Yeah God- June 2006

By: Steve Hill

Little Rukia was one year old but had never rolled over or sat up due to brain damage caused at birth. The doctors said she would never walk! After prayer she crawled! She will walk! Thank you doctor Jesus!

If that was the only reason for going to Central Asia (May 24- June 13) it would have been worth it! But there was much more! The simple vision of releasing a self-sufficient, self-governing and self-multiplying movement of organic churches is getting established! What a joy to be with the guys there and to make them laugh with our attempts to speak Russian. What a joy to know that the team continues to see growth in simple churches in villages where there has never been a christian before!

However, each of those three vision components represents its own unique challenges. Take the first "self" of self-sufficiency as an example. The religious climate of the nation could be characterized by the question, "If I come to you what will you give me?" The Saudi Muslims have built over 3,000 mosques since the fall of the Soviet Union. For a nation of about four million that works out to one mosque for every thirteen hundred people! What would that look like in your nation? They then may give prospective members $100 to join the mosque. For some that is more than a year's wages!

And the evangelicals? They offer computer courses and English classes to all and offer cell phones, cars, salaries and houses to prospective leaders! Some of these dear folk have approached our leaders and told them they were not being "paid enough" for what they were doing and that they should come to them. Another Kyrgyz friend who had walked with us in the past told us that now he was walking with a South Korean group who had promised to buy him a house!

Paul told Timothy that there were people "who suppose that godliness is a means of gain" and instructed him to "withdraw" from them (I Timothy 6:5). If you look at some circles in the West their only message is how to gain through godliness! It looks like we need to withdraw from a lot of people!

We are working towards self-sufficiency. That is breaking the cultural religious strong holds. Self-governing and self-multiplying organic churches seem to go together and are happening! That should tell us all something especially when it seems that the traditional congregational structures there stopped growing 5 or 6 years ago.

If we do what Jesus commanded us to do and make disciples, He will do what He promised to do and build His church!

We were able to pray with four of our friends in Tokmok, who were traumatized by being beaten for their faith in Jesus. One young woman and her sister were slashed by a knife as the one's husband tried to kill them. They were both hospitalized and he was charged with attempted murder. Although he continues to threaten to "finish the job" he received only a year's probation! Jesus lifted the fear and trauma off these two women and their mother as His peace came into the room!

Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Please continue to pray for our friends in Central Asia!

Steve & Marilyn