[Mission Field News] The Buryats Who Will Stand Before God Blameless in Holiness

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Hello, I am Jargal, living in Buryatia.I was born and raised in a small village called Talchi. Growing up in poverty, with divorced parents and a father in prison, I lived without time to reflect on the meaning of life. In that desolate situation, my heart was in such deep darkness that I sometimes even wanted to die.

Then one day, I met some young people on the street, and by their invitation, I attended a youth gathering. There, for the first time, I experienced warm love and encouragement. Through their love, the long-held despair in my heart began to fade little by little.

In February of this year, I attended a joint camp and met a friend from Korea. Through fellowship with him, I began attending church regularly. Thanks to that, my desire to die gradually disappeared. As I continued going to church and studying the Bible, I came to know more deeply about Jesus, and naturally, a desire grew in my heart—“I also want to be baptized.”

However, part of me worried, “Do I truly believe in Jesus in my heart? Am I worthy to be baptized like this?” At that time, my friends around me encouraged me, and as I learned the meaning of baptism, I realized that I was already experiencing change in my life, and that I was living with joy and hope. Eventually, I decided to be baptized, and after being baptized, I was overflowing with joy and gratitude in knowing that I had become a child of God.

Recently, I received a military enlistment notice, and the reality of having to go to the army due to the war between Ukraine and Russia filled me with fear. So I prayed, “God, please help me. Please don’t let me go to the army.” Then, for some reason I still don’t understand, during the medical examination, the doctor told me it would be better to enlist after two years and suggested additional tests. Even though there was no serious problem with my body, my enlistment was naturally postponed. I believe this was God answering my prayer.

Looking back on the past year, my life has truly changed a lot. I used to be addicted to games, unable to sleep because of insomnia, and often thought about dying. But now, I worship, sing praises, and learn guitar together with good friends. All of this feels like a miracle to me.

Now I am getting to know Jesus more and more, and experiencing Him personally. As I learn guitar, this week I decided to praise Jesus with the only song I can play. I confess that everything happening in my life is by God’s grace.

I want to know God’s heart more deeply from now on. I pray that, through me, young people of the nations who live without dreams, like I once did, may come to know the way of Jesus and be led to the path of life.Please pray for me and for my life to be used according to God’s will.

“And may the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12–13)

We praise the Lord who loved Brother Jargal, led him to meet people of faith even in the depths of darkness, and restored him through the gospel and the Word.

May the grace that allowed Brother Jargal to experience joy and hope through the service of brothers practicing the love of Jesus be shared with the global Church, so that the Church of Christ throughout the world may serve the nations with even greater love.

May You strengthen the heart of Brother Jargal, who learned anew the true meaning of baptism distorted by Russia’s forced conversions of the Buryat people, and allow him to testify of true rebirth as a child of God who transcends ethnicity and rejoices in salvation.

While many Buryat youths, who cannot be free from Russia, are being mobilized for war between Ukraine and Russia, may the local churches in Buryatia, together with Brother Jargal, strive to proclaim the gospel so that they may hear it before going to war.

And on the day of the Lord’s return, may blameless and holy Buryat youths rise before God to serve the nations and move forward in His name!