Hey guys, first of all I apologize. Looks like somehow I got confused with the dates. Today is actually the 20th day of Ramadan.

Muslims in Kazakhstan

Today we turn our attention to what I would call my home. Having grown up in Kazakhstan there is a lot I could tell you, but I will do my best today to stay focused. (Those of you who know my know this can be difficult, smile).

Kazakhstan has an ever growing Muslim population. Although it is a very open country, you won’t see very many women with their heads covered, you will see a lot more mosques around town than there were five years ago. Over the past ten years there has been a lot of back and forth when it comes to religious freedom. There were times when we thought that the government would for sure pass a law stating that Kazakhstan would be an official Islamic country. However, by God’s grace the law was not passed. There have been a few other laws that have been passed that do make it more difficult to spread the gospel than in previous years, however they are not as negative as one might think. You see there has been such a religious freedom in Kazakhstan over the years that a lot of different religions were introduced, and not all were very positive. So it’s not so much that the government is trying to make the country Islamic, but more so trying to make it more safe for the people of Kazakhstan.

Today as we pray for Kazakhstan you can use the following prayer points:

• Pray for wisdom for the government as they work to make Kazakhstan as safe but free country
• Pray for the believers that they would continue to grow the church
• Pray for the truth of their history to be know, there are a lot of historical facts showing that Kazakhs were Christians before they became Muslims
• Please also pray for Bekah & I as we raise our support to go to Kazakhstan

Below is a short clip just giving you a small look into what Kazakhstan looks like:

www.Newsy.com

I received an email today from someone who had visited the site recently, his name is Daniel and he works with Newsy.com. I was very excited to receive his email because he had a resource for me to use. There was a video done on Ramadan around the world on Newsy.com and I found it very interesting. Take a look below, also if you have time Newsy.com seems to be a great resource for some alternative perspectives on news around the world.

Muslims – The Pamir people

Hey guys, I am so sorry that I missed our update yesterday. I know there are a lot of people following the 30 day prayer challenge, but none the less I want to show that I am doing my best to stay updated and pray each day. Today we are praying for a people group that has a special place in my heart as well. Can you tell that a lot of the places and people I love have a lot of Muslims? Not by chance that God is sending us to Kazakhstan.

Anyways, today we are praying for the Pamir people. We have some friends serving in Tajikistan (Can’t talk about them much since it is a closed country) but there are a lot of Pamir people there. So as you read this excerpt from 30-days.net remember the missionaries you know through me, in Tajikistan.

The soaring Pamir mountains dominate the landscape of greater Badashan / Badakshan, which spills over North Eastern Afghanistan, Eastern Tajikistan and Northern Pakistan. The peoples who live in these isolated mountain communities generally feel distinct from the majority of the populations in their nations. Badakshanis speak Eastern Persian mountain languages. They are often fairer skinned than others in their countries, with Caucasian features. However, the most distinctive aspect of Badakshani identity is their religion.

Badakshan is the one part of the world where the Muslim Ismaili sect makes up the majority of the population. The Agha Khan, their spiritual leader, has become like a god to them. To quote a Badakshani: “The Agha Khan is like a living Koran for us. He shows us the way and how to live. Our religion is not stuck in history. We have a modern Imam to show us how to live in the 21st Century. We see the light of Mohammed on him.” Most other Muslims consider the Ismailis to be heretics.

There are few believers in Badakshan and no known believing communities. However, many Badakshanis are coming to faith elsewhere. There are believers in Dushanbe – the capital of Tajikistan – and in Moscow, where many Tajik Badakshanis become migrant labourers. Pray for believers living in other places, that they might wisely proclaim Jesus in their communities.

So join me as we pray:

“Lord please protect the missionaries that I know in Tajikistan. Lord give them safety and also freedom to share with those they have built relationships with. Lord open the eyes of the Muslims, help them to see that there is a God who loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. Amen.”