Dear Friends,
Dan and Catherine B served as church planting field workers in Almaty, Kazakhstan for 18 years (1993-2011). During their tenure, they saw a network of churches planted in the area and, eventually, turned ministry leadership over to their national partners. After twelve years of working in EPC US-based church missions and mobilization, Dan and Catherine have returned to Central Asia to support the national church in some new ways. Through ITEN (EPC’s International Theological Education Network), they are working to strengthen the local church through theological education, mentoring, and training the next generation of Christian leaders.
Through ITEN, Catherine mentors, supports and strengthens those who serve families with disabilities in Central Asia. She serves on the Young Life Capernaum mom’s ministry team and supports the Capernaum staff in Almaty and beyond. Recently she helped bring some valuable training to the Capernaum staff from countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This curriculum, the Theology of Disability, helps each participant develop a biblical framework for how to effectively engage people with disabilities. As the Capernaum staff gathered this spring, they wrestled with their own understandings of God, suffering, and disability and brainstormed ways to bring these truths to their churches and communities. It was exciting to see how this training might impact society across Europe and Asia! ITEN is serving the local church in many ways by building up ministry leaders and strengthening their theological understanding.
On a local level, the weekly Capernaum club meetings for moms and special needs teens is a particularly poignant place where God works in the lives of all involved. Catherine describes a recent Saturday meet-up.
“Anara delivers her son Max and his wheelchair into the capable hands of a Capernaum club volunteer. She is then met at the door by Yuliya, dressed as a French artist, who captures her image with a flair and declares her a “Masterpiece!” Anara then sits at a table with other moms, chatting and coloring while the tensions of her day melt away. More moms gather, tea is served, and the women engage in crazy games and contests, laughing until their sides hurt, cheering each other on, and winning prizes. A community is being built. Marzhan then shares a short devotion, focusing on God’s truth from Psalm 139, how these women and their children are masterpieces, created for His purposes and glory. The women then process their emotions through watercolor and writing, responding to the truth with softened hearts. They have found a safe place—a place where they feel valued, cherished, and understood, a place where God is at work.”
All three of the national women mentioned in this story are single moms with special needs teens. Anara has no living relatives and lives in a fifth-floor apartment with no elevator. She carries her 24-year-old son up and down the stairs whenever they go out. She has found great community and support within the Capernaum family, and we continue to pray for her salvation. Yuliya is new to her faith. As a recent addition to the mom’s leadership team, she is learning to lead others in matters of faith and share her joy. Marzhan became a believer before she had a son with autism and desires for other women in her situation to find eternal hope in Christ. Catherine finds great joy in serving each of these women—welcoming and loving those in great need and mentoring and praying for the leaders in their walk with Christ. ITEN is at work in a very personal way in this community. Please pray that more families affected by disability will feel valued, trust Christ for their salvation, and find a welcome place in the local churches of Central Asia and beyond.
Whether you are in the Capernaum city or an American suburb, there are people around you who need a place like the moms of this group, “a place where they feel valued, cherished, and understood, a place where God is at work.” How might God use you to provide a place to such people?
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