People profile

Central Asia is a vast region that includes the countries of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and much of Xinjiang province in western China. Most of the region was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991

The Turkic peoples of Central Asia are overwhelmingly Muslim, and they are ethnically distinct from the Western peoples of Turkey. They are defined as anyone who speaks a Turkic language. There are six major ethnicities, most of whom have their own nation, namely, the Uzbek, Uyghur, Turkmen, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Karakalpak. The total population of Turkic peoples in Central Asia is about 60 million.

The primary struggles of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia as a lack of political freedom and very limited opportunity for economic development.

Strategic prayer

  • Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was no known ministry to the Muslims of Central Asia. Since 1991, development and education organizations have entered the region and sought to bless the people. Thank the Lord for this start.
  • In some countries, the newly-birthed house church movements are healthy and growing stronger. In others, they are still very much in their early stages and are vulnerable. Pray for momentum and solid direction in all cases.