A story from Central Asia

One social category that has it rough in Central Asia is the single, divorced mothers. Many have fled from abusive husbands or been abandoned for another woman.

Bridenapping

Rachel is a 33-year-old single mother of two who has been divorced for nine years. She was married at 18 to a man she had only seen once. He was nine years her senior and was being pressured into marriage by his mother.

He singled out Rachel and then kidnapped her, a tradition known as ‘bridenapping’ in this country of nomadic heritage. Some women grow to love their husband-captors with time. Others, like Rachel, suffer at the hands of abusive or absent husbands and of their controlling mothers-in-law.

After four years of constant anguish, Rachel left her husband. Several years later, she accepted Jesus into her life. This very real relationship with her Saviour has carried her through many storms.

Hopelessness took hold of her heart

I live with Rachel and she was having a tough week. Girls at work were telling her that staying unmarried was extremely dangerous for her health. She was overcome with doubts about ever having a husband. Hopelessness took hold of her heart and a strange heaviness settled into her chest. At the same time, a dark cloud seemed to be hanging over me, without my knowing why.

One day, as I was sitting with her telling her how I was feeling, she shared that God had just revealed a forgotten memory to her. Soon after the divorce, her mother-in-law and another female relative (a 'wise woman' with certain magical powers) pronounced a curse against her: ‘You will never get married again.’

They wrote this curse on a piece of paper and threw it into her yard. Curses are commonly used in this country to get back at someone. People wear amulets and charms to protect themselves. Fear is very real.

As Rachel was telling me this story and asking me to pray for her, the heaviness in her chest became more painful. She started to cry. So, what did I do? I prayed. Yes, after struggling the whole week to pray, I prayed in the name of Isa (Jesus).

Rachel instantly knew that she had been freed from this bondage that she didn’t even know was there. Her heaviness was replaced with a wonderful, heavenly sense of peace and joy. She still can’t get over how free she feels or the hope that she has for her future.

A fuller version of this article appeared in the May-June 2008 Worldwide magazine.

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