Blessed to Be a Blessing

Despite living in a city with a population of over 1.69 million, Battsetseg spent several years living a very lonely life.

Battsetseg lives with her four children in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in the house her husband has spent the last five years gradually building. Her husband works as a driver and is away from home for all but about five days each month. Though he works full-time, his income is one of the lowest in Mongolia and barely covers their basic needs.

Their home is at the top of a steep hill, and they lack a vehicle, which makes grocery shopping a real challenge.

Battsetseg’s feelings of isolation are compounded by the fact that her mother, who lives next door, is an alcoholic and prone to violence. When their father is away, the children often feel insecure about their safety. Battsetseg refuses to leave her children with her mother in fear for their safety when she is drinking—which is most of the time.

In her loneliness, Battsetseg would sit at her window and pray that God would send someone who knew the Lord into her life.

Five kilometers from Battsetseg’s home, Khishigsaikhan and her husband at Full Life of the Kingdom Church were praying for families in their community to serve with Food Paks.

When church members first visited Battsetseg, she was shocked that God had answered her prayers and sent someone to see her. Khishigsaikhan shared with her about the church’s morning prayers, and Battsetseg hasn’t missed a single session since.

Battsetseg shared that now that the church has been visiting her every other week, almost all her grocery needs are covered by the Food Pak, which provides significant financial assistance. They can now complete the unfinished parts of their home before the harsh winter months.

These visits and the morning prayers are the only times Battsetseg sees people other than her children, and she cherishes the interaction she has with them. Now that there are frequent visitors from the church at their house, the children are less afraid of their grandmother coming over when she has been drinking.

I am filled with immense joy. Since the church members started visiting my home, I feel like I have an extended family. Now that I have people I can call anytime, I feel very supported. They pray for my family and my mother, for which I am very thankful.

Since they began delivering Food Paks to families in the community, Khishigsaikhan and her husband have been encouraged by the impact it has had and long to do more. The Food Paks have been essential in establishing relationships with families in the community, as many of them suffer from food scarcity. Khishigsaikhan would provide Food Paks herself and find even more families to serve if she could.

As a new church, Full Life of the Kingdom lacks the funds to purchase Food Paks to do the ministry independently. Still, with resources from Children’s Hunger Fund, they have been able to buy food that can be used to establish relationships with families in the community and share the hope of the gospel.

I wholeheartedly believe that God has selected these families not only to bestow His blessings upon them but also to enable them to become sources of blessing for others. I am convinced that God will use these families as instruments to share the gospel and demonstrate His love and grace among other families in the area. I see these families as the starting point for a larger transformation among many others. 

Battsetseg doesn’t just sit and receive God’s love; she knows she is being blessed in order to be a blessing to others, which is exactly what Khishighaikhan prayed for. She started attending church services with her kids and is always willing to lend a hand whenever possible, whether by physically helping or offering information about something in the community.

Full Life of the Kingdom is a recent and welcome addition to the Mongolia Mercy Network. Nearly half of Mongolia’s poor population lives in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city. Twelve of our thirteen Mercy Network churches are located throughout the city, with the thirteenth just outside Ulaanbaatar.

Food provided by Children’s Hunger Fund may open the door. Still, people like Khishighaikhan and her husband and the rest of our ministry partners throughout Mongolia and worldwide are building relationships. They are using those relationships to share the hope of the gospel and transform lives.

You can be a part of their story with a gift today.

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