FINDING CHRIST IN CENTRAL ASIA

Nazira* was at the end of her rope. For over two years, her depression frequently kept her bedridden and unable to care for her husband and three young children. Her husband did what he could to support her. When she could not get out of bed, he cooked meals and cleaned the house, something his peers rarely did for their wives. He helped keep the household running, but even with the children’s help, his efforts seemed to barely keep the family functioning. Nazira needed more help than he could provide.

Nazira had explored all available solutions to treat her illness. The mosque could not help her. Local shamans were powerless to heal her. One by one, each possibility had disintegrated before her, and she was getting worse. No one in Nazira’s home village of Safak could help her, but that was about to change.

HELP IS ON THE WAY

About ten years ago, Reach Beyond medical missionaries began partnering with Christians in the region to provide healthcare to underserved people in Central Asia. Their efforts initially focused on providing healthcare to those living in and near one major city. They also provided medical training to local residents, opening new doors for local believers to engage in spiritual conversations with those visiting the clinic.

As time passed, God provided more people and resources, and He created new ministry opportunities. Medical missionaries started offering clinics in a few villages outside the city, including some located far away. Each time the small team prepared to visit a community, they worked hard to include and integrate local believers who could bridge the cultural gap between the medical workers and their patients.

Each visit allowed missionaries and local believers to connect with people who had never met a Christian or heard the words of Jesus, people like Nazira.

In the fall of 2021, the team visited the village of Safak for the first time.

HOPE DAWNS IN SAFAK

Like most villages in this part of Central Asia, Safak is a small, dusty town where the smells of tandoor-baked bread and coal smoke intermingle as children play soccer on a makeshift field. The village seemingly grew up from the dust of the earth. Border disputes, job scarcity, and ethnic strife left many people wandering and homeless. Safak’s first residents arrived and set up temporary shelters where cinderblock homes now stand.

Hardships, trauma, and prejudices have created uncommon levels of distrust and animosity among Safak’s 13,000 residents. Poor infrastructure and a significant lack of resources have made life even more difficult. As the village grew, the government could not keep pace, leaving most residents without adequate access to critical services, including healthcare.

Reach Beyond medical missionaries Matthew and Dr. Luke first visited Safak alongside Dr. Claire, a medical ministry partner. They set up a temporary clinic and saw many patients during their visit. The people greatly appreciated the team’s work and asked the team to return.

Matthew and Dr. Claire visited again the next week and again the following week. The pattern continued, and the team grew to include both foreign and local medical workers. Since Safak had no known believers, the team saw their weekly visits as an opportunity to actively demonstrate the practical love of Jesus to this vulnerable community.

MAKING INROADS

Over time, the team expanded their efforts in pursuit of more holistic care through community development efforts. They taught classes designed to tackle epidemic issues, such as poor diet and unemployment. Many villagers began learning how to cook healthy meals, sew, and speak the local trade language.

These classes allowed the team to connect with members of the community, but the greatest breakthroughs started with their medical work. The clinic team began making house visits, building relationships in people’s homes and slowly beginning to earn the people’s trust.

Alara, a local Christian and former language teacher, soon joined the team. She held a counseling degree and was looking for ways to invest in God’s Kingdom. In Central Asia, people see little distinction between the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, and Alara’s skill set and love for Christ began to open many new doors for spiritual conversations.

As relationships developed and spiritual conversations began to happen more frequently, the local government started to push back. The clinic and counseling sessions were taking place in a government building, and local leaders felt strongly that the spiritual conversations needed to end.

The team began to consider that perhaps this project had run its course and maybe it was time to move on to another village. However, even as these discussions were happening, God made it clear that He was not yet finished in Safak.

INEXPRESSIBLE JOY

Nazira’s situation continued to deteriorate. With her hope all but gone, she wrestled with thoughts of permanently ending her suffering. Death now seemed like the only way out.

One day, she received a phone call from Alara. She asked Nazira if she would like to visit the clinic, but Nazira was too weak to leave her bed. Still, she saw a glimmer of hope. Nazira knew the clinic team would return soon, and she decided to try and visit the clinic the following week. When the team returned, she mustered up enough strength to visit the clinic.

At the clinic, Nazira saw Dr. Claire who evaluated her condition. She then referred Nazira to Alara for a psychological examination. As she spoke with Nazira, Alara felt prompted to share the Gospel with her.

When Alara had a moment, she stepped out of the exam room and asked two other team members to begin praying for her as she told Nazira about Jesus.

Nazira listened carefully to Alara’s words. She had never heard this story before, but without a doubt, she knew it was the truth. Without hesitation, she decided to follow Jesus, and immediately, she was a new woman! Her depression was replaced by inexpressible joy and happiness, and all thoughts of suicide vanished. The four ladies soon began singing and praising God for His great work.

RADIANT NEW SOUL

Within minutes, two men unexpectedly entered the room. One man had worked with the clinic team before but was very anti-Christian, and the other was a village leader. The men told them that all religious activity must stop. They knew the clinic team had many Christians, and it appeared they wanted to prevent anyone in their village from becoming Christians. They were too late. Nazira had already heard the Good News!

Nazira’s radical change dramatically impacted her family. She started playing praise music at home, and her oldest daughter, a young teen, especially enjoyed listening to the music. Nazira’s husband was amazed by her change. When villagers would tell him to watch out for the Christian people at the clinic, her husband would answer, “I don’t know what they are, but I want them to keep coming. The change in my wife and our relationship is so good because of them.” Nazira’s mother, a shaman and fortuneteller, saw the complete change in her daughter, and she too began meeting with the team alongside Nazira.

When Ramadan came to a close near the end of April, Nazira and four others in Safak had come to Christ, including Nazira’s sister. Like Nazira, she too suffered from ongoing medical issues. She visited the clinic for treatment and encountered Jesus Christ for herself. The clinic team has since partnered with other Christians from the capital city to begin discipling these new believers. The believers in Safak are few and face much opposition, but He who began a good work in them will be faithful to complete it.

Join in God’s work in Central Asia!

• $50 supports our psychologist for one month to meet with at-risk youth and vulnerable women.
• $100 supports weekly youth outreach meetings for one month.
• $300 provides for one day of medical clinics/caravans in a rural village, including medicine and supplies.
• $750 provides health and wellness education to one middle school class for a full year.

* Editors's note: All names and specific locations changed for security reasons.