Türkiye (Turkey) #1: Gathering in Türkiye
Day One: Gathering in Türkiye
By Tom Boone, Associate Director for Mission, The Outreach Foundation
Our names are Tom Boone, Murray Gossett, Guy Griffith, Toby Mueller, and William Pender. We have come to immerse ourselves in the company of Persian believers we will not name from different networks operating in their home countries. This week will be defined by worship, teaching from Americans and Persians together, prayer, and sharing stories. It will be a pleasure to share what we learn with you! Due to the nature of this visit we will not be able to share names, our specific locations, nor many pictures. Yet the stories of the church and how God is working through believers in a very difficult place will abound.
Tonight we introduce you to 17 men and women who have been followers of Christ between 4 and 23 years. Each one is an in-country leader of an illegal house church movement. What stood out from tonight is the bold manner these women and men are witnessing about Jesus through their social engagement.
Some are involved in homeless ministry, others are involved in outreach to families coping with cancer and drug addiction. Several have been arrested yet they persist, with one fasting every Wednesday over the names of Muslims she has met and shared the gospel with during the week. In her book on lifestyle evangelism, Out of the Saltshaker and into the World, Becky Pippert wrote, “Our problem in evangelism is not that we don't have enough information – it is that we don't know how to be ourselves.” This quotation resonates among people here. One woman spoke how being herself has brought people to Jesus. Others are more bold, giving Bibles and Christian literature away freely in subways (an amazing story we are sure to capture in the coming days). One young man feels called to a ministry of restoration, bringing believers back to the church after they have been hurt by it (I look forward to knowing more about this).
This week we sit at the feet of people who are bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to a land fraught with challenges. Yet they are in every way children of the One who was resurrected, heirs with Him in the Kingdom. I asked “Is it more challenging now to be Christian than it was even ten years ago?” The answer was telling. “Yes, it is very difficult right now. But we made a mistake earlier. Years ago we were afraid to share the gospel so we only served the church. Today we are serving our neighbors, cities, and many who do not know Jesus. Then we tell them clearly why we are doing this. Jesus loves us and he loves them, too. We’re here to tell them about that wonderful love” (from A, the leader of this network).
