Summary:
Three provincial capitals in 4 nights and 5 days over about 2,000 km, we connected with 4 churches, and 4 organizations. Our services and seminars were offered at 3 churches and 3 organizations. We were well received by all, barring one incident where an immigration officer came to find out who we were and what we were doing. For that in the future we need a letter and itinerary with official letterhead and stamp to show to local officials. Jeremy’s visa was fine.
Narrative:
COMBO Team, consisting of Dawaadorj and Baynaa, Togsoo, Bathoyag, and Jeremy, left Darhan around 7:30 am on Monday August 17th. A brother named Bayarcaixan from Berx, Hentii came with us as a guide and believer who attends CR in Darhan. We got through the city of UB by the airport and Zaisan bypasses, but still encountered significant traffic, especially in the former and finally stopped for lunch in a town named Bayannuur in the Central Province close to the Hentii border about 1:30.
We got into Underhaan, the capital of Hentii, about 5 o’clock pm Monday. We went to a church named Family of Jesus, which also housed an organization called Help International from Germany. We presented our services that evening at 7pm in a huge 20m diameter wooden framed Ger, with a concrete exterior. We were offered lodging in one of Help’s log cabins. The next morning from 11-2, another group of nearly 20 people gathered to hear our services again.
We left for Suxbaatar province from there and stopped in the first town called Monxhaan, where one of our contacts, ChuluunBurged lives and leads a small church. He served us a meal and showed us his church facility, then accompanied us on the rest of our trip. We were 7.
The road into Suxbaatar province was excellent, and we got into town well before the 7 o’clock start to our teaching time. The name of the church is Monxiin Gegee (Eternal Light). They first fed us food, then gathered about 20 or more people for an evening of teaching. I believe it concluded around 10pm. We slept at their church property, most in the meeting ger.
The next day we toured and prayed for the city from the central statue park, and began another session of teaching about 10 am. We concluded by 12 and left town soon after.
The road to Dornon was 200 km over dirt, but pretty decent quality. We could go 30 or 40 mph most of the way. The pasture lands there were green and pretty lush with new rain. We got into Choibalsan about 4:30, and found immediately our contact, Batbold. His welcomed us to his apartment and said we would sleep there. His church named River of Life was very familiar with CR because they already run it. They gathered to hear about it, and family and financial counseling in the third floor room of a local hotel. The next morning we went back there for morning prayer. All of the churches we visited practiced morning group prayer at 7 or 8 am.
We had a 2 pm appointment with a local hospital to hear about family health, so we rested a bit this Thursday morning after prayer meeting, and looked over and prayed for the city from a park or with statues overlooking the city, and also visited a similar Soviet War Memorial. We were treated to a nice lunch at Dawaadorj’s relatives home close by Batbold’s. One of their family is a new believer. Another appears to be connected with a Baptist Church in UB.
The seminar at the hospital on family health had a lot about marriage and relationships in it, and was well presented and well received. We left Dornod directly from that hospital.
The road to Hentii from there was not as nice as the one to Suxbaatar. Portions were new and well done, but others were completely gone or under repair. The dirt portions were wet and bumpy so a lot slower going than the road from Suxbaatar to Dornod. We got held up in Hentii because there was no electricity. So when we pulled into a gas station at 6pm, we were told we wouldn’t be able to get gas until 9pm. So we set off to a closer town on the way to Berx. We made it to the town of Bayan Ovoo about 8pm. They still didn’t have electricity, so we couldn’t get gas. Just after 9pm, we waited for the electric to come, filled up and got underway to Berx, where Bayaraa Ax said we could get something to eat and stay the night. We got there after 11pm, and they sat down to eat mutton about midnight.
Three provincial capitals in 4 nights and 5 days over about 2,000 km, we connected with 4 churches, and 4 organizations. Our services and seminars were offered at 3 churches and 3 organizations. We were well received by all, barring one incident where an immigration officer came to find out who we were and what we were doing. For that in the future we need a letter and itinerary with official letterhead and stamp to show to local officials. Jeremy’s visa was fine.
Narrative:
COMBO Team, consisting of Dawaadorj and Baynaa, Togsoo, Bathoyag, and Jeremy, left Darhan around 7:30 am on Monday August 17th. A brother named Bayarcaixan from Berx, Hentii came with us as a guide and believer who attends CR in Darhan. We got through the city of UB by the airport and Zaisan bypasses, but still encountered significant traffic, especially in the former and finally stopped for lunch in a town named Bayannuur in the Central Province close to the Hentii border about 1:30.
We got into Underhaan, the capital of Hentii, about 5 o’clock pm Monday. We went to a church named Family of Jesus, which also housed an organization called Help International from Germany. We presented our services that evening at 7pm in a huge 20m diameter wooden framed Ger, with a concrete exterior. We were offered lodging in one of Help’s log cabins. The next morning from 11-2, another group of nearly 20 people gathered to hear our services again.
We left for Suxbaatar province from there and stopped in the first town called Monxhaan, where one of our contacts, ChuluunBurged lives and leads a small church. He served us a meal and showed us his church facility, then accompanied us on the rest of our trip. We were 7.
The road into Suxbaatar province was excellent, and we got into town well before the 7 o’clock start to our teaching time. The name of the church is Monxiin Gegee (Eternal Light). They first fed us food, then gathered about 20 or more people for an evening of teaching. I believe it concluded around 10pm. We slept at their church property, most in the meeting ger.
The next day we toured and prayed for the city from the central statue park, and began another session of teaching about 10 am. We concluded by 12 and left town soon after.
The road to Dornon was 200 km over dirt, but pretty decent quality. We could go 30 or 40 mph most of the way. The pasture lands there were green and pretty lush with new rain. We got into Choibalsan about 4:30, and found immediately our contact, Batbold. His welcomed us to his apartment and said we would sleep there. His church named River of Life was very familiar with CR because they already run it. They gathered to hear about it, and family and financial counseling in the third floor room of a local hotel. The next morning we went back there for morning prayer. All of the churches we visited practiced morning group prayer at 7 or 8 am.
We had a 2 pm appointment with a local hospital to hear about family health, so we rested a bit this Thursday morning after prayer meeting, and looked over and prayed for the city from a park or with statues overlooking the city, and also visited a similar Soviet War Memorial. We were treated to a nice lunch at Dawaadorj’s relatives home close by Batbold’s. One of their family is a new believer. Another appears to be connected with a Baptist Church in UB.
The seminar at the hospital on family health had a lot about marriage and relationships in it, and was well presented and well received. We left Dornod directly from that hospital.
The road to Hentii from there was not as nice as the one to Suxbaatar. Portions were new and well done, but others were completely gone or under repair. The dirt portions were wet and bumpy so a lot slower going than the road from Suxbaatar to Dornod. We got held up in Hentii because there was no electricity. So when we pulled into a gas station at 6pm, we were told we wouldn’t be able to get gas until 9pm. So we set off to a closer town on the way to Berx. We made it to the town of Bayan Ovoo about 8pm. They still didn’t have electricity, so we couldn’t get gas. Just after 9pm, we waited for the electric to come, filled up and got underway to Berx, where Bayaraa Ax said we could get something to eat and stay the night. We got there after 11pm, and they sat down to eat mutton about midnight.
The next morning about 7 we stopped by the church there to see and greet them in
morning prayer at Shin Exlel Church in Berx. We left town about 7:30am and made it to Hentii
by nine for an appointed teaching time at the area prison. Togsoo taught about 40 minutes on
CR and the benefits of inner healing for all of us. Jeremy challenged the prison workers to
consider passing on the teaching to the prisoners, that they will also find healing in doing so.
The local pastor Oggie from Help International attended and promised to help facilitate any
support they need to start CR there. The prison guard guy was pleased and possibly in
immediate need of CR since it was suspected he had been drinking that morning already.
We were able to depart Hentii then about 11am Friday August 21st. We made it back to Bayanuur again about 1:30 for lunch. We got though UB faster this time, by the same bypass, but still got into Darhan only after 7pm, getting home closer to 7:30pm
Conclusion:
We agreed we need to be less aggressive in our distance and scope of services. There were complaints that our itinerary and teaching time was too hurried. Going forward, the goal is not for us to promise to return every year or so often, but for these organizations to reach our to or return the visit to learn more how they can benefit from our services. Churches and organizations alike indicated intent to do that very thing. There were internal benefits to traveling together, giving each other feedback about presentations as well. Taking outsiders along from that region with us gives local credence, but has a few drawbacks.
Praise the Lord, the car and gas, and food money all held up, getting us safely back to our own homes and families.
Next time, we hope to head for Arhanghia and Hovsgol provinces, with more focus on our own Alliance Holboo churches as the hosts and recipients. We hope that Lxavga coming with us will enable us to offer Education Center information as well as Financial, Family Counseling and CR ministries on that trip. We will only plan to stop by to greet and encourage Erdenet churches on the way there or home.
We were able to depart Hentii then about 11am Friday August 21st. We made it back to Bayanuur again about 1:30 for lunch. We got though UB faster this time, by the same bypass, but still got into Darhan only after 7pm, getting home closer to 7:30pm
Conclusion:
We agreed we need to be less aggressive in our distance and scope of services. There were complaints that our itinerary and teaching time was too hurried. Going forward, the goal is not for us to promise to return every year or so often, but for these organizations to reach our to or return the visit to learn more how they can benefit from our services. Churches and organizations alike indicated intent to do that very thing. There were internal benefits to traveling together, giving each other feedback about presentations as well. Taking outsiders along from that region with us gives local credence, but has a few drawbacks.
Praise the Lord, the car and gas, and food money all held up, getting us safely back to our own homes and families.
Next time, we hope to head for Arhanghia and Hovsgol provinces, with more focus on our own Alliance Holboo churches as the hosts and recipients. We hope that Lxavga coming with us will enable us to offer Education Center information as well as Financial, Family Counseling and CR ministries on that trip. We will only plan to stop by to greet and encourage Erdenet churches on the way there or home.
