skype today).  She’s on the mend and thankful to have that part behind her.   She’s thankful for Skype because it allows her to talk to her family everyday, and for the Korean friends and doctors who are taking such good care of her.  She and Esther will have a free home to stay in over the next two weeks thanks to a church in Korea.  The doctors have told her to expect it to be at least two weeks before she is able to return to Mongolia, which is of course very difficult for her as a mom of 4 children who all happen to be in Mongolia.  Malachi will have his birthday while Lisa is away and Isaiah’s is only a week after Malachi’s, so that also weighs heavy on her heart to be away during this time.  Keep praying!  Lisa is still having a lot of pain and discomfort, too, as well as the family things that are constantly on her mind.