During the ten years of CRF Media Ministry, we visited countries in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. Part 1 is a personal introduction to these countries. The 22 chapters contain our personal thoughts and photos of us and missionaries not seen on the DVD's which we have produced and distributed.

    The wide range in diversity of people with their social, economic, political and religious conditions opened our eyes. We were astounded in many instances at what was before us. We saw those living in absolute poverty in the midst of squalor to those living in comfort with great wealth. From the margins of society to the high-rise apartments, there was often corruption and unrest. On several trips, Arline stayed home because of the poverty and rough conditions. Some areas are easy for missionaries while others are very restrictive and, at times, dangerous. Yet, despite all of this, most people we encountered were friendly.

    Today, we would not consider visiting many of these places with our camera equipment. Political situations around the world and the anti-American sentiment is a cause for great concern. A desire to return to Cote d'Ivoire and visit the Toura people in the village of Dantomba was thwarted in 2001 when the country erupted in war. However, there is one country that would be good to return for a vacation – beautiful, and calm, Montenegro.

    Throughout our travels, one thing came shining through – beautiful, smiling children! It didn't matter their skin color or nationality. Whether they were clean or dirty, nicely dressed or in rags, they were ALL curious and interested in what we were doing.

    Southern Africa was our first mission trip with our high-definition camcorder. This top-of-the-line equipment provided much better quality video but with greater risk. During our 5-week tour, we obtained about twenty hours of High-definition video plus over 8,000 still photos. All of the HD videos are available in the Blu-ray version.

    The Kazakhstan video Filmed in the fall of 2008 and distributed in early 2009 was our largest project with 27 chapters and a total run time of 183 minutes. Because of health problems for both of us, this was our last foreign mission trip ending ten years of intensive video production for missionaries around the world. We are thankful to God and to those with whom we worked for this incredible experience of a lifetime. This has been a memorable time with many dear people and places.

        During our many trips, gracious missionaries and other Believers hosted us in their homes for overnight stays as well as for delicious meals. We were accepted as a brother and sister in Christ as we interacted with these people in their churches and homes. We often look back at those whom we met in faraway places and wonder how they are doing.

Missionaries have a difficult time telling those back home what it is like in the far away places where they are serving. CRF Media was established as a volunteer ministry for missionaries around the world to make things easier with their media development.

The mission trip that my brother Bill and I took to the Asheninca people living along the headwaters of the Amazon River in a very remote area of eastern Peru. The following year Arline and Carl returned to Peru and the outskirts of the mega-city of Lima, the capitol.

We made this first trip to West Africa in the midst of unstable political situations. Two days were in Conakry, Guinea then to Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire and, take a 400-mile road trip to the village of Dantomba and the Toura People.

Our visits to the Philippines was a time of discovering the many ways God's Word is spreading throughout these islands. It was also a time of remembering when Carl was stationed at Clark Air Force Base near Manila.

Our visits were to very different places and people groups. Coro is a city along the NW coast with many business and professional people. The Andean Ag Team works in rural areas outside Merida where farming is often primitive.

In Conakry, we conducted a web-site seminar for missionaries. We were with them on 9-11 in America. It was then up country and surrounded by a culture that continues to hold on to an ancient way of life and one that is subjugated by the belief in Islam.

We made two trips to this beautiful country. The northern provinces where the Criollos live in poverty was our focus the first trip. The next year was extensive with 4-weeks among people from the wealthy professional to the impoverished dirt farmer.

Most of the people in Senegal survive on meager incomes. The culture is one of making do with what they have. In March, Carl visited Kedougou – a 14-hour drive

from Dakar. In July, we presented a seminar in then north to the city of Podor.

On our first trip to Sarajevo, reminders of the turmoil of the past are all around. Open wounds and scars remain of the conflict ten years earlier. Two years later we found that much had changed. The dream of living and working side by side may be coming true.

Carl is in a small Songhai village with a Brazilian missionary couple. Arline remained home during the trip because of expected difficulties and primitive environment.

The Kingdom of Lesotho, surrounded by South Africa, is the home of a proud and peaceful people who must work hard to survive in the rugged mountains and harsh climate. To reach many of their villages requires hiking or riding the Basotho Pony.

Words are inadequate for describing this country of Bangladesh and its people. Follow along and experience some of the sights and sounds that I observed including attending several worship activities of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and, of course, Christian.

Standing in Red Square was unbelievable. After a short time in Moscow, we flew on to Ufa, Bashkortostan. We visited several cities and towns located throughout the Republic experiencing first hand the people and place that we had only read about.

Diverse traditions, languages, ethnicity and religions abound in India. Mumbai (once known as Bombay) with 17 million people, is much the same. With nearly 100,000 people per square mile, all of these groups must live and work side by side.

Puebla, east of Mexico City, is a place of history, culture and of grand cathedrals. It is a place of the rich and of the poor. Life in the rural areas is much different than the cities. One of the indigenous people groups we visited are known as the Mazatecos.

During our time in this small country on the Adreatic Sea, we met many people and discovered a beautiful and historic land of mountains, but also of cities, towns, and

small farms each with their own charm and beauty. Dubrovnik, Croatia is nearby.

17  Southeastern Africa 2005 (25:31)  12 Ch.

For nearly five weeks of April and May of 2005, we were in this part of Africa. It was a difficult project as we traveled to most of the provinces of South Africa plus the Kingdom of Swaziland. We experienced a broad cross-section of lifestyles from those living in abject poverty in tin and cardboard shacks to the upscale cities of Durban, Johannesburg and Tshwane.

21   Kazakhstan  2008    (19:33)  27 Chapters

 Kazakhstan, located in central Asia has over 100 ethnic groups who live side by side. The fall of the former Soviet Union in 1991 allowed this country to follow its own pathway to the future. However, persecution remains. At a small house church we were told not to publish anything identifying the believers or the meeting location. The chapter' Oh, ISA! was not published on the Kazakhstan DVD.