Haash

From the barren heights to living streams

A staggering 51 per cent of Mongolian adults are alcohol abusers and government figures estimate six per cent are alcoholics. Khash, 40, was one of these statistics for 15 long years.

During this time the family’s income was minimal and they lived on 580 tug rug (USD $0.50) per day. With God’s help he turned his life around. Today he helps men and women with similar struggles as the outreach coordinator for Streams in the Desert – a ministry for men and women struggling with alcoholism and prostitution.

Streams director John Koehler works for YWAM through Joint Christian Services a Christian development organisation. He said Streams was inspired by Isaiah 41: 18-21 where God promises to give new life to the desert. In the Mongolian capital Ulaan Baatar (UB) people had been ravaged by alcohol and prostitution but Streams believed God could change anyone – even those society had given up on.

Streams run support groups for the men discussing issues like honesty, forgiveness and restitution. Khash runs the support group for older men. This is his story:

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I am 40 years old and my wife Nuden is 38 years. We have been married 21 years. I never had a father and my mother left me with my grandmother when I was eight years old to marry another man. It wasn’t difficult because my grandmother was an excellent woman. My mother has other children but I still have no relationship with them.

At my school there were high class students wearing nice clothes and so I always wanted to dress well and gave less attention to school and more to my appearance. My grandmother was old and living on a miserable pension. She sold furniture to help me grow up.

We married in 1986. Nuden worked in a pharmacy and a Catholic mission cleaning and cooking. I worked in a factory and a shop. I first believed in Jesus in 1990 but became discouraged by my life. I wanted more but I lived in dreams. My life was going down but I didn’t realise and started drinking more.

When my grandmother died we sold our apartment and tried to make a business but we went bankrupt. We moved to Edernet (Mongolia’s second largest city) because it was cheaper. But we couldn’t find work. Sometimes we didn’t eat and once had just 580 tug rug a day to live off. My daughters would cry. They helped us sell fried potato and popcorn on the streets.

Nuden became a Christian in 1998. She started to think about God because she needed help. No one could help us because we were far from our relatives and we were too ashamed to ask. That’s one reason we escaped to Edernet.

In 2000 we returned to UB. At first it was wonderful but after seven months I grew discouraged and struggled with alcohol. We lived inside the church khashaa (property). When I got drunk I would confess before the church leaders. The fifth time this happened they said we must leave so we went to Nuden’s mother. After a year her patience gave out and she sent me away – just me.

I remembered what a blind Christian woman Marta Sloan (YWAM Texas) told me about Celebrate Recovery (alcohol recovery program) and went to JCS to meet Jung Mi Park and John Koehler. I hadn’t gone before because I was ashamed and didn’t think I was an alcoholic.

John shared a story with me from Luke that I’ll never forget about a leper who asked Jesus’ help and didn’t care what people thought or said. He said if I was honest they could help me. This was so new. I promised myself I would be honest. I did the 12 step alcohol recovery program and now I have peace in my heart. I knew I couldn’t do anything by myself. So I said please God help me I am lost. Please minister. Please help. And God really directed me.

Nuden’s mother went to live in an apartment and I went back to my family. Nuden trusted God was doing something in my heart. She knew I couldn’t quit drinking by myself. Since I started the recovery group our lives stopped going downhill. Nuden’s sister offered her a place in the black market, we have a loan for an apartment, my daughter received a university scholarship and someone sent us money from the USA. This is all because of God. It’s unbelievable.

I work for Streams in the Desert even though I have no education. I lead the men’s group twice weekly – there are 12-15 men. I try to help and encourage them. We also outreach to prostitutes. I find it’s helpful to be myself. I don’t teach, I relate to them. All I can do is share about my life. Sometimes it’s hard because they use alcohol again and again. But I understand so it’s not a problem. I am thankful to God because it’s not like work, more like hanging out.

God’s power changed our family and my life. God can change any life. Now I am helping others with the same problems. The future plans are up to God – He leads us now.

[Editor's note: Haash and his wife Nuden have completed their YWAM DTS and Haash continues to serve with us.]