Testimonies

A Teacher's Heart (and Advice for New Teachers)

Liz Hartwell

Urnaa’s Advice to a New Teacher:

Ask God where you should be working

Even while you’re still a student, pray for the job God will give you. If you are where God wants you to be, God will use you in wonderful ways.

There’s no need to hide that you are a believer

While you may not say, “I’m a believer,” you can show your faith by the way you act and what you say. God will bless your work. Then share about Christ at the right time. I’m learning how to do this. Trust that God will use you.

You can do it

Now teachers tell me, “You’re a good teacher and you’re capable.”” I definitely wasn’t at first. You can be a good teacher too, even if you don’t feel like it now.

In Mongolia, a young teacher works in a bright classroom with five large windows. Her classroom walls are covered with students’ artwork. The school was recently built and smells like paint.

The energetic teacher, Urnantsetseg Tumendembezel, known as “Urnaa,” became a Christian through her involvement with Cru during college. Now an elementary school teacher, she is having an impact in her classroom, her school and her province and she is seeing people come to faith.

“I love my profession!” Urnaa says during an interview with a Cru staff member. She describes how she had prayed that God would bring her to the right school. She has now been teaching at Elementary School #2 in Sulbattar District for six years.

Urnaa has 47 students in her class. Each time she cleans the whiteboard, she prays for the day. She prays that she won’t get frustrated with her first graders.

“Though it can be hard and stressful to work with children, God called me to serve these children and pray for them,” she says.

Urnaa leads a Bible study for other teachers. In her group, there are two teachers who are new believers. Urnaa shared the gospel with them and says she is so thankful for the chance to hear what they are learning. She remembers the joy of seeing her best friend receive Christ during college. Together they shared the gospel and saw other college students trust Christ. Urnaa continues to be a bold witness now as a young professional.

Last fall, one of the teachers who had recently become a believer couldn’t find one of her students. She was panicking. She had searched for the boy for three hours. She came to Urnaa and asked for prayer. Urnaa closed the door and they prayed together. Then the boy was found.

Recently, Urnaa trained other teachers at her school in time management. Before the training, Urnaa felt fearful and wondered, “Am I really good at training?” But she believed God wanted her to grow in that aspect of her work, and the training was a hit.

Urnaa believes God has brought her to this school and wants her to bring Him glory throughout her country.

She is part of the teachers’ ministry of LeaderImpact (a division of Campus Crusade for Christ Mongolia). Within the ministry, she is responsible for the teachers in her district (30 private and state schools). She connects with 20 teachers who are believers at 10 different schools. Ten of the teachers meet regularly for Bible study and various activities.

Along with the other teachers, Urnaa prays for the 40,000 teachers across Mongolia.

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