Imagine becoming the first Christian in your town and being commissioned to start a church. Problem is you've never been to church and have no idea how to run one. And you only started to read the bible yourself a few days ago and now you’re preaching the message!
“Yanna” is probably what Dawasuren thought, a Mongolian phrase for “oh no!”. But the spirited woman of 26 years got people together on the Sunday after her Thursday conversion to sing, pray and read the bible.
Seven years later and the congregation has ebbed and flowed, reaching 100 members at one point. Today there are just 40 as people have left for the capital Ulaanbaatar (UB) and other urban centers. Dawasuren herself only attends sporadically as she works in UB.
It's a scenario common to many Mongolian country churches – an example of how spiritual life can start in a remote place through just one missionary visit and yet the ensuing challenge to stay afloat with no leadership training and a population continually departing for the city. It's a problem bible colleges in UB are seeking to address.
Mongolia is the world's least densely populated country and out of the cities, the rolling steppe remains a remote, nomads world. There's little rain so gardening is a challenge and the winter's are long and cruel with temperatures dropping 40 below zero.
Sumber, however, has been fortunate in Dawasuren's divine appointment. They've also had the wonderful wisdom and encouragement of Spencer and Pat Garner since they came to Mongolia in 1999 from Tennessee.
As we drive north from UB they tell me Pat went to school in Tennessee with Dolly Parton, the famous country western singer. They also explain their journey to get to Mongolia took 30 years of waiting for God to make the time right.
But since then they've been teaching english in factories and colleges, lecturing at a bible college and assisting a fellowship of 40 believers in Songin, 20 miles out of UB. Their greatest joy has been to work with excited and dedicated believers like Dawasuren.
In communist times Christian missionaries were expelled from Mongolia and some sources, such as Worldwide Challenge magazine, claim there were less than five believers when communism fell in 1990. Since then Mongolia has opened up and in 2005 the US Department of State rated Christians at about three percent or 24,000 of UB's entire registered population.
But despite this growth the Garner's have concerns some new Christians still adhere to Mongolian superstitions steeped in the fear of invoking ill favour from unhappy spirits. For example one woman sprinkled milk on a hilltop when they arrived somewhere safely.
Spencer said despite the gospel having reached Mongolia the church was young and didn't have the knowledge churches in the west had to draw on to deal with problems. Therefore the work of mentors and walking beside new believers was far from finished.
For example their own church still needed guidance to cope with issues such as death, holiness, not having other gods and dealing with persecution from Buddhists and Shamanists.
And yet there had also been wonderful stories of how lives had changed. For example Haltsin, from the Sumber church became a Christian just two months before he died at the age of 80 years.
When we reach the rural center of Sumber, we find the church amongst the dusty streets and are ushered inside for milk tea and biscuits.
The congregation fills a few rows of plunging rickety wooden benches. There is only one man but an incredible number of young mothers who flick through their bibles as they breastfeed. Dawa leads an enthusiastic worship time and Spencer gives the main message from 1 Thessalonians, encouraging people to stay firm in their faith and not be scared of persecution.
He reminds them of the lama that had blamed the Sumber church for the lack of rain, and how when the church had unified to pray for rain the prayers were answered. The idea was to illustrate God's faithfulness and they should turn to Him again now another lama was telling Sumber families the church was bad for their children.
After the service more milk tea and biscuits are served, the children’s activities begin and lunch is prepared. Pat chats to the young mothers and Spencer meets the only male outside. Lunch is a course of soup and doughy dumplings. Sitting opposite me sharing her bowl with her young son is Hishikgargal, 48 years.
Her husband divorced her years ago and left her with three children. They had little money and lived in a rented ger so she turned to smoking and drinking to forget her problems. Even if she found 100 tugrug she would buy cigarettes instead of food for the kids.
One day Hishikgargal went with her sister to church and was touched how the people prayed for her and amazed at the peace it gave her. On her third consecutive Sunday the pastor challenged them to fast something in their lives so she decided to stop smoking and within two days kicked a habit of 32 years.
Today Hishikgargal says her life is much the same but she feels at peace. She always remembers God promises to Abraham, including the promise of land. She was given a garden this year that she planted in the spring. The harvest was good and she now has food stores for winter.
“Of course we have many problems and soon it will be winter and we need wood but I'm not worrying. God gives us everything,” she says.
We visit another family's garden who thrust vegetables into our hands as thanks for coming. I'm even offered a horse – but just for a ride.
Our last stop is at Boloroo's home, a young mother whose oldest child has cerebral palsy. Spencer and Dawa present them with a wheelchair JCS was given to hand out to family's such as Boloroo's. It's a timely gift because even though Batbayer, eight years, is small for his age, he is increasingly heavy to carry.
In the car on the way back it's humbling to hear the Garner's explain how encouraged the church will feel from our visit. It's amazing to think our foreign and awkward presence is so valued and to appreciate the true countryside hospitality we had received. It felt we had gained far more than we'd given.
There are plenty of needs in the Mongolian church and if you would like to help serve the growing Christian population you can contact JCS (www.jcsintl.org) about the numerous opportunities available. The most urgent needs are listed on their website, including most importantly the position of Executive Director.
