Feeling jaded, I was relieved to see the rest of the team arrive at Heathrow. As the plane left the runway it was a thrill to start our journey. For me it was also to be a homecoming, the fulfilment of a vision.

In 1998 I spent my elective in a Central Asian Republic. Whilst I was there I had been able to encourage and befriend a small nucleus of Christian medical students who had formed a fellowship group at their medical school. Their faith and boldness to witness to their Saviour despite opposition and hardship in the post-communist vacuum filled by atheism and Islam inspired me.

Before I left Central Asia God conceived in me, and two leaders from the group, Dennis and Inna, the hope of doing a summer camp in the year of my graduation. Our local CMF group in the UK, both doctors and students, ran with the project. They played a major role as part of the wider team involved in the camp by giving and fund-raising, sending a team to go, and praying. Through this team God met our considerable financial needs and also sustained us by answering many prayers.

Acclimatising to the culture

So it was that five UK medical students arrived in Central Asia last summer, a little tired, at 3am in the morning. Having successfully negotiated customs we were met with huge hugs by Dennis and Inna, who bundled us into cars and transported us to our final destinations. We spent two weeks before the camp staying with local students, preparing for the camp and engaging in a little sightseeing. This gave us a greater understanding of life in Central Asia and provided the opportunity to share our faith with our host families.

Central Asia has a diverse mix of people groups, including many 'unreached' Muslims, such as the Kazaks, Uighurs, Uzbeks, Krgyz and Tartars. While there are similarities, each people group has its own culture, traditions, food and language. We learnt to listen to the opinions and views of those God had sent us to, rather than impose our own, often Westernised, interpretations. The challenge was always to present people with Jesus, and not traditions and opinions originating in Western Christianity.

The summer camp

The camp was run by local medics, with the assistance of a overseas team of six students and six doctors. Of the twelve foreigners we numbered eight Brits, three Americans and one Ghanaian. The final count was 110 people, about 80 of these being non-believers. Although the majority of people on the camp were medical students, a few others had 'slipped' in, including doctors, siblings, and boy and girl friends, giving us an age range of eight to 70! It was exciting to see a mix of people, backgrounds and ages and encouraging to note an equal proportion of men and women.

The aim of the camp was to provide an environment and opportunity for people to hear and consider the gospel. Each day started with a prayer time for the team (locals and foreigners), followed by breakfast and then the main Bible talks. These took the form of an overview of the main themes of the Bible: the Fall, the Law, the Mosaic sacrificial system, the Cross, judgement, heaven and hell. Each talk encapsulated the gospel and powerfully expounded God's word. Afterwards we broke into small discussion groups led by a foreign and local student with the aid of translation. This is where a lot of progress was made.

In the afternoons we had time for English lessons, medical seminars and also sport, games and walks. It was this element which attracted many people to the camp. After dinner we also had topical talks on subjects such as evolution and ethics, with opportunity for discussion afterwards. These were followed by more social activities, including the obligatory barn dance, a talent show, and an 'It's a knockout' contest. Other highlights of the week included a showing of the Jesus film and a 'Grill a Christian' panel.

The camp was advertised as being run by a 'Bible-believing' group, with the opportunity to discuss the important questions of life. However, many participants claimed not to have realised that it was a Christian camp. This made for a very stormy start, and led to resentment and a lack of trust in the leadership. This was especially directed at the high content of talks on the programme and the camp's rules, including a ban on alcohol and on unmarried couples sharing rooms. Some rebelled by breaking the rules and avoiding talks.

The team's response was to befriend the students and persuade them to attend the meetings. As we stopped trying to deal with the situation in our own strength and let God take control, things started to change. The medical seminars, English lessons and fun activities played a crucial role in building friendships that then gave us a platform from which to share the gospel. So it was that over the course of the week God drew people to the meetings, and into relationships, conversations and discussions. By the end of our time there was an atmosphere of warmth and deep regret that that camp was over, with many begging for another camp next year.

Individual steps of faith

The first person to come to faith on the camp was a girl called Masha, who was from a Russian Jewish background. A few months prior to the camp she had lost her boyfriend in a car accident. Although previously antagonistic to Christians, when this tragedy occurred it was Christians who supported her, which set her thinking.

Masha's coming to Christ was a great encouragement to us. She had very obviously changed, and couldn't stop smiling. For the rest of the camp she became part of the team, and also had a quiet time with one of the team members each day.

Another student, Assyl, had previously attended an Alpha course. A highly intelligent Kazak, he had read many different religious books in his search for the truth and loved arguing and debating. Hence, when I spotted him heading to join my discussion group, my heart sank. I needn't have panicked, because to my delight I discovered that Assyl, and indeed two others in my discussion group had committed their lives to Christ. By the end of the camp ten people were newly professing Christians.

Besides those who came to faith, many underwent significant shifts in their thinking. In one conversation one of the team encouraged Ravi, an Indian Hindu studying in Central Asia, to pray a Hindu mantra from his childhood, in which he asked the true God to make himself known. After praying, Ravi said he saw a picture of a train bellowing out dirty back smoke which was obscuring the sun. He explained that the meaning was clear - the train represented him, the sun was God, and the smoke was his sin obscuring him from God. This is just one example of how God revealed his truth to those on the camp.

Another girl, Ana, who came to most of the meetings, seemed to have grasped the gospel. On talking with her it emerged that the only two things holding her back from trusting in Jesus were a worry that it would prove to be an empty promise, and her non-Christian boyfriend. Ana took an Alpha course after the camp and became a Christian in the Autumn and has since spent some time studying in England, staying with members of our CMF group.

During the camp I came to realise that many were wrestling with the cost of following and accepting Christ. Beforehand I had made the mistake of belittling the stronghold of Islam in Central Asia, since it tends to be based more on folk Islam than on Qur'anic teachings. However, I became aware that for a Muslim to accept Christ can mean betraying their identity, family, and culture. In Central Asia knowing Jesus can quickly mean knowing the 'fellowship of sharing in his sufferings' (Phil 3:10), which is both an awesome and terrifying privilege.

God's work continues

The work in Central Asia and the alliances which God has made are on-going. Everyone who attended the camp was invited to an Alpha follow up course. The new believers are in one-to-one discipleship, the group continues to meet and is growing, and a new group has started in another city. In short, God continues to do his work. I recently returned from a week long visit to encourage some specific individuals. It was a blessing to see the group and its members maturing and also to note God visibly at work in those that have not yet trusted in him. There are plans to further the partnership between the local UK and Central Asian group with hopes of a summer camp in 2000 and student electives in both countries.

For me it is remarkable and humbling to see that when we commit our lives and decisions to God he will not squander us but will use us in the furthering of his kingdom, as he sees fit. He made us and therefore he knows how to utilise our lives for the maximum that can be achieved. I didn't go to Central Asia seeking the subsequent sequelae. However, by being in the right place at the right time, the saga now continues. Please pray for Central Asia and the continued work there, but also 'seek first his kingdom' in your own life. Only God knows what he can (and will) do through you. I will end by quoting these words of Paul which summarise the sentiment of all those involved with the Central Asian group:

'We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.' (1 Thes 2:8)  

In the interests of confidentiality and security the names of both the author and individuals mentioned have been changed.