First and foremost it is officially SPRING in Central Asia!! I couldn’t be more excited to see the tulips, daffodils, and green grass covering the parks and streets. We truly have experienced every traditional season this year in our travels. So we have again transitioned and are now getting settled teaching English classes in this lovely city surrounded by snow capped mountains.
On our rest day, a couple of my friends and I set off on an adventure to find a local market with our MapsMe in hand. It was going to be a 40 minute walk and we were excited to catch up. Two of us had been staying in Kazakhstan and the other had been in Uzbekistan and there was much life we were wanting to catch up on. As we walked, I saw the most beautiful picture of the body of Christ sharing in mutual edification and encouragement.
My friend Landry started sharing about what Christ had done in Uzbekistan. She shared about having housing fall through, about praying, about crazy hospitality and help from locals, about getting connected with one woman who the Lord had seriously been pursuing, about praying in authority over some narly stuff, about a family coming to Christ, about her own faith and trust in the Lord growing, about this one very strange traditional food, and on and on. It was like words weren’t even enough to convey all the ways she had seen Jesus work in the last two weeks, but this hunger and joy in her presence communicated it all the more clearly.
Then my friend Hannah and I shared about our time in Kazakhstan. We went on and on about the people we met, about this one woman and local believer who had just so humbly exemplified the love of Christ and so greatly encouraged us to walk in our spiritual giftings, we talked about how the Lord was moving in prayer, about some of the most precious friendships and testimonies that we had heard, about the local church, and about what the Lord was showing us and how good He is. Like her, we rattled on in such excitement explaining how timing, connections, and prayers were just so divinely inspired and answered.
Then we chatted about God’s move in Central Asia as a whole right now. We compared Islam and the relationships we had seen with it in the Middle East to those in Asia. We talked about Christianity in the states and over the world. We shared the perspective and testimonies of local believers and finished simply in awe of our Lord and Savior. Next thing we knew it was time to find a toilet and check the map, but I was just so simply reminded how grateful I am for the body of Christ, for His bride—the church.
As believers we need to be sharing about the little moves of God in our daily lives and weeks. It is so edifying and encouraging to the body as a whole. In our Lord, there is utter abundance and so much provision. Sharing about the ways He loves and the ways He moves in our hearts and in the hearts of those around us is simply rocketfuel to the soul.
I am incredibly thankful to have these precious relationships in my life right now and can completely attest that living and doing life with my squad (His church) has challenged, encouraged, and broken down so many walls that I had built between myself and the Lord.
He is alive, He is active, He is good, and He loves so well! It is His purposes that prevail and no matter where you are at He is moving, because His Kingdom is everywhere and it is eternal. My God is so good. <3
Thanks so much for joining me in this journey! My heart is brimming with so much more that I want to share. I want to share those little details of how He moved and how I am continuously seeing Him alive and active around us. Please ask me!! I would love to share. If you could join me in praying over what is next after the Race, I would so appreciate it. Less than 3 months left of this year! I would also love to ask you to speak bold prayers over my fundraising. God is moving and providing and calling me into greater trust. Only $1,800 left to go!
Blessings,
Bre
