(mon-GOHL-yun) – Every winter in Mongolia, herdsmen wonder what the weather and environmental situation will be like during that particular year. An almanac they use is called the “Nine Nines,” and it starts on December 22. During January, the second, third, fourth, and fifth weeks of nine will pass. For the third week, it says that it will be so cold that six-year-old cows will completely freeze and that in the fourth week of nine, the seven-year-old bulls’ horns will freeze. Will the weather follow the Mongolian almanac this year? Will there be minimal snow, light snow, or a “dzud,” a snow disaster? Will there be enough feed for their animals to last through the winter? Will there be an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease or other contagious diseases to affect their herds and their families? Please ask God to be merciful toward the herdsmen who make up about 1 million of Mongolia’s 3.3 million-person population and protect them through the winter and to also give them an openness to believe as Christians brave the weather to reach these precious, isolated souls with the good news of Jesus, who gives life and freedom from fear of the unknown.