Long-time St. Lukan Paula Shields and her colleague Karin de Keijzer have worked for more than 20 years with Aglow International, a worldwide ministry to women. They live and work in Central Asia most of the year, making their homes in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Paula and Karin's team endeavors to provide Central Asian women with humanitarian, emotional, and spiritual help.  Their group has been honored by the Kazakhstan government for their efforts.  

The purpose of Aglow Ministries:

• To help believing and unbelieving women understand how valuable they are in God’s eyes.
• To experience God’s forgiveness and to learn how to forgive.
• To find freedom from sin and generational curses.
• To find their worthy place in life.

Healing of the Soul Groups

A three-month course based on Paula's book is used by Aglow workers to minister to Christians and seekers who still carry burdens of bitterness, pain, hatred, and shame. Over 3,000 women have completed this course. Recently groups for men have also been started.

Babushka Ministry

Babushka means ‘Grandma’. These are women in their 60’s, 70's and 80's. Many who have worked their whole lives have a pension of only $25USDa month.

The Babushka program

This provides financial help for the most needy in the society. Twice a month the ministry visits ten Babushkas and helps them with food. Over 300 of them have accepted the Lord and many are now part of a church.

Prison Ministries

Aglow has a team that goes into two prisons, one a Women’s prison and the other a Teen-age prison with girls 12 – 18 years of age. The team goes twice a month and many experience changed lives.

Computers for Prison

Aglow found a collection of computers, and was allowed to place them in the Teen-age Prison.

Village Ministry

Compassion is the force that moves us to get the gospel to the villages… “go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full” –Luke 14:23

Aglow has a beautiful magazine printed once a year and has distributed over 65,000 copies all over Central Asia and even into Russia. It is believed to be Kazakhstan's only Christian women's magazine.   

Paula has authored Healing of the Soul: God's Restoration from Life's Hurts with JoAnne Sekowsky, which has now been printed in 20 languages, the latest being Kazak, Burmese and Indonesian. Her team uses the book, plus the Study Guide she wrote to go with it, to bring healing and forgiveness. The Study Guide groups meet for a three-month period, and because of so many requests from men we now have groups for men and women. In the office in Almaty, there are 16 groups meeting each week, with between 8-10 in each group.  Some groups use the Russian language and others Kazak.  Paula and her team also go into churches to train their leaders to organize similar groups.

Healing of the Soul may be purchased for $7 (USD) by emailing the St. Luke's office at info@stlukesseattle.org .