Joe Willey with SAT-7 explains, “Turkiye is a republic with a parliamentary system. So there is the president or the executive branch; there’s a parliamentary branch, which would be the legislative branch; and then there is the judiciary branch. So that is a similar system and, at least ostensibly, it should be familiar to people in the West, particularly familiar to people in the UK or in the United States.”

Current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power for more than two decades and is seeking re-election. Erdogan champions Turkiye’s Islamic values and has steered the country away from Western influence.

The main challenger for president, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is a secular candidate calling for more freedom and democracy, and has promised to strengthen Turkiye’s ties with the West.

Sultanahmet, Turkiye (Photo courtesy of Fatih Yurur/Unsplash)

It’s a stark contrast, and the outcome of this election will have significant ripple effects down the years for this nation at a cultural crossroads.

Willey says, “It is, as I see it, a blending of cultures. It’s a land bridge with Istanbul and the Dardanelles on the West of the country. You have what is a very different Eastern influence on the East of the country, and the recent earthquakes that struck Turkiye and Syria were in the Southeastern part of the country.”

SAT-7 TURK broadcasts Christian programming via satellite television into Turkiye. In this Muslim-dominant nation, Christians are vastly outnumbered only making up around 0.2% of the population.

“SAT-7 Turk is truly ministering to what we at SAT-7 have called isolated believers. Isolated believers are those who are deeply committed to Christ, they’re deeply committed to their Christian faith, but they are in nations that are not considered Christian nations…. So SAT-7 is really reaching and filling a great need to encourage and disciple believers in Turkiye that otherwise would not have the support.”

These isolated believers are also serving as the hands and feet of Christ, especially in the wake of a devastating earthquake in February that killed over 50,000 people in Turkiye and Syria.

Churches in Turkiye went to quake-hit areas with emergency food and supplies, and even helped survivors dig through the rubble for loved ones.

The hope these Christians can offer through the Gospel is the greatest hope Turks can embrace — no matter the outcome of the presidential elections!

SAT-7 TURK (Photo courtesy of SAT-7)

Willey asks, “Pray that with the upcoming elections, as any nation that is having elections, we would pray that there would be a smooth transition, that those that are voting would be safe and free to cast their ballot. We are also praying for the nation, that there would be an acceptance of Christianity and Christians in Turkiye.

“Also, as in any country, there are disputes between different factions. We’re praying that those disputes would be handled peacefully, and we’re also praying that the rights of Christians, the rights of other religious minorities would be honored by the government.”

Learn more about SAT-7’s ministry.

Header photo of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, courtesy of Pixabay.

(Photo courtesy of Shahen books via Wikimedia Commons)

“I think that it’s become painfully clear to Lebanese people, and they’ve had an awakening, that really the main economic problem in the country for the past 30, 40 years has been the ruling officials, because of their corruption,” says Pierre Houssney, executive director of Horizons International.

“When someone has cancer, they need to undergo poison; they need to undergo chemotherapy in order to kill the poison that is damaging their body… I think the Lebanese public is ready to put the entire country on the line in order to get rid of these politicians and their stealing and their corruption and their embezzlement of government funds.”

The Lebanese want a remedy, even if it comes at a personal cost.

“They know if they’re able to clear out that ruling hegemonic elite, then they will be able to have a chance to rebuild their country and rebuild their country’s economy. So, the poor people and the middle class throughout Lebanon are making big economic sacrifices right now to shut down the country just in order to smoke out these political elites because they feel that there’s no other way. And if they fail right now, then their hopes will be dashed for the future,” Houssney says.

Actions and Reactions

On an international scale, the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister paints a picture of change, an illusion portraying a toppled government. However, Houssney breaks down the reality of the current government structure in Lebanon.

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The same establishment the Lebanese people are protesting is still firmly in place. Houssney says the prime minister is a representative of the weaker branch of the government. This branch is considered weaker due to the fact the ruling party is a collaboration of the Shiite Muslims and the Christian Lebanese, while the weaker branch is made up of Sunni Muslims. (Learn more about the governmental structure in Lebanon here.)

Until both the president of Lebanon (Christian) and the speaker of parliament resign (Shiite Muslim), the government corruption the Lebanese people are protesting remains intact.

“The big powers of the government are still in place, and they are not listening to the people, and they are not budging at all, which is really igniting a new wave of anger,” Houssney says.

Impact on Work

The congestion brought on from the protests is impacting the work of organizations like Horizons International. It is difficult to get in and out of the city. This has decreased the frequency of outreach across the country for Horizons International, forcing the group to shift its focus to more local work. On a limited basis, Horizons International has opened up its ministry centers for activities.

(Photo courtesy of Horizons International via Facebook)

But even amid massive protests, encouraging things are happening in Lebanon. Houssney’s prayer is for the Lebanese people to become more open to accepting Christ.

“As recently as last week, we’ve been getting reports from our church partners here in Lebanon that a lot of new families of Lebanese people have come into the Evangelical churches as a result of the turmoil,” Houssney says.

“We’ve seen people that are showing renewed interest in the Gospel. That’s exactly what we’ve been praying for, so it’s incredibly encouraging to see that God is actually doing that.”

Pray for Lebanon

Pray for these families and individuals who have a renewed interest in the Gospel to find Christ and community through the local Church. Ask God to bring about a wave of spiritual openness to the Gospel in Lebanon.

“God doesn’t let one single prayer go to waste. So, we need every single believer around the world to be praying that God would be glorified in the Middle East through these events,” Houssney says.

Learn more about Horizons International and ways to support its work here. 

Image courtesy of Kaufdex via Pixabay.

The Kurds and Statelessness

(Image courtesy of KURDISTAN كوردستان via Flickr)

One of the principles SAT-7 programs focus on is how each person has a right to be treated equally under the law and live without discrimination or segregation in society. That includes the Kurds. However, their situation poses some challenges.

“But if you look at the Kurds, they’re spread over five countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and a few other places. They actually hold a passport in these different countries. They can vote in those countries. They have a national identity,” says Terry Ascott, founder and president of SAT-7.

These rights separate the Kurds from what defines other stateless people, such as Palestinians living in the West Bank who do not share the same privileges.

Tug-of-Land in Iraq

What the Kurds do not have is a sovereign state. Kurdistan is not a country, but a region in Iraq where Kurds have a certain degree of autonomy. Ascott says if the Kurds had their own country, it would likely be one of the largest countries in the Middle East. In 2017, the Kurds held a referendum for independence from Iraq. They had hoped their fight against ISIS would help win them even more autonomy. This backfired.

“The government actually took away some of the territories they were holding and access to income-generating oil and gas reserves, and actually closed their airport…And, of course, there was pressure from Turkey and Iran, too, who do not want to see an independent Kurdistan established,” Ascott says.

Not Politics, But Prayer

It appears it is unlikely the Kurds will attain an independent state. SAT-7 does not engage with politics, but Ascott does invite you to pray for Kurdish believers.

“Pray for the Christians in the middle of these different conflict zones. They’re in all of these areas and they can be salt and light. They can be a healing balm in these conflict areas,” Ascott says.

Pray for justice. Pray for the Kurdish people as they face challenges on multiple sides. And please, pray for the perseverance of Kurdish believers.

“The Christian Gospel of turning the other cheek, of forgiveness, of reconciliation, these are very powerful in areas of the world where an eye for an eye is the norm, head for a head is the norm. It’s very hard to break the cycle of retaliatory violence. The Christian Gospel has shown itself repeatedly as an amazing light to be sought,” Ascott says.

Pray for this message to bring peace, too.

Learn more about SAT-7 and how to support its work here.

Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural region spanning parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran wherein the Kurdish people form a prominent majority population.

Header image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Growing Tensions

Tensions between Turkey and its NATO allies have been simmering since October. According to AMG International’s Tasos Ioannidis*, conflict with the West is one reason behind Turkey’s growing ‘Islamization.’

(Photo by Svetlana Gumerova on Unsplash)

“For many years he was trying to come closer to the European Union and because not enough progress has been made… The Turks have kind of become disenchanted with the Europeans, and that has also contributed to the dislike for the Western people and for European people,” Ioannidis says.

On top of growing frustrations with the European Union, Turkey has acted as a funnel for fleeing refugees in the region. The country has over 3.5 million refugees within its borders.

Turkey has tried to force the hand of the European Union with threats of allowing refugees to secure trips to Europe if the European Union does not provide Turkey’s monetary requests. Without a doubt, this puts a strain on relationships.

Challenges in Turkey

Ioannidis describes more factors making life difficult for believers in Turkey. Since the 2016 coup attempt, the nation has become more restrictive and paranoid. AMG is experiencing challenges with its work in the county.

(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

“Since the beginning of the year, we now have at least six individuals that have been deported or have been banned from re-entry into Turkey,” Ioannidis says.

AMG primarily uses media to proclaim the Gospel message in Turkey. Ioannidis says there is a small but growing Christian population within the Muslim-majority nation. AMG prays these believers will remain steadfast in their faith and continue to tell others the good news of Christ.

Next Steps

Would you take a moment right now to pray for Turkey, too?

“If history teaches us anything, it’s that whenever [there’s been] growing persecution of Christians in closed societies like that, God has responded many times with phenomenal and unexpected growth of the local church.”

(Photo courtesy of Spyros Papaspyropoulos via Flickr)

Ask God to strengthen local believers. Pray for their boldness in Christ despite growing concerns for their stay in Turkey. Ask God to protect believers in Turkey and to help them continue the work he has entrusted them to do.

Pray God uses the Church in Turkey to advance the Gospel in unprecedented ways so all in the country will hear the message of the cross. Finally, pray opportunities will continue to open for AMG to use media in all of its various forms to proclaim the Gospel.

To learn more about AMG or support its work, CLICK HERE.

Header image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Egyptian Church Remains Strong

(Photo by Raquel Raclette on Unsplash)

SAT-7, a satellite TV ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, is offering encouragement to believers in the area. Rex Rogers, president of SAT-7 USA, recently visited Egypt. He says the Church in the Middle East faces a lot of pressure, but they are still living out their faith.

“The Coptic Church is alive and well. There are Evangelical churches that exist in Egypt that as long as they’re not out publicly and actively proselytizing, they’re pretty much left alone. Unless, again, something happens with an extremist,” Rogers says.

Though the church fires are suspicious, Rogers says the Church in the Middle East is resilient and robust. It is an example of what it means to live out James 1:2:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”

Remember Those in Trials

Through its programming, SAT-7 encourages believers and reminds them they are not alone. Explore SAT-7’s channels and programs here.

“SAT-7 always exists not to necessarily react to everything that’s in the news – although it wants to be relevant and speak to people’s everyday problems and circumstances – but to take them back to the faith. What does God say in Scripture about His sovereignty? What does He say about His protection? What does He say about his blessing even in the face of walking through the valley of the shadow of death?” Rogers says.

(Photo courtesy of SAT-7 via Facebook)

Even in parts of the Arab world where Christians face restrictions, Rogers says the Church is growing. Similar to the experiences of the first century Church, God is not surprised when trials come. Even when times are hard, God is still present. The Christians in the Middle East know this, but they could also use the encouragement of knowing the global Church cares about their challenges and is praying for them.

Pray for the encouragement and perseverance of the Church in Egypt. Ask God to protect and fortify the work there, too. Pray for Egyptian believers’ ability to make God’s love visible while respecting local laws.

To support SAT-7, click here.

Header photo courtesy of SAT-7.

“Evangelical pastor Jinwook Kim, he was stabbed…just while walking down the street in southeastern Turkey. He began serving as a pastor in this area just earlier this year, although he’s lived in Turkey for five years already. He died from his wounds after he was taken to the hospital,” Allen says.

“In a sad twist to this story, his wife is expecting to deliver their second child [last] week.”

Attack on Pastor is Suspicious

Local authorities claim the pastor was the random victim of a thief trying to steal a phone. A 16-year-old has been arrested as a suspect for the murder. However, Allen and others familiar with the case suspect foul play. Allen suggests the incident may have been a targeted assassination.

(Photo by Svetlana Gumerova on Unsplash)

“From other ministry colleagues who work in that region, I have been informed that underage perpetrators, like the 16-year-old who [was] arrested, they’ve been used in a number of assassination attempts against Christians in Turkey recently, to lessen legal liability,” Allen says.

If minors are caught, their sentencing is typically less severe than sentencing for adults. Allen says another Turkish evangelist received a death threat the day after Kim was attacked, adding to the suspicion that Kim was not a random target for petty theft.

Officially, Turkey is a secular state. However, over the past few years, political sentiment that to be Turkish is to be Muslim has been on the rise, as has violence against non-Muslims. Turkey is also ranked as the 26th most difficult country to live on Christian by Open Doors USA’s World Watch List.

Pray for Turkey

Still, Allen urges believers not to lose hope for Turkey, but to instead pray. First, pray for Pastor Kim’s widow and their children. Pray for her endurance and faith as she lives in the contrast of welcoming a new child into her family while grieving the loss of her husband.

“Pray for the other evangelists. Turkish, as well as foreign workers in the country who are still there under their current visas, pray for them. Pray for their courage, for their perseverance, for their ability even though they may be scattered across the country, to network well with each other and help encourage one another as iron would sharpen iron,” Allen says.

FMI is in the process of expanding its work to Turkey with local Christian leaders. To learn more about this expansion, click here.

Header image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Protests in Lebanon

In October, a video of protestors singing “Baby Shark” to a frightened toddler humanized the people behind the chants. Weeks later, demonstrators continue to block roads, leaving the country at a standstill. Now, people are wondering what the protests are accomplishing.

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy-Lebanon)

Disruption from protests is adding challenges to daily ministry for organizations like Triumphant Mercy. Nuna of Triumphant Mercy says people are living with uncertainty.

No one knows what will happen on a day-to-day basis. Refugees are reminded of the Syrian revolution that forced them from their homes and into temporary makeshift tents in a foreign land.

“They were reminded of it and there was so much fear. They froze…they literally froze and not being able to think because of the fear,” Nuna explains.

“We have also a hard time at the ministry here to know what’s happening. Are we opening today? Are we not opening? Are we bringing kids? Are we not bringing kids? Will the parents send their kids? For the first few days, they did not want to send their kids with us because they were fearing that some people would be beaten on the streets…especially as Syrians.”

Syrian refugees are afraid the Lebanese might turn against them. Nuna says part of the financial problem in Lebanon is there are more people in the country than it can support. With 1.5 million Syrian refugees, Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita. The volume of refugees has made it harder for the Lebanese when searching for jobs.

Responding to Prolonged Protests

After weeks of peaceful protests, Nuna says the refugees’ fears have calmed some. Still, everyone is on edge. Roads continue to be blocked, and banks are closed. People are unable to make money transfers. Nuna is left wondering how to pay people working with Triumphant Mercy.

“It’s a question mark for all of us,” Nuna says.

What can Christians outside of Lebanon do? Pray.

“We’ve been intensifying prayer…prayer meetings every day. There’s a big fight going on just to see justice, to see corruption being broken,” Nuna says.

(Photo by Shahen Araboghlian, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)

Triumphant Mercy set up a tent in downtown Beirut to hold prayer meetings. In the middle of the chaos, the organization offers a calm place to stop and ask for God to bring change. It is also a place for people from different backgrounds to share their prayer requests.

“I believe this is a turning point for the whole region, not only for Lebanon,” Nuna says.

Pray for government corruption to end in Lebanon. Pray for justice and the people in Lebanon to have the ability to afford daily life. Pray for Triumphant Mercy’s work to continue during the protests.

“Thank you for everyone who prays, really. Every prayer is added to this bucket before the Lord. I just thank everyone who stands with us in prayer, who sends us a letter of encouragement, or who says, ‘I’m with you. I’m praying’,” Nuna says.

To send an encouraging note, click here.

Header photo credit: Shahen Books/CC4.0.

(Photo courtesy of Tent Schools International via Facebook)

Emily Klooster, executive director for Tent Schools International, says kids left uneducated are especially vulnerable to radicalization. The organizations and people partnered with Tent Schools do not reside in areas with previous ISIS control, but most work with kids whose lives were upended by ISIS’s reign.

“These kids often feel very discouraged, as we could understand, thinking about the conditions they’ve been left in and everything they’ve lost. They feel hopeless. They really have lost everything. Many of them arrive, having lost even their immediate families, in addition to having lost their homes, communities, schools, friends. So, ISIS can indeed, and does use brainwashing techniques to kind of play off of these kids’ sense of trauma, loss, anger,” Klooster says.

Need for Stability and Education

These children, teenagers, and families have fled ISIS activity. Klooster says it is crucial to welcome the forcibly displaced into new communities. Refugees need to be able to put down roots and contribute to a local society again.

“There’s a void there that ISIS often seeks to fill. And yes, our partners do witness kids who’ve experienced this level of trauma, and our partners are coming in with these schools, into these very urgent situations where without these schools and without the mentorship from these teachers, the kids are left with that void,” Klooster explains.

(Photo courtesy of Tent Schools International via Facebook)

A partner of Tent Schools in Lebanon is filling this void with his shipping container school. Pastor Joseph opened the school in a refugee camp, which was founded eight years ago as a temporary shelter on farmland.

Now, this shipping container school is helping Syrian refugee kids have a chance at life. For these kids, Pastor Joseph offers warmth and kindness. He is reintroducing kids to joy through jokes and his hearty laugh.

“The kids are responding absolutely to him in kind with big smiles and laughter. So, he’s developed these really quality, even light-hearted relationships with them,” Klooster says.

When parents see this, they trust Pastor Joseph and accept his help, especially after they see the positive impact this man is having on their children and teenagers. And through Pastor Joseph’s selfless, Christ-like dedication to them, these kids and their families might heal and find hope.

How to Practically Help

(Photo courtesy of Tent Schools International via Facebook)

Despite the reopening of border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, Syrian refugees tell Pastor Joseph they are too afraid to return to their county. They are still traumatized by what they witnessed during the civil war. If they did return, they are returning to nothing.

“There’s no work. Their homes were destroyed,” Klooster says.

Being stuck in a foreign land means hundreds of thousands of refugee children are in Lebanon and need an education.

“With enough funds, we could even begin another shipping container school that can impact an increasing number of Syrian children. So, for every shipping container school that is funded through Tent Schools International, he can serve 50 more Syrian children,” Klooster says.

Click here to support education for Syrian refugee kids through Tent Schools International.

Header photo courtesy of Tent Schools International via Facebook.

Expanding to Kenya and Turkey

(Photo by Ethan McArthur on Unsplash)

FMI is in the process of establishing national leadership teams in both countries. These teams oversee local partnerships, mentor new church planters, and assist in ministry progress evaluations. FMI plans to start supporting church planters and pastors in Kenya as early as 2020. However, partnerships in Turkey are still in the development stage.

FMI’s charter restricts the ministry to partnerships in countries where Christians are a minority population or are severely impoverished and struggle to support local ministry work.

“It’s in these hard places where we come alongside the church planters. People that God has already been raising up, people who are trained and say ‘hey, we want to come alongside you in those early years of church planting so that you don’t get discouraged, you don’t lose heart or quit ministry’,” says Bruce Allen, executive international director for FMI.

Choosing Partnerships

FMI also considers each country’s need and the opportunities for local partnerships when evaluating a country as a potential ministry match. For example, Allen has had a personal ministry in Kenya for years, providing ample contacts for FMI’s partnership.

(Photo by Daniil Vnoutchkov on Unsplash)

“We’re ecstatic that, okay, here are two areas: Turkey is considered the world’s largest unreached nation with the Gospel and Kenya is, while it’s considered a Christian majority nation, nominalism is rampant,” Allen explains.

“We want to help fortify the work of church planters in that country so that their congregations can become the beacons of truth and hope for their own countrymen and the regions beyond.”

Kenya also has pockets of people groups with minimal access to the Gospel message. Furthermore, Allen says Islam is on the upswing in the country. Focusing on these pioneering areas also keeps FMI from overlapping with other Christian work in the region.

Next Steps

Beyond financial support, FMI partnerships also provide local leaders with training conferences, prayer support from FMI’s network, and mentorship. FMI stands for “facilitate, mobilize, and inspire,” and that’s exactly what Allen wants to do for these new partners.

(Photo by Photos By Beks on Unsplash)

If you would, pray God connects FMI with those leaders He has anointed. Ask God to make His Word known in these nations. Pray for swift and efficient work in creating and connecting with national teams and financial partners for local church leaders.

Also, pray for the congregations, the fruits of the church planters’ work, to be Gospel witnesses in their countries. You can also pray for the perseverance of local church workers.

Support FMI’s work today by providing a financial gift to its Expansion to New Fields account. These funds provide for the costs of creating and resourcing the national leadership teams, not to mention evaluating local partners in the field.

To give, CLICK HERE.

Header photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash.