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Over the past 600 years the Karachai people have experienced life much like a grape placed in a wine press. Formerly part of the once mighty Alan Empire (nominally Christian), the Karachai were defeated in the 14th Century and forcibly converted to Islam by the Turko-Mongol invader Timur. Conquered again in the 19th Century by Russian czarist imperialism, the Karachai people are all too familiar with distress brought about by defeat at the hands of invading nations. During World War II they were swallowed up by the German advance through the Caucasus, only to be re-conquered by Stalin's Soviets shortly thereafter. The Karachais began to migrate to Turkey in 1886 and 1905. Due to their "acceptance" of German rule, Stalin then deported the Karachai--numbering roughly 80,000 at the time--from their Caucasus homeland to remote parts of Central Asia 1943-1957. Despite 35 percent of their population dying during the forced relocation, many Karachai have returned to their homeland and have begun repopulating their home area in the Russian province of Karachai-Cherkessia. Smaller numbers of the Karachai people are in neighboring countries: Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

The area where they live is the source of the Cherek River in the east. It stretches from the basin to the source basin of the Laba River in the west and forms the steepest and highest part of the Caucasus Mountains.

The Karachai have preserved much of their heritage due to their Islamic cultural identity and their clan-organized communities, called Tukhum. Fiercely loyal within their Tukhum, Karachai have maintained strong family and cultural traditions best observed in weddings, funerals and over-the-top hospitality toward guests. Nevertheless, realizing population growth and retaining cultural identifiers have not changed the Karachai's position on the global stage, or the state of well-being within their society. Karachai culture, on the one hand, is devoted to 'duty'—but, on the other hand, is plagued by cycles of vengeance, corruption, and male drunkenness. Karachai Islamic traditions are a largely "graceless" dynamic, with no clear understanding of forgiving grace and no indwelling Holy Spirit to revitalize.

At present there are less than 50 known Karachai followers of Jesus and only one evangelical church. The New Testament and Psalms in the Karachai language was completed in the 1990s.

Pray that in their distress the Karachai will turn to the Lord Jesus, not for political power, but for spiritual deliverance from the devastations of sin and past suffering. Pray that Jesus followers will multiply as joyful lives are modeled by believers, and that numerous churches will be firmly established as the body of Christ grows amongst the Karachai in both Russia and Turkey. Pray for men and women of peace (Lk 10:6) in each Karachai town/village, to be keys to welcoming the love of God, the grace of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit into each community in the years ahead. Pray that the Karachai New Testament and Psalms will spread throughout the culture to open hearts. Pray that the love of God will continue to 'disturb' the Karachai people, inviting them away from sin and judgment and toward the marvelous grace of Jesus and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Pray that the beauty of Karachai culture will bloom as the Fruit of the Spirit enlivens the historical richness of these people.

Scripture Prayers for the Karachay in Türkiye (Turkey).