AnonymousDear fellow intercessors, supporters, forerunners, brothers and sisters
I am finally going to Turkey. 10 hrs til my flight. So crazy.
These last 1 and 1/2 month has gone by so fast. It’s been so exciting and full of blessings. June 11th was the first day i met with my team, a total of 8 people: 1 ahjumah (Mrs. Kim) , and 5 high schoolers (James, Andrew, Justin, Angela) , 2 of which are now going to college (Ellen, Natalie), and me. I barely knew anyone of my team, but as time progressed, i started to really fall in love with each and every member of the team, through all the prayers, evangalisms at Great Mall, the long hours of practicing skits, the breakings of bread, through both the big and small things we did together.
My team has really come such a long way since the first time we met each other. So many of us were so scared to evangalize to strangers at the mall. But as we held onto the promise: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7), we saw people coming to Christ. Even though we didnt know what to say or how to act or even when God was telling us to go up to someone and share the Gosple, God still moved and used us. God continued to remind us that saving people’s lives was not our task, but to move in obedience. “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21). We grew so much during those hours at that mall even with all the rejections. We learned so much about speaking boldly and moving obediently. Please pray that even in Turkey we will continue to trust in the Lord and boldly move in obedience to his voice.
Two weeks ago, our leader and Justin left for Turkey with another team and i was left to lead the team. Honestly, the first few days were really crazy for me. I felt like a huge burden was put onto my shoulders. I felt like i couldnt make any mistakes, that everything had to run perfectly. But God continued to tell me to stop relying on my own strength and my own ways, but to trust him with everything. “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9). He reminded me that having perfect skits or knowing the language perfectly will not bring people to Christ, that it is only through the Holy Spirit and by God’s grace people recieve salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8). Please pray that we not try to do things our own way but to be sensitive to the Lord’s voice, trusting in him.
All throughout this month, God continued to tell me to check my heart, to ask myself why i was going to Turkey. A lot of times, i would forget why i was doing all this ministry work: why i was practicing the skits, the language, the body worships, why i was even praying. I started to forget that ministry was all about love and compassion for the people that everything else is secondary. All throughout the Gospel books, before Jesus did any miracle or healings, he always had compassion of the people, in the same way, we too must have compassion on Turkey. And this compassion isn’t just something we can muster up or fake, but truly has to be God given. God reminded me that the turkish people arent projects: people we’re trying to just convert. But rather, that they are God’s beloved children who are our brothers and sisters. Please pray that we continue to have the right heart, to see the Turkish people the way God sees them, to love them they way God loves them. That our heart would break for what breaks God’s heart. Also that this mission trip won’t be just a project, but rather an outpour of God’s love through us.
Turkey is such a dark place, full of so many strongholds. 99.6% of the people in the country are Muslims, passionate and fervent people who pray 5 times a day. Christians are often persecuted and hated in that country. Evangalism to people under the age of 18 is illegal. Syria, the country right under Turkey is going crazy, with people escaping across the border trying to find refuge in Turkey. It’s going to be such a spiritual battlefield there. But God is already victorious and we want to declare that victory over the land. We know that God is already moving mightily in that country.
My team and i are going to the city of Antioch (Hatay), which is the place Paul did much of his ministry. “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26). We’re so excited to minister in such a place.
Please continue to cover our team in your prayers.
Please pray for:
- our spiritual, mental, and physicall well being
- unity of our team
- sensitivity to God’s voice/boldness and obedience to move accordingly
- the hearts of all the Turkish people that we meet, that they would be open to the Gospel (for divine appointments everywhere we go: airport, bus, each house we visit, etc.)
We are all so excited to see the wonderful things that God is going to do in Turkey. Thanks for all your guys’ support and encouraging words. I love you all. :)
