....The first time I heard about Agape Mission – as it was formerly called, was shortly after the Iron Curtain fell.  The Bridge office in Holland helped organize the very first conference with Derek Prince, a renown Bible teacher, inside the Soviet Union - in the capital city of Moscow.  People came from all over Russia – some traveling for a week one way by train - to hear the man of God who was going to lay out the Word of God.  Thousands gathered; there was such a spiritual hunger and openness for the Gospel as the Holy Spirit swept over the hearts of the young generation of the Soviet Union!

......A young man, Baikal Dzoziev, who had met Jesus dramatically after being buried in an avalanche in the mountains where his best friend died, heard about the event in Moscow.  He traveled through many time zones all the way from the hinterland of Central Asia to Moscow to attend the conference.  

XXWhile there, he approached The Bridge team and introduced himself, “I am Baikal.  God has given me a vision to reach Kazakhstan for Jesus through Mission Agape, which I started two years ago.  We are just a handful of people, but we have a big vision, so we need help.  Can you come to Alma-Ata (now Almaty) and help us?”

XXThe then Bridge Outreach Director responded to Baikal’s plea.  A few weeks later, he traveled to Kazakhstan where he found a small group of new believers who gathered for fellowship in an old wood-frame house.  Our Director was introduced to Baikal’s team: Nikolai, Yuri, and Natasha who together were the initial core leaders of Mission Agape.  He spent a week with them and shared his heart on evangelism outreach and pioneer church planting.  He then returned to Holland, but promised to return to Almaty four times a year with a leadership team who would continue to help teach and train.

XXFrom 1991 through 1993, by the spiritual input and mentoring of the visiting teams directed by our Bridge Outreach Director in Holland, Mission Agape’s new believers and leadership team grew in faith, numbers and maturity. Nikolai, who pastored a small underground church, merged his congregation with Mission Agape’s new believers, and Agape Church was formed with Nikolai as pastor. 

.XXFrom 1991 through 1993, by the spiritual input and mentoring of the visiting teams directed by our Bridge Outreach Director in Holland, Mission Agape’s new believers and leadership team grew in faith, numbers and maturity. Nikolai, who pastored a small underground church, merged his congregation with Mission Agape’s new believers, and Agape Church was formed with Nikolai as pastor. 

XXThe quarterly meetings developed into quarterly leadership conferences which included other churches. They helped strengthen relationships among the believers and between the leaders in the city.  As the church and mission expanded, so did the need for more teaching and training. 

....In August of 1993, our Outreach Director called my husband Steve and told us, “Baikal is asking if we can come more often – I am not sure what to do.” Steve asked, “What about starting a Bibleschool  to train these new believers how to plant churches?” We sensed the Holy Spirit affirming these words and give us direction, so we decided to pursue this plan. God’s grace was with us.

...Two months later, in October 1993, the first Bridge sponsored Bibleschool opened its doors to 23 students who attended the school full time for eighteen months.

...A modular approach was used as teachers came in from outside for one to two weeks per month to impart the Word of God into the students; the remaining time was spent studying and applying the Word to practical life situations under the guidance of the local leadership.  After graduation, most of the students were sent out to do pioneer church planting in other parts of the country. Today we can see the fruit in the many district churches and ministries established throughout Kazakhstan and in other nations. 

....From the start, Baikal and his leadership team administered the church, the mission, and the school, and planned the leadership conferences.  Nikolai did pastoral care.  Piet and I organized teachers and conference speakers from Europe, America, and Australia who visited Agape and  imparted their faith, wisdom, and Bible knowledge. Steve called on believers in America to financially sponsor students and church planters, which then cost monthly US$25.00 per person! I did the administrative work of The Bridge in the States with the help of a lovely local couple, Jim and Judie Wolfe.   Together, we were all an effective team spanning over three continents! 

....Sixteen years later, the outcome of this partnership is seen in hundreds of graduates who have planted churches and are witnessing for Christ in a variety of capacities throughout Central Asia.  “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase” 1. Cor 3:6-7.

..When Baikal later immigrated to Germany with his family, Yuri took his place as Director of Agape.  In 1995, The Bridge sent Kent and Ruth Beahler from the State of Washington to live in Almaty and help serve the leadership at Agape.  They stayed for three years and then returned to the States.  The school grew much in size and scope under Yuri's leeadership with the assistance of the Beahlers. Ruth established a wonderful women's ministry that impacted the spiritual growth of the women in the church and the school.

.....In 1998, when The Bridge Outreach Director in Holland pulled back from the C.I.S. to pursue his original call to do mission work in another part of the world, Yuri was ready to embrace full responsibility as head leader of a thriving, expanding mission.

....Yuri and I began working closer together through the Stateside Bridge office, allowing me much opportunity over the years to watch his growth in faith, maturity administrative abilities, and leadership. By God’s grace, he has become a statesman among his peers and a respected Christian leader among government officials.  Yuri’s hallmark is his integrity, humility and constant readiness to serving others.  Yuri has faithfully mentored the other members of his leadership team, as the same character qualities are reflected in them. He follows the simple steps Jesus used in preparing his disciples to exemplify a life of faith on earth after He had returned to heaven: 1. you watch me do it, 2. we do it together,  3. I watch you do it, 4.you do it alone.

....Today, Agape Evangelical Center, one of Kazakhstan’s largest indigenous ministries, is the umbrella covering a broad specter of indigenous churches and ministries:  

• a main, downtown church with over a hundred satellite churches,  missions, and mercy ministries in and outside the country.

• Agape Bible College (formerly Bibleschool) where young people with apostolic hearts for evangelism and church planting receive discipleship and Biblical leadership training .

• a central, thriving drug rehabilitation center with several centers in other regions of the country, where governmental officials come for advise on drug problems in their communities.

• a Christian publishing house, printing press, and monthly news.

• a weekly TV program.

• leadership among other churches and pastors, as Yuri is presently the elected head of the Association of Indigenous Evangelical Churches in Kazakhstan. 

• Oversight over a number of mercy ministries, i.e. feeding of the poor and elderly, caring for the homeless and orphans, outreach to prisoners.