Faced with a Dim Prognosis, a Humble Servant Helps Change a Country

Wesley was different.

Despite a terminal medical prognosis, Wesley wanted to use his last days to make an eternal impact, so He followed God’s lead and traveled to Kyrgyzstan as a missionary.

When he arrived, he found a desperate situation that ultimately became a unique opportunity. The country was in dire straits economically and government officials were closing schools because they were unable to fund them.

Wesley approached key educational officials with a proposal: “If I can arrange funding for some of these schools and keep them open, would I be allowed to teach from a Christian perspective?” Amazingly, they agreed. Wesley raised money to renovate and reopen some of the schools and he also started a few orphanages. Because of his efforts, he was admired by officials within the Ministry of Education and developed good relationships, particularly with Camilla, the Minister of Education.

Through a series of God-ordained circumstances, Wesley was approached by Glenn, who was working (with a large Christian organization) in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. “You need to talk with these people at the International School Project,” Glenn told Wesley. “God is using them to do amazing things in schools throughout the former Soviet Union and they might be able to help you in Kyrgyzstan.”

Long story short, Wesley contacted Mark Terry, Director of Operations for ISP. Mark went to Kyrgyzstan to meet with Wesley and Camilla, as well as the local believers. “There were green lights all the way,” says Mark. “God really opened the doors.”

A Multinational Endeavor

ISP supplied North Americans to help staff the first conference in Kyrgyzstan. Olena (Helen) and Vasyliv of St. Petersburg had run logistics for ISP conferences throughout Russia, and lended their expertise for Kyrgyzstan. Together – the Russian setup team, the Kyrgyzstan staff team who would do follow-up, and the North American ISP team – they worked to launch the first ISP conference in Kyrgyzstan, and therefore opened the doors of Central Asia – and the Middle Eastern world – to ISP.

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee
C.T. Studd

Come, Help Change another Middle Eastern Culture

Several new Middle Eastern countries continue to open their doors to ISP. We need to send small teams to help train the “on the ground” team in how to follow-up teachers who are being trained at ISP Movement Launch Training conferences, and how to make disciples in these difficult, volatile cultures. Would you consider sponsoring one of these small training teams with a special gift of $100, $500, or $1000?

Next stop: Latin America