A Testimony from Mongolia

In 2004, Turen, a Buryadian, attended a Great Commission Institute (GCI) training in Russia. The training was conducted by the GCI Mongolian team. Through this training, God built and touched him. After GCI, he returned to Chita, and started sharing the gospel with people in Zutgeleee Village, 60 miles from Chita. Today there are about 20 believers in the church. Turen shared with us his testimony:

"My name is Tumen. I was born in 1973 in Chita Province, Russia. My father was a driver but he used to drink a lot. In our country people said that a man is not a man if he doesn’t drink vodka. My mother is a veterinarian for domestic animals.

"During secondary school, my parents were very busy and would always leave me alone at home. At that time I always felt as if someone was watching me furtively with intense eyes. I felt these eyes until I was 30 years old. I used to have terrible dreams and thoughts which never left me. Now I understand that came from evil spirits. Because of these thoughts and dreams I really hated people and I wanted to commit suicide and crime. When I graduated from high school, I was called up for military service where people’s character and qualities are broken. Two of us Alexander (who is from Irkutsk city) and I were only 16 years old, and new recruits. There were over 100 older soldiers. They used to beat us with shovels, sticks and crowbars. I was ready to kill anybody but I didn’t want to end up in prison. I just wanted to go home.

After several months Alexander couldn’t tolerate the persecution and shot himself. Officers accused me, saying I didn’t support my fellow-countryman. I decided to take vengeance for him and that night I used a shovel to beat up one of the older soldiers who always mocked Alexander. Fortunately he did not die. (Now I would like to ask his forgiveness.) The investigation continued for half a year. The judge sentenced me to three years in a penal battalion. It was much worse than a prison because it was a depressing place and there were no activities to occupy the days. There were many innocent soldiers there who were very bitter. During this time, I contracted tuberculosis and they sent me to a military hospital. I had a lot of Russian friends who took care of me, but at that time I hated Russians.

One day a patient's mother came from Irkutsk. She wanted to share the gospel with me, but I didn’t understand, got angry and refused to listen. After she left I beat her son mercilessly and mocked him. The son had kind eyes and never complained or hated me when I beat him, though others hated me all the time. After half a year they sent me to a hospital near my home, and I began seeking God. I went to a monastery to consult the lamas and shaman, and eventually I began drinking vodka. From that time on, spirits began appearing to torture me. No one could help me. I was also seriously ill in my heart, lung and stomach. Neither shamans nor lamas could help me and it seemed I would die soon.

One day in spring 2003 I met a man and he told me about Jesus. At first it was amusing, but before long it seemed serious, because he had answers for all my questions. He had wisdom from God. He gave me booklets and cassettes with testimonies. I doubted for two months and I thought that a Christian church was like a pope or lama. I wanted to see a church with my own eyes so I went to one. When I got there, the church people warmly accepted me. They treated me kindly but I thought they were hypocrites. When the worship started my heart was illuminated. I repented and cried as I was humbled before a Holy God. Then the pastor invited the people who wished to repent to come to the altar and I went and prayed to God. At the same time my soul was redeemed and from that time on I began seeing life with different eyes. I began to have compassion and love for people, and sometimes when I saw them I began crying. When I repented before God He instantly healed me of all of my sicknesses and the bad spirits who always tortured me left completely.

At first my parents didn’t accept me as a Christian and they couldn’t understand what had happened. My friends Bato and Tuyana helped me while my parents argued with me, and I continued to walk with God. He is such a wonderful All mighty God. I quit drinking vodka and my family observed the changes. Now my mother is a Christian and my father is changing. Some of my relatives have been saved. Our relationship has completely changed. I am grateful to God for his grace, love, death on the cross, and holy blood shed for me! Praise the Lord!