From Muslim to Christianity a Transformative Encounter with Jesus
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PASTOR MEESH FOMENK FEATURING ALISHER’S TESTIMONY
The room smelled of sweat and competition. Young men from across Uzbekistan had gathered for a breakdancing tournament organized by local churches — an unusual bridge between faith and street culture. Most of the competitors came to win. One of them was a young man named Alisher. He did not expect to meet Jesus.
Alisher was raised Muslim, the son of a man who had died as a martyr for Islam. Faith, family honor, and identity were deeply intertwined in his life. But on that day, his focus was simple: the dance battle.
During the first round, Alisher injured his knee and was forced to stop dancing. Frustrated and disappointed, he sat in the crowd watching the rest of the competition.
When the event ended, American minister Pastor Meesh Fomenko was invited to speak briefly about Jesus. As he spoke, he suddenly paused.
“There’s someone here with pain in their left knee,” he said. “You’re a breakdancer, and God wants to heal you.”
The description was exact. Alisher stood up, stunned.
According to Fomenko, prayer followed— and the pain in the knee disappeared. “For him it was a moment he couldn’t explain,” Fomenko later said. “He realized that Jesus knew exactly who he was.” The moment shook him.
When an invitation was given for anyone who wanted to follow Jesus, Alisher walked forward. Fomenko assumed he was already a Christian coming to share what had happened.
He was wrong.
“I was a dancer,” Alisher said. “I had pain, and now I’m healed. I want to give my life to Jesus.”
Then he added something that stunned the room.
“I’m a Muslim.”
In that moment, twelve young men from Muslim backgrounds stepped forward to follow Christ.
In many parts of Central Asia, that decision carries real risk. Converts can face rejection from family, loss of community, and even threats to their safety.
Yet stories like Alisher’s are becoming increasingly common, according to Fomenko, who has ministered in nearly 60 countries.
He says many Muslims report encountering Jesus through dreams, visions, or moments they cannot explain.
“When people experience Jesus personally, everything changes,” he said.
The pastor who hosted the Uzbekistan gathering experienced the same thing. Raised Muslim and trained in Quranic teaching, he says he encountered Jesus in a dream that led him to Christianity. Today he pastors a growing church.
What began as a dance competition ended as something far more unexpected — a life-changing encounter.
Not a debate.
Not an argument.
An encounter with Jesus.
By Joseph Trujillo
