In January 2026, OM hosted a winter camp for teenagers in the Caucasus. Ruslan,* a regular attendee, brought his cousin Jeyhun.* It was Jeyhun’s second time at camp.
At his first camp, Jeyhun had seemed calm and well-mannered. He was not yet a follower of Jesus, but afterwards he began going to church and a Bible study at Ruslan’s house. Ruslan and his family are Christians. Jeyhun’s mother is also a believer, but she hides her faith, as her husband and in-laws are very religious Muslims. Over the next few months, as Jeyhun studied the Bible and spent time in the Christian community, he decided to follow Jesus.
At winter camp, Jeyhun got into a heated argument with an older teenager. Elnara,* the ministry leader, had to intervene. When she did, she noticed Jeyhun trembling with anger, which concerned her. In the area where she lives, home to mostly families who have been internally displaced, there have been almost 50 murders in the past five years, many linked to conflicts among young people. Thankfully, the situation at camp was resolved peacefully, and the youth reconciled.
Around midnight, one of the leaders told Elnara that Jeyhun wanted to talk to her, and she immediately made time for him. Jeyhun shared about his tense relationship with his family, especially his parents. He told her that on several occasions, in moments of anger, he had punched walls and broken his hand and fingers. He did not seek medical help, and as a result, his hands had become deformed. He showed them to her as he spoke. He also talked about a school problem and his tendency to befriend older students. While speaking, he could not hide his tears, and he confided that he had never talked so openly before.
Elnara understood that Jeyhun, feeling misunderstood, had stopped sharing anything with his family and instead turned to older friends. This had placed emotional burdens on him far beyond his age. She advised him to distance himself from that environment and build friendships with peers, as he was already acting older than his age.
The next day, Jeyhun appeared calm and relieved, as though a weight had been lifted. He said that he wanted to continue participating in OM’s youth camps and meetings and even join their teenager discipleship school in the summer.
After camp, Elnara met with Jeyhun’s mother, Samira,* as well as his aunt and pastor. She knew their support was crucial for his spiritual growth and separation from negative influences. Samira shared more about their home life. In the Caucasus, it is common for families to live with their paternal grandparents, and Jeyhun’s strict grandmother lives with them. She frequently silences him and his sister, not allowing them to play, make noise or speak freely. Their father is also strict and barely talks to them. The harsh environment has affected both children, leading to aggressive behaviour. Although Samira supports Jeyhun’s faith, her husband and mother-in-law — who would oppose it — are unaware.
God sees the pain in this family. He is healing Jeyhun’s heart and freeing him from anger. He is turning him into a disciple maker. Please pray for Jeyhun to grow in his faith and for his whole family to experience the love and freedom of Jesus.
*name changed
