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“Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). With this sentiment, our 10-day mission trip to Kyrgyzstan began on January 22nd. Accompanied by blessings and greetings, and equipped with donated funds, we, a group of travelers from Speyer, landed in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, early the next morning.
As a base for our travels within the country, the congregation in Karabalta had already provided us with an apartment. After a few hours of sleep, we met with the pastors and the bishop in charge at the church building to get to know each other and coordinate the distribution of the aid supplies we had brought. We were immediately impressed by the great hospitality and, through our conversations and prayers, felt united in Jesus Christ. Since the winter this year was particularly cold and expected to last a long time, we decided to help the congregations and fellow believers by purchasing heating coal and food. After a hearty, traditional lunch, we participated in a youth service where we shared the Word of God and sang many hymns to the Lord's glory. On Sunday, we witnessed the hardship faced by some families, where, despite their difficult financial situation, the parents placed their hope in the Lord and viewed their children as a gift from Him. We first attended two church services in Belovodsk and Sokuluk, and then visited the rehabilitation center and several families in Belovodsk to see for ourselves the conditions in their homes.
The next day promised to be very special. We set off early to visit several congregations in the southwest of the country. This required crossing the imposing Tian Shan Mountains, where temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius are not uncommon. The beauty of nature unfolded in all its glory here. The greatness and power of God became vividly apparent to us in His wondrous creation. After several hours of driving on highways, narrow mountain roads, and gravel tracks, we arrived in Toktogul. In the newly built church building, we participated in the dedication ceremony and a children's blessing, once again enjoying Kyrgyz hospitality. It was a completely new experience for us that both the sermons and the communal meal were conducted while seated, kneeling. We gladly adapted to the local customs. The love and hospitality of the Kyrgyz congregation in Toktogul will surely remain in our memories for a long time.
Our journey continued inland, always following the Naryn River. After about 550 km, and following an overnight stop, we reached the church in Kisyl-Kiya. There, Artyom and Luda warmly welcomed us into their home. We visited the local weekly market, the bazaar, and in the evening attended the church service, where we were able to serve the congregation with words, testimonies, and song. The fellowship with Artyom and Luda that evening was exceptionally warm. This may be because they had been sent by their church in Karabalta to serve in Kisyl-Kiya and therefore otherwise have little contact with family and friends. The following morning, we drove the entire distance back through the Tian Shan Mountains and arrived back at our apartment in Karabalta after a good 13 hours of driving.
On Thursday, after five full days in Kyrgyzstan, we set off for Tokmak. Many of our parishioners from Speyer and Schwegenheim once lived here. We toured the town center and then visited several families. Here, too, we were able to help people in need through individual donations. Our journey continued towards Grigorievka along Lake Issyk-Kul. Lake Issyk-Kul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest mountain lake in the world, reaching depths of up to 668 meters. In this region, we visited the parishes in Ananiwa and Grigorievka. In Ananiwa, the parishioners had experienced strong hostility from the predominantly Muslim population when they attempted to build a community center. Only by God's grace was a major riot and bloodshed at the construction site prevented. As a consequence, the windows of all the parishioners' houses were subsequently smashed. Currently, the community gathers only in small groups, as discreetly as possible, in the newly built community center.
On Friday, we attended the church service in the Grigorievka congregation. The members there had also recently suffered a devastating blow. Their church building, painstakingly rebuilt, had burned to the ground. The cause of the fire remains unknown. After the service, we were invited to lunch at the home of a member of the congregation. This pleasant fellowship passed quickly, and before we knew it, we were already on our way back to Karabalta. A quick, refreshing dip in the icy waters of Lake Issyk-Kul was a must for some members of our group.
How great was our joy and relief when, the next day, shortly before our departure for home, we all passed the necessary health test in Bishkek, receiving negative results for the coronavirus. We spent Saturday at the bazaar in Bishkek and visited Brother Waldemar Matvejev, the bishop in charge, who had accompanied us on all our trips, at his home. He had always been at the helm, providing us with invaluable advice and support, and serving as an excellent local guide, offering us a wealth of important information.
We spent our last day in Kyrgyzstan in the congregations of Tokmak and Bishkek. After the services, several members of the congregations approached us and thanked all the donors for their generosity. We had always felt very welcome at the services, not only because the structure of the services closely resembled our own, but above all because of the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit during the gatherings. Finally, we met again with the responsible brothers from all over Kyrgyzstan to discuss the trip in detail – and one last time we were able to enjoy their warm hospitality. Richly rewarded with blessings, expressions of gratitude, and local specialties, we began our journey home to Frankfurt on February 1st.
We thank God and all those who supported us on our journey to Kyrgyzstan through prayer and material contributions. We were privileged to experience the Lord's blessing and protection throughout our mission trip.
Alexej Schneider, Nikolaus Wall, Matthias Krüger and Michael Akulenko,
CDH-Stephanus
More information about the project and the opportunity to donate:
https://cdh-stephanus.org/kirgisistan/
