playing a part in God’s plan
I wanted to change some Mongolian minds; I wanted to tell them who the real God is
‘The vast grassy plain! Clear and bright blue sky! A feeling of vitality! This is Mongolia!’
Kim Taek Lae, a student from Korea, was clearly elated to be part of a mission team in another country. He went with others from IVCF South Korea to join with FCS Mongolia in an outreach to nomads living near Baganuur, a small town 100 kilometres east of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.
Tamira, a Mongolian student, had a slightly different perspective on his country. ‘Most people are Buddhists or follow shamanistic practices. Many have misconceptions about what is means to be a Christian and have never heard the gospel. People cheat one another and don’t trust one another. These are some reasons why I went on the mission trip. I wanted to change some Mongolian minds; I wanted to tell them who the real God is.
‘Our mission trip had two groups. The first was with the Korean team, teaching a foreign language to children in the countryside and showing the gospel to them. The second group was serving nomad families. Mongolian country families work very hard. Helping them was very important to them. I stayed with a family for five days and I now have very good relationships with the people. It was a good opportunity to share with people and tell the gospel.’
Kim Taek Lae also appreciated the chance to share about Christ. ‘I’ve never felt as free as I did this time. I helped with the children’s camp, so I had a great chance to make new friends. It felt so good because we could tell them about Jesus and they received him! It was a most impressive thing! I thank God that he has allowed me to know this fact: wherever we are, he exists and we can find him.’
Aju, an FCS staff worker originally from Korea, sees how these trips are beneficial not only for those who are visited, but for the students who go. ‘When we go on a mission trip, we take students with different needs. Some may go there with hearts full of Jesus, but there are also others with a different attitude. They are afraid of talking about Jesus because they don't think that it is easy for a nomad family to receive Jesus as their saviour. But they get inspired by those students who are more passionate about sharing the gospel. And when they see families who change and receive him, they become really happy and courageous.
‘After going back to “normal” life, we remember that time; we pray and support the families steadily. I think the mission trip was a great chance for students to learn not only how to tell the gospel but how to support new believers continuously, after they receive Jesus.’
Tamira certainly seems transformed by his experience. He writes, ‘Actually I thought that rural people cannot understand God because they live far from the rest of society. And the family we visited had so much work that we had no time to relax. However God gave us a chance to share the gospel with them. We played our part, and it was really delightful!’
As we pray for students in Korea and Mongolia, and the nomad families living in the countryside, let’s consider what part God wants us to play in his plan to reach those who are like us, and those who are not. May we rejoice, like these students, in the rich diversity of those for whom the gospel is life, and the fact that our God will grow and transform us as we share in the lives of others for his kingdom’s sake.
