UNITED TRIBES

In this part of the world there is a nose-to-tail culinary approach. Nearly everything is consumed or used in some fashion. Organ meats, including the stomach, often find themselves in traditional dishes like kazy-karta – stuffed sheep stomach. Once filled with meat and rice or organ mixtures it’s boiled for longer than you can imagine. Having witnessed this particular sheep being slaughtered for my meal I was on the fence regarding local cuisine. However, my post-dinner-glow confirms that the food here is remarkable.

Though my ancestry is from the other side of the globe, this gentleman reminded me of my grandfather. The layered sweaters, weathered face, grey stubble – even the cap! Though a world away from ‘home’ for me he reminded me that people are people everywhere – working hard, worrying about their loved ones and desperately in need of Good News.

Across a short stretch of freshly tilled field was a piece of machinery I struggled to make sense of. It seemed to have the cab of a pickup truck, tracks of bulldozer and an old-school engine compartment that opened from the sides. Behold the DT-75. Turns out I’d spotted a Soviet-era tracked agricultural tractor, one of several variants that have reached near iconic status for their durability and versatility. With that mystery behind me, now I’m wondering about farming as a legitimate platform for holistic ministry in this part of the world. How about you?

There is something rich and wonderful about meeting local people in their context. I was welcomed outside a yurt with something unexpected – mares milk in a bowl. Known locally as Kymyz, this fermented dairy drink is made from the milk of a female horse. It has a unique flavor that has been described as a cross between yogurt and beer. Worth every drop to see the smile from my host.

There is a cultural belief here that rosy cheeks signal vitality and good health. If true, this little fellow may very well be as long-lived as his grandmother who is walking him! Close-knit families and extended family support is common and important – particularly in those families where members migrate to surrounding nations for work.

On the road toward the city we encountered all manner of creatures –  horses, goats, wooly cows, at least two yaks, and sheep. Lots of sheep. Local highways are thoroughfares for local livestock. In the spring, herds get moved between lowland winter pastures and highland summer pastures. I’m no sheep expert but I think these may be Hisar Sheep, a hardy breed of fat-tailed sheep raised primarily for meat rather than wool.

Though not entirely accurate, you could say that the traditional kalpak hat is shaped like a bus-stop. Truthfully, in this case, it’s the other way around 😀  Iconic kalpak-shaped shelters are scattered across the country. They were built during the Soviet era and were celebrated for merging practical shelter with a national cultural symbol. Cultural sensitivity and even incarnation are important facets of seeing hearts and minds open to new ideas.

Approaching the city, smoke stacks from a regional power station stretch toward the sky. What came as a surprise to me is that along with supplying electricity, this plant also pumps hot water to most all of the homes and businesses in the region to use as a radiant heat source. As I understand it, this strategy reduces the need for individual boilers and is more energy-efficient at scale. Evidently, it also suits the legacy infrastructure from the soviet era where standard soviet apartment blocks make up much of the housing stock here.

I’ve learned that consecutive waves of Islamization have taken place in this nation since 751. The present wave is one of the most intense. Since this country gained independence from the USSR in 1990, they have built over 3000 new mosques. Along side this islamization are spiritual strongholds of shamanism, animism and ancestor worship. Less than .09% of the population follow Jesus. Statistically this little girl will live and die having never met a believer. 

I’ve seen electric light rail and street cars but this was my first encounter with an electric bus. With air pollution a growing concern this is one way the region is lowering emissions from public transit. There is growing environmental sensitivity here, particularly around air pollution, waste management and deforestation. Could there be a ministry opportunity in one of these areas.

Like most places around the world, youth here are active, frequent consumers of social media, and they significantly outpace older generations. Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp top the charts in most every usage category. Do you think this has any bearing on how this boy is reached with the Gospel?

Though supermarkets are becoming more common in urban areas, traditional bazaars and farmers markets remain the dominant shopping venues, especially for fresh produce and local goods. It seems to me that this kind of shopping greatly benefits language learning and even relationship making. I’d be inclined to keep going back to the same shop or stall and Lord willing shine a little light in the life of the shopkeeper.

Originating in a country next door, raisins are a huge seller at fruit stalls and bazaars across the country. You’ll find them in both sweet and savory dishes from pilaf to muesli, yogurt to confectionery. I’m told that the blue ones are sun dried and the gold ones are soaked in lye, treated with sulfur dioxide and flame dried to preserve their bright color. I bought the blue ones.

Bread holds deep cultural, spiritual and everyday significance here. It’s not just food – it’s a sacred part of the hospitality, tradition and identity of the region. If you look at the bakers’ hands, she is holding a tool called a “checkich”. They have handle of wood, often walnut, which is embedded with small metal pins or nails arranged in geometric, floral or sunburst patterns. Bakers press it into the center of flatbread—like naan—before baking. This prevents the dough from puffing up in the middle and gives the bread its signature ornamental design. Pray with me that the Bread of Life would be known among these people.

What’s on the horizon for this remarkable country and its people? Pray that local believers would be deeply discipled and mobilized to disciple others. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers here. Pray for effectiveness of gospel recordings and online evangelism. May the Lord give dreams of the victorious savior to family leaders in this place.