Mongolian people

What is it about the humble people of the world? What is it about their ways and their routines that I love so much? What is it about their natures and their courage, their strength and their determination that I value so much? They are better than the rest of us in so many ways. Their pictures should be on billboards and their stories told and retold for the rest of us to learn from. I want to be like them. I want to live life without so many material encumbrances and possessions and to rely on the Lord in all things because there is nothing else to rely on. I want to have the kind of faith that they have and show the kind of humility and love that they show in just how they live life. They are truly the elect of God's children. Most live in far off places, in humble surroundings with lives that are harder than we can even imagine. They live with one foot in the grave most of the time, never knowing if or when the next challenge will come and how they will overcome it, or if they will survive it. A lot of the Mongolians we met only had enough food for that very day (although their next meal was walking around outside of their ger), enough heat for the next few hours and shelter that is made of lots of layers of wool forming the sides of their ger. They have about three or four changes of clothes, sometimes less. And yet, most are happy. Most are strong and determined. Their challenges have made them tough. They are true and full of faith, strength and courage.

Sometimes I think that it is so unfair that so few have so much in the world when so many have so little. Going to Mongolia taught me many things, but one great lesson that I was reminded of again is that we Americans are sometimes the poor of the world in regards to what really matters. So often, we are poor in spirit, in values and in character. The Mongolians, the Peruvians, the Argentines I have known, and many others are the rich ones in the world, because many rely completely on God. They are rich in spirit and in the end, that is what really matters. At the end of their lives they can take with them that richness of spirit and testimony while the rest of us find that all the material possessions we've accumulated count for nothing. Hopefully we're building up stores of a lasting nature as well. It seems like our challenge is to survive our wealth, our overabundance, our materials possessions and to not let them ruin us. While the Mongolians we met were battling just for the necessaries of life, we are battling the overabundance of life. Their challenges and our challenges are polar opposites, but in the end, they are all challenges. It's how we face them and what we do with the choices we have that matter in the end. Will we stay true to our beliefs and hold the line under both extremes? Can we learn from each other? Can we help each other? Can we value the good in all people?
I love humble, sweet people and I loved meeting so many of the Mongolian people Andy grew to love. We visited 19 small homes, either gers or other humble homes. One or maybe two homes came close to the standards of living that we enjoy. Yet, the people were gracious, kind, loving and they threw open their doors and invited us in to their homes. No worries about it being spotlessly clean, well decorated or organized. They were just happy that we would come. Gracious hosts, unworried by unimportant things. They gave us the best they had and we appreciated it so much because we knew it came from the heart.

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