In early 2015, Christ Community Church (CCC) of Pinehurst, North Carolina, VET NET and MentorLink International partnered together to take DWJ to Mongolia.
VET NET is a Christian NGO (Nongovernmental Organization) founded in 1995 that provides veterinarian best practices and methods to Mongolia. Founded by Gerald and Frances Mitchum, VET NET is a network of veterinarians and educators training professionals thoughout Mongolia to gain the opportunity to share the HOPE that is within them. Their goal is to bring genuine change to the rural, urban, and university people of Mongolia through the love and message of Jesus Christ. Find out more about VET NET and their unique ministry here.
Wes Harrison of Pinehurst, and a member of CCC, has made annual trips to Mongolia for the past several years to teach Bible curriculum, discipleship and leadership training, in partnership with VET NET.
In January 2015, Wes and two others (Kelly and Ethan) from CCC were trained by Stacy Rinehart of MentorLink International on how to use DWJ Mongolian micro SD cards and transmit them to others via BlueTooth technology. (Ethan, being 12 years old, of course, was the first to master the new techology in about 60 seconds!)
(Above left: Teaching VET NET staff how to use micro SD cards, Above right: VET NET staff with Kelly)
Wes, Kelly and Ethan then took 100 micro SD cards Mongolia and trained VET NET staff and volunteers and over 110 leaders from churches all over Mongolia on how to use DWJ! They trained and discipled believers in rural areas, as well as in bustling cities.
In general, they found that DWJ was most effective when used in small groups of four to five people, rather than with large groups.
A local illiterate herder got VERY excited about DWJ because it gave him a tool to tell other herders about Jesus!
(Above left: A countryside church in Mongolia, Above middle: Wes discipling a group of believers, Above right: Ethan in their yurt.)
Wes shared the following thoughts:
“There is great darkness here because of Buddhism and Shamanism, but, the light of the gospel message is slowly but surely finding it’s way in to each corner of Mongolia. Each time I visit Mongolia (this is my fifth trip) I come away with a sense of dissatisfaction with my own life. Here, becoming a follower of Jesus means that this IS your life, not simply something you add to your life. It causes me to truly reflect on what I am giving myself to.
I want to imitate how these believers in Mongolia give themselves to completely to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Somehow, that seems to sum it all up.