The region, rife with ongoing conflicts, ancient grudges and countless cultures and languages, is a challenging place to serve. Some churches exist in larger cities, but many towns and villages have no known evangelical believers and lack any gospel influence. Kevin, serving with OM for over 25 years, has spent the last decade in his current village. Five years ago, he and Marie purchased a house, which they operate as a guest accommodation and use to host summer camps. They also teach English, translate Christian materials into a local language and raise a handful of farm animals.

Workers with pioneering, entrepreneurial mind-sets are needed to support the small OM teams—a handful of people spread across two countries, with a third still waiting for a team—in discipling local believers and reaching the unreached. “We feel that it’s time to be putting the Caucasus on the map,” Kevin announced at a recent OM conference.

The couple’s consistent involvement in the community has opened doors for people to hear about Christ. In a nearby village, they have already seen one grandmother, sole caretaker for several of her orphaned grandchildren, follow Jesus. During a short-term team’s visit to the area, the workers cut and supplied firewood for the woman’s entire winter supply. While the team was stacking wood, Kevin noticed an ‘evil eye’ pendant, ubiquitous in Turkey as a superstitious method of ensuring protection, in her house.

“Where is this from?” Kevin asked.

“My grandson brought it to me,” she said.

Kevin opened his Bible and showed the grandmother Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me” (NIV).

“This stone is not your shield. God is your shield. You need to pray to Him to protect you, and He will,” Kevin told her.

He took the pendant with him and smashed it on a rock near his house. “I felt like it was showing her the difference between a thing, that is just a superstition, and God, who is our shield,” he explained.

In subsequent conversations with her, Kevin and Marie noticed a difference. “When you pray, I feel the change,” the grandmother told Marie. “The hope and the [Holy] Spirit comes in me. I am not afraid anymore.”

“We have a few stories like this,” Kevin said. “When we visit people, we read the Bible and pray with them. ...They regularly say, ‘I believe in God and in the Bible.’” The answers found in Scripture are “hope for them,” he added.

The area wasn’t always open to evangelism. When Kevin and Marie first started talking about their faith, one man came to their house, armed with a knife. “You are a traitor. You believe in foreign gods,” he accused. He claimed that their neighbours had listened to him and agreed: “We will burn down their house and kick them out if they do this.”

Marie called the man’s wife and was able to calm the situation before anything happened, but the couple continued their efforts more carefully. Now, however, Kevin said, “I am seeing more openness and more opportunity and more partnering.”

Last summer, they hosted a Christian camp in the village, with 30 outsiders running the camp and as many local children participating. “Young people came and watched the mimes and [listened to] the testimonies here,” Kevin described.

The progress is encouraging, but pioneering alone takes a toll. “Sometimes I think what I am doing here is very difficult,” Marie admitted. “And then as soon as I think like this, somebody out of the blue calls me and says how they appreciate what I’m doing for the village or what my husband does. I am so surprised. This is the Spirit of God who speaks through people for me not to give up or be discouraged.”

Recently, another couple, also workers, moved closer to the province, to begin ministering in the next village. “Now we often meet together, pray and read [the Bible] and have communion,” Marie shared. “For the first time in five years, it was like I belonged to a church. ...It was a big thing for me not to only read the Bible with people who don’t know Him, but they believe in God and we can share with each other.”

The fellowship is also an example for others in the community, some of whom they have already invited to join. “We’d really like to see the local believers mobilised to reach out,” Kevin stressed. “They can do that cross-culturally in their own country and beyond.”

Please pray for more long-term workers to join the work in the Caucasus, engaging unreached people groups and discipling new believers to reach out to those around them. Pray for the peace of Christ to cover the region, which has suffered from ongoing conflict.

*Name changed for security

Nicole James is a world traveller and writer for OM International. She’s passionate about partnering with believers to communicate the ways God is working across the globe.

New Life for Peter

Peter* is in his mid-20s and has already been through a lot in life. His mom abandoned the family when he was born and his dad left shortly after that, so he was left to be raised by his grandparents, both of whom have passed away in recent years. While he has a lot of acquaintances, he doesn't have many close friends. He has had some serious bouts of depression in the past, and a few years ago nearly died in a car accident.

Yet, despite these difficulties there are good things in his life too. Last year he got married, and a couple months ago he became a father. Just about that same time, he came to faith in Jesus Christ after having an impactful dream!

A couple foreign friends working in Peter’s city have been regularly meeting with Peter to read the Scriptures. As we desire to see lives changed by the truth of God’s word, the question is asked at the end of their discussions: "How can we apply this to our lives?"

When Peter read the story of Cain and Abel, his takeaway was surprising: “We should not lie.” A few days later at work, when Peter made a significant mistake, instead of shifting the blame as usual, he owned up to his wrong. And he almost got fired because of it.

Pray that this "new Peter" would intrigue his co-workers, neighbours and acquaintances and draw them to seek that which is making him different. Pray Peter would continue to be an upright and honest man at work, in contrast to his past and so many influences that surround him.

If you desire to be part of impacting communities and individuals like Peter with the gospel and have experience in leading others in this vision, the Caucasus field would love to have you. It offers diverse opportunities to serve, disciple and shepherd, whether you’re a couple or an individual. Come alongside what Jesus is already doing among the unreached!

*Name changed

A local legend known as “Mountain of Tongues” recounts the world-spanning Language Angel tripping on the high Caucasus, spilling some 50 languages onto it from a sack. Located between the Black and Caspian Seas and once part of the Silk Road, the Caucasus is home to over 50 diverse ethnic groups. Local languages and customs may be diverse and challenging but hospitality is one of the friendliest on earth. While the region is rapidly modernising, it also boasts many magnificent cuisines, unique artisan products, a rich source of oil, and distinct music and dance traditions.

OM has had presence in the Caucasus for over 20 years, initially with teams in Azerbaijan, then later in Georgia and occasionally in the Russian North Caucasus republics. The teams focus on humanitarian work, various evangelism efforts, business development, literature translation and production, and promoting missions in local churches for both local and world-crossing ministry. They long to see local believers awakened to the possibilities that God has for them here and anywhere, to see them worshipping with their former ethnic enemies “on earth as it is in heaven.”

OM worker Greg* shares a memory from his time in the Caucasus:

“Certain memories are made to linger in our minds longer than others as we walk life with people. One such one was with my language professor, Meb.

Coincidently the day before the 10th anniversary of the murder of Meb’s oldest daughter, son-in-law, and oldest granddaughter during an attempted robbery, we had language class. And, for some reason, I was the only one that showed up that day. We went through her lesson plan, but it was obvious her mind was elsewhere. Since it was just the two of us I asked how the plans for the memorial time that weekend were going. As she opened up, my heart broke for her again. I didn’t say a word for a long time, I just listened.

When she finished, I told her I would be praying for her over the weekend. She then asked me what it was like to pray as a Christ follower. I explained to her that we can bring anything to God in prayer. I then asked if I could pray for her right then. She said yes. Before I finished praying she also asked me to pray for her surviving granddaughter. Finally finished, I looked up to see she was tearing up.”

Please lift up others like Meb in the Caucasus who need to know and experience the healing touch of the Father. Pray they encounter Jesus in real ways, ways that bring reconciliation and peace to hurt that runs deep on many levels.

The Caucasus field seeks short and long-term workers who have a heart to serve, a pioneering spirit, and can be adaptable to use their skills and giftings to demonstrate the love of Christ, coming alongside what He is already doing in the local church. The Caucasus offers diverse opportunities for families and individuals to serve, rural or urban, so come, learn, stay and minister with us as God gives vision, lifting up the name and person of Jesus as peoples’ only hope.

We always pray for the right guests. Recently one came from Afghanistan—a successful young entrepreneur with citizenship outside his home country. He asked why we were living here, so I told him it was because I'm a Christian and had been praying for the people here for years.

He then asked me some of the basic questions about Christianity, including, "What does it mean that Jesus died for our sins?" We talked about this for some time, and then I let it rest for a day. 

The next day I asked him about his religious viewpoint. He told me that, although his family is Muslim, he is considering becoming a Christian.

I urged him not to delay when he felt the time was right, and shared that God would want all of his life, that Bible reading and attending a church are very useful to the Christian life, and about how to pray, etc. 

He has already found a good church in his new home country and is about to start Bible exploration classes. 

We pray that he will follow through, and I plan to connect him with believing friends of mine in the area as well. He also said that this is the most beautiful place he has ever seen, and he would love to buy a house here.

God continues to surprise us with opportunities to reach out of our little mountainous retreat and across the world.

Praise God for bringing people from around the world to the mountain guest house in Georgia. Pray that more would learn about Christ during their stay there.

*Name changed  

A couple of times a year, a church planting team working amongst a Muslim people group in the Central Caucasus plans a one- or two-week Season of Sowing (SoS). While the team always looks for opportunities to share their faith with friends and new acquaintances, the SoS is a time for them to be especially intentional and bold, preparing stories to share and rallying the prayers of supporters.

Team members say that during a SoS, it’s not uncommon for them to experience greater distractions and spiritual opposition, whether it’s disobedient children, trouble sleeping or cell phones interrupting deep conversations about spiritual matters.

During a recent nine-day SoS, the team sowed the Father’s truth broadly. Men on the team shared about their faith with other men in tea houses, while fixing their cars and during trips to nearby villages. Women on the team shared baked goods and their faith while visiting neighbours and friends   

One team member connected with a university student for the first time. They went for a walk and the subject of God came up.  

“I remember the moment well, as we stopped briefly next to a cemetery, and the conversation came to a lull, both of us looking at what was before us,” she said.  

The friend asked the team member what she believed.

“I was then naturally able to share about Jesus, whom she’s open to hearing more about,” the team member remembered. “She even showed me how she’d downloaded the holy books on her phone, but hadn’t yet started reading them. It felt good talking about Jesus on our first meeting, having prepared as a team for such an encounter. And I love it when we see glimpses of how God has gone before us!”

Praise God for the opportunities team members had to share their faith with friends and neighbours in this Muslim region of the Central Caucasus. Please pray for the team and their community as they follow up with seeking individuals.

Three years ago an OMer and co-workers sat on the banks of the Caspian Sea and planned the launching of a small, part-time Bible school for national believers. They had recognised that there was no training available for lay leaders, particularly those in house churches in this Muslim country.

They planned that every three months, two subjects would be covered during four days of training. Also, the teaching material would be tailored to the local context and delivered in the local language. The students would mainly be from outlying towns and cities where only tiny groups of believers exist.

The school began with just seven students. The leadership and teachers, though mostly foreign, were committed from the beginning to encouraging and training local people to become teachers. They were glad to see Central Asian teachers from a neighbouring country fly in to present two subjects.

Each year the school has grown. Now the main coordinator and five members of the leadership team are national believers. The school has a core curriculum of eight subjects, only one currently taught by a foreigner. Praise God for this small gem, advancing Christ’s kingdom in the Caucasus region.

“Our local Muslim friends had said prayers and even gone to shrines on our behalf,” said Andy, who knew they thought they might never see him again. “What an amazing opportunity to tell them of God’s love, protection and peace, which reigned in our hearts even at the worst moments.”

Throughout the recovery, God had encouraged Andy and his family through Psalm 116. In accordance with the reference to a thank offering in verse 17, upon returning to Azerbaijan, Andy wanted to organise a sacrifice of thanksgiving and celebration for 30 of their friends and neighbours.

“This is a common practice in Azeri culture,” said Andy. “But we knew parts of the ritual would be unacceptable to us as Christians. Could we redeem them? That was the challenge!”

Andy had lengthy discussions with Azeri believers to make sure they could manage the event in a God-honouring way. The believers were very excited about it, and eight of them gave their support to Andy and his family. The problem, Andy said, was the actual sacrifice itself.

Andy’s Muslim friend Kamal suggested that the sheep be slaughtered in Andy’s yard, and blood smeared on the forehead of each family member for their added protection. Andy gently told him that Jesus had shed His blood long ago, and it was enough to cover every possible sin, illness or problem. “God would not be happy with me if I shed blood in my yard,” Andy told Kamal.

Kamal responded graciously and suggested what many people do anyway: have the sheep slaughtered and cleaned where they purchase it. Andy was delighted with this option, as was his wife and kids.

The day before the celebration feast, Andy and Kamal went out to buy a sheep. “I was worried about the potential strange prayers and incantations that someone would do at the slaughtering site,” said Andy. “I told Kamal that I wanted to pray over the sacrifice and only give glory and thanks to God, nothing more.”

They arrived at a street corner in the city where about 10 sheep were being held. They chose one, and within a flash the man had lifted the sheep out of the pen and had laid it over the cutting hole with a knife to its throat.

“But I need to say a prayer!” Andy said hastily. “Get on with it, then,” the man replied and proceeded to cut the sheep’s throat.

The amount of blood overwhelmed Andy, and he struggled to get out the prayer in the complex Azeri. Kamal was happy, and the two were ushered off to drink tea around the corner while the seller skinned and cleaned the carcass. 

“My heart was still thumping,” remembered Andy. “I had been powerfully reminded of the cost of the forgiveness of sins.”

The following evening, Andy’s home was full of friends and neighbours. They gave each person a copy of Psalm 116 with a personal note to thank them for their prayers. They cooked dozens of kebabs over the fire and a huge pot of Azeri Osh, a rice dish with meat. The women sat together inside and the men sat on the lawn outside.

Andy asked a friend to read Psalm 116 to the men and then he shared about his struggle with cancer. Andy’s wife shared with the women, and one of the believing ladies gave a testimony.

Many of the guests agreed that the Bible is a wonderful book and expressed an interest in reading it.

“The follow up opportunities are great,” said Andy.

Please pray that Andy and his family will have open opportunities to share about Christ’s sacrifice. Praise God that Andy is healed from cancer. Pray that he stays healthy and that his family can share God’s love with more in Azerbaijan.

*name changed