Mongolian Food

Hey folks, Mark here. It's Thursday afternoon. Dave & Brook are teaching their "teenagers" class. Marla and I will start our adult class in about 90 minutes. We're all feeling a little funny in the intestinal tract - Marla in particular. But, we'll survive. It's just part of the whole experience.

It's rainy today, so we had a cozy and lazy morning at the Bunnell's house.

Last night we had dinner at the home of the very first Mongolian believers in this city. They were extremely gracious - serving us a traditional Mongolian feast. Mongolian food seems to major in fermented milk products. We started with Mongolian "candy" consisting of a strong, salty, slightly sour cheese. The little kids loved it and gobbled it up. Brook, lacking in missionary experience, took a big piece (maybe a 1/4 lb). I noticed he hid part of it under the edge of his dish. (Remember, always start with a small piece; you can always take more later). Then we had bread topped with sour cream "tsutski" and sugar. It was truly yummy. The main dish were a sort of jumbo won-tons -- filled with lamb. It was followed by a mild alcoholic beverage made from the whey or water skimmed off the top of milk (when making cheese, I think). It smelled and tasted about as you would expect.

But, the coolest thing, was to sit there with this family and realize that this was the seed that God has planted in this community for the purpose of building His church. It gave me a sort of tingle as I thought about it.

So far, my persoal favorite Mongolian custom is belly rubbing. (Sorry I don't have a photo to post): when they're warm Mongolian men will lift the front of their shirts, allowing it to rest atop their ample bellies. Then they will rub their belly in a circular motion. It allows the belly to breathe. Dave & I tried it last night after dinner - following the lead of our host. It is comfortable, cooling and soothing. I'm hoping it will catch on in America.

The team is doing great! Everyone is pitching in. The youngsters are helping with the Bunnell kids. The Bunnell's are wonderful hosts - unflappable, gracious, & kind (and Becca is a terrific cook). We did have a little scare a couple of days ago. Sierra - the littlest Bunnell - got into a bottle of allergy medicine and took a bunch of pills. But, no harm done. It was sort of funny (after the fact), because all of us were worried and rattled, but the whole thing didn't bother Sierra one bit. She cooed and laughed the whole time.

Friday and Saturday morning, we're hosting an "American Breakfast" of pancakes for our two classes. The goal is to make more personal relationships and get a better sense for where our students are in their thinking and beliefs. Pray that God will give us wisdom and boldness to initiate the right conversations with the right people.

Love you all,

Mark