All are Precious in His Sight

While many of you headed to bed after eating Thanksgiving dinner, we were celebrating the Mongolian Independence from China. The ceremony lasted about 2 hours long (I didn't stay the whole time) and included a variety of acts. There was everything from Mongolian techno dancers,  a Mongolian whistler, wrestlers, a choir, a rapper, an individual shooting archery and more. I tried to upload the videos so you could see, but pictures will have to work for now.

Here is a picture of the traditional Mongolian uniform in a not so traditional setting (notice Pizza Hut).

 Here is a Mongolian storyteller:

and here is a soloist:

The different cultures here are very interesting to learn about. On Thanksgiving Day we ate next to 2 Afghan one star generals and a colonel. Although all communication was through a translator it was still interesting to hear about their backgrounds.

This reminds me of a line from Jesus Loves the Little Children and although the 'children' have grown up, it still applies: "All are precious in His sight."

Hope you'll had a GREAT Thanksgiving!

With Hope

This past week I escorted our local nationals (Omid, Ebay, and Ferhat) to the DFAC for lunch. The week prior they had celebrated a second Eid, called Eid al-Adha (they have a lot of holidays here!). They commemorated the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son ‘Ishmael’ as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead. This adds an interesting twist to the story for those of you who are familiar with Genesis 22.

The LN’s families each sacrificed a cow. They first serve themselves, then their families and the poor people. There are no leftovers. Giving to the poor is one of the five pillars of Islam and therefore required. Their generosity has challenged me. As believers in Jesus, we have a similar challenge found in Matthew 25:40. Jesus even said it is more blessed to give than receive.

In this season of Thanksgiving, “May their hearts and ours be drawn to ponder the weighty questions of sin, consequence, sacrifice, and redemption” and may the Truth overflow into our actions. 

With hope,

Hannah
Psalm 69:30-31

It's Not Everyday...

…you feel an earthquake! We had a 5.5 magnitude in the Hindu Kush Mountains along the Pakistan border. The tremors were minor during the middle of the afternoon, so there was no damage.  This was my first!

I heard later Little Rock had 2 earthquakes!…and it’s fall there?! I’m not too sure what that is anymore. I was reminded by Nate and Emily who sent me a fall package complete with leaves! When there is little vegetation you can’t see the seasons change too much.

Here are two pictures taken this week.  Very unusual:

Unusual, because this is the clearest I’ve ever seen the mountains here! Normally, the farthest we can see is the white building in the background. You wouldn’t realize the mountains are so close because of the pollution. I also saw my first rainbow here after a rainstorm!

This is also unusual, because of the pollution. The rainy season seems to clear the sky more from the debris in the air. We’re at a mile high elevation, so rumor has it we will get snow soon (you can already see it in the mountains)!! Too bad Afghanistan doesn’t have ski resorts. That would make for a fun mission.

It’s not everyday (here) you get to see the mountains, feel earthquakes, and see rainbows! I am reminded of Psalm 19:1, “The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

What a Week!

Here are some of the blessings:

1.       Studied Eve with a couple women

2.       An Afghan Women’s business conference was funded

3.       Charnelle was a big encouragement. (Our arrangement as roommates has been wonderful! She is a woman of God.)

4.       The three star spoke at church. Very encouraging to hear him speak about his faith.

Things to pray about:

1.       Charnelle lost her job this week. The Air Force is having  a Reduction in Force (RIF). She will be leaving in a couple weeks for home to be with her three kids and husband. Her family will have a big adjustment ahead. Her husband also needs to find a job.

2.       God alone would be glorified through the conference. The Lord would guide my arrangements.

3.       I am homesick. I miss you'll!

4.       Ultimately, God would give me a BIG view of Him.

One of the difficult things about writing a blog: The conversation is one-sided. I will tell my story, but many times will not hear others. This week, I was reminded of 1 Samuel 12:23, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.” Please let me know if you want me to pray for you about something specific.

Love and blessings,

Hannah