This is a personal letter from our mission workers who are in Turkey on the ground helping at the center of the earthquake. Their names have been abbreviated to their initials for their protection. City locations have also been removed.
Dear Friends,
We woke up to troubling news on February 6, after 11 cities were hit by an earthquake that destroyed many buildings and killed thousands of people leaving millions homeless and injured. We maxed out our credit cards and used our savings to gather supplies and left to be with our people in eastern Turkey. After traveling 25+ hours, we arrived on Wednesday to bring aid to ___ and ___. That day we camped next to hundreds of bodies laying on the ground. Cries and screams were still in every corner and there was no help on the ground from the authorities yet. Many were in shock and injured, and many more were still under the rubble. Thieves were stealing anything and everything and people were fighting for a piece of bread. The things we have seen and felt are unexplainable.
After our first trip, we drove back with our team and reorganized, bought more supplies, and went back a second time during the first week of the disaster. This time we provided help to 3 locations where our Christian friends were, and helped them with urgent needs.
Our 3rd trip was something worse.
While we were helping set up one of the Turkish churches for distributing hot food daily, we traveled to a nearby city to shop for some of our needs. A few minutes after we returned to our camp area another big earthquake hit. 'Y' was in the car parking and I was out by a heater with the ladies near the camp tent. When the roaring sound started I immediately knew another big earthquake was happening. In a second, people were falling to the ground, the wood heater fell down, they were trying to hold on to me to help them. I was watching 'Y' in the car shaking and so close to a collapsed building. I could feel the road splitting under my feet. I knew it was taking too long for the earthquake to stop so I dropped everyone trying to stand up and screamed, "LORD LORD", and a few seconds later it stopped. I always knew calling on the Lord in the midst of dark hours would change things but personally experiencing it was very scary. After it was over and I helped 2 elderly ladies sit up away from the fire, I looked for 'Y' and could not find him. Fear started raising in my heart and when I saw him we hugged each other for 10 seconds and went straight back to helping people. Several people got injured and burned and everyone was in shock and fearful. Soldiers, police, men, women everyone was on the ground trying to get up. The halfway-collapsed building fell fully and the air was filled with dust and smoke. It was dark and the fear and cries were like a cloud covering people. It was difficult to breathe because of the dust and smoke. The sirens were so loud from all over and the roads were split. Some roads were blocked.
After a few minutes, all I could think of was, I am so glad I have Jesus in me. Only the believers were not afraid of dying and after the shock, they were trying to help others calm down. We had peace that overcame fear and we were able to sing rejoicing songs. What an amazing feeling it is to have eternal peace that overcomes every fear. What a privilege to know the Holy Spirit is with us and not worry about what happens when we die. Living in the midst of the darkness and knowing HE is our light. We are beyond blessed to know Him as our Lord and Savior. So please praise His name with us.
Volunteers from every church in Turkey are one body serving the people in need now. Everyone young and old are doing their best to bring the light in the darkest areas now. Denominations and differences are laid aside, everyone is trying to do something big or small. God is already doing miracles and HE is changing the people's minds about the church.
God's miracles.
When we were visiting the city helping people, we came across a police camp area. We said hello and when they knew we are volunteers they invited us to sit with them. We were surrounded by 10-15 police from all over the country. I started sharing with them how we are thankful for them and what an honorable job they have. They started pouring their hearts and we were able to talk about trauma and healing. Being a man doesn't mean they don't have emotions and our conversation turned into a counseling session. We exchanged numbers and got so many invitations to do counseling all over the country. One of the police after our conversation with the group was over took us to another camp location and there was another big group. The tiredness, fear, and trauma were all over their faces. We had another long counseling conversation with them and got more invitations. God is doing something amazing among the law enforcement and He is expanding our reach.
After dinner, the day before the last earthquake hit we were sitting around the fire drinking tea and a group of special forces arrived. 'Y' invited them to warm up and have tea with us. Their chief sat down and started talking with 'Y'. A few minutes later 'Y' calls me and tells me that he is from my hometown. I started talking to the chief, and soon we realized he knew me well from when I was a child. He knew my family and my half-brothers. That means He knows I converted to Christianity. He finished his tea and stood up and gave a command to his soldiers to protect our camp. He told them pointing at me, "My sister and her friends are serving here, you are to protect them and if any harm comes to this camp you will be held responsible." The soldiers under his command were surprised since it is known as the Christian camp, but they said, "Yes Sir". Amazing God and His miracles.
Meeting these people and meeting their needs, they all say, "Thank you. We now know that Christians are good.". God is changing the idea of fearing the church and replacing it with gratitude.
There are so many angelic visits people share when we talk. Some share about a person helping them get out of the rubble and vanishing right after they are out. Many kids share of nice people coming and giving them water and food and telling them not to be scared while they are trapped. Others say people stop them and show them exact spots where they dig and find alive people. The stories are endless. A family we visited had lost over 30 people from their extended family and was devastated. They were angry, sad, and hurt. After we talked for a while, their faces lit up and they said somehow they felt better and lighter in spirit. It is time to be the Light.
How your financial support is being used:
- 13 Wood-burning water heaters for dishes, and showers. Along with buckets, faucets, and all the necessary items to start using them.
- Over 36 tons / 10,000 gallons of water.
- Tents, sleeping bags, warmers, heaters, cables, generators, headlights, gloves, underwear, socks, diapers, clothes, stoves, plastic cups, medicine, chainsaws, and many other items for 3 locations.
- Truck full of food items to hand out to the families.
- 2 hired cooks to make food for over 3,000 people a day.
- Relocated 2 Christian families and rented them apartments, paying 6 months of rent upfront, and helped purchase new furniture.
- Looking to purchase an RV for the volunteers to sleep in.
- Traveling to --- to purchase supplies (Tents and other items are not available in Turkey) and to the disaster area for our teams.
PSALM 46:1-2
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
Thank you for your prayers and help!
Y and D
To give to our Disaster Relief in Turkey go to WoodsEdge.org/disasterrelief.