For each of our 12 days of Christmas, we are profiling one of our leaders overseas. Please join us in praying for this leader today.
11
Mardon & JarkenKyrgyzstan
Some sects of Christianity, such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, consider Epiphany (the 12th day of Christmas) the most important day of the Christmas season.
After this couple completed Kingdom Rain’s training about a decade ago, they left their hometown in Kyrgyzstan and moved to serve in a very orthodox and closed Islamic village. They run a language training center, where 95 students learn English and Russian. This provides an opportunity for Mardon and Jarken to connect with local children and adults. Every summer they organize a 4-day, 3-night camp for school-age children and teens. The camp includes fun activities (such as paintball, ziplines, swimming, and bonfires) as well as teaching about Jesus. Most of the campers are Muslim, and by the end of the camp, some of them become Christians after hearing the gospel. Mardon and Jarken also host a weekly club to play games and introduce holidays such as Christmas, when they can plant seeds of who Jesus is and what he came to do.
In 2024 Mardon met with two couples to go through our training with them. One of those men was just baptized a year ago, and the training has helped him grow. He says, “I now realize that I need to spend more time with God. I’m also looking for opportunities to share Jesus in my Muslim community.”
Pray for God’s protection over Mardon, Jarken, and their five children (ranging in ages from 2 to 21 years old). One of their neighbors, who is a radical Muslim, has been making threats toward their family and spreading lies about them throughout the community.