A Mongolian mother comes to faith in the only true God after her son receives life-saving surgery through the Children’s Heart Project
Sugra sat and cried over her baby boy, Tugso. He was 3 months old, and the doctors had just told her that he had a heart defect. He was going to die. They lived in a province in Mongolia that is more than 300 miles from the nation’s capital. No one would be able to perform the surgery he needed.
But even with no hope, Sugra and her husband took Tugso to the capital city. He was screened by doctors working with Children’s Heart Project, the Samaritan’s Purse program that brings children with life-threatening heart defects to North America for surgery.
The doctors confirmed Sugra’s fears. But they also consoled her. With the help of Samaritan’s Purse, Sugra and her son could fly to the U.S. for his surgery.
Sugra’s joy at this news was short-lived. She was a practicing Shamanist, and her shaman told her that Tugso would die if he were brought to the U.S. Instead, the shaman would heal him. With this news, Sugra refused to bring Tugso to the U.S. Shortly afterward, Tugso’s father died, and Sugra was alone in raising her sick baby.
The shaman was unable to heal Tugso, and Sugra grew frantic. It was almost two years later when she saw the interpreter for Children’s Heart Project again.
“We had a serious conversation about her child,” said Saraa, the interpreter. “She said, ‘I’m sorry I made everything messed up, and I will go to States and have surgery.’ ”
Saraa talked with our office, and once again, we accepted Tugso for surgery. This time, his mother eagerly agreed. They boarded a plane to the U.S., and 3-year-old Tugso had the surgery that he had desperately needed since birth.
“We had a very nice conversation after surgery,” Saraa said. “She said, ‘I don’t know if something is watching over me, but something is more powerful than Shamanism.’ And I told her, ‘It’s the Holy God who created the universe.’ ”
But a week later, just before Tugso was discharged from the hospital, the doctors told Sugra that Tugso needed additional surgery. Her eyes became sad, and she began to wonder if the shaman had been right. But when she remembered how well the first surgery went, she reluctantly agreed to the second.
This time Tugso recovered even more quickly, and Sugra was ecstatic to hold her healthy baby boy. She told Saraa that she wanted to put her faith and trust in the One who had provided healing for her son. She was ready to accept Christ as her Savior.
Saraa explained more about the Christian faith, and how Jesus came to earth as a sacrifice for sin.
“We did pray together, and she got saved and she was so happy,” Saraa said.
As Sugra prepared to go back to Mongolia, she said she would tell her family and friends about the God who saved her child.
“I’m so much appreciative of what God has done,” she said. “God has changed my mindset. I feel God’s love in my life, and I feel like my heart is melted, just like it’s full of gratitude. Thank you Lord for that.”
