A family from remote Mongolia goes to extraordinary lengths to meet the Samaritan’s Purse staff members who arranged healing for their son
In the remote countryside of Mongolia, more than 800 miles from the capital, is a small province called Uvs. In 2012, a child named Munkjargal was born there. When he developed an especially bad cold, his mother took him to the doctor. There they discovered that he had a heart defect. He turned blue when he ran and was tired often. Doctors told his parents that he needed surgery, and that surgery wasn’t offered in Mongolia.
Typically, the Children’s Heart Project brings children to North America from countries where heart surgery is not readily available. However, on occasion, doctors from the U.S. travel to Mongolia to do surgeries there. The doctors performed Munkjargal’s surgery in a Mongolian hospital, and after a period of recovery, he returned home healed.
Munkjargal four years after surgery
After families return home, Samaritan’s Purse staff members usually conduct several follow-up visits. But because Munkjargal’s family lives in such a remote place, it was hard to connect. After several failed attempts, Samaritan’s Purse staff members assumed the family didn’t want visitors.
This spring, our team decided to make one last attempt to visit the family. Sadly, after many hours of traveling, staff members realized the bridge that crossed the river to the family’s home had collapsed. There was no way to see the family without the bridge.
Gany, a Children’s Heart Project staff member who led the trip, was disheartened. After 48 hours of traveling, she would not be able to see the family. She called them and told them what had occurred. To her surprise, the family already had a plan. Soon Gany saw the group crossing the freezing river. Mom was carrying warm tea and meat to serve to the team, and Dad was carrying his son on his back. It was an incredible sight to see!
A beautiful reunion occurred as the family shared with Gany about Munkjargal. He is now a strong little boy, able to run and play with other kids and to help his mom and dad care for the family’s animals. He is in first grade and has won several medals for things such as memorizing poems. He hopes to one day become a police officer or solider.
Munkjargal crossing the river on his dad’s back
“Thank you so much—you saved my child’s life,” his mother said.
Gany was touched to see this family make such an effort to connect after several years with no contact. Before they left, Gany gave them some Christian books. Although they have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior yet, they asked the Samaritan’s Purse staff to pray for their livestock.
Our God is a God of miracles, of water crossings, and of connection beyond the miles.
