Documentary, Ben Fogle New Lives in the Wild S05E06 Khatgal Outer Mongolia
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00:00I'm Ben Fogel and over the next few weeks I'm going to live with different people who inhabit
00:09some of the most remote locations on earth. There is nothing here. From the mountain forests of
00:15northwest USA to the freezing Mongolian tundra, the barren Hungarian countryside to the wild
00:23African bush, a Mediterranean island and the deep Canadian wilderness. These are the people who
00:32decided to make a massive life change. I said so what do you think should we just do it give up
00:37everything and she said okay. Are they daring or just downright crazy? Come on Ben. We didn't even
00:47know where Mongolia was. This is who I am it's not who you want me to be. I want to find out what
00:53happens when you quit the rat race. If the whole world folds up my pension is here. And create a new life
01:01in the wild.
01:05Today I'm in outer Mongolia. With just 2.8 million people living in an area four times the size of the UK,
01:19it's one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. I'll be staying with Mickey and Trina
01:25Kofa who along with their four children left behind the comforts of America for a new life in a country
01:32they knew nothing about. We didn't even know where Mongolia was. I'm embarrassed to tell you we didn't
01:38even know where Mongolia was. Just that we knew it was cold and it was harsh climate. And despite
01:44enduring freezing conditions. Are you sure we're safe? Now it's time to pray. And near-death experiences.
01:51The time I got to him it was just a ball of blood and eyes was rolled back and he was unconscious.
01:56They've made a huge impact in this remote corner of the world.
02:00They are like the parents of the village or something now.
02:04Come on, Ben.
02:08My epic journey begins over 7,000 kilometres away in Mongolia's capital city, Ulaanbaatar.
02:14This is amazing. It's like stepping back into another era. It's so atmospheric. Can't get the grin off my face.
02:32With temperatures hovering around minus 20. Hello.
02:37I've now got to board an overnight train from the capital and head northwest to Erdenet.
02:42As the sun rises, I get my first real glimpse of this barren and beautiful landscape.
03:01After a 12 hour train journey, we finally arrive in Erdenet, where the temperature has dropped to nearly minus 30.
03:07Wow. It's amazing, this. The atmosphere, everything. It just feels unlike anywhere else I've ever been.
03:21The final leg of my journey is a 450 kilometre car ride north on the only road that heads into this region of Outer Mongolia.
03:33Wow. This is just amazing. This landscape is mind-bogglingly beautiful.
03:45I dreamed of coming to Mongolia. It's one of those words you always used, Outer Mongolia, to refer to the most faraway place you could possibly think of.
03:54And there is nothing here.
04:00Eventually, a sign of civilisation appears, as we finally reach the small village of Hatgal, where I hope my hosts are waiting for me.
04:09Here? This is it. Wow. Thank you very much.
04:18Hello? Mickey? Trina?
04:21Hey, what's happening, brother?
04:25How are you? Very nice to meet you.
04:27Good to see you.
04:27Mickey? Yes.
04:28How are you? Trina?
04:29This is my wife, Trina.
04:30Wow.
04:31Good to have you.
04:31You look so glamorous.
04:34That's quite a journey, I have to say. Three days.
04:37Oh, mercy.
04:43Mickey and Trina Kofa lived in southern Ohio, deep in America's Bible Belt.
04:47They owned a pottery business and had recently finished building a home for them and their four young children.
04:56But in 2000, their lives changed forever, when they listened to a preacher talk about spreading the Christian faith to remote parts of the world.
05:04In 2003, the couple with their four young children moved almost 11,000 kilometres to outer Mongolia to become missionaries.
05:20At first, they lived in a tent, but then leased some land in the small village of Hatgal and built a simple cabin.
05:31This is beautiful here. Look at the view that you have over there.
05:36The Kofas rent this one-acre plot of land for just £10 a year, and it wasn't always this picturesque.
05:42Actually, this was the dump.
05:44Was it?
05:44Yeah, it was like...
05:45Why did you end up on the dump?
05:46Actually, it was Trina's idea. Let's get that bad place. I said, oh, that's too much work.
05:50You didn't want to stand out, or you wanted more work?
05:54I just wanted to be part of cleaning up, you know, and cleaning up the environment.
05:59So, can I have a look inside?
06:00Yes.
06:03Oh, wow. This is nice and warm in here.
06:05Oh, yeah.
06:05Wow.
06:06I don't like to be cold.
06:08So, you've got electricity, obviously, here.
06:09Yes, unfortunately.
06:11I miss the candles.
06:16So, really? So, how long did you have candles for?
06:18Well, the first, what, five, six years?
06:21And what about water? You've got running water?
06:23Well, not quite.
06:24No, not quite.
06:25But still.
06:26Well, it's just for effect.
06:27It looks like it anyway.
06:28So, where does the water come from?
06:29The lake.
06:30You just take that little pot there, and just these big ones.
06:33What, that little pot over there?
06:34Well, that little one dips out of the hole, and we fill these and carry them up.
06:38And presumably, these wood-burning stoves are how you do all the cooking and everything?
06:41That's right.
06:42Yeah.
06:44The couple heat their water and home with wood, and electricity is their only utility
06:49at £10 a month, which also powers the couple's fridge for when it's not already freezing.
06:57All right.
06:58And when nature cools, it's back out into minus 20 for a chilly dash to the outhouse.
07:05This is our wonderful toilet.
07:07Oh, I'm simmering the stinky.
07:11That is pure ice around there.
07:13Yeah.
07:13Oh, that's going to be cold.
07:15So, you just drop the lid.
07:17And that protects your bottom a little bit.
07:19A little bit.
07:22I don't know what to tell you.
07:24Well, I think I might be peeing in there for a start.
07:26There's no way to prepare you for this.
07:29You don't mess around.
07:30You don't need a magazine out here.
07:32Hello.
07:36Hey, brothers and all.
07:37As for where I'll be staying, I'm going to be living in a traditional Mongolian home known
07:43as a gare.
07:44These large tents are almost impossible to erect on your own, so Mickey's asked some local
07:49friends to help us.
07:50Four.
07:53Gares are felt-covered mobile tents, used mainly by nomadic farmers.
07:59They're also used in many towns and villages as permanent dwellings.
08:04This is the old one the Kofers bought for £600 when they first arrived here.
08:08Look at that.
08:09Beautiful.
08:10And this is the gare that you lived in for six or seven years, is this?
08:13Yeah.
08:14Yeah.
08:15This is like an old friend.
08:16It's like 12 years old.
08:19Yeah.
08:20But my gare isn't the only Mongolian tradition Mickey wants to show me.
08:24Ben, if you want to wrestle, it's cultural.
08:27Oh, yeah.
08:31Go on, Mickey.
08:39Does that count as a win?
08:41He won.
08:42He won.
08:43But I let him.
08:44But you let him.
08:45Because I didn't want him to be embarrassed.
08:47I love that.
08:48Do they love to wrestle?
08:49Oh, man.
08:49See how easy that was?
08:50Yeah.
08:51And then you go about your business.
08:52And then you just carry on.
08:53And you hope your glasses don't get broke.
08:55Yeah.
08:56Yeah, they're okay.
08:59With many hands making light work, it's not long before my gare is ready to move into.
09:04You've got to turn the wrong way.
09:08You've got to turn it toward the ladies' side of the...
09:10Oh, the ladies' side.
09:10Yeah.
09:11I have ladies in here, do I?
09:13No, you get no ladies.
09:15It's amazing.
09:17It feels like this is a proper home.
09:18I still can't quite imagine six of you living in here.
09:21Yeah.
09:21That's a squeeze.
09:22The fun part's trying to take a bath.
09:24Oh, yeah.
09:25Where did you have the...
09:26Everybody go out.
09:27I'm getting in the bucket.
09:30Now the gare is finished, it's time for another bout of Mongolia's favorite pastime.
09:34You wrestle?
09:36He wants to...
09:37You can wrestle here.
09:38He wants to wrestle.
09:39Beefish, let me pray for you.
09:40Yeah.
09:42He's tucking in.
09:43Go on, ready?
09:49Come on, Pierre.
09:52It's over.
09:53It's over.
09:53That's it.
09:54No way.
09:54That's it.
09:55That's it.
09:56You lost.
09:57Just like me.
09:58Straight away.
09:59When you go down, it's over with.
10:03I'm so humiliated.
10:04He took me down straight away.
10:05I don't think I've ever wrestled before.
10:07That's my excuse.
10:09You've got to get the leg straight away.
10:10He's going down next time.
10:12If I see him in town, I'm just going to like...
10:15I'm just going to completely surprise him out of the blue.
10:19Take him down.
10:25Here, temperatures plunge at night.
10:28So I'm relieved to be invited into the couple's cabin for dinner.
10:31Well, let's have a word of prayer.
10:32All right.
10:34Father, we thank you for bringing our guests in.
10:36I pray that you bless him and have your will in his life.
10:39Thank you for this food now.
10:40In Jesus' name.
10:41Amen.
10:42Amen.
10:42Amen.
10:43So what's on the menu?
10:44Well, um, horse meat.
10:46Horse.
10:47Horse.
10:47Of course.
10:48Little horse meat.
10:49We're in Mongolia.
10:50I can get a hold of this.
10:50Thank you so much.
10:51Amazing.
10:52In Mongolia, horse is considered a winter meat.
10:55So this is staple to their diet.
10:57They eat their meat kind of seasonally.
10:59And horse is, they call cold meat.
11:02Chewy.
11:05It's not actually my favorite, but.
11:06It's very chewy.
11:08Yeah.
11:08And quite rich, but I'd say pleasant.
11:10Yeah.
11:11It's not bad, is it?
11:12Yeah.
11:12This is one of the big cultural things that you both had to embrace when you left
11:17the U.S. to come here.
11:18Yeah, for sure.
11:19When we pulled up here in the driveway, it was interesting.
11:22It was.
11:23To see a horse being, um, you know, skinned.
11:27Skinned?
11:28Was that the first thing you saw when you arrived?
11:30Actually, my neighbor was skinning a horse, and it was like, whoa, I've never seen that
11:35before, you know?
11:36I would say the biggest challenge for me was the lack of communication.
11:40It could go months when we didn't get to talk to family.
11:44And then the other thing I found really difficult was the travel.
11:48Mm-hmm.
11:48So now you came up on that road, but two or three years ago, 20, 25 hours to get to the
11:54city off-road, so that was very challenging.
11:57When you travel, man, you better hang on.
12:00Yeah.
12:00The kids always had to have something to throw up in.
12:05And I'm wondering about religion, said Grace at the top of the meal.
12:09Faith is what brought you here and is what keeps you here, presumably.
12:12Oh, yeah.
12:12A hundred percent.
12:14Yeah.
12:16That's our life.
12:16That's why we're here.
12:28They're a fascinating couple.
12:29I came out here with quite set expectations, if I'm going to be honest.
12:34I had this image of a very smartly dressed couple who sort of walked around maybe with
12:40their heads held a little bit too high, and I couldn't be further from that.
12:46And I don't know if they're just holding back from their faith, the cause, the reason they're here.
12:54Are they missionaries in the textbook sense?
12:57Or maybe there's much more to it that I don't fully understand.
13:02I'm deep in Outer Mongolia.
13:14Staying with Mickey and Trina Kofa, who, 12 years ago, left the comforts and
13:22familiarities of America behind for a new life in this remote corner of the world.
13:28Temperatures here plummeted overnight, but remarkably, I managed to get a good night's sleep.
13:35I'm given a rude awakening, though, with the discovery of a grim task that needs to be carried out.
13:47Tonight, Mickey and Trina are going to throw a customary Mongolian dinner known as a ho-hawk.
13:55Mickey has bought a sheep for 50 pounds from a farmer for tonight's meal.
14:00While he regularly dispatches animals for his own consumption,
14:04he's asked his friend Maya to show the customary way to kill an animal in this region of Mongolia.
14:09All right, can you hold the back feet?
14:11You need to hang tight to them legs now.
14:14Talk me through what he's going to do.
14:16He's cutting a slit right under the rib cage, and then he will
14:21reach his hand in there and take his heart out.
14:24You joking?
14:25I'm serious.
14:30He's going in there now.
14:32He's in there now.
14:34He's actually reaching for the heart.
14:39Yep.
14:47It's okay?
14:49Okay, so he's done.
14:51But that was actually unbelievably quick.
14:54It's actually less dramatic than a knock in the head.
14:57So he put his hand in and he separates the heart?
14:59Yeah.
15:05On the face of it, it's horrific, isn't it?
15:06You cut a little slit, put your hand in and then separate the heart from the rest of the body.
15:11But it was unbelievably quick and unbelievably calm.
15:14There was no noise.
15:15There was nothing.
15:16All I could feel actually holding its feet.
15:17I could feel them tensing and then gone like that.
15:22Amazing.
15:23It sounds pretty gruesome and I've never seen anything quite like it.
15:28But I have to say, having seen quite a lot of animals dispatched in every...
15:32Using every technique over the years and in different cultures.
15:35It's pretty amazing.
15:36And look at them now.
15:38They've practically got that skin off.
15:39I feel I should go back just so I can say that I vaguely helped them.
15:45This method of slaughter is often preferred as many Mongolians attach a spiritual significance to blood.
15:51And it's deemed wrong for any of it to touch the ground.
15:56They also regard blood as a valuable food source that should not be wasted.
16:00There can't be that many preachers that get their hands this bloody.
16:07Well, better eat.
16:16Mickey Kofa was born in South Carolina, USA and spent his youth on a farm raising animals and fixing old cars.
16:25By his late teens, Mickey had decided that he would dedicate his life to God.
16:30He attended a Christian college where he met fellow Baptist Trina Zamet, a privileged city girl from Detroit.
16:39They fell in love and got engaged after just seven days.
16:46So where did Mongolia come into the equation? How did this come into your life?
16:51After, I don't know, maybe 15 years of being a deacon, we had our four children just serving in the church.
16:59We had a heart to just get them out of that typical American lifestyle of TV and electronics and that kind of entertainment and really teach them to live off the land and that kind of thing.
17:10So we were in the process of doing that when that evangelist came through and he said, you know, what are you guys doing?
17:17And we're like, well, we're building a potter studio.
17:19We're going to go to the Smoky Mountains and be potters and, you know, we're going to minister in churches there and, you know, that kind of thing.
17:25And he's like, yeah, just what the Smoky Mountains needs, another Baptist church and another potter.
17:30And we're like, yeah, it kind of blew a hole in our dream, you know.
17:36And he's like, you Baptist, you're all in the warm climates, you know.
17:41And he pulls up the map, like the 1040 lateral, and he says, who's up here?
17:46Who's going to the cold places, the hard places?
17:48The hard areas were, yeah.
17:50They've never heard the name of Jesus possibly.
17:52And, you know, who's going to go there?
17:54And it was almost like challenging my manhood, you know, and I'm thinking, I'll go, you know, sitting in church.
18:00And then afterwards I went up and I said, brother, you act like we won't go, but, you know, man has to be called of God.
18:09I said, pastor, I think the Lord is calling me, you know.
18:12And he says, well, get up there right now and tell the church.
18:14So I get up and I said, church, I think, I wanted that in there.
18:17I think the Lord's calling me and I think I'm supposed to go to Mongolia.
18:22And I don't know why I said it, but I said, you know, but I'm not going unless you send me.
18:26Because, you know, the church sends out people.
18:28And so some old farmer says, I'll give 500, you know, and somebody else gave 500.
18:33And they raised $5,500 in like a minute.
18:37Pastor walks up, slaps me on the back, points at the door and says, go, we send you.
18:42Had you checked the weather yet at this point?
18:44We didn't even know where Mongolia was.
18:46I'm embarrassed to tell you we didn't even know where Mongolia was.
18:49Just that we knew it was cold and that it was harsh climate.
18:56Faith is incredibly important to him.
18:58It's just true passion.
18:59And I suppose that's the sort of dedication to your faith that it takes to travel halfway around the world and come to a country you knew very little about.
19:08I still struggle with this idea that as a missionary, you come to a place and you say you must convert to this religion because this is the only religion.
19:22Since the first donations back in 2000, churchgoers in the US have continued to fund the Kofa's missionary work in Hatgal.
19:29The couple take a basic Mongolian wage of 300 pounds each month for their own living costs.
19:36Everything else goes into the community.
19:39When they first arrived, they took on the challenge of building the first formal place of worship in the village.
19:55Paid for by the locals, the church is now a focal point for the community.
19:59Every Sunday, Mickey takes to the pulpit and, with the help of a translator, preaches a message of faith at an hour-long service.
20:08Who is Jesus?
20:11Why did he come?
20:14And what should you do about it?
20:22Attending the church seems as popular.
20:24That became man.
20:29But I'm still conflicted about the morals of foreigners coming to a village like Hatgal to spread an unfamiliar religious message.
20:38Dawa grew up in Hatgal and has been coming to this church for five years.
20:43Hello, hello.
20:44Tell me a little bit about religion in Mongolia as a whole.
20:47What's the main religion here?
20:49This area is different than other area of Mongolia.
20:53This area is like more shaman people were here.
20:57Shaman people?
20:58Yeah.
20:59Were you brought up with a religion?
21:01Not really.
21:01No.
21:02Because parents had grown up during the communist time and then the religion was quite forbidden.
21:08Was it almost like there was a vacuum here?
21:09There was no religion, so the community here was waiting to find a religion?
21:13Might be, because in this village we haven't got any temple for Buddhists and any other religion place we don't have, except for this church.
21:22So let's, so imagine missionaries from another denomination arrived here and created a church, do you think people would have turned to that religion with as much enthusiasm as they have to Christianity?
21:37It depends on the people.
21:41So it's down to Mickey.
21:42So Mickey's personality, is that what it is?
21:44Yeah, mostly like that.
21:46They're mostly like friends, like a human, then missionaries.
21:53That's why they have a lot of friends here and everybody respects them a lot.
21:58They are like parents of the village or something now.
22:02I'm surprised to learn that it's not just Christians who attend the church.
22:06This is my dear friend, Aji Ach.
22:09Aji Ach.
22:09Today, 70 years old, my religion is Buddhist, but Bible scriptures, I'm every time always deeply, deeply respected.
22:23Bible scriptures are very, very important, especially for us, for Mongolian young people.
22:30One day acquaintance, a thousand days friends.
22:48That's nice.
22:48Good work.
22:49That's a good proverb, that.
22:50Good proverb.
22:51That's a really good proverb.
22:53I like that.
22:53I like that.
23:23He's backed a little revenge on yesterday's wrestling bout with Maya.
23:27Maya, what is that over there?
23:37At least he's smiling.
23:44Oh, nice.
23:45Wow.
23:47All right.
23:47Oh, look at that.
23:48Oh, that's nice.
23:54That is perfect.
23:56It's good.
24:03Amazing.
24:03It's half the town, half the community turning out.
24:07It's pretty special.
24:08I think that shows that they're fully a part of this community and the community has embraced them.
24:14It's beautiful.
24:17I think there are different kinds of missionaries.
24:19So, yes, they came here to spread the word of God, but they're not going, knocking on doors, telling the heathen to convert.
24:26And in some ways, that's my preferred form of missionary work.
24:31I like the idea of just putting a Bible down, just leaving it there.
24:34And if anyone wants to pick it up and have a look, so be it.
24:38For the past week, I've been living with missionaries Miki and Trina Kofa in Outer Mongolia.
24:54Despite the freezing temperatures, it doesn't stop 54-year-old Miki from jogging every day on the frozen lake.
25:00Oh, look at this.
25:16Oh, wow.
25:18This is our...
25:20Yeah.
25:21You, you're in amazing shape.
25:24I'm an old guy.
25:25Presumably, this is part of why you're here, because this is a magnificent place.
25:28You're commenting on the run here.
25:31One of the joys is there's no fences.
25:33What I love about it is you can just go.
25:37I mean, like, we're just, you can just start heading toward that mountain, and you can figure a way around it, and you can just go, go, go, go.
25:43Like my guys, if we go fishing, my buddies sometimes, we'll head, like, actually, we go around these mountains, and we'll head that way.
25:50And they say, yeah, it's a road, we know.
25:52But there's no, there's no road, and they don't really know.
25:56But they do know, but they don't know.
25:58So we'll be lost for a while.
26:01And, you know, it's two or three hours over here.
26:03Well, six hours later, we're there.
26:08What a beautiful place.
26:10Honestly, it's just breathtaking.
26:13And Mickey is tough.
26:16He is really fit.
26:18Not that that surprises me, but, you know, he, on the outside, he doesn't necessarily look like the sort of man that will just run in minus 30 degrees without even thinking about it.
26:29But, you know, I suppose that's part of his lifestyle out here is keeping himself fit and healthy and embracing the wilderness.
26:36This landscape brings great joy to Mickey, but an empty nest has been one of the hardest things for him and Trina to deal with.
26:46Now grown up, their kids have all left Mongolia.
26:49But today, son Jonah and only daughter Jesse have returned to Hatgal to spend some time with their parents.
26:5723-year-old Jonah works for a software company in South Carolina, and 21-year-old Jesse studies in Florida with the help of a student loan.
27:08So this is the ice hole, is it?
27:10This is the water hole.
27:12It's a world away from being tasked with collecting water from a frozen lake.
27:17I'm wondering whether you had what I would think of as an American childhood here in Mongolia, or did you have a Mongolian childhood?
27:26Did you kind of run wild?
27:27We were homeschooled, and so we still learned American history and, you know, all of those fun things.
27:33But, I mean, we ran wild, and we had so many friends, and we learned how to speak Mongolian.
27:39Do you think there's anything you missed out on growing up here?
27:42I think at first, growing up, I thought, wow, I wish I would have been able to go to school and have those friends, and then you graduate with them.
27:49But I love being here. I loved growing up here.
27:52Do you think you're kind of, in some ways, a bit more open-minded and worldly, maybe, than some of your contemporaries out there?
27:59I'm proud of being able to say that I lived a completely different lifestyle than anybody in America.
28:04There's nobody else in America that lived like I lived.
28:07We all like to be unique, don't we?
28:08Yeah.
28:08We all like to be individual.
28:10We don't want to just be the same as everyone else.
28:12I love that I wasn't the same as everybody else.
28:13It's like, one of my favorite things about me.
28:16It's sometimes hard to kind of be reflective on your own parents.
28:20Whenever I speak to them, they're quite selfless in terms of them saying it's all about faith.
28:25Faith is why they're here.
28:27Beyond faith, if it's possible, and maybe there isn't, but beyond faith, what is it that keeps them here?
28:32It's really hard to separate from faith because that's what drives our lives.
28:36It's just everything that we do.
28:38It's the substance of who we are, and that's why we're here.
28:42We wouldn't have picked up our lives and left if we didn't have a greater purpose.
28:46I would say something that my parents really love about it here is just the more simplistic lifestyle.
28:52This is kind of like my dad's heartbeat.
28:55It's more organic and natural, and they love that.
28:57I think we should get the rest of this water.
28:59Yeah, yeah.
29:02Okay.
29:06Although, you know, faith crept into that towards the end,
29:10it was quite nice to just be able to hear this absolute passion for how much they appreciate how privileged they were to be here in Mongolia,
29:19to grow up in this unique, special place.
29:23The Mongolian wilderness is home to several predators that can be a real threat to farmers' livestock in this region.
29:36I'm joining Mickey, who's helping some friends deal with this problem.
29:40We're going on a wolf hunt.
29:43Oh, that's amazing.
29:44This is my colour.
29:46I'm kitted out in a traditional garment known as a deal.
29:49But before we head out, I'm taken to see what today is all about.
29:54There you go.
29:56Oh, my.
29:58This is frozen.
29:59Yeah, yeah.
30:00Oh, yeah.
30:00The first day, it's going to freeze.
30:02Clearing my mind just what a pest these are, because this is kind of shocking.
30:05Well, okay, so, for instance, the reason we're here, there's five families that live right in this little area,
30:10and every family has lost over 10 animals.
30:13If you can imagine, you're looking at 50 animals they've lost.
30:17That's their livelihood.
30:18That's all.
30:19All their money is tied up in that.
30:21Oh, yeah.
30:22So, they have to hunt these, you know.
30:27There you go.
30:29Before the hunt begins, a traditional Mongolian blessing is given.
30:39Milk is tossed into the air as a gift to the great spirit of the sky to ask for protection on our journey.
30:54We head deep into the woods where a recent sighting has sparked this hunt.
30:58So, what's happening?
31:01Have you any idea?
31:02So, we found some fresh wolf tracks.
31:04Fresh tracks is what it's all about.
31:05So, you've got to, you know, find where that wolf's at, and find where that wolf's at, and find where that wolf's at, and find where that wolf's at, and find where that wolf's at, and find where that wolf's at.
31:28And then you start pushing it.
31:30So, he can't run this way, this way, this way.
31:32He can only come out to the gun.
31:35So, that's the plan.
31:36I think before I came out here, I had an image of a missionary as someone who was just stuck to their pulpit in the church.
31:44Yeah.
31:44Kind of very separate from the community.
31:46Yeah.
31:46But you're out here in the middle of the woods, off on horseback.
31:49Do you enjoy this?
31:50I love this.
31:52Who wouldn't want to be doing this?
31:53Our scouts return, and it looks like the hunt is on.
32:05They saw three.
32:20They jumped three, and they went, well, they dropped below this ridge.
32:25We couldn't see them.
32:26They went right around us.
32:27So, we're going to have to sit over that mountain.
32:31Okay.
32:32So, go over this brow.
32:33We pick up the tracks and head onto the open plains in pursuit.
32:43It's breathtakingly beautiful.
33:03We eventually spot two wolves on the mountainside, and the farmers prepare their guns.
33:21But the wolves catch our scent and make a run for it.
33:38It doesn't look like any shooting will happen.
33:44So, we take chase to ensure they stay well away from these lands.
33:47Go on.
34:05Good boy.
34:06Good boy.
34:11Good boy.
34:12Good boy.
34:15Good boy.
34:16Good boy.
34:17That was amazing.
34:18That was pretty special, I have to say, out there.
34:21Didn't catch a wolf, but between you and me, I'm quite happy.
34:25But we did what we came out to do,
34:27which was to scare them off.
34:29I suppose that's as good, in my mind, as killing a wolf,
34:33because these are animals that attack their livestock,
34:36and now they know humans, horses,
34:38are not good things to be around.
34:41But that was just magical.
34:43After a successful day, Miki and I are joined by Jonah
34:49and invited back to one of the farmer's gaires for tea.
34:52She's pouring soot-a-tay, which is milk tea.
34:56It's a...everybody gets that.
34:58It's an honour, it's a sign of purity, um, welcome.
35:05I love it.
35:06Oh!
35:07I love...
35:11We should take it around.
35:12Okay.
35:16Touch the side.
35:17Why do you touch the side?
35:18It's just a thank you.
35:19Oh, thank you.
35:21Miki and Trina have embraced this way of life.
35:25It feels like they're fully connected to everyone.
35:27They're not living in a gilded house separated by a huge fence.
35:32They've tried to put down roots here that spread towards the whole community.
35:37The people are just...
35:38They have this really lovely aura and karma about them.
35:43And it's...it's just beautiful.
35:45For the past week, I've been living with the Kofa family in remote outer Mongolia.
35:59Nearby Lake Koskol is the largest freshwater lake in this landlocked country.
36:04And in winter, can be used as a road stretching 80 miles north to the Russian border.
36:11Today, wild man Miki is heading to the lake to try and catch our dinner.
36:16Well, I think we should try it right here.
36:18With a chainsaw, of course.
36:20What do we do now?
36:32We've got to dig this hole out.
36:33You show and then I'll do the next...
36:35What?
36:36Show me...show me how.
36:37I can't get this wrong.
36:43It's quite reassuring to know that the ice is actually quite thick here.
36:47Yes.
36:49Lord willing.
36:52Spring, however, is just around the corner.
36:55And the ice has already started to crack and shift.
36:58Well, that crack over there just came today.
37:03Maybe we won't trigger anything right now.
37:08Sweet Alabama!
37:10Are you sure we're safe?
37:12Now it's time to pray.
37:13Okay.
37:14That was like thunder.
37:15Okay.
37:16Okay.
37:17I think we're okay.
37:18You're happy staying?
37:19Lord willing.
37:20Okay.
37:21Blimey.
37:23I mean, honestly, the whole thing shuddered.
37:25That felt like this whole...
37:27There must be a massive new crack that's opened up around here.
37:35These are stubborn fish.
37:36Yeah.
37:41Lake Cosgol has an average depth of 140 metres.
37:47You tell me if I fall in.
37:50With this in mind, Mickey decides to jump into our metre deep hole to try and break through to the water.
37:57I don't think I'll tell Trina about this one.
37:59Do you ever surprise yourself at the scenarios you find yourself in sitting in an ice hole a metre deep in the middle of a frozen lake in Mongolia?
38:08I'm holding myself with my knees.
38:11Oh, that's good.
38:14After an hour's digging, we finally break through.
38:18Hey, we got a hole.
38:19We got a hole.
38:21It's time to bait up.
38:23What kind of fish are in here, by the way?
38:24Trout.
38:25You warm yourself up.
38:26Grayling.
38:27Yeah.
38:28There's the sturgeons in here.
38:29Sturgeons.
38:30Those are big fish.
38:31Yeah.
38:32Hopefully we won't catch one of those.
38:37From the moving ice to the remoteness of the mountains, I'm reminded that this landscape can be as brutal as it is beautiful.
38:46In spring 2005, the Kofers experienced one of the darkest chapters of their time in Mongolia.
38:53When an 11-year-old Jonah was involved in a horrendous horse riding accident.
38:58Actually, that's what happened.
39:00Yeah.
39:01Yeah, that pointed mountain right there.
39:03Jonah and Judah got in a race and they were racing down through the woods.
39:07And the dog came out and spooked his horse.
39:10And when I see him, the horse is bucking and kicking him.
39:15And I see it.
39:16He was stuck in the stirrup period.
39:17And he was just like a rag dog.
39:18The horse kicked him right here.
39:20Of course, his jaw was broke here and here and his teeth were split.
39:24And by the grace of God, his saddle broke.
39:28His, you know, the time I got to him, it was just a ball of blood and eyes was rolled back and he was unconscious.
39:34I remember the day before when we actually went up into those mountains.
39:39I don't remember any of that day.
39:42With no money or hope, it was only when church friends from America stepped in to pay the $80,000 they needed for urgent medical care that Jonah's life was saved.
39:53During all of this, do you ever regret that maybe coming to Mongolia, one thing led to another?
40:00You live where you live.
40:01I mean, I never really thought about that.
40:05I did think about that one time.
40:07And then I have a friend who lives in South Carolina.
40:11And she was a little older than me, but she got in a horse accident.
40:16She got, like, really messed up.
40:19She healed, praise God, but it happens everywhere.
40:23Yes.
40:24People get in accidents all over the place.
40:28That truly is amazing that Jonah survived that.
40:32His analysis is quite interesting that this could have happened anywhere.
40:35You could be hit by a bus in the city.
40:37You could be knocked off your bicycle.
40:39He's got friends that were knocked off their horses.
40:41So I do agree with that, that this wasn't an accident that was just going to happen in Mongolia.
40:50With the men failing miserably at fishing...
40:53Please, sir, can we have some fish?
40:56Throw some chips in.
40:58I don't think your prayer got through the cloud.
41:00I don't think it did.
41:02It's left to the Kofa women to come and save the day.
41:05This will be great.
41:07Knowing how close to potential danger they live, I'm keen to know what the future holds for this tight-knit family.
41:13What happens if something terrible happens?
41:15I know it's an awful question.
41:16Would you stay out here on your own?
41:17We've talked about that for sure.
41:19I mean, you know, of course, I'm going to stay until we're done.
41:24And I've talked to her and she said, oh, yeah, I'm staying out.
41:27Yeah, I'd stay here.
41:29I'd stay at it and do just what I can, you know, to represent what's happening over here and continue to partner with the Mongolians we're involved with.
41:36And Lord willing, Lord send one of my children in.
41:39What do you guys then do in that scenario?
41:41If your mum's going to stay out here on her own, for example, or your dad, do you think one of you would feel compelled to come out here?
41:46Have you thought about whether either of you would return out here?
41:48I would love to come back.
41:49I already want to come back every summer, but, I mean, if that's where God leads me, I'd love to be here.
41:56I definitely want to come back in the future.
41:58I've been talking to my girlfriend and she's all in.
42:01When you speak to your girlfriend about Mongolia, how do you describe it?
42:05Well, I use pictures of the summertime.
42:10Now tell them what you told me you told her.
42:12I don't remember that.
42:13Now, I'm going to be a missionary.
42:14We're not going to have lots of money.
42:16Oh, no, yeah, yeah.
42:17I told her, I told her straight up.
42:18I was like, we're missionaries.
42:19Like, my plan is to be a missionary to Mongolia.
42:21It ain't going to be like money.
42:22It ain't going to be like an easy lifestyle.
42:24So, you're in or out now.
42:26And she's still your girlfriend?
42:28Like, hey.
42:29Sounds like my kind of woman.
42:31I think she's going to fit in.
42:32Yeah.
42:35I do think Hat Gal is a better place for the Kofers.
42:44For all my concerns or reservations, I still think this family have brought extraordinary things to this small community.
42:54They're an amazing family.
43:08And they have this extraordinary life.
43:11Hey, goodbyes.
43:16Jesse, thank you so much for everything.
43:19Jonah, thank you so much.
43:23What an amazing trip.
43:24Trina.
43:25It's been awesome.
43:26It's been magical.
43:27What an amazing place.
43:28Mickey.
43:29Wow.
43:30What a man.
43:31Hey.
43:32I'll be thinking of all of you.
43:33Bring the family back.
43:34I will.
43:35I will.
43:36Bye-bye.
43:45Next time, I'm in the USA's Appalachian Mountains.
43:51Living with a forest dweller.
43:52This is a crazy place.
43:53I know.
43:54No, that's a crazy place out there.
43:55No, that's a crazy place out there.
43:57This is not a crazy place.
43:58Who's found his own unique way of surviving in the wild.
44:02Truffle, Parmesan, mac and cheese.
44:05Love.
44:06It's very complex.
44:08He's a scavenger.
44:10Yes, Ben's exploring more crazy places.
44:13New Lives in the Wild returns next Tuesday at 9.
44:16Jack Taylor's trusting his instincts and why shouldn't he?
44:18Game of Thrones.
44:19Ian Glenn is Jack Taylor in Purgatory New Drama Thursday at 9.
44:23And struck by a mystery illness and searching for answers,
44:26we meet The Boy Who Can't Stay Awake, a new documentary,
44:29next on Channel 5.
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