Team Report – #595S
| Location: | Turkey (Black Sea Region) |
| Date: | May 18-Jun 1 2008 |
| Sending Partner: | STEM Share (Mixed ages) |
“…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
As the small group prayerwalked down the street they were overtaken by local ladies who were eager, even competing, to show hospitality. Food was piled into their hands and welcomes and well-wishes were heaped on them. Could this welcome shown to followers of Jesus be a sign of hearts ready to welcome Jesus himself?
This delightful and unified prayer team loved being together — which made for wonderful extended times of prayer and intercession. We also spent much time praying on the streets, either in planned prayerwalks or in spontaneous prayer while in transit. Prayer in the streets, from high overlook points, in mountain villages — even quietly in and around a mosque. The team spent much time in prayer for people to have freedom from fear and conspiracy — which are clearly strong motivators in the area and nation.
Relationships with local Turks played a large role on this team. Our schedules were often tweaked as we met new friends we wanted to spend time with…and as we spent time with them we were intentional about displaying the character of Christ. While the team spent 3 days interacting with a group of English speaking Turks, some were invited home for meals, others out to a concert, and always for tea. For some (perhaps many) of these Turks, it was the first time they had met a true follower of Jesus. A couple of our friends who we met with previous teams received a New Testament.
Encouragement was the goal when it came to our on-site long-term hosts. Some of them are transitioning back to their home countries while others will continue on there — with half the number of people as before. Our team prepared a barbeque and held a party to celebrate this transition with them. Continue to pray with us that the Lord will continue to bring more workers to this green and mountainous field — perhaps even some from this short-term team.
