From Austin to Istanbul

The calm would not last long, though. A couple of hours after our arrival there was an attack at the U.S. Consulate. Our hosts thought it best for us to stay inside for the rest of the day. We took their advice.

Our seclusion was brief. After a short nap, we joined the lead couple with another couple for some pre-marital counseling. My wife and I couldn’t believe it: we were in Istanbul, Turkey, thousands of miles from home. Yet, here we were talking with an eager couple about how to have a great marriage. It seems that no matter what part of the world we find ourselves, the concerns are the same – having a great marriage, raising our children, reaching our neighbors for Christ.

We go to bed. The next day after some brief touring, we go down to the center of Istanbul: Taksim. The streets were swollen with people. The sights, sounds, and smells are all new to our senses. As many as are the alley ways and shops of Taksim, so are the ways that Istanbul grabs your heart and refuses to let go.

Later that evening my wife, Tiffany, met with the married sisters for a devotional. Their hearts were eager for teaching and starving for fellowship. While Tiffany was teaching, I ran errands with the brother who leads. He shared his desire to lead the church to greater growth, his worries about his future, and the desire to make an impact in the wider region around. Despite a lack of paid leadership (they are self-supporting), the church continues to baptize, and continues to grow. Again, I am struck – the language may differ, but the concerns are the same.

Afterwards, we meet up to spend time with another married couple, Yester and Aret. They took us to a fantastic restaurant for dinner, but not after they had us try a local delicacy kokorech, grilled sheep intestines on bread. The fellowship was fantastic and deep as we discussed about having a great marriage in spite of disappointments.

The next evening, I spent time with the single men. After a dinner together of “Turkish pizza,” I spoke to them about being God’s friend like Abraham, Mose and Enoch. Afterwards, there was more fellowship with the brothers.

Saturday we spent some more time down in Taksim, purchasing gifts for friends and family back home. We returned back for dinner where we are treated to some BBQ chicken.

Sunday was church. We were so eager to be there because we wanted to meet everyone. Again, we drank deeply of the fellowship. I was struck by all the nationalities that this tiny church represents (I count eight). The singing in Turkish was absolutely stirring. It seems no matter what language, music still lifts the soul. I tried my best to sing, but mostly I enjoyed their voices. After a short presentation on the Austin church, I did a lesson on the Holy Spirit inside the body of Christ.

Afterwards, we spent time with another couple at lunch, Reza and Ani. They are eager to share their lives with us. We were just as eager to hear about the fantastic ways that God has worked in their lives. Their faith was impressive. Despite trouble and hardship, they desire to please God.

We moved over to stay with another couple, Andy and Troye. Andy works for the British government. They have been through a lot, but they are still standing. Their family is remarkable. Troye has a talent for making quilts. It seems there is a poor brother whose daughter has a large tumor behind her eye that requires surgery. Having the heart of Jesus, Troye decided that she would use her talent to raise money for the surgery. The quilts were put up for auction online. She hoped to raise $1000, but made nearly twice that. To God be the glory.

We spent the last day-and-a-half touring some of the historic sites, including the Dolmabache Palace, the Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet square, and the Hagia Sophia. Turkey is a country rich with culture, having once been the capital of the Roman Empire as Constantinople until the Ottoman Empire came to power. Many of the churches mentioned in the New Testament are found inside modern-day Turkey (an exercise left for the reader).

Andy treated us to some of his wonderful cooking on the last night. Afterwards, we accept their challenge to a game of spades. (Seems they hadn’t played in years.) We stayed up way too late for our early morning flight. But when spades are the game, there has to be a winner! Results have been withheld until a rematch is scheduled.

We can’t believe how quickly our time passed. Our departure was bittersweet. My wife and I had no idea what to expect. We had never been to Istanbul –now we can’t get it out of our hearts or our prayers. During our stay, we visited some of the historic sights, but it is the remarkable faith of these disciples that is historic!