Imprisonment, Beekeeping and the Power of Your Prayers – Meet Evgeny from Central Asia

Evgeny* is a beekeeper who loves telling others about Jesus. Helped by Open Doors’ local partners, he shares his skills and faith with others in Central Asia, especially those on the margins of society. As he says here, ministry is extremely difficult at times, but he and his team feel supported by your prayers.

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I just came back from a trip. We spent a lot of time praying together. The spiritual pressure is very strong. There are many occult practices. People live in such darkness, poverty and despair that many young people, especially teenagers, commit suicide.

After several recent trips, I was in a very difficult mental and spiritual state. This is a very difficult time in my life. I worry about my family members, not myself. When I was preparing for a three-day trip, I felt constant anxiety. It was so bad for me; it was an internal struggle. I felt that I really needed prayer. I can only reach out through your prayer support.

Fight in prayer

We recently had a prayer meeting for Christian men. We spent ten days in almost constant prayer. The sermons were very short and the main time was devoted to prayer. The battle was spiritual, prayerful, so strong. The meeting was organized by an Open Doors team. After these ten days, I felt better; I no longer feel crushed and lost.

Thanks to God, we have accomplished a lot in recent years with the help of Open Doors. To be honest, we have done a lot together in Central Asia. We have helped many people in need; many have come to know Christ and found hope in their lives.

I often tell people that when I travel, I visit just to see what they need. There are no comfortable living conditions. It’s difficult from a spiritual point of view and from an emotional point of view. It is difficult to watch what happens to others – their pain, their despair, their poverty. To serve in this way, you must understand what your purpose is: to help and pray, to preach and comfort.

I have a small but very strong and loyal team. Our team includes believers from various remote villages. Each of them is dedicated and sincere, faithful in what they do. Some team members are currently exhausted and depressed. Please pray for my team.

A sweet success

Today, I strive to make everything I own, my entire honey business, work for poor and dependent people. I also support a retirement home – we send honey to abandoned elderly people and sometimes we help by providing them with food.

My main goal as a traveling evangelist is to teach children and teenagers a trade, so that they have the chance to have a better future. That is why I do everything. As soon as the school year ends, I take the children to the apiary (where the honey bee hives are kept). They will earn money during the honey harvest season. I teach them and I will give them five hives each. I mentor them and help them develop their own small business, because the apiary is a complex profession, a complex profession.

A church group, several sisters, are constantly in prayer for us when we travel. I began to encourage and inspire people to sincere service and prayer. A lot of people in churches have cooled their spirituality – I can’t change that, I can’t change their mentality, but I can impact that. I am grateful to God for teaching me to work and sacrifice a lot for the ministry. People, even in remote villages, respect and trust me. I want to inspire by my example.

From crime to Christianity

Other Christians, men and women, were my example, my role models. There was a sister, an old woman, she was almost 80 years old when I began my ministry. Now she is in eternity. When she was alive, she did not pay attention to her lack of comfort or her health problems. She traveled with me throughout Central Asia to the most remote villages. She transmitted to me this passion to serve for the kingdom of God, but not only to me – her example inspired many people to serve. And it was also Open Doors that granted me my first microcredit. The trust I received from them was very useful and still is.

There was also a pastor who was an example for me. He taught me what a life of sacrifice is – a life of faith. I looked at his life, his responsibility and his ability to trust people. I accepted Jesus in prison, and when I was released, this pastor involved me in his ministry and trusted me. He gave me money and trusted me, a former criminal. I had never seen so much money in my life, but he trusted me, and not just once, but many times. I went there, exchanged that money and we traveled to serve in remote villages. It increased my self-esteem. He didn’t do it just with words – he showed me his respect and trust through actions. It created me as a person in God. He treated me like this with the love of God.

The people in my rehabilitation centers came from the streets. There were also street children and prostitutes. They especially need to understand their value in God’s eyes – this is our task as Christians. Even if we know a person doesn’t have a better past, I try to show them respect, trust and God’s love – it changes their heart. If you don’t show trust, there is no point in dealing with them, they will never open up. You have to be close to them, respect them, help them in their needs, share their difficulties.

“I think I’m going to be imprisoned again”

It has become more difficult to reach this region due to secret service control. I understand that they know all or almost all of my activities. I recently shared this with my brothers and said, “I think I’m going to be imprisoned again.” This time for the name of Christ, for my ministry.

These thoughts often come to my mind, it’s like a premonition. It’s as if I was already preparing myself internally for this. I understand that I am no longer afraid of this. Thank God, my children are all grown up now. I don’t care about anything anymore. I just think about everything I want to do, as much as possible, to serve local people, families, especially young people. I dream of going into eternity, leaving the ministry at its peak – ascending and being effective for the kingdom of God.

I don’t need anything in this life, neither from me nor from my wife, nothing but to do as much as possible to spread the gospel, to help people who have no hope. That’s really important, not material things for ourselves.

Thank you to all who pray for me. I can only help you through your prayers.

*Name changed for security reasons