CENTRAL ASIA: “To Suffer for Jesus Is An Honor”

Christian talk radio with Todd Nettleton

Brother Maksud was born and raised in a Muslim family in a country that was part of the Soviet Union. After the fall of the USSR, his country became more Islamic and civil war broke out. Maksud was impacted by seeing the JESUS Film and hearing Jesus speak his own language, and a Christian friend shared stories from the Bible about God. At a free Taekwondo lesson, Maksud heard those same stories again. When he first stepped into a church, he was shocked by the atmosphere of love and people greeting him by name with hugs. At age 18, Maksud made the decision to follow Jesus and his younger brother followed soon after. When they shared their Christian faith with their mom, she cried, knowing their family would be shamed and face persecution. Surprisingly, their father revealed he had given his life to Christ two years prior and had been praying for them. Despite not facing persecution from his family, Maksud knew he and his brother would be persecuted by others. Today, Maksud and his brother are pastors and he encourages people to pray for his people in Central Asia, including praying that whole families will come to Christ together.