Hello - this is George. My parents asked me to write this month's prayer letter. In fact, there has been so much going on in my life this month that I am very late in writing this letter.

I am not sure where to begin but I will begin in October 2001 when I came with my parents and sister to Mongolia on a two week mission trip. I came for adventure but God captured my heart and I was ready to move to Mongolia with my family in February 2004.

I will admit that my last 2 ½ years in Mongolia has not been without bumps in the road. I experienced periods of being homesick for my Tulsa friends, missing my soccer team, my youth group, driving a car and being in a real school. But I have also made many new friends - both Mongolian and international - had a tremendous amount of new experiences, learned to play drums and be part of a praise and worship team and expand my desire to film and edit amateur movies and presentations. Through this desire to work with film I decided last year to look at attending a four-year university to major in film. I came up with a plan. Proverbs 16:9 says "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." The Lord started directing my steps but in a different direction than what I had initially planned. Through a series of events during this last year of high school, I found out about a school which I believe was designed for people like me. You see, I really was not looking forward to a four-year program in a classroom setting. I always learn better hands-on but did not know other options to fulfill my desire to be in film. But as my Dad always says, "God has a plan" and I found out about The Center for Creative Media in Garden Valley, Texas, just outside of Tyler, TX. This center is associated with a Christian ministry called Teen Mania which puts on Acquire the Fire Youth seminars all over the country among its many ministry outreaches.

Tassles have been moved and it is the end of my highschool life. YES!

After submitting my portfolio and having a telephone interview with the Director of the Center for Creative Media (CCM), I prayed and waited to see if I would be accepted. Meanwhile, I found that I was accepted to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK and that my brother, John, wanted to give me his car for college! I could not believe all that was happening! Two weeks later I found that I was accepted to CCM! And then a few weeks later I found myself graduating from high school.


When we moved here in 2004 we had planned to return to my old high school and I would graduate with my class. Well, once again Proverbs 16:9 proved to be true. We have continued to stay in Mongolia. I had an awesome graduation on May 20 with three other guys from my home school co-op. Our parents let us plan our own graduation and it was a very special time. I can now truly say that I will miss my friends here and I will miss Mongolia. My 2 ½ years here in Mongolia has been a time of growing in the Lord and an experience which has helped to shape my future.

After graduation party at the beach (not really)

I am so excited to attend CCM. I will be involved in the two year, hands-on productions/ internship/ instruction program that will prepare me to work on a real-world film/TV production staff. At the the completion of the program, I will have earned real, broadcast experience and be trained in producing, directing and filming programs that will have been seen by millions. CCM will also strengthen my walk with the Lord and prepare me to work in the Hollywood (entertainment) environment and be the light and salt in a lost world of the entertainment industry. I would like to develop a group of people who will commit to pray for me. I really ask for your prayers for a smooth transition back to American culture and for the strength and endurance I will need to do my best in CCM.

This opportunity does have a monetary cost, of course. Film schools, Christian or non-Christian are very expensive. I will need to meet my monthly tuition of $1300 per month. This will cover all of my costs including all travel expenses to Hollywood, New York City and other cities for filming and production experience. Since CCM is with a Christian Ministry, my tuition is tax deductible. If you would like to sponsor me with either prayer, finances or both please let me know. You may contact me this summer at P.O. Box 2525, Broken Arrow, OK 74013 or gdawg1687@yahoo.com. I will start school August 16 after a break in Oklahoma. My parents, sister and I leave Mongolia on June 27 and will spend a week in Seattle, WA with Christian Veterinary Mission and then visit my new school in Texas. We will arrive in Tulsa around July 9 ready to re-connect with my friends.

My principal and Sally at field day on our last day of school

Thank you for praying for me over these past years while I have been in Mongolia. I hope some of you will commit to continue to pray for me as I pursue the direction which I feel the Lord is leading me. While I have lived in Mongolia God has really opened my eyes and shown me how much He loves me and how exciting life is by following God.

God bless you,
George

P.S. My parent's asked me to tell you the phone number where we can be reached in Tulsa. It is 918-291-7777. We should arrive there around July 9 and they will return to Mongolia September 10. We will be traveling off and on but you can always leave a message at this phone number. We would really like to hear from you. -Mary