When Lisa Uraimov committed to doing a STINT in 1991 (Short Term INTernational mission assignment) with Campus Crusade for Christ Campus Ministry in Siberia, she had no idea she’d still be calling the other side of the world home 15 years later.

Now she and her husband Ravshan and have called Central Asia home since they married in June 2001. They also have a five-year-old son Daniel.

Originally from Illinois, Lisa placed her faith in Christ as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Montana State University when a girl from Athletes in Action walked through the Four Spiritual Laws booklet with her. Two years later, she joined Campus Crusade staff, working with the Campus Ministry.

In 1991, she played on an AIA basketball tour to the Czech Republic and met a girl who was an atheist.

“It really tugged at my heart to see a girl who had been taught there is no God but knows He exists and wants to follow Him,” says Lisa. Soon after, she returned to the States and knew that God wanted someone to go back long-term to the Communist world. Three months later, she realized it was her.

In 1997, Lisa moved to another city in Central Asia, after playing on an AIA basketball team that traveled there. It was during that year that she initially met Ravshan, a native of that city. Ravshan had come to know Christ when a Campus Crusade summer project (missions trip) of U.S. college students came to a local university.

Initially, Ravshan was involved with a gang and only wanted to know the American students so he could possibly steal something from them. He soon became good friends with some and forgot about his “mission.”

“At the end of the month (of the students’ time there), they invited us to watch the JESUS film,” says Ravshan. He came to know Christ by watching the film. Within the next few years Ravshan got involved with the AIA ministry in Central Asia, a new movement started by John Maurer and Leif Anderson. The two men and their families were on STINT at the time.

When the two became engaged, Ravshan felt God clearly asking Him to come on staff with AIA but Lisa was still doing Campus Crusade campus ministry. They had to make a choice—with which ministry should they serve? Since the Andersons and Maurers were the only ones serving with AIA in one of the biggest cities in Central Asia, they soon realized that AIA was the best fit.

In 2000, there were no athletic believers in the Central Asian country where they lived. AIA wasn’t even known. Six years later, the ministry is credible and established, a God-sized feat that was aided by the Maurers and the Andersons and several AIA teams being brought over from America to compete.

“When we first started, the concept of Christian athletes in that culture is that they were weak and invalids,” says Lisa. “Bringing in AIA basketball athletes was instrumental because they beat the local team.” The government now sees that Christian athletes aren’t weak.

The country sees that AIA brings in competing teams and are now really open, even wanting the chance to play against good competition like Americans. All levels of athletes, as well as those in the community, are now using sport as a means to tell others about Christ. The most western and influential city in Central Asia has money for sports. Thus, it has good sports facilities and quality coaches.

Today, basketball federations in Central Asia and Athletes in Action have a good relationship, evidence in officials giving AIA full permission to make the gospel known.

“Now the federal official has asked us to do a tour of Central Asia with an AIA team and a local team with freedom to share the gospel,” says Ravshan.

Today, only .9% of those in the country are evangelical Christians.

Soon, however, the Uraimovs will have to continue building relationships with Central Asian officials from afar. The family will temporarily move to Xenia, Ohio, beginning this month to serve at the AIA World Training and Resource Center.

Because Lisa is U.S. Campus Crusade staff and Ravshan is Central Asian staff, it is time for them to “get in the same boat” with their citizenship. Through a series of events, God made it clear that they would be in America at least the next two years so Ravshan can obtain his U.S. citizenship.

Since Ravshan grew up in a Communist government setting, he wants to learn a biblical, grace-oriented leadership style, as well as learn strategy and how to lead a team in a godly manner. The plan is to then take those learned systems back to Central Asia and help them develop and function well in country.

Meanwhile, while they are in Xenia, their church in Central Asia will lead the vision for sports ministry. A national athlete in the country will act as the AIA representative to keep doors open for ministry with the basketball federation.

And once the Uraimovs’ two years in the States are up, they will return to Central Asia, putting into practice the things they will have learned and loving the people who have crept deeply into their hearts.