Raising Support

I just thought I would give you all an update as to where I'm at in my preparations for Mongolia. My legal work has been completed and the medical aspect started. Getting my vaccinations is proving to be somewhat challenging but I am confident that they will be completed in time.
I have sent out letters to those I know would probably be interested in my trip. If you would like a letter or picture and haven't received one, please contact me.
I haven't asked for a statement from my coordinator yet but I have received some checks and been told of one so I currently stand at 40% of my fundraising goal. This is very exciting to me considering that I only started raising support in October. Please please please keep me in your prayers as I prepare for this trip. I know that God is faithful and He is obviously paving the way. All praise goes to Him!

Planning!

I realize it has been quite some time since I updated my blog. I ended up not being able to go to North Carolina to do hurricane relief because I would've needed to rent a car and I'm not 25 so I cannot do that. I know God has a reason for not allowing me to go so I'm trusting Him.

However, my plans for Mongolia are falling into place. Mongolians, Mongolian nomadic herders in particular, have been on my heart since 2004 when I learned of them at a CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital Open House. CVM had a booth at the open house and talked about their work in Mongolia. Ever since, I have felt a strong desire to bring the word of God to these people. However, I needed to go through veterinary technology school first so that I could help the Mongolians in a tangible way. CVM uses veterinary medicine to open the door to sharing the gospel of Christ in many countries around the world. By helping people improve their livelihoods, they are more open to listening to our message of hope. If you want to learn more about what CVM believes, who they are, and what they do go to their website. Christian Veterinary Mission.

I had been wondering if God really wanted me to go to Mongolia or if this was just a thought of mine. I had emailed the head office in Seattle and they seemed excited to send me so I emailed my in-country contact as well and......heard nothing. For weeks. Finally, I prayed one morning that if the Lord wanted me to go that He would give me a sign. Just some little thing, an open door anywhere in this process. That afternoon, I checked my email again and found a message from my contact! He talked about various opportunities that are available for me to serve in and said that he was looking forward to me coming over. We discussed dates and have decided on June 10th-July9th of 2012. This timing will allow me a better chance to get out in the Mongolian countryside and work with the herders. Also, by being in the country for fewer than 30 days I will not have to get a Mongolian visa. I already have a valid passport so I will not have to get that either.

While I will not need a visa or a new passport, there are still many expenses. Here is a breakdown of some of them:

• Plane ticket (about $2,600)
• In country expenses (about $2,000)
• Physical exam and vaccinations that need to be completed prior to departure (about $500)
• Legal documents to be completed (normally a $200 value but an attorney has generously offered to donate this to me. What a blessing!! My many thanks to him)

I will also need to purchase things like a new camera (mine is broken :(, small gifts for the Mongolian children, gifts for my hosts, work clothes to leave in the country due to foreign animal diseases, baby wipes, etc.

I have received eleven documents to review, understand, and sign off on before I leave. That was a little overwhelming. One of these talks about cultural differences, do's and don't's and I have found that many of these things are similar to what I have observed among the First Nation Cree of Saskatchewan. My mom said that perhaps all of my trips up North were to help prepare me for my upcoming experience in Mongolia. I can't help but think that she may have a point.

I have many prayer requests as I prepare to go to Mongolia:

1. That I would make God my top priority every single day and spend much more time working on my relationship with Him
2. That my heart would be prepared and humble
3. For unity between my contact and I as well as between my Mongolian team and I once I arrive
4. That preparations would go according to the Lord's plan
5. That I will fulfill God's plans, not mine
6. For cultural sensitivity
7. For trust and increased faith
8. For a HUGE team of prayer warriors standing behind me
9. That I would learn to speak slower
10. For financial support

If you would like to give financially, here is how: 
                                              Mail a check to:

Christian Veterinary Mission

Short-Term Missions Coordinator

19303 Fremont Ave North

 Seattle, WA 98133

Please make all checks payable to Christian Veterinary Mission and include my account number on the memo line. (Account number is UCVSTM1386.)

Or you may donate online by following these instructions:

How to Donate to a Short-Term Account Online:

• Go to www.cvmusa.org and then to Donate / Ways to Give.  Under the Short Term Missions heading, Click on "Click here to make a donation for an individual."  On the Donate to Short Term – Individuals page there is a box called Designation with a drop-down menu.  Select my name, Emily Baughman  from that list (near the bottom) and then finish filling out the form.  The funds will go directly into my short-term mission account UCVSTM1386.  Please let me know if you have questions.

  If there is money left over once my expenses have been paid for, it will be used to help fund CVM projects in Mongolia.

The most important thing you can do for me is to pray!!! There is a song by Chris Tomlin which says:

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.  

How true! If God goes before me, with me, and behind me, nothing will be able to get in the way of sharing the message of His love, forgiveness, and righteousness.If people will simply join with me in prayer, I do believe that God will raise up the finances and work out all the 1,001 details. 

Thank-you for taking the time to read this. I hope you will consider joining with me in some form as I reach out to the Mongolians with the hope of Christ.

Preparing for ND

I can't believe how fast the trip to Minot is coming up. With Samaritan's Purse, I have to arrange my own transport. I checked into plane tickets but they were too expensive so I will be driving. I will leave from Colorado sometime on the 13th (next Saturday) and arrive in Minot, God willing, on the 14th. I need to start packing and my sleeping bag is in the washer. I also have just a couple forms to fill out and as my tetanus vaccination is up-to-date, I don't have to worry about getting that before I leave. We will be staying in a Baptist church in Minot where there is no a/c but it is supposedly "not bad." Thankfully, they do have shower trailers; I was wondering if we would go a week without showers, something that is not unheard of in situations like this. Our food will also be provided for us; breakfast and supper are at the church and I believe we will have sack lunches at the site.
I will be taking my mom's car as it gets WAY better mileage than my pickup does. I plan to stay overnight somewhere on the way up so that I'm not exhausted when I get there and will just see how I feel driving back. And here is the part where I ask for financial help. As I don't have a job, I do need financial assistance to do these things, such as covering fuel both ways and a motel on the way up. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go before my church this coming Sunday night and present what I am doing. At this point, I do not know if the church will allow me to set up a fund to help offset trip costs and/or help support me. I'm definitely trusting God in this area of finances.
I will be out of touch the week I am in Minot but will try to post an account of the trip between the time I get back and the time I fly to MO for CVM Short-course.
As always, your prayers are coveted. Thank-you and God bless.