They brought their children to North America for heart surgery through the Children’s Heart Project. While they were here, the Gospel of Jesus Christ changed their lives, and now they’re sharing their faith with family and friends back home.
Erdene, who had cardiac surgery in February through our Children’s Heart Project, is back in school in Mongolia and telling all his classmates that he has a new heart.
“Thank you, Jesus for healing me. I love you so much,” he prays.
Erdene, 6, is now lively and active, which wasn’t possible for the first few years of his life due to a congenital heart defect. He couldn’t breathe well or sleep much, at one point having to be hospitalized for a severe cough. He often was so weak he couldn’t attend school or play with his siblings or friends.
A New Heart, a Bright Future
Children’s Heart Project arranges life-saving surgery for boys and girls with congenital heart defects who live in countries such as Mongolia where the operations are not available. Samaritan’s Purse covers the cost of airfare for the child, a parent or guardian, and an interpreter to fly to North America, where partner hospitals donate their services. We also pair them with Christian host churches and families who open their homes to them to stay. Since 1997, we have made it possible for more than 1,400 children to receive cardiac surgery.
Erdene received a toy airplane for his sixth birthday. He’s been fascinated by airplanes, especially after riding in our DC-8 cargo jet back home to Mongolia.
Because Erdene feels healthy and energetic like never before, he tells others that he has a new heart. Likewise, his mom, Purevsuren, is telling family and friends how God has made her heart new spiritually.
“My son has a new heart, even I have a new heart because I have accepted Christ,” Purevsuren said. “We both have new hearts and came back with new lives. Samaritan’s Purse has changed our life completely and gave my son a bright future.”
Purevsuren asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior on her birthday, March 4, 2020, as a result of reading the Bible daily with her Children’s Heart Project interpreter. They also studied The Greatest Journey discipleship booklet, our follow-up program for Operation Christmas Child shoebox recipients. The 12-lesson study is translated into 75 languages, including Mongolian.
“The Greatest Journey was a very good start to understanding the Bible,” Purevsuren said. “It made it so simple and easy for somebody who is just starting to understand about Jesus.”
Loving Others with All Your Heart
Purevsuren was baptized during her stay in the U.S. A host church opened its facility for a small group to witness her act of obedience to God’s Word.
The hosts’ generosity was noticed from across the globe by Erdene’s grandfather during one of their video calls. While he and Purevsuren were talking, he noticed Erdene playing with the host family siblings in the background and how considerate they were toward him. That simple gesture of kindness brought him to tears.
“You all cared and supported my grandson with all your heart,” he said.
“You all cared and supported my grandson with all your heart.”
Purevsuren said the hosts introduced her to God’s love.
“After coming here and experiencing the love in this house, I really understand who God is—Jesus—and that He is a living God who we can communicate with, and we can be loved and cared for by Him,” she said. “Thank you for introducing me to the Bible, for introducing me to Jesus.”
The One True God
Purevsuren isn’t the only mother who came to faith in Christ and was baptized this past spring through Children’s Heart Project. Mandaa is also from Mongolia and had a similar experience.
Through the Christian witness of Mandaa’s hosts and her interpreter she placed her faith in God.
Enjee is now able to run and play like never before.
“Now, I understand that the mountains, the water, the rivers—they are all God’s creation,” said Mandaa, who is a nomadic herder of about 300 cows, horses, sheep, and goats. “Now, I believe in the one true God.”
Mandaa’s daughter, Enjee, was born with a heart defect two years ago. It worsened, leaving her lips and fingertips with a blue tinge, a sign that there wasn’t enough oxygen circulating through her blood.
Since Enjee had surgery through our Children’s Heart Project, the blue tinge has been replaced by a rosy complexion of good health.
In the summer, Samaritan’s Purse flew Mandaa, Enjee, and eight other Children’s Heart Project beneficiary groups home to Mongolia aboard our DC-8 cargo jet after their stay for surgery in North America had been prolonged several months by COVID-19 global travel restrictions. After a period of precautionary quarantine in-country, the families reunited back home.
Enjee’s father, Dashdavaa, is glad to see his daughter so healthy after her heart surgery.
When Enjee’s father, Dashdavaa, saw how enthusiastically she could run and play, he changed his mind about the existence and power of the Almighty God.
“Now, I believe there is a God,” he said.
Mandaa continues to credit God for her daughter’s healing, her family’s happiness, and for her new lease on life.
“I am so glad to be a beloved child of God, and I will serve Him forever,” she said. “Knowing God fills a person’s heart with love. My children and my husband and I want to live in God’s love.”
