Istanbul (photo courtesy of
ONUR KURT via Unsplash)

Patrick Anthony from FMI says teenagers often fall through the cracks of society. “They’re oftentimes caught in between childhood and adulthood, and oftentimes they’re kind of unseen, or invisible to the rest of the population,” Anthony says.

Yet God places special value on young people. One FMI partner in Türkiye who works with youth shared, as quoted by Anthony:

“He likes to think of children in this teenage group as diamonds waiting to be polished,” Anthony adds.

Many teenagers are struggling with anxiety and depression, with some turning to smoking or alcohol at an early age to cope. Moreover, more than 2 million children in Türkiye are outside the formal education system, making them more vulnerable to exploitation and involvement in crime.

“That can foster a desire in teens to seek significance in unhealthy places, which can lead to extreme behaviors,” says Anthony.

Hopelessness is especially prevalent in economically strained areas. Many teenagers and young adults are also wrestling with deep questions about the meaning of life and their future.

“They’re diamonds waiting to be polished”; diamond (photo courtesy of Long Truong via Unsplash)

“The invisibility and the oftentimes the lack of attention and care can really exacerbate these kinds of problems,” he adds.

One solution, Anthony says, is to reconsider how the church views its youth, while also fostering healthy relationships between mature believers and teens. “That can really help a teen find their place and feel like they do belong,” Anthony says.

Pray that Turkish churches respond to the hopelessness of local youth with practical Gospel hope.

“Pray for creative solutions and building bridges to teens,” Anthony says.

Visit FMI to learn about the ways their empower indigenous church planters. Pray also for an FMI partner in Türkiye who leads a children’s outreach ministry in his community. He organizes summer camps and plans to host four camps for kids this year. Pray for the team’s protection and for transformed lives among the children.

Header photo: Young men standing in Istanbul, Türkiye (Photo courtesy of Ibrahim Guetar via Unsplash).

For Dean Vander Mey of Set Free, the trend comes as no surprise. He says: “America is not doing so well. We’re one of the sickest nations on planet Earth. But you have to realize that we’re also very spiritually sick.”

Many mainstream approaches focus only on physical and psychological care, often overlooking the spiritual dimension. Vander Mey explains:

“People don’t even know what’s happening to them. They don’t even connect the spiritual dimension to what’s happening to them emotionally and physically.”

(Photo courtesy of Fa Barboza via Unsplash)

From a biblical perspective, there is a whole-person view of health found in Scripture:

“If you look at a biblical worldview, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, ‘May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of the Lord.’ So a biblical worldview would include a spiritual dimension and mental health,” explains Vander Mey.

He adds that people who recognize the spiritual dimension and follow biblical guidance can “put on the armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-18) for protection. Those who don’t may be more vulnerable.

“Because of the spiritual effects,” he says, “it’s affecting our soul, which is our mind, will and emotion, and now it’s affecting our body.”

The spiritual dimension involves the soul and the burdens it carries — sin, as well as guilt, anger, unforgiveness, and shame. But Vander Mey says God’s desire is for people to be free:

“The Lord doesn’t want us carrying sin even one day, because it’s going to be a heavy burden,” he says.

The process of soul healing begins with reconciliation with God. “Let us cut off the sin that so easily entangles us. Let’s get rid of all the heavy weights that hinder us!” says Vander Mey. It includes recognizing the burden, confessing it, and receiving forgiveness and help.

Vander Mey adds that following through on a New Year’s mental-health resolution can include daily time with God — confessing when needed, and receiving His help as part of an ongoing journey of healing.

“It’s very important that before we even lay our head down, that we forgive those people that day that may have hurt us, so that we can have a clean slate with God before we even go to bed,” he says.

Set Free addresses these issues through its Freedom Appointment, which is open to anyone. You can find more information about this opportunity here.

For more help or to learn about Set Free’s approach, visit their website.

Header photo courtesy of Maximilien T’Scharner via Unsplash.

An unseen enemy claims more than 700.000 lives every year: suicide. In the Middle East and North Africa, where war, instability, and uncertainty often deepen despair, the struggle is especially heavy.

Walking alongside those who suffer is vital. That’s one of the key focuses for SAT-7 teams working in Persian, Turkish, and Arabic contexts. They provide safe spaces for listeners to understand themselves better and to be encouraged.

Joe Willey from SAT-7 explains, “SAT-7 has programs that will address things — suicide, disability — things that are, at best, really uncomfortable culturally, but often just ignored.”

(Photo courtesy of SAT-7)

In many cultures across the Middle East and North Africa, people facing doubt or fear are often encouraged to turn to Islamic practices. The concept of collective honor can make vulnerability difficult — sharing struggles may be seen as weakness.

Alone with their fears and pressures, some lose hope. This is where the message of Jesus brings healing.

Sometimes, callers reach out to SAT-7’s hotline saying, I just don’t want to live anymore. “They’re listened to first,” says Willey, “but they’re told the understanding of the Gospel and the biblical worldview — that no, there is great hope, and you are made in the image of God, and God loves you.”

For someone standing on the edge — feeling like an outsider in their own culture and ready to give up — a new day begins. It all comes back to this unshakable truth: every man, woman, and child is made in the image of God. Life is His gift, and He has a purpose for each one.

SAT-7 continues to air programs for those facing mental and emotional challenges. Willey adds, “It’s the Christian worldview to say, even though there may be something that is difficult, it’s desperate right now, maybe, there is a disability, there is still great hope in Christ and in God’s plan.”

Pray that as SAT-7’s team creates new programs, they’ll be led by the Holy Spirit to bring healing and hope. Pray also that churches across the Middle East and North Africa will be sensitive to their communities and serve as the hands and feet of Jesus to whoever might need it.

Header photo courtesy of Akhil Nath via Unsplash.

Identifying the Struggles

Dean Vander Mey with Set Free Ministries says, “It’s no small wonder in the environment that we are currently in. The way the world is heading right now, it’s creating a lot of anxiety and fear and low self-esteem.”

The top five issues identified by people who come to Set Free Ministries are anxiety, low self-esteem, satisfaction in relationships, uncontrolled behaviors, and fear. Vander Mey says that much of this is fueled by constant access to news as well as social media.

“They’re conditioned to be on these phones all the time. All they are doing is comparing themselves to others, and they’re falling short. Then they’re dissatisfied. So there’s a lot of dissatisfaction and a lot of anxiety that’s created because of comparison.”

While these symptoms are distressing, the deeper struggle with worldview poses bigger concerns. For instance, the constant intake of bad news rather than focusing on God and His truth can manifest as anxiety. However, the root problem is a misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty which affects all understanding of life.

Similarly, pursing relationships primarily with other sinners can manifest as depression since people often compare themselves in relationships. Pursuing a relationship with God first would help put this problem at bay.

So what can be done?

When people sign up for a freedom appointment, counselors use a version of Marcus Warner’s FISH model to help bring freedom. FISH stands for Freedom, Identity, Spirit-focused living, and Heart-focused living. This model helps participants remove barriers with God, understand what God says about them, live by the power of the Spirit, and continue to grow in ministry groups.

(Photo courtesy of Anemone123 from Pixabay)

It doesn’t just sound like a good model, it’s consistently bringing healing. Vander Mey says, “It’s getting a lot of traction, and people are hearing from all over the world what’s going on with the people that have come through the ministry. So the fruit is real, and God is doing something rather miraculous here, after 30 years of ministry.”

There are several ways to get involved with Set Free Ministries from supporting them financially to setting up a freedom appointment. Whole churches can also be trained to follow this model.

If you’d like to pursue freedom in your life, please fill out the online form at setfreemin.org and book a freedom appointment. Vander Mey says they also always need prayer and financial support. Please consider joining their prayer team by contacting them directly. If you want to support the ministry financially click here.

Photo courtesy of Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

Greg Yoder, Executive Director of Keys for Kids Ministries, says the ongoing war is having a devastating effect on Ukrainian youth. “Hundreds of people were impacted by that (the missile strikes), and you can imagine the uncertainty it [creates in] some of these young people that are just scared out of their minds.”

In response, Keys for Kids is partnering with Mission Eurasia to distribute free devotionals for children and teens in Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland. “We’re seeing some amazing results, especially in light of the fact that Russia is continuing [its] brutal attacks on Ukraine,” Yoder says.

(Photo courtesy of Keys for Kids Ministries)

So far this year, Keys for Kids has distributed 200,000 devotionals. The latest shipment arrived amidst ongoing Russian attacks.

These Gospel materials provide spiritual encouragement to young people like Anastasia, who struggled with depression but found hope in Christ.

“It really opened her eyes [to realize] that it’s okay to have those struggles [when] we go through terrible times in our lives,” Yoder says. “Now she’s on the path to recovery.”

Pray that Keys for Kids devotionals will help kids and teens like Anastasia learn how to trust the Lord in difficult times.

“Young people that are looking for hope, they’re finding [it through] faith in Jesus Christ.”

You can help Keys for Kids send more Gospel materials to Ukraine. Click here to support the ministry.

Yoder emphasizes, “This is going to be an ongoing need. 200,000 [copies of] Keys for Kids and Unlocked [is] just not enough, and we need to do more.”

Header photo courtesy of Keys for Kids Ministries.

“Veterans have all the same life trauma that civilians experience,” says Steve Prince, Director of Warriors Set Free, a division of Set Free.

“But then on top of that, we’ve asked these young men and women to go off and, at a minimum, leave their family for long periods of time, and on the extreme end, to kill bad guys and risk their lives.”

Warriors Set Free uses the acronym TRIP to describe how it helps veterans and first responders discover and live freedom through Christ. Learn more about Warriors Set Free’s approach here.

The “T” in TRIP stands for “truth.” “We focus on biblical truth because there are a lot of versions of ‘truth’ that aren’t accurate and, therefore, not even true,” Prince says.

For example, “A lot of veterans and first responders believe that if there was a tragedy during their service, it was their fault. And that’s simply not true; these individuals have volunteered to run towards the fire and combat, and bad things will happen.”

(Photo courtesy of Warriors Set Free)

The “R” and “I” in TRIP stand for “relationships” and “identity.” “Your highest highs and your lowest lows will come from relationships,” Prince says.

“Your identity is how you view yourself. We focus heavily on your identity in Christ, but typically, for military veterans and first responders, we put our identity in our career and job.”

Finally, “P” stands for “purpose.” “Some guys are retired [from military service] at 38 or 40 years old, and they still have quite a bit of life in front of them,” Prince notes.

“Making disciples is way, way, way more important than anything we did in our career.”

Use the buttons at the bottom of the page to share this report with a veteran in your life. Then, encourage that veteran to connect with Warriors Set Free.

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free.

“From morning to night people are running but they are not getting anywhere,” one of the women said. “Poverty is great. It is everywhere and growing constantly. People are hungry and powerless to change their circumstances.”

Representative stock photo courtesy of Pouya Hajiebrahimi via Unsplash

Lana Silk with Transform Iran translated the women’s audio messages into written English. She says it was a struggle to convey in writing what their voices and tones carried. Their sorrow and burden for their country is profound. Read their messages on the web article here.

Silk says the people of Iran are the first to pay the price for their nation’s brutal regime. 

“We must remember there is an agenda that [the Iranian] government is pushing that is evil in many ways and causing havoc through the Middle East. But this is not the agenda of the people of Iran,” Silk says.

“They’re trapped in a country with overwhelmingly high inflation rates, no prospects, no jobs, [and a] mental health crisis. [If] you speak out, [if] you do anything, you’re imprisoned, you’re tortured. It’s a desperate situation, and they’re turning to desperate means such as drugs [and] prostitution to try to deal with their own pain [and] inability to put food on their plates.” 

Transform Iran broadcasts the hope of Christ through its ministry Pearl of Persia. Pearl focuses on reaching people who are victims of trauma, abuse, addiction and prostitution. It introduces Iranians to what the Jesus of the Bible says about them as human beings. 

“[Pearl of Persia’s message is] not overtly gospel [focused] at the beginning. It’s about identity, looking after mental health, dealing with depression, dealing with addiction. When they (Iranians) reach out for help, then we present them with the full picture and we offer them the opportunity to receive counseling from a Christian. They’re loving that opportunity and seeing change through that process that we can give them through trained counselors,” Silk says.

(Graphic courtesy of Transform Iran)

Would you prayerfully consider joining this critical ministry by supporting Pearl of Persia?

“We are in a position now where we are able to expand, but we don’t have enough counselors to deal with the expected increased demand on our time for counseling and therapy,” Silk shares. 

“So if you want to see us help [and] deal with this [mental health] issue, get behind Pearl of Persia and it will be an exciting adventure.”

Silk says the circumstances in Iran are dire, but God is more than able and wants to draw people to Christ. 

“We praise Him for what He’s doing and for His overwhelming love for these people. We have hope in the future because of Him,” Silk says. 

Header is a representative stock image courtesy of Shimabdinzade via Pixabay.

What Burdens Christians in the US?

Dean Vander Mey with Set Free says, “Probably the number one issue that we see weekly, actually daily, at Set Free is unresolved hurt, pain, and anger stored, unexpressed, and pushed down. A lot of people call that depression – and it’s really things that have not been talked about. They have not been brought into the light. So, what we do is we don’t know what to do with them, and then we pack them away. And that’s some of the heavy weights that burden us.”

(Image by Małgorzata Tomczak on Pixabay)

As of May 2023, 29% of the population Gallup surveyed reported a diagnosis of depression at some point in their lifetime. This percentage was up almost ten percent since 2015. With depression on the rise, it is no wonder that Set Free is seeing this burden within the body of Christ on a regular basis.

Vander Mey explains, “The enemy uses sin that has been done against us. Then that person [carries] that sin – not knowing what to do with it, and they just carry it. They don’t know how to process that and they don’t know how to forgive that. So that weighs them down, and then entangles them.”

Unfortunately, the church is under attack in more than one way. Vander Mey explains that in addition to unresolved anger leading to depression, they also see many people struggling with pornography. “One of the other things that’s really dogging the USA is the horrors of porn addiction. It’s one of the other things that’s really affecting the youth and even the rest of the church body. The statistics are frightening.”

Vander Mey harkens back to Proverbs 5-7 with its stern warnings against adultery. The New Testament takes this even further in the sermon on the mount when Jesus speaks against lust in Matthew 5:27-30. He says, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The consequences of giving in to lust in both passages of Scripture are dire.

Steps to Healing

In the midst of these problems Set Free steps in. They give Christians a framework for processing sin issues and coming before God in repentance.

(Image courtesy of 1388843 on Pixabay)

Vander Mey says, “We’re in pretty tough shape across the USA. And churches oftentimes don’t deal with the core issues like this that need to be resolved to really help their sheep who are hurting. And so that’s what we do here – is we help we help them get set free.”

Set Free offers Freedom Appointments where individuals are counseled through a seven-step process to confront their sins and repent. Their offshoot, “Walking Free,” continues this process through focused discipleship.

If you are struggling with unresolved spiritual issues you can get help through the team at Set Free. Register for a Freedom Appointment here.

Set Free provides their complimentary appointments to anyone who needs it. If you would like to support their ministry so they can continue to reach more people, click here.

Image courtesy of reenablackon Pixabay

Triumphant Mercy Lebanon is a local Christian ministry with a finger on the population’s racing pulse.

Nuna with Triumphant Mercy explains, “With the earthquake and the fear and, of course, you know about the economic collapse, people are living in constant fear – of not being able to live tomorrow, of an impending death or something that’s going to happen, a catastrophe. They really feel that, especially the young people.

“We as an older generation, we lived through war, we lived through many things, so we’re more resilient. We kind of say, ‘Okay, I’ve been through a lot of hot issues in the past. I’ve been under bombs and under explosions and under all this, and I lived. So now, this is a new crisis and I’ll live.’ But the younger generation, they’re not equipped for that. I feel the depression, I feel the anxiety, I feel the fear.”

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

Triumphant Mercy already works with individuals and small groups in Lebanon to provide biblical trauma support. Yet, they want to help more people with a wider reach, so the idea of a trauma healing podcast was born.

Nuna says, “The trauma healing podcast would unlock people’s minds, maybe will open eyes, maybe release the tension, talk about it. When we talk about it in a podcast, it’s released is a taboo. Then [people think], ‘If they’re talking about it, I can talk about it.’”

On the podcast, they will discuss various traumas and acknowledge these very real griefs. Nuna emphasizes they will also address that hope for trauma is ultimately found in the Gospel.

“What is our solution? Where do we find peace? I cannot give peace to anyone, I cannot do anything except if Jesus is in the equation,” says Nuna. “We don’t have any other solution. Maybe in the world, there are techniques of some kind of meditation or focusing on something, but we don’t have that. What we have is Jesus.”

Pray for the Lebanese to be filled with Christ’s living hope!

Click here to learn more about Triumphant Mercy.

Header photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon.

“We have a little saying here at Set Free: ‘do you want to live with your emotional compass to direct you, or with your truth compass?’” Vander Mey says.

Fear and shame make powerful captors, he adds.

“When we’re filled with fear, we often make wrong conclusions, and we make bad choices that lead us farther away from God.”

Scripture is full of examples. “Think of Peter when he denied Christ three times – out of fear. How was he feeling?” Vander Mey asks.

“What did Judas do when he realized he had sold Jesus for 30 shekels of silver? He threw the silver away, and he hung himself. Who do you think was involved in that? Satan, right? ‘Just go kill yourself. You can’t be forgiven of this,’” he continues.

(Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson/Unsplash)

“Don’t think Peter wasn’t buffeted with the same thoughts: ‘You’re no good. God doesn’t love you. You can’t be used anymore.’ None of that was true. But that’s how he felt based on fear and [shame].”

No matter what battle you’re in, Set Free Ministries can help. Start the healing process here.

“We believe lots of lies about God, self, and others,” Vander Mey says.

“When we learn the truth, that’ll set us free. And the Holy Spirit can empower us, and we hang on to faith instead of fear.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Etienne Girardet/Unsplash.