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by Kaleb G.

From October 20th (Friday) to the 22nd (Sunday), we held our Autumn Conference at the Suut Camp, located 80 kilometers from downtown. We had special guests at this conference. Of those who attended were the couple Galsan T. and his wife, who serves the pioneering ministry in Khovd, a city 1500 kilometers away from Ulaanbaatar, and Nymaa A., who serves in Darkhan, the second-largest city in Mongolia. Furthermore, Pastor Ron Ward and his wife Dervilla, as well as Missionary David K. and his wife Joy, attended from the United States. Along with them, 16 sheep, with whom we've built a consistent relationship and served, participated, making a total of around 60 attendees.

(1) Main Speakers and Their Messages

The first lecture was given by Kaleb G., who serves as a full-time shepherd for the entire center. He spoke on John 3:1-5, addressing "Why must one be born again?" and "How can one be born again?". The second lecture was by Tundev T. on John 4:1-30 titled "Jesus, the Giver of Living Water." He testified that only by encountering Jesus can one obtain true satisfaction and happiness in life. Tundev T, originally from country C, fished there, studied the Bible, became a shepherd, had a marriage of faith, and is currently serving the gospel ministry in Mongolia. The third lecture was by Ebe M. from our center, one of the senior shepherds responsible for one of the divisions. He preached about John 15:1-10, emphasizing that abiding in Jesus means abiding in His word, and by doing so, one can bear much fruit. Ebe M. operates the largest indoor playground in Ulaanbaatar, where many shepherds and sheep work part-time.

(2) Life Testimony Speakers

During the first service, Bayarmaa and Tuvshoo shared their life testimonies. Tuvshoo, who has been with the center for nearly a decade, testified about his fall into worldly temptations while preparing for a marriage of faith. He seemed to follow Jesus well, but because he wasn't spiritually reborn in Christ, he fell. He turned back to Jesus, looking to Him and experiencing spiritual rebirth. During the second service, Ganbold and Ariun Z. gave their life testimonies. Ariun Z. was raised as a shepherdess this past April through the spring conference. She testified about her life of seeking human love out of spiritual thirst, like the Samaritan woman, and how she met her true husband, Jesus. During the third service, Nasa J. and Byamba R. shared their testimonies. Byamba R., the wife of Galsan T. who serves in Khovd, spoke about the hardships she faced due to her husband's spiritual laziness, which led him to online gambling, financial difficulties, and their considering divorce. However, after attending the Ulaanbaatar Center's spring conference, studying the Word, and repenting, her husband changed greatly. She also testified about overcoming all trials and anger, and deciding to forgive her husband, thanks to the shepherds who supported her with the Word and prayer. Now, this couple is growing weekly through the Word and dedicatedly serving the pioneering ministry in Khovd.

(3) Special Lecture by Pastor Ron Ward

On the evening of the 21st, Pastor Ron Ward delivered a special lecture on the topic "Adopt an Eternal Perspective" based on Philippians 3:1-16. He powerfully and graciously expounded on why Paul could regard his past achievements as rubbish and how precious what he gained in Christ was. Through this, all the shepherds were reminded to have a spiritual perspective and to pursue and live only for Christ. Notably, Galsan T., who serves in pioneering work in Khovd, was deeply moved and blessed by the message. The next day, during the sheep's testimony time, he also shared his reflections on the message, which was a great blessing.
 

(4) Testimonies of the Sheep

After the Sunday service on the 22nd, testimonies from the sheep who attended the conference were shared. 16 sheep participated, and 14 of them shared their reflections after being blessed by the Word. Most were deeply moved and shocked by the message about Nicodemus and the need to be born again. They all expressed their desire to be born again through Bible study. They also shared their wish to quench their spiritual thirst by meeting Jesus, the living water. Among those who shared were: Bolor (College of Education 2), Purevsuren (National University 2), Nomonaa (MUST: Mongolian University of Science and Technology 2), Shin-Hoo (MUST 3), Bumbayar (MUST 2), Chuluun (12th grade), Munkhtur (MUST 2), Tumur (MUST 3), Saihantamir (MUST 2), Johan (12th grade), Munkh-Erdene (City University 3), Bazarragchaa (MUST 2), Eriona (Med School 1).

Bumbayar (MUST 2) testified that just as Jesus approached the lonely Samaritan woman, a UBF shepherd approached him when he was eating alone in the school cafeteria and invited him to a Bible study. This was a tremendous blessing for him. Munkhtur (MUST 2) also shared that he had felt lonely since childhood due to being ostracized by family members. But after joining the center and studying the Bible, he felt the warm welcome and love from the shepherds. He felt that they were like family and that he wouldn't feel lonely in Christ.

(5) Conclusion

Due to the COVID pandemic, many shepherds and sheep became spiritually stagnant, with many losing their faith and leaving. Even efforts to fish for new sheep were unfruitful. However, without despairing and through continuous prayer, fishing, and serving the sheep, God began a work of restoration in 2023. Sheep who had previously formed relationships invited many friends, resulting in over 30 new sheep attending the spring conference in April, where they heard the Word and received grace. They formed relationships with the shepherds. These individuals consistently studied the Bible and attended worship services. They all took ownership during this fall conference, serving through special songs and dramatizations. They deeply accepted the Word and wrote high-quality reflections. Our shepherds now recognize the need for continuous prayer and Bible teaching to ensure that these sheep are not lost. We pray that none will be lost and that all will be raised as shepherds by next year. We give thanks and praise to God for His grace in the Word and for the moving life testimonies and reflections during this fall conference.