Today, church planting has come to play an increasing role in the life of OM in Turkey, a country that even in 2019 is still known in mission circles as the ‘most unreached nation in the world’.

One church plant in the East of Turkey—an area best known for its apricot orchards—is a gateway for ministry in the entire region.

“We moved to [the East] specifically because it is literally surrounded by provinces which have little to no access to the gospel. Also, the church is a thriving church, which really wants to reach other provinces for the gospel and is a sending church. We wanted to be part of that vision to send locals and plant churches in every unreached part of the country, particularly in the East,” said worker Berni*, who grew up in Turkey.

After going abroad for university, Berni said the Lord nudged him back toward Turkey—first through some friends that asked him to translate for a Turkish ministry overseas and later to be a representative at a children’s camp facilitated by the same ministry. While there, “the Lord opened my eyes to see the Turkish people, as Jesus said, ‘like sheep without a shepherd.’ I felt that the Lord had blessed me with the language and that I should obey the commandment in Matthew 28 and go!”

Berni’s wife, Carla*, originally wanted to serve amongst the Japanese and studied Japanese literature to help her reach them. But whilst headed to join an outreach in a Muslim country in 2008, Carla’s team got diverted to Istanbul when a war started in their original destination. Hosted by a local family, Carla prayed every day for opportunities to talk to them about Jesus. Those moments made her decide to serve in Turkey instead of Japan, and she returned not long after the outreach.

Berni met Carla in Turkey, and the two got married. “It is wonderful to serve with a person who loves Turkey!” he shared.

“The East is the new frontier for the work as there are millions and millions of people in the East without access to the gospel. So many provinces around us have no churches, no believers and no workers,” Berni explained. “In addition to this, we love the people of this area. They are just so warm and friendly, and you can have a gospel conversation with just about anyone! Why not follow where the Spirit is already in motion?”

Seeing the boldness of new Turkish believers has encouraged Berni in his ministry. One brother, Kadri*, had become disillusioned with Islam when he was 12 years old. A professed atheist, he also led many friends to quit their belief in Islam. Eventually, Kadri met another believer from the church who shared the gospel with him. Though Kadri thought it was ‘crazy talk’, he started having dreams where he heard God tell him, “I am real.” After 30 days of the same dream, Kadri went online to find something about Christianity that he could make fun of. Instead, he found an article on the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

“He has never been the same,” Berni described. “He has since shared the gospel with more than 500 people online and continues to preach the gospel with veracity everywhere he goes.”

A somber history

Despite the growth of the church in the East today, the region has a somber history. On April 18, 2007, three men were murdered for their faith in one of the cities.

During the period between 2004 and 2007, workers living there had seen incredible developments. There was a whole family of believers in one city. The children of this believing family married believing brothers and began to serve around the area.

A publishing house was continuously distributing the good news message in many cities as well, with workers seeking to share the gospel and establish churches in many eastern cities.

Of course, all this activity was not overlooked. Police officers continually stopped the brothers in their activities. In many places, there were good and loving officers, some of whom were interested in the church. But there were also those who hated what was going on.

Suddenly, after the murders in 2007, there was almost no one left in the church in the East. Most of the foreigners had to leave, based on the pressure from their mission companies or from their own fears. Local believers were also dispersed.

Still, the dream of seeing the gospel spread in the East of Turkey continued. Before Berni and Carla even arrived, other workers had been praying for many years that this province would become a sending base for foreign and local believers alike.

“The Lord has shown us that as we have been transparent about who we are and what we are doing…, people are more likely to open up and ask about Jesus,” Berni said.

New life

Praise God in the last 12 months, there have been two visible churches planted in eastern cities! One church is currently run by partners, and the workers in a nearby city do BCC follow up for them. The second church is a direct plant born from a partnership of a local church and OM. Currently the building is not big enough to house the entire church for Sunday meetings. The church would like a bigger place to fit all the believers and interested people into one space. The planting church hopes to send a local couple to the new church in order to do evangelism and discipleship in the next couple of months.

Berni and Carla continue to pray for more foreign and local workers in order to plant visible churches in two other eastern cities before the end of 2019. Meanwhile, they meet with people who have requested New Testaments from the BCC and tell them about Jesus. They also do street evangelism and meet new people who are interested in Jesus and then become believers. “We attempt to immediately have them preach the gospel to their friends and family and be in community with other believers,” Berni said. “We want there to be nobody in our area who does not know that there are Christians who they can find out more about Jesus from.”

*name changed for security

Within Turkey, Tunceli is a very different place as it consists of religious and ethnic minorities that have Christian roots. After incidents in the early part of the 20th century, many of these people went into hiding and were too afraid to find out more about Jesus. Some are even outright Alevi Muslims now. This history translates to a modern-day mostly agnostic population, of whom a high percentage do not care about Jesus.

In 2018, there was a Turkey AfriAsia Creative Outreach (TACO) outreach to Tunceli with some fantastic musical and theatrical elements. Alevi people love the arts and, miraculously, permissions to do this outreach were given by the municipality. In the East, these things can be very difficult. Many people gathered to watch the show, perhaps 600 or so in total.

A group of five or six young men were there making fun of the show. Atheists, they were joking about how silly it was that Christians would come and talk about 'religion' in their area. Carla and Berni had the opportunity to speak to these youths for five hours. They spoke of all kinds of things: the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the moral argument, teleology and the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Several local brothers also shared their testimonies. The young guys said: “Our teachers ('Dedes' who are said to have descended from Ali, the prophet Mohammed's nephew) don't teach us about these things!”  Berni asked if they could meet for tea the next day.

Lo and behold, the young men all turned up the next morning. Two of them said that they had seen Jesus in their dreams and were baptised. However, they promptly left for another province to study at university and Tunceli went back to having zero believers again.

However, in the last month the Lord has again been working miraculously, and there are now 12 believers in Tunceli! There are so many, a meeting space needed to be rented, and now there is a hope to have some 25 people attending on Sundays. The Lord can do the impossible.

*name changed

As the team sat drinking tea, Fayima’s husband asked many questions about Jesus. In recent weeks, Fayima and her husband (and his second wife) all started attending a church and learning more about Jesus. That is all a miracle in itself, but what made this story stand out to the team was Fayima’s dream.

Before escaping Syria, Fayima was alone one night with her four children, afraid of the approaching war outside. As she fell asleep, she dreamt of a man — a religious man — she called him a ‘sheikh’. He was wearing a shepherd’s cloak and held a staff in one hand and a big open book in other. She didn’t know if this book was the Quran or another religious book. The man said to her: “Do not be afraid. I am with you and will keep you safe.”  Then He said: “In four or five years I will show you the light.” She woke up and felt full of peace but did not understand what the dream had meant.

It has been four full years since she left Syria. Fayima and her family are now in their fifth year since this dream and now she has seen the Light!

Please pray that all those in this household, including the children, will come into a living relationship with Jesus.

*name changed

These days I only count one hat in my wardrobe. Nevertheless I have the feeling that I am changing hats all the time. My different roles make me do so.

Of course our roles change and increase as we grow up. Back home I had different roles, but it seems they were separated more clearly, while now they overlap a lot. 

Let me picture my life before coming to the field…
Without thinking about it I would have my ‘wife-hat’ and ‘mom-hat’ ready next to my bed. As Mark was at work the ‘wife-hat’ would be less visible while the ‘mom-hat’ would merge together with my ‘housewife-hat’. Both of these would be jumping up and down as the children’s music echoed in the living room. They would fly away to be picked up by the boys while doing the shopping by bike. They would have spots of paint on them during times of art. I would grasp my ‘friend-hat’ as my friend came with her kids to play and drink tea. The days I went to work I took my ‘good-colleague-hat’, the hours I went to volleyball I had my ‘sports-hat’, but as soon I was home my ‘mom-and-wife-hat’ were there again. Of course it is never as black and white…but times were more structured for sure.  

Today it is different. Although I count only one hat in my wardrobe these days, I actually have a whole collection of another nature. Here a selection of the many:

‘wife-hat’, ‘mom-of-teens-hat’, ‘mom-of-a-preteen-hat’, ‘primary-school-teacher-hat’, ‘school-coach-hat’, ‘mentor-hat’, ‘friend-hat’, ‘teammate-hat’, ‘reaching-out-to-people-hat’, ‘youth-group-leader-hat’, ‘part-of-the-field-leadership-team-hat’, ‘jump-in-the-gap-hat’ and many more…

Seeing all the colours can make you want to dress up. You try one, take it off and take a new one.

In my life, changing hats happens often and quick. Times are not clearly set and are not always known beforehand. Almost every hat asks for a different approach; a different tone and way of speaking—sometimes even a different language. Sometimes it is fun. Sometimes it is not. Sometimes it works well, other times I fail. To be more aware of my different roles, and how they can change over the day, makes a huge difference in if, and how, I succeed.

I have experienced that as the amount of hats increase, some basic rules are important:

• I need to be more conscious with setting times.

• Some of my roles may overlap for a while or even merge together. But at times I need to stick to one hat and keep myself from taking another one at the same time.

• Sometimes my hat needs to be seen by people/my children, other times it is okay when it is just me who knows.

• I need to remind myself that I am created by God and built for a purpose.

These guidelines help me to be more focused, to say ‘no’ if needed, experience peace and keep enjoying the different hats. 

As I started this new season, with my known hats and some new ones, God gave me this verse:

“…that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy;” – Colossians 1:10-11 (World English Bible) (emphasis mine)

I feel encouraged. It is not me doing it, God will strengthen me with His power, to all patience and perseverance. And this with joy! Yes, I want to dress myself with different hats and I want to enjoy them. 

Loïs and Mark dreamt about travelling the world in a VW-van, but God asked them if they were willing to go to "the ones who will not hear if nobody goes." They, with their three sons, live among the Turks.

During a visit to five towns in March, Murat visited Chaldean families from Iraq who have sought refuge in Turkey. One hundred years ago, their ancestors had to flee from religious persecution in Turkey. After peaceful decades in Iraq, they now find themselves back in Turkey after fleeing from ISIS. Because of ethnic discrimination, the men cannot find regular work. When they do, they receive little pay without an agreed salary. If they question this practice, they’re not employed again. Because of the costs, often only one child in a family can attend school. Boys are threatened with circumcision by the religious teacher. Teenage girls face a very real danger of rape and violation.

As a regular visitor, Murat has built friendships and earned people’s trust. He is helped by a local refugee Chaldean man who has become a believer and is baptized. Sadly, his children don’t go to school, and he and his family wait and hope for a visa from another country. 
 
In two of the five towns, Murat visits a meeting room where Farsi-speaking refugees and Turkish believers have fellowship. In the other towns there is no local fellowship yet, so when Murat comes, people gather in a house. Sometimes there are two meetings a day in the same house, with 60 to 70 people at each meeting! Each of them wants to hear, and they listen carefully to God’s Word. They ask Murat, “Please come more often, even without the grocery vouchers that you bring!”
 
There are also Yazidi families who listen to the message when Murat and his friend visit them in their homes. During one visit, Murat shared God’s Word and gave out some pre-paid supermarket cards. Murat spoke afterwards to a young man, told him about Jesus and explained who John the Baptist was. The man listened carefully, then wanted to pray and accept Jesus. He was really grateful to get a Bible in Arabic. Please pray that more people will meet with Jesus in a powerful way.
 
In five days, Murat distributed 400 Bibles! Think of how much could be done if Murat had more people join him to share the workload There is especially an urgent need for Arabic-speaking worker families in each of the five towns that Murat visits. Murat has been visiting these five towns for four years with no co-workers. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few!

Is God speaking to you about this need? Visit www.om.org for details about how to serve overseas with OM.

*Name changed for security

The headmaster at Jacob and Lena’s school is working hard to create a good healthy teaching environment, and one week he stressed the importance of teachers not lying or gossiping. On the Sunday that Jacob and Lena and the other believers read in James about the importance of taking control over their tongues, Lena decided to share the Scriptures with her headmaster as an act of obedience.

It took Lena some courage to go to her Muslim headmaster and share what she had read from the Bible. God provided excellent timing, and Lena was able to tell her headmaster that every Sunday she and some friends read the Bible. They had just read from a book called James that says that we should control our tongues.

“I was reminded of your teaching to staff, about the importance of not gossiping or lying,” Lena said. “I appreciate that you teach us well. You teach us biblical truths, and I am very grateful for that!"

The headmaster was surprised, but he had a huge smile when he thanked Lena for the positive words.

*Name changed for security

Sana's husband Delavan* had gotten up early to go to work one day. After drinking his morning Arabic coffee, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. Just then, he saw a bright light came in through the window and shine on his face. He put his hands under his chin in prayer and said, “Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord.” Again the bright light came in and this time went into his heart. He heard a voice say, “I am Jesus Christ.” He put his hands up again to say thank you Lord but as he opened his mouth he felt something happen inside him. “The Muslim inside of me died and Jesus took him away. And in its place was this bright light in my heart… a new life had entered me!” Delavan said.

Later that day, when he got home from work, he told his wife and said they needed to go to church. The believers at church rejoiced with Delavan and asked Sana if she believed. Sana said she wasn’t ready.

Three days later Sana was lying in bed with her husband sleeping on one side of her and her daughter sleeping on the other. She felt as if there was darkness all over her arms and prayed, “God, please take this darkness from me.” Just then she saw herself (she wasn’t asleep) walking on top of a very old building. The building was broken and falling apart and as she was about to fall, a man wearing bright white, and light coming from his face and eyes, plucked her up by her shoulders and put her in a different place. She again found herself on the bed and wondered where she had been. After this she too became a believer.

Praise God that Delavan and Sana believe! Pray for them as they learn more about God and what it means to be a Christian. Pray for more Muslims to encounter Christ through dreams. 

*Name changed

Muslim ideas of what God is like are very different from the Christian view and often they realise the difference when discussing his character. Marcella and her roommate talked about who Paul was and shared the story with the driver of how Paul met God on a journey.       

As they continued the journey, Marcella asked him, "Bir soru soruyabilir miyim, Abi? ("Can I ask you a question, big brother?") He agreed, so she took the opportunity to ask him how Allah loves people. Marcella told him that God loves people like a father and loves them so much that He has a close relationship with each person who knows Him. The taxi driver told them he also believed that Allah cared about people, and they talked about what God was like. There was no incredible spiritual breakthrough, but it was the first time that Marcella was able to talk extensively about the good news in Turkish, and she was encouraged!

*Name changed

Pray for 'everyday life' opportunities to share the gospel. 

After the baby was born, one of the girls in the team visited Rada, communicating with her in limited Turkish, and gave her the “Jesus Film” in Arabic. Three weeks later, the team returned to Rada’s house and asked her what she thought of the movie.

Rada started asking very good questions: "Is Jesus really the Son of God?" "Why did Jesus die on the cross?"

God gave the team the right answers for Rada. She drank in everything they said and seemed to understand clearly. One of the team members told Rada that, when she was ready, she could ask Jesus to come into her heart. Rada asked what that meant.

A team member shared a short prayer Rada could use to profess her faith in Jesus as her Saviour. Upon hearing the prayer, Rada announced, “I want to pray this prayer!”

Then her baby cried; the phone rang; everything happened at once. But once it calmed down, Rada again said that she wanted to pray the prayer.

So she did! Suddenly, she began to search for something on her laptop; no one could understand what she wanted.

After a few minutes, Rada clarified: “I know stories about Jesus from the Qu’ran, but I want to read the stories about Him from the Bible.”

The team had hoped to give her an Injil (New Testament) that day, so they had one with them and presented it to Rada. One of the girls paged through the Injil, explaining about the different books. Meanwhile, Rada was absorbed, trying to read whatever words she could see as they flipped through the book. The team asked if the Injil would be a problem for her husband. With a big smile, Rada assured them it would not cause any trouble.

Pray for Rada to read Scripture and understand more of God’s heart for her. Pray that the OM team will continue to develop relationships with Rada and her husband and be able to disciple them well.

 *Name changed for security

When they did, Şenay said, "I have always wondered what the Bible says." Mary took the opportunity to explain the message of the gospel in a nutshell showing her Romans 4 and how we are justified through faith in Jesus. Şenay kept saying, "That is so beautiful!!" She added, "In Islam people try to earn their way to God, but they can never make it. But for you, you receive salvation as a free gift from God. I would love to read the New Testament and meditate on what it says." She was thrilled to receive a New Testament. Pray for Şenay and her family to receive the free gift of salvation.

Pray for women like her to receive the message of the gospel in their hearts and enter into relationship with Jesus, the Saviour of the world.

*Name changed

The tank story

“This is my best story,” Caleb said, sitting down to dinner at a hotel in Turkey. “I call it ‘The tank story.’”

On one of Caleb’s round-the-country trips, he decided to stop in a particular province where the BCC had a handful of contacts in its database. “We call them, but unfortunately, none of them are available. They’re all on holiday,” Caleb recounted.

However, he knew another man living in the area who had previously been connected to someone sharing about Jesus. “So I call him up, and he says, ‘Yes, yes, yes. I’m available. Please come.’”

“Normally I don’t go to a province for one person, but this guy I knew was a legitimate lead,” Caleb explained.

As soon as he pulled into town, however, plainclothes police pulled his car over. Caleb said he wasn’t worried as the area was known for being somewhat difficult to travel through.

“There’s been a complaint about your car. We need to search it,” a policeman announced.

Caleb and everyone in the car got out, waiting for the police to search the vehicle. One policeman grabbed Caleb’s satchel and opened it, finding it full of New Testaments and Christian tracts.

“His eyes widen … and he says, ‘OK, you guys are going to have to wait,’” Caleb recalled.

The policeman picked up his phone, and within a few minutes, a military tank and two additional police vehicles rolled up to Caleb’s car. “We’re surrounded by 25 policemen, and they say, ‘We’re going to have to search your car again,’” Caleb said.

When they opened Caleb’s trunk, the policemen found 25 New Testaments. “How many New Testaments do you have?” they demanded.

“I’m not sure,” Caleb responded.

Just then, another military personnel appeared, carrying a separate tract in his hand. “I’ve read this!” he told Caleb.

“That’s very interesting.”

“I got it from my brother. He’s a student at university.”

Caleb quickly realised that he had spoken to the man’s brother on the phone. “We weren’t planning to meet, but the Lord had other plans.”

As Caleb and the others waited, they heard whispers floating around between the policemen: “Should we arrest them?” “No, he has a family. Let him go.”

“The best part of the story is that eventually the police left us alone,” Caleb continued. “But before they left, two policemen … said, ‘We’re going to have to take some New Testaments for our own personal research.’”

After the tank and the police cars dispersed, Caleb called his contact again, thinking that he probably wouldn’t want to meet after all the attention he had just received. Often, when police are involved, locals are hesitant to be seen with foreigners, Caleb noted. But this man’s interest in Jesus trumped his concern about the police interaction—he had waited for two hours in the café they were going to meet up in!

“We had a phenomenal conversation with him about Jesus,” Caleb said.

“If what you say is true about the resurrection, I have to change everything about my life,” the man concluded.

Love your enemies

Another time, on a separate trip, Caleb received a call from Ahmet*. “He lives in this tiny, tiny village in the middle of nowhere on top of a mountain,” Caleb described.

“Please, please come visit me,” Ahmet invited over the phone.

Since everyone in the village knew everyone else, Caleb’s contact felt like he wouldn’t be able talk in a public meeting space, so Ahmet eventually invited Caleb to his home.

“We go to his house—a very traditional house. We then go to one side of the house, and the women go to the other side of the house,” Caleb said. Sitting in the living room in front of Ahmet’s extended family, Caleb tried to gauge the situation. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing to upset the family or to put himself in danger.

“I’m just asking the Lord what do I do. It feels like we’re here for no reason. I can’t share the gospel,” he recalled. Then suddenly the tone of conversation changed. The family he had visited started talking about all the problems they had experienced and how they hated the people who had persecuted them for many years. “[Then] the Lord gives me these words: Love your enemies.”

Caleb addressed the men in front of him: “God’s Word says you’re supposed to love your enemies.”

“How can we love our enemies? This is not possible,” the family countered, outraged at the suggestion.

“Do you have a problem with me, or do you have a problem with God?” Caleb ventured.

Ahmet’s father broke the silence. “If we loved our enemies, we wouldn’t have any,” he stated. “Why don’t you tell us about this Incil (The New Testament) of yours, which you claim has not been changed?”

That invitation opened the way for Caleb “to tell these ten men in the middle of nowhere about Jesus.

“We still have a good relationship with these people, and we’ve seen Ahmet a number of times since then,” Caleb said. “Pray that the Lord would continue to work in their lives.”

‘I don’t believe in coincidence’

In another town, Caleb was introduced to Doruk*, a friend-of-a-friend, who was an agnostic from a Sunni Muslim background. “His family struggled with him being an agnostic,” Caleb noted.

During conversation, Doruk frequently refuted Caleb’s spiritual statements, “giving the standard response you would expect from someone who was a Muslim and became agnostic,” Caleb said.

Finally, Caleb mentioned the resurrection of Jesus and gave Doruk a book about the topic. “I didn’t think he would read it,” he admitted.

A couple weeks later, Caleb received a phone call. Doruk had finished the book and was contemplating its message. The next day, he had gone to a DVD store—a shop containing low quality, pirated films. After Doruk selected the movies he wanted to purchase, the shop keeper offered to give him a few extra film files for free. At home, Doruk watched some of the movies, including one called “Risen.”

“I think I have to believe now,” Doruk told Caleb. “I don’t believe in coincidence. I think God is trying to show me that Jesus is risen.”

Pray that the Turkish men Caleb talked to will continue to learn more about Jesus. Pray that they will receive follow-up from other believers and make a decision to follow Christ.

*Name changed for security

Nicole James is a world traveller and writer for OM International. She’s passionate about partnering with believers to communicate the ways God is working across the globe.

Alan and his two friends contacted Mark*, a Bible Correspondence Course contact who had received a Bible. Mark invited three of his friends to meet with the visiting believers. During the visit, the OMers quickly learned that from the age of 18, Mark had abandoned the majority religion for atheism. Well into the early hours of the morning, the workers tried to answer Mark’s questions, but his mocking questions and unbelief seemed endless. Before they left, Alan and his friends prayed that God would show himself to Mark and make it clear that He exists.

Back in Istanbul Alan was surprised to receive a call from Mark. “I want to be a Christian, what do I need to do?” Mark asked. He had gone to sleep after Alan and the others left his city, and in a dream, he had seen a person come to him. He knew automatically deep down that it was Jesus. 

The day after the phone call, early in the morning Mark called again: “Last night He came to me again. This time He even knew my name! He called me, but I couldn’t reach him. When can we start studying the Bible together?”

Though he hadn't been willing before, after the dream, Mark was keen to study the Bible with Alan over the phone or skype. In the following days, God totally transformed Mark’s life. One day he called Alan, almost in tears, saying how guilty he felt that for many years he had convinced so many of his friends to be atheists.

Now almost every evening Mark gathers his friends together in his city in eastern Turkey, reading the Bible with them and urging them to consider Jesus, the one who died for them.

*Name changed for security

Özlem* contacted the BCC several months ago. One of the follow-up people met with her and answered some of her many questions. She continued to work through the correspondence courses, devour the books she was given and communicate with the BCC through WhatsApp messages. After she read the book 90 Questions she was eager to ask her BCC follow-up contact even more questions. She and two of her friends started going to a local church where they attended the Plan of Salvation course.

Fatma* was very open when she first met her BCC follow-up person. She said she wanted to be baptized – even though she didn't exactly know what that meant. They talked about creation, salvation, the Lord's supper, what God's commands are and baptism. Fatma enthusiastically asked about all of these things and the BCC person was happy to try and answer her questions. They met on a regular basis and she continued to read the Bible and pray. When Fatma considered attending church, the BCC team put her in touch with the church closest to her home and prayed that God would protect her as she searched for the truth. The team thought that Fatma really needed a good knowledge of God's Word so that she would be ready to make a firm commitment when the time came. She and her daughter eventually began to attend a church which they liked very much. At the pastor's home, with the BCC contact, Fatma made a commitment of faith in Jesus and continues to grow in her faith.

When Dicle* contacted the BCC through the chat line she was connected with Edona*, one of the regular BCC follow-up personnel in Istanbul, and the two started messaging each other regularly. Dicle was very hungry to know more about God and started reading the New Testament. She soon began to attend a local church in her area and came to faith in Jesus! Her mother, siblings, and aunts have rejected her because of her faith but her husband supports her. Edona and Dicle still meet up from time to time. She goes regularly to meetings at her church and recently brought her cousin to church and asked for prayer for her. She is so thankful for her contact with the BCC and wants to visit the office sometime and say thank you.

Pray for the many women like Özlem, Fatma and Dicle in Turkey who are searching to find and know a God of Love. They are often in very difficult situations with many barriers to cross in order to follow Jesus.

*Name changed

Eileen thought about the political changes happening in Turkey, thinking she had neither the faith nor capacity to lead a project to reach every home in the country. But she believed she could find teams to go to each of Turkey’s 81 provinces to do literature distribution and evangelism in a bold, public way.

With that, The 1881 Project was born with a vision to see each of the country’s 81 provinces engaged over an 18-month period. Starting in July 2011, the project also helped commemorate the Bible Correspondence Course’s (BCC) 50th anniversary in 2012.

Local staff at the BCC relayed one experience to Eileen. “Four of them travelled to a province in the southeast,” she reminisced. “They were two Turks, an Armenian and a Kurd—an expression of the gospel itself! While doing literature distribution and sharing with people, they met the priest from the local mosque who was excited by what he heard and invited the team to stay at his house. They shared for hours with him when, at 21:00, he jumped up and said, ‘Oh no; I forgot about my Qur’an class! Would you come to the mosque and tell them the things you are telling me?’ They went with him and shared from the Scriptures with nine curious Muslims until after 1:00 in the morning.”

Prepare, but pay attention

Eileen, team leader of TACO, a creative arts ministry, excited her team about the project too. One team member built the website, the1881project.org, to track progress. TACO had recently created a show using Turkish music, theatre and folk dance that told the story of Abraham and Sarah, ending with a bold proclamation of Jesus being the final sacrifice. In support of The 1881 Project, they took the show around the Marmara region and engaged every province in that region.

“It was the first time we had done what we ended up calling ‘The Holy Spirit Tour,’” said Alan*, a long-termer worker with TACO. “We spent every morning in prayer and worship; in the afternoon and evening, we’d stop to perform anywhere we felt the Holy Spirit was telling us to.”

As the team’s van bumped down the gangplank on their way to Çanakkale, Alan felt from the Lord that they should stop and perform on the seafront nearby. The team was dubious, since there didn't seem to be a soul in sight, but Alan was adamant. So the team set up their stage, put their costumes on and took their instruments out, even though there was only one woman on a park bench. The team began with a few Turkish pop songs to draw a crowd of about 25. After they played, the team engaged with the crowd, offering tracts, New Testaments and a short survey for those who wanted more information.

Two girls on the team noticed the woman on the park bench crying, so they approached her. They were stunned by her story: She had been sitting waiting, her ankles already weighted, to throw herself off the pier and commit suicide. She had been thinking, “No one cares about me, even God.” Imagine: At that moment, people pour out of a van in front of her, perform a play, and the soundtrack asks, “Do you think that no one cares about you, and even God doesn’t care about you, like He did about Abraham?” The woman then prayed to receive the Lord.

The website map started out grey, and as each story poured in, Eileen would post it, turning the province red. Hundreds of people joined the vision in intercession, receiving prayer requests every 18 days, with some attending a live prayer meeting in Istanbul every 81 days.

In December 2012, the website map became completely red when the last province was engaged. Yet, many who had participated weren’t willing for the project to end. One church in South Africa sent representatives to Eileen to deliver the message that it needed to happen all over again. So, in 2014 the project launched for the second time; in 2016, the provinces are turning gold through a special year of prayer to ask God how He wants to use The 1881 Project in the future. We think something special might be in store for 2018.

The 1881 Project invites you to join them in Turkey from 14-18 July 2018 for what will be an historical outreach. They are praying for 140-150 people, who, after a few days of orientation, prayer and worship, will spread throughout Turkey in 24 teams of 4-6 people, led by experienced workers or national believers. To learn more, contact info@the1881project.org.

*Name changed

Aylin Mardin has worked with OM in Turkey for more than 30 years. She’s been involved in church planting in three cities and the development of Turkish worship on a national level. Together with her husband, Aylin has worked to develop the ministry of the Bible Correspondence Course, which has birthed other ministries such as The 1881 Project and Taco, a ministry creatively proclaiming the gospel to Muslims.

Instead of pioneering teams, new OM recruits now filter into existing teams, where they gain requisite experience and learn to share Jesus with the least reached. This organised method offers accountability and often mentorship to emerging missionaries. However, it leaves little room for risk-taking and innovation. What happens when God’s leading doesn’t follow protocol?

Invitation to innovate

At OM’s church planting (CP) school in summer 2015, friends Max*, Kelly* and Elena*—workers in their late 20s—experienced a shift in their missions methodology. Together, they moved from focusing on planting one church to thinking about starting a movement of multiple churches.

“Looking at the number [of churches] in Turkey and how much time, money and effort has gone into making one church, we thought, ‘We don’t have enough time for that!’” Kelly explained.

OM workers in the Muslim world are encouraged (or required) to attend the CP school during their first two years on the field. Max, Kelly and Elena were nearing the completion of their first two-year term on a creative arts evangelism team when they travelled to the training.

“A little bit of a principle we have is that within the first two years [on the field], you need to find a place in the future where you can support an existing team or you find another team, which you can be a part of and whose vision you can embrace. Or, if you can’t do that, you start a new team,” explained Macon*, who was the OM field leader for Turkey at the time.

Through conversations with the three before and during the CP school, Macon noted “a sort of discontentment in their hearts” regarding their ministry in Turkey. “I wanted them first to see if there’s another place they could participate, but really the Lord was taking them elsewhere,” he said. “So I encouraged them in that.”

“Macon asked us, ‘Would you want to start a team?’” Max said. “At first we were like, ‘No,’ because it sounded like a lot of work.”

However, as they continued through the CP school, hearing about examples of disciple making movements (DMM) around the world, they considered how they could apply the principles to their context in Turkey.

Six months later, they started a team.

Millennials in mission

“At first, they were quite nervous,” Macon described. “I said, ‘If you want to start a new team, it’s OK if you fail.”

“The only way we’re going to do better and see movements is by stepping out, doing things differently than we’ve done in the past and encouraging those who are wanting to do it.”

In 2015, OM hadn’t yet verbalised its mission to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached. But Max, Kelly and Elena’s goal of sparking a multiplying movement of churches “fitted very much in terms of what we wanted to do [as a field],” Macon said.

When OM released its statement the following year, “it felt like a confirmation,” Kelly explained.

“It helps us vision cast with people in our field who are wondering how they can put this vision into practice,” Elena added.

“Historically OM has actually empowered young people. That’s the way we started: It was a bunch of university students who went out and decided they wanted to change the world. When we first came to the field, we were 25 and 26, and people trusted us with new responsibilities. … As a field, I realised we were very slow to give responsibility to people who hadn’t proved themselves, people who hadn’t had experience. I wanted [to] do something different. Let’s give people a chance. People trusted me; I want to put trust in others. … I thought [letting three millennials start a new DMM team] was one way we could liberate them and give them space to learn.”

Sometimes, providing that space wasn’t easy. “It was hard for us to get them to write a ministry plan,” Macon remembered. “Part of our job was to help them figure out what they wanted.”

“It wasn't hard for them to convince us to do it. It was that we didn't care about the formalities of a document, and we just wanted to focus on actually doing the ministry. We wanted to stop talking and start doing,” Max amended. “We just didn't have it written yet and that took time.” 

The team began partnering with other movement-minded people who shared their vision, but not all of them were with OM. “I think, and rightly so maybe, OM was probably more an avenue to do what they wanted to do. … [Millennials] are drawn to a cause; they’re not drawn to a group,” Macon reflected.

Instead of appointing a leader, the current team shared responsibilities among Max and Kelly, who are married, and Elena. “We were all friends,” Elena explained. “Now our team is growing, and we need to work on a structure a little bit.”

Start, evaluate, recalibrate

The past two years of team development have been “quite a big learning curve,” Kelly said. “We are new, we’re just learning this method and these principles and, also, Turkey is slow [to accept the gospel].”

As the team have met and shared with people interested in learning about Jesus, they have focused on improving two areas: facilitating discovery-led study of Scripture (rather than teaching) and bringing together communities of seekers.

According to Macon, the new team needed to learn by doing. “They’ve found other people who are like-minded who’ve helped them think through things. They haven’t just been doing one thing and sticking to it. They’ve been evaluating, reflecting and adjusting. They’re holding one another accountable, which has been good to see.”

“We used to … focus on individuals and answer their questions, maybe taking them to church,” Kelly said. But those contacts, usually follow ups from Turkey’s Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) didn’t form groups.

“Every time we have a BCC follow up, we get one person. And when we ask them if they want to bring someone else, they say, ‘No,’” Kelly said. “I thought I should start asking people on the phone [before meeting] if they have other people [who are interested].”

Everyone needs to know

Max implemented the strategy first. He told a new BCC contact, “If you know anyone else that thinks like you, that’s going through the same [spiritual] discussion, they can come, too.”

Although Max wasn’t planning to meet the contact for a while, he suddenly received a phone call from him. “I’m coming to Istanbul, and I’m bringing my friend. Can we meet?”

“That’s the shift in strategy,” Kelly enthused. “That simple question, and it made two! … Because he was willing to tell his good friend, this guy can tell more people, together they can tell even more people.”

The men spent three hours together, talking, reading Scripture and discussing it. “They were both super intelligent for their age, but the contact is a quiet person that I wouldn’t expect to share with a lot of people. The other guy is super outgoing, super charismatic and has leadership qualities,” Max described.

After reading Mark 2, Max asked the two men if there was anyone who they thought would be impacted by the information they had discovered through the text.

“We could share this with pretty much everyone,” they said. “Everyone [in our social circle] is questioning Islam, and everyone is considering leaving Islam, or they have already left.”

Kelly also asked a female contact, pre-meeting over the phone, if she knew anyone else who was interested in reading Scripture.

“My husband,” the woman responded.

Instead of going with Elena, like Kelly normally would when meeting another woman, she and Max got together with the couple.

“We want families [to come to Christ]. What’s better than the husband or wife bringing each other? That won’t happen naturally unless we ask,” Kelly said. In Turkish culture, “a girl would never bring a guy friend to meet with a girl. … If we two girls are going to meet at Starbucks, she can’t bring her husband—that would be weird.”

Two married couples meeting made sense, however.

Max and Kelly read Mark 2 with the Turkish couple, the same passage Max had previously read with the young men. Through reading, “they learnt that Jesus could forgive sin,” Kelly said.

“We ended up sharing a lot of the gospel. They were specifically asking [questions],” Max added. “For them the most amazing thing was … [they were] learning all this about God through this text.”

Before the couples parted ways, the Turkish husband announced, “We’re going to read the Bible, and then we’re getting together to discuss it.”

Max gave him a copy of the Inçil (Turkish New Testament). Then he asked the couple who they could share what they had learnt with.

“There’s nobody that would be open to this,” the couple responded.

Max rephrased the question: “We talked earlier about how, if this is true, it’s really good news. So who needs this?”

“Everyone!” they said.

Max and Kelly were unable to meet the Turkish couple again the following week, but they received a text message from them. “We’re reading every day and discussing every night.”

“In Turkey, you find people that say they’re interested, but they don’t read. Or they read with you and not by themselves, so it’s unusual to find people that read a lot. [We’ve noticed] a lot more spiritual hunger,” Max said.

City living

Amidst the constant recalibration, a couple facts haven’t changed, Kelly noted: The team eats a lot of ice cream, and they like living in the city. “We don’t want to move away from Starbucks,” she joked.

In fact, the team asserted that their urban context is strategic for ministry. Four years ago, Elena said she was told that in order to reach the least reached, she needed to move to a tiny village in a remote part of the country. But now “people are getting more creative,” she said. “We can be based here and reach those people.”

For one, residence permits are easier to obtain in a large, internationally known city. “In Istanbul, everyone comes from somewhere else,” Elena stated.

By equipping Turkish people living in the city to study Scripture, apply it to their lives and tell others, the team hopes to create local ambassadors for Christ who can easily return to their villages. “If [a Turkish believer] understands obeying Scripture and sharing with other people, then I can trust him to go back to his hometown, and he’ll be better at [evangelism] than we would be,” Kelly said.

The team also adopted another Turkish province within driving distance of Istanbul. Every few weeks, the team visits the area “to share with people and hopefully see Bible study groups starting up soon,” Elena said.

Finding Turkish people to talk to isn’t difficult for the group of millennials, now in their early 30s. “Our age is good,” Kelly affirmed. “Max can talk to [younger] guys because he’s not grandpa, and we can talk to older [people] because we’re not 18. Being in the middle gives us access to both sides without being totally out of their age range.”

Pray that among the team’s many contacts, they would find key people open to Jesus and willing to introduce their communities to the truth. Pray that Turks moving away from Islam would turn towards Jesus.

*Name changed for security

Nicole James is a world traveller and writer for OM International. She’s passionate about partnering with fields to communicate the ways God is working across the globe.

Sofi had been praying about serving God overseas in a long-term capacity. She thought certainly Spain might be a good fit, as she already speaks Spanish, but she was nervous at first about visiting Turkey. 

However, Sofi was surprised to find that the culture in Turkey actually reminded her of her own home in Costa Rica. 

For one, the diet was similar—they ate a lot of bread, rice and even beans. She also noticed that people were warm and open to friendship, just like back home. The people of Turkey even looked similar, she added. “I feel like I am just walking the streets in Costa Rica.

“I sent my parents a photo of a Turkish girl and said, ‘Look, I found another Costa Rican!’” she laughed. They couldn’t believe it when she told them the girl was Turkish.

In Sarah Lanier’s book, “Foreign to Familiar,” she suggests that the population of the world can be roughly separated into two groups: ‘hot-climate’ (relationship-based) cultures, and ‘cold-climate’ (task-oriented) cultures. Much of Europe and the West are considered cold-climate cultures, but, in fact, many OMers from South and Central America find it relatively easy to adapt to life in the Middle East because of the similarities in the two ‘hot-climate’ cultures.

‘The Lord is with you’

Sofi comes from a family of dentists, and her parents would like for her to stay home and take over the family practice. However, she is committed to go where the Lord is calling her.

When she first thought about visiting Turkey, Sofi had a few nightmares about it. She asked God to take away any anxiety and reveal Himself to her in a new way. That day, she attended a prayer chapel where she found a book on the names of God.

The one that grabbed her attention was Jehovah Immeka, meaning the Lord is with you. 

“As I finished reading that, He took away all my fear, all my anxiety, the dreams stopped, and I knew Him in a different way,” Sofi shared. 

“Do not be afraid,” is her advice to others. “Even if your church doesn’t support you, or even if people tell you you’re crazy—I’m a dentist. I have the whole future arranged, and people will say, ‘You are crazy,’ and I am that for Jesus.” 

Now that her trip is over, Sofi will return to Costa Rica and continue to support her local church while she works toward returning to Turkey long term. “This life doesn’t belong to me, and if my Father tells me, ‘Go,’ I will go,” she said.

Pray for Sofi as she discerns the next steps and works toward raising support. Pray for the people of Turkey who need to hear the good news. Praise God for raising up workers for His harvest.

*Name changed for security

A couple of hours earlier, Des’s street evangelism team had prayed that God would guide them to the people He'd prepared to hear the Gospel. Then they split up and headed in different directions.

Shortly afterwards, Des walked up to a guy sitting on a park bench. He was an English-speaking Palestinian who had only been in the country for a couple of weeks. His Jordanian passport had been stolen, but because he didn't know Turkish, he had not been able to tell the police what had happened. Des offered to translate for him at the closest police station.

While finding out about the Palestinian man's situation, the police also learned of Des’s connection with the church and became very interested in talking with him. After the Palestinian man left, the police begged Des to stay and talk more. He ended up staying at the police station for over two hours. They talked about a range of subjects, including whether the Bible had been changed, why Jesus had to die, what is the greatest love, why the oft-repeated phrase ‘Allah is all merciful’ actually ends up encouraging religious people to sin more rather than less, religious freedom, and many more topics.

Des noticed that a third policeman joined their conversation. Many times, one police officer would turn to another and say, "He's right; what he's saying is true!"

By the end of the conversation, one policeman exclaimed, "Well, then what are we to do? We can't just be religion-less! That'd be even worse, wouldn't it?" The policemen recognised the emptiness of the faith they'd inherited but saw no acceptable alternative. Rejecting Islam could mean losing their jobs or being rejected by their family and friends.

The policemen begged Des to come back the next day, and Des said he hoped that he and other believers would be able to talk with them again. Des said that police stations are one of his favourite places to share Jesus. He prayed that more of these policemen would have the courage to follow where their consciences (and the Holy Spirit) were leading them!

When the street evangelism team prayed that God would guide them to those He'd prepared to hear, who would have thought that it would take a Palestinian in a park to get Des to the policemen in the station who had been prepared to hear?

*Name changed

Sandy knows this better than most, as she’s done about 25 short-term trips to Turkey over the course of 31 years. At the beginning, her trips lasted about a month at a time. Then she increased it to three months at a time. This year, she has committed to spending nine months in Turkey.

How does she manage to take so much time off from her nursing job in the States?

“Everybody has vacation, right?” she smiles. As she’s become older and more financially secure, she’s also increased the time she spends serving on the field.

God gave Sandy a heart for Turkey when her husband’s job with the military took them there for two years. She wanted to share the gospel with people but wasn’t sure how to start. That’s when she met some long-term OMers who put her to work using whatever skills she had.

Sandy’s creative skills have allowed her to help with ministries like music outreach and painting. Recently she’s been helping refugee children express themselves through art. She also plans to paint a mural of Noah’s Ark and the rainbow at the children’s centre to represent hope after the storm.

But on a more practical side, she’s also helped with nursing clinics, earthquake relief and even washing dishes and cooking meals for a Turkish church retreat.

Although her Turkish is limited, she gives tracts to every waiter, taxi driver and shopkeeper she meets, and she always carries an extra Bible in her purse.

“When I was a new believer I’d hear, ‘Pray for these guys in Ukraine, these guys in Poland, these guys in Mexico...I couldn’t follow up on all those prayers,” she confesses. “So, I adopted this country, and I saw myself as an intercessor. I know this country. I know these cities and these people. I know the ministries here. I’m always praying for them, and I can see the fruit of my prayers and my labours that way.”

The more Sandy prayed and saw the country’s needs and needs of the long-term workers, the more she saw what she could do to help.

“[Long-termers] need encouragement; they need support,” she shares. “When they see me, they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, the world hasn’t forgotten us.’”

Since long-termers have a better grasp of the language, she says, short-termers can help by doing some of the smaller tasks to free up their time.

“The pastor shouldn’t be waiting on tables,” she says. “There are all sorts of those ‘waiting on tables’ jobs like carrying equipment, painting the church, helping with children’s programmes, that free up the long-termers to go and have conversations.”

Since she’s spent so much time in Turkey, some people have questioned why she doesn’t just become a long-termer herself?

“I think it’s valuable to come for a few months at a time because then you can be an ambassador at home as well,” she explains. “I have so many opportunities to share with people, including non-believers, about what I’m doing.”

She has also opened the doors for her church in the States to bring teams to Turkey to serve. She hopes some of these short-term trips will lead to long-term calls.

“Our pastor brought his whole family with four daughters,” she shared. “What a cool family vacation! You’re serving and you’re seeing cool places. We should always be thinking of serving God. I wouldn’t want to use my vacation any other way.”

*Name changed

Long-term OMer Eileen* was at the airport recently and missed the last train home. Although slightly annoyed that she had to take an expensive taxi, she started sharing the gospel with her taxi driver like she always does.

Usually, she explained, the drivers’ response is something like: “That’s nice,” and then they change the subject to a more casual topic. This time, the driver was drinking in every word she said.

“If I tried to change the subject, he said, No, no! Tell me more about Jesus!’,” she shared.

When they arrived at her house, she asked him to wait while she ran up to get a New Testament and a copy of the Jesus film. She also gave him the name of a website where he could live chat with Turkish believers, and a YouTube channel to watch Turks share their testimonies.

“About 20 minutes later I was getting ready for bed and realised I could still hear a motor running on the street,” said Eileen. “It was the taxi driver and he was listening to the videos, checking the website. I was blown away. I haven’t seen that kind of interest in...I can’t even remember the last time!”

Prayers quickly answered

As long-term worker Jonathan* got ready to do local outreach with a friend, he was praying that they would be able to get people’s contact information for follow up.

They tentatively approached a group of drivers at the taxi stand, not sure how they would be received. However, the drivers were very receptive and happy to hear them share about Jesus, even serving the two men tea while more men gathered to listen.

Long before Jonathan even asked for their contact info, the head of the taxi stand said, “I’d like to come and visit your place” (meaning the church). He gave Jonathan his first and last name and phone number.

A 17-year wish

OMer Phillip* recently met a teacher and they began talking about religion. The man shared that 17 years ago he was in a touristic part of Istanbul eating a simit (round Turkish bread covered in sesame seeds), when a foreigner sat next down next to him.

The teacher offered the man some of his simit, and the foreigner told him about Jesus and invited him to visit his church. Something prevented the teacher from going, and for 17 years it had been haunting him.

Then he asked Phillip, “You wouldn’t happen to have a Bible with you?” Phillip gave him a Bible and they exchanged contact information.

A few weeks later, the teacher called and told Phillip he was in town and wanted to know if they could go to church together.

Phillip brought him to church, and at the end the teacher noticed there was a table full of free books. He had brought a bag with him, and he happily filled it on his way out.

Who will show us a better way?

Three days after her encounter with the taxi driver, Eileen was in another city having dinner. She had just realised it was getting late when she overheard two men who had just entered the restaurant.

The man facing her took his ID card out and exclaimed, “Who wrote Muslim on here? I never asked anybody to write this. I don’t want to follow this, there has to be other ways. Who will show us a better way?”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but the man sounded sincere. She took her placemat and wrote out the websites where he could learn about Jesus.

Then she walked up and said, “I’m sorry for eavesdropping, but let me tell you, there is a better way. I discovered it when I was 23. Here’s a website you can visit to learn more.” The man clutched it and said, ‘Thank you, thank you!’

“I hid around the corner,” she confessed, “and sure enough he whipped out his phone and started looking. These are the kind of things that we have not seen happening in this country, especially not two in one week.”

Pray for the Lord to continue to lead workers to those who are seeking answers. As openness to the gospel grows, pray for Him to raise up more workers for the harvest in Turkey.

*Names changed for security purposes

On 15 July 2017, one year after the attempted coup against the Turkish government, people flocked to the streets to show national pride and celebrate the attempt’s failure.  

Zübeyde explained it was actually her incarcerated husband who had asked for the books in her name. He had been having conversations with a brother from the Bible Correspondence Course almost every day and was learning a lot about Jesus.

A few minutes later, he called. "I want you to help my family," he begged Mary. "We don't want your money; I just want you to tell them about salvation. Please, tell them about Jesus Christ!"

Mary launched into the gospel story, starting with creation. Zübeyde's husband called again to check that she was really doing it. After explaining the gospel and stressing that receiving salvation is like receiving a gift, Mary showed Zübeyde the short video, "The Prophet's Story” on her phone.

Unfortunately even after that, Zübeyde didn’t really understand why Jesus had to die.

Later, her husband called again begging for Mary to go to his house and share the way of salvation with his children and his grandchild. At the family’s home, Zübeyde listened while Mary shared and showed the video to her daughter and again later with her grandson and his friends.

“Why did Jesus die?” Mary asked the kids. "For our sins!" one answered. "What does that mean?” she probed. Zübeyde answered, "Jesus was the sacrifice for us." She finally got it!

Mary showed them Romans 10:9 which announces how to be saved. She asked if they wanted to put their faith in Jesus. "But what about our prophet?" one of the little ones asked.

"What did he do for you?" Mary asked.  

"Nothing," she replied.  

"What did Jesus Christ do for you?" Mary continued.

"He died for me!" She exclaimed. "Then I will believe in Jesus!" She proclaimed.

Mary asked all of the family if they wanted to put their faith in Jesus. "Yes! Yes! We believe!" they answered. "Now what do we do?"

God is really doing something new in this small town, in a province that has no workers or fellowship. Pray for this family to grow and be strengthened in their faith and to be reunited with their father as a whole family. Pray for wisdom for Mary to disciple them from a distance. Pray for Turkish believers to come alongside them.

*Names changed

“Years before, God gave me a heart for being in a war-torn country. Then God gave me Isaiah 61:1-3, ‘Bring comfort to my people, bring healing to my people, then they will be the ones to rebuild the land’… Two years ago, God [gave] me this passage for Syria,” she explained.

Even before Europe started returning migrants to Turkey in April 2016, Clarissa realised what was happening. “When the doors [to Europe] close, there will be so many Syrians in Turkey. The Turks don’t want them here. Syrians don’t have a home; they’re not wanted in Turkey, Jordan, or Lebanon. A local told me that Syria’s becoming a stench to the world… My question is how do I give healing and comfort to Syrians so they will be the ones to bring healing to their country?“

In Turkey, Clarissa works alongside two Syrian men, believers for 7 and 11 years, respectively.  “It’s been really exciting seeing their heart for the [Syrians]. They work really well together.”

Her presence as a woman strengthened the team. Clarissa said, “having a female on visits means that ladies will stay in the room and hear the gospel, and when people come to visit, if there’s a lady there, they will bring their wife and daughters.”

Clarissa also discovered her struggle to learn Arabic for three years in the Middle East had equipped her to dive straight into ministry in Turkey, filling a language gap that other workers and Turkish church members couldn’t. “People have seen the need and opportunity, but they haven’t had the language. All the workers that come to Turkey learn Turkish,” she stated. “I realized that what we’re struggling with today can be a huge blessing to people in the future.”

Using Arabic, Clarissa encouraged a Syrian girl in a crowded Turkish shop. When she heard Clarissa speak her language, the girl gave her a huge hug. Then “she kept following me and talking in Arabic,” Clarissa remembered. A few months later, Clarissa visited the girl at her house. Again, the girl gave her a hug. The girl also came and watched the Jesus film with Clarissa. “She’s very open for the gospel. She’s afraid of what her parents will say, but she really wants to know. She’s tired of Islam…She has this hunger in her eyes,” Clarissa said.

During an outreach, Clarissa and the two Syrian men provided training for three Syrian couples. The husbands had been believers for six to nine years, but the wives had only come to Christ within the previous few months in Turkey. While praying with one of the women, who was pregnant, Clarissa discovered a cord tied around her waist, attaching a bag containing Qur’anic verses.

“I know this is wrong, but is this ok? I’m really afraid,” she told Clarissa.

“Let’s ask Jesus,” Clarissa suggested. “We prayed, and she felt that she needed to take it off. But she didn’t take it off. Then we prayed again, and she took it off.” Holding the bag in her hand, the woman reached into her clothing and removed a second bag, given to her by a powerful sheikh. She used to be filled with fear, Clarissa remembered, but now “every time I see her, she is so filled with joy and has this twinkle in her eyes.”

Recently, Clarissa re-read the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. She recalled conversations with other workers, who were sad about some Syrians along the Turkish border who had become believers but lost interest after a while. From the parable, though, she realised some seed on the rocky ground “springs up and then dies down. But then I read the last line, about the seed that falls on good ground and reaps 100-fold.” Yes, some Syrian believers had already fallen away, but “there are others that have the seed in their heart, and I believe God will use them to bring 100-fold ministry in Syria.”

Ahmed*, for example, already desired a relationship with God before ISIS invaded his small town in Syria. His family contradicted him, though, telling him it was wrong to make God human. At one point, he sensed Jesus’ presence with him, but his friends, too, told him he was wrong. Soon, Ahmed stopped seeking God.

The day ISIS arrived in his village, Ahmed’s friends warned him to flee. Ahmed saw his friends and family packing their things and leaving, but he didn’t believe the threat was real. Instead, he hopped on his motorbike and rode out of town. He saw a group of men approaching and decided to ask them what they had heard. As he got closer, he realized they were ISIS. Both sides were equally scared of each other, but after the ISIS soldiers seized and searched Ahmed, they ended up throwing him in prison. Later, held in a small ISIS-controlled town, Ahmed became the local Islamic religious leader, replacing a counterpart who couldn’t speak Arabic well enough to lead the five daily prayers.

Eventually, ISIS released Ahmed, providing him a paper to travel without fear of capture for 30 days. He ended up in Turkey, where, within a few days of arrival, he attended a church service. Immediately, he became a believer. Clarissa remembered his transformation: “He was very very hungry, wanting to know Jesus, ministering to others,” she described.

In Turkey, Clarissa and the two Syrian men she served with visited Ahmed and his parents. They saw Ahmed lead his family to Christ—first his brother, living in Africa, then his brother’s wife. “His mother was kind of open, but his father was very against it,” Clarissa said. “The last time we went to visit, the father acted very differently towards us and said, ‘All my children have become believers, all my siblings, and now, even my father has become a believer. What am I going to do? I don’t have any choice.”

Now Ahmed is back in Syria, living with another believer and continuing to reach out to others.

Like Ahmed, the Syrians in Turkey who are ready to receive and accept the truth of Jesus “receive very quickly,” Clarissa said. “The people who aren’t ready to receive: we can give them aid, show them love, and wait for them to come and ask us questions.”

“The whole world is praying for Syria at the moment,” she continued. “I just feel that I’m riding on a wave of prayers. God has shown me that it’s not hard, God just needs someone to come and bring the answer to these prayers that have been prayed.”

Pray for Arabic-speaking teams to be established in Turkey. Pray for workers and resources, such as Arabic Bibles, to minister to the thousands of Syrians stranded in Turkey. Pray that God will raise up Syrian believers to return and rebuild their country.

*Name changed

The church started a Syrian outreach in fall 2015. They lost some of its Turkish members who didn't agree when it began sponsoring ministry along the Syrian-Turkish border earlier that year, one attendee recalled. However, with support of its remaining congregation, over the past year, it has realised multiple opportunities to reach out to visiting refugees, like the couple from Syria. They also resource short-term teams willing to spend time among the Syrian people piling up on the Turkish side of the border, biding time until they can feasibly return to Syria.

According to Philip*, OM Turkey Field Leader, supporting the local church remains foundational to the organisation’s role in the country. Until a year ago, refugee work happened only on rare occasions. However, since summer 2015, when the refugee crisis flooded across Europe, the influx of people, especially Syrians, into Turkey has visibly and tangibly intensified.

“In the past, you’d open your window on a summer’s night, and you’d hear Turks. Now, you open your window and you hear Arabic,” he described. “Now you go into neighborhoods in [Turkey], and there’ll be Arabic text on the shop windows.“

With the continued increase of refugees in Turkey, churches started to respond. “The church is starting to be more coordinated. The church is starting to evaluate how they can do things better,” Philip said.

OM Turkey has followed suit. “We just need to be honest with ourselves and say that these people are here to stay. The door to Europe is closing, and this is where they’re going to be living… We’re not about setting up refugee camps, but I think people can pray about what it’s going to mean for us in the future. I don’t think we know, I don’t think the church knows, but the refugees are here.”

Looking to the future, OM Turkey has a stated goal of seeing 100 workers on the field. “I never had an idea of how that was going to turn out, and I never thought I would be asking for Arabic speakers,” Philip admitted. But in light of the new situation with so many Syrian refugees in Turkey “I think God is sending people from all over.“

In the past year, several workers from OM's Arabic-speaking Middle East North Africa (MENA) have transplanted to Turkey for short- and short-turned-long-term stays. Pray for more Arabic speakers to join teams in Turkey to serve the church and reach refugees with the hope of the gospel.

*Name changed

Right away she started to do some research to find out what had happened in her dream. She came to the conclusion that it had been the spirit of Jesus she had been talking with. One day, in her search for more answers, she visited one of the big Catholic churches in the city, but was disappointed since she wasn’t able to get more answers about Jesus and Christianity.

A few months later she met with some people during a street outreach. She received a Gospel of John and a DVD that night. She was very excited about the Gospel, and read it all in one night.

Delia had given the outreach team her contact information. When Katie*, an OMer, called her later, she excitedly agreed to meet to talk more. She brought the Gospel of John and the DVD to the first meeting and right away they started talking about spiritual things.

Since Delia is Uzbek, she had some connection with Christianity and it was not all completely new to her - she loved celebrating Christmas for example!

Uzbekistan was one of the Soviet satellite nations after the Russian invasion of 1924 and so had a large number of Russian Orthodox churches.  She had no problem accepting that Jesus is God and loved reading the Bible together with Katie.  They read about Jesus healing the paralyzed man and she learned that He can forgive sins. After the first meeting she was very open to meet again to read more. Since she only got a Gospel of John the first time, she happily accepted a New Testament that day as a gift.

Two weeks later, Katie and two of her believer friends met for a second time with Delia. Right away she pulled out her New Testament and shared about the things she had been reading. She was confused about the passage in which Jesus gets arrested, so they started talking about that. Delia had been flipping through the Bible, reading different passages on and off. Katie told her that it might be helpful to look at the “big picture” - from Genesis to Jesus. Delia wanted to know how to get a Bible and Katie said she would get her one the following week.

At their third meeting one week later, one of her first questions was if she could change her religion! The four of them talked for a long time about what Christianity is all about. She understood and realised that she needed to make a decision. On the way to the ferry, they ran into some people from church and she got really excited. Katie decided to take her to church the next morning.

At church Delia sang along enthusiastically, amazed by the joy and peace people seemed to have. The church was celebrating communion and after Katie explained to her what it’s about she declared “Great, I believe all that, so that means I can participate!” After church she talked with a few people and stayed for youth group. They kept explaining things to her all afternoon.

Katie and her two friends met with Delia again three days later and by this point Delia openly declared that she had become a believer. She now talks openly about it with everybody she knows, has already told her family and all her friends. She is eager and hungry to keep learning and understands that she can pass on everything she learns to those around her and can study the Bible with them.  She keeps talking about how much joy she has and how her life has completely changed.

*Names changed

The picture broke her heart. Although the image of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year old Syrian boy who drowned September 2, 2015, attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Turkey to Greece, circuited the globe, for long-term worker Annie*, the image hit closer to home. The little boy had washed up onshore in Turkey, her host country.

“Life in America or South Africa or even Europe seems very far removed from the practical needs [of refugees],” she mused. In Turkey, however, Kurdi’s picture highlighted the plight of people in her own city, like another little boy from Syria she saw begging in the snow, wearing only a T-shirt against the cold.

“So many refugees from Syria die on the [sea] and die on the long walks they have to take. They need media exposure in order for it to be real, in order for people’s hearts to be broken the ways Jesus’ heart was broken,” Annie explained. 

The refugees also need help. So Annie begged her team in Turkey to respond to the crisis. First, they approached the church.

“Our role here is supporting the local church,” asserted Phillip*, the OM field leader of Turkey. “Our local church pastor couldn’t do much on his own, but our team was able to say, there’s this refugee situation. We can help the church with that... Annie is on fire. She’s going for it. She’s got a heart for this kind of thing.”

Phillip and Annie heard of another church that had started providing relief boxes to refugees they registered in the city. Because the numbers had quickly escalated, in the beginning of December 2015, Phillip and Annie’s church volunteered to start partnering with this church by distributing 100 relief boxes once a week.

Around half of Annie’s team pitched in, along with a few Turks from the church, the group splitting up into different stations during the 4-hour shift. Some scanned refugee’s smart phones to confirm their place at that day’s distribution; some stood behind tables of second hand clothing, helping people find necessary items; some handed boxes to the people who came to pick them up.

Language was an issue – the OM team and the locals all spoke Turkish rather than Arabic. Annie asked a Syrian expat friend she’d met in language school to help translate. “She also walked the streets to find Syrian refugees with me. That was really amazing,” Annie remembered. “I want to be able to ask them how did they get here, where do they live. She’s the way that I talk to them.” 

Software to serve

Indeed, according to Craig*, an elder at the the Turkish church spearheading the operation, the ministry exists to form personal connections and, eventually, plant churches. “We see doing something about the refugee crisis as part of what it means to plant a church,” he explained. “It’s not directly bringing new congregations into existence, but it’s helping the [Turkish] church do what a church ought to do, which includes responding to regional crisis like the refugee crisis: meeting the needs of your neighbours.”

As he examined ways to meet the refugee’s needs and model practical service to the Turkish churches, Craig realized he needed a new system. So he asked Keaton*, a short-term intern working for his organisation, to develop a software programme for aid distribution. Using smart phones, volunteers could snap pictures of the refugees and register them under a unique QR code. Each week, volunteers send text messages to registered refugees, inviting them to pick up a relief box. By scanning the QR codes upon arrival, volunteers verify the identity of the people asking for aid.

What started in May 2015, as a small ministry out of two local churches quickly grew into a system containing over 5,500 refugee names. Craig and Keaton sourced a building for the refugee project and began overseeing a larger weekly distribution of 500 boxes. The old building with winding staircases and floorboards that creaked and bubbled under the constant activity offered enough room for OM to join as a weekly distributer, along with a third church.

“It’s encouraging to be able to see churches wanting to partner, seeing how the body of Christ is rising up,” Keaton stated. “The Turkish church is rising up and so many ethnicities are working together.”

Combined, the three church groups give out around 700 boxes of aid a week, each box worth USD 10: an assortment of rice, pasta, lentils, oil, sugar, and tea sufficient to feed a family of three for one week.

Besides the boxes, the centre also has a small medical closet staffed as able by volunteer doctors, a prayer room, a children’s play area, and ample evangelistic material on hand. A few months into the distribution process, one refugee woman came to the centre to receive some food and, through a translator, mentioned she had a problem with her back. Keaton asked if he could pray for her, and she began crying. “You’re not just addressing physical needs but spiritual ones,” she affirmed.

What to remember

When talking about the refugees, both Annie and Keaton emphasised the same thing: refugees are people. “The reason refugees are refugees isn’t because they’re terrorists; they’re running from terrorism,” Keaton said. “We need to be light and shine in that darkness.”

“It was a revelation to realise refugees are a lot like me and you,” Annie shared. “They have children just the way I do. Their children get sick just the way mine got sick this week.”

In Turkey, the refugees are not just people picking up boxes once a week, they have become part of daily life. One day, the wife of the OM field leader of Turkey took their children to a nearby park. While the kids were playing, she looked around and realised that every family present was speaking a different language, the people at the park representing at least four different nationalities. In Turkey, the refugee presence is obvious.

Responsibility for serving them, however, does not rest solely with those living in Turkey. Echoing Annie’s thoughts on the distance between the refugee crisis and the global church, Keaton challenged all believers to get involved: “Just because it’s happening on the other side of the world doesn’t mean it’s something we’re separate from. Anyone who wants to help can help.”

How to help

You can participate in meeting the needs of refugees by donating to OM Turkey (specify funds for the Refugee Crisis Response), reaching out to refugees living in your neighbourhood, and praying for the needs of displaced people around the world. Please pray for OM Turkey to continually abide in Jesus as they seek to serve and bear fruit among the refugee community in Turkey. Pray for God to provide the finances and volunteers for this ministry to continue.
 

Being based in western Turkey and working hard at the Turkish language means the team has a special heart for sharing God’s love and church planting in Turkey.  When not in other countries, the team hits the streets weekly to sing and share or to perform one of their musical dramas they have written and produced.

Contacts at the events are invited to fill out a survey for more information, generally receiving a New Testament or DVD in exchange.  The team then calls the contacts during the following weeks to set up appointments with those who expressed interest in talking more about Jesus.

Recently, Bruce*, a long term OM worker, called Refik* who had filled out a survey about a month before.

Refik had attended the Yüzyüze (Face to Face) show the TACO guys performed one Sunday. He just happened to walk off the boat he was on, saw them all and stopped to listen to the show. Something clicked in him as they shared, so he grabbed a DVD, filled out a survey and went home. He watched the DVD over and over, saying that he had finally found the thing he was searching for all his life. He was wondering if the team forgot about him because no one called him at first.

He was thinking about the whole thing and started praying, "Ya Rab, hayatımı sana teslim ediyorum..." (Oh Lord, I give my life to you), but he hadn’t finished his prayer when Bruce called him! He was extremely excited to meet up with Bruce.

Refik is a man in his late 50’s. When he and Bruce met, he shared how he had been very successful in life, but after indulgence in alcohol and promiscuity caused him to lose self-control, he lost everything. Now after listening to the TACO performance, watching the DVD and believing, Refik said that he had a peace that no alcohol or pill could have ever give him.

Bruce and Refik prayed together, and Refik received a New Testament and a “God Loves You” booklet.  They are looking forward to meeting up again. 

Please pray for Bruce as he disciples Refik, and for God to lead others like Refik to the TACO team’s performances.  Pray for Turkey during these days of “state of emergency” when other ministries have ceased doing outreach. Ask for protection on the TACO team as they continue sharing God’s love publicly.

*Names changed for security reasons

Maurice and Göker the security guard hit it off immediately and ended up talking about spiritual issues for almost an hour. Maurice explained why Islam cannot deal with the human sin problem and how, because of his death on the cross, only Jesus can take away shame. Since their first meeting Göker was very keen to meet again. In fact, they have now met together on numerous occasions.

Göker has downloaded the Bible onto his phone. He's been reading it and asking questions of Maurice. After Maurice explained the gospel from Genesis 22, Göker admitted he had never heard anything like it before and that it really made sense. 

Maurice experienced a wonderful reminder that God can even use frustrating days for his glory!

Pray for Maurice and Göker’s friendship and that Göker would come to know the real Jesus.

*Names changed

A few months ago, Donna*, a member of the outreach team, and Michelle were ınvited into the home of a Syrian family for Turkish tea. The family of five has two children aged ten and seven and the father’s mother lives wıth them in a very run-down home. The mother works as a cleaner and runs the house while the father struggles to find regular work.

Michelle and Donna asked if they could pray for the grandmother's health, as she lives with diabetes and has heart problems that have required surgery prior. The family was moved by the prayer and asked about Michelle and Donna’s faıth. This gave Michelle and Donna an ideal opportunity to ask if the family would be interested ın reading the Holy Book together. They saıd yes! 

Since then, the family is following a course of traınıng that Donna attended. It is designed to get them reading, questıoning for themselves, and then sharıng with others in theır family and beyond. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will help them to understand what He is saying to them as they read the Holy Book.

*Names changed

National newspapers took notice and the derogatory term ‘Hrıstiyan propagandası’ (Christian propaganda) was coined. Beneath banner headlines in the more scurrilous sections of the press, pictures of the offending printed items would often appear, complete with readable text and follow-up address. This unexpectedly expanded the outreach considerably.

To the surprise of the first OMers, Muslims didn't initially respond but Christian-background young people, hungry to know God, did. Within a few years, the OMers had a growing group but no biblical material to equip them or those who responded to literature distribution. So they translated a simple Bible correspondence course from Emmaus Bible School in the US, and the Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) was born.

The OMers realised they could use the course itself as a way to reach out. Short-termers and eager young Christians regularly posted invitations to the free course, often gleaning names from telephone directories. One holiday, some of the young people stuffed thousands of course invitations into envelopes and posted them as part of the deluge of holiday greetings. A few days later, the Turkish paper Hürriyet's headline read "Christian Propaganda Hits City!" When the team leader went to his post office box to collect the replies, he was arrested. Emotion was so high that the public prosecutor at his trial asked the judge for the death penalty.

Now nearly as old as OM, the Bible Correspondence Course continues a ministry that has grown and expanded over the decades. Dave W, director of the BCC for over two decades, remembers the dramatic change that came in the late 1980s:

“I’d been trying to get ads for the BCC into magazines and newspapers but was always rejected. Finally, a leftist magazine agreed to take the ad that still generates the most response, asking, ‘Have you ever read the New Testament? If you’d like to know more about Jesus Christ and His life and teachings, write to us.’ They designed the ad themselves: A large cross with a sun bursting out of the top of it.’”

Positive responses came rolling in; after seeing the precedent, a national newspaper agreed to publish the same advertisement. Dave and his wife, who ran the BCC out of their home at that time, were shocked when more than 200 responses began arriving weekly.

The huge response continued for years, necessitating a change that has transformed the country. Dave could no longer travel to every person in the country who wanted a visit. So, he held meetings for church planters around the country who were faithfully sharing with friends and neighbours but seeing little fruit. He encouraged them to take on the ministry of following up those who wrote in from their cities.

The result has been dramatic: Surveys have shown that nearly half of the 7,000 believers in Turkey have traced their spiritual pilgrimage through the Bible Correspondence Course. This was the result of the partnership between the BCC’s bold evangelism and the faithful follow-up of churches and church planting teams.

The potential of one person

Ahmet was a man in the southeast who wrote to the BCC and received a visit, but his motives weren’t spiritual; he was looking for a way out of the country and thought that Christians could help him. Feigning interest, he completed the first BCC and asked for a visit. Ahmet laughs as he remembers: “I was waiting for someone in a suit to step out of a Mercedes; instead, here comes this foreigner, in torn jeans, off a bus!”

Ahmet was disappointed when there was no offer of money or a ticket outside the country. So, he figured he would need to keep completing courses. Soon the message of the gospel pierced his heart, and he found himself eagerly waiting for new materials and the occasional visit from Dave. Finally, Ahmet surrendered his life to Christ and, with that, his plans to leave the country. Today, he is the pastor of the largest church in the southeast and is responsible for BCC follow-up in four neighbouring provinces.

Today, the BCC breaks new ground by using Internet ads, Facebook, Twitter and street evangelism to share the message of Christ, yet the vision remains unchanged: The BCC strives to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers established amongst the least-reached in Turkey. 

Aylin Mardin has worked with OM in Turkey for more than 30 years. She’s been involved in church planting in three cities and the development of Turkish worship on a national level. Together with her husband, Aylin has worked to develop the ministry of the Bible Correspondence Course, which has birthed other ministries such as The 1881 Project and Taco, a ministry creatively proclaiming the gospel to Muslims.

Toward the end of last year Marlize*, a married mother of three, couldn't watch any longer. She asked her pastor what their church could do to help, and together they decided to take responsibility for one day a week at the local refugee centre.  They also took a step of faith to commit to distributing 100 boxes of food at a cost of $25 each, every week. They didn't know where the funds would come from, but through friends from around the world and God's faithfulness, they have been able to keep their commitment.  

"I have wanted to help with refugees, but I was not able to do it,” said Marlize’s pastor, James. “Thanks to the OM team we are able to respond,"

The team is helping mobilise the Turkish church to respond to spiritual needs as well as physical.

OMer Lexi* was serving at the refugee centre, stocking up on the constantly depleted shelves of Christian books, such as the Incil (New Testament). According to the team, it’s a difficult task keeping up with the constant demand for Incils from the growing number of Arabic and Farsi speaking refugees.

Suddenly, an old man approached, and asked her what she was holding; Lexi told him that it was an Incil.  “In Arabic?” he asked.  The old man’s big smile and surprised face was a wonder to behold when Lexi replied, “Yes, it’s in Arabic!” She then placed the Incil in his hands.  

Lexi watched the old man as he left the room and realised that he was so happy and excited about finding a New Testament in Arabic.

OM Turkey is involved in four refugee projects where it seeks to esteem and mobilise the Turkish church. They are also launching a new team whose mission is to reach refugees.  The two greatest needs are funds and Arabic speakers who can share and proclaim the gospel.  

"We have two Arabic speakers on the field," said the field leader James, “but I've received a phone call from a Yazidi family who want to know more about Jesus.”  

*Names changed

The two men exited at the same bus stop and exchanged phone numbers. A few days later, Chris called his new friend Osman* and they met at a café for tea. After their second meeting Chris invited Osman for a meal at his house.

Osman is a university graduate and health officer. It became clear to him during his first ever visit to a non-Turk’s home that something was different: his hosts gave thanks to their God before eating and treated him, a Muslim, as a friend.

At a later meeting Osman accepted the gift of a Bible and read it aloud immediately. His eyes widened, he said he’d found something so different from what he’d been taught in his family and school. Chris has a good contact now to share with on a deeper level.

Journeying together

Buses also go between cities.  Turkish buses have movies, Internet and serve tea and snacks. Mary* was waiting on the bus for the journey to a city east of Ankara to begin.  Tülin*, a Turkish girl going to visit her relatives, was sitting in front of her.

Tülin couldn't help but turn around and start bombarding Mary with questions. What was she knitting? Where was she from? How long had she been learning Turkish? Why did she come to Turkey? As Mary answered Tülin’s questions, she also shared how God had led her through her life.

Tülin now had more questions: how long had it been since Mary converted to Islam? Mary replied that she hadn't, instead she has a living relationship with God because of Jesus Christ.

But don't some Christians become Muslims, asked Tülin?  Sure, replied Mary, people change religions sometimes.

“But what I believe isn't religion, it is abundant life in Jesus,” Mary explained.  “My time is spent praising and enjoying his presence, rather than trying to work to reach Him.”

Tulin had to think about that.... she wanted to study to be a lawyer, which gave Mary the opportunity to discuss justice and mercy and the weight of sin before a Holy God, before their ways parted.

Please pray for God to continue to pursue Osman and Tülin with His love and for the gospel to go out on the highways and byways of Turkey.

A Turkish lady named Emine* passed by a square in İstanbul and heard music playing. Curious, she edged closer and saw a group of people playing one of her favourite songs. The crowd was singing along and clapping, and Emine loved music so stopped to listen. She listened even more closely when the guitar player stopped to tell them a story about Jesus coming to earth for her. She accepted a New Testament and began to read it.

Kristel* was with the group that had been playing the music and a few weeks later, she contacted Emine to ask if she had read the Incil (New Testament), and if she had any questions. Emine told Kristel that since she had started reading the Incil, she had a dream. In the dream she was in the middle of a dark sea, and she was afraid and couldn’t see anything else apart from the dark sea.

Then she saw a bright figure of a man, whom she thought was Jesus, come from heaven. He held out his hand to her and called her name. Emine asked Kristel what she thought the dream meant, and Kristel told her that she thought Jesus wanted to save her from the darkness,  and that he called her by name because he wanted to know her personally.

Kristel told Emine that if she wanted to know more about Jesus they could meet up and she would explain the gospel to her.

A week later they met up, and Kristel spent time explaining the gospel.  Later she took Emine to church, and since then Emine has attended church many times.  Kristel told Emine that whenever she was ready to accept Christ they could meet up again and pray together. 

It was then that Emine told Kristel that she had decided to follow Jesus. Emine had dreamt again, that Jesus appeared to her and told her that she no longer needed to be afraid, that she could trust Jesus.

Knock and the door will be opened

One Sunday, Susan* met Sidika*, a young Turkish girl who sat next to her at the morning service in a city in Western Turkey. After the service, Sidika shared with Susan that she had a dream six months ago, where Sidika was walking along a narrow road, knocking on doors looking for a Bible.

Susan asked Sidika if she would like an Incil. Susan observed that as she handed over the Incil to Sidika, she could see that the girl held it as if she had discovered treasure, as she gently opened the pages for the first time.

Later, Susan introduced Sidika to Özlem*, another Turkish girl who also came to faith through a dream. Since that day, Susan has discovered that Sidika gave her life to the Lord, and has already read the book of John twice in one week.

Please pray for these girls as Emine prepares for baptism and Sidika stands firm in spite of the opposition of her conservative parents.

*Names changed

Just one Turkish friend joined them on their trip. The friends wondered what to do and decided that it was time to pray and let God lead their trip. The morning before they set out, Jack prayed “Lord, let your will be done, not ours.”

Unbeknownst to the three travellers, as they were on their way to Elazağı, their plans to stay with a family there were cancelled.  At the same time, a horrendous snow storm came upon them, so they decided to spend the night in a hotel in Kayseri.  They met with a local believer there and were able to give her some timely advice and support in order for her to deal with the problems that she was facing.

The next day they got to Elazağı and found that it was a very closed city. Bertie made a few phone calls to try and arrange to meet up with some Bible Correspondence contacts, but none of them could come. They could feel the oppression in the air, they didn't know if there were any believers in this city. 

Their Turkish friend Mert* knew someone from Elazağı so they decided to catch up with her. Over the next few days, Bertie, Jack and Mert, shared the gospel with her in depth and she came to the realisation that the Bible is true. At that moment she made a commitment to the Lord.

They were all shocked at what had happened. Then through another friend, they found out that there is a house fellowship in Elazağı, and the new believer is connected with that group. This was the highlight of their trip by far, and of course, all in God’s timing—not theirs!

*Names changed

Bahar has been a believer for many years. Her spiritual journey took a turn in 1994 when she was a 17-year-old high school student. Bahar’s mother asked her to go and visit the biggest floating book fair in the world. Her mother, who was a librarian, had seen advertisements in the city and was very curious to see such a ship. 

Bahar’s mother, her younger sister Büşra*, who was 11, and Bahar went to the OM ship, the Doulos. They were amazed by all the books. Just as they were leaving the ship, they ran into an old family friend. Bahar’s mother was surprised to see him and she wondered where he had been, as they had not seen each other for quite some time. The friend happily told his story and invited them for a cup of tea. Bahar’s mother phoned her husband, so he left work for the day to join them as well.  

As they were all sitting together, Bahar listened carefully to the story of how their friend had become a Christian. While sharing his story he also the story of Jesus, and how Jesus died and rose again to reconcile mankind to God. Finally, he invited the family to a church the following Sunday to witness his baptism. Bahar’s family accepted the invitation, along with an Incil (New Testament), and went home. Sadly, they did not go to church, the Incil found its way on to a bookshelf, and they lost contact with him again.

Some years later Bahar moved to the capital city to study. One day while walking on the university campus, two girls approached her with some questions. The first question was "how does God show love?" Bahar´s answered, "If there is a God, it is through Jesus." The girls were amazed by her answer. 

As Bahar had listened to her friend's story on board the Doulos years prior she was amazed by the story of Jesus. She knew that if there was a God this was the only way He could ever show His love. The girls asked her to come to church with them the following Sunday, but she refused and explained that religion was not her thing. However, following that conversation with the two girls, Bahar started to read the Incil. As she did, she got to know the only God who showed His love in such a way.

Bahar was passionate for the Lord and got involved in children’s ministry and learned a lot. One day Bahar´s sister Büşra came to visit her in the capital. As Büşra looked around the room she was shocked to see so many Christian books. She knew her sister had to read Western books for her studies, but this seemed a bit much. She asked Bahar why she had so many Christian books, and Bahar told her how she had come to know Jesus, and that she was going to church regularly.

This was the right moment for Büşra to tell Bahar what she had not yet shared with anyone else: she had gone through the same process, searching for the God of the Bible. She also had been convinced that He was the only true God, and she was regularly attending a Catholic church. God had been working in both their lives at the same time!  Bahar encouraged her sister to go to the Protestant church the family had been invited to years ago on the Doulos. 

After all this, Bahar's mother started to read the Incil. Often when Bahar visited her family, her mother asked Bahar to explain verses that she did not understand. Bahar's mother never professed faith out loud before her unexpected death. Only God knows if she believed the truth that she had heard and read, but Bahar and Büşra pray that she did.

The old family friend does not know how he impacted Bahar’s life, as Bahar never found him again. Of course, the Doulos’ crew serving in the bookstore, coffee shop, or any other place on the ship at that time have no idea how many lives were touched by their faithfulness. Jane sows lots of seeds by the words she speaks, the smiles she gives, and the way she acts. Yet, at times, she wonders how many of those seeds will grow into fruit. 

Thankfully, when Jane hears a story like Bahar's, she is encouraged. It is not about the fruit she sees, it is about the seeds she plants in faith and love. She can trust God will water them in His time. She knows this work is not done in vain, it’s done by faith.

*Names changed

An older lady and a couple live on the same floor as Erica and Malcolm, and alongside the bread, they were given invitations to a celebration at their fellowship.  Much to their amazement, the ladies came to the celebration, bringing with them another neighbour and one of her grandsons.  This was a really big step for someone of the majority faith in this land.  They enjoyed the service and took some books, including the New Testament, to read together. 

A friend from the fellowship has recently moved to live across the street from Erica and Malcolm’s apartment building. She spent time speaking with the ladies when they visited the Sunday celebration. 

Please pray to our Heavenly Father that those ladies will be happy to meet with Erica and her friend and discuss what they are reading.

*Names changed

As they arrived at Amitaf’s house, a relative of hers arrived, then another relative, then a friend... plus a neighbour. There were six women from the neighbourhood! Amitaf had told them that Jemima and her friends were coming and that they would pray for them.

Each of the women had plenty of prayer requests - some for healing, and one received prayer for family stuck in Macedonia. Jemima and her friends prayed for jobs for their husbands and much more.There was such excitement and anticipation in the room as Jemima and her believing friends prayed for each one. All the women in the room said they felt the presence of God.

When Jemima realised the women were Kurdish, she invited them to their Kurdish meeting the following Saturday. “If God will allow us, we may come.” Amitaf told Jemima. Jemima and her believing friends prayed, but Jemima's faith wasn’t too high at that point.

Saturday arrived, and just as the meeting was about to start, Jemima received a phone call from Amitaf to say that she and the other women had arrived and were outside the building. Jemima went to meet and greet them on the street. Amazingly there in front of her stood Amitaf, her sister, her neighbour, more she hadn’t met before... plus husbands and children. Seventeen all together!

Just visiting this one woman led to relationships with 16 other people. This reminded Jemima of the Samaritan woman at the well who after meeting Jesus invited her whole village to meet Him too.

*Names changed

Tekin is a Turkish agricultural city of 120,000 people. The city is near the ancient capital city where the touch of the legendary King Midas turned everything to gold. However, just as King Midas has no relevance now to people's lives in Tekin, until very recently, there were no known believers in the living King of kings, Jesus Christ.  The city was almost 100% made up of followers of Islam.

Two years ago, Mick*, a British Christian visited Tekin on a summer short-term trip.  He discreetly passed out gospel tracts that included contact information for requesting a free New Testament.  One of these tracts was given to a local Turk by the name of Farhat*.  Because Farhat had lived in Finland for twenty years, he was much more open-minded about Christianity than most other people in the city.  Farhat used the contact information to call the Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) in Istanbul, and they mailed him a New Testament.

The BCC asked their follow-up network personnel to contact Farhat, and a worker with another organisation, Bill*, was very happy to do this. When he contacted Farhat, Bill was delighted to discover that Farhat's friend, Mehmet*, was equally interested in God's word. Two church planters living in Turkey began visiting Tekin every week for evangelistic Bible studies, and shortly afterward, Farhat and Mehmet placed their faith in Christ.

That was the beginning of a church plant in a Turkish city where the gospel had never been known before.

Not long after this, Farhat and Mehmet invited their friend Tunç* to join them.  Tunç was an atheist, and he was only willing to participate with the following explanation, "Your enemy is Islam, and my enemy is Islam.  So, I'm happy to be here."  To this they responded, "Islam is not our enemy.  Sin is.”  They were so glad that Tunç was there.  They soon discovered that Tunç was an avid reader, and within two weeks of investigating God's Word, Tunç came to faith in Christ!  

By the grace of God, the plant was making speedy progress. Yet, the two church planters soon realised that there was much more that God wanted to do.  Through the original two friends, Farhat and Mehmet, God had led them to a community of friends who were open to the gospel.  By the end of the summer, three more Turks in this city believed and were baptised.

One year has passed since this group of six friends came to faith in Christ. They have had their ups and downs, but progress is clearly being made toward a healthy church plant.  Recently, Tunç took over responsibilities for teaching God's Word.

In his most recent Bible lesson, Tunç shared his discovery of the doctrine of election in Romans 9.  To think that in election God would set His affections on these six believers in a city of 120,000 Muslims is a positive motivation for obedience and a driving force to share the Good News with others.

Indeed, this fellowship of believers is actively reaching out.  They are regularly inviting more friends to their meetings.  They are consistently sharing God's love with refugees who have moved to Tekin from Syria.  They are even using social media like Facebook to tell complete strangers about Jesus Christ.

Pray for these believers to continue to grow in faith and for the Lord to continue to increase their number.

*Names changed

In the capital city of Ankara, James* bumped into Başak* while visiting a coffee shop run by believers. Başak had recently graduated from one of the only discipleship programmes in the country. Part of the programme included an apprenticeship at the BCC.  Başak answered phones, packed course packages and shared her faith.

Başak was glowing when James asked how her time had been. 

“James, it was such a privilege and joy to serve at the BCC,” she shared, “but let me tell you why. 15 years ago my mother wrote into the BCC. Shortly afterwards someone contacted her and she decided to follow Jesus, and it was through my mother that I then also made a profession of faith. It was so wonderful to give back to them what they have given to us."

Başak and her mother are only two of many stories. Past research showed that 50% of believers in the Turkish church could trace their journey to faith through the BCC.

The BCC has been instrumental in churches planted throughout Turkey. This year, the BCC has set the goal of generating 200 new course contacts per week, and to have a 25% face-to-face response rate. Today, despite the many challenges, the BCC is still the most strategic ministry in assisting new church planting initiatives in Turkey.

*Names changed

Tamara agreed to meet with Gülben the next morning, but before she could welcome her neighbour, Tamara spent time in the kitchen making some homemade biscuits. Homemade treats are a common way to welcome a first time visitor, served together with hot, sweet tea.

The next day as the ladies sat enjoying the tea and sweets, Gülben came quickly to the point of her visit. She wanted to know which church Tamara and her family went to.  Gülben mentioned that she had talked to one of the other neighbours (nothing is secret here) and it was soon clear that she knew someone who went to a church, which she had also visited. However, that church was some distance away, so she was interested to discover more about the church Tamara and her family went to.

The conversation changed to other things, Tamara shared her recipe for the biscuits and then suddenly Gülben had a question about the Bible. “What was all that about the ‘old book’ and the ‘new book’?,” she asked.

Tamara got her Bible and at the same time thought about how she could answer that question. Quickly she realised what to do. She started at the beginning, showing the difference between the Old and the New Testament.  Starting with Adam and Eve, they went from the offerings and sacrifices in the tabernacle and then on to the last sacrifice, Jesus the Messiah.

Tamara’s church had done exactly the same with the children during the last few weeks leading up to Easter. Every week they spent time thinking about it, and each time something new came on their ‘Easter table’.  At this point the Lego tabernacle Tamara had made together with her son came in very handy, as a visual aid often makes things clearer (particularly effective in this culture).

Gülben thought it was great! She really wanted to come to the church, and promised to read the New Testament. Overcome by emotion she said how happy she was to have met this family. Tamara’s hope is that one day Gülben will be able to say with the same emotion that she not only has met Tamara, but also Jesus her Redeemer.

Couples marrying cross-culturally can expect some level of difficulty, but Jennifer*, a European working long-term in the Near East, and her Syrian husband, Farid* faced exceptional challenges, including multiple visa denials from her passport country and the chance Farid would be refused re-entry to their host country if he left. They couldn’t wed in the country where they both served, since Farid, a Muslim background believer (MBB), had Muslim identification papers, and churches required both parties to have legal religious identification as Christians in their host country.

Finally, they settled on Turkey for the marriage, inviting friends and family to their unexpected destination wedding. They arrived in Turkey a month before their big day but soon faced another slew of challenges from officials and were unable to register to marry legally. Despite the complications, the couple eventually celebrated their church ceremony in Turkey, whilst continuing to attempt to settle the legal paperwork.

Before the wedding, Farid met two other Syrians and began helping with their ministry reaching out to the Kurds in Turkey. “I started helping out with one of the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) groups because I had time,” he said.

He also had experience, Jennifer noted. Farid’s arrival in Turkey corresponded to their premiere attempt to launch DBS among Kurds. The local leaders had never used the study method, but Farid had consistently led a weekly group previously in his host country. Jennifer explained, “He led it and trained up [another] guy to do it.”

Following the wedding, Jennifer discovered she, too, had extra time, so she and Farid connected with workers in the area who needed Arabic speakers. They started visiting refugee camps and joining some of the workers on visits to Syrian homes.

Opening their home

Two weeks after their wedding, Jennifer and Farid opened their own home to a young Syrian refugee woman. While risking the small boat crossing from Turkey to Greece with her family, Mina’s* boat had capsized. All her immediate family members drowned.

A day and a half after she was rescued, Mina moved into Jennifer and Farid’s spare bedroom. “That was definitely a God thing, to be there for her at that point,” Jennifer said. Not only did Jennifer and Farid offer her space and love, they understood her past. Coming from the same neighbourhood in the host country where the couple lived, Mina, a believer, had also attended church a few blocks from Jennifer’s old apartment home. “We were people that knew things she knew, and we knew people she knew,” Jennifer explained.

The seeming coincidences showcased God’s grace, Jennifer said. If their wedding plans had progressed as planned, the couple would not have still been in Turkey when Mina arrived. “And nobody else would take her in,” she remembered. “That’s the last thing we expected to do.”

When Mina’s aunt and uncle, who lived in Europe, arrived in Turkey, having worked to procure a visa for their niece to travel back with them, Jennifer and Farid housed the family in the apartment below theirs, with their landlord’s permission.

“It feels like God has definitely used us,” Jennifer said. “There’s been loads of opportunities, unexpected. It’s more joining with whatever’s going on here in ministry.”

Translating God’s love

While in Turkey, the couple also connected with Gary*, a worker who runs a small aid operation out of his vehicle, but relies on translators to communicate his love to the Syrian families he visits each week. He had begun frequenting a well-known transportation hub around three months prior, meeting desperate Syrian families waiting to barter their way across the Aegean Sea.

“Use me or send me home,” Gary prayed. “The Lord started breaking my heart for these Syrian [refugees].” So he continued to engage people, not only those leaving but also those staying, trying to survive in Turkey.

Jennifer and Farid met Gary at one of the refugee camps. Soon, they accompanied him on a visit to two Syrian women, with 9 children between them. “I speak Arabic and a little bit of English, so I was the connection between Gary and the Syrian women,” Farid explained. “I was talking about the creation story. [One of the women] was talking a lot about God, so I saw a chance to talk about God from the Bible to her.”

He also gave each woman an Arabic Bible. Although both wore headscarves and were religious Muslims, according to Jennifer, she said they seemed pleased to receive the holy book.

The next week, Kaley*, another long-term OM worker transplanted to Turkey from an Arabic speaking country, visited the women again with Gary. She also talked with two of their neighbours, visiting at the same time. Sitting on shabby floor mattresses lining the walls of a drafty room, all four women shared their stories of loss—their husbands to death or prison, their livelihoods to an on-going war, and, ultimately, their hope.

“One lady in particular had lost all hope, with her husband dead, two young children to look after, and then her phone and papers were stolen from her pocket,” Kaley described. “She has no man to speak for her, no one to earn an income or to look out for her, no papers to say who she is and what she’s entitled to, and now no way to contact family afar.” Like Jennifer and Farid had done the week before, Kaley listened to the women, encouraged them and translated Gary’s exciting news: he’d received a donation to buy them a washing machine.

However, with Kaley leaving for home assignment and Jennifer and Farid returning to their host country, the need for Arabic speakers in Turkey has intensified. “I feel like there’s a need for more workers here, more Arabic,” Farid stated. James*, field leader of OM Turkey, agreed.

“My heart is also that we will now see Arabic speaking teams come in,” James said, describing the opportunity for new partnerships in Turkey. “They won’t have to do the relief side of things because the Turkish church will do that, but they can come alongside and be free just to be doing church planting.”

As the refugee crisis has escalated across Europe, Turkey has also felt its deepening impact. Churches and workers have begun reaching out to the Syrian population, developing fledging relief programmes. In many cases, workers have formed relationships with Syrians open to the Gospel, but lacking Arabic, they fail to follow up spiritually. Pray for more Arabic speakers to join the work in Turkey, ministering to refugees and telling them about God’s love.

*Name changed

Nicole James is a journalist, ESL teacher, and adventurer. As a writer for OM Middle East North Africa, she’s passionate about publishing the stories of God’s works among the nations, telling people about the wonderful things He is doing in the world.

James aimed to see 10 new church planting initiatives happen within a four-year period, half of which has already passed. “People said that’s impossible,” he recalled. “Within two years, we were involved in five new church plants at least…Part of my heart is just to see those strengthened now. It’s very loose. It’s happened quickly. But I think God’s doing it.”

Recently, James said his church passed through a season where 15 new believers came to faith within a couple of months. One Sunday, Onur*, a new believer, approached James, wanting him to pray with Savas*, another man interested in following Jesus. James asked Savas several questions, clarifying some biblical truths and verifying his desire for faith.

Onur also provided input, telling Savas the prayer he had prayed when he started following Jesus. When Savas was ready to do the same, James asked Onur if he would pray with Savas. “So a brand new believer led another man to Jesus,” James explained.

According to James, openness to the Gospel exists in Turkey right now, which is leading to increased numbers of people coming to faith and being trained in leadership. When asked what has encouraged him over the past year, James answered, “It’s been going from no new church planting initiatives to at least five, it’s been seeing teams getting healthier and more focused, it’s been seeing people that have been here for a long time…more fruitful than they’ve ever been.”

In addition, James mentioned that new possibilities for work among refugees. “The face of Turkey is changing. Turkey used to be about the Turks and the Kurds. It’s now about the Yazidis. It’s now about the Syrians,” he explained. “We’ve been looking at ways in which we can support local churches with their refugee work…It’s something we’re moving into slowly through existing relationships.”

And going slowly is important for James: “An underlying motto for me is go slow to go far. I think there are some things we could do very quickly…but I just want to go slow to go far, so it’s going to be the best benefit for God’s kingdom.”

New property: BCC

The Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) was founded by OM, and is one of the oldest continuous ministries in the Middle East. At least 55% of all Turkish believers charted their spiritual pilgrimage through the BCC, explained Eileen*, a long-term worker and member of the BCC’s leadership team.

In 2015, the BCC purchased its first property, slated to house the ministry’s offices and be used as Turkey’s first evangelistic center. “The building is a bit of a picture of acceleration,” Eileen described. “We hope to have a studio for recording videos. TACO, our creative arts team, will be recording there for its street outreaches.”

With the BCC’s growth, additional finances are still needed for significant building renovations and new staff necessary for digital marketing as well as writing and recording more original course material in Turkish.

Despite challenges ahead, it’s an exciting time for the BCC, Eileen noted. “God is working even when we don’t see it. There are stories of people who maybe have seen our ad or been involved with us in some way, but they had already been on a journey with God before that. The Holy Spirit is already drawing them. It’s great to have the net, but God is the one who causes the growth.”

Traditionally, the BCC operated through physical distribution of Bibles and Christian literature, at times communicating with or sending books to over 200 people per week. Now, print distribution numbers have dropped, but digital advances mean the BCC still has a huge impact on believers and seekers in Turkey. According to Eileen, 53,000 people have liked the BCC’s Facebook page and over 1,000 people visit the website daily, where they have access to download the New Testament as well as actual course training materials.

Since the 1980s, when Eileen and her husband ran the course from their kitchen, storing materials in their cupboards and under a bed specially made to hide course content, the organisation has expanded exponentially . Today, Turks, Kurds, Armenians, and foreigners comprise the BCC’s staff. “We have good relationships among each other,” Eileen said, explaining that the mixture of people is “a gospel thing. It doesn’t happen in society.”

In December 2014, an arsonist broke into the current office, resulting in a loss of 12,000 books plus other items. “The response of the local Christian community was so nice. It was special to see the unity and the commitment,” Eileen said.

Also unique to the BCC is its ability to gather remotely located believers into worshipping fellowships. In one area of Turkey, a church planting (CP) team had been ministering for three years without seeing anyone come to faith. Around the same time, six people in that city came to faith through the BCC, unbeknownst to the CP team. “When we finally learned about them, we put it together, and within six months, they had a church of 12,” Eileen remembered. In fact, the leader of that church now heads the BCC board.

Out of 81 provinces in Turkey, more than 50 still have no local church presence. “We really have a heart for the unchurched provinces,” Eileen said. “We want to harness our information to encourage church planting to happen much more intentionally in some of these provinces where nothing’s happening yet.”

Creative outreach: TACO

TACO, Turkey’s travelling creative arts outreach team, delivers attention-grabbing performances—sometimes on stage, sometimes in the street—to introduce Gospel stories to large audiences of Muslims. “We do more stuff in Turkey than we do in other countries, but we’re really a Muslim world ministry because we go to all these different places,” explained Rebecca*, a two-year team member.

One of TACO’s main presentations, which depicts God’s miraculous provision for Abraham’s sacrifice, proves especially poignant. “We went all around Istanbul doing shows in the parks and in the streets,” remembered Ryan*, another two-year team member. “It was really, really fun. We got to talk to a lot of people. There’s tons of openness especially because it’s a story they know. When [Muslims] encounter Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins, it’s really impactful.”

One day, after having been turned away at two potential Turkish venues, the group arrived at a park they’d never visited before.

Generally, in Istanbul, passersby are interested in TACO’s shows, but they still act “pretty cool,” said Lacy*, Ryan’s wife. But this day, within five minutes of set up, a crowd of 200 to 300 people gathered around the group. Three or four men even climbed trees in order to see the performance better.

The TACO team presented the entire show in Turkish, but when the onlookers didn’t respond to the songs, they noticed something was off. “Pretty soon, we realised they were all Afghan refugees,” Lacy remembered. Having finished the show, another team member asked the crowd if anyone spoke English. One man raised his hand.

The TACO team then retold the entire story in English, with the Afghan man translating it for the rest of those listening—“a Muslim man preaching the Gospel to his own people on accident,” Lacy described.

Although the team hadn’t brought any literature in the Afghan language, they handed out a few materials to those who spoke English, Arabic, and Farsi. And a couple weeks later, Ryan and several men from TACO returned with MP3 players loaded with Gospels in their language.

Back in the park, Ryan and the others began to play a few songs on a guitar. Again, an enormous crowd gathered. The TACO group handed out the MP3 players and Bibles. “They were so stoked,” Ryan said. “They were so hungry to hear what the Bible said, probably because it’s banned [in their country].”

Wide sowing, like the experience at the park, is the heart of TACO’s ministry. “I think for the Muslim world, it’s pretty cool that we can share openly,” Lacy explained. “We can share with a lot of people in a short amount of time a little bit and let God allow that to spark their curiosity.”

Ryan said the team conservatively estimated that, not including tours, 5,000 to 7,000 people have watched TACO’s entire show, which contains the full Gospel message, and have heard an invitation to follow Jesus. More have received a tract with contact information for the BCC. “Especially the ones that want to talk about Jesus can coordinate a time to have a local believer or a local worker connect with them, to drink tea and ask their questions in private.”

Not only does TACO accelerate the process of finding people interested in the Gospel, it also provides opportunity for creative-minded individuals to share Jesus cross-culturally. “Using music for evangelism is really fun,” said Ryan. “It was probably what made me want to come to the field, realising that something that I do, like music, I can use that.”

*Name changed

Nicole James is a freelance journalist, ESL teacher, and adventurer. A communications intern for OM Middle East North Africa, she’s passionate about publishing the stories of God’s works among the nations, telling people about the wonderful things He is doing in the world.

After buying bus tickets to visit a city east of Ankara, God clearly directed them to another city further on. They arrived to find a big festival with a street parade. Attempting to divert attention from the media and police, Alan and his two friends retreated to a bench away from the festivities and sat next to *Ayberk, a postal worker, who was to be part of the parade.

Alan, *Neil and *Geoff started talking with Ayberk and quickly the door opened to share the gospel. Ayberk had some good questions, but then suddenly rose saying. "I am meant to be in the parade with the post office people and they are now just about to walk in front of the mayor. Quick come join the parade with me!" So Alan, Neil and Geoff ran after him, were introduced to some of Ayberk’s fellow postal workers, put on Turkish Post office hats and made their way through the centre of this massive parade! 

Later, Ayberk invited the three men for dinner with his wife and two children, and Alan, Neil and Geoff shared the message of the gospel.

After dinner, Ayberk took the three men to an amazing mountain-top cafe on top near the city. Again, Ayberk asked great questions about Jesus and the gospel, and the conversations continued until 1:30 in the morning. Alan, Neil and Geoff left Ayberk with a New Testament and he left the visitors with a big smile, thanking them for the amazing night he had.

“Never in our wildest dreams would we have envisioned being part of a parade representing the Turkish Post office and have such an open door to share the gospel,” said Alan. The men added that they felt joy just by making themselves available and allow God to lead their steps to the places and peoples that He wants to reach!

*Names Changed

But from that moment, Arash saw something different about these followers of Jesus, and he wanted to know more. He also realised that he was sinful, something that he had never learnt at home.

Arash realised he couldn’t share any of his new faith at home, even after he was baptised. But one day he decided to be honest with his parents, and he shared his beliefs with them. They didn’t fully understand, but they gave their son a choice: Jesus or them. Arash chose Jesus and had to leave his home and find a new place to live.

Some weeks later, Arash was called for military service, a very special event in Turkey. Normally, there is a big party, but when he told his parents that he was going into service, their reaction was reserved, and they said goodbye over the telephone.

During military service Arash found it difficult to stay close to God. The Bible was forbidden, but God held onto Arash, and eventually he was able to have a Bible. Meanwhile, he has had renewed contact with his parents and he prays that they will see that God also loves them.

Arash’s life is radically changed in the way he makes choices and in the things he finds important. Some would say he has paid a high price for his faith in Jesus, but Arash believes he has received much more in return.

Please pray that Arash will remain close to the Lord and that, through his testimony, his family will find relationship with Jesus.

*Name changed

Dalton and Raymond saw a group of people standing and talking together outside a café. Dalton felt led to approach the group and ask a question he’d never asked before:  “I’ve heard that there are believers in Jesus in this neighbourhood. Do you know any of them?”

A man gave him an odd look, went to the shop next door, and then came back quickly.

“I know someone who might know such people, but he is not at work today,” the man said.

Dalton and Raymond continued to talk to the man, and a few minutes later he called someone on his phone—it was the man they’d been speaking about. After talking for a minute, their new friend handed the phone to Dalton.

At first the man on the other end was very suspicious, but after Dalton explained clearly who he was, the man opened up and said he’d come to faith recently. In fact, at that very moment he was meeting with a Turkish pastor, whose church is near the OM Bible Correspondence Course office on the other side of Istanbul.

“Please don’t tell anyone there that I’ve become a follower of Jesus,” he said. “Because I haven’t even told my family yet, and the only other person who knows of my newfound faith is the guy whom you asked.”  

In a neighbourhood of 200,000 people, Dalton asked a question he’d never asked before to the only person who knew the answer.

The man who’d made the phone call invited Dalton and Raymond into his café to continue their conversation. They’d only been talking a few minutes before men sitting at a nearby table interrupted them.  

“All of us here at our table would like to have New Testaments,” one of them said. “Could you give each of us one?”

Dalton and Raymond didn’t have enough New Testaments to give to all of them, but the men gave their names and addresses, and the New Testaments were sent by the Bible Correspondence Course within a few days.

Praise God for moving in the hearts of men in Turkey! Please pray that more will grow hungry for the truth of the Gospel.

*Name changed

There they caught TeenStreet’s vision to motivate, equip and walk alongside teens to have real friendship with Jesus and reflect Him in their world.

“It is the vision of small groups, which prevents the teens from getting lost and being anonymous in a crowd at a big conference,” Markus explained.

The teenagers are divided into small groups of six boys or girls who speak the same language, and each group has its own leader, called a coach. The groups stick together throughout TeenStreet, eating, sleeping, learning about God and often spending their free time together. 

A few years after their first TeenStreet experience, Markus and Loïs brought groups from their home church in the Netherlands to TeenStreet.

“It was a joy to be the coaches of them and see them grow,” reflected Markus. “In the years that followed, we went with more teens from our church and new coaches. It was great to get more people involved.”

During this time, Markus and Loïs were preparing to go to Turkey as missions workers with OM. Having seen the impact of TeenStreet on Dutch teenagers, they dreamt of one day making it possible for Turkish youth to attend.

“If it is such a blessing for Dutch teens, who have lots of conferences and camps, we thought it would be a great experience for teens who are never exposed to big conferences,” said Markus.

'God gave them the same vision’

In 2009, 10 years after God had put the people of Turkey on their hearts, the couple moved to the country.

“We still had the vision to bring teens to Turkey, but without knowing the language, it would not be possible,” said Markus. “We didn’t talk about TeenStreet with anyone, and we didn’t make any plans, as it seemed impossible in many ways, not the least because of the costs.”

But in 2012, their OM leader told them that a church in the United States had been praying for Turkey and received a vision to see Turks participate in TeenStreet. 

“We couldn’t believe it!” exclaimed Markus. “God gave them the same vision He gave us, people on the other side of the world!”

Their leader asked Markus if he would investigate whether it was appropriate to bring Turkish teenagers to TeenStreet in Germany, keeping in mind the differences in culture. Markus participated in TeenStreet again, bringing along a local believer, and both were positive that God was moving them in this direction.

In 2013 the first group of Turkish boys attended TeenStreet Europe.

“Although it was a great success we doubted often if it was really worth all the effort and money,” said Markus. “It was definitely not easy to get all the passports and visas, and it was hard work in many ways. But God encouraged and challenged us again.”

In 2014, Markus brought teenagers again, this time both boys and girls.

“We had a very special group with teens with lots of different backgrounds,” he remembered. “Again it was a lesson in faith for us and the attendees. We bought the airplane tickets when we did not have the money. But God provided in a miraculous way.

“We were challenged again when one visa only came the day before the flight to Germany, and even at the border it was not sure if the person would be allowed into Germany. But once again God showed His faithfulness.”

‘I experienced His Spirit’

The theme of TeenStreet 2014 was OPEN, based on Revelation 1-3. The teens learnt that God pursues us and wants us to get to know Him in a deeper way.

The morning meetings contained Bible teaching, drama and games that illustrated the theme. The teens then gathered in their small groups to go deeper into the Bible studies.

The afternoons were for sports, workshops, seminars, outreaches, free time and more. The evening worship times, called Throne Room, brought everyone to the main hall to worship God through music, led by The Outbreakband.

“Worship times were awesome,” said one Turkish teen, “especially because we studied that we could hear God’s voice. During the worship I experienced His Spirit so close. It was unbelievable.”

Another teenager said, “I loved praising the Lord together with thousands of teens. There are very few people my age in the church we attend in Turkey; therefore, it was a great experience for me.”

During the week, the teens visited the Global Village, an interactive simulation drama experience that encouraged them to explore the reality of the needs of the world and reflect God’s love.

“Jesus died for me—I knew that,” said a Turkish teen after participating in Global Village. “But that I, in fact, helped to have Him crucified was something I had never thought about. It helped me to look at this in a different way.”

The outreaches at TeenStreet gave teens an opportunity to share God’s love in the streets of Muenster, where the event was held. 

“Different people wrote that being involved in the outreach and experiencing Global Village impacted them the most,” said Markus. “Maybe it’s because they are living in a Muslim country, among people who are eager to believe and obey God but who don’t know the truth that they are aware of the lost and eager to share.”

One teen responded, saying, “I loved the Global Village and the outreach the most. During this camp I realised how important it is to share the good news.”

Another commented, “I love telling other people of Jesus, and I was really happy that we had that opportunity. We Turkish girls gave flowers with Bible verses to [people in Muenster]. Most of the people didn’t accept the flowers, but there were also some who were very interested in what we were doing and some were touched by God.”

Though he knows it will be challenging again, Markus plans to bring Turkish teenagers to TeenStreet 2015 in Offenburg, Germany.

“We are very grateful how God made this all possible,” concluded Markus. “It is very special to be part of bringing Turkish teens to TeenStreet, knowing that God started it 17 years ago!”

You too can help send Turkish youth to this year’s TeenStreet! Contact your local OM office to learn how. For more information about TeenStreet Europe, visit the website at teenstreet.de.

*Name changed

Local church planters recently hosted an international team, who wanted to sow the Word of God as broadly as possible during their short time in the city. 

One mother approached a few members of the group and insisted they come to her home. There they had the opportunity to share the message of the Gospel.

On another occasion, the leader of the group, Wilbur*, returned from a pre-breakfast prayer walk and realised he had forgotten to pack toothpaste. He went into a newly opened shop and discovered the Muslim owner reading a copy of the New Testament, which he had received from his Muslim brother.

Wilber sat down in the man’s store and studied the Bible with the owner, reading from Genesis, Exodus and the Gospel of John.

While the two men studied the Bible, another woman in the group ministered to a Syrian refugee family and shared her testimony. She told them how Jesus had forgiven her and given her a clean heart. The 17-year-old daughter of the Syrian family expressed interest in knowing how she could also have a clean heart.

The OM team praises God for the doors He opened for them to share the Gospel during their time in Urfa. Pray for those who heard God’s Word.     

*Name changed

While travelling, Mehmet*, a local friend, called and asked to meet Edward. Edward explained that they were not in the area. But Edward didn’t want to miss an opportunity to share the Gospel with Mehmet, so he sent him a text message with a Bible verse, and he prayed for his friend.

The Scripture Edward sent to Mehmet was Ephesians 2:5: “[He] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (NIV).

And he prayed, “Father God, I would like to be with Mehmet now, but we are on a bus going to the opera. You are with him. I trust him to You, Lord. He is seeking You. Amen.”

Two days later Mehmet replied to Edward's text, saying, “I have decided to give my whole heart to the Lord, and wanted you to be the first to know.”

Praise God for Mehmet’s new faith in Christ! Pray that he connects with local believers and grows in relationship with God. For information about opportunities to serve with OM in Turkey, click here.

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"What do you think these verses we have read explain about the Almighty God?" He asked them. “What is the status of all the people who are against God?"

The talk turned earnest and Edward explained that the verses were truth, challenging his friends that they had come to a crossroads in their lives, and that it was time to choose between Christ's way of peace and the way to heaven, rather than the road to hell. Edward let the passage speak to his two friends as they read the verses again and again.

After some time, Edward shared his personal story about how the passage had spoken to him many years ago.

A faithful worker...cups of tea...a book.

From these simple elements, that day one of Edward's friends committed himself to the Lord and to baptism. The other friend decided to count the cost a little more before proceeding.

What elements do you hold in your hands that can be used for eternity? For information about opportunities to serve God in Turkey, visit the OM website here.

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Several of the Taco team who are experienced worship leaders, envisioned this camp more than 10 years ago and are thrilled by the solid place it’s found amongst the Turkish churches.  One frustrated Turkish pastor, who was deluged with missionaries who wanted to teach the Bible but none willing to teach music, has declared Kanat to be “the best thing foreigners have ever done in this country!”

This year’s camp was held again in the southwest of Turkey and brought together 75 worship leaders, musicians, dancers and actors from more than 20 different churches in Turkey.  Worship teams lead and are graciously evaluated by the rest of the participants.  Teams are mixed between the cities and churches which builds a strong foundation for unity across the country.

It was affirming when even the venue hosts commented  on the noticeable increase in musicianship and excellence from the camp two years before.  But even better were the stunned phone calls from church leaders the week after camp when the improvement in their worship teams was immediately apparent.  “What did you do?” asked one of the leaders from Resurrection Church in the Pera district of Istanbul.  “It wasn’t just that the music was better, the difference in anointing was tangible!”

Seminars concentrated on the heart and character of the worshipper and three Turkish church leaders focussed messages on Anna, Hannah and John the Baptist as people who led lives of worship.  Technical lessons for voice, theatre and eight different instruments increased competence and afternoon workshops taught arranging, song writing, the spoken word, dance and musicianship. A final communion service stressed worship coming from a core of repentance.

Some comments from participants:

“I learned that music is not the only way we worship the Lord but that we do that through our lives.  I’ve  grown closer to the Lord.  Because of Kanat I can now pray aloud, have felt released to lift my hands and have experienced the Lord’s presence.”

“Not only in the worship times but every minute there were voices singing praises to God from somewhere in the camp!  This had a big effect on me.  I made a decision that my life will be given over to a continual worship of the Lord.”

“Everything that happened at Kanat was brought together in one subject for me: `In spite of all my weaknesses, the Lord wants to work through me.` We constantly heard that God chooses and uses the humble and those who feel weak and inadequate.  This has given me more courage!  In spite of my weaknesses, I have found courage that God can use me.”

“On the subject of worship I was blessed far more than I could have imagined.  To worship together with different brothers and sisters was the most pleasure I have ever experienced.  I have learned so much here. Kanat camp is definitely a gift from the Lord to me.”

Adele arrived at the playground where they had arranged to meet. Husna was there with her children, and after the traditional hugs and kisses, Husna brought Adele and the children back to her house.

The children played together and there was a peaceful atmosphere about Husna’s home. After enjoying tea together and talking about their lives, the topic turned to the love of God.

Husna explained what the love of God meant for her: perfectly keeping the law according to the Qur’an. Adele listened to her examples – there was even a rule about how to use the toilet without defiling oneself. Afterwards, Adele asked her permission to talk about the two laws that Jesus Christ taught us. Husna was curious.

"Jesus Christ said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and love your neighbour as yourself,’" said Adele. Husna was puzzled and asked Adele to explain what that meant.

Adele proceeded to tell her the story of the Good Samaritan. As she spoke, she was surprised when first tears formed in her eyes, and then Husna started to weep. When Adele finished the story, Husna explains that she had found herself in the situation of the injured one.

She was a young mother with a baby that was very sick and needed to be taken to the hospital. She lived in a village and didn’t own a car. Her neighbour did own a car, but when she asked him if he could drive them to the hospital, he told her that it would be impossible, as he was invited to a very important wedding. Sadly, Husna’s baby died at the fragile age of nine days.

Adele was so sad hearing the story that she started to cry. Together with Husna, they cried for the child that had died years ago.

Later, Husna told Adele that the "Jesus words" gave her comfort and had another startling effect: She had begun to pray in Turkish.

As a Qur’an teacher, she was careful to always pray in Arabic, but after the time with Adele, praying to God came out of her mouth in her own heart language.

Please pray that this new journey would lead Husna to a living relationship with the Lord Jesus. 

*Name changed