Samarkand, Uzbekistan (August 2026)

After finishing our 3-day trip to Tashkent, we took a day trip to Samarkand, an important historical city at the heart of the Silk Road. We took an express train from Tashkent to Samarkand and hired a tour guide and a van. The tour guide was an Uzbek lady who studied Korean at college. Her name was Jinari, and she was so fluent in Korean. We thoroughly enjoyed her guiding services. 

Tashkent Train Station

Samarkand Train Station

Our first stop was at Timur's Graveyard. Timur was a hero in ancient Uzbekistan. He expanded the territory by conquering the neighboring countries. In this conquest, he annihilated Christians. It was a tragic time period for Christians. But, he was famous and well respected among Uzbek people. His graveyard was well decorated. 

We walked around a few structures that are used for different purposes. To me, they all looked alike. 

Jinari explained the different decorations of the hijabs that women wear in Uzbekistan, depending on their marital status. 

We had salad and Tilaf for lunch at a local restaurant. It was a cuisine with rice stir-fried with veggie oil. Jinari explained that Tashkent people cook Tilaf with lamb oil, thus very oily. Our lunch was delicious. 

We also visited an old observatory. We saw a statue of Ulurgbek, a grandson of Timur. He was an astronomer and left significant achievements. 

We visited the Afrosyab Museum. This museum is significant because it houses the ancient history, culture, and trade of the prehistoric Sogdiana along the Silk Road. The Sogdian merchants traveled along the Silk Road to China and spread Christianity. In fact, they were the genesis of the modern-day BAMers. I remembered what we learned at the Eastern Christianity Forum held in Bishkek. 

Ancient frescoes were showing the archaeological treasures of the Sogdians, but the colors were tarnishing fast. I cannot explain them all here, but I am saving them for possible future reference.

Our last stop was at Shaidjinda, meaning the graveyard of the living. They represented the martyrs who never die; they believed. Jinari mentioned at the beginning of the tour that her tour would begin with a visit to a graveyard and end with a visit to another graveyard. It was true. 

It was a really hot day, but we survived it. We hoped to visit another town along the Silk Road, called Bukhara, but we could not this time. Nonetheless, our day trip to Samarkand was rewarding and very meaningful. - Jeffrey

BAM Field Trip 2026 - Tashkent, Uzbekistan (August 2026)

After we left Bishkek, we arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. I explored this city alone last year, but as a group, it was the first time for us to visit this city and country this year. Uzbekistan offers a mixed feeling for us. General Timur of this country annihilated Christians in the past, and the previous president expelled missionaries about a decade ago. Nonetheless, Uzbekistan and Korea are very close in economic cooperation. 

Our first meeting was with Tim Mitchell. He is running a farm. He was unsuccessful with apples before, but now he is planning to grow tart cherries. He has extensive experience in agriculture in different countries. I suggested to him that he contact Aggrandize for assistance since we collaborate with them on any agriculture projects. 

We also visited Haqiqat Clinic in a nearby town. They offer almost free medical services and education programs. The CEO, Mr. Namju Hwang, asked for advice on turning around their operations. We had a fruitful discussion. The CEO appreciated our assistance. 

We had a meeting with David of Paramount School, a private school. David is from Nagaland, India. It was encouraging to see workers from the Global South. The school has been growing continually and was in need of financial help to finance the expansion into high school classes. We agreed to stay in touch to continue exploring how we may work together. 

We had a fellowship lunch with a local pastor, Zohid, and a few fellow brothers in Christ, including Jamshid, who studied in Korea and in the U.S. He is now working for Voice of the Martyrs in the U.S. They asked for training on Financial Stewardship. We promised to make an opportunity when possible.

We visited Joseph Mo and his wife, who were running Hope Eco Studio. They provide training on farming and making handicrafts. Joseph is also teaching at a horticulture school. They seemed reluctant about going on a BAM journey. Perhaps in His time.

We had lunch with Professor Sangwoo Park and Elder Sunghee Lee. Sunghee Lee is one of the old-timers among Koreans living in Tashkent, and now he is running a high-rise building as a rental property, including a Korean restaurant. Professor Park is teaching at the Uzbekistan branch of a Korean university called Aju University. He arranged transportation in Tashkent and also our day trip to Samarkand, including buying train tickets and arranging for a tour guide. We learned a lot from listening to Mr. Lee's story. 

After our planned trip to Tashkent and a day trip to Samarkand, to be explained in a separate blog post, I met another Kingdom worker, Mr. Hong Kyu Suh, before we left Tashkent. He had an interesting mix of experiences, including running a school and an agricultural farm. We agreed to stay in touch.  

The last day was Sunday. We all went to worship at a Korean church called Tashkent Korean Church. In fact, this was the only Korean church approved by the Uzbekistan government. All workers seem to attend the local churches to avoid any investigation from the government. 

Also, we had a Zoom call with a Kingdom worker called Kang Hoon Lee in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. He is serving in the Pamir High Plain. He asked for training on BAM. God was opening a door of opportunity. We promised to bear in mind their needs. Overall, God showed us a vision to see beyond our comfort zone into the remote and barren areas where the gospel is scarce. We will have to continue discerning what God's will is. - Jeffrey