Thursday, August 25th, 2005
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Dear Family and Friends,

John 15 teaches us that we have a loving Father that sometimes takes us through seasons of pruning and purging, that we might bear even more fruit for Him. Like a grape vine that is carefully pruned and dressed by the husbandman, God sometimes takes us through difficulties and trials, so that we might experience a greater measure of His love and faithfulness.

Our witness to the world is usually not that of a life that is always smooth and easy, where problems seldom occur. The world laughs at such examples, thinking “I could be a good person too, if my life was that easy.”

God’s love for us is far deeper than just our present circumstances. Like gold that is refined in a fire, or like a valuable pearl that is created by an irritating grain of sand, God wants us to show His character in us through the suffering He allows in our lives.

I have not written in several weeks, but this was not for lack of desire to keep you informed. Unexpected difficulties and needs seem to have been coming from all directions, revealing priorities and testing character.

* Internet Connection

After working very well for the first month, our wireless Internet connection began experiencing difficulties as we tried to send and receive e-mails. After many days and hours of troubleshooting, we learned that this had been caused by some changes that our service provider had made.

After a few weeks they were able to resolve the problem, and the connection worked great, -for about three days. We then began to experience further connection problems which still have not been resolved. I don’t mind troubleshooting these kinds of things, and enjoy the learning involved, but it can be difficult when you have other pressing responsibilities needing your time.

* Computer Issues

A number of unexpected computer issues have also come up recently. One of our main workstations suddenly would not start up one morning. It took the better part of a day to identify the problem as a malfunctioning modem, and to rebuild the computer system.

Last week I was made aware of some strange things happening with a couple of the computers, and when I finally got around to checking things out a few days later, I discovered a computer virus on our network. It took Jedidiah and I about four hours, working late into the evening to eradicate the virus.

Yesterday I sat down to begin planning for the children’s seminar this weekend, when I learned that our printer was not working. After about an hour I had identified and corrected the problem, but was not very prepared for the meeting to discuss the children’s seminar program.

* Phone System

This morning my brother came up to the office to tell me that the phone system was not working. Apparently during a couple phone calls this morning, the system suddenly went dead, and we could not get a dial tone from any of the phones. After resetting the system, I began to be a little concerned when the faithful little TalkSwitch would not start up.

I disassembled it for further troubleshooting, but it seems that after five years this phone system has breathed it’s last, or at best, would need some parts from America. This will likely leave us for the next few days or weeks without the ability to call between our apartments.

These and a number of other issues have brought an accumulation of challenges unlike what I have seen before. I remember times of great challenge or pressure, but usually not from so many directions all at the same time. As we discussed today in our noon prayer meeting, I wonder how many of these things are pointing towards the Anger Resolution Seminar we are holding this weekend.

In the past I have often seen how some of our greatest difficulties were just before the greatest advancements in our work and ministry for the people of Mongolia. It is for this reason that I am writing, to encourage you to pray with us in this important time. This Friday and Saturday we are holding an Anger Resolution Seminar and Children’s Institute.

This is the first time that we are holding this seminar in Mongolia, and I am excited to see how the Lord will use it in the lives of those that come to hear God’s ways of resolving root issues that cause anger. (See: http://www.iblp.org/iblp/seminars/anger/) We do not have many people registered at this point, but several calls in the past couple days seem to indicate a growing interest.

I don’t want to leave you discouraged. Although most of this update describes some of our recent challenges, I want you to know that God is also working in the midst of all these things.

A couple weeks ago I felt prompted to do a backup of the primary data on our computer network. I had no idea that just a few days later a computer virus would invade the network and destroy some of our files. So far I have not identified any damage that could not be replaced from our backups.

Having the Spiritual gift of serving, I greatly enjoy the opportunity to assist others, and especially missionaries, using the computer skills that the Lord has entrusted to me. Last week we received a call from a friend at the New Tribes Missions headquarters.

An 8 hour jeep ride beyond the last paved road and train station, Jeremy and Roxi are serving in the countryside hometown of our Pastor Enkhee and his wife Sodnom. Their laptop computer suddenly crashed one day, and they have been unable to get it started up again.

I could only imagine the frustration of being so many miles away from help beyond what they could do on their own. Reaching them by phone, I walk them through some troubleshooting steps which seemed to indicate a failed hard drive. They are sending the computer into the city with another family today, so I hope to look at it further in the next few days.

Some of you may remember that I have been involved in a project to make the Mongolian Bible available on the computer. Although my time has been very limited, I have been praying about this project, and the Lord seems to be opening up the way to move forward.

We are potentially a few weeks away from the first widespread distribution of Mongolian Bible Software. I am looking forward to the day when I can prepare CDs to give away.

Requests for trainings continue to come in. Tim just came back from a meeting with the Mongolian International University leaders. They invited us to come and teach their 250 freshmen and sophomores twice a week. A representative from another school just came a few days ago with a request to do monthly trainings for their teachers. Several more requests are likely to come in the next few weeks as the school year begins.

Please continue to pray for us! There is so much happening, and we greatly need the Lord’s wisdom as we move forward. May the Lord bless each one of you for your part in this work!

Praise Points:

– For the many requests and opportunities that are before us! We need wisdom in knowing how to best focus our energies and efforts.

– For the safe arrival of my brother Derrick on the 16th of August. Now our entire family is together again, serving with the Character Training Institute in Mongolia.

– For the many opportunities to further develop computer skills as I troubleshoot computer and Internet issues. Although the timing is sometimes interesting, it is a very effective way to learn.

Prayer Requests:

– For the Anger Resolution Seminar and Children’s Institute this weekend. Pray for extra grace and enthusiasm as I lead the children’s program.

– Pray for wisdom as I work on Jeremy and Roxi’s computer. We would like to recover the data from the old hard drive, but this can be difficult to do.

Pictures:

A large stadium next to our building provides a nice area for the younger ones to get some exercise. Here Matthew connects solidly with the ball in our kickball game a couple weeks ago.

Some friends from church invited the team to the countryside for some berry picking and hiking. Here Isaac fords the stream with Rebecca on his shoulders.

The water was cold, but this did not stop three young Wallers from making the most of it.

While the ladies went swimming, several of the guys climbed a nearby mountain. In the valley behind me we picked berries that are similar to the chokecherries I have seen in America.

The round tent-like structure is called a ger. (Pronounced “Gare“) This is the traditional Mongolian home, and is commonly seen, even in the city.

In spite of overcast skies and light rain that morning, the Lord answered prayer and gave us a beautiful sunny day in the countryside. In the photo above you can see the returning clouds and rain on the horizon as we left.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

In Christ,

– Adam

Adam Waller ~ MyAllForChrist@CadLinx.com

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9

Wednesday, May 18th, 2005
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings from Mongolia! Looking out the window I can see the bright sunshine on the buildings and trees, with a slight haze obscuring the mountains beyond the city. The weather has been a little cool as the heat was turned off for the summer the week I arrived. We even got to see some light snow flurries a few days later.

Quite a lot of things have transpired since my last update, as I am sure you can well imagine. I will just try to share a few highlights from the past three weeks.

The Oklahoma City Training Center was hosting the Oak Brook College of Law graduation the week before I left, so I was glad to be able to help out with the added work load for evening chore time when the guys do the dishes and kitchen cleanup.

Also attending the OBCL graduation was Dr. Bill Gothard, and since no one was flying with him from headquarters, Mr. Jantz asked if I could assist him for the weekend. This was a very good experience for me, although humbling at times. (Like when I forgot to bring the two boxes of books on our visit to the Diamondback Correctional Facility.)

Looking back, I am so grateful for how the Lord loved me so much that he wanted to teach me a very important, although difficult lesson. Having the spiritual gift of serving, I really enjoy working to meet the needs of others. However, there is a subtle danger in seeking approval from those that I am serving, rather than from the Lord.

I can not think of a set of circumstances where the Lord could have more clearly showed me this difference, and while I greatly enjoyed this opportunity to serve Dr. Gothard, there were a couple situations where my inexperience allowed me to fall short of doing what was expected.

The Lord so gently reminded me that whether I am serving Dr. Gothard, or “the least of these,” my focus needs to be on serving as unto the Lord. If I do my very best, the Lord knows my heart, and while I may not always meet every man’s expectation, it is of the Lord that I receive the reward of my labor. Misunderstandings will happen with men, but God will never misunderstand our heart. (See Ephesians 6:5-8, and Colossians 3:22-24)

Visiting the Diamondback Correctional Facility was a most memorable experience! Driving over an hour West of Oklahoma City, we finally caught sight of the prison, far off the road, and just barely peeking over the grassy rise before it. Rows of fencing and razor wire glittered in the sun, securely enclosing the privately owned compound.

Meeting us outside, the chaplain led us through several gates until we reached the office where we presented our photo ID and passed through the metal detector. Stopping to share a brief word of encouragement with some of the staff at the prison, Dr. Gothard inquired a little more about the inmates.

The pod that we were scheduled to meet was comprised of 120 men, all from Hawaii. Most were serving life sentences for second-degree murder, manslaughter, and other serious crimes. Responding to a faith-based initiative, all of these men had watched the Basic Seminar by video, where Dr. Gothard presents seven Biblical principles for life.

So deeply impacted were these men that every single one wrote a letter to Dr. Gothard, thanking him for sharing these truths from God’s Word. They and the chaplains told Dr. Gothard that if he was ever in the area, he had a standing invitation to visit their pod, known at the prison as “The Faith Pod.”

Clearing more security doors, the chaplains paused outside the door to the pod. “You are going to have goose bumps when you come in here.” the told us, and opened the door. Even with this warning, never could I have imagined what we were about to see…

Joyful, radiant faces beamed as shouts, cheers and applause filled the air. Brightly colored streamers and decorations hung from the railing above, and a huge banner proclaimed the seminar motto: “Giving the World a New Approach to Life!” Like a returning hero, Dr. Gothard was ushered to the front of the central area where chairs had been arranged for Dr. Gothard’s address.

The air was electric with enthusiasm and joy as the ovation continued for several minutes. As the men regained their seats, one of the prisoners came to the podium and read a very formal welcome in English, pausing at each paragraph to translate it into his native Hawaiian language. He then presented Dr. Gothard with a Hawaiian lei, intricately crafted from white paper napkins.

The tastefully designed program continued with some songs by a group of the men, sung in English and Hawaiian, and one of men quoted the entire chapter of Romans 6. My eyes traveled across the group, seeing on many faces the visible scars of the past, yet beaming with a joy that only God can give! These men may be behind bars, but they have found freedom inside!

One after another, men came to the podium to share testimonies of God’s work in their life. Often choked by emotion, but strengthened by shouts of “Amen!” “That’s right!” “It’s okay, man!” coming with tender love from their fellows. Tears running down his cheeks, one man shared how he finally sees light at the end of the way.

Others shared of how they have been sharing these truths with their families and loved ones. One man told how his Mother had stopped reading her Bible and almost given up all hope, when he had the opportunity to tell her how his life had been changed -for the better! Another shared how for the first time he saw God’s love in allowing him to go to prison where he learned truths that he might never have heard outside.

Looking around the room, I could see the same cells, doors and gates that were in the other pods, but here something was drastically different. Brightly colored posters with Scripture verses adorned some of the cell doors, character qualities written out on poster board surrounded the room, and a large sign in the center displayed a resolution that the prisoners had written for their pod.

The time went all too quickly. After Dr. Gothard’s address, the men presented him with an honorary “scrub,” a blue shirt like what each of them wear, but signed by all the members of the pod. Crowding around Dr. Gothard, the men personally thanked Dr. Gothard for all that they had learned in the Basic Seminar, and held out Bibles for him to sign.

Many of the prisoners also greeted Isaac and I, and shared how their lives have been changed. One man asked me how his family back home could hear the seminar. We were past our allotted time, and the men reluctantly gathered near the door for some final photographs before we were obliged to leave.

It would be impossible to adequately describe the two hours we spent at the Faith Pod, but it was an experience not to be forgotten. The same power, I had told them, that has transformed their lives, is what enables us to live the Christian life outside.

“You won’t find that in a thousand prisons,” Dr. Gothard commented to us afterwards. Reflecting on the Christian love and joy that we had so clearly sensed there, I wondered if you would find that type of atmosphere in a thousand churches in America today. Sadly, so many churches have left the life-changing power of applying the principles of God’s Word to our lives, and instead have turned to empty activities and worldly entertainment.

Here in Ulaanbaatar, I continue to marvel at the opportunities that God has set before us. A nation with a whole generation of new Christians, hungry for solid Biblical teaching from the Word of God. We don’t have to look for things to do and ways to reach out. We can’t even cover all the invitations and requests that come to us for teaching English, Character and Biblical trainings.

There are so many other things that I could write about, but I must bring this update to a close. Many needs all around us beckon for our time. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom as we reach out in His love to those around us.

Praise Points:

– Praise the Lord for working out the details of my return to Mongolia. I was able to get a work permit in answer to prayer, and the Lord worked out my flights, in spite of being sent the wrong ticket less than a week before my departure.

– I am grateful for the opportunity to spend a couple weeks in Oklahoma City, just before returning to Mongolia. The Lord greatly blessed the computer project that I was working on, and I was able to have some very good times sharing with Isaac, Rachelle and David. I also greatly enjoyed spending a day in the Oklahoma City schools, teaching Character First! with David.

– The Lord worked out the opportunity for me to attend the university graduation of Nyambayar, Cindy’s cousin that came to Christ last fall. I was encouraged to hear that he would like to meet for more Bible studies together. Pray that the Lord would allow the details of this to come together.

– Joshua Reimer and I visited the Mongolian International University to see about the possibility of using their facility for larger seminars in the days ahead. In the course of the meeting Leo and several other friends from MIU came up to greet me. Leo and a friend invited me to speak at their student club, and it sounds like some other students are working on a proposal for us to teach at their school again.

Prayer Requests:

– We were able to order some (legally licensed) software from a distributor in Russia for a reduced price, due to our status as a Mongolian NGO. Pray that the Lord will give me wisdom in upgrading our computer systems and network here over the next few weeks.

– After a meeting yesterday, we have scheduled a character training in cooperation with Word Vision, a Christian based organization in Mongolia. We are scheduled to teach an all-day seminar to thirty community leaders from some areas of poverty and higher crime rates. Pray that the Lord will use this training in a powerful way, as most of these leaders are unsaved.

– In recent days I have been spending some focused time working on a database project for IBLP Australia. I started this project when I was in Melbourne in 2003, and have been working on it remotely from time to time. It has been a blessing to have Joshua Reimer from Australia here in Mongolia where we can work on it together. Pray that the Lord would bless our efforts and that we would continue to make rapid progress.

Pictures:

Seeing the array of razor wire and fences, it is little wonder that not a single prisoner has ever escaped from the Diamondback Correctional Facility.

A jubilant greeting from the men of the “Faith Pod” as the Chaplain and Dr. Gothard enter the room.

One of the prisoners shares how God has changed his life through the message of the Basic Seminar.

All the men gathered at the end of our visit for a group photo with Mr. Gothard. I was able to drive to the prison the next week, bringing for each of the 120 men two of Dr. Gothard’s recent books.

I found it quite amazing how much clothing you can fit inside a computer.  🙂  Careful packing allowed me to carry three badly needed desktop computers to Mongolia without going over my baggage limits.

Arriving at CTI on the week of a Basic Seminar in English and Russian, an Advanced Seminar and a Children’s Institute, I had the opportunity to help out in some skits for the Children’s Institute. Here a “French Waiter” tries to explain to his friend why we must test what kind of water we drink in the desert.

Nyambayar’s Graduation from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology. (Nyambayar is on the left, with Cindy’s brother-in-law on the right.)

I am so grateful for all that God is doing here! – And to hear the exciting reports from back home! Please continue to pray for us as we serve together in this ministry.

In Christ,

– Adam

Adam Waller ~ MyAllForChrist@CadLinx.com

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9

Tuesday, February 1st, 2005
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Dear Family and Friends,

I had intended to send one more update just before leaving Mongolia, but an unexpected computer issue kept me quite occupied right up until the time that I left. Maybe I can start with a brief summary of my last week in Mongolia.

On Wednesday evening, Tim and Angie went out to the airport to welcome George Mattix on his very first visit to Mongolia. As the director of the IBLP International Department, Mr. Mattix was on his way back from Hong Kong and the Philippines, bringing exciting reports about what God is doing in these branches of the ministry.

The next morning I started the Teacher Training Course in our classroom while Mr. Mattix, Tim, and Angie went to the government office for meeting with Naran, one of the city leaders that is over all the social work in Ulaanbaatar.

Hearing reports of what is happening with the orphan ministry in the Philippines, the meeting continued for most of the day as Naran drove Mr. Mattix, Tim, and Angie to two different orphanages in Ulaanbaatar, giving them a personal tour of each.

They arrived back at the apartment just in time for the Thursday evening Character-English classes. The next morning started off with the Teacher Training Course again in the morning, and that evening we had a dinner with our pastors and several other Mongolian coworkers and friends, concluding with a hymn sing.

Saturday morning Character-English classes began the weekend, and in the afternoon we visited the Mongolian ger where Dumaa, Sahiaa, and their family live, and then we toured the New Tribes Mission headquarters building.

It was quite fascinating to see how they heated the 10,000 sqr. foot building. They have a special furnace that burns used oil from the old locomotive trains. A very inexpensive alternative to coal, they are able to heat the entire facility for about $1,000 a year! A sudden power outage there in the basement made me again grateful for my key chain flashlight as we found our way out of the darkness into the light.

Mr. Mattix taught a Sunday school lesson, then preached for the main service at Holy Way on Sunday. Puja did a great job translating, although we had to smile sometimes as we realized our new awareness of how much we as Americans tend to use idioms in our speech.  🙂

All in all, I think that Mr. Mattix was able to get a very good taste of the work here in Mongolia, and will be able to report back to IBLP headquarters with better information for ideas and decisions. In a final meeting before he left, he told us “I had no idea of the scope of the work that you all are doing out here.”

The next few days went by very quickly as I tried to wrap up some final things before my departure on the 26th. Among these projects, I thought it might be nice to add some more memory to one of our main computers. This is typically just a five minute job of turning the computer off, plugging in the memory, then starting back up.

Well, shall we say that this time it was not a five minute job. 🙂  I tried plugging in the memory but the main computer did not like it. (I had purchased 133mhz speed memory instead of the 100mhz type.) I thought it might work in one of the other computers instead, so I tried it in one of the workstations. Instead of beeping with a message about the wrong type of memory, this computer stopped responding completely.

In the hours that followed, it became clear that the main circuit board in this other computer had taken a fatal memory lapse, so to speak. I got to make one more trip to the computer store for a new main board, and the evening before I left the Lord allowed me to finish getting that computer up and running again. The failed hard drive in Tim’s laptop made it all the more important to have the five other computers in running order when I left.

Even with the busy schedule and projects to finish, the Lord still allowed for some good opportunities to spend time with people before I left. That Sunday afternoon, a young man from our church invited the three of us young men to come over to his apartment and join him for lunch. Having spent several weeks working with a Christian ministry here in Mongolia, Andre’ was headed back to his home in New Zealand in a few weeks.

Sharing some simple sandwiches, we had a most profitable discussion on spiritual things. How do we study the Bible? How does a person find God’s direction in life? It was neat to be able to share from our lives some of the things that God has been teaching us over the past several years.

On the mission field it is often easy to forget that the missionaries themselves are sometimes are just as much in need of encouragement and good Christian fellowship as the nationals. Rather than jealous competition with one another, there is a great blessing in working together as a unified body.

Of my flights back to Oklahoma City, probably the most notable event took place in the Chicago airport. Arriving at 4:30 in the afternoon, I had a few hours layover before my flight to Oklahoma City at 7:50 PM. I spent some time walking around, bought a couple hamburgers for supper, then settled down in a quiet spot to catch up on some journaling.

As I was sitting there in a quiet terminal, I noticed a couple young men across from me, talking on the phone. They looked clean cut and well dressed, and then I noticed their little name badges. We had seen some Mormons in Ulaanbaatar, and my heart went out to these two young men. They were probably close to my age, a little younger perhaps, and likely going out for their two years of service.

Looking at my watch, I prayed that the Lord might work out an opportunity to talk with them, and possibly be able to share some truth from the Word of God. About 45 minutes later, my flight was scheduled to start boarding, and the guys were still talking on the phone. I decided that the Lord must have had another plan for them, and gathered my bags, I started walking to the gate.

Arriving at the gate, I discovered that the plane still had not come in yet, and the flight was delayed an hour or so. That is interesting, I thought, and walked back to where the Mormon guys were still talking on the phone. A little later one of them finished, so I went over and introduced myself. He was on his way to Moscow, I learned, for his two years of service.

I asked him a little about his family, and told him what I had been doing in Mongolia. He seemed quite open to talking, and responded to a warm, friendly attitude of genuine interest and concern. I told him that I was a Christian, and began sharing a little about my faith.

The Lord really seemed to guide the conversation as I shared about Christ being the full atonement for our sin. All the religions of the world are based on man trying to be good enough to have a relationship with God, while Christianity reveals a God who so loved the world that He gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself.

As well as they could, the two Mormon guys tried to explain how we need to prove our faith by our good works, and try to earn back a fellowship with God. It was a little more difficult for them as I continued gently probing them to show me from the Scriptures where we need to do something to earn our salvation.

Again, there was such a neat spirit about the whole conversation. There was no arguing or defending opinions, no taking up offenses, just a genuine interest in revealing the truth. “Where are you basing your faith?” I asked again, “Is it in what some man said, or is it in the timeless and changeless perfect Word of God?”

More than just feeling or impression, I want my faith to be based upon the Word of God alone. All around us we see groups that have added or taken away from the Word of God, and have been led astray by the enemy. “My greatest desire for you,” I shared with them, “is that your faith would rest not in the wisdom of men, but in the eternal power of God’s Word.”

Their flight was about to begin boarding, so we shared a few more final thoughts before they had to go. It was so neat to see how the Lord brought Scriptures to mind that revealed the deception in what they believed. Isn’t that why we are exhorted to study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth?

I trust that God will use this conversation, and while I may never know the outcome, I don’t believe that our talk will be quickly forgotten. They allowed me to pray for them at the end of our talk, and I continue to pray that God will open their eyes to the truth of His Word.

There will always be people who can win a debate, or defend an opinion, but it is not so easy to silence a conscience that bears witness to the truths of God’s Word.

Praise Points:

– I am grateful for how the Lord allowed me to wrap up some complicated computer issues before I left Mongolia. These would have been much harder to deal with if they would have happened a few days or weeks later.

– I praise the Lord for a very fruitful and special time in Mongolia over the past ten months. Many memories and joys, many lessons and challenges, yet a personal testimony of God’s grace to help in time of need.

Prayer Requests:

– On Monday evening, February 7th, I have the opportunity to share a report of my time in Mongolia to the staff here. Pray that the Lord will allow the details to come together for this, and that it would be an encouragement for the ones that “stayed by the stuff” to make this work possible.

– Here in Oklahoma City, I am spending a couple weeks working at the Character Training Institute, (Character First! Headquarters). Pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in making the best investment of my time between family, staff, Mongolia, and work projects.

Pictures:

Snow removal is a little different in Mongolia. Here you see some workmen chipping up ice, then sweeping it away with straw brooms. One asked me what was wrong that I wanted to take a picture.  🙂

On the shores of Mongolia. Well, not quite. 🙂 Our dining room mural made a nice background for a last picture with pastors Enkhee and Dugermaa.

Mr. Mattix had his first opportunity to visit a ger on his four-day visit. Dumaa and Sahiaa’s mother made some fried bread and a hot yogurt type drink for us.

This is how running water works in most gers. Conservation and recycling are learned by those that frequently carry water.

A Chinese catering company loads the meals onto a jet for an International flight.

A happy reunion in Oklahoma City. Isaac and Rachelle drove out to pick me up after my delayed flight got in at about 1 AM.

Thank you so much for praying for me over these months!

In Christ,

– Adam

Adam Waller ~ MyAllForChrist@CadLinx.com

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if
we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9