Recently a friend recommended a book to me, "20/20 Vision: Amazing Stories of What God Is Doing Around the World," by Bill and Amy Stearns. In the book is the story of how the Gospel of Jesus Christ came to Mongolia.

"In the 1870’s Swedish missionaries arrived in Mongolia. After four decades not a single indigenous church had been established. Then, in 1921, Mongolia voluntarily invited the Soviets to bring communism to their country." In the ensuing purge, every vestige of any religion was erased.

"In 1980, a young Mongolian named 'Yi'...went to study at a university in Moscow. He was given an English-language Bible by a fellow student from Tanzania. 'You can study English with it,' the Tanzanian student explained. Yi studied the Bible for seven years, returning to Mongolia and rising to a top English interpreter position with the Mongolian government.

"In 1987, Yi was assigned to an American big-game hunt tourist group. Douglas Coe, Evangelical leader of 'The Family' and political mentor for many politicians...During the hunting trip, Yi found the opportunity to secretly ask him, 'Do you know God?' Douglas nodded. Three hours later, Yi was able to whisper, 'What is His name?' 'Jesus Christ' In bits and pieces of stolen conversations throughout the rest of the big-game hunt, Douglas was able to introduce Yi to Jesus. 'Don’t worry,' he told Yi. 'I know it’s illegal to be a Christian; and, it will be hard for you. But friends will come.'

"Three years later, Yi was assigned to another foreign tour group, this time a group of Native American cowboys of Navajo, Winnebago, Cocapaw, and other Native American descent, who came to Mongolia to perform in the national nadim, a competition in horsemanship! By God's grace and foresight, the tourist group was composed of Christian Native American cowboys! Yi translated their testimonies on national television and interpreted their explanation of the Gospel to press groups and officials.

"Several Mongolians responded to the tourist group’s challenge to receive Jesus Christ, and Yi spent hours and hours absorbing everything the cowboys knew about God! Then, they too left Mongolia. Yi began discipling those Mongolians who had come to Christ through the cowboys’ ministry. Some time later, another tour group came, a few members of which just happened to be pastors! The ministers, after days of intense discipling, realized the depth of Yi’s Bible knowledge. For this reason they all gathered together in a hotel room in the capital city of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, on a cold day in November 1990 and ordained Yi as an elder of the first Mongolian church in the history of the world!" Report by BROWNNAIK@aol.com.

Jesus Christ builds His Church 24/7, night and day, all around the globe. The work of building the Church never ceases! The Church triumphant is not about building buildings. Rather, it is about building lives!

According to the record in "Operation World" by Patrick Johnstone "The young Mongolian Church is a reality for the first time in modern history. The believers are eagerly evangelizing, and new converts are won weekly."

Read more inspiring stories by ordering "Into All The World" by this writer. Call toll free, Jenny 866-308-6235 extension 5127.