Impacting Uzbekistan for Christ
3.07.2018
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 them. I’ve seen many people change, and three have already accepted Jesus and been baptized as a result of me sharing the Gospel with them!”
Sukhrob (name changed) is a SWW graduate from Uzbekistan who attended the round table and shared how his SWW training prepared him to share his faith through his work, even in difficult circumstances: “SWW helped me see how my faith can impact my community. When I finished my bachelor’s degree in education, I was the only one in my graduating class who decided to go teach in a small remote town. I knew that there was a desperate need for teachers in the region, and children often end up spending all day outside as there is no one to teach them. I decided to go to this poor, rural area to teach those children.
“Everyday life in this region is very difficult, and it isn’t easy to teach children who often work in the fields and aren’t used to learning. However, I see this as my mission, and I take every opportunity to not only pass on knowledge to my students, but to also teach them about the Creator. I also build relationships with the parents. In small towns everyone knows everyone else, and teachers have a position of respect in the community. I don’t think that I would have had such amazing opportunities for sharing the Gospel in any other situation anywhere else in the country! Two of my fellow SWW graduates helped raise money to dig a well, which was a huge need in my town, and together we have been able to earn the people’s trust and tell them about God. Over time a small group of believers has formed, the only such group for hundreds of kilometers! We work together, support each other, and serve Christ together!”
If you would like to support other School Without Walls students and graduates like Sukhrob, who are finding creative and effective ways to share their faith at great personal risk and despite difficult circumstances, you can give to our Next Generation Christian Leaders Initiative here: