“My son and I travelled very far to reach the Tsaatan reindeer herders,” said Buyana*, describing their journey from the Tuvan Republic of Russia to a remote valley in Mongolia. A three-day road trip was followed by an eight-hour horse ride from the nearest Mongolian village. In a country where horses outnumber people, the animals are an essential part of everyday life and a common way to travel, especially to areas where there are no roads. 

For three months in the summer of 2019, Buyana and her seven-year-old son, together with a short-term outreach team, lived among the Tsaatan reindeer herders in their settlement of tents. “They accepted me and called me their own person,” she said. The nomadic tribe originates from Buyana’s indigenous group, the Tuvans in Siberia, and they also speak the Tuvan language. She offered a children’s programme and worked with teenagers during their visit, drawing on her experience of serving in her home church.