Bonded by circumstance, two families with children needing heart surgery develop friendships and a shared faith in Christ.
Anujin, 7, and Khuslen, 10, traveled from their homes in Mongolia to a hospital in South Korea to reach cardiac surgical services that aren’t readily available in their country.
The participation of this hospital means that Children’s Heart Project groups from Mongolia only need to travel a few hours to receive life-saving care. Children’s Heart Project provided screening near their homes and then arranged for them to receive the care they so desperately needed.
Khuslen and Egiimaa pose for a picture amid a dusting of snow in the Mongolian countryside.
The girls didn’t know each other prior to the trip but became fast friends bonded by their medical condition. They both had been born with congenital heart defects.
“I thought I was the only one with heart disease,” said Anujin, who was comforted to know that she wasn’t going through it alone but sad that many children face this life-threatening condition.
A Journey Together Toward Healed Hearts
The two girls, accompanied by their mothers and a Children’s Heart Project interpreter, were excited but nervous about the surgeries. They were ready to become healthy at last. They were weary of feeling tired all the time at such a young age.
Their mothers were grateful that their daughters had been selected for the procedures. During the travels, surgeries, and recovery time, the mothers also became friends.
Khuslen answers questions in La Gran Aventura, booklet that one of our Children’s Heart Project interpreters led her through during Khuslen’s hospital stay.
“It feels like having a sister who shares each other’s joys and sorrows, feels the same way about all the worries and anxieties, and overcomes them together,” said Anujin’s mother, Otgo.
Egiimaa, Khuslen’s mother, said it would have been much harder without someone with her. The group also had hosts from a local church to lean on as they stayed together with a Children’s Heart Project interpreter at a mission house during the girls’ recovery.
“We both have children with the same heart disease and have experienced the same joys and sorrows, so we understand each other better,” Egiimaa said. “I believe that it was God’s plan for us to meet here.”
During recovery at the hospital, both mothers and daughters heard the Gospel message through La Gran Aventura,, a discipleship booklet created by Samaritan’s Purse for recipients of Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. Their interpreter led them through the Bible-based study, and both of the girls accepted Christ as their Savior.
“I prayed to become a child of God,” Anujin said. “I thought I would believe because Jesus created us. I decided to believe because Jesus loves me. Now, I am slowly getting to know Jesus. I didn’t know how to pray. I learned to pray with Jesus. It will change me into something beautiful.”
Drawn by the Love of Christ
Learning these lessons with Anujin made the experience that much more meaningful, Khuslen said.
Anujin draws a picture of a Bible story illustrated in La Gran Aventura, .
“We are learning more and more about Jesus together,” she said.
Then each of the girls’ mothers, who had participated in the Bible study, also professed Jesus Christ as Lord, with Otgo rededicating her life to serving Him.
Otgo said that she used to go to church, where she accepted Jesus as Lord, but this experience was an opportunity to reconnect with Him. It was Jesus’ love, she said, that drew her back to Him.
“I am grateful that Jesus has not forgotten me and has always been by my side,” she said.
For Egiimaa, accepting Jesus as “a great gift from God” has set her free from worry.
“As a child of God, I don’t have to worry about anything because God promised to be with us always,” she said. “I’m starting to rely on God’s Word. I’m learning to pray and study the Bible.”
After recovery, as the four of them prepared to return to Mongolia, they celebrated all that God had done in their hearts, spiritually and physically.
Anujin looks forward to being able to swim and play with her younger siblings.
“I used to get tired easily when walking,” Anujin said, adding that she was cautious at first as she tested out her body’s new stamina after surgery. “Now, I’m healthy and have a lot of energy.”
Khuslen said she can breathe so much easier and better after surgery, no longer fatigued by the slightest bit of exertion. Her confidence building, she wants to learn how to play basketball.
Through Children’s Heart Project, Samaritan’s Purse pairs pediatric heart surgery candidates in Mongolia, Bolivia, and Uganda, where such procedures are not readily available, with partner hospitals in North America, Grand Cayman, Spain, and South Korea. Supported by donations to its Children’s Heart Project, Samaritan’s Purse covers the cost of airfare for the child, a parent or guardian, and one of our project interpreters who accompanies the group to reduce language barriers and share the lasting hope of the Gospel. The project also arranges lodging and care for the groups through local church partners.
