Mongolia
We answered the Lord’s Call to Greater Asia—to live
in Japan but do outreach to other Asian countries as Calls came, but, while we continued as missionaries in
Japan. Brother Warren Willis, visiting Japan in January 1999, put the
CALL on Paul to “Come over to Mongolia and organize our military ministry.” He
knew I had been a Green Beret during the Vietnam Conflict. I told him we would
be willing to come and help them, but we would continue our commitment as
missionaries here in Japan.
We
first went to Mongolia in early 1999 to help with a week-long seminar by Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to
Believe, with a target audience of university and secondary teachers
and parliamentarians. Crowds were over 700; standing room along the walls was filled! However, before the seminar we flew on to Irkutsk, Russia, for our first
time. Returning to Mongolia for the seminar, we were met by one who would
become my Mongolian “Timothy.”
As it was, Gantumur had just finished
training for coming on staff and was called to be the first director of
Centurions Ministry. While we had said “yes” to Mongolia, but not to organizing
their military ministry, God made us a part of it from the start. Since then we
have made numerous trips (30 entries for Paul) participating in countryside
outreach to the nomadic people, speaking to different groups, and being
primarily involved with the Centurions Ministry, an outreach and discipling
ministry to the Mongolian military under the "umbrella" of the
Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF) and Campus Crusade for
Christ (CRU). The ministry originated with academy cadets meeting in their day
room. Today Centurions Ministry and its results are now seen across the ranks
from cadets to generals! The staff consists of reserve officers as well as a
couple of retired colonels.
Thus we have been a part of this ministry since it
was organized and are known as the “Grandpa and Grandma” of the Centurions
Ministry. From those first Military Academy graduates and CM staff, we now have
a number of Christian couples (some singles) and a small multitude of Mongolian
“grandchildren” to go along with our own twelve grandchildren. From all of
this, in spite of the COVID pandemic, Centurions Ministry has continued to grow
in ministry and results for the Kingdom of God.
