Did you know that, unlike other Asian cultures, Mongolian culture is individualistic? This is one of the few places in Asia where asking people to make individual decisions for Christ makes more sense than asking for a leader to decide for a group. Most of Northeastern Asia strives to become urban, but not Mongolia. The only significant Mongolian city is the capital, Ulaanbaatar; other Mongolian cities remain small. Mongolians view things much like 19th century American cowboys who wanted to roam the countryside with their livestock, unhindered by civilization and urbanization. Even the 13th-century Mongol Empire was based on cattle raising; they had a disdain for urban living.

Still, it’s necessary to take the gospel to those who are most open to it. In Mongolia’s case, that would be the younger generation. Though Mongolians respect age like other Asians, it’s the youth who are open to Christ. About two-thirds of Mongolian Christian missionaries are female and young, and they are starting a youth group in Erdenet, Mongolia’s second-largest city. Cities offer job opportunities, and young adults tend to gravitate towards them, despite the Mongolian cultural affinity for rural areas.

The Mongolian church is steadily growing. Starting with one church in 1990, there are now about 600. Although Christians make up less than two percent of Mongolia’s population, they are actively and effectively spreading the gospel.

Let Us Pray Fervently for:

  • Pray that efforts to distribute Bibles this summer will result in thousands reading and heeding God’s word (The Bible, Psalm 119:18).
  • Pray for missionaries to reach the 40 percent of Mongolian counties where there is still no gospel witness (The Bible, Romans 15:20).
  • Pray for an unstoppable work of the Holy Spirit among Mongolia’s Tibetan Buddhist and Muslim populations (The Bible, Acts 2:41).
  • Pray for a complete and accurate translation of the Gospel of Luke and Proverbs to be completed in the Tuva language this summer (The Bible, Psalm 119:48).

References

Three missionary prayer letters

Wikipedia. List of Cities of Mongolia.