Edward

Edward is a devoted servant from a community in central Asia. He grew up in a small village with his parents and elder sister. His father suffered from alcoholism and had a heavy hand. His mother was forced to work hard, leaving her son alone most of the time. In general, he experienced many difficulties growing up. However, referring to his words, all these adversities brought character building and made him mentally and physically stronger.

As a young man, Edward considered himself a true Muslim because of his upbringing, but knew he was living an unacceptable way of life. When close relatives called him out on his rebellious ways, they invited him to church. He did not understand anything about the person they spoke of named Jesus, but liked the atmosphere of safety and acceptance. When he was sixteen years old, he fully accepted God’s love for him which changed his life completely.

Now Edward lives in a big city with his wife and young son. He got to know Young Life as an adult and was invited to serve at one of the events where he was impressed by the heart of the Young Life ministry. Due to the difficulty of the past few years, there were many obstacles to starting this ministry in his community, but he did not give up. Now, several clubs and campaigners are functioning in his city, all led by Edward.

As a Developing Global Leader, Edward is acquiring a theology education to be able to legally speak about Christ, hopefully ensuring that state authorities do not interfere with the spread of the Gospel. Living in a community where ninety percent of the people are Muslims, he dreams of every person in his country having the opportunity to hear the message of Christ. As he shares, “education will help me to preach boldly, and give me the knowledge necessary to help me raise more healthy leaders in my country.”