Three Shows in Kyrgyzstan

Hello,

We have had three shows now in Kyrgyzstan, and they have each been very good. God has been calling people to him, and the churches here have been involved. The country is the most different place that I have ever been. It is an Asian country struggling to find its government after communist times. Though the population here is 80% Kyrgyz and 20% Russian, the main language is Russian. All of our shows up until now have been in former communist Culture Centers, which are now in disrepair with no running water. All of the people are very friendly, and have been excited about the show, but there is a strong influence of alcohol. Among this country, God is reaching out for them to know his love.

The first two concerts were at a culture theater in the town of Bilikci, next to the Icikul (sp?) lake, the second highest large lake in the world. At the first concert, there were a bunch of young people, old people, and about 30 Kyrgyz soldiers, dressed in fatigues. After a late start, we played the show and many people stood up at the end, wanting to know Jesus, including most of the soldiers. It was an amazing movement.

The second show was a battle. There had been a short rain storm in the afternoon, which caused an electrical tower to explode, turning off all of our electricity. After that, it went on and off a few times, causing a frenzy for Nate and Aaron, the most electronically geared people in the show, setting up and tearing down their gear. Finally, we decided that whether the electricity came on again or not, we were going to do an acoustic show. We lit the theater with candles, the pastor of the church there brought two acoustic guitars, our bassist acted as the droning sampler sounds with his digerido (sp?), and I filled in guitar and bass parts on my violin. I'm very glad that I have a definite reason never to buy an electric violin for the show. In the end, we all really enjoyed doing the show that way, and it was perfect for the type of crowd that showed up, which was mostly young boys. It spoke very directly to some people, and God planted many seeds of the knowledge of his love.

Last night, we had our third show here in a town called Tokmok. This is the home of our organizer Irina, and the girls who have been helping translate. All of them are strong believers, and dedicated volunteers for this type of work. Unlike the night before, the setup was easy and we had electricity, which was a blessing. Many people stayed after to talk to us more and pray with us, and people from the church were very encouraged and were able to be a part of this as well.

We will be doing one more show tonight in Tokmok's city center, outdoors, and then we will go to Bishkek, the capital city for the remaining three Kyrgyzstan shows. We're all adjusted to the time and are over jetlag, but Sharne and Ania have a bad cold. Please be praying for all of our health. Please also pray that David will know the best way to end shows, and that no opportunity will be missed for individuals to talk more, know more, and be prayed with, regarding God's love for them.

Thanks very much for keeping us and the country of Kyrgyzstan in your prayers!
Love,
Christa

PS. I will try to post pictures at some point soon.