Dear Friends,
I recently returned from two weeks in the earthquake zone in Turkey. I want to update you on what we saw and did, but first I want to thank each of you who have given and prayed. Your generosity and intercession are making a real difference for our partners on the ground and for those they are serving.
We arrived in hard-hit Adiyaman less than three weeks after the Feb. 6 earthquake. Adiyaman is northeast of biblical Antioch (now Antakya) and a stone’s throw from the Euphrates River. Once a bustling city of 300k, we were immediately struck by the emptiness as we drove through to reach our camp. No stores or restaurants were open. Not a light was on in any of the hundreds of high-rise apartment buildings that remained standing. More than half of the inhabitants had moved away to stay with friends or relatives in other places. Most of those who remained were living in tents or other temporary shelters.
Our goals for the two weeks were (1) to build shelters for survivors who had not yet been helped and (2) to lay a groundwork of knowledge and relationships for the teams that would come after us. We started our labors in the little town of Ahmet Hoja, a rural Kurdish village of 250 that had lost a tenth of its people in the disaster. If you looked away from the collapsed homes tumbling down the hillside, the beautiful and cultivated valley briefly made you forget the devastation and heartache all around. We ended up building about a dozen shelters in that little valley. Not only would the displaced villagers live here, but some of their relatives from the city would as well.
It was in Ahmet Hoja that we got our first taste of the kindness and hospitality of the local people. Every two hours of work was punctuated by a mandatory tea break. You would get scolded or tsk tsk-ed if you tried to keep working. Chai must be enjoyed hot! Each day the families we were serving would provide our (generous) lunch as well, after which it was a struggle to force our full bellies to get back to work. Our hosts had lost so much yet they shared what they had, with seconds and thirds.
Despite the warmth and generosity we encountered as guests, we were also soberly aware of the pain and suffering that each shelter represented. Every family we helped had lost someone, or their home, or both. One man with his arm in a sling asked if we could build his shelter as close as possible to the village cemetery. He wanted to be near his wife and four daughters who had just been buried there. Another family were refugees who had fled the fighting in Syria, only to lose everything again in the earthquake. The three of them were living in a tiny “backyard sleepover” tent. No words can describe our emotions as they thanked us, disassembled the tent, and moved into their shelter.
These and other powerful scenes will remain with me for a long time, but I think the most lasting impression will be the privilege of working alongside fellow believers from so many different places and backgrounds. We Americans were in the minority among Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian, Iranian, and other Christians who showed up to be the hands and feet of Christ. Many of these brothers and sisters have experienced very real adversity and persecution for their faith, yet here they were serving in the joy of the Lord and displaying that love for one another which is such a vital part of the Christian witness.
It was a great blessing to be a part of this community of faith, but two weeks goes by quickly and life in America returns once more – for me, that is. Not so for these brothers and sisters in Turkey. Their passports guarantee that they’ll be in and around the aftermath of the earthquake for quite a while. Perhaps their entire lives. What a heavy privilege to be God’s chosen witnesses at such a time and in such a place. Can we do anything to help them in this calling? I believe we can. Will you continue in prayer with us in the days ahead? Will you pray that God would strengthen and unify and use His people in Turkey to share the hope and love of Christ among the suffering? Will you pray that as we and our partners continue to send teams and resources, we would truly be a right-hand of help and support to those who are on the ground, the local church?
Thank you again to each of you who make this work possible. Thank you for your prayers.
John Nelson
Director, SGI
Here’s a few places to learn more or get involved in Turkey!
2. Since John’s trip there has been serious flooding. You can see tents in some of the videos here.
3. Here’s our Podcast Interview with Robin about helping rebuild after the earthquake in 1999.
4. The earthquake news has largely focused on the destruction in the cities. But this video shows some of the strength of quake in the country as a new ravine opened up in an olive grove.
