A team from the Arizona District traveled to Central Asia to serve alongside locals from 17-26 September 2025. The purpose of the trip was clear: to help build a floor for a new discipleship center, witness how ministry operates in another cultural context, and establish connections with ministries in Central Asia.
The story of this trip began in 2023, when Field Strategy Coordinator Trino Jara spoke with then-District NMI President Joshua Jorgensen. Through many conversations and moments of prayer, the partnership with Central Asia began to take shape.
Churches across Arizona raised funds and prepared to go in 2024. Although plans shifted, the door opened for 2025. With only a couple of months to organize, the leaders were able to gather a group of five who came from four different Nazarene churches across the district.
The Eurasia Region interviewed Jorgensen about the ongoing partnership. Jorgensen shared that the moments of worship during the trip became powerful reminders that the same Spirit moves across every culture and language.
“They were able to see what ministry looks like in Central Asia and to make connections even though there were language barriers,” Jorgensen said. “They were able to spend a lot of time with the local team, asking and answering questions, listening to one another, and learning together. The ministry looks different around the world, but we serve the same God, who helps us through all challenges.”
Reflecting further, Jorgensen addressed a question he often hears about short-term missions trips: Why travel so far just to lay tile?
“That is not the point,” Jorgensen said with a smile. “God made a way, and we were called to be obedient and go. Now, it is not just a story we have heard, it is one we have seen.”
The discipleship center the team helped build carries a vision that extends far beyond its walls. District leaders in Central Asia hope it becomes a place of rest, training, and faith building for pastors, leaders, and others who come there.
Jorgensen reflected on Philippians 1:6 and said, “When God gives us a vision, challenges may keep us from seeing it through ourselves, but God is the one who will finish it.”
The team may have laid the tile. But as Jorgensen reminded, it is God who sets the foundation and builds his house.
Although Jorgensen has since stepped down from his role as district NMI president, he hopes the partnership will continue through the local churches that joined the trip. Prayer and financial support are still ongoing, and the team trusts that the seeds planted during those days will continue to grow in the years ahead.