Radical in 2011

As Mongolians are getting ready to celebrate the new "White Moon," we are busy working with local Kazakhs to build a new community! Please pray with us this year to:

RE-BUILD THE WALL
- Our field director, Dennis, arrived for a couple days and we inspected a potential central facility. This year we want to re-build a "home" for the scattered Kazakhs and establish deep roots in this community. We will check some other lot locations this week and choose a site hopefully by mid-month. Pray for discernment and a good price (less than $41,000 plus $20,000 if we restore the existing facility - 61k for Isaiah 61... check it out).
- This last Saturday we called a meeting to gather many prominent Kazakh leaders, teachers and business folk in order to discuss a proposal for a "Kazakh Culture & Information Center" and establish a steering committee. Praise God for bringing together 9 active leaders (we were hoping for 20 ;). This is a key step in unifying and mobilizing Kazakhs for community development, not only here in our central "city" but also for the 10,000 Kazakhs spread across our aimag in 4 other small towns. We cannot partner on ANY community projects until we identify some partners! Pray that God will bind their hearts and raise up these key people to lead this community with passion and righteousness. Our next meeting is Feb. 11th to plan the steering committee objectives (registration, location, funding, services, etc. etc!) to be present to the community late March during Naorez (Kazakh New Year).

STAND IN THE GAP
- Prayer isn't easy when you're busy... and it's not much easier when you have lots of free time. It just seems to fall in the cracks. We want to make prayer a priority - in our personal quiet times, in our fellowship, and in our daily encounters with neighbors in need. Kazakhs may not be very open to "help," but there are certainly a host of health and economic needs. We have dedicated a ger wall for use in intercessory prayer - hanging requests from it until they are answered - and will be using the Manchurian Wall as an anchor point for doing monthly prayer walks through the community (first one on Feb. 3rd). We are also fasting together every Thursday-Friday and invite you to join us. Pray for God to shield this community from temptations and disunity... pray for Him to break through powerfully with healing and reconciliation.


PROCLAIM THE WORD
- Our team has read and testified from the book of Matthew this month, and Krista and I are starting each morning with prayer and a Psalm. Praise God for giving us a Word that fills and provides for us a foundation that never collapses (as opposed to buildings or economies!).
- Some Kazakh guys have been too busy for a Bible study the last few weekends, and another has gone to the countryside temporarily. Pray for God's Spirit to give us hunger and understanding of His Word as we finish up a study on Adam and start the next one on Noah... every Sunday afternoon.

GO TO THE PEOPLE
- We are pushing ourselves to meet new families and follow-up with our project contacts (visit 100 households this year!). This past week especially I met a host of new business folks (mostly ag related) to invite them to our planning meeting. Pray for open doors, discernment, and the words to inspire vision and participation as I follow-up with these busy people. Pray for Krista's courage and time to grow a couple Kazakh friends!

AND BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP FOR SERVICE
- Our team is meeting every Thursday and Sunday for worship, planning, and fellowship. The three guys are also meeting every Tuesday lunch for accountability and encouragement. Pray that we would grow in character, relationship, and fruitfulness!
- Of course our "team" also includes YOU, and we want to not only intentionally communicate but even equip you to serve as our partners... and to become better supporters of the call God has placed on your heart. Please feel free to inquire about any of the above goals and activities... we really want you to JOIN us!

2011: We are currently raising funds for this year's ministry budget of $37,000 - which includes a growing economic project in Darhan as well as establishing a brand new team and ministries among the unreached Kazakh people in Hovd - as well as another $61,000 to re-build a "home" facility here in Hovd.

Yours in Christ, and His on your behalf among the Kazakh people,