Mongolia Update #7

Tuesday, April 27
Today I was dragging after the late night we had with the emergency surgery. When we got to the clinic this morning, Roxy was resting comfortably. Karen had stayed with him overnight because we had him on a morphine/ketamine CRI (constant rate infusion). He would have periodic breakthroughs with pain that we controlled easily with ketamine and valium IV. He definitely has reason to be sore though!
Tonight we went and ate with Enkgchimeg and Saikhnaa at a Chinese restaurant. It was so funny when the waitress brought 2 forks and gave them to the Mongolians. Kellie and I were thinking “do we look like we are good with chopsticks”?!!! We had some really good conversation. Enkgchimeg was telling me that the student ministry at her church was not really growing in numbers. I encouraged her that maybe this is a time where the Lord is wanting them to pour in and disciple the young believers that are currently coming, deepening their faith. Yes, evangelism is a beautiful thing, but so is discipleship.

Fun Fact of the Day: Mongolia won their first Olympic gold medal in Beijing in wrestling.
Mongolian Word of the Day: nakhoi (prounounced na-hoy)—means “dog”

Wednesday, April 28
Today I went with the large animal guys to do a uterine infusion on the mare we cultured last week. It was much warmer than the previous week—PRAISE THE LORD!!! I definitely think that perhaps the weather in Africa more readily fits my bodily need for warmth! We researched the procedure and had everything ready to go. It all went without problems and hopefully the mare will clear the infection and be able to get pregnant. We had another horse that came because it had bloody noses and difficulty breathing during exercise. Tsek used the endoscope and looked up the nares for possible causes. Turns out that this horse has pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia. He was letting the owners look through the scope so he could explain the disease process whenever the power went out. We had 2 more horses on the books to radiograph, but after waiting over 45 minutes for the power to come back on, we decided to call it a day. This was the first time of going with the large animal guys where I would get to have any lunch! And I had come prepared with a FiberOne bar!
We got back to the office around 3:30 and so there was no point in me going to the small animal clinic only to leave to come back to the office for the student Bible study. I asked Mary if she needed anything done and so she gave me a list of library books and asked me if I would catalog any new ones since the original list was done and organize them. Guess who was the one who started the original list—my great friend, Audrey!!! Sometimes I really enjoy such tasks as they are a break for my mind.
Each Wednesday they have dinner, worship and a Bible study for the students at the veterinary school. We eat dinner together at 5 and just fellowship. Then after we are finished we move into one of the classrooms where they sing a few songs and someone gives a devotion. Mary was the one teaching today. She taught on the lost coin in Luke 15. She had hid a quarter in the room and asked everyone to help her find it. She then shared a story about a man that came to her church. He was obviously homeless and smelled bad and would often come to church late. Everyone was always kind to him. He started to come in each Sunday and sit closer and closer to the front. Then they noticed that he no longer smelled. The love of God through His servants had been what had changed that man and now he is a Believer. She talked about how the angels of heaven rejoiced just as much over this homeless man coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior as they would over the President of Mongolia. We are all that special to Him. Many students come to this Bible study to practice their English, and many of those who come originally for that purpose are now walking with the Lord. Please be in prayer for the students being impacted through this facet of the V.E.T.Net ministry.

Fun Fact of the Day: Mongolians use 2 tub washers to wash clothes and then air dry everything on these nifty drying racks.
Mongolian Word of the Day: ukher (pronounced oo-ker)—means “cow”

Thursday, April 29
This morning after devotion, Karen dropped us off at the Mongolian National History Museum. It was 3 floors and documented their history since about 7-8,000 B.C. One of my favorite rooms had the authentic dress of the different tribes throughout Mongolia. They had a room dedicated to the “Communist Era”. It was very interesting to see the complete control the government had over the people. Even though this type of government is super controlling and destructive, one really good thing that they did was improve literacy from around 15% to 96%.
We got back to the clinic around lunch time. Roxy had been taken off all pain medications and fluids and he even started eating and drinking on his own! He was doing so well, we decided he would do best at home. His owner, a Cameroonian man, came and picked him up and Roxy could not get out of the clinic fast enough. I sure do hope he does well.
Tonight Kellie and I went to dinner with Narra (the teacher from previous entries) and Uuganna (pronounced “Ulna”). We decided on a Hot Pot restaurant. It was so much fun cooking our own food and they thought we were crazy for ordering the spicy soup and for putting in extra hot peppers! We told them that Texans really like hot and spicy things (and Kellie and I are really craving Mexican food). Narra told us the neatest story over dinner. Zulaa is a veterinary technician at the small animal clinic. Narra shared that on one of her trips to the countryside she met a young boy who was staying in a school dormitory. He told her that his parents had divorced and left him and his sister and that his sister was living with another family as a servant/slave. During V.E.T.Net’s trip to that county that summer, Narra inquired around about Zulaa. She found her and she came to the summer school and after praying and talking to Gerald Mitchum (founder of V.E.T.Net), they decided to bring Zola back to UB. They put her in school and provided her a place to live and now she works at V.E.T.Net and continues to grow in her faith and heal. This story just touched my heart so much. I cannot imagine the abandonment and hurt she experienced, but the Lord loved her so much to send these Godly people to find her and give her truth and agape love. Isn’t our Lord amazing!!!!!

Fun Fact of the Day: The boys at the clinic are really obsessed with Michael Jackson’s “We Are the World” song. They play it so much that it quite often gets stuck in my head!
Mongolian Word of the Day: guij baina—means “Please”