Deans' December prayer letter

For a modern society, Mongolia is still bound in demon worship and witchcraft. Mongolians may have mobile phones and the Internet, running water and modern glass high-rises; but in their hearts there is still a bondage to shamanism and superstition that hides under the veneer of technology.

This past month our neighbors illustrated this for us. Our neighbors are very pleasant people. We have been in their home, and they have been in our home. We have had the opportunity to tell them about Jesus Christ. They respect our beliefs but see them as a foreign religion. The wife even attended a church service many years ago, perhaps out of curiosity. Whatever the reason, she has never returned.

Both are educated professionals. One works with aviation electronics; the other has a college degree and is employed by the government. One of them has spent some time studying abroad. Outwardly, they appear to be modern people. If you were to ask them, they would tell you that they are not religious people.

However, their son’s long-term illness has caused them to seek for a cure. First, they approached us to request help locating a foreign non-profit that might help them take their son to another country for treatment. I was as helpful as I could be and suggested contacting a non-profit suggested by a fellow missionary.

However, recently we heard a thumping sound. As I went into our apartment building corridor to investigate, I realized that the thumping was the pounding of a drum coming from our neighbor’s apartment. From the corridor, I could also hear chanting and the ringing of bells. The smell of pungent incense filled the air. Drums, bells, chanting, incense—all these are the tools of the Mongolian shaman, also known as a witchdoctor in other cultures and places. Mongolian shamans claim to have a direct connection to the spirit world that allows them to heal disease, ward off catastrophe, or curse the unprotected. Indeed, I do believe that they have a connection with spirits, evil spirits.

This incident reminds us, that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We need to continually be on guard and need God’s power to overcome the powers of darkness. Your prayers are an important part of the ministry here. Pray for God’s power to be evident in the conviction of sin and in holiness in the lives of God’s children.