Stories

Batchuluun and Nasandelger first joined the project in the fall of 2003 when they received 10 sheep and 5 goats from the project. At that time they lived in a ger in a small fenced in area not suitable for vegetable growing.

A few years ago they owned some cows but the dzud (national winter disaster) killed them. The family consists of Batchulum (50) and Nasandelger (46), their 4 big boys (between 16 and 25) and their 6 year old daughter. Three of the boys still live at home.

Batchulun was a truck driver and worked in a coal mine. The coal dust damaged his lungs so he is receiving a small pension which is the family’s only secure income. Nasandelger has been a home maker for years. The youngest of the boys still goes to secondary school but the other three boys are unemployed. Occasionally they find temporary work.

During their first year in the project we noticed their hard work and sense of responsibility. When a task needed to be done they were always the first to volunteer. In the spring of 2004 they also joined the vegetable part of the project and moved to a new section with a big vegetable growing area. The project helped with wood for a fence and a well. Their new property had not been cultivated before but is very fertile. They worked hard and grew a considerable amount of vegetables, watering by hand. The following year they managed to cultivate an even bigger area and their production increased. They now have a petrol pump to assist the work.

As we got to know them better we found the whole family to be very friendly and welcoming with a twinkle in their eyes. Their initial 10 sheep and 5 goats have now developed into a flock of 75 sheep, goats, lambs and kids!

Their management skills are very good, they keep a close eye on their livestock and they have lost very few animals to sickness. From the 14 families that received livestock in the fall of 2003 they have been the most successful and it is wonderful to see their joy when new offspring are born. This spring, when it was cold outside, they at one point had 26 lambs and kids in a little enclosure in their ger – and what a concert they performed when it was time for a drink! Even though they are do ing very well in the project, life is difficult for them with a big family to feed and a very small cash income. They are struggling to make ends meet but seem to be happy and content anyway.

In 2004 Nasandelger got to know a Mongolian evangelist who had recently moved to the project area. The evangelist shared the gospel with her and eventually the whole family became believers. As we work together in the project it is good to see them grow in their faith and knowledge of their Heavenly Father and it is a blessing to share a common belief with them.