"It's been many years since I was first in Turkmenistan," says Ali (cover name)who was asked to travel to the country to repair something for a mission organization. He had no idea about Turkmenistanbut since that trip, the the countryhas been close to his heart and a big part of his working life. "I met a Christian in the country who told me about the conditions and restrictions he lived under. He could only tell people about the gospel én-toén in his own home, and even This is how was theconnected with high risk and difficult conditions. NYears he shared his faithhe experienced however A thirst for the gospel, and he wanted to be able to provide folk Some material about faith. Mand hehad nothing to give. It touched me deeply and got me thinking."
Christian Turkmen cannot officially meet for church services, evangelize or have a Bible in Turkmen. The Christians live -straightas their Muslim compatriots - in a dictatorship and oppressed by the government and officials. As a Christian, you are particularly vulnerable, and it can be difficult to go under the radar of those in power who arrest, harass and persecute local Christians.
When Ali returned to the mission organization, he told them about the experience and seatdesire to bring the Christian Turkmen literature that was in the office into the country. But he was initially rejected.
"I had no experience getting things across closed borders and they told me it was impossible to get it into the country. During that time, my wife and I prayed to know if God had a special assignment for us. The next nights I dreamt about the border with Turkmenistan. I dreamed about how I could get things across it. All the ideas seemed crazy, but when I went to the mission organization and asked them to let me do it, they gave me the material. Mthe money to smuggle it ind I had to travel by myself.
I had nothing more thanminedreams and of crazy ideas, but I had to try it. So I tried - and even though it looked strange, we managed to, and I got the materials in. And then the organization came on board and supported me so we could get even more stuff in iover the years."
Then Danish European Mission met Ali, and With the support of Donors of the Danish European Mission he has received several times Christian material to the Christians of Turkmenistan.
"I am so grateful to be part of the supply chain for Christians. I'm just one link, because it's organizations like the Danish European Mission and their donors who provide the funds and the material that goes in. And inside the country, there are brave Christians who receive and distribute it.ér. There are andthen Christians, aspraying for everything to go well. It's a great privilege to be a part of," says Ali, who has smuggled things in on a sea of in more or less crazy ways.
I am not a priest by ability or vocation, but I am a practitioner, and God has called me to this task.
"I am not priest I am a practitioner and God has called me to this task. Here I can use my talents and creativity to strengthen and support the Turkmen Christians. We are constantly trying to do things in new ways so that the materialnot get caught in the process. But God is great, and he makes it happen - even in unexplainable ways. Often I don't know how things will work out, but luckily God has solutions. There was a time when I was in Turkmenistanand had been assigned an official tourist guide to show me around. I really wanted to meet a local Christian, but I couldn't do that with guidein tow. I asked God an opportunity to be alone, and asWe came to the city where the local Christian estatethe guide turned to me. My parents live here.eand I haven't seen them in a year. Would it be okay if I leave you at the market for an hour or two and then you can just call me if you need anything? I told him that if he really wanted to see his parents, it was okay and he should just go say goodbyetime. It was a miracle from God, because now I could meet the Christian and talk to him for more than an hour. God has confirmed me again and again in my calling and looked after mein the work," says Ali.
