Alexa's Trip to Kyrgyzstan
Donation protected
Саламатсызбы! Hello and greetings – I thoroughly hope that you are doing well and that this past year has been one of joy and excitement. My fourth year as a high school teacher in the Bronx is coming to a close, and I am so proud to have made it this far. Furthermore, I was also attending graduate school as a part-time student for a Masters degree, which has been overwhelming and stressful at times, but has also challenged me as a teacher and individual. Through the hectic-ness of the year, I know that God is continually challenging me to live a life that requires faith, and not a faith out of convenience.
Those of you who have heard/read my story before already know that since middle school, I have had the opportunity to serve many different communities, locally and abroad, through many short-term mission trips with the church. Over those years, I’ve developed a strong desire to remain committed to serving on such trips as long as I am able and consider it a huge blessing to have a job that allows me to do so without conflict. This summer I will be going on my fourth trip with Morningside UMC to Kyrgyzstan where we will be partnering with Pastor E. Kim, our mission partner in Kazakhstan, as well as Pastor Yulia of the UMC in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked nation that borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. The nation has nomadic roots, with early influences of Islam via Turkish expansion and trade, and was acquisitioned under the Soviet Union for most of the 1900s. In 1991, Kyrgyzstan became an independent republic, but fell back into civil conflict in 2005 (Tulip Revolution) and 2010. Evidence of the countries history are inherent in its modern demographic breakdown, as the country has over 80 ethnic groups, the three largest being Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Russian. In Kyrgyzstan, we will be joining and facilitating an evangelism camp outside of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishtek. Our involvement includes sharing testimonies/messages, small group leadership as well as the organization and implementation of individual workshops.
In contrast to prior mission trips, my prior knowledge about Kyrgyzstan is extremely limited and has already challenged me to relinquish whatever control I think I had over this trip and the “success” of our time there. Islam is the predominant religion in Kyrgyzstan with 80% of the population as Muslim, 17% Russian Orthodox, and 3% other. Although the Kyrgyz constitution provides religious freedom, the government has increased restrictions on the regulations recognizing religious institutions and religious activity. It is our hope that this evangelism camp will provide a safe and open means to share the Gospel, and give the Kyrgyz people an opportunity to hear a truth that has become more and more difficult to access.
It is my hope that you will be able to partner with me through prayer/finance as my team of 3 (Pastor Mark Kim, Andy Chang and I) prepares for this trip. We will be in Kyrgyzstan from July 3-12 and each team member must raise approximately $2000 to cover travel, lodging and ministry costs by July 1, 2014.
Those of you who have heard/read my story before already know that since middle school, I have had the opportunity to serve many different communities, locally and abroad, through many short-term mission trips with the church. Over those years, I’ve developed a strong desire to remain committed to serving on such trips as long as I am able and consider it a huge blessing to have a job that allows me to do so without conflict. This summer I will be going on my fourth trip with Morningside UMC to Kyrgyzstan where we will be partnering with Pastor E. Kim, our mission partner in Kazakhstan, as well as Pastor Yulia of the UMC in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked nation that borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. The nation has nomadic roots, with early influences of Islam via Turkish expansion and trade, and was acquisitioned under the Soviet Union for most of the 1900s. In 1991, Kyrgyzstan became an independent republic, but fell back into civil conflict in 2005 (Tulip Revolution) and 2010. Evidence of the countries history are inherent in its modern demographic breakdown, as the country has over 80 ethnic groups, the three largest being Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Russian. In Kyrgyzstan, we will be joining and facilitating an evangelism camp outside of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishtek. Our involvement includes sharing testimonies/messages, small group leadership as well as the organization and implementation of individual workshops.
In contrast to prior mission trips, my prior knowledge about Kyrgyzstan is extremely limited and has already challenged me to relinquish whatever control I think I had over this trip and the “success” of our time there. Islam is the predominant religion in Kyrgyzstan with 80% of the population as Muslim, 17% Russian Orthodox, and 3% other. Although the Kyrgyz constitution provides religious freedom, the government has increased restrictions on the regulations recognizing religious institutions and religious activity. It is our hope that this evangelism camp will provide a safe and open means to share the Gospel, and give the Kyrgyz people an opportunity to hear a truth that has become more and more difficult to access.
It is my hope that you will be able to partner with me through prayer/finance as my team of 3 (Pastor Mark Kim, Andy Chang and I) prepares for this trip. We will be in Kyrgyzstan from July 3-12 and each team member must raise approximately $2000 to cover travel, lodging and ministry costs by July 1, 2014.
Organizer
Alexandria Lee
Organizer
New York, NY
