Mongolia

We first went to Mongolia in early 1999 to help with an outreach of Mongolia Campus Crusade for Christ; a four-day seminar with Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe with a target audience of university and secondary teachers and parlimentarians. Since then we have made numerous trips to participate in countryside outreach to the nomadic people and speaking to different groups, being primarily involved with the military ministry of Campus Crusade, the Centurions.

Countryside Evangelism 2002

Our purpose for the journey to Mongolia was to join evangelistic teams showing the Jesus Film among the nomadic people living on the steppes or "countryside" in gers made up of military cadets. We slept in our backpack tent each night. We went with 17 young Mongolian people from the military ministry of Campus Crusade and one young man from Singapore, 23 of us altogether in three rented Russian vans with drivers. We showed the film about 15 times to some 500 people. Each van, which went to a different location, had it's own projector, generator and a white vinyl sheet that was hung down the side of the van. We tried to start the 2½-hour film by 10:30 p.m. each night (when it would be dark enough there in the summer), but one evening we begab the film at midnight! (We crawled into our tent at 3:30 that night!) There were 145 positive responses to the gospel! These people stayed after the showings and met in small groups with the Mongolian team members while we prayed. The Mongolian people are very open to the gospel. Most of these nomads have never heard of Jesus before! The film portrays a man (Jesus) with whom they can easily identify. The setting of the film--dry deserts and sheep and goats--is very much like Mongolia. The audience laughed at how smart Jesus was in answering the Pharisees and they responded in other appropriate ways! Besides being on the trip to encourage and teach the workers on the trip, especially in our van, I had also been asked to speak at different times to the whole group of young workers (most in their early 20s and cadets from the military academy). They were very responsive.

Moonlight on the Steppe

Jesus Film Showing--between reel entertainment	Jesus Film Audience

Our Mongolian Hotel	Lunch break	Mongolian Cowboy from Japan

Keeping up with the "Joneses"		Worship time with Team Expansion congregation	Thank you, Lord!

One little sweetheart!	RARE "A-1" Facilities!	Mountaintop experience

Mongolian supermarket

Fall Trip 2002

In actuality I spent more than a month of days in Mongolia during 2002, as I also returned in the fall for the Campus Crusade for Christ's 10th year anniversary of the premier showing of the Jesus Film-the timing of the present opening of Mongolia. This two-week period provided further opportunity to minister and plan for the future as well as providing the opportunity to share in a special part of the anniversary celebration, a gathering of all the Asian Directors of CCC to one of the most remote places on earth, Lake Hovsgul (there is a website). As our U.S. ambassador, wife and son were staying in camp with us, I had the privilege of inviting and guiding them on our fishing excursion.

Great fishing!

Winter 2004

I spent about 10 days in Mongolia in January 2004.  The brothers and sisters there kept me very busy speaking to various groups and meeting with different individuals.  It was a great time!

Three happy Christians--center indv served in Iraq	A new elderly Chrsitian brother	Fiddling around

Portable telephone booth!	Winter in Mongolia	Speaking

Fall 2004

In October Paul spent three weeks and Rickie, two, in Mongolia.  We were kept very busy with outreach events, teaching the military academy cadets, the junior officers and senior officers, and visiting and sharing the Lord in various homes.

Trip to a military outpost on the Northern Border with Russia

Arranging for a " taxi"--common transportation	Open road--as good as it gets	Welcome to the outpost!
On the shooting range	Jagaa and two new converts	On the Mongolian-Russian border

Fall outreach to military academy cadets	Real Mongolian barbecue . . .	. . . eaten with your fingers
Speaking at the outreach

Back in Ulaanbaatar with the Centurion Ministry branch of Mongolia Campus Crusade for Christ

Speaking to junior officers	Speaking to women leaders -- Tuul, to the right of Rickie, disciples the other three	Sharing with senior officers
Paul teaching cadets	Rickie teaching cadets	Bayaraa and Gerlee -- Bayaraa leads the ministry with the junior officers
Tugsuu leads the ministry with the military academy cadets	Gantumur and Deeg's engagement picture -- Gantumur and Tugsuu are in charge of the military ministry and Gantumur leads the ministry to senior officers

Visiting and Sharing the Lord

With Bayaraa's parents and niece	Breakfast with Tuul's parents	Tuul and Tugsuu with her parents and Angie
Wedding of two Campus Crusade staffers	We were invited to another wedding reception in a ger suburb	Proud grandmothers and mother of the bride -- We were treated to a Mongolian song by the grandmother in red
Dick and Margaret are old friends from 1999 -- Even though retired, they spend several weeks of ministry a year in Mongolia	Having a feast with Retired LtCol Gonchigdorj, fulltime for the Lord now, and family	Learning the art of eating buuz
Preaching . . .	. . . at the International Fellowship in Ulaanbaatar	Having fellowship with Spencer and Pat Garner, Team Expansion missionaries
Farewell dinner	Buddhist temple -- the President of Mongolia worshipped the mountain in the background while we were there	Sunset in Mongolia
We stayed overnight in this ger -- perhaps the only one built into the third floor of a house!

Evangelism Wild, Wild West 2005

The first phase of "Evangelism Wild, Wild West" took place in October 2005. Two teams went to two of the most western provinces of Mongolia, Gobi-Altai Province and Uvs Province.  Although we had planned to use Blue Sky Aviation (Missionary Aviation Fellowship), our plans had to be changed and we flew with Mongolian Airlines on regular flights. 

Blue Sky Aviation	Planning the trip with Blue Sky Aviation to the three westernmost provinces of Mongolia	The Far West of Mongolia is 3-4 hours' flight from Ulaanbaatar

We were in the Gobi Desert under the "M" in Mongolia	We were met by officials with a Russian Jeep	There were five and sometimes six of us in the jeep

Paul teaching Ethics . . .	. . . to 38 officers and NCOs	We were with Ganatumur, Director of Centurions Ministry, and Lt. Col. (Ret.) Gonchigdorj

Rickie teaching motivational English	The Regiment Commander like my Green Beret!	Gonchigdorj taught Ethics at the Police Academy
Breakfast, lunch and dinner--mutton soup	Special treat for breakfast--sheep's head Yum! :)	Have you ever smelled camel's breath?

Rickie likes camels--at arm's length!	Local church with parsonage in foreground!	"Sanctuary"
You should have seen this lady camel run!	Our driver and his son--we were glad the roof of the jeep was padded!	Sunrise

Vehicle in the city streets	The Steppe at sunset	Sunset behind a ger

Winter 2007

I was invited to speak for a Leadership Seminar in January 2007.  As usual I was kept busy from morning to night . . . and loved it!  A couple of the highlights were the privilege of addressing some 300 police officers and addressing the Mongolian equivalent of the Pentegon!.

With Jagaa, one of the evangelists	Speaking at the seminar	I had the privilege of addressing 300 police officers

Genchis Khan and me	Centurion Staff Bible Study	Leaving Mongolia in February

May-June 2007

I went again to Mongolia in May-June for the 10th ananiversary of the Centurions Ministry and was again kept very busy from morning to night.

Evangelism Wild, Wild West 2007

Two teams of us went to the far western provinces (aimags) in November 2007.  We flew to Bayan Olgii where we were left with Gantumur, our leader and translator.  The plane then flew back to another military post in Muran, about 2 hours east by air, to drop off the other team.  During the course of 3 days at two different military bases and one outpost, I spoke on "Character as an Issue," "Transformational Leadership," and "Integrity."  Rickie did sessons on "What is a Family?" and gave interactive English lessons to the groups, one of which involved about 100 officers and NCOs and the other involved an elite group of 40-60.  At the border outpost (against the Russian border) we taught English words, questions and phrases that the immigration officers wanted to learn.  I also was privileged to attend a Mongolian mission conference with over 1,000 in attendance.

At the airport ready to board Blue Sky Airline's (MAF's) Cessna Caravan	View of the frozen Mongolian landscapre from above	Welcomed by the Commander	Arrival in Bayan Olgii
My Green Beret always opens doors	Gantumur lecturing on Management	Rickie teaching on "What is a Family?"	Street scene in Bayan Olgii
Traveling to the Russian border	A ger on the cold summit!	We were treated to a terrific dombra concert, then were presented with one of the instruments	Highway construction crew
Modern Ladies' and Men's rooms at the provincial airport--they even have walls!	We both lost to the two ping-pong champions and I appropriately came in second to the Commander in a target shooting contest	Back home again in UB	At a Mongolian mission conference attended by over 1,000 Christians

October-November 2008

I spent 3 weeks in Mongolia this time primarily to speak at a Leadership Retreat for the Centurions Ministry.  I also was privileged to be involved in a "ger church dedication"  for a congregation our good friends Spencer and Pat Garner started in a small community about 40 minutes by car from Ulaanbaatar. They have now moved to Gobi Altai to plant another congregation.

The new 8-wall ger on the right is connected by a "vestibule" with the older 6-wall ger on the left which is now being used for Sunday School.  The caretaker lives in the 4-wall ger to the far right.	Worship in song	Happy kids
Mongolian milk tea time	Medal of Appreciation from General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces (Pentegon)--10 years serving with Centurions Ministry	Cadets meeting for worship
Many come in uniform	Dinner time at Leadership Retreat	Speaking on the High Calling
Worship time	The Lord's Day in a Ten-Wall Ger	Bayaraa leading men's Bible study

October-November 2009

This year my time in Mongolia was cut a few days short, due to the H1N1 Virus that closed all public meetings: churches, schools and even universities. However, I did teach three hours a day for a week in the Great Commission Training Center of Campus Crusade for Christ as planned.  The response was great as was the interaction and oral reports.  I was to have spoken another four times (1 1/2 hours each time) on a military ministry leadership seminar.  Even though the time was cut short, I felt my mission had been accomplished: God's people were taught and our Centurions staff was encouraged.

Great Commission Training Center class	Friendships are formed through Jesus	Bible study in candlelight during black-out

October 2010

I spent 3 weeks in Mongolia this year and Rickie was with me the last ten days.  This was my 15th time and Rickie's 6th. It was a very busy time ministering to the staff and disciples of the Centurions Ministry--an outreach to the Mongolian military.  I spoke some 11 times at retreats and meetings and attended 5 other events.  The weekend before Rickie arrived, I spoke a total of 10 hours at a staff retreat.  Rickie spoke twice to ladies' groups and put on a Mexican Taco Dinner for one of the groups.  We had four marriage couseling sessions and visited seven different couples or families.  We also visited the military headquarters, the police academy and an airbase where the Centurions Ministry maintains computer rooms.

Addressing 40 new cadets.  Twenty-two of 26 made positive responses at the follow-up BBQ	Meeting with Jr. Officers	Real Mongolian Barbeque!	Yum!
The nomadic lifestyle is on the "slippery slope" after a 2nd loss of 7-8 million stock in two years	Thank you, Lord!	Visiting an Air Force computer room	Rickie arrives
A surprise visit with old friends, Dick and Margaret, from our first trip to Mongolia in 1999!	Bayaraa, Clarks, Wards and Mincks visiting Chingiss Khaan	Life gets busy in Mongolia, too! Two cell phones at once!	Batchimeg was our personnel manager
Tuuguu and Ebe with little Angel	Ganaa and Muju with newborn son Erkheme	Eagle man!	Oyun and her sister Naraa, both PhD's.  We met Oyun in Japan.

August 2011

Three days after returning home from the United States, I flew on to Mongolia for 19 days.  I had been invited to give the daily devotional messages at the Association of Christian Military Fellowship's (ACMF's) Interaction 2011.  This gathering of Christian military was from across Asia.  It included several senior officers--a general, an admiral, and colonels--as well as cadets.  My four messages were MISSION, MESSAGE, METHOD and MOTIVATION, which became thematic for the conference.  All was blessed by God.

MISSION, MESSAGE, METHOD AND MOTIVATION	Interaction 2011	With future leaders!
Need gas?	Oh, oh!	Things happen!