Couched in love
SEND's workers around the world see our new vision statement —
a global movement of Jesus followers making disciples among the unreached
— taking root in each place they serve.
Today we focus on “ making disciples
”
— a crucial aspect of starting new churches, because o
bedient disciples will form churches that impact their communities and beyond. In
Central Asia, our small team magnifies its influence by intentionally training national believers to reach out within their own communities.
• • •
By MK —
Our vision in Central Asia is to see a movement of disciples making disciples. However, many of the people in this part of the world are very closed to the idea of becoming a follower of Jesus. In order to address this problem, our team trains the local church about how to effectively engage communities with the gospel.
One man, Friday, is doing this in his small village. Friday has been a believer for some time now, but his wife and children are not. Friday attended a training that was conducted in a nearby town. He left that time encouraged and with a plan to reach his family, neighbors, and co-workers. The first step of his plan was to pray each morning for open doors to share a spiritual truth or to serve someone in need.
One of Friday’s neighbors has had a drinking problem for many years. This, of course, caused many troubles in this neighbor’s home. Friday and his wife could hear the dishes and furniture crash to the ground one night as this neighbor fought with his wife. The next day, they learned that the previous night’s conflict had been the last straw and that this man was now living on the street. After a few nights, he found a cramped apartment in the center of town. Since he had no furniture, he simply slept on the floor.
Not long after, as Friday was driving home from work, he noticed a man throwing out a couch on the curb. He asked, “Excuse me, what are you doing with that couch?” The man replied, “I bought a new one and don’t need this old one anymore.” “Do you mind if I take it?” Friday quickly asked. The man agreed and Friday hoisted the couch onto the roof of his car and sped away.
Friday drove to his estranged neighbor’s apartment and hauled the couch up the stairs. After much effort, he knocked on the door and was met by a gruff face.
“What do you want?”
“I brought you a couch for your apartment.”
“Why would you give me a couch?”
Friday thought for a moment, then replied: “Jesus wants you to have this couch.”
Friday saw the man’s countenance change as they, together, moved the couch into the unfurnished apartment.
This man had heard about the Bible and Jesus before, but had always had a very negative reaction. This time, after they got everything settled and sat down to rest, the man looked over at Friday and said, “Tell me more about this Jesus.”
Friday was ready with his Bible. He opened up to the book of Genesis and began telling story after story of how God created everything, called Abraham, and promised to send the suffering servant who would take the world’s sins upon himself. With each story, this man became more and more aware of his need for forgiveness. At the end Friday asked him, “Will you follow Jesus?” The man answered with his eyes tearing up, “Yes!”
Friday has since been meeting regularly with this new disciple, not only teaching him, but showing him what it means to be a follower of Jesus in this part of the world where believers are few and far between.
• • •
As Central Asian people are exposed to the word of God and are sacrificially served, hearts are being softened; deep and meaningful relationships are being built. Our Central Asia team need more workers to come and be salt and light to the people of Central Asia. Could God be calling you to join the global movement of Jesus followers making disciples among the unreached
?
Explore opportunities
to serve in Central Asia.
• • •
More disciple-making stories
Continue in Christ:
Alim’s story exemplifies how SEND workers are making disciples all over the world.
From the nations to the nations:
Multinational teams that effectively use each member's unique strengths help fuel our disciple-making efforts.
Better together:
No one organization can (or should) do it all, so SEND collaborates with like-minded organizations to tackle the enormous task of reaching the unreached.
A role for everyone:
We explore our vision statement with the story of how God is multiplying one gift to soften hearts in a Thai village.
Growing in a new land:
Hours spent studying the Word with one of our workers have prepared a student — the only Christ-follower on his campus — to serve as a powerful witness.
Mentoring Aigerim:
Sometimes, ministering among the unreached means sharing a kitchen and letting discipleship naturally develop.
Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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