Next Generation Professional Leaders Initiative (NGPLI)
Madina’s Story
“I live in Tajikistan, and I graduated from law school two years ago. In my country, women are primarily engaged with family, and few of us pursue higher education, especially in the legal sphere. My stepfather, who is a pastor and School Without Walls (SWW) graduate, helped me a lot in both my career and my faith. He shared with me that SWW taught him that Christians need to hold influential positions in society so we can positively impact our country. That is why I decided to become a lawyer,” said Madina, who is not pictured for security reasons. “During my final year at university, I also joined the SWW program, and my favorite part was getting to participate in Next Generation Professional Leaders Initiative (NGPLI) events. During one of these events, I heard the story of William Wilberforce, a British lawyer and politician who helped lead the abolition movement against slavery. I was particularly moved by…
From Social Outcast to the Mayor’s Office
There is a Bible on the corner of Roman Polikrovsky’s desk. It’s something of a miracle that it’s sitting there in plain view, for all to see. You see Roman was born in 1979 to evangelical Christian parents who endured all manner of Soviet oppression. The Soviet authorities wanted to eradicate the church and eliminate the Bible, so back then, believers hid their Bibles because if the KGB showed up, they would go to jail. Roman’s parents had high hopes and dreams for their child. But because the USSR had never allowed Christians to enter professions that would allow them to influence society, they held little hope that he would be allowed to obtain an influential job. But then the USSR collapsed, leaving behind a spiritual vacuum. Roman then had his opportunity to pursue an influential career that would allow him to share his faith. Today-at just 42 years old-Roman…
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…
Mission in Profession: A Young Doctor’s Testimony
“I know that God had a plan for me before I was even born,” shares Naira, a School Without Walls student from Armenia. “My family was very poor when my mother found out she was pregnant with me, so they advised her to terminate her pregnancy. But God had a different plan, and my mother decided to keep me. I know that my birth was God’s will, and I have seen Him work in every stage of my life. I could see His hand in my admission to medical school and my decision to become a doctor. “Difficult life circumstances often make us feel distant from God. Unfortunately, I experienced this in my own life, and I turned away from my faith for a few years. When I wasn’t walking with the Lord, Aram, the local School Without Walls coordinator, invited my sister and I to a youth camp, which…
Fearless Faith: Christian Leaders in Tajikistan
“Evangelical churches in our country are not very numerous, but we aspire to impact our society and we are grateful to School Without Walls for their help in this,” shared Arash (name changed), a national School Without Walls (SWW) coordinator for Tajikistan, speaking to 80 young Next Generation Christian leaders at a Next Generation Professional Leaders Initiative (NGPLI) conference last week. Tajikistan is over 90% Muslim, and Christians who openly share their faith risk persecution from their families, in the educational system, and from employers. Therefore, the goal of the conference was to pass on a vision of influential Christianity to these young Tajik Christians and to inspire and teach them how to be witnesses for Christ and transform their society through treating their workplace as a mission field. Bahram (name changed), a university student, shared how the conference’s message impacted him: “It’s not easy being a Christian in our…
Impacting Uzbekistan for Christ
Even though Christians in Uzbekistan often suffer religious persecution at the hands of local authorities, the School Without Walls (SWW) coordinator in the capital city of Tashkent, and a group of SWW graduates, organized a round table discussion on the Next Generation Professional Leaders Initiative (NGPLI) for 35 young professionals from four different churches. The lack of religious freedom in Uzbekistan makes NGPLI even more relevant in that context, as traditional means of sharing the Gospel are very risky. “I’m prepared to go out of my way to help my clients resolve problems with our product. I do my work well and respect my clients. They see this and value it,” shared Shahrat (name changed), a Christian businessman who spoke about the impact his faith has had in his professional context. “I never hide my faith, and my good relationship with my clients allows me to share the Gospel with…