Random Mongolia Fact
Mongolia is believed to be where 'Eagle Hunting' Originated. A man will take an eagle and train it to hunt prey from a distance. Men have competitions to see who's eagle can catch the biggest wolf. Watch the video to see how its done! Eagle Hunting
Scriptural Meditation
As a team, all of us are memorizing Romans 8. The more I review this chapter through recitations and meditations, the more I humbled by the sacrifice Christ made not only for me, but for you, my family, friends, and those I will meet in Mongolia. Take a moment and read Romans 8.
Ah! I can't believe that in less then 3 days I will be embarking on the trip of a life time. Today I finished up my last day of work for the summer of 2011. I was blessed to work at the Townsquare Media (KEZJ, KOOL, KLIX, and Snake Radio stations in Twin Falls) and Best Buy for the two weeks I was home for the summer (here’s a call out to all you guys I’ve worked with the past few weeks!). It was great to see everyone I didn't see at school this past year and get to hear how everyone was doing. I found it interesting though, when talking about my trip to both friends and strangers, a lot of them were intrigued by this being a ‘religious trip’ or as a couple implied, a trip where I along with my team will be ‘imposing’ our beliefs on other people. I got that a few different times today, and it has been on my mind all day. I have replied to their comments with pretty much the same answer, that first and foremost, it is never a goal of mine nor should it be of any missions trip, to ‘impose or force’ beliefs on others.
Sadly, many Christians have taken that approach throughout history, and from looking at the evidence, this has been more detrimental than beneficial to the people that have not only been witnessed to, but Christianity as a whole. This is where many Christians get a bad wrap from the general public because who wants a “Bible Thumper” cramming their useless and dusty theology down their throats. I won’t lie when I say, there are times I have a tough time calling myself a Christian when I see other so called ‘Christians’ not merely debating a topic, but fighting to the death over who’s right and who’s wrong and feeling like they’ve defined their faith by pounding some atheist or agnostic into the ground. My question falls down the line of a Black Eyed Peas song, “Where is the Love?” The Bible I read, the Jesus I believe, and the Spirit that lives and guides me leads me to understand that proving a point or cramming my beliefs on someone is not love. In fact, it seems to be quite the opposite. Its rude and inconsiderate. It is most insensitive and egotistic to enter the kitchen of someone hosting a party and tell the cook or host how to cook or prepare the meal. Anyone with any sort of poise would not be so arrogant as to tell the cook how to cook what they are cooking. We are entering Mongolia as guests to their culture, and it would be quite rude to disrespect the people that we plan to witness and love. We are all less likely to give ear too and respect the people that talk over us and force themselves upon us compared to those that try to understand us and show love and peace.
Donal Miller has written a fantastic book down the lines of what I’m writing about, its called “Blue Like Jazz” (if you have had a bad experience with Christians, as a Christian, or are questioning your own core beliefs as a Christian, I highly recommend this book). If a complete stranger were to walk up to you right now and say, “Hey lets go get lunch sometime,” most of us would ordinarily find a polite way to excuse yourself, unless you found the person attractive or based the decision completely on emotion. But say a casual acquaintance, say the guy you see at the golf course all the time or the girl in your study group, asks you to lunch, you might think about this for a little longer because there is a level of familiarity there. Now lets say one of your best friends asks you to go to lunch, you’re more likely to immediately say ‘yes.’ When it comes to missions the same concept applies except we are complete strangers to these people. As a Christian that believes in the power of the Holy Spirit, I truly believe that God can work in peoples hearts in powerful ways and help them realize the Truth that can set us free through Christ Jesus, yet I cannot go and expect every single person to go drop their core beliefs they’ve been raised in by just talking to me, a complete stranger, for an hour or two. The most effective way that I can communicate the Gospel is by the way that I live. Growing up in any normal home, I’ve heard both my parents say to one another in one argument or another, “You can’t just say, ‘I Love You’ and not do anything to show for it!” That’s where I get the basis to core theology in missions. I am not going over there forcing God down the throats of people so to speak, but I will be a servant like we have been called to be as Christians, I will love these people the way that Christ loves us, I am supposed to be an example of mercy and forgiveness, and portray Christ’s grace that is sufficient. I am human just like you and not as perfect as I wish I could be; I will mess up but I have to be willing to follow where the Lord leads me when I am with these people and be transparent in my mistakes and ask forgiveness or show forgiveness when necessary. We will only be interacting with each family for a day or two, so its not just a matter of sharing the Gospel with them and leaving, rather, its a process of building a relationship into a friendship, a friendship into discipleship. The way that we live and act as a team is the loudest witness than any words we speak to these people. This entire outlook of mine doesn’t apply to just over seas, but this is how I view missions on a day-to-day basis here in America. So when people think that I am just like the Christian they know that just waited to dogmatically throw a Bible at them, it makes me reconsider what it means to entail love into my Christian walk, because just like my parents said, love isn’t something you can just say to make it mean something, its the way you act that speaks the loudest.
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