Frequently Asked Questions and Answers:

• Question: I noticed that my contributions are to be sent to Seattle, WA and you have not lived there. Why are you using this address?
• Answer: All contributions for the Ballenger Mongolia Mission should be payable to Christian Veterinary Mission and mailed to Christian Veterinary Mission 19303 Fremont Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98133. This is the home office for Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM). They are our sending agency and they are a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt entity. They are sending out our partner letters, handling our budget, accounting, and other mission related matters for our family both now and while we are in Mongolia. We are working as a field missionary under their covering. Their mission is "Sharing the love of Jesus through Veterinary medicine". Mary has been involved with CVM for over 25 years and has served on the board and was Chairperson in 2001-2002. Each check should include the reference to the Ballenger's, Good News to Mongolia or the code of PGCVMMB.

• Question: Who is Christian Veterinary Mission?
• Answer: You can learn a lot about CVM by going to www.christianvetmission.org we would be glad to send you a CVM brochure on request, or you can call us at 918-481-5233, or Dr. Kit Flowers, Executive Director, (206) 546-7226 or Dr. Brad Frye, CVM Program Director, at (206) 546-7248 to learn more.

• Question: Can I trust CVM to give you the money?
• Answer: CVM is audited annually and they have a very good reputation for mission support. Because of Mary's involvement on the Board, our knowledge of the staff, and our overall confidence in them, we definitely trust CVM to do right.

• Question: How much of my contributions do you receive?
• Answer: We receive 100% of the money you contribute to our ministry however we pay 17% of our funds to CVM for staff support, mailing of our partner letters, and for project staff support. This percentage contribution to CVM may be perceived as a high percentage but we believe that we receive good value for our contribution.

• Question: When are you leaving?
• Answer: We will leave according to God's plan! We are leaving February 12, 2004. We believe that this is the best time to set up our home, learn the language (survival language), plan for next year shuttles, prepare for Continuing Education (CE) presentations, and transition the children to the third quarter of Co-op Home School. We are trusting that God's plan for our move is perfect.

• Question: Who or what dictates when you leave?
• Answer: We hope that we are lead by the Holy Spirit. We want to serve the Mongolian people, be sensitive to the needs of the Mitchum's and V.E.T. Net, be available when the government allows us to start the CE program, sell our home, have a majority of our financial support in hand or pledged, and put our personal and business affairs in order. We have met the basic CVM criteria to go. Dr. Mitchum has told us that we can arrive in February in order to meet the government and mission needs.

• Question: Are you selling your house?
• Answer: We have our house for sale or rent. We want to walk by faith and we want to remove things that will cause us problems while we are gone. Also we want to be debt free while we are on the mission field. This is essential for our move.

• Question: How long will you be gone?
• Answer: We have committed for at least two years. We are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Currently we believe that our initial plan for CE can be established and the first phase underway in that time. We are planning for George to attend Christian School in Tulsa his senior year. We are continually asking for God's plans and direction for our lives in the future.

• Question: Who will take care of your personal things in Tulsa, business things in Tulsa, existing veterinary business in Tulsa, existing Bigfoot business, ministry business in the USA and ministry business in Mongolia?
• Answer: Mr. Andy Murphree will take of all local personal and business matters. He is a strong Christian who attends Grace Fellowship, is a Scout Leader, is a CPA, works with AEP and has a wonderful family (wife Diane, son Daniel, and daughter Allison. Please pray for our transition and their continued work with our matters!

Our Bigfoot business has been transitioned to Mr. Michael Bush's company Infinite Consulting as a Strategic Alliance. Please pray for Michael, his wife Jamie, and Infinite Consulting to prosper and have good success. Also please pray for our clients that they will be well served by Infinite.

Mr. Ron Bacon is taking over the distributive generation portion of Bigfoot Marketing. Please pray for Ron and his family as they work with this extra business activity.

Veterinary Associates plans to continue the Mobile Veterinary Practice Unit with Jenny Greenhouse, DVM serving as the House Call Veterinarian. Please pray for this transition to be smooth and the clients will understand. The USA and Mongolia ministry business will be handled by CVM.

• Question: How much of your expense support do you have to raise?
• Answer: 100%

• Question: How much do you have to have before you feel like you can go?
• Answer: We believe that we need 100% of our first year fixed cost, which is about 40% of our total budget. Also we have set as a requirement before we move, that we have 100% of our monthly continuing needs received or pledged on a monthly basis. God will supply all our need, through the hands of men. This is one of the keys to us leaving for our mission. Please pray and agree with us that this will continue to grow as we leave and move to Mongolia.

• Question: Does CVM send workers out before they are fully funded?
• Answer: CVM does not recommend that long term workers move until 100% of their fixed move in costs and 50% of their monthly costs for the first year are provided from the missionary prayer support team. CVM recommends that 150% of each monthly cost be in hand or pledged however as they review each individual circumstance they will allow movement as funds grow.

• Question: Do you have any of your support from churches?
• Answer: Yes, we are receiving good interest from various churches and their mission committees.

• Question: Do you have any large one time or continuing donations?
• Answer: We are blessed and humbled by each contribution to our ministry and these encourage us to plan more and do our best to serve. Currently we do not have any single donation that would exceed 2% of our annual yearly budget needs.

• Question: What are your contingency plans?
• Answer: We believe that we are in God's plan for our family and we have no contingency plans. Our total focus is on this mission, to share the Good News in Mongolia with veterinary CE and through service to the veterinary projects.

• Question: How can we help you the most now to achieve your goals?
• Answer: Prayerfully consider personal, business, and/or your church financial involvement with our mission. We need you and we appreciate your prayerful consideration for involvement. Then let us know that you are involved. We need to hear from you!

• Question: Where will John come to as home?
• Answer: Home is where the family is and where we as a family can meet and be together. We hope that John can visit us in Mongolia or possibly another country convenient to us all. We pray that we will stay united as a family wherever we are. We are very thankful for friends and relatives who want John to visit and stay with them during his various breaks!

• Question: Where will you return to in two years?
• Answer: We plan to return to Tulsa however God has a plan and we want to follow that plan, so we are open to His leading!

• Question: What are your plans for your pets?
• Answer:Sampson our Golden Retriever will be living with one of Mary's clients for two years. He seems very happy in her home. Toby, our Shetland Sheep dog has a foster home with a friend and our cat Sebastian is in a foster home with one of Mary’s clients.

• Question: How do you plan to provide schooling for George and Sally in Mongolia?
• Answer: Currently we have budgeted for them to go to Home School Co-op School

• Question: What will they do when they are not in school?
• Answer: We all have a mission to share the Good News of Jesus with Mongolians and others in Mongolia. We plan to be involved in all the out reaches of V.E.T. Net and we plan to be involved in the local church.

• Question: Are you concerned with the world turmoil such as North Korea, Iraq, Israel, the SAR's virus and other major problems?
• Answer: We believe that we are called to Mongolia and we are responding with peace in our hearts, we have the armor of God, and God goes before us and prepares the way.