What Are We to Do with this Mugata?!

“Every time you go there, you never know what to expect or what you should be prepared for,” Sister Vera told me during our recent conversation.

“On my previous trip, our sewing class for the women was scheduled for one o’clock in the afternoon. Matlyuba and I arrived at the church at noon, and 18 children were already waiting for us outside the locked doors—not a single adult was there! I was completely taken aback.

“‘Why are you here? Who told you to come?’ I asked them.

“‘Aziza-apa…’

“Aziza herself did not arrive until shortly after one. I turned to her and asked:

“‘Aziza, what is going on? We agreed that the children were not to be here during the women’s sewing class. There is nothing for them to do here!’

“But since the children had already come, we repeated the camp program with them, fed them, and then sent them home.

“After that, another surprise awaited us. The women gathered, and it was time to begin the class, but all the fabric prepared for sewing was missing. We soon learned who had taken it. Two women began insisting heatedly that Pastor Shukhrat had given the fabric to them, so I called him.

“‘I gave only two women permission to take some fabric,’ he explained. ‘They said they were leaving for temporary work in Kazakhstan and wanted to ask a seamstress to make dresses for them.’

“Apparently, however, the women took advantage of the situation and carried away all the other fabric as well. As a result, we had to cancel the class because there was nothing left to sew.

“I was deeply upset. I could not sleep all night. I kept tossing and turning and asking myself, ‘What are we to do with them? How can we continue working here?’

“The next morning, I had to purchase more fabric. The two women who had acted dishonestly did not attend the following day’s class. Later, Aziza told me:

“‘Jesus truly does exist. God punished those women for what they did. When they reached the border with Kazakhstan, they were not allowed to cross. The seamstress also refused to make their dresses because she already had too many other orders. So, they lost the work they had hoped to find in Kazakhstan, and nothing worked out for them here either.’”

Aziza then shared a remarkable personal testimony. Her daughter, who had attended the camp with us, has two children. The older child is two and a half years old, while the younger is only a few months old. She breastfeeds both of them. One day, she became concerned that the baby was not receiving enough milk because the older child was nursing too much. She expressed some milk into a bottle and saved it to feed the baby later.

Aziza continued:

“Not long after the feeding, the baby began struggling to breathe. His stomach swelled up like a ball—it looked as though it might burst. Then his hands and feet became cold, his eyes rolled back, and he stopped showing signs of life.

“My daughter and I were terrified. I began to pray… I prayed and prayed… Suddenly, the baby took a breath and opened his eyes, and the swelling in his stomach began to go down. God brought him back to life.

“I know that Jesus lives in my heart. He hears my prayers and answers them,” Aziza concluded, her voice trembling with emotion.

“God is at work in the lives of Aziza and the other women and is performing unmistakable miracles among them,” Vera continued. “Usually, five or six women attend the classes, and sometimes more. We now begin every meeting by reading a psalm, reflecting on it, and praying together. The women listen attentively and ask questions. We believe the time will come when the Lord will bring the seed that has been planted to life.”

This ministry once again has a special need for prayer. Construction of the new house of prayer is nearly complete, and its dedication is scheduled for October 22–25. City officials have informed Pastor Shukhrat that afterward the church must vacate the former building where its worship services and the classes for women and children have been held.

The new house of prayer is located much farther from the Mugata’s settlement. At this point, no one knows where or how the classes will continue.

The ministry team is currently searching for a suitable building closer to the settlement, but so far nothing has been found. Please pray for God’s mercy and help so that the lack of a meeting place will not bring this ministry to an end.

As I conclude this account, I ask everyone to pray for this need, for the Lord’s continued blessing upon the ministry and the proclamation of the gospel among the Mugata, and for God to grant wisdom to all who are involved in this ministry and protect them from evil and hostile people.

Thank you to everyone who supports this ministry through prayer and financial gifts. May the Lord bless you in all things and reward you with His abundant blessings!

Olga Avetisova

For the previous article and donation, go to this page.