Life in the poorer parts of
Ulaan Baatar is tough. Unemployment
is very high and
alcoholism even higher fuelling
the spiral of hopeless
frustration. For a teenager
in this climate the chance of
escape is remote. Homes are
overcrowded, without privacy
and often without the
stability that a family should
provide.
Ankhaa is a 17 years old
boy who had been coming
to the Project for about
2 years. He comes from
Xailastai a particularly rough
area where we are running
our Football Club in partnership
with the local school.
The football club gave the
teenagers something to do
and somewhere to go. At the
same time the Project staff
teach them something of
social behaviour and give
bible studies. He really enjoyed
it.
Nevertheless Ankhaa
got involved in a street
fight and one of the others
boy got really bad beaten.
The boy’s mother went to
Ankhaa’s school to tell him
that she would call the police
if he would not pay
50000 Tugruks, about $50.
Ankhaa did not nearly have
the money, had no chance
of getting it and was very
afraid of what could happen
to him if the boy’s mother
called the police.
Ankhaa
came to us in the Project,
explained the situation and
asked us advice. We decide
to help him paying the
money, but in return he had
to do some work for the
Project. He agreed and we
paid the money to the
Mother.
Ankhaa was very touched
by our action and became
drawn to us. He
started to help in the club
and also became very open
to the gospel. He began attending
our English class and
became one of the best students.
We took him with us
to Bayankhongor. This was
a trip to a new area where
he helped us to run a tournament
and was very enthusiastic
with the boys there
who could easily relate to
him.
Along the way his eyes
were opened and he decided
to be a follower of
Jesus. He is attending a local
church regularly and he
wants to be baptized soon!
So for Ankhaa, God used
the UB United football
Project in an unexpected
way, bringing hope in a dark
place and a future where
there was none.
