GSM Stories from the Mongolian Steppe

OUTREACH

(Right) Speaking at Blue Sky Aviation’s (Mongolian branch of MAF) annual retreat these three employees accepted Christ!

(Below) My seventy-five year old Bible College student Miss Chuluun’s house in Batsumberg. She is the local communist union president and elder in her church. Our seven member GSM team stayed in her house during our outreach to her church and a retirement center. Fifty elderly Mongolians enjoyed great worship music and dance. We had a great time and many hands rose to receive Christ.

(Below) GSM and the Lord's Church outreach team with Miss Chuluun (second from the left) having dinner. She cried with joy as we did a bible study in her home.

DISCIPLESHIP

Besides mentoring our GSM team, I meet Friday evenings with members of three worship teams and weekdays with other ministry leaders. I also am about to wrap up an eight week discipleship program at a UB private school where a number of teachers and students have received Christ as Savior.

This week GSM is hosting a retreat for forty-five Pastor’s wives with Shirley Mills and Jean Nystrand. We are also hosting a Sunday School Teacher story-telling training program and a mother’s day out for Handong alumni. June 7th GSM is hosting a renowned Egyptian born biblical archaeologist for a week of archaeological, scientific, and theological seminars for scientists, Christian leaders and the public.

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (CCD)

MODEL OF MINISTRY

GSM's evolution towards ministry in Mongolia has progressed towards an involved mentorship model within a growing group of full-time young professionals. Within this professional group we are focusing on Christian Community Development (CCD). It looks like this: I (David) mentor a small group of young professionals in a business ministry setting. I coach them on their attitudes, ethics, character and approach. Together, we practice our priorities for Christ, family and our mission. We invite Christian business leaders to share their perspectives on business and leadership. We invite Christian ministry leaders to share their mission and priorities. We review our work and hold each other accountable as we seek to strengthen and improve the Christian community through leadership development and targeted development projects. (See image with "heart" diagram on right side of this blog.)

(Above) GSM leadership meeting at our office with a Christian assistant principle of a private grade school in Mongolia that cannot legally teach Christian education or share Christ with students. 

First CCD Work:  Christian Education

After doing a lot of survey work within the Christian community in Mongolia, we have come to a clear direction for our first community development work. The lack of trained Christian teachers is severely hampering the Churches growth and maturity. Most churches do not have biblically literate Sunday school teachers and lack culturally adapted curriculum or teaching methods. Lacking space, funds and teachers, the churches place little emphasis or priority on youth. Another huge issue is Mongolia’s lack of freedom for Christian education. The few grade schools and universities run by Christians (mostly Korean) are not legally allowed to practice Christian education. The schools operate under constant scrutiny from the government to prove they do not include Christian teachings.

With this priority for Christian education in mind, GSM will focus its Christian community development work in the following three ways:

 (1) Training professional Christian teachers.  Through our partnership with the Universitas Pelita Harapan’s (www.uph.edu) International Teacher’s College (ITC) in Tangeran, Indonesia, full-scholarships are available to select Mongolian candidates to study at ITC to receive an American degree in Christian education. Thank you Kathy Talbot for encouraging this partnership.

 (2) Implementing a Sunday School Teacher certification program. In cooperation with our Mongolian and American partners, we are beginning work this summer on a long-term certification program to train Mongolian Sunday school teachers and develop Mongolian created Sunday School curriculum.

(3) Changing legislation to allow for Christian education. GSM will work to form a national and international coalition to change the law in Mongolia regarding Christian education. Pray for our safety.

BECKETT FAMILY

The Beckett family will transition back to Texas. Kim and Eva will arrive in Texas on May 30th. I will join them the end of June. I will alternate time between the states and Mongolia. This change will allow Eva to go to high school with friends and Kim and I will be close to parents to help as needed. Eva has already been given a scholarship to Geneva and Kim is actively interviewing for work. This change will also encourage our national GSM team to take ownership and leadership in the Christian community development model under which we are working. I would simply ask you to trust that we have sought the Lord and GSM’s BoD's wisdom in this regard.

There is a presidential election next year in Mongolia. The Mongolian economy is continuing to experience decline as layoffs are ongoing. Mongolians say the coming election next summer may be violent.

Please keep Mongolia, GSM and the Beckett family in your prayers.