We arrived to our home for the month and were overjoyed to be in Istanbul, and were instantly excited about all that God might have for us this month. Multiple times throughout the first days different ones of us would notice the little ways that God would love on us in individualized ways.
One of the first things our contact did was send us on a Scavenger hunt to get familiar with the city. She followed by a language lesson, little cards with frequently used phrases and an orientation to Christian “work” in Turkey. (The M word is sensitive so we don’t use it publicly). Then she handed out a schedule of our month. A schedule!?!? We definitely haven’t seen one of these anytime on the Race. All in all it was almost like a mini Re-Entry to life in the US.
Our time here so far has held a great deal of variety which we have appreciated.
English Club: Two nights a week we take the ferry and a tram 2 hours to a side of town that is more traditional and Kurdish. Then for 3 hours we try our best to converse with the people who come. We’re separated by gender. Apparently the men have a higher level of English and it’s been exciting to hear that there have been so many gospel centered conversations. Upstairs the women occasionally are able to talk about our prayer lives or ask questions about their faith. Mostly we struggle to understand anything they’re trying to say. But we feel the love, and that the women who come have enjoyed meeting us and understanding what they can about our lives.
Street Evangelism: Once a week we partner with the Taco team, group of people who use creative arts to tell the gospel. They have shown me how straightforward the work can be. They start with music or dance to draw some kind of crowd, then they move onto a skit of some sort to invite conversation. Our first day out we did the “Everything” skit by Lifehouse and bruised Kari up, but it led to many different conversations. Most of us didn’t find any English speakers, but those who spoke some Turkish were able to converse. Then mid-week we partner with another group and use sketch-boarding to gather a crowd. Some things I’ve noticed the couple times we’ve gone out, is how challenging it is to focus on telling someone the gospel and not go on a rabbit trail about why we’re here and who we are. Something said by our leader helped me gain some perspective. The metaphor for evangelism is of a farmer who sows a great number of seeds, expecting that some will fall by the wayside, but some will fall in fertile soil. We do not understand all the parts of the process when Jesus draws someone to himself, but we believe that he orchestrates every step of the journey. So in some sense it’s expected that at first telling people will often not believe. But having heard, they may respond by investigating further or becoming curious. We don’t know the condition of the person we proclaim the gospel to, we just try to be clear. It’s oddly different from how one goes about making a friend. At the same time there’s a relief about having so clear a focus. That my purpose for being there is to tell someone the gospel, and the person having heard is accountable to God for how he or she responds. In a way we are at peace in the face of someone who’s immediate reaction is rejection of the message, trusting that God knows the way to a man’s heart, but at least now he’s heard. We do our best to understand the obstacles and try to remove them. We plant the seed and trust the process and trust that we are only part of it. It’s shown several of us that it’s doable and we are thinking about ways to continue this in the States.
BCC Packing: I don’t know entirely the background, but once a week we mail packages to spiritual seekers all over Turkey. It takes us the entire morning, and it’s a wonderful ministry. We put together literature, videos, and information regarding churches to those who have sought to know more. We heard a story of Iran in the 70s, where a ministry heard the Spirit prompting them to send lots of literature. They did, sending about a million Bibles and within a year and a half the Shah was deposed and the country became Islamic fundamentalist where Christianity was persecuted. At that time there were 250 known believers, because of the persecution and Bibles, there are now 2-3 million who had come to believe in light of seeing the way their country was justifying its actions in the name of religion.
Listening Prayer: In June there is going to be a conference of Christian Workers from all over Turkey. We were given a list of them to pray over, and to write down whatever words or prayers we sense from the Lord. As we look a the list we recognize that God is sending many workers to Turkey, as the indigenous church still does not have much of a missions movement.
Refugee Mom & Tots: Once a week we go to a church near Taksim Square and volunteer with a program that serves refugee women with children. There are women from nearby countries, who are usually split into 3 groups, the Farsi-speaking, French speaking, and English speaking. There is a nurse where they can get health check-ups, a prenatal class, and they can also get supplies like diapers, milk and clothes. As we talk to the women we learn how challenging their transition here is. Some of the women have left behind other children and try to send money back. I’ve mainly gotten to talk briefly with women from Nigeria and Cameroon.
Selçuk Ministry: This last week we are at a conference center near the ancient city of Ephesus. We took a very nice bus for 11 hours to get here. Along the way there were plenty of stops, tea, coffee, snacks, ice-cream, and water. Ministry here these 3 days involves different projects on the grounds so far we’re collecting weeds and rocks, plumbing, and moving bricks. It’s run by these two Korean women. One has been here 30 years and the other 6 years. Our first night here was the tale end of a conference. After that we each got our own rooms…well except for Ben and Kari because they’re married.
(Amphitheater where Acts 19:23-41 happened)
Photo Credit: Josh Mackey
Talk at an International School: We gave a short talk sharing our experience these last 10+ months at a school of mostly MK’s. afterward we had some conversations with them and they are the most international people I’ve ever met. They have relatives in countries I’ve never heard of and during the summer they go to America, or sometimes they do service trips to other parts of the world.
The team as usual has had it’s bout with illness. Phil had fever, chills and headache early in the month, then Ben had nausea. Last week, Josh, Kari and Kayla also got sick. Meanwhile Alexis had a stuffy nose, and I dealt with headache, fatigue and a sore throat. I asked for prayer before our trip to Ephesus, and it looks like we’re all feeling much better, though a couple of us still have fatigue. I ask God for rest often, especially on nights after English club because we go from 10 am until 11 p.m. It’s easy for me to lose my enthusiasm for ministry when I’m tired. Being tired, but having to keep going happens often on the Race and is typically the time I ask God for the right heart and attitude. I have many friends who are moms who sympathize with me.
At our first orientation, we were challenged with this question: If all of your prayers up to now were answered, would the nations be changed or would your life be just a little more comfortable?
All in all this month I’ve been more emboldened and thankful for all we’re seeing and experiencing here.
