School Without Walls
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…
Faith Under Fire: Turkmenistan’s Courageous Believers
Rahim (name changed for safety) is the pastor of an underground church in Turkmenistan that some of our School Without Walls (SWW) students attend and partner with to spread the gospel throughout their country despite increasing persecution of Christians. Rahim has a miraculous faith journey that began in the days of the Soviet Union: Rahim was born in 1979 during the height of the Soviet era. In 1993, when Christians were still able to openly preach the gospel in Turkmenistan, Rahim attended a screening of The Jesus Film at a local church. After watching the film, he repented and joined the church! However, a few years later, religious freedom in Turkmenistan came to an end and Christians started suffering harsh persecution. All foreign missionaries were expelled and many Christians fled the country. Rahim’s church was also forced to close. At this time, Rahim was 18, so he was drafted into…
Sharing the Gospel with Muslim Neighbors
Mara (name changed) grew up in a Muslim family in Azerbaijan, but was introduced to Jesus when she fell in love with a Christian man! After graduating from School Without Walls (SWW), she and her husband now host a SWW group in their home and mentor young Christian leaders, while sharing the gospel with their Muslim friends and neighbors. Mara shares how God changed her heart through the faith of her husband: “I grew up in a Muslim family, so my parents raised me according to Islamic law. From a young age, I was told that my purpose was to get married and have children, just like my mother and grandmother did. I never imagined that my husband would be a man of God, but when I first met him, he talked with me about the gospel, which was so different from what I was taught by my family. “At…
Called to Serve: Alexei’s Story
Alexei Yuditsenko is our School Without Walls (SWW) coordinator in Berdyansk, Ukraine. He believes that Mission Eurasia’s SWW leadership program—which he participated in and now helps lead—was the driving force behind the restoration of his spiritual life and the beginning of his holistic ministry. Even at a young age, Alexei was a strong leader. He grew up in a family of believers, and as a child he went to church, Sunday school, youth group, and many other church-related activities. When he was 17, Alexei started a youth ministry in a Baptist church in Berdyansk, and he soon became the leader of this ministry. While he was leading, the ministry grew significantly, and a lot of young people came to Christ. Alexei was motivated to start this ministry because of the training that he received at SWW seminars, as well as his personal relationships with the SWW teachers. Some years later,…
Bringing God’s Love to a Hurting World
Growing up, Maria, one of our current School Without Walls (SWW) students from Russia, was terrified of being alone. For many years she made harmful decisions–drugs, alcohol, and a failed marriage–out of fear of being alone. But when she was introduced to the unconditional love of her Savior through a young Christian woman, Maria knew she would never be alone again. Now, equipped and supported by Mission Eurasia’s SWW, Maria is bringing God’s love to a hurting world. She shared her emotional testimony of faith with us: “I grew up in an ordinary village family, and as a child I felt alone, like no one understood me or looked out for me,” shared Maria. “I wanted someone to understand and accept me and never leave me. I got married, expecting my husband to be this person for me, but he couldn’t give me what I longed for. When we realized…
Meeting Jesus at Summer Bible Camp
Sasha is one of our current School Without Walls (SWW) students in Moldova. After many years of rebellion and atheism, Sasha felt hopeless, and even attempted to commit suicide. But God intervened and broke through her hardened heart, bringing her to a Veritas summer Bible camp last year, run by some of Mission Eurasia’s SWW students and young leaders. In her own words she shares her testimony and how God is now using her to mentor troubled teens who feel the same fear and anger that she once felt: “If you asked me five years ago if I believed in God and in the meaning of life, I would have answered that neither one existed,” shares Sasha. “I grew up in a family with different views on faith. My parents never believed in God and still don’t believe in Him. Both of my grandmothers are Orthodox. One grandmother took me…