Christian missionaries flock to a free Mongolia

The fall of communism has also led to a revival of Buddhism and shamanism.
ULAN BATOR, Mongolia (AP) -- Mongolia is flush with foreign missionaries these days -- young Mormons going door-to-door, Korean Christians working with homeless children, new Catholic churches sprouting up on the grassy steppe.
The collapse of communism in 1990 brought religious freedom as well as democracy, opening the doors to proselytizers from around the world. They have flocked to this sparsely populated country wedged between Russia and China, eager for fresh converts.
"Here, history is ancient but Christianity is very young," said the Rev. Tiago Copolla, a Roman Catholic priest from Brazil.
The new openness has also sparked a revival of Mongolia's traditional religions -- Buddhism and a native shamanism. Everywhere, there are pictures of the Buddha in people's homes and, along country roads, piles of "shaman" rocks that are shrines to spirits in nature.
Even Orthodox Russian priests are back, not to proselytize but to serve the dwindling ranks of Russian expatriates who moved here when Mongolia was a Soviet satellite.
Mormons
Among those seeking converts, the Mormons are perhaps most visible as they travel from house to house in their distinctive white shirts and black pants.
"I grew up in the church, and I hope other people might learn and be helped," said Michael Corrigan, a young Mormon from Chicago.
He can't help but be affected by Mongolia's rampant poverty. The economy collapsed with the end of Soviet subsidies, as state factories and farms failed. More than one-third of Mongolia's 2.5 million people live extreme poverty.
The experience "has been huge," Corrigan said.
Convert
Christian convert Nyamsuren, a 21-year-old recent college graduate, first set foot in a church on Christmas Eve 2002, when a friend persuaded him to come along. Like many Mongolians, he uses one name.
"At first I didn't believe. I just liked the atmosphere. There was a sense of communion, of belonging," Nyamsuren said. "Later, I liked the teachings as well."
Poor and an orphan, he always needed money. "So I started making money in bad ways," he said without elaborating. His church helped him turn his life around. "I learned that what I was doing was a sin."
"Even though I had many friends, I was still lonely," he said. "It's a good thing that Christianity entered Mongolia. These missionaries work in very difficult situations in Mongolia to spread the good news."
Outside the big cities, nomads live as they have for centuries.
"We have been Buddhist all along," said Megmar, a sheep herder. "The younger people are interested in Christianity because they like to be together and one friend brings another friend," he said.
But, "I think Buddhism is enough for me. I'm not interested in other religions."