Women in Central Asian lack a voice at home and in society. Young ladies feel pressured to marry by the time they are 18 to 20 years old. Soon after marrying, they are expected to have children. Many married women live in the shadow of their mother-in-law and it is not uncommon for young families to live with the husband’s parents.
If conflict or jealousy arises between a woman and her mother-in-law, the husband most often sides with his mom. Women carry the blame for much of what goes wrong in their family and relationships. Their husbands go to work to make a living for their family, but the women are stuck at home, and if they don’t have a community of other women, then they are even more isolated. Often these traditional views on women’s role and value in the culture are passed on even to Christian families.
Women in Central Asia have a need for companionship, for friendship, and for understanding. The MOPS ministry offers women’s gatherings that welcome moms together to share life, motherhood, and Jesus. Through a simple format of food, discussion and craft, women report they have made friends for life, connected with a local church and become closer to Jesus! The movement invites moms into friendship, evangelism, leadership training, missions, mentoring, discipleship and more.