Wednesday, July 9, 2008

What is this trip about?

Hey everyone! This is Brooklin, for the team. Just thought I'd make a first post explaining what we'll be doing on the trip and where we're at in preparation.

We'll be teaching English in a small town in Mongolia. The missionaries
we're working with have been there for about 15 years. That makes them some
of the longest-term missionaries in Mongolia. When they arrived there were
zero known believers in Mongolia. Now, there is a little church of about 15
people in this town. (There are, of course, other believers in other parts
of Mongolia).

We'll be teaching two classes: one consisting of doctors and nurses from the
local hospital; one consisting of High School students.

The "Common Ground" English curriculum we're using is designed (by a
missionary in Kazakhstan) to raise spiritual questions, without being
overtly evangelistic. Our goals are:
1) to enhance the reputation of the church and the missionaries in the
community as a whole.
2) to build friendships with our students.
3) to identify those who seem most interested in spiritual issues - so that
we, or the local missionaries can follow up.
4) if the opportunity presents itself, to share the Gospel.

We have just under a month until our departure. The team had their first meeting the other night to discuss teaching approaches, cultural tips, etc. We each received a copy of the "Common Ground" teaching materials we will be using, so that we can look it over and familiarize ourselves with the lessons. The curriculum is great for our purposes: it raises some tough, personal questions, and at the same time teaches conversational English in a fun way.

As we all continue to prepare for the trip, please be praying! Most of us are still working on raising enough funds to be able to go. We just need to trust in God that He will provide, if it is in His will.
Thank you all for your prayer and support!

Go with God,

The Team