Great openness in the tent

The city of Antakya lies on the border with Syria. Almost two years ago, the earth shook here and many people died. Thousands and thousands lost relatives, friends and homes. Although the situation on the ground has long since disappeared from the headlines, the pain, grief and trauma are still there for many. However, this also brings with it a great openness to the good news.

Our partner Brother Georgi is currently experiencing this. He reports that many Alevis and Syrians in particular attend his church and enjoy listening to his sermons. However, it is not easy to find places to meet, let alone build a church. That is why they celebrate the services in a tent. Even though we are grateful for this temporary solution, we still need a parish hall.

The authorities tolerate the meetings, but try to disrupt the work of the pastors and evangelists in other ways. For example, the residence permits of several of Brother Georgi's foreign employees are expiring and are no longer being renewed. One pastor recently had to leave the country. Especially now, when the work among Alevis and Syrians is beginning to flourish, our partners in Turkey need our prayers.