Day 12
Uzbekistan
Three gatherings were planned this year for young Uzbek and Tajik Christians to meet. Two have taken place with a third planned in a few months’ time. The purpose of the gatherings is to encourage young people to engage in discussions that help them grow in their faith and think about how they play an active role in shaping the future of the Church in these nations where Christians are a minority. Pray that these young people will be encouraged to grow deeper in the Word and in the practice of their faith. May the God of hope fill them with all joy and peace as they trust in Him, so that they may overflow with hope by the great power of the Holy Spirit (The Bible, Romans 15:13).
The gateway from Asia to Europe, Uzbekistan is Central Asia’s most populous country. The lucrative drug trade flows through this gateway, yet the country remains impoverished. Every autumn, the government requires over one million adults and children to pick cotton, ranking Uzbekistan second on the list for global modern-day slavery. Since the new government came to power in 2016, there has been an increasing commitment to reforms and improved relationships with other nations in the region.
