Kids of Courage

History
Turkmenistan was considered part of Persia before the 18th century. A great trade route called the “Silk Road” ran through Turkmenistan.Turkmenistan became part of the U.S.S.R. (often called “The Soviet Union”) in 1924. The Soviet Union was the largest communist country in the world. In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union broke up into many smaller countries. Turkmenistan was one of those countries. Recent leaders of the country have not been interested in giving the citizens freedom to worship as they want.

Religion
Mostly Muslim.

Persecution
Police raid churches that are not registered with the government. It is illegal to print religious literature, like the Bible, without government permission. By law, Christians may not share their faith with non-Christians. Foreign missionaries are prohibited. Non-Christians are sometimes hostile to Christians.

History
An emirate is an Arab land ruled by an emir or sheik. In 1971, seven emirates joined together to form The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E). After oil was discovered in the U.A.E, the citizens had to learn to adapt their old ways to a land made rich by oil.

 

Religion
Mostly Muslim.

Persecution
Most of the Christians in the U.A.E. are workers who come from other countries to earn money in the country. They are free to worship on land approved by the government.

However, no one may try to lead a Muslim to Christ or pass out Bibles and other Christian literature. Few believers have the opportunity to share their faith because they might be arrested. Internet sites that tell stories of Muslims who decided to follow Christ have been blocked.

Interesting Fact
Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country. A country is landlocked if it is not next to a sea or ocean. Doubly landlocked countries are landlocked countries surrounded by other landlocked countries. (The Caspian and Aral Seas in the region are actually big lakes.)

 

History
Alexander the Great conquered the land of Uzbekistan in one of the greatest conquests of history. In recent times, the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) ruled Uzbekistan. The Soviet Union broke up in the early 1990s, forming 15 different countries. Uzbekistan was one of those countries.

The Soviet Union was a communist country. The communists taught that God does not exist. They made strict rules against religious activities. After the Soviet Union fell apart, many people returned to Islam, the religion they followed before communism came.

Religion
Most of the people in Uzbekistan are Muslims, and they believe “to be Uzbek is to be Muslim.”

Persecution
The government fears Muslim terrorists, and they are suspicious of anyone who takes their faith seriously. It is against the law for a Christian to lead an Uzbek person to Christ.

The government says that Christian groups must register in order to be legal. But officials make it very difficult for new groups to register. Many Christians meet in secret. If they are caught, the consequences can be serious. Christians have been jailed and kicked out of the country.

Interesting Fact
Children in Vietnam go to school six days a week.

History
The Vietnamese people have a long history of struggle. Many times they have fought for independence from others who wanted to rule them. In 1945, North Vietnam was declared a communist country. There were wars in the region from 1941 to 1985. Soldiers from the United States were part of the fighting during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Communist North Vietnam took over South Vietnam in 1975. Many Christians fled because they knew that belief in God is forbidden or discouraged under communist governments.

 

Religion
Many people in Vietnam are Buddhists, many are spirit worshipers, some follow a Vietnamese religion called Cao Dai, and some follow no religion at all. Read the chart Comparing Vietnam’s Cao Dai Religion and Christianity to learn more about Cao Dai.

Persecution
The Communist Party still controls the government. Vietnam’s constitution promises freedom of religion, but the government still controls religious activities. Tribal Christians and Christians who belong to churches that do not register with the government face the worst persecution. Arrests and fines for these Christians are common. Sometimes Christians hide their Bibles and read them in secret. At times they hold secret worship services and baptisms.

History
In ancient times Yemen was well-known for its spices.  Some people believe that the Queen of Sheba lived in Yemen. Muslim soldiers brought Islam to Yemen in the seventh century. For many years, Muslim rulers kept the citizens away from foreign influence. Today many people of Yemen have not heard the truth about Jesus.

 

Religion
Mostly Muslim.

Persecution
Yemen is a dangerous place for citizen to follow Christ. A person who converts from Islam to Christianity could be put to death. Sharing the gospel with a Muslim is illegal. Yemenis learn about Jesus through radio broadcasts and other methods that do not attract attention.