Saved and Called

“I want to go to church!”

Tan heard about an English language center on his university campus and decided to attend a class. As a Mongolian living in Northern Asia, he had never heard the gospel or even met a Christian. Though his mother was a strong Lama Buddhist, Tan prayed to the sky and God in general.

On his first visit to the center, Tan heard a few hints about Jesus in the lesson. The next week he attended again, and after the session he happened to get on the same train as one of the cross-cultural workers who worked at the center. As they talked on the train, Tan told the worker, “I want to go to church!”

Tan and the worker studied the Bible in a coffee shop a few times. Tan was very interested. He thought resurrection is the same as reincarnation, and the worker helped him understand the difference. Tan came to understand Jesus is not a Buddha. He was invited to a small house church meeting, and given a Bible in his language to read between the weekly studies.

Within a month, Tan met Christ. He started reading the Bible every day and studying the Scriptures regularly with the worker. Just a few months later, Tan declared his faith publicly, being baptized in water on a winter day outside with a few people attending.

Tan felt Jesus was calling him to reach his people. He enrolled in training and learned how to witness in a culturally sensitive way. In time he became a leader of a small house church. Eventually he moved to another city where he could minister to his fellow Mongolians. Tan became a leader in that local house church also, and preached there regularly. As the persecution in the area became more intense, Tan moved to a new city and today continues to love Jesus and serve the local fellowship.