CENTRAL ASIA — Twenty years ago, Judd and Debbie McKinnon* packed 26 suitcases — two of which were filled with Legos — and brought their 12- and 10-year-old children to make themselves at home in Central Asia. Missionaries with the International Mission Board (IMB), the McKinnons have lived in the same city their entire career, a rare blessing for missionaries. At the time of sharing their story, they were waiting to see if God would open the door for them to return to their home in Central Asia.

The harvest field in Central Asia was not an easy one. For nearly two decades, the McKinnons saw very little fruit. It wasn’t until the last couple of years that they finally began to see hearts become receptive to Christ.

“It just took time for trust to build,” said Judd. “They watch you closely and see how you live. The Lord can use your presence and your endurance to build trust and break hearts for Him. Trust takes time.”

For every 10,000 Central Asians, eight are followers of Christ.

“It is stunning to think that all these people are going to hell without Christ,” said Judd, “and yet, we celebrate that ‘eight’ people have escaped total darkness, because Christ has called them to Himself, and they received Him. Those eight are worth it for us.”

The region where they served is 100% Muslim. Every person is born a Muslim and follows Islam from birth.

“It is a works-based religion,” Judd said. “They are expected to say repetitive prayers five times a day.”

In Central Asia, life centers around the family unit. The people the McKinnons serve rarely marry outside their own tribe. Because of this, the family is strong and highly valued. The McKinnons often see large families enjoying picnics together.

As a result, they made an effort to invite entire families over for meals on the floor around their low table, in keeping with local dining customs. By sharing their home, they were able to build relationships in a culturally appropriate setting.

“Having people inside our home is the way we can communicate the gospel, because we can’t do it outside on the street,” Debbie said. “We can’t start a spiritual conversation with a stranger; it is only when we have some kind of relationship that we can do so. We don’t just tell them, ‘You must convert to Christianity.’ We tell them stories about what God has done for us. They really love to hear stories, even Bible stories, and it allows us to share the good news in a well-received way.”

Judd added: “One thing that we learned in living almost 20 years in this culture is that, although we can’t go out and openly share our faith to strangers, we can always pray for people. Over the years, we prayed for hundreds of people, but we asked before praying, ‘Can we pray for you in the name of Jesus?’ And not one person in all these years has said no.”

The Spirit at work

One day, three sisters came to the house asking for Debbie. She had met them previously at a crowded Christmas party in their home, but she did not know them well. She invited them in for tea, and at the end of their small talk, one of them asked, “Before we go, can we ask you some questions?”

Debbie agreed but was stunned when the woman reached into her purse, pulled out a notebook and began with, “Do you really believe Jesus is the Son of God?”

“In 18 years,” Debbie recalled with a laugh, “I had never gotten a question like the very first one.”

The sisters asked a series of deep, thoughtful questions in their own language. Debbie found it challenging to continue that day, so she asked if they would be interested in returning with their questions and hearing from the Bible. The women agreed, beginning many visits of listening to Bible stories that Debbie read aloud.

She started with the book of Ruth, which the women loved. In one sitting, they read and discussed the entire book. When the sisters went home, they retold the story to family and friends. The following week, they eagerly returned, asking for more stories about women. Debbie read the book of Esther, expecting it to take multiple sessions. Once again, they completed it in one sitting, insisting on continuing after each chapter. And again, they shared the story with their families.

The next week, Debbie asked if they would like to read about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and study the Gospels. To her joy, the sisters agreed and showed up with Bible apps in their language downloaded on their phones.

Despite their excitement, Debbie suggested reading just two chapters at a time, explaining there would be much more to unpack. The sisters began comparing Jesus’ words and actions to their own religion — and finding the difference Debbie had prayed for.

A few months later, the sisters asked, “It’s hard to read off our phones. Do you have a real book that we could read?”

That week, Debbie located a New Testament in their language but was aware the women could face serious trouble for owning such a book. So, she made a fabric cover for it.

“I didn’t know where this next thought came from,” Debbie said. “Except looking back, I know it was the Lord, but I decided to put the book in a drawstring purse I had sitting on my desk. I left it in this other room so that if they asked for it, I would have it ready.”

The following week, one sister returned alone.

“Debbie, I had a dream last night and you were in that dream,” she said, “and I need to tell you about it and ask you if you can tell me what it means.”

She described a dream in which she purchased a purse from a shop. Inside was something valuable. The shopkeeper told her, “Whatever is inside, it is yours to keep,” and handed it back.

With gratitude in her heart, Debbie handed the sister the drawstring purse.

“Last week, you asked me for our holy book, and I put it in this little purse. It’s not filled with money, but it is the book that you asked for,” she said.

The sister pulled out the New Testament and kissed it.

“Oh, this is far more valuable than money,” she said. “This is the Word of God.”

Today, all three sisters have made professions of faith. Their Bible studies with Debbie became times of worship and discipleship. They brought their mother, who also became a believer. Later, their brother joined and also placed his faith in Christ.

“In that family, there are now five believers,” Debbie said. “The father is not a believer yet, but he is aware that they are studying something about God. The husband of one sister now knows she is a believer, and there have been ups and downs since then. A relative ratted on them and they were in serious danger for a while, but things have calmed down. Now, that family is the beginning of a church.”

*Names changed for security reasons.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — This article originally appeared in The Baptist Record.)