Welcome to the Central Asian Republics blog site. Here you will hear stories from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. While we are at it we may throw in a few stories from Western China and the Uigurs. The Central Asian Republics are mostly unknown to people living in the West but they are not unknown to God. He has been working with them from the beginning and in these last days He has poured out His grace and love on them like never before. Many are calling on the name of Jesus for the first time and His Kingdom is growing in tangible and intangible ways. On this blog we will relate how God is moving and how you can be a part of what He is doing here among the Central Asian Republics.

A Tajik poet wrote:

O Tajik People, O people of grief
Tears in their eyes like orphans
Anger on their lips like captives
In a Forgotten Land they wept alone

Wont you join us in prayer and labor for the peoples of Central Asia that they may not weep alone anymore, but rather they will:

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 12:6

The feared anti-religion law in Kazakhstan has been dismissed as unconstitutional.  However, many church leaders still fear that the government will try to impose harsh restrictions on religious meetings.

Source:  Forum 18

Pray for Christians in Kazakhstan to be faithful no matter what legal measures be taken against them.

Pray that they will be rooted and established in Christ and in love for each other, the lost around them, and those in power over them.

Living in the Former Soviet Central Asian Republics has never been easy for the poor, but a new report conducted by Freedom House lists two Central Asian countries as some of the worst of the worst. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have long been known for their violation of basic human rights.

Paula Schriefer of Freedom House say “In these countries, regimes control the daily lives of citizens by denying them basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of belief.”

Uzbekistan is home to some of the least-reached people in the world, the Meshketian Turks.

Pray that justice would take place and the corrupt rulers of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan would be removed.

Pray for the governments to govern uprightly and without taking bribes.

Pray for the Christians in these countries to have the boldness to honor and bless their government officials despite the persecution and corruption which makes their lives very difficult.

Hopelessness abounds in the former Soviet Union and grief is evident in the faces of the relatives of those who died in the Itek Air flight.

Given the current rate of evangelization in Kyrgyzstan, the chances are very high that no one on that flight ever heard the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Consider also that many passengers were from Iran and the odds drop even more.

Sixty eight people who had never heard the Gospel died in one plane crash.

Pray that God would speed His work in Central Asia, that hearts would be opened to hear the Gospel and that many would come to faith in Jesus Christ.

The story from BBC is here.

Christians, along with other religious minorities, continue to face restrictions and government persecution in the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan. Forum 18 News reports [here and here] of Christians being arrested and beaten for reading Christian material [to date the exact nature of the material has not been disclosed].  Also, a shipment of Bibles has been barred from entering the country without reason.

Persecution is to be expected for followers of Jesus [John 15:18ff]. However, as members of One Body, we are to remember those in prison as if we were the ones in prison [Hebrews 13:3].

Imagine yourself in a dirty prison cell with bruises covering your body and guards who mock you. The food, if it is given, is worse than disgusting. Your body aches from the beatings and it is very difficult to get any rest. What would you want people to pray for you in that circumstance?

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3 NIV

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the annual locust invasion on wheat crops is worse than usual further compounding the drought crises in these republics.

Please pray that God would have mercy on the peoples of the Central Asian Republics and provide rain and relief for the locust problem.

Pray that this time of crisis would turn many peoples’ hearts to spiritual things and that they would find Life in Christ.

One aspect of Central Asians converting to Christianity that so few of us in the west can understand is the issue of burying the dead.  Muslim burial rights are strictly followed by even the most nominal Muslim families out of tradition and, possibly, a hope to earn merit in the afterlife.  This story from Forum18 explains a recent struggle for a Baptist family in southern Kyrgyzstan to be able to properly bury their son.

Pray for Christians who are seeking to live honorable lives in their villages and communities.  Pray that they would be able to honor Christ and love their neighbors and that through their lives many would come to know God through Christ.

In the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, many think the “progress” hearkens back to Soviet times where the facade of religious freedom thinly veils the reality of strict control. According to this RFE/RL article, state restriction of religious activity is on the rise threatening to further complicate the methods of access into this already tightly-controlled country.

Please pray for those seeking to minister to the people of Uzbekistan to receive favor from government officials.

Also pray for the government leaders of Uzbekistan as they are leading this relatively new country. Pray that they will be honest, upright, and genuinely caring for the peoples under their jurisdiction.

Full article here.

*It is worth noting that this article tends to blur the lines between true, Bible-based Christianity and Christian-appearing cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

update:  Forum18 has posted a similar article here.

In the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan state officials are increasing pressures on minority religious groups. This Forum18 article highlights 2 recent incidents in which the state has brought charges against minority [non-Muslim] religious groups.

Concerns for prayer include:

The leadership of the churches to be honoring to God and the rulers over them, trusting that God is sovereign over these men and women who seek to do them harm.

The members of the churches to not forsake the gathering together of believers because of fear of persecution. Also, that they would be persistent in praying for those who persecute them.

Softened hearts of the government officials and opportunities for them to hear the gospel.

Read the entire story here from Forum18.

The former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is facing an energy crisis this winter that stems from rising fuel costs, diminishing fuel supplies and a brutal winter. Tajikistan is facing the same brutal winter that has killed hundreds in Afghanistan [Afghanistan borders Tajikistan to the south].

Pray for the country of Tajikistan and for the local and national government to handle this crisis well. Pray that corruption would be far from their minds and that they would work solely for the welfare of their people and their country. Pray for the locals as they endure this difficult time. Many are running out of money and cannot afford the rising fuel costs.

More on this story at RFE/RL. [The story about Tajikistan is the last one on the RFE/RL page.]