wfn.org | Mongolians see faith built

[BethAH@mbm.org]

December 6, 2000
Beth Hawn
Communications Coordinator
Mennonite Board of Missions
phone (219) 294-7523
fax (219) 294-8669
<www.MBM.org>
December 6, 2000

Mongolians see faith built through Habitat for Humanity project

ELKHART, Ind. (MBM/COM) – Putting faith into action has gained
Christian workers in Mongolia new respect – and given two
families new homes.

Habitat for Humanity, Joint Christian Services International and
World Vision collaborated to build two new homes in Mongolia in
September and October.  The effort impressed the Mongolians who
benefited from the project.  They especially appreciated that
housing could be made available in a short period of time, that
it was affordable, and that the work was done with integrity.

“One grandfather said he could tell we were different from the
religious Buddhists he knew, because while they talked a lot
about their religion, they didn’t take much action,” said Marlow
Ramsay, who helped with the project.  Ramsay works with Habitat
under joint appointment of Mennonite Board of Missions of the
Mennonite Church and the Commission on Overseas Mission of the
General Conference Mennonite Church.

“On the other hand, we had only talked about our religion a
little bit, but we had done a lot to help them,” Ramsay said.

The new homes on the east side of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s
capital, were dedicated on Oct. 27. Habitat presented each family
with a certificate, a Bible and the keys to the house.  In
return, the Mongolian hosts gave a traditional celebration feast
of potato salad, cabbage salad, steamed sheep’s back and plenty
of airag (fermented mare’s milk).  They also sang songs to
commemorate the event.

Habitat selected the families in August and work on the houses
began Sept. 1.  The homes consist of a large living room, a
bedroom and a kitchen.

Habitat built the homes using traditional Mongolian methods and
materials.  The main structure of each house was framed with
squared-off logs, similar to a log cabin, then faced with brick.
In the absence of fiberglass insulation, the logs act as the
needed barrier to the elements – an important factor in Mongolia,
where the average winter temperature drops to -13 degrees
Fahrenheit (-25 degrees Centigrade).

The homes cost the equivalent of $2,450 each.  The families will
pay for their homes at a rate of $25 per month.

The homes bring a welcome change for the two families.

One family’s previous home was a moth-eaten ger, a traditional
canvas shelter with felt insulation, which housed all eight
family members.  The other family had lived with relatives, with
14 people living in one house.

The two families were selected from 14 applicants.  To meet the
criteria, the families had to earn at least $15 of family income
per person per month, have a minimum of six family members with
at least three of them being children, be able to help work on
the houses, and demonstrate significant need.

These were the first homes built by Habitat in Mongolia.  Because
of the severe Mongolian winters, Habitat will wait until spring
to build more homes.

* * *
Gary Kauffman for MBM news