A month has passed since the last update about the ministry among the Mugata Gypsies, and this month has been filled with many events—some of them quite difficult.
On Saturday, March 28, Pastor Shukhrat and his team were holding a lesson with children in the settlement. One of the neighbors and the local mullah called representatives of the city authorities. They arrived, took photographs, spoke with Shukhrat, Vera, and the homeowners, recorded the passport details of Vera and Shukhrat, and instructed Shukhrat to report to the Department of Internal Affairs on Monday for further investigation.
The next day, a delegation of elders from the Gypsy settlement, led by the mullah, came to the home of Atabek and Aziza, where the lessons were held. They shamed them, called them infidels and apostates, and threatened that if they did not stop, they would be made outcasts in the settlement and would not even be buried.¹ The mullah was especially aggressive, not only issuing threats but also speaking offensively about Jesus Christ.
In the following weeks, Pastor Shukhrat was interrogated several times. The main concern raised was that the team had been conducting lessons with children.² Pastor Shukhrat explained that a relative—mothers, grandmothers, and sometimes fathers—was always present during the lessons, so there was no violation of the law.
Not only Shukhrat and Vera were questioned. Residents of the settlement and even the children who attended the lessons were also interrogated. After gathering additional information, authorities repeatedly returned to Pastor Shukhrat for further explanations.
The children’s lessons have now been suspended. Over the past two weeks, the authorities have not disturbed the pastor, but it is clear that the church and its activities are being monitored. Meanwhile, the mothers of the Gypsy children are pleading with Brother Shukhrat:
“Please do not leave us and our children! We see the benefit your lessons bring! The children are changing. They have become more obedient. They are beginning to read and write! We are all illiterate—we cannot even sign our names. We cannot find work so we live in poverty!”
If God allows, the team intends to continue ministering to this people using other methods and opportunities. Plans include, and have already begun with, training young women in sewing so they can acquire the profession of a seamstress. Young men and teenagers will be trained in welding. Both directions will provide opportunities to build relationships with the residents and continue sharing the Gospel.
Please continue to pray for this people—the Mugata Gypsies. Ask that the light of salvation would reach many and transform their hearts. Pray for the mullah, that God would save him and those who support him. Pray for Atabek and Aziza, that the Lord would give them a spirit not of fear, but strengthen them in faith and trust in God. Pray for the children, many of whom have understood and accepted the truth of the Gospel and have believed it with childlike faith. And pray for the team working among the Gypsies—for their protection and for the Lord to open opportunities to continue ministry not only with adults but also with children.
Olga Avetisova
For more information, see the Telegram channel “Time Is Short” and the PCSBA’s website.
¹ For non-Muslims, these threats may seem insignificant, but for Muslims with a strong communal mindset, they are very serious.
² According to current law in Uzbekistan, people may practice and learn any religion, but teaching religion to children is permitted only with written parental consent or in the parents’ direct presence.
Pastor Shukhrat with Atabek and Aziza
