Kyrgyz in United States


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The large majority of Kyrgyz people in the world live in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan. Smaller populations live in China, Russian, Tajikistan and at least six other countries. Although they are related to Kazakh and other Turkic peoples of the region, the Kyrgyz look like Mongols. More than any other Central Asian people, the Kyrgyz have clung to their traditional way of life as nomadic herders. They have also maintained their tribal organization even in Western countries.

The name "Kyrgyz" means "the descendants of forty maidens." The Kyrgyzstan flag has forty sun rays to represent the Kyrgyz heritage.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990, some Kyrgyz migrated to the USA in search of a better life.

A complete Bible and the JESUS Film are available in the Kyrgyz language.


What Are Their Lives Like?

When a Kyrgyz family comes to the USA, they must make huge changes. Their old employment as animal herders and traders is not needed in a modern, industrial nation like the USA. Kyrgyz must learn English and enroll their children in school. The adults often must take menial jobs like driving taxis and working in restaurants and in sanitation while their English skills improve. The dream of Kyrgyz parents is for their children to graduate from universities and enter professional careers in medicine, science, administration, finance, and education.

Women are held in high esteem once they are married and have children, especially sons. In their homeland men can have up to four wives if he can afford them. In the USA, only one wife is legal. After a few years, Kyrgyz young people become much as other American youth. They speak English fluently and adopt American culture. In Kyrgyzstan people tend to marry within their group. In the USA young people frequently marry outside of their people group.

Music, dance and storytelling are important parts of the Kyrgyz culture. The Kyrgyz have the longest oral epic in the word entitled "Manas." It contains 100,000 lines of verse. Folk tales are often sung, accompanied by a three-stringed guitar called a dombra. Kyrgyz parents want their children to continue to celebrate their culture and Muslim holidays.


Another ministry obstacle is their long-held allegiance to Islam and their belief in black magic.
What Are Their Beliefs?

Today, almost all Kyrgyz still consider themselves to be Muslim; however, some shamanistic and Tengrism practices still exist in their homeland. Shamanism is the belief that there is an unseen world of many gods, demons and ancestral spirits. Tengrism is a belief system in which the sky god Tengri rules over nature. Almost all Kyrgyz believers have to go through a breaking of demonic powers over their lives once they decide to follow Christ.

After seven decades of atheistic teaching in the Soviet Union, some Kyrgyz are secular and are Muslim in name only.

If a Kyrgyz becomes a Christian, his neighbors and family frequently see this as a betrayal to his identity and family unity.


What Are Their Needs?

Newly arrived Kyrgyz must find a place to stay and find employment. They need help in learning English. Most of all the Kyrgyz need to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. He alone can forgive their sins and grant them eternal life.


Prayer Points

Pray that local Kyrgyz believers would be discipled and mobilized to reach even more of their own people.

Ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into Kyrgyzstan and to Kyrgyz people in the USA

Pray that God will raise up prayer teams to go and break up the soil through worship and intercession.

Ask the Lord to raise up strong church planting movement among the Kyrgyz in the USA and in Kyrgyzstan.


Scripture Prayers for the Kyrgyz in United States.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Kyrgyz
People Name in Country Kyrgyz
Pronunciation KUR-gheez
Alternate Names Kara; Ke'erkezi; Kirghiz; Kirgiz; Kur-guhz; कयरग्ज़
Population this Country 17,000
Population all Countries 5,897,000
Total Countries 14
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 12933
ROP3 Code 105550
ROP25 Code 304510
ROP25 Name Kyrgyz
Country United States
Region America, North and Caribbean
Continent North America
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Country United States
Region America, North and Caribbean
Continent North America
10/40 Window No
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
100.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Kyrgyz (17,000 speakers)
Language Code kir   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Kyrgyz (17,000 speakers)
Language Code kir   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Kyrgyz

Primary Language:  Kyrgyz

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1982-2016)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1991-2005)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1995-2011)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Kyrgyz Jesus Film Project
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rock International: King of Glory Rock International
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kyrgyz YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Kyrgyz YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Bible: Comic Book Version Super Bible / Comic Bible Society
Text / Printed Matter IBT, Russia - resources Institute for Bible Translation - Russia
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Photo Source Theklan - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source Bethany World Prayer Center  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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