Mission Impossible. Is this how you see cross-cultural missions? At times we might be tempted to think: “Why bother? They aren't going to change their minds.” “It's too hard...” “Someone else is more equipped than I am.” “I have goals and plans I want to do first.” “It's too expensive and I could never ask …
Two Women, Two Baptisms, and Two Lies that Blind
Baptisms are always a time of great celebration in the Turkish church. They are also a huge step for the believer being baptised. For believers who were born and raised as Muslims, baptism is like a point of no return or a final once-and-for-all crossing of the line. Turks are expressive and emotional. Those giving …
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Never underestimate the power of a seed.
The apostle Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow”. (1 Corinthians 3:6,7) Life is full of surprises. Recently, I have been gardening and I was surprised …
Communion Confessions
We first met Abdul when he was a new believer, stuck in an Islamic school in a very conservative village. He was all alone and he fell away from his faith. He left home to complete a year of mandatory military service. His phone didn't have internet the entire time, but the Bible app was …
God gives us opportunities.
Sometimes we don't always connect the dots as to what God is doing in our lives with the opportunities He is presenting to us. Many years ago, as I was about to embark on an internship with my bible college a mentor said to me, “Take every opportunity that is offered to you even if …
Advent Reflections from the Field
Somehow, in reading the Christmas story of a poor family traveling around on a donkey, looking for a place to stay at night, collides in my mind with rather ratty looking folks in front of the bazaar asking for anything we would give them. Winter is not an especially nice time to be poor. Being …
Bishkek International Church
The International Church of Bishkek was established and registered in 2001. Their purpose is to ‘seek together to learn what it means to be wholehearted followers of Jesus’. They are an English-speaking International Church in the Protestant, evangelical stream of churches. They are a community of approximately 250 to 300 people who come from 15 …
Simply the Story
Central Asia is a story telling culture. In recent years many of our staff have begun to use “storying” as a method of sharing the good news of Jesus. The format we have adopted is taught through the organization called Simply the Story (STS). Built on the foundation of “storying,” STS added the dynamic of …
Electronic Bible Work
If you use a smart phone or tablet you likely have downloaded a Bible app at some point. Have you ever wondered how these apps are created? Currently there are numerous translations of the Bible in Central Asian languages. However the challenge is that many of these bibles are either prohibited from being distributed as …
Museums!
The ministry of People International focuses on the region of greater Central Asia. Our staff focus on a variety of ministries and work depending on the visa platform. One of our staff recently began to help the local people of a remote region of southern Russia establish and maintain local museums. Here is a highlight …