Dearest Friends,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
One Little Girl
After one of my shows that I did for the Syrian refugee moms and their children, a little girl came and spoke to me. She said, “I love your stories! Where can I get a book of stories like this?” Because she was able to read Turkish, we gave her a Jesus Story Book Bible in Turkish. We did it in front of the mom and made no effort in anyway to hide what we were doing, and even asked for her permission. We were very hopeful that though her mother was a Muslim, she would allow the little girl to keep the book. She wanted it so much! However, I am sad to report to you that after they got home, the mother looked over the book with close attention and decided she could not have it.
Every time I am in Istanbul, I meet so many people that are so hungry to hear more about Jesus, but everything in their world seems to get in the way of that pursuit. I believe that is why God is sending dreams about Jesus to so many Muslims.
Turkey is 98% Muslim. You could live your entire life and never meet a Christian. This is another reason that I think God is sending these dear people dreams. He planted this hunger for Jesus in this little girl’s heart, and I am confident that He will finish His call on her life! I beg you to pray for all of the people of Istanbul, that they would meet Jesus.
Darkness!
It is very hard to work in a place where there is so much darkness. Istanbul has over 3,000 mosques in the city. Some are grand buildings with beautiful gardens and others are smaller wooden buildings, just off the city streets. Cairo and Istanbul are similar cities in size, but Cairo only has 1,000 mosques! It is impossible to escape the Muslim call to prayer, which happens 5 times a day. Across the city, Jesus is denied and allah is lifted up.
There are no words for the deep sadness I feel when I look at the faces walking up and down the streets, most of them without any knowledge of Jesus. I beg you to focus your prayers on Istanbul, on Turkey. I find myself constantly asking myself one question: Who will pray for the people of Turkey? There are so few precious Christians and so many people who live and die without ever hearing of God’s beautiful rescue plan.
Home
I arrived home last Friday night, but my heart is still in Turkey. I am amazed at the people that I worked with there. Their deep compassion for others and the way they live their lives challenges me to love Jesus more. This was absolutely the best trip I have ever had to Istanbul! I saw God throw open doors to share His plan with Syrian refugees, Afghani refugees, and people from Egypt and Iraq. I also shared with ladies from many different African countries. I spent sweet times of fellowship with believers from all over the world. I arrived home with a grateful heart and a passion to return!
In Jesus,
Linda for all my friends and family in Istanbul