I'm back in South Korea after another life-changing adventure in the Youth's Outreach to Mongolia!
On a physical note, my body's been fraying on the edges from adapting to such a different climate where the sun was scorching during the day & then shifting to extreme low temperatures at night. Mongolia was not the most comfortable outreach! The flies were lurking, the sleep was short-lived, the food was very foreign & not to mention horseback riding for the first time and getting thrown off a few too many times..What an experience though!
Four years ago my life changed when I attended a Discipleship Training School in Kona, Hawaii where Jesus revealed himself and showed me that he is in the business of using ordinary, young people like me to make a difference in the world.
It was on this outreach to Mongolia I was able to step back into a similar moment as I witnessed how God used the Korean students to touch the lives of the Mongolians. Watching their desperation for Jesus and their love for one another was inspiring & brought me back to earlier times of simple faith. I was reminded of the boy in the bible who had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. A simple, humble sacrifice that Jesus was able to multiply to feed thousands. God taught me that it isn't about intellect, gifts or even willpower but actually about proximity. God isn't looking for people who are extraordinary in what they can offer, but for people who are so close in proximity to him & willing to show up. Just like the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish, their greatest resource was Jesus. When we make Jesus our aim, he will use our heart for him to love people in a way we never could. It's all about relationship.
We spent most of our time focusing on three main ministries: Prayer, Worship and Evangelism (Loving on the people!).
Prayer: Intentional prayer against the enemy's lies over the people, a wildfire of the gospel message to spread throughout Mongolia, and for God reveal himself in tangible ways to a country void of Christianity. (the bible was only translated into Mongolian 10 years ago!)
Worship: We would spent many hours a day worshiping God, declaring his Kingship and authority over Mongolia. I was reminded of what Paul said to us "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." I'm learning that our purpose as missionaries isn't necessarily to meet a physical need but to change the spiritual atmosphere. To declare that there is a God who loves them and died on the cross to prove it.
Evangelism: I'll let the evangelism pictures speak for themselves. All I can say is...Balloons, facepainting, candy, jumpy songs = happy kids!
Please be praying for Mongolia, that a volcano of passion and desperation would erupt inside their hearts for Jesus. Pray for the YWAM bases and that their needs would be met for staff and students so that more disciples can be trained and sent out.
Do not let other people look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in word, love, faith and integrity.
1 Timothy 4:12
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Jer
