Tajikistan

In this needy country our non-resident missionaries are working with a nationally led network of church planters. We facilitate and resource the national believers through frequent visits, distributing practical resources, training and mentoring. In the future we would like to field a team there that could work even more closely with national believers, and who could build bridges amongst the various groups working there.

Family 12

I am a physician assistant in a small community hospital in rural upstate NY.  I grew up in a Christian home and put my faith in Christ at age four.  While growing up, I had the privilege of participating in short-term medical mission trips with my surgeon father.  I felt God’s calling toward career mission work starting in my teen years.  I went into the field of medicine in order to have a tangible way to express God’s love to others.

As God was guiding me in deciding on a sending agency and a field of ministry, I felt very strongly that evangelism and formation of new churches were to be my focus.   As a health care professional, I did not want the physical needs of the people to take priority over the spiritual impact of the ministry. United World Mission stood out to me as a mission of integrity whose focus was church planting with a facilitative model.  In talking with UWM, I was also introduced to the vision of church planting movements.  This strategy excites me as to the possibilities of what God has done elsewhere and can do in Tajikistan!

Family 13

We were both blessed with Christ loving parents, and trusted Jesus at an early age.  I am an ophthalmologist and my wife is trained as a nurse, but is now busy as a homeschooling mom to our three children.

Five years ago we were searching for a creative access country where medical work might allow us to minister.  We were directed toward Central Asia through a friend whose church had adopted the Kyrgy people.  As we looked more into serving with United World Mission we went on a Vision Trip and spent some time with the UWM team in Central Asia.  On that trip we visited the country where we currently serve.  After a day of prayer, discussion, and consideration, we thought God was indeed leading toward the country where we are currently serving.  We are excited to be able to use medical care to facilitate saturation church planting there.