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CENTRAL ASIA Summer 2008
Finding fertile soil among the Uighur
The work is slow among the Uighur people. It typically takes years of gospel exposure before a person becomes a genuine follower of Christ. This fact is a major source of discouragement for those who labor day in and day out in this resistant field. God, however, seems to delight in doing the unexpected. The story of *Bruce's journey to faith is one example of God's creativity as he prepares the ground for the gospel to bear a harvest among the Uighur.
I was looking for a Uighur man to hire to do some work when a mutual friend introduced Bruce to me. At the end of the first day of work I had doubts about Bruce’s suitability for the job, and I seriously considered finding someone else. But as time went on, the work situation improved, and we became friends.
Bruce’s life was in turmoil, and he was searching for answers. He had recently lost his father, his marriage was in poor shape, and he drank excessively. In a word, Bruce’s life was consumed by sin. I honestly did not think that the gospel would take root in his life. He did not appear to be “good soil.”
One day, however, Bruce said something that shocked me. He told me that his father had always wanted a copy of the New Testament. When I told Bruce that I had a copy in his language, his eyes lit up! As he held the New Testament in his hands for the first time, he eagerly turned its pages, stopping periodically to read passages aloud. He was particularly drawn to passages about Jesus. I began to realize that God was at work in Bruce’s life, and many more conversations about Jesus followed.
Often after we finished our work, Bruce would ask to look at the Bible or to listen to an audio recording that explained the gospel. His heart was dealing with many issues. On one occasion Bruce was helping me speak Uighur. I had given him a set of questions to ask so that I could practice answering them, but he looked at me and said, “I don't think I can ask any Uighur questions today. I'm too busy asking myself questions.”
When I asked him what questions he was talking about, Bruce replied, “How can I make my marriage work? How can I be a good father? How can my job be meaningful? How can I stop drinking so much?” Bruce’s questions were leading him to Jesus.
Sometime later Bruce told me that for three days he had not been able to get Jesus off of his mind. Every time he tried to think about something else, Jesus would reenter his thoughts. The Lord was clearly pursuing Bruce’s heart.
Not long afterwards God shocked me again. Bruce and I were spending some time together when suddenly he told me that he wanted to believe in Jesus. Though it had been evident for some time that God was at work in his life, I was caught off guard. God does delight in doing the unexpected. Bruce sincerely trusted Christ at that time and patterns in his life began to change. The seed planted was beginning to bear a harvest of righteousness.
*Names changed to protect believers. Photos do not represent the people in the story.
Pray for the Uighur
- that God will raise up spiritual leaders who will shepherd believers.
- that Uighur believers will seek God daily through the Word and prayer.
- that singles will resist the community and family pressures to marry unbelievers.
- that believers will honor and respect the government.
- that they can live quiet and peaceful lives.
- that Christians serving among them will have a fresh vision of the power of the gospel.
- that Christians serving among them will be spiritually protected from the evil one.
- that the gospel will travel to areas that have no witness.
Related stories
Nurnisa's story: Blessed to be a blessing
A conversation with a Uighur woman about her spiritual journey
Praying for Pure Growth
A story about the birth of the church among the Uighur
Learn more about the peoples of the former Soviet Union
Kazakhs :: Kyrgyz :: Muslims of Moscow :: Tatar :: Turkmen :: Uzbek