A Missionary Family Indeed

Life in Ulaanbaatar looks to me to be pretty tough.  There’s the issues of traffic and torn up sidewalks that I have previously mentioned.  There is the issue of cold and snow (remember it gets to -40C 40F).  There is the issue of a smoky, smoky winter.  There is the issue of long walks through the snow just to get to work each day (4 km each way).  There are the long steep flights of stairs to the 9th floor apartment (yep 9th floor).

There are issues of grocery items not available, of sparse pay, of small apartments.  There is constant work to keep things going, to do their job, to entertain guests such as me.  There is the commitment to a church congregation that speaks only Mongolian.  There are a couple of MIU student meetings in their home.

BUT, in the face of all these challenges, I find a family that is healthy, happy, fully functional, and committed to serving the L^rd G^d, with heart and soul.

I have written about JoJo Horton, the youngest in a previous post.  But there is also the father, Noel, the mother, Lisa, daughters Anna, Sarah, and Abigail, and son Daniel.  Anna and Sarah serve on the praise team at church leading worship in Mongolian.  Abigail plays the guitar for Bible studies with students.  Noel teaches and administers a lot at MIU and at home.  Lisa home-schools all the kids, except Anna who is a student at MIU and wants to become a missionary nurse one day.  Lisa also has the fun jobs of cleaning, cooking, and making sure everybody is in the right place at the right time.

It is good to know missionaries like the Hortons.  It is inspiring to see their love and commitment first to G^d, then to these MIU students.  They suffer the hardships of being a stranger in a strange land, but they also get to enjoy the thrills of serving G^d in a distant land.

Jesus promised us all, “, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother^f or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matt 10:28-30)

If I may venture prophetic for a moment, I suspect that “at the renewal of all things” the Horton family will be sitting on those thrones and will receive a hundred times as much…

May their tribe increase!