Central Asia | A Traumatic Past and Powerful Future
Ashira*, a courageous woman in her forties, has faced unspeakable tragedy most of her life. She was not given the opportunity to attend school and as a young girl was married against her will to an abusive husband. Ashira had four children with him before he died of cancer.
She made it to a safehouse led by local believers and supported by Novo staff.
Ashira persevered, managing to find work cleaning a medical clinic to ensure her family’s survival. Being associated with a Western organization earned her the wrath of her husband’s ultraconservative Muslim family. They called her an infidel, threatened to kill her, and took her children away. Years went by. Her only son was shot, and her three teenaged daughters were married off to Muslim militants.
Ashira lost all hope and became suicidal. When political changes in the country made it dangerous for her to stay, an American co-worker helped her obtain a visa to a nearby country. She made it to a safehouse led by local believers and supported by Novo staff. A Muslim family in the house welcomed Ashira immediately, which was remarkable since they were from people groups who were long-time enemies.
A local Christian couple came by the house regularly, caring for everyone and sharing Bible studies with them. The message they shared began to work on Ashira’s pain, fears, and sorrow. In September 2022, after watching The Jesus Film, Ashira accepted Christ and was baptized.
Over the next year, through Ashira’s influence, the family who’d befriended her also became followers of Jesus—first the wife and then the husband. The husband went on to share the gospel with his sister in another region, and she was baptized this year!
Ashira recently asked the Christian couple serving in the safehouse to visit a family she’d been communicating with two hours from the city. She thought they were ready to receive the gospel.
Ashira has become a courageous disciple-maker. While still at the safehouse she started a house church, facilitating Discovery Bible Studies and leading many people to Jesus. This year she was able to move to a more permanent location in South America, but she continues to influence her own people back in Central Asia toward Jesus.
Ashira recently asked the Christian couple serving in the safehouse to visit a family she’d been communicating with two hours from the city. She thought they were ready to receive the gospel. The Christian couple went, spent time with the family, discovered they had a lot of fear, and gently led them to faith in Jesus. It was a modern-day “Cornelius story” (Acts 10). Despite the trauma in her background, the ongoing grief of losing touch with her daughters, and the challenge of being on the opposite side of the planet, Ashira is letting God use her to bring hope in Jesus to many.
*name changed
