It can be very theraputic looking at old photos. Also old videos.

This is from our 2006 trip to Terelj with the Eagle TV staff for the annual retreat. One of the news editors put this together for us. It’s got a few hilarious moments: Our girls doing sumo, Whitney “taking down” my assistant. The last half of the video contains some great countryside footage by the video guy.

I was about 40-45 pounds heavier than I am now.

Enjoy.

Generally when a Christian wants to share the good news about Jesus with someone there are three overall categories of reaction. The first is Indifference. This usually takes the form of non-interest, or a polite hearing of the Gospel followed by a general rejection amounting to a “thanks, but no thanks.”

The second category is, Opposition. That’s pretty self-explanatory, but for the sake of the unfamiliar, opposition isn’t a simple rejection, rather it is a verbal or physical attack, or the threat of attack as a result of someone sharing the Gospel or anticipation that it might be advocated.

The third response is, Acceptance. Also self-explanatory, but for the uninitiated it is when upon hearing the Gospel someone believes and commits his or her life to Jesus Christ.

However, I think our Steppe-by-Steppe team has discovered a new category. We’ll call this the, Tell Me About Jesus, or I’ll Kick Your Butt category. We have to classify this as an actual category of response because, in Mongolia, we’ve run across it more than once! Yes. You read that right. Have you ever heard of anything in the missionary venture so strange?

It happened most recently when one of our teams was presenting a Bible movie and study to a group quite far away from UB. Without warning there was a power surge (not uncommon) and the projector suddenly fried in a lovely poof of smoke. The group of more than 200 attendees waited for the movie to restart, but sadly were told that the projector was kaput and the movie could not continue.

First came the usual grumblings of disappointment you would expect. But it was soon followed by shouts. Then people began rising to their feet. Then people started picking up their chairs. Then some began banging their chairs around in anger, demanding something be done! Several angry attendees said, “We’ve heard about Eagle TV’s Bible movies, and how good they are. We’ve been waiting for this a long time! Now we can’t watch them!” Some of the attendees were on the verge of violence.

The SBS team members have faced this before (minus the violent chairs). Solving the problem was rather simple—a promise to return quickly soothed the agitated crowd. Of course, when they return they’ll bring MORE movies, and do even MORE Bible studies, and as happens everywhere they go, even MORE lives will be changed.

I’m always amazed at the openness of Mongolians to want to hear the Gospel. I’ve read some reports in a few isolated locations where the Gospel isn’t received well. But those are truly isolated reports. In general, Mongolians are very interested in spiritual things, and are especially happy to talk about the Gospel when given the chance. While a few stick to the old Buddhist notions, in reality, the number of new churches being established is outpacing Buddhist temples and centers by 3-to-1. Most just aren’t finding truth and satisfaction in Buddhism. When given a free and open opportunity to learn about the Gospel and what the Bible teaches, most of our hearers are eager to learn. For many Mongolians, Christianity represents a truth they were denied for too long and they are eager to entertain its message.

You might respond, “Well duh, movies are a natural attraction—especially in communities that have almost nothing.” Certainly that is true. But in the average month that 4,000 people attend our movies, nearly all remain after the movie for a short presentation about Jesus, and roughly half to two-thirds of attendees return the next day to take part in studies to learn more about the Bible.

Many give their hearts to Jesus Christ.

For some areas of the world telling someone about Jesus could get you strung up. But in Mongolia, apparently, you could get your butt kicked if you DON’T tell them about Jesus.

Never in my nearly 25 years of ministry did I ever imagine such a thing. And yet I cannot help but try to imagine what might come next—except maybe flying chairs.

If you’d like to help replace one of two countryside-fried projectors, or sponsor one of three surge protectors, please email me.

I just came out of a nearly two-hour meeting with our Steppe-by-Steppe field ministry team listening to testimonies about what God is doing through our field strategy using Eagle TV movies in the countryside. I never imagined when we conceived of the strategy a year-and-a-half ago that so much would be accomplished so quickly, and how it would begin to change people’s perceptions of the Bible and Jesus Christ.

From whole families who have received Christ, to communities that turn out by the hundreds to learn about the Bible, amazing things are happening, but none more important than the change in attitude about the Bible.

Again and again our team members are being told that they have great difficulty understanding the Old Testament they have. As a result they quickly give up reading it and only read the New Testament, and often times not even that. Even then they often don’t understand certain things because the New Testament is filled with references to Old Testament characters, events, and principles. Yet after watching our Old Testament series of movies and attending the corresponding Bible studies a two-fold response always takes place: (1) People gain a new understanding of the Old Testament and its meaning opens up to them for the first time, which (2) Drives them back to the Bible to study God’s word and learn again from the treasure within its pages. This is exactly what we hoped for!

One of our staff shared with me that the communists used to travel the countryside in the 40s and 50s showing Russian movies about communism. The older people remember those days. So to have a group now traveling to these same areas bringing the message of God’s love and forgiveness instead of the cold, unforgiving brutality of atheism and oppression, is welcomed and greatly anticipated.

In the last 5 months our team has delivered 108 presentations with thousands attending movie showings, and thousands attending the corresponding Bible studies from start to finish to learn more about Jesus. Hundreds of New Testaments have been given out, and lives are being transformed for Jesus Christ. Virtually every community we have visited has asked for a return visit and for our team to continue teaching them about the Bible.

What a wonderful privilege to be associated with these men from our Steppe-by-Steppe team. Their work is transforming thousands of their countrymen for Christ.