In the remote corners of Kazakhstan, a spiritual revolution is quietly unfolding. Surrounded by ancient traditions and deep-rooted Islamic faith, a small but growing group of Uyghurs are discovering a new spiritual path, one that is changing their world forever.
The Kazakhstan landscape stretches wide and wild, from sweeping grasslands to alpine valleys and towering snow-capped mountain ranges. Sitting in the heart of Central Asia, it’s the world’s largest landlocked country.
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Recently, CBN News took a four-hour drive east from Almaty to the southeastern corner of the country, just a stone’s throw from China, where generations of Uyghurs have lived. Some here still practice ancient traditions like herding horses and sheep across the wide Kazakh steppe grassland.
“We have about 25 Uyghur villages here, quite unreached with the gospel,” Rico, a Uyghur evangelist, told CBN News.
Rico was born and raised in the region. His family spent years in both Kazakhstan and China, reaching out to the Uyghur people with the message of Jesus.
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In recent years, the Uyghurs in China have faced severe persecution, including mass detentions, surveillance, and cultural repression by the Chinese government.
“The Uyghurs have been Muslims for almost a millennium, so it’s a mindset that’s been ingrained into their mentality and lifestyle,” Rico explained.
In recent years, though, things have been changing. More and more Uyghurs are discovering Christianity – some through personal transformation, others through the influence of outreach in these rural villages.
There are roughly about 300,000 Uyghurs who today live in this country. Roughly 300 of them belong to the small evangelical community.
Most of those folks live here in this remote part of eastern Kazakhstan.
One of those believers is Gulnisa. She comes from a Muslim background, and for five years, struggled with chronic illness.
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“I was unwell and wouldn’t leave my home for 5 years,” Gulnisa told CBN News. “I would read the Quran and pray Muslim ritual prayers and went to mullahs or those that use tarot cards but couldn’t find any help.”
But then, Gulnisa says, something changed. Jesus appeared to her in a dream.
“Jesus himself came to me in a dream,” Gulnisa recounted. “I had something like a ball and white cord in my hand, and it was unraveling, and the road was white, and Jesus said it’s ours. He smiled at me.”
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