Paul’s Story
Paul was born and raised in the South Gobi of Mongolia. His father served in the army as an officer and his mother worked for the government. But during the socialist era, both were forced into early retirement in their mid-40s. With two children in college and two still in high school, the family suddenly lost their income.
They tried to start a small shoe-selling business, but it failed, and they were forced to move to Ulaanbaatar to start over. Paul was 15. The transition from a peaceful countryside childhood to life in the city was overwhelming. The family struggled to find stable work, and Paul struggled to fit in. He had difficulty making friends, often got into fights, and felt increasingly isolated.
To help the family survive, Paul and his younger brother worked overnight with their mother cleaning a large market from 9 p.m. until as late as 4 a.m. There, Paul met homeless children living in the area. They became his only friends—and they taught him how to pickpocket. His life was heading in a destructive direction.
That changed unexpectedly one day. Paul and his friends were playing basketball near a church when a youth group surrounded them, blocked the exits, and “invited” them to come inside. With no way out, they agreed. That moment became the turning point of Paul’s life. It was the beginning of his walk with God, and everything changed from there.
At age 16, after witnessing his first miracle, Paul committed his life to full-time ministry. He hitchhiked to closed communist country, served in rural missions, led worship, and even planted a church through soccer outreach.
In 2016, Paul met Kathryn at a sports ministry school. During that school, God miraculously gave him the ability to understand (but not speak) English. They began dating that year and married in the summer of 2018. Today, they have two young boys and hope to adopt more children soon.
Paul now runs a worship music studio in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, started a house church, partners with local Christian ministries, continues to lead worship, and is preparing to start a Worship Academy to raise up new leaders.
Kathryn’s Story
Kathryn was born and raised in Texas, USA, the oldest child in a multicultural family. Her mother is from the Philippines, and her father—half Greek and half Swedish—grew up in New England. After meeting and marrying in Texas, they raised four children, with Kathryn as their firstborn.
Kathryn received Christ at the age of four after her father shared the simple gospel with her: follow Jesus and you go to Heaven; reject Him and you don’t. Her faith deepened in middle school when her science teacher openly attacked creationism and promoted evolution. Each class became a debate, forcing Kathryn to study Scripture for herself and build a strong foundation in her beliefs.
An excellent student, Kathryn graduated at the top of her high school class. She dreamed of becoming the next “Indiana Jones,” but after not getting into her dream university, she felt directionless and discouraged. Still, she excelled academically—especially in linguistics and foreign languages.
Everything shifted when she studied abroad in Asia for a year. There, God opened the door for her to serve in sports ministry, and she later sensed a clear calling to return. In 2014, Kathryn moved to Asia full-time, leading Bible-based values training for Olympic and professional athletes with her ministry team.
After she and Paul began dating, Kathryn moved to Mongolia. She continued working remotely for a sports ministry as the Operations Director for East Asia. Over time, she felt led to focus more intentionally on local ministry work in Mongolia. She partnered with Paul in launching their worship studio, sports ministry club, and she still, actively co-leads all their other initiatives.
More recently, Kathryn sensed God calling her to expand her impact. She began pursuing licensing and certifications in the financial services industry with a vision to help missionaries and ministry families thrive financially—so they can build lasting legacies for both their families and their ministries. She does this in addition to overseas ministry.