Declaring her Love for Jesus, Loud and Clear
When Rohila Mamatkulova stepped off the plane in Los Angeles, California just seven years ago, she carried more than her suitcase — she carried a story of quiet courage, a faith shaped in secret, and a heart full of hope. Raised in Margilan, Uzbekistan, her family belonged to an underground church movement in a country where openly practicing Christianity was life threatening. Worship took place behind closed doors, Bibles were hidden, and prayers were whispered. For Mamatkulova, faith was never something she took lightly, it was something she had to protect.
With a strong desire to relocate his family to the United States, Mamatkulova’s father obtained a religious visa and secured a job working for Gleanings for the Hungry, a nonprofit in the small town of Dinuba, California. Gleanings is a ministry of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and packages food later shipped worldwide to combat hunger. Here, Mamatkulova’s father began sharing his expertise in drying fruit, a skill he developed in Uzbekistan and one that matched well with Gleanings’ mission.
Assimilating to life in the United States was a difficult experience for the fourteen-year-old who arrived in America unfamiliar with English, but fluent in Uzbek and Russian. She began her eighth grade year in March of 2019 and spent much of her time quietly listening to others in the classroom, slowly picking up words and phrases. Over time, through observation and repetition she became more familiar with the language. Transferring to a Christian school and needing to repeat her eighth grade year, Mamatkulova met a kind and patient teacher who helped improve her reading, writing and speaking. With the teacher’s support and encouragement, she made tremendous progress, not only improving her English, but also feeling welcomed and understood in her new environment.
She also came to know the staff at Gleanings and spent much of her time serving there as well. It was there that the Mamatkulova family met a volunteer by the name Marilyn Koregelos who regularly serves at Gleanings with her church. Koregelos lives in Lincoln and also happens to be a Jessup donor. When it came time for Mamatkulova to attend college, the family settled on Jessup because of the faith-based curriculum and close proximity to Koregelos. “My parents thought it would be like having family nearby if I came to Jessup versus one of the universities I was accepted to in Southern California.”
This fall, Mamatkulova began her sophomore year as a business major with an emphasis in accounting. She was also part of the move-in team helping students settle into their residence halls on campus. “I remember how nervous I was moving in and meeting new people, so it’s fun to be able to help new students feel comfortable as they start the year.”
While attending Jessup, she especially enjoys the ability to freely share and expand her faith. “It’s inspiring because so many people I’m around love Jesus. Being here, having the ability to worship freely reminds me of how far I’ve come,” she said. “Reflecting back, it wasn’t that long ago I had to hide my faith and wasn’t able to say what I believed about God. Now I’m in a completely different environment, where I can profess my faith. It is such a blessing and one that has been so eye opening for me.”
