Dreaming Big: January 2010

Samaritan's Purse

Today we had the privelege of partnering with Samaritan's Purse to hand out nearly 200 presents to children in our community!

Our littlest helpers, Abi and Kenny were very excited to take part in the gift-giving. (Although Kenny doesn't look very excited in this photo!) When we left the house I told the kids that they would not be receiving a present since they had already gotten Christmas presents. I told them that this would be a time to give and to bless other children. Abi said, "Mommy, I don't want to get a present. I just want to see the happy faces when those children open their presents!"

Our drama team did "A Tale of Two Kingdoms". It is a powerful drama that explains salvation in a way even small children can understand.

Look at this girls expression as she watched Jesus being crucified in the drama

Now she's is smiling at His resurrection and coronation as King

After the drama, Hetee talked to the children about The Greatest Gift

Time to open the presents!

Some of the children received cards and letters that needed to be translated...

Today was this little girl's birthday!

Packed!

BAYARLALAA!!!

(Thank You!!!)

Whew! All done!

Summer camp, 2009

I came across this post in the "drafts" folder. I started it way back but forgot to post it!

The pictures are from our church summer camping trip last summer.

About 40 people attended and we baptized 13.

Urgent Prayer Request

Please keep us in your prayers as we appeal to the government once more for our church papers. Last month our church permission request was denied. In Mongolia churches have to renew their permissions every year. This year, almost half of the elected officials in charge are extreme Buddhist and have been very vocal against the Christian churches. They have decided that they will not grant any new permissions to churches in our town because they believe that there are enough churches as it is.

Our church is one of the first in Darkhan. But, due to misinformation from one of the government offices a while back, our papers were not renewed and so we have had to apply all over again. Now, they are treating us as a new church and refusing to give us permission to meet.

Hetee will meet with the government officials today on behalf of our church and several other Christian churches who have also been denied permission papers. Please pray that God will move on our behalf and that we will be granted church permission papers.

Testimonies of God's Goodness

This is Chuka. He became a believer and started attending Darkhan Christian Fellowship 5 years ago. He used to be an alcoholic until a fight with a drinking buddy left him blind in his right eye.

While in the hospital, he read a Bible for the first time. A woman from church visited him and invited him to attend church with her. He began to attend church and a cell group and learned about forgiveness. His left eye was also damaged in a fight with a police officer and but he can see a little. He is believing God for complete eyesight restoration and asks that you all pray for him as well.

Chuka has been a member of Hetee's G12 for the past 3 years. He also attends Bible School and has a heart for the cripple and mentally disabled.

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This is Nara. She has been a believer for 7 years and a member of Melanie's G12 for about 4 years. For a long time she was the only believer in her family but now her youngest son and one granddaughter have become Christians. She has been a tremendous example to her unsaved family members and is believing God for the salvation of her husband and grown children.

Nara's demeanor has changed a lot since becoming a believer. She used to be a harsh business woman. She was hard on her husband and children and very demanding of those around her but since she gave her life to Christ, she has become more loving, peaceful and generous. She has a heart for the poor and gives to them generously.

In spite of these positive changes, at a recent family gathering, her husband and children got to talking and decided to confront her about going to church and tithing. They had had enough and they wanted her to stop. But she told them that the changes that they had seen in her life were a result of her decision to follow Jesus. She reminded them that the strife that used to exist in their home was gone, and that the peace the whole family now benefited from was because of Jesus. They became quiet and agreed that she was right. Since then no one has told her to stop believing in Jesus and her husband has given his full consent to her attending church and cell group.

Please remember Nara's family in your prayers. Pray that Nara will not be discouraged and that she will continue to be a light to them and lead them to the Savior.

Christmas Harvest Service

*Update*

We just returned from our leaders' meeting and after receiving feedback in the cell groups we discovered that over 60 people were converted, not 20-30! Praise God for a great harvest!

On the 27th we held our Harvest Service to which a new "crop" of new people were invited to attend (through cell groups). We prepared an evangelistic drama and a sermon and between 20-30 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior.