By Zach Dodd, WEGO Director
“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
-Philippians 1:6
Think upon your senior year of high school and all the stories that filled it.
You had senior skip day and senior trips, college applications, and graduation party planning. More than ever, I bet your brain was filled with big dreams and grandiose expectations of the bliss coming your way. You could see the glow of freedom on the horizon, and hear the siren call of adulthood whistling a sweet melody in your ears.
Then you graduated.
Was that transition really all that you expected it to be, especially at first? How many times did you call your mom or dad for help (or cash) those first few months? Personally, I remember calling my mom in Florida that first semester to make a doctor’s appointment for me in Texas. I was on my way to adulthood, but I wasn’t quite there yet. I was so grateful and happy to be more on my own (and I never looked back), but I really wasn’t up-to-speed yet on all things adulting, like taxes, bank accounts, and the ins and outs of scheduling doctor appointments in a new city. The work had begun, but my path still looked pretty foggy. My adult day of completion was several years away, at best.
I must admit that this space between graduation and full-fledged adulthood has been a weak area for New Hope Children’s Home in Mongolia. I can point to a few stats that tell me so, but much more than that, I’ve heard the stories of our graduates. Just a couple of years ago, I shared a dinner with a group of our New Hope alumni, many now with their own families and careers. They told me how tough those years of transition were. Each of them had the normal college growing pains, but without parents around to guide them along the way. (Even more, the education system in Mongolia allows many children to attend a dormitory-style trade school instead of high school, shortening their off-ramp by several years.) Many graduates shared how they felt overwhelmed, confused, and alone – all expected emotions from having to navigate the treacherous waters of real life without a captain or a map. As much as we have tried to prepare our kids for graduation and support them in college, I knew it simply was not enough. We grabbed a piece of paper and outlined the foundations of a transitional home for our graduates right then and there on the dinner table.
In God’s kindness, one of the graduates from that table is now leading our ministry in Mongolia, and we are both committed to this vision. The circumstances perfectly lined up for us to launch a temporary transitional home for two boys under our care this summer. Azaa and Ganbayar will be entering trade school next month, but spent this June, July, and August in an apartment in the capital city. They have been able to work and learn crucial adult skills like grocery shopping, budgeting, cooking, and using public transportation – all under the supervision of our loving leaders. For them, it has been a wonderful experience of getting their feet wet before heading off to trade school. For us, it has been an opportunity to step towards our dream of a more permanent solution to better care for our graduates during their college or trade school years – to get them just a little bit further down the road, on the other side of the fog.
This month, I want to ask you to join us in praying for these two boys as they continue their trek into manhood. I also want to invite you into this dream of praying for and investing in a full-time transitional home for our future graduates. And for all of us, I pray we rest unswervingly in the profound truth in Paul’s words to the Philippians:
God is at the starting line, where every good work begins.
God is at the finish line, on the day of Christ Jesus.
We can trust Him to carry us between the two.
How You Can Pray
From Azaa:
“The transitional home gave me peace. When I left in the morning and came back in the evening, I had a place to stay in the city. It was really convenient for work. It reduced one of my worries. Because of that, I was able to focus more on other things, do my job better, and save more money. I am truly thankful to everyone who is supporting me. May God’s peace be upon all these people. I am thankful for paying my tuition fee, too. Thank you to all who are supporting me. I will always pray for these people.”
How You Can Pray:
1) I would like prayers for my New Hope family in Gachuurt
2) I also want prayers that I can study well in my trade school and graduate successfully
From Ganbayar:
I agree with everything Azaa said!
How You Can Pray:
1) Please pray that I can fully believe in God