Abbey visited Live Dead Silk Road on an intensive that opened her eyes and  changed her perspective about Muslim people. Read about her experience in Central Eurasia…

God, You had to take me halfway around the world to teach me to breathe again and not be controlled by fear.

Before coming to Central Eurasia, I didn’t have much experience with Muslim culture or people. I only knew what I’d heard on the news, which was that the place I was going is dangerous and filled with dangerous, hateful people. In fact, when I first announced my decision to go to Turkey, my family, while believers, were not supportive. They thought I was absolutely crazy and asked me to reconsider the entire trip. A spirit of fear surrounded both myself and my family regarding the decision.

I put everything on the line for this trip and I truly believed it would be a tipping point in my life, though I had no idea which way I would fall. In my mind, I was out of time and money, I had no job, and I entered this trip in a place of spiritual apathy. Yet throughout my time here, I’ve learned to embrace community the most. I’ve learned to embrace people and to turn a heart full of apathy into a heart prepared to love.

Cultures along the Silk Road are, above all, people and family-oriented. Even as a foreigner, they cared for me and wanted to know me. Drinking tea together takes on a whole new meaning. No longer is it just a drink but an invitation to know someone. This country reflects a community of passionate people—a passion that became so clear when we went to visit a mosque.

I thought to myself, “Wow, they have so much passion, yet it’s so misdirected. If they are this passionate for a misdirected truth, think of the passionate followers of Christ they could be if they knew the truth!”

Sometimes growth is hard. It does not always come in a huge revelation. For me, I came into this expecting God to tell me exactly what to do next in my life, but I realized I have to stop trying to be God’s tour guide. He’s going to take whatever path He wants and in whatever time He wants. He has taught me so much about myself through this culture, these people, and this team.