Ulaanbaatar, MONGOLIA – A partnership of Christian organizations, which includes Mennonite Mission Network, celebrated 20 years of setting aside potential theological differences in order to serve the Mongolian people.
JCS International (Joint Christian Services), based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, kicked off the May 23-27 celebration immediately after its annual board meetings at JCS’s downtown office. The public opening program at the Mongolia Children’s Palace was followed by a four-day staff retreat at Chandman Tur resort north of Ulaanbaatar.
Among the Mongolian dignitaries to honor JCS was Sh. Gungaadarj, the country’s former Prime Minister and current president of the Mongolian Farmers’ and Flour Producers’ Association. Gungaadarj said JCS has been instrumental in helping Mongolia’s dramatic transition over the past 20 years. He praised JCS for its projects, particularly those that have trained needy families to provide for themselves.
Among those projects was The Model Dairy Farm in Batsumber (Tuv Province) that was started by Bill and Mary Jane Yoder and their family who served with Mission Network. During the three-year project from 2000 to 2003, the Yoders built barns and showed how to produce and sustain milk production during Mongolia’s harsh winters in which temperatures can remain well below freezing for seven months. A Mongolian family now owns the farm, which has been replicated by several local farmers. Some barns can be seen dotted along the countryside outside of Ulaanbaatar, said Sheldon Sawatzky, a former JCS board chair, who was the East Asia director for Mission Network during the Yoders’ term. Sawatzky recently retired to Harrisburg, Pa.
“The farm received a national award … and when the Yoders left, there were 20 believers in that little community,” said Sawatzky, who took part in the anniversary celebration. Sawatzky also taught daily Bible sessions at the JCS retreat that reinforced the organization’s goal to promote God’s kingdom by applying “both word and deed.”
Launched in 1993, JCS is a nongovernmental organization that provides projects throughout Mongolia in and around areas such as Ulaanbaatar, Bayankhongor, and Erdenet. Members are highly focused on Jesus’ emphasis on serving people, said Kwai Lin Stephens, JCS’s executive director. The organization aims to meet the practical and spiritual needs of people, particularly those who are on the margins of society. Projects can range from counseling services for addictions and help to escape prostitution, to a café that offers job training, to jewelry- and quilt-making initiatives, and sports clubs for youths. Projects are often developed based on the interests and skillsets of mission workers and how well the projects match needs in communities.
Mennonite churches in Ohio have been instrumental in supporting JCS projects. Their Mongolia Mission Partnership helped build a playground for the school in Erdenetsogt, and supports the Artis Altai project where women develop life and business skills through creating jewelry and felt products. The Ohio churches will celebrate their 20 years of commitment to Mongolia with an event in Ohio on Oct. 19.
Mongolia, a young democratic nation of 3 million people, is an ancient society with a rich heritage dating back to Chinjjis (Genghis) Khaan, who founded the empire in the late 12th century. From 1921 until 1990, this majority Buddhist nation was under atheist-communist influence of the former Soviet Union. The transition from a socialist to a democratic government corresponded with the Soviet Union’s fall. This change, along with Mongolia’s growing mining industry, is rapidly transforming this Asian nation from a nomadic, rural society to a modern, urban one. Mongolians are moving from the countryside, where many live in gers (a movable tent-like house constructed of wood and felt), to apartments in cities, for job opportunities. The clanging noise and dust from the construction of apartment and office buildings is evident throughout the streets of Ulaanbaatar.
JCS has witnessed the positives and negatives of this transformation. Wealth has increased and there is broader access to information via the television and Internet, but the gap between rich and poor has also expanded. Social and health problems tied to overcrowding have increased along with traffic congestion and smog. Alcohol addiction, particularly among men, has long been a major societal ill. Sexually transmitted diseases are also rising as women are often forced into prostitution to provide for their families.
The 20-year milestone prompted the JCS board to discuss critical internal areas of focus to help the organization adjust to better address Mongolia’s changes. JCS encourages the growth of Mongolian Christian churches. While JCS remains an international organization with foreign leadership, the board and staff are processing ways to draw Mongolian Christians into leadership roles. John F. Lapp, Mission Network director for Asia and the Middle East, and newly elected member of the JCS board, said the board discussed challenges that include organizational relevancy as the economy and culture changes, and declining international worker availability.
Executive Director Stephens said that JCS will continue to adjust to help Mongolians build their new society.
“Mongolia is facing a global economy now,” she said. “Mongolians have to deal with other nations in terms of the economy and international partners … Mongolian leaders can look at how JCS partners together."
###
For immediate release
Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
