August 21st 2018
My friends. The kingdom of heaven is at hand! God has made a way for us to meet Him today! We need to take hold of it and be transformed by the free gift of God.
For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Day 46 on my own. God is good. I lack nothing. The cross of Christ is enough. Now it’s a matter of picking up my own cross and following Him daily. Easier said than done.
I recently made it to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I made the journey with 5 others that were staying at the halfway home in Almaty. They were all making a visa run (a common practice for long-term volunteers in Kazakhstan.
We found a hostel for $9Cdn/night and grabbed some dinner downtown. After dinner we walked towards the central square to see what Jesus had for us there. Along the way we stopped to pray for some people with pain. Jesus healed every one of them, hallelujah!
My friends left the following day after attending a International Church fellowship with me. We got to connect with individuals from all over the world including Tibet, hallelujah! The International Church fellowships are a good representation of what it might look like before the throne in heaven.
I spent the next few days connecting with other travellers in the hostel, sharing of Gods goodness and grace in my life. I also got to connect with a few World Racers that were in the area. It was a blessing to see them and encourage each other.
I made the decision to start heading westward after struggling with the language barrier.
After 5 days I hopped on a bus that would take me to the next city. It was a leap of faith but proved to be fruitful. I ended up sitting beside a Muslim man on the first bus. We exchanged small conversation over the translator but it was not 100% accurate, and some of the words that were being translated started to make me nervous. At one point he said we’ll visit the “black axe warrior” after I told him that I follow Jesus…. I hope it was just the translator!
See the video below but long story short, we ended up going separate ways when we arrived and God set me beside a born again believer on the next bus! I spent two nights with them and got to encourage/be encouraged. They are under heavy persecution at times but thriving under Gods grace and provision.
The coolest part is that in a town of 20000 Muslims and 100 believers, Jesus placed me beside one of them on that particular day and at that particular time. Coincidence? I think not!
The language barrier has been a big restriction on my travels thus far. After spending two nights with the Christian family in Kyrgyzstan, I crossed the border back into Kazakhstan to start heading westward. Thankfully transportation is extremely cheap. You can travel a few hundred kilometres for under $20/cdn whether that is by train, bus, or share taxi.
Since heading westward I visited 5 major cities in southwest Kazakhstan. Upon arrival in those cities I would pray intentionally to meet brothers and sisters that are worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth. I would visit churches and attempt to connect in any means possible. I made a good connection in a city called “Chymkent” with a Pentecostal assembly. I was thankful and encouraged to meet them. But unfortunately the reality is that the church is next to non existent in western Kazakhstan and the country is very much in need of the knowledge of our Saviour.
I am currently on a train heading towards the city of “Aktau” which lies along the Caspian Sea. Upon arrival I will roam the city and seek Gods will for me there. There’s a possibility that I will soon be heading westward to the country of Georgia. Please pray for discernment as I make that decision and that I would continue to be seeking the will of God through the midst of it.
I apologise for the slow update. This blog has been unfinished for quite sometime now. I am truly grateful for your prayers and support. God is highlighting the importance of Christian community (prayer & fellowship) as I venture through this foreign land. I look forward to finding more of Gods church as I venture west.
Thank you for tuning in. I plan to write some testimonies following this update. May the peace of our gracious God be with you all!
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
