WE MEET AN ANGEL

Everyone finally is seated, a blessing prayer is offered, and dinner begins. The whispers continue, and finally we begin to piece the story together. Later, we are told the entire story.

One of the members of the construction crew, whose name is Nathan, was so intrigued yesterday by the stories shared by the humanitarian aid team, that he asked to go along with them today, rather than going to the construction site. He was welcomed, and so it was that he was with the team as a little drama unfolded.

You'll remember that yesterday the team encountered a family that included a very small, very ill four year old boy. The family said that he had a lot of birth defects, and though they tried to feed him, he was unable to eat or swallow. Nathan was touched by the story, as we all were, and today he mentioned the child to the team. Since they were in the area, they decided to drop by and check on him.

At the door, they were met by a family member, who seemed uncomfortable, didn't appear to want them to enter, and who told them that the boy had died during the night. Horrified, and not really believing the story, the team leader gently insisted that they be admitted, and began to question the family. At some point, Nathan and the others heard a small cry from a curtained-off closet. When one of them opened the curtain, they were met by the sight of a young girl, sitting on the floor, holding the naked little boy and trying to keep him quiet. The floor was filthy with the child's waste, and there was no food or water in sight.

To the experienced eyes of the CTW staff, it was clear what was going on. The little boy had been put into the closet, with the hope that he would starve and die. The family had neither the means nor the desire to cope with his physical disabilities, and he was just one more useless mouth to feed. When the team arrived, the little girl was sent into the closet with him, to try to keep him quiet. The family knew what they were doing was wrong, and that the CTW staff would not let them get away with it.

At this point, I'm a little hazy on the details. I'm not sure whether Jerry Smith (our missionary) was with the team as they entered, or whether he was in another part of the building. It doesn't matter. The important thing is that he was on the scene immediately, took in what was happening, and took charge. He went to the closet, scooped up the little boy, and announced to the family that he was taking the child. He instructed a CTW staffer who was with them to call the police, and the team left, taking the little boy with them. Shortly thereafter, they were at the police station, telling their story, and applying for permission to take the little boy to the compound as their ward.

The Darkhan police know and respect Jerry Smith and the work that is done by CTW missions. He removes children from their sewers, feeds some of their hungry populace, and is known as an influence for good in Mongolia. Though the government officially takes a negative stance on evangelism, they really don't try very hard to find out if that is going on. CTW people don't stand and preach on street corners, and they don't pass out tracts. They don't button-hole people and push Christianity upon them. They simply practice the principles of love and caring and sharing that were taught by Jesus Christ, and if someone asks them why they are doing what they do, then they are free to tell them.

It's slow going at times, but the results are beginning to show, and I believe that in ten years, the work will be growing exponentially. The work is young in Mongolia, begun in the 1990's. The little Mustangs right now are mostly just boys, but in a few years they will be men. Christian men, we believe. There is no limit to what can be done as they grow up and spread what they've been taught all over Mongolia. Each year, new boys come into the fold. New girls, too, but in Mongolian society, it is probably the boys who will have the most opportunity to pass on what they've been taught. It can happen. After all, Christ had only The Twelve to carry on His work.

Back to our little four year old boy! Jerry and company brought him to the compound, and later to our hotel, where he was examined by our doctors. Their feeling was that, though the child obviously has some birth defects, it may not be nearly as bad as it looks. They believe that with nutrition and love and maybe some therapy, the child could thrive. When an attempt was made to feed him, this child that was "unable to eat or swallow" ate very well, and appeared to enjoy it very much.

As our doctors were examining the child that evening, our team member Nathan stood outside the door, very anxious and concerned. Indeed, he commented to one team member that he felt like an expectant father! He was so emotionally involved and so touched by the child's situation, that the decision was made to give the child the Christian name of "Nathan". Nathan means "gift of God", and indeed it fits in this case. Our Nathan was a gift to the child, because it was his inquiry and interest that led the team to return to the apartment, and little Nathan is sure to be a gift to the entire CTW mission, as he grows and thrives. We are all praying that he can do exactly that.

This evening was our farewell banquet, and as soon as dinner was finished, the children began to arrive. First the small ones, and their joy and enthusiasm as they sang "Jesus songs" was contagious. There was a Bible drill, with the older children competing, and it was beautiful to see how quickly they found their scripture and read it aloud. Songs were sung in Mongolian and in English and their joyful spirit was beautiful to see.

SINGING A SILLY SONG WITH SHARI ALEXANDER

At one point the children were released just to mingle with the adults. They surged into our midst, giving and receiving hugs, and bestowing huge smiles upon anyone who met their eyes. They are the most loving, beautiful children! Here is one little girl, Rachel, who stole everyone's heart, and especially Eloise's. Who could resist those big brown eyes, and that charming, gap-toothed smile? When she walked over and gave Eloise a big hug, I thought I was going to have to mop my friend up off the floor!

RACHEL, ELOISE'S SPECIAL FRIEND

There was a ceremony during which each team member was presented with a special scarf. It is a custom in some Mongolian homes to present a first-time visitor with a blue scarf. This is a symbol of welcome and an offer of friendship. If there is a second visit, the visitor is given a white scarf, and this symbolizes that the visitor is now a member of the family, and is always welcome. We were given white scarves (we skipped over the blue ones!) and each was presented by a different child, along with a hug.

RECEIVING MY SCARF AND HUG

At the end of the evening, Jerry Smith disappeared for a moment, and came back, carrying a small bundle in his arms. It was little Nathan, or Little Nate, as he came to be known. His handicaps are evident in his eyes, posture, and the way his little legs just hang limply, devoid of muscle tone. It's hard to tell in this picture, because his clothing is bulky and too large for him, but his arms and legs are stick-thin. His cheeks are a bit round, that's just the shape of his face, and what little fat his body holds is to be seen there.

LITTLE NATE, JERRY SMITH AND OMAR GARCIA

Naturally, we all clustered around Jerry and his small burden, everyone wanting to see and touch the child whose plight had so deeply touched all our hearts. It was wonderful to see the little boy in Jerry's care - clean, fed, clothed and with a future now, when only hours earlier he had none of those. It is remarkable to see what the love of God can do, when His people are willing to be His eyes, ears and most of all His hands on this earth. We all return to our rooms, with the impression that we have stood very close to a small angel.

Eloise and I are unusually quiet, as we prepare for bed on this last night here in Mongolia. We are impressed and humbled by the experiences we've had, and grateful for the opportunity to be here. We are, of course, looking forward to returning to our families and our comfortable homes, but in truth, we're aware that we're going to miss this land, these people, and the things we've experienced. God has been good to us.

Tomorrow, we must be up early, and ready to go. We will be taking the bus back to Ulaanbaatar, and from there to Beijing, where we will spend a couple of days sight-seeing and unwinding after the things we've seen in Mongolia. I'm looking forward to that, but to be truthful, I wouldn't mind spending the time here with our new friends.