cries of a Seagull

new seedtime website now live!

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:23:15 +0800

The new Seedtime website is now live! Still under development, we think it is a huge improvement on the previous one. The domain name is the same: www.Seedtime.mn

Log on, have a look around, and tell us what you think. We’d appreciate your comments and suggestions!

how great thou art!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:09:02 +0800

Even here in the city, the awesome hand of God in nature is not easy to miss. This picture was taken from my balcony a few minutes ago. I love thunderstorms, and at this time of year, we get some absolutely spectacular ones. Today’s was very welcome. The temperature had reached a blistering 37C! But as the storm rolled in, the temperature plummeted.

First came the dust clouds, spectacular in their own way, whipped up by the increasing wind. Then the storm itself bore down on the city. At such times I am reminded of the great hymn:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the works thy hands hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art! ... ...

Indeed!

generous?

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:53:25 +0800

I recently picked up an email from a colleague pointing to an article on giving by UK evangelicals on the McConkey-Johnston website. The article made for some interesting - and challenging - reading.

Click here to catch the key findings. But before you go, let me tell you a about a ‘widow’s mite’ moment in the Gobi Desert a few years ago. We’d pulled up outside a church that had recently been planted by my friend Natsagdorj. Like many churches in that part of the world, this church meets in a yurt or ger, as they are known locally here. One of the first people we met told a remarkable story.

When the church was planted, it had nowhere to meet. But this need was quickly remedied when another lady in the new group gave her ger home to the church. In other words, she made herself intentionally homeless and became reliant on the hospitality of others for the benefit of the church.

The experience has stayed with me since, although how much of the lesson I have actually learned, I have no idea. A Russian contact of mine once said, ‘We need everything that we give.’ But still it’s given.

To what extent have we western evangelicals sold out to our prevailing culture? Have we become precious over the things that will not accompany us in eternity? How big is our vision of that eternity, and of the God who threw billions of stars into their orbits and owns the cattle on a thousand hills; a God yet who in His Son gave everything for us? Do we need to rediscover the joy of ‘cheerful giving’ (2 Corinthians 9:7)? Note that the word translated ‘cheerful’ here comes from the Greek word meaning ‘hilarious.’ So let’s rephrase that: Do we want to become hilarious givers?

During our summer holidays, if we have them, why not let’s make time to reflect with God on His call and our commission and privilege?

Enough from me. For the survey report, head over to the McConkey-Johnston website here.

‘Generous Hands’ picture from 25andtrying.com

it must be naadam!

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:49:22 +0800

Well, here we go again. Mongolia’s second great national celebration (the other being ‘Tsagaan Sar’ or ‘White Moon’ in February) is in full cry.

For a more historical and cultural take on this great national festival, have a look at last year’s blog post.

What will I be doing? Well, this year, our church is heading out to the countryside tomorrow for a mixture of praise and worship, baptisms and fellowship with a picnic!

Picture from Wikimedia Commons

thinking business in mongolia

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:49:35 +0800

In countries with long histories of people setting up in business, the ‘felt risk’ factor in so doing is often appreciably less than in countries with no such history. Of the latter, one example is Mongolia.

It is difficult to relate the conflicts that go through people’s minds here, especially among those who have never before made such a step. I guess all cultures run scripts in our minds that tell us what is and what isn’t possible. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign slogan, ‘Yes we can!’ was radical, but not as radical as it might have seemed to the millions who voted for him. Why? Because it arose from a frontier culture which says that opportunity is always knocking at our doors. Even if the script is not entirely true, enough people believe it to be true for it to be effective.

In Christ, of course, all things are possible, since our lives are in Him who conquered death and rose again through the very Holy Spirit who energises our lives in Him. And as this Gospel narrative penetrates our every fibre, then things which were formerly impossible become merely hurdles to be stepped over in His power. This is as true for Christians starting in business here as it is for any other aspect of discipleship.

But in Mongolia, the negative scripts run deep indeed. In living memory, people had a reality that was dictated for them by those who knew better, or at least thought they did. Twenty years from the fall of Communism here, its script still runs. People want to be told how things will be for them, not because they are lazy (though some are), but because the idea of taking responsibility for one’s situation can be daunting, and even frightening. And of course, Communism decried the very idea of people taking responsibility for their situations, since that meant taking something that belonged to the State, and within that, to the ruling elite. And to step out of line in this or any other way was punishable in ways that many in the West can hardly imagine. Stalin’s statue is long gone from here, but his ghost lingers.

Add to that the principal religious influences on the cultural architecture here. Shamanism, sometimes referred to as the ‘natural’ religion of Mongolia, similarly dictates to people a narrative about their lives and destinies, but this time through the interaction of the shamans with the spirit world. Fortunes are read, omens are interpreted, and blessings or curses invoked. The narrative reads something like: ‘This is how the spirits have dealt it to me.’ Buddhism here also metes out a kind of fatalism: ‘This is how it is, because this is the stage I’ve reached on my journey to nirvana,’ although it is not so articulated. Fate sits heavily on the culture here: people don’t just believe in it; they act it out.

And generally, while Mongolians are noted for their curiosity, fear abounds. So stepping out and up into new things is immensely difficult for most. Communism, Shamanism and Buddhism have all been, and to some extent still are, actors in that script.

More widely, it is difficult to imagine that Buddhism has done or can do anything for the economic development of this country. For its central premise is that true human peace consists in the negation of desire and ultimately, non-existence.

At a practical level, the challenges are great too. Official corruption and personal tax avoidance are endemic. Teaching people that paying their taxes is right and good whether or not the government repairs the roads is no small task. And businesses however small can be seen as easy targets for cash-hungry officials.

And big challenges are up ahead too. Mongolia’s enormous and largely untapped natural resources are slowly opening up and coming to market. Many international players are staking their claims here - China and Russia not least. China’s ambitions particularly are causing disquiet. A question that all this raises is, ‘Will Mongolia rise to the challenge of developing the value chain within its own borders?’ It is one thing to sell one’s mineral wealth abroad, for others to add their own value to: the receipts from that are not to be sniffed at. But what about the value-added processes such as refining, processing, manufacturing, and so on? Will Mongolia develop these industries, thus enabling it to bring its resources to market at higher prices?

And where does Biblically-based micro-enterprise development sit in all this? For many people, there will be opportunity to work in the mines and other units that are now being opened up. While these opportunities are good in themselves, they don’t directly answer this question. And the mines, while providing direct employment for many, will not employ all.

There will, of course, be people outside the employ of the mines. But everyone empowered through Biblically-based training of this sort will be empowered to make a difference, in their families, churches, communities, and so on. They can capture some of the value that would otherwise be exported. And they can add to it themselves, by servicing the incoming mining majors and others. These companies will need supplies, and if local businesses can rise to help meet the demand for those supplies, then so much the better.

Furthermore, in Kingdom terms, the value that is created is not just economic, because Biblically-based micro-enterprise training espouses a completely different way of being and doing. It is at its heart transformational, impacting aspirations, attitudes to customers, staff, tax and so on. All these are means in which believers can find in Christ that all things are possible. And in the face of the powers and authorities that have said down the ages: ‘No you can’t,’ they can stand with dignity and reply, ‘Yes we can!’ ...As some indeed are now doing. Pray for them.

*Pictured: ‘Solongo,’ one our recent micro-enterprise ‘students.’

ahh, facebook!

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:21:26 +0800

I’ve no plans to change my Facebook status, which is ‘absent.’ Just not attracted to it. But I am enormously intrigued by it. I mean its ability to pull in one twelfth of the entire world population - this for a company that has only been in existence for six years. Even the President of Mongolia is on it.

But I wonder what tech historians might say about Facebook and its ilk in the future. What do you think?

something you never would have thought possible...

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:51:32 +0800

Recent events in Georgia prompted an email from my friend and colleague Malkhaz Songulashvili. He writes:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I have just woken up in my little top flat on Cornmarket Street in Oxford. With my eyes still closed I searched for my notebook on the bedside table. I opened my email account and found a letter from my son, Alexander. I am always glad to hear from him. Today I was particularly exited by his letter. He came up with the news I had been waiting for so long, perhaps all my conscious life.

"Vladika, at long last", writes Alexander, "this night Stalin's statue in Gori was pulled down!"

Yes, indeed "at long last"! It had to go away long ago and it did not. I thought it would go two years ago when the Russians invaded Georgia and it did not. The government and politicians did not want to upset supporters of Stallin in his home region. The statue had been dominating the main square in the city of Gori right in front of the local authorities headquarters. It was so anachronistic. Beyond the statue you could see the five crossed Georgian flag which is a symbol of 2003 liberal-democratic revolution in Georgia.

The attitude to Stalin in his home region has always been rather ambiguous. Some people would agree that Stalin was a mass murderer, but he was a local boy. Some people have venerated him for crashing the fascism in Europe. Some have admired his way of running the country with an iron hand.

No doubt he had some positive qualities but these qualities were overwhelmed by his evil inclinations. Perhaps I have to tell you that he wrote beautiful poetry in Georgian, singing to the beauty of the sky and birds and flowers...

Stalin was a leader of a largest country of the world and influenced world politics directly for three decades and indirectly he still influences some countries and some politicians.

His mother's dream was that he would become a bishop of the Orthodox church but chose to be a revolutionary and politician. He achieved a lot. As some people used to say he assumed a feudal Russia and within thirty years he turned it into a nuclear power. But nothing can justify his cruelty, murders, killings, assassinations of political rivals and innocent people, uprooting of peoples and entire nations, persecution of all religions Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others. It is ironic that some in Russia and in Georgia still consider him as a great Christian. In Russia his icons have been circulating in religious circles. In one of them he is vested in Orthodox episcopal vestment and holds a sword and the book of Gospel in his hands.

In 1924 on his death bed, they say, Lenin told Stalin that he was not good enough to be his successor.

"People will not follow you", the dying Lenin told him.
"If they will not follow me" said comrade Stalin, "then they will follow you!"

This joke was not quite a joke. It was the reality of the Soviet time under Stalin. During my life I have met a lot of people who admired Stalin exactly for this reason. He would not tolerate any opposition and any diversity in thinking. I am so sorry that a genius Georgian boy from Georgia did not dedicate his life to freedom, love and forgiveness. In this respect his life was tragic and he made the lives of millions of people tragic.

What lessons we learned from the life of this boy from Gori is that you can terrorise people, kill them, frighten, but you can never kill the longing for freedom, love and God.

As a Georgian I offer my apologies to all the peoples of the Soviet Union and certainly other countries for the evil which my compatriot has brought. My prayer is that Georgia and other former Soviet countries finally get rid of Stalinist legacy in political, spiritual, ecclesiastical and human spheres of life. Do join me in this prayer.

Malkhaz Songulashvili heads the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, and is currently studying in Oxford, UK.

Picture: Stalin’s statue comes down in his home town of Gori, Georgia

a hidden disaster update (4)

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:52:50 +0800

It seems strange to be writing about the winter crisis now that high summer is upon us, and temperatures are in the plus 30’s, not the minus 30’s! Such is the climate here.

But in May, the Parliament put in place a scheme called ‘Mongol Animal.’ Basically, the scheme invites herders to register their animals with the local vet, for which they would have to pay.

What this should mean is that animal stocks will be reduced, easing the pressure on the land, and at the same time raising the quality of the meat in the market place. This is a step in the right direction. It remains to be seen whether the government will impose a levy on land use. Currently there is no such levy, but the argument for having one is that it would further reduce animal stocks to manageable levels.

Undoubtedly the last year’s drought and the severe winter that followed were major factors in the crisis that followed. But if a better relationship can be found between people and the land, then the impact of such extremes is likely to be reduced.

Thus far, an answer to prayer, but still a way to go...

are we mission (risk) averse?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:42:45 +0800

My Radstock colleague Brian Jose recently visited church planters on the edge in Myanmar (Burma), and found himself asking some tough questions of Western (church) culture in regard to mission:
When it comes to global mission, I find we in the rich world are increasingly risk-averse. I’ve been touch with a couple of potential missionary recruits lately and have been struck by how parents and churches are advising these young people who seek to pick up their cross and follow Jesus. A few examples (and my suggestion for a biblical response):
1. Concern: Will this damage his/her career prospects? Response: Quite possibly, just like Peter and Andrew probably lost a boatload (pun intended) of cash when they left their nets to follow Jesus.
2. Concern: Are the road conditions dangerous? Response: Absolutely, but Jesus suggested narrow roads make for good route planning.
3. Concern: What are the hospitals like? Response: Dirty, under-equipped and maybe even corrupt, but Jesus said you find your life when you lose it.
4. Concern: Can I come home for my friend’s wedding? Response: What did Jesus mean when He said you should hate your father and mother for his sake?
In 100 years the mission historians may look at us with amusement or dismay for how we carried our culture with us. (Think iPhone or internet in a world where 40% of us live on less than $2 per day).
Challenging stuff... Click here to read the full article over on the Radstock website.

*Picture from youthworkinternational.com

a hidden disaster update (3)

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:58:46 +0800

Well at least this disaster is not quite as hidden as it once was.* But the picture above is just one snapshot of the wider disaster. At least six million herded animals have now perished. On the short trip from the airport Naraa told me that beef and mutton (two of the staples here) had all but doubled in price in the last year - a direct consequence of the winter crisis in Mongolia. (See here, here and here).

Though summer is around the corner, the effects of the winter crisis will have reached into almost every pocket in the land. The poorer you are, the greater a proportion of your expenditure goes on food. So when food goes up in price, there is either less to spend on the other things, or you go hungry. Some here don’t even have that choice.

There is added pressure on the towns and cities, as more people drift from the land. At the same time, there is accelerated decline of the nomadic economy and culture, a way of life that has survived - and in former times flourished - for thousands of years; a way of life that could disappear in a generation.

Churches and church-based businesses are at the heart of the struggle with these questions. They don’t have all the answers. But they know the One who does. Please continue to stand with them in prayer as they wrestle with issues of life and death in this life as well as that beyond...

Thank you so much...

*Picture from Sky News

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PS: Please pray for the Seedtime’s group of  six micro-enterprise ‘students’ currently in training.
More news soon!
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