Food and Fellowship

Hello,

We are currently on our last week in Mongolia or 6 days to be more precise. We have 3 days left in Bayankhongor before traveling to Ulaanbaatar on the 4th and leaving for America on the 6th.

It is quite bittersweet as our time serving in Mongolia is coming to an end. Although our time at the camp has brought about happiness and new beginnings for some of the teenagers who came, it has been a hard past week for the teenagers that came to the camp. From what we heard, a lot of the teenagers have issues at home and as a result, we haven’t seen them around much at the base or cafe this week. Our hearts hurt for them and we are continually praying for these teenagers and for the staff here who are continually reaching out to these kids and providing a safe space for them.

Although there are cultural and language barriers, I am reminded that pain, challenges, family issues, and personal issues are universal. Even if we can’t speak to each other, we can still empathize with each and be there in company for each other. I can say that my time here with the teenagers and youth has opened up my heart to those back at home in my community.

On a lighter note, tonight (our time) we will be learning how to make Mongolian fried dumplings with the YWAM stuff. I’m so excited to try it out and spend time cooking good food with the teams. In return, tonight and tomorrow, our team will prepare Mexican food for them for our goodbye dinner. After hearing our team members talk about Mexican food, the YWAM staff was quite eager to try it out. Here’s to hoping we find all the ingredients we need and cook it right!

-Leslie