Day 20: The Kazak People

Who are the Kazaks?
The name "Kazak" means "runways" or "refugees" and is an appropriate title for this people group who have spent much of their history in transit. The Kazaks migrated to China in the early 20 th century in order to escape forced military participation in Russia. For a time, they were able to live in peace as migrant livestock herders in China's Xinjiang Province. Then, in the early 1950's, the Communist government forbade them to practice their nomadic lifestyle and forced them to move to communes. This prompted 60,000 Kazaks, more than one-tenth of the Kazak population in China, to flee back across the border in order to return to Russia.

 Despite being scattered and constantly uprooted, the Kazak people have been able to retain their language and culture. They are proud of their heritage and staunchly resist assimilation into the Chinese culture. The Kazaks, along with other Muslim people groups in the region, have fought for centuries to establish their own homeland in northwest China, but the Communist government continues to powerfully assert it's control and sovereignty there. As a result, the Muslims of Xinjiang have a deep-rooted hatred for the Han Chinese.

The Kazaks became Muslim during the 16 th century and still identify themselves as a Muslim people group today. In reality, however, they can be described as "Islamic animists", who practice Islam mixed with traditional folk rituals such as ancestor worship and black magic. The Kazak's strong sense of family means that an individual's religious belief can affect everyone in his household. Only a handful of Kazaks, however, have embraced Christianity.

Points of Prayer:
1. That the few Kazak Christians will boldly share the gospel among their own people.

2. That the Lord will soften the hearts of the Kazaks to accept the gospel from Han Christians as well.

3. For the salvation of the more than 1.1 million Kazaks in China.

4. That the Kazaks will see the futility of Islam as the Lord reveals Himself to them.