Wherever He Leads: Missions in Mongolia

South Asia. Mongolia. Two young women stepping out in faith, shepherded on their journey by a TEAM global worker. Read how the Lord continues to open up doors of opportunity to share the Good News, connecting believers from across the globe.

“I’ve come to realize that true fulfillment doesn’t come from a career or a salary, but from living a life of purpose in Him, wherever He leads.”

These heartfelt words were written in Alila’s* prayer letter, the one that she hands out to her friends and family in South Asia. Alila is watching these words come true in her life as the Lord leads her and Lily*, another young woman from South Asia, to Mongolia as global workers with TEAM.

TEAM’s History of Missions in Mongolia

TEAM’s history of missions in Mongolia is a rich one. The first TEAM missionaries arrived in Mongolia in the early 1890’s. Over the years, more missionaries from TEAM came and went in Mongolia, before eventually being forced to leave in the 1950s. But now, the Lord is opening up new doors of opportunity for TEAM to send global workers to Mongolia from the most unexpected of places.

Around the time that TEAM missionaries were arriving in Mongolia, missionaries were also arriving in South Asia. These early missionaries planted the seeds of the Gospel and now, over a century later, there are regions there that are predominantly Christian. The faith of these believers is vibrant, and they are now sending out missionaries from their own region into the world. As one TEAM global worker put it, “The mission field has now become the mission force.”

Each of these missionaries is an individual with their own story of faith. Alila and Lily are just two ordinary women, faithfully following the Lord’s call.

The Call to Missions in Mongolia

Alila was born and raised in a Christian family, but struggled to understand the goodness of the Father, because she saw the flaws of her earthly father. It wasn’t until she was a teen that she encountered the redeeming grace of her heavenly Father. Alila says, “From that day on, I began to see my pain not as a burden, but as a blessing….Today, I live to testify of God’s grace.”

Years later, the Lord put a call on her heart to Mongolia. She had never been there. In fact, she had never been outside of her own country. But the more that she prayed, the clearer the call was. The struggles that many people in Mongolia go through mirrored her own. She says, “That’s when my story began to feel even more purposeful. I could relate. I understood their pain. I knew God could use my journey to bring healing, hope, and the message of His love.” She continues, “Now, I am stepping forward in faith, ready to serve wherever He leads to proclaim His grace and live out His purpose, in both word and action.”

“True fulfillment doesn’t come from a career or a salary, but from living a life of purpose in Him, wherever He leads.”

Lily’s story echoes Alila’s in many ways. A praying mother, an absentee father, and teachers who faithfully shared the Gospel with her. As the Lord slowly transformed her father’s heart, He was also at work in her heart as well. And over the last decade, she has had the opportunity to pour into others in the same way that those teachers in her younger years poured into her. Eventually, Lily’s path crossed with that of a TEAM worker, and she heard about the possibility of going to Mongolia. As she prayed and researched, she says, “God has placed a heavy burden in my heart to reach out to them. I am eager and excited to be a part of what He has called me for.”

At the same time that the Lord was calling Lily and Alila, He was also opening up opportunities for Doris, a long-time TEAM global worker. She had worked overseas for years before unexpectedly moving back to Canada in 2019. As she prayed about where the Lord wanted her to be next, she had the opportunity to lead several short-term mission trips to Mongolia.

Doris is now the Ministry Area leader of Mongolia, even though she is an ocean away. Part of her role has been to walk alongside Lily and Alila as they prepare to go. They are all in language classes together and they meet regularly online as the young women prepare to head to Mongolia in July. Doris has helped them to navigate the journey of raising support, obtaining visas and jobs for when they arrive, and helping them to make connections with people in the village that they are moving to.

From everywhere, to everywhere

South Asia. Mongolia. Two young women stepping out in faith, being shepherded in their journey by a long-time TEAM global worker. This story is a perfect illustration of TEAM’s vision for where we are headed as an organization. Not just an organization that sends workers from one or two countries out into the rest of the world, but an organization that sends bearers of Good News from everywhere, to everywhere.

How can you be a part of this journey? First, pray. Pray that the Lord will open doors for Lily and Alila as they head on mission to Mongolia. Pray that they would find courage and strength in the Father as they follow Him into this unknown. And pray for the hearts of those who they will meet, that they will be receptive to the Gospel.

Second, you can give. Your gift to TEAM’s Global Outreach (GO) Fund helps equip, send and sustain global workers like Lily and Alila, bringing the love of Christ to those with the least access to the Gospel. Every gift plays an integral part in reaching the nations with the Good News of Jesus.

*names changed for security reasons

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