Coming Back // At the End of a Chapter
The proud people of a broken city, surrounded by expansive views --
Mongolia is quite a special place for me.
It frames a sliver but significant (silver) part of my life - my Exco year.
It was my first mission trip and also my second.
I got to see the ministry grow, the signs of flowering in a desert.
Because of the privilege of visiting the same ministry, I got to have conversations with students whose English have improved - Iveel and Muugii in particular. And students who have warmed up and stepped up in response to the ministry's growing needs - Tsemka, Burmaa, Iveel, Tumee. We met more potential leaders, each younger than us - Otgontsetseg, Baaska. And students who are beginning to mature spiritually - Tsemka, Chaba. And now we pray for students on the brink of their journey with God - Iba, Oyanga, Oogna.
But I also saw students who have dramatically aged one year after graduation - Hosoo and Aagii. As well as reminders of the social and spiritual ills faced in Mongolia - Eku and Zaya.
As for the staff team, we met Ankhaa bagsh, who celebrated one year of being a full-time staff during our time there - looking back on her own journey thus far with joy and a thankful heart. We met Saikhnaa bagsh, who stepped up as Gen Sec just a few months after our first trip. We met bubbly Suugii bagsh, who lost so much weight. D': Got to listen to Jihun's story and how he sacrificed love for ministry. And we got to know fatherly Barnabas bagsh more (and discovered he was the last foreign GS wow). I personally got to know Yumbii bagsh more as well. :)
And... we got to meet Soyoung unnie again :) That moment when I saw her across the main hall... there was no scream of excitement (rather, all the nervous excitement that was building up to that point evaporated). Instead, it was like my heart walked on clouds and the edges of my vision sparkled like a photo filter. Then she pulled (gently, but still pulled) me aside into our girls' room and we talked in the dark, in private. Hahaha but yes, I love her as a friend; it's a special kind of friendship, one borne from similar life journeys, spanning across 40 degrees latitude and 6 years in age. A friendship forged through quiet understanding and mutual tears.
I am also immensely thankful for my group. Old friendships with Muugii and Tsemka deepened, I found new friends in Lydia my partner, Baaska, and Bilgee. Lydia and I worked together during the English lessons - but then again, we hardly needed to teach! Baaska, Muugii, Tsemka and Bilgee would discuss the questions actively - Bilgee helped to correct them, and Muugii would pull everyone in with his enthusiasm. We were in the same group with Saikhnaa bagsha, so I got to know her better this year too. Saikhnaa bagsh and I, we were like two team leaders; our conversation topics alternated between work and more personal sharings.
But. I also learned about myself. How bossy I sound and the need to control my tongue. How I stress over keeping concerns within control. How I judge others without pulling together the energy/motivation to get to know them first. And how comfortable I can be with myself - dancing and singing in public in a foreign country.
Truly, being in a foreign land is different - you discover who you are, and you begin to mature.
Mongolia is quite a special place for me.
It frames a sliver but significant (silver) part of my life - my Exco year.
It was my first mission trip and also my second.
I got to see the ministry grow, the signs of flowering in a desert.
Because of the privilege of visiting the same ministry, I got to have conversations with students whose English have improved - Iveel and Muugii in particular. And students who have warmed up and stepped up in response to the ministry's growing needs - Tsemka, Burmaa, Iveel, Tumee. We met more potential leaders, each younger than us - Otgontsetseg, Baaska. And students who are beginning to mature spiritually - Tsemka, Chaba. And now we pray for students on the brink of their journey with God - Iba, Oyanga, Oogna.
But I also saw students who have dramatically aged one year after graduation - Hosoo and Aagii. As well as reminders of the social and spiritual ills faced in Mongolia - Eku and Zaya.
As for the staff team, we met Ankhaa bagsh, who celebrated one year of being a full-time staff during our time there - looking back on her own journey thus far with joy and a thankful heart. We met Saikhnaa bagsh, who stepped up as Gen Sec just a few months after our first trip. We met bubbly Suugii bagsh, who lost so much weight. D': Got to listen to Jihun's story and how he sacrificed love for ministry. And we got to know fatherly Barnabas bagsh more (and discovered he was the last foreign GS wow). I personally got to know Yumbii bagsh more as well. :)
And... we got to meet Soyoung unnie again :) That moment when I saw her across the main hall... there was no scream of excitement (rather, all the nervous excitement that was building up to that point evaporated). Instead, it was like my heart walked on clouds and the edges of my vision sparkled like a photo filter. Then she pulled (gently, but still pulled) me aside into our girls' room and we talked in the dark, in private. Hahaha but yes, I love her as a friend; it's a special kind of friendship, one borne from similar life journeys, spanning across 40 degrees latitude and 6 years in age. A friendship forged through quiet understanding and mutual tears.
I am also immensely thankful for my group. Old friendships with Muugii and Tsemka deepened, I found new friends in Lydia my partner, Baaska, and Bilgee. Lydia and I worked together during the English lessons - but then again, we hardly needed to teach! Baaska, Muugii, Tsemka and Bilgee would discuss the questions actively - Bilgee helped to correct them, and Muugii would pull everyone in with his enthusiasm. We were in the same group with Saikhnaa bagsha, so I got to know her better this year too. Saikhnaa bagsh and I, we were like two team leaders; our conversation topics alternated between work and more personal sharings.
But. I also learned about myself. How bossy I sound and the need to control my tongue. How I stress over keeping concerns within control. How I judge others without pulling together the energy/motivation to get to know them first. And how comfortable I can be with myself - dancing and singing in public in a foreign country.
Truly, being in a foreign land is different - you discover who you are, and you begin to mature.