March- Turkey!!
Population: 75.7 Million, Total Area: 301,382 sq. miles, slightly larger than Texas. (255 people per sq. mile)
Languages-Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Circassian, Armenian, Greek, Georgian, Ladino.
Religions- Muslim (mainly Sunni) 99%, other 1%
Weather- It’s getting colder! average highs in the mid 50s* and lows in the 40s*. Not really humid or windy. The coast has a mediterranean climate.
Approximately 60% of the names of the places mentioned in the Bible are in Turkey.
Fun Fact- Turkey has 2 of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the tomb of King Mausolus at Halicarnassus (Bodrum) and the temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
From the World Race- After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey was united in 1923 under Ataturk. Its location at the crossroads between Europe and Asia makes it an influential player in European and Middle Eastern politics and economy. Although there is no official religion, more than 99% of the Turkish people are Muslim. Istanbul has long been the headquarters of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but Christians still make up less than 0.2% of the population. The potential for outreach in this country is enormous. Come bring light to this beautiful nation of people who desperately need to personally experience the love of Jesus.
The country of turkey is the least evangelized nation on earth. One of the birthplaces of the church, it is now closed to the gospel and home of persecuted Christians. This month, I’ll take risks in sharing my faith. After digging a little more I found an old WR blog on turkey that said ” while we would love to share with you what you will be doing, we can’t for safety reasons. Just know- you’re not going to forget this experience.” gooooood #SafetyReasons
My connection: Although I’ve never been to Turkey my mom sure has! She has deployed to Incirlik AFB three times, and theres a good chance she will return in the future.
My most memorable Turkey deployment would be her 3 month leave my very 1st semester of college. It’s really rough being without mom. Think about it… moving hours away from home for the first time, no friends from high school, and even worse when your high school boyfriend of 2 1/2 years breaks up with you the week before you move in. I’m sure this goes without saying but I was a freshman mess fall 2009.
That fall I joined my sorority through formal recruitment (rush) the week before classes started. ZTA saved me from my hurting heart and helped me get through the pain of loneliness and heartbreak. My pledge sisters didn’t know about my mom being deployed or about my broken heart until a month or so into us all becoming friends. But I swear it’s like they already knew. We took care of each other, we bonded almost instantly and I know even now as we all go into our careers, finding true love, engagements, and going on year long mission trips around the world, I can call anytime and in an instant they will swoop in and take care of me. That’s what sisters are for.
#BlueMafia Whether its a couch to crash on in someones hometown, a bottle of wine and chocolates after a break up or someone to lean on when a tragedy happens, I know my sisters are always there. This is why I advocate for and support GREEK life. Without them I would have been alone in my burdens and pain. Thank GOD for ZTA. My mom saw that the Lord had provided women to protect me, love me and take care of me, before I even gave my life to Him. Whenever she talks about what Zeta means to her, she cries. She instantly goes to memories of that 1st semester and the initial fears and anxities any mother would face when sending their youngest and only girl off to college. After a few weeks into college I told her all about my new life, she felt comfort and her fears were washed away because she knew I had found a group of women who loved me back. Thank you Zeta Tau Alpha.
When she was able to call she would tell me about the Turkish people and how she and a few others from the base would venture out into Adana to shop or go sight seeing and try to take in the culture. She’s almost taken a camel to work , been questioned about the color of her skin (how’d it get so white?) and even visited cities mentioned in the bible like Antioch and Ephesus.
Beginning in August of 2011 Turkey has accepted over 400,000 Syrian refugees. Turkey has accommodated most of its Syrian refugees in tent cities in Hatay province. The Turkish Government underestimated the length and scale of the war in Syria and until recently welcomed most refugees into relatively comfortable living spaces. Compared to tents in the desert of Jordan (which are often blown away by sand storms) the standard of living in Turkish tents is high. Education and health services are usually provided by the Turkish government or Turkish NGOs. However, due to the massive number of refugees that have flocked to the border since 2011, some refugees are being refused entrance into Turkey while more camps are being constructed. Refugees waiting at the border are usually brought food and supplies and living communities are usually established just on the Syrian side of the border. Originally Turkey refused international aid, confident they could shoulder the burden of the refugees on their own. Recently, as the Turkish government has already spent $700 million, they have called for international assistance such as the establishment of a no-fly zone, movement of refugees to European nations, and financial assistance. Refugees with Syrian passports, which are hard to obtain due to the current state of the Syrian government, are free to enter Turkey and establish themselves anywhere in the country.
Possible Mission: Loving and serving Syrian refugees on the border of Turkey and Syria.
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Peace & Blessings,
Beth Milam
#Beth Beyond Borders #InTurkeyAsItIsInHeaven
“Then I heard the voice of The Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? And Who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here an I. SEND ME!”
Isaiah 6:8
