SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2006
Greetings again from Mongolia,
It is Sunday night here in Mongolia and it has been a very busy and challenging weekend.
On Friday evening, Peter and Nerida Koolik from Australia along with three friends from Ukraine who have been working on the church building construction were involved in a serious accident as they traveled from Bulgan to Ulaanbaatar. They had successfully completed around 700 kilometer of the 900+ kilometer trip when their van smashed into the back corner of a large unlit trailer parked in the roadway. They had just met three oncoming vehicles so were especially hampered in seeing the trailer, but the driver saw the trailer just in time to attempt to miss the trailer. In spite of his best efforts, the right front corner of the van hit the trailer. The van tumbled over at least once and ended up on its top with the roof seriously caved in. Peter and Nerida were in the back seats sleeping and sustained only minor injuries. The driver was also not badly hurt while his wife was very bloody and cut up, but otherwise not seriously hurt. The third man sitting in the right front seat was seriously injured with a broken pelvis and his leg broken in two places. He was transported to a nearby clinic and after several hours moved to Ulaanbaatar for further treatment including surgery.
Clearly the devil is not pleased with what has been accomplished and is being accomplished, but we thank God that no one was killed and that the injuries were not worse. Peter said he’d never been in an accident like this and it was pretty traumatic pulling the people out of the up-side-down van, one at a time, wondering if they were alive or dead. I spoke with him several hours after the accident and he mentioned that they are all very sore and bruised from being tossed around inside the van, but felt said he though he would still make his return flight to Australia as planned on Sunday midday. Indeed, he and Nerida did catch their flight from Ulaanbaatar and should be nearly home by now.
We have been presenting the Sabbath in our meetings over the past two nights. Last night, a man came in the side door of the church and walked right up to me and started shouting (in Mongolian of course) that he knows all about this stuff and it isn’t true etc. Seems he had attended the church for a while and had gone back to drinking and was quite drunk. The Global Mission worker came and sat down with him and he continued to talk with him until he finally got up and walked out.
Also, there were several folk from the police department who came to see what was going on. They sat through most of the meeting and then had to go. Tonight was the second night on the Sabbath, including discussion on the history of the change from Sabbath to Sunday and imagine my challenge when 7-8 folk showed up for their first time! In spite of it all, several folk shared with the team that they really enjoyed the meeting and learned so much!
The remaining builders are scrambling to complete the pastor’s apartment so he and his family can move in. They asked if I would take responsibility for laying the carpet and I agreed. We got the two bedrooms done today and cut the carpet for the living/dining area just before it was time to get dressed for the evening meeting. Hopefully we’ll complete that on Monday so the pastor can move in on Tuesday.
 Since most of the construction team has now gone, we’ve had to fend for ourselves for meals. Earlier, several women had prepared meals for the entire group. My room has an extra extension that we’ve set up for cooking and eating. With my bucket and water heater arrangement, we’re able to wash up the dishes in relative luxury.
We have not had any more power cuts and hopefully won’t.
Do please keep us all in your prayers, especially during this last week of the meetings.
Blessings,
Mike |
Yesterday, we had no power for most of the day. It made things rather difficult for construction on the church building, but somehow we managed with hand tools and a battery-powered drill. I installed bolts and locks in several doors in the pastor’s apartment before the drill battery went dead. Others completed a gate and the remaining fence using a borrowed portable welder before it was returned to its owners.