PRAYERPOINTS
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Centuries ago, Persian and Arabic trad¬
ers traveled the Silk Road into China, and
married Chinese women. Their descen¬
dants became the Muslim Chinese
people called Hui. Over the years, Hui
people emigrated into Central Asia,
and were called by the Russian name,
Dungan. During a. 1 9th century war
in China, many Dungan relocated to
Central Asia, and began to farm in what
is now southern Kazakhstan and north¬
ern Kyrgyzstan.
In time, the Dungan people established
themselves in Central Asia, and flour¬
ished. They developed a reputation
for making money. Today, in addition
to farming, many Dungan dominate
the business world. Others make
good wages as long-haul truck drivers.
Dungan cafes serving Chinese hot pot
A Dungan man eking rice. IMB Photo.
have risen in popularity even among the
majority population.
Like most Central Asians, the Dungan do
not separate Islam from their ethnicity. And
they don't ask questions of their Muslim
religious leaders, even when they don't
understand what they are taught. Their
Islam is mixed with Eastern animistic
ideas— many Dungan visit their ancestors'
graves during Ramadan and ask for help.
The spiritual needs among the Dungan
are great, yet few have eyes to see.
Pray that the Lord will cause many
Dungan to hear the gospel. Ask Him to
open blind eyes to see and believe in
Jesus as the only way to God.
In November 2022, we
focused on praying for the
gospel to advance in Istan¬
bul, Turkey. The earthquakes
in Syria and Turkey this year
reminded us to keep praying.
God is answering our prayers.
A young family in Istanbul
started visiting a local church
with their believing friends.
Ayse, the fiancee of a new
believer, trusted in Christas
her Savior. Renee, another
new believer, connected with
a local church in Istanbul and is
being discipled.
THE DUNGAN OF CENTRAL ASIA
The 120,000 Dungan people of Central Asia live in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
This Muslim people group once, however, lived m China and were called Hui. The
Dung anys unique heritage distinguishes them f rom most other Central Asian peoples
m many ways, but one thing is the same they have a critical need for God to open
their hearts to the truth and beauty of the gospel of Christ
DUNGAN: A MINORITY
PEOPLE GROUP WITH
A HYBRID CULTURE
Dungan people say: 'We get our food
and language from our mother and
our religion from our father," and it's
true. They eat with chopsticks and
are known for their delicious Chinese-
influenced cuisine. Meanwhile, they
cling to their Muslim identity.
ANSWER
TO YOUR
PRAYER
JUNE 2023
“And he made from
one man every nation
of mankind to live on
all the pee of the earth,
having determined
allotted periods and
theboundaries of their
dwelling place, that
they should seek God,
and perhaps fed their
way toward him and
find him. Yet he is
actually not pr from
each one of us A
Acts 1726-27
