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Frontier Areas
 Central Asia is a diverse geographic and ethnic region. Soviet rule ended in 1991 for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and in 1989 for Afghanistan. Since then, Afghanistan continues under wartime conditions while the former Soviet states have emerged into varying degrees of autocratic rule.
As many as 87 million Central Asians speak a Turkic, Pashtu, or Persian-based language, representing people groups of Uzbeks, Pashtun, Tajiks, Kazakhs, Uyghur, Turkmen, and Kyrgyz. A majority are Sunni Muslim with a smaller Shia populace. Since independence, materialism has pervaded society, especially among the young, despite widespread poverty. The poor, many of whom earn less than $2 a day, number from over 60 percent in Tajikistan to 34 percent in oil-rich Kazakhstan.
Security issues relating to terrorism, water, and energy are genuine concerns. Unrest in Afghanistan persists, weakening the social and economic fabric of the nation. Limited water supplies from the rivers of the Himalayas stress border relations while China, Russia, Iran, the U.S., and Europe actively seek the massive oil and gas resources of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Despite the region’s instability, PC(USA) churches and co-workers have been able to make a significant impact working with partners in relief, teaching, and training. On the grassroots level, it has been welcomed. However, Soviet-style governments increasingly persecute believers and put up roadblocks to evangelism and discipleship. Nevertheless, in God’s sovereignty and grace, thousands have come to Christ while churches grow.
—Mike Brown, regional liaison, and Michael Parker, coordinator, International Evangelism and Frontier Areas, General Assembly Mission Council
 Southeast Asia can be broken into two major geographical areas: the Asian mainland, and maritime islands and archipelagoes to the east and southeast. On the mainland are Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The maritime countries are Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. All are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), except for East Timor, which is an ASEAN candidate state. The five major religious blocs are Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and animism.
Southeast Asia has an area of approximately 1.7 million square miles. More than 593 million people live in this region, and more than one-fifth of them (125 million) live on the Indonesian island of Java, making it the most densely populated island in the world.
Ethnic and religious diversity abounds throughout Southeast Asia. Indeed, each of the eleven countries is host to a wide range of distinct people groups. For example, in 1973 Laos officially recognized 58 ethnic groups that were classified into three main linguistic families. Two more categories were added in 1989. More recent studies have profiled 138 ethno-linguistic groups. Vietnam is another case study in ethnic diversity. In 1958, over 100 ethnicities were reported in North Vietnam alone. The Office of International Evangelism is currently pursuing ways to strengthen and support the growth of the struggling Presbyterian fellowships of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
—Rev. Paul Friesen, regional liaison, and Michael Parker, coordinator, International Evangelism and Frontier Areas, General Assembly Mission Council
PC(USA) People in Mission
Rev. Paul Friesen, regional liaison, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, World Mission, International Evangelism Office
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Easton Mingle, BOP
Diane Minter, OGA
Nicholas Mirra, OGA
Elder Dan Mohn, FDN
Nadine Monn, BOP
Loving God, we lift up to you the people of Central Asia who have yet to hear your gospel message in a clear and compelling manner. May their minds be curious and their hearts receptive to God’s grace and love made available to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. By the love of Jesus Christ you draw people to faith. We ask that we would continually demonstrate that faith by proclaiming the good news in word and deed. We pray that you would give courage and vision to your church in this diverse region. Amen.
Ps. 36, 147:12–20 Ps. 80, 27
2 Sam. 19:1–23
Acts 24:1–23; Mark 12:28–34
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