Kyrgyzstan
Standing Strong in Christ: Amirkhan’s Story
Amirkhan (name changed for safety) grew up in a Christian family and learned about God from a young age, which is rare in Kyrgyzstan, where it’s estimated that only 6.5% of the country professes Christian faith. Amirkhan’s family are ethnic Uzbeks living in southern Kyrgyzstan. “Uzbeks are very passionate when it comes to religious issues,” shares Amirkham, “and my parents were devout Muslims just like their parents, and grandparents, and generations of their families. But in 1993, our lives changed forever when my father was given a Bible by someone from the local Baptist church. He decided to read the Koran first, before reading the Bible. He read the Koran all the way through twice, and could not find answers to his questions in it. Our family was going through some very difficult situations at the time and he was desperate for answers. So he turned to the Bible. There…
Outreach to Muslim Students in Kyrgyzstan
Alima is a young Christian professional in Kyrgyzstan who teaches math to primarily Muslim students. After attending one of Mission Eurasia’s Next Generation Professional Leader’s Initiatives (NGPLI) forums in Bishkek, Alima was encouraged and filled with new conviction and ideas for sharing the gospel through her profession. She shared her story with us: “I am a math teacher at a Christian school in Kyrgyzstan. I’ve always had a penchant for numbers, and when I had to choose between working as an accountant or a math teacher, I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to be able to connect with students. Moreover, I believe that, as a Christian, my calling is to work professionally while also building relationships with people so I can share my faith. God has entrusted me with my profession, and I believe that this profession is also my ministry. It is a great responsibility to…
Sharing Christ in the University
Anara (name changed for safety) is one of our current School Without Walls (SWW) students in Kyrgyzstan and a university professor. He uses his influential profession, and the cultural respect he commands as a teacher, to share Christ with his students and their families in this largely Muslim country: “My parents teach at a local university in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and I knew from a very young age that I also wanted to be a professor,” shares Anara. “This is a very honorable profession in Central Asia, and teachers are often called ‘Mughal,’ which means ‘honorable person.’ “After I accepted Christ as my Savior, I started going to church, where I got involved in SWW. I was particularly impressed by the courses that focused on talking with Muslims about Jesus, and I started questioning how I could possibly share the gospel with my students and still be regarded as an ‘honorable…
Transforming Society in Kyrgyzstan
A recent School Without Walls (SWW) seminar in Kyrgyzstan focused on helping students respond to the unique challenges they face in their country following a recent incident. After a 76-year-old Christian woman passed away, Muslim leaders wouldn’t allow her to be buried in the local cemetery due to her faith, so her family had to dig up her body and bury her in a different village. However, the people in this village also didn’t want her to be buried in their cemetery, so her body was unearthed again and moved to a cemetery at a Russian Orthodox Church. Yet again, this burial was also not approved, so without informing her relatives, her body was dug up for a third time and taken to an unknown location. There have been many instances like this, but this particular case has gotten a lot of publicity among Christians, and throughout Kyrgyz society as…
Shaping the Culture: Christian Professionals in Kyrgyzstan
“When I first started working, I had to choose whether to be an accountant or a teacher, and I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to impact young people’s lives,” shares Nargiza (name changed), a math teacher from Kyrgyzstan who attended Mission Eurasia’s Next Generation Professional Leaders Initiative (NGPLI) Forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in November. “My parents were also teachers, and my father was considered a master at his craft. From them, I learned the value of hard work, and from the Bible, I learned that my work should be glorifying to God. There is a great need for the gospel in the intellectual environment that I work in, and the best way to respond to this need is by talking with people. God has entrusted me with my students, and I believe He has called me to use my job for ministry, which is a great responsibility.”…