Category Archives: Middle East

Turkey — Trip to the City of Antioch and the Surrounding Areas with Relief Aid

Pray for the Church of Antioch – by Robert Jurjevich

Nearly thirty years ago, I stood praying from the hillside overlooking the city of Antioch (Antakya, Turkey), seeking the Lord about the spiritual condition and future of this Biblical city where nearly 2000 years ago, a powerful New Testament church was founded.

From April 30th through May 2nd, 2023, I returned to Antioch with a truck loaded with food and hygienic items for people who had lost everything due to the February 2023 earthquakes. Traveling with me were pastor Sargon Chamaki from Ankara, Turkey, and pastor Jozsef Nagy from Bekes, Hungary, along with our Turkish brothers in Christ, Mustafa (our driver) and Ibrahim (our interpreter and security). The food truck – which cost $20,000 in supplies – was made possible by donations from several ministries, including The Bridge International.

It is heartbreaking to see this city of a half million inhabitants being reduced to 15% of its population, who are all living in tents because almost all buildings have fallen or are beyond repair. More than 50,000 people died during those few minutes when the series of earthquakes (7.8 magnitude) stuck southeast Turkey and northern Syria, an area larger than the nation of Austria.

Amid such tragedy and despair, God is still in the midst to pour out His love and grace to the local Christians, as they are being used to reach out to the Muslim population within the earthquake zone. Although they themselves have lost their church buildings and personal homes, the local Christians are daily feeding thousands through their mobile kitchens.  A positive result of this crisis is that the protestant churches of Turkey (with about 10,000 Christians) are more united and working together than ever before.

Someone asked me if I met God on my trip through the earthquake zone. I responded, “I met a little girl.” Of all my experiences during those two short but intense days, the closest thing to a ‘God-moment’, was the few moments I had meeting her.  In the midst of a living hell on earth, she stood there like a springtime flower – the smallest of all the children surrounding our van – totally content with the single packaged muffin she was holding in her tiny hands. She looked up into my eyes and then she gazed off to the side toward the tent camp where she now would return to. What is her name? Did she lose family in the earthquake? What will her future now be like?

TRIP REPORT—TO THE EPI-CENTER

On Sunday morning, April 30th, we started our journey in the capital city of Ankara with the loading the truck with 768 food boxes to be delivered the next morning in Antioch (Antakya, Turkey). There are two kinds of trucks – this one is the smaller size, which costs around $20,000 in supplies. The larger truck would cost $30,000 to fill. Supplies cannot be shipped into Turkey from outside the country – they have to be bought from within. Since the earthquakes three months ago, the price per box has doubled, from $13 to $26. The truck drove on to Antioch ahead of us – we drove in a van behind, a six hour drive.  On Monday morning, upon arriving at the church distribution camp on the outskirts of Antioch, along with the local ministry team, we set up tents where we unloaded the food boxes from the truck. Then we loaded up our van with as many food boxes as possible and headed for the city.

In Antioch, the local church is leasing a stable warehouse facility and operating a kitchen and bakery that is feeding thousands each day. They also have mobile kitchens so they can move from place to place to cook and provide warm meals on various locations.  We delivered a van load of boxes (with food and hygienic items) to one of the tent camps in Antioch.

 

From a distance overlooking the city of Antioch, you see many buildings still standing and could conclude that the damage is not that bad – until you start driving through the city. Nearly every building still standing will have to be torn down.

The local church has been given permission by the Turkish government to build a community center and has been assigned a parcel of land to build it on within the container camp. Jozsef is standing on the foundational slab for that future facility.  We were warmly received by the director of this particular container camp – he was so thankful for the work of the local church members – God is giving favor to the local believers on every side they turn to, and opened tremendous opportunities for the Gospel!

On our last night, we met with pastor Ihsan Özbek (overseer of the Foursquare Churches of Turkey) back in the capital city of Ankara to share about our impressions from the trip and to discuss how we could possibly help in the future the churches located in the earthquake zone with food trucks and teams.

On Monday afternoon we left Antioch and drove 7-8 hours to the city of Sanliurfa, arriving at midnight for a quick sleepover. Sanliurfa is located about 80 miles east of the Euphrates River. It is the Biblical city of Haran, where the Terah, father of Abraham, died on their journey to the promised land. (Genesis 11:32)

Early on Tuesday morning we drove with a van load of food to the city of Adiyaman, which like Antioch, is a city totally devastated by the earthquakes. We spent several hours visiting a local ministry who are helping in one of the container camps. When completed, each of the 20 container camps being built in Adiyaman will have 5000 containers – so 100,000 container homes. Like Antioch, and other cities within the earthquake zone, nearly all apartment buildings still standing are beyond repair and will have to be torn down.

From R.K.’s Corner

This is a follow up of the prior month’s Bridge Report, which featured the massive earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria, which took place on February 6.  Thanks to all of you who responded generously in donating funds toward helping the victims near the epicenter in Turkey!  So far, The Bridge has collected appr. $13,000.00, some of which helped complete a truck full of relief aid boxed, which our Bridge partners Robert and Sargon in cooperation with local Turkish believers, brought to the city of Antioch and surrounding cities. In this issue, Robert gives us a report from their trip.

Antioch is historically significant, as the Apostle Paul founded the first Gentile church there (Acts 11:20–26). The new disciples of Jesus in the city were the first believers called Christians. Paul started on his missionary journeys from Antioch. Today, Antioch is predominantly Muslim. Now, God has opened a wide door for the Christians to demonstrate the love of Jesus freely to their Muslim neighbors!

WILL YOU JOIN US IN HELPING THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN TURKEY?

The funds raised via The Bridge will be sent directly via the leaders we have presented you with here and administrate the receiving and distribution of goods on the ground.  The Bridge will not deduct any administrative costs: Your donation will be sent overseas in full!  Please mark your donation: 8162 Relief Aid—Turkey’s Earthquake Victims.

Turkey — Rebuilding People’s Lives after Disastrous Earthquake

This is a one of the reports sent via Robert Jurjevich by one of the leaders of  a Turkish network of faith-based local Christian leaders who coordinate and work together in distributing the resources donated, most efficiently. to the most needy. This gives a glimpse of their daily dedication and struggles:

Before and After the Earthquake

”Greetings Brothers and Sisters:
Yesterday we went to Hatay again. This time we had the opportunity to see the ministry led by brothers Ali Öztürk and Umut Şahin.

Brother Ali from the Izmir Işık (light) Churches, together with brothers and sisters from other Light churches and other churches, are running a wonderful ministry. They serve three meals to hundreds of people every day with a simple kitchen set up on the side of a main street, opposite a ruined building that is on the edge of a whole neighborhood in completely ruins. They work with so much heart, so much dedication, making sure everything is well done and runs smoothly! The different local authorities that are patrolling the areas such as police and security guards serving in the region and the public form long lines just to eat. We are hearing amazing testimonies from everyone.

As we met and listened to the people coming , we realized that people don’t just come to eat. They are also coming because they feel God’s presence – the aroma of Christ but they can’t put a name to it – that aroma is there thanks to our brothers and sisters. ‘There is something different here. We don’t eat in other places. We come here to eat and for feeling this atmosphere.’

God is using our brothers and sisters as salt and light in this most difficult time, exactly as the Word states! Praise God!  For this, we need brothers and sisters who will continue to serve with them, and carry this burden by putting their hearts and hands into this work. We advise you to go and lift the arms of the brothers there.  The First Hope Association is a local charity where our brother Umut Şahin serves. They work with extraordinary labor and effort with a large team not only in Hatay but also in other places such as Gaziantep.  Praise God, the services of their association are gradually growing.   In the first days of the earthquake they actively took part in search and rescue and rescued dozens of people from under rubble of apartments that had falling in the whole earthquake region. Now they serve in a wide range of ways, from meeting the need for food to providing clothes.

Unfortunately, a large hospital in Hatay is unusable. Many patients and health workers have lost their lives during work. In the aftermath, the hospital’s large garden was transformed into two different “tent hospitals” set up with the help of Samaritan’s Purse, a faith-based organization from the united States. They brought in different medics from Bağcılar, Istanbul, and provide a broad range of medical service from simple health problems to surgeries. With their support in this chaotic environment, First Hope Association provides the most basic needs of thousands of people, employees, patients and their relatives: like toilets, showers, laundry facilities, and basic food, such as bread and coffee.

Dozens of our brothers and sisters serve there selflessly. Let us also thank our brother Umut, First Hope and all the volunteer brothers and sisters who serve with them for this wonderful ministry, Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord give them strength and endurance to continue using them.  Helpers and volunteers are needed there too. Please get in touch if you would like to be there and be part of their ministry.

Yesterday evening we went to see our brothers Hamdullah and Elmas again. We nervously entered their house, which they had worked on for years and used as a service center, but which is no longer considered a safe building. We drank tea together and talked among other things a bit about their earthquake experiences . At night, we returned to Iskenderun. We met again with our brother Bedri and the brothers we talked about that day. We saw the same characteristics in our brothers Hamdullah-Elmas, Brother Bedri and his team, brothers Ali and Umut and all our dear brothers and sisters who serve with them: The love and compassion, zeal and endurance, faith and hope reflecting from Christ within.

A ten year old girl protected her baby brother stuck underneath the rubble. When the rescue team approached them, she promised she would be their servant for the rest of her life if they would save her and her brother. Imagine the future destiny of this one little girl! Let us remember the boy with the starfish…It takes only one at a time!

Often without eating, drinking, sleeping, showering, or even going to the restroom, they serve with love those who are suffering, and suffer as if they are serving the Lord. They do not eat but feed, do not wear the clothes that are donated, but give what they receive and have to console those that are suffering. They truly deserve the divine reward, the crown. And they do all this in a sense representing the whole Church. What they do glorifies the Lord, but it also serves to praise the Church. Praise be to God. We thank the Lord for them. May the Lord bless them!  May the Lord bless you, dear and precious brothers and sisters.”

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

You may recall the horrific earthquake which, on February 6, hit southern Turkey and parts of Syria. The news of the disaster flashed across the world news media for a few days before it vanished off the headlines—problem solved—right!  Not exactly!  Each number in the statistics on page three represents one grieving, suffering human being. All you and I can do, all but miniscule in comparison to the ocean of pain, is help alleviate the suffering of one victim, or a family, or a fellowship of believers by giving of our resources with our prayers.  We are raising funds which will be sent directly to those who are serving the victims, many of whom live near the epicenter.  Most of them are local Turkish Christian leaders affected themselves by the disaster.  They come highly recommended by two of our trusted Bridge partners, Robert Jurjevich and Sargon Daniali Chamaki, men with faith and integrity who have lived and served in the Balkans  for decades. You find their  background information under COUNTRIES on our website.
The funds will be sent directly via the leaders who oversee the receiving and distribution on the ground.  The Bridge will not deduct any administrative costs: Your donation will be sent overseas in full!  Please mark your donation:
8162 Relief Aid—Turkey’s Earthquake Victims.

 

 

 

Apostasy: The Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, the Nohadide Law and the Global Reset

This year, a center for a One World Religion will open in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Abrahamic Family House will consist of a mosque, church, synagogue, and educational center.  The purpose as described by its founders, is to be “a beacon of mutual understanding, harmonious coexistence, and peace among people of faith and goodwill. Through its design, it captures the values shared between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and serves as a powerful platform for inspiring and nurturing understanding and acceptance between people of goodwill.”  The Noahide Law is the underlying, universal belief system which must be followed by all!

The vision for the Abrahamic Family House originated after the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in February 2019. The founder’s document continues, “This landmark will be a place for learning, dialogue, and worship – open to all and a true reflection of the UAE’s belief in tolerance and hospitality. Within each of the houses of worship, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about religious services, listen to holy scripture, and experience sacred rituals.”

Sounds harmonious and peaceful — right?  Not so fast! Following are some of the underlying facts:

  1. Although the UAE constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Sharia Law which is strictly followed, prohibits a Muslim to convert to another religion.  Many Muslim clerics believe that coverts (apostates) should be killed. 
  2. Teaching that Jesus is the Son of God and the only God is considered an insult to Allah or the Prophet Muhammad and offenders can be subject to imprisonment for more than five years and fined up to half a million dollars.
  3. The UAE has adapted a U.N. resolution, prohibiting teachings against Islam, including Biblical teachings, which is considered offensive. Biblical Truth and doctrine is the loser here!

THE JEWISH AND  WORLD NEW ORDER?
by Robert Jurjevich

Our Bridge partners, the American—Dutch couple, Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich,  have for several decades been living and serving the Lord in the Muslim section of the capital city of Sarajevo, Bosnia.

To learn more about their them and their ministry, go to:
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/bosnia/

Isaac Newton once said, ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

Rabbi Judah Alkalai (1798 – 1878), born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina, throughout his life prophetically spoke, wrote and worked toward the re-establishment of the land of Israel. He was the rabbi of Simon Loeb Herzl and Jakov Herzl, respectively the grandfather and father of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern-day Zionism and the ‘Visionary of the State of Israel’. Theodor Herzl stood upon the shoulders of Rabbi Alkalai and saw the restoration of Israel.

The political world order was mainly framed according to the strength and ambitions of various kingdoms and empires. Yet all would change with the assassination in Sarajevo of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Frans Ferdinand, on June 28, 1914. The centuries old imperial world order crashed and there emerged the rise of nationalistic statehood. The prophetic seed that Rabbi Alkalai of Sarajevo had begun planting nearly a century beforehand, broke through the bloody soil of WWI and it seemed that the establishment of Jewish statehood was within reach. Yet the spirit of imperialism was not defeated, and it reorganized itself to not only prevent the rebirth of Israel, but to try and exterminate its children during the holocaust of WWII. The prophetic seed of Jewish nationalism seemingly was dead, yet with resurrection power the dream became a reality on May 14, 1948, with the declaration of Jewish statehood – Israel was once again a nation.

The League of Nations was created after WWI, yet it could not maintain peace in the world. At the end of WWII, the United Nations was formed for the same purpose yet has also failed like its predecessor. The present Russian-Ukrainian conflict again exposes the weakness of the UN structure and threatens to draw the nations into WWIII, possibly even into nuclear exchanges. Once again, the world order is shaken to its core and exposed to coming drastic changes. Amid much turmoil, the Gospel of Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah continues to be increasingly heard and received both within Israel and the nations.

Will the United Nations be able to continue in its present form and structure, or will it be supplanted by a new international order? If so, from where does that promise of world peace arise from? Over the last 20 years, a movement has begun to emerge within Israel whose aim is to replace even the political usage of the United Nations and to create a uniformed spiritual platform that all peoples, regardless of their religious differences, can be identified and unified by together within a new world order. This ‘new’ world order is a globalism based on ‘old’ Biblical yet universally accepted concepts.

In October 2004, a rabbinic organization was formed to be the transitional phase toward re-establishing the Sanhedrin (www.thesanhedrin.org) – the Jewish religious ruling body based on the Mosaic Law that aims to replace through its 70 Nations initiative, not just the Knesset (the legislative branch of Israeli government), but the UN itself to establish world peace  www.theseventynations.org.   The benefits for Israel are the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, the reinstatement of the Jewish priesthood with the animal sacrifices, and the replacement of a secularized government with the Sanhedrin. The benefit for the non-Jewish nations (Gentiles) is a recognition by the Sanhedrin for ‘righteous’ status based not upon the Mosaic Law but upon the Noahide Law (www.noahideworldcenter.org).

What is the Noahide Law? Alleged basic laws of God given to Noah, which applies to all mankind, to all nations – except to Israel, which is given the higher standard of Torah (Law of Moses). There are seven principles which, if a non-Jew will pledge themselves to, the Sanhedrin will declare him as a ‘righteous son of Noah’, meaning Righteous Gentile:

  1. Do not worship idols
  2. Do not blasphemy God
  3. Do not murder
  4. Do not commit adultery
  5. Do not steal
  6. Do not eat flesh torn from a living animal
  7. Submit oneself to courts of justice (Sanhedrin)

The preparations for this modern-day Sanhedrin fortunately has no authority presently in Israel.  He would have the ability to declare any non-Jew giving allegiance to the Noahide Law to be declared ‘righteous’ before God; likewise, any non-Jew not giving allegiance to the Noahide Law would be declared ‘unrighteous’ and face the judgment of death by the Sanhedrin. For Jewish people, the standard for ‘righteousness’ is strict compliance to the Mosaic Law (temple worship with priesthood and sacrifices) once it can be fully reinstated. Messianic Jews (Jewish believers in Jesus the Messiah) would be declared ‘unrighteous’ and face death.

The Noahide movement has gained momentum over the last few decades. Every US president since Ronald Reagan has signed a declaration of US recognition of the Noahide Law. This ‘new’ Sanhedrin movement has established a synagogue beneath the Western Wall in Jerusalem to where foreign leaders can come to sign onto the Noahide Law. The Abrahamic Family House project, which is a complex built in Abu Dhabi housing a synagogue, mosque, and church (www.forhumanfraternity.org) is evidence of the growing focus on removing religious barriers to create a uniform religious identity. Noahide religious centers and fellowships have increased and begun networking together worldwide.

As one who loves Jesus and loves the Jewish people, my heart cries out for an outpouring of God’s Spirit and blessing upon Israel and the nations. At the same time my heart breaks because of the rise of deception, division, destruction, and death (the four horsemen of Revelation 6:1-8) among the nations. We must stay alert, as watchmen upon the wall, standing in the gap through our prayerful intercession for Jerusalem, Israel, and the nations.

From R.K.’s Corner

We are at war!  No, here I am not referring to the current war incited by Russia in Ukraine, but a far larger, world wide war.   It is an ideological, economic, cultural and spiritual war waged by a global elite of the rich and powerful against Western civilization which fostered prosperity, individual freedom and liberty via the democratic process built on the Judeo-Christian world view. The bulwark which stands as a protection of freedom against tyranny is the Truth, anchored in the moral principles of the Bible.   Today, we see a full assault against  the cornerstone of Biblical faith – Jesus Christ and the Triune God!  The Christian faith must be eradicated for the new Global Reset to take place.

Lack of space here makes it possible to only give a brief introduction to some  of the aspects of tyranny which are emerging in a perfect synchronism for the elite to endeavor controlling all human activities, their thoughts and faith, as well as the world’s resources.  Please do your own research and ask the Lord where you fit into the ranks of this battle.

The World Economic Forum and the Great Reset

This month, 2000 individuals from among the richest and most influential people in the world will be gathering at the WEF—World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Klaus Schwab, its Founder and Executive Chairman is the architect of the ideology that the world is entering a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) requiring a “Great Reset.” 

This “New World Order” requires a fundamental revolution in governance of the world’s population “For the Better Good.” Instead of individual countries governed by democratically elected leaders, “Stakeholder Capitalism” will effectively redefine human beings, not as citizens— free individuals or members of living communities—but rather as secondary participants in a business whose profitability is the only aim in a global, borderless world. At the center of this new governance is WEF, a self selected global coalition of hand-picked and unelected individuals from multinational corporations, governments and civil society organizations whose duty is not to serve the public, but to impose the rule of the 1% on that public with as little interference as possible. The end goal is Global Fascist Totalitarianism,  and their tools are many:

1  The new technologies of 4IR rolled out via 5G enable new forms of surveillance to gain full control over all human activities and thoughts: Transhumanism via artificial intelligence, smart tattoos, implanted microchips, biological computing,  custom designed organisms

  1. Covid-19 with its worldwide draconian measures was a special gift—a dress rehearsal for what is to come.
  2. The new Abrahamic Family House —a One World religion without God!
  3. Climate Change—rule the masses with controlling regulations and fear of future!
  4. Equity and Gender—redefinition of the basic structures of the Judeo-Christian family unit: husband, wife, children.  Redefinition of what is a human being — what is a man, what is a woman. Dividing the population by redefining the value of a human being based on skin color, rather than his or her character.
  5. Marxist Fascism—dividing the population in two groups: The Oppressor and the Oppressed based on skin color.

HOW ARE WE, THEN— TO LIVE?

Let us not fear, but stand firm in our faith and convictions, follow the Lord and obey His Word, and be encouraged by scripture verse  in James 12:1 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Sargon Chamaki Daniali – Serving Iranians in Turkey with the Gospel

A TWO YEAR UPDATE ON OUR MINISTRY

MY FAMILY:  In 2018, I moved more permanently to Turkey from Kazakhstan, and after a year, my wife and daughter joined me in Istanbul.  They are adjusting well and learning the Farsi and Turkish languages.  My two older sons are busy with work, church ministry and theological studies at a seminary in Kazakhstan of which I was one of the founders and Rector from 2006-2012. My youngest son is studying at the Christian University of Divine Grace in Chisinau, Moldovia, at the Faculty of Business Management and Foreign  Languages.We started a new mission center at a leased three story villa in the western suburb of Istanbul to serve as a regional office, guest house, a place to conduct seminars for our seminary students and a shelter for people in need.

A 14 seat minibus was purchased for the transportation needs of the church. I have asked all our church members to pick one day a week to do active evangelism.  Everybody is excited  about this.  We are continually praying and believing that Iran will open up for the Gospel!

We have established daily, scheduled online  meetings for worship, prayer and intercession. A new, online Church Radio program was launched with the purpose of sharing the Good News and provide transformational Biblical teachings among Persian speaking people worldwide. We continue to develop and broadcast online daily Bible studies and relevant programs on various faith-strengthening topics both among new believers and those more mature in faith.Our church distributed food packages to victims of Covid-19 among Iranians and Afghans in Iran and Turkey, believers and unbelievers.  We took care of basic needs for groups of refugees and provided various medical assistance to the poor: medicine, medical supplies related to high blood pressure and heart problems; also financially helped a sister have surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.

Our translation team completed the translations of two theological student workbooks (with their leader guide) into the Farsi language: A practical training in the discipling of new believers, via A. Abundant Life – The life of Christ in us, and B. The Life of Christ 1 – The first of a six book series titled, A compendium of Pastoral Theology, for training of ministers. We are also in the process of translating another book called Encounter Bible Manual for groups of 2-20 people. It’s a very strong tool for evangelizing, discipling and church planting.

A number of new believers were baptized, included my youngest son who made a commitment as an adult to continue following Christ.

We conducted five seminars and conferences; two of them were even held in the midst of the Covid-19 restrictions.

TWO YEAR BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE REGION 

The hardship to the refugees in Turkey is opening their hearts to the Gospel Message.  Please pray for God to reveal His wisdom and strategy for continued reaching and ministering to the Iranian refugees in Turkey.

The situation in Iran has also become increasingly volatile as the banks are on the brink of collapse, and the economy suffers greatly.  There is widespread famine and shortness of basic necessities.  The price of gas has soared 300%.  Demonstrations by the people and violent responses by the government happens daily.  But God is using this situation to bring about a great spiritual awakening in Iran with many Iranians coming to Christ.  Our ministry in partnership with like ministries have distributed 50,000 New Testaments throughout the country. Please pray for their protection and God’s provision for the believers! Praise Report:  I have signed a three year contract for the translation of eleven more books into Farsi, two of which are completed.

Several of our home group leaders in Iran were attacked and arrested by the intelligence service,  their books and computers confiscated.  After three weeks they were all released, but they are under surveillance and have to report to the police at their bidding.  A couple of them are awaiting court cases against them.

In spite of the restrictions Covid-19 brought, the Church overall has been doing well. Some churches and fellowships have been shut down, due to the virus.  Our church members have been meeting, while following social distancing and encouraging our older persons to stay home and join us online.  We have been gathering every day of the of the week, for two to three hours, both in person and online, for worship, prayer, and Bible teaching.  I have had a revelation that God has been sending this plague to bring people’s attention back to Him.

The situation in Turkey for refugees is becoming increasingly difficult.  There are currently 4.1 million refugees in Turkey and the allocated government budget to support them is decreasing yearly.  This is bringing pressure on Iranian refugees.  Joblessness and inflation is increasing in Turkey.  Conditions in Iran are extremely difficult. Conditions across the Middle East are worsening.  With no support in Turkey, and horrible conditions at home in Iran, the Iranian refugees have nowhere to turn.  Please pray for our ministry to them.

At the beginning of the Corona epidemic crisis, tens of thousands of refugees from this larger war-torn region were forced to leave and go to Bulgaria and Greece, where they were denied entrance and had to return back. 50 Afghan and Syrian orphans without parents were flown to Luxembourg.  We received a group of about forty people (seven families) to care for.  I currently have one of the families living with me in the center.  No one helped them except Christians.  A ten year old girl prayed a sweet prayer thanking Jesus!  These family members are followers of Jesus and very evangelistic.  Please pray for them !!

In December, we moved into the newly leased Mission Center building.  I have asked all our church members to pick one day a week to do active evangelism.  Everybody is excited  about this.  We are continually praying and believing that Iran will open up for the Gospel!

In the midst of all the suffering and darkness, the Lord is requiring us to be salt and light! Matthew 5:15-16 “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”.  The blood of Jesus is the cure for the virus of sin which can kill both body and soul.  God is listening and He will answer our specific prayers!

F.Y.I.  This link is a Christianity Today article on the expansion of the Christian faith in Iran:   https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/september/iran-christian-conversions-gamaan-religion-survey.html

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

The Bridge encountered Sargon for the first time in 1994 during a Christian conference we co-sponsored with a partnering ministry in Istanbul, Turkey.  He was then a young, single Assyrian teacher having fled his homeland, Iran, due to severe persecution by the Iranian government against his church and pastor, who had been murdered.  He had lived in Turkey for almost four years while serving  refugee believers in Istanbul with the Gospel.

The Bridge decided to sponsor Sargon, and helped him move to Almaty, Kazakhstan to bring the Christian faith to Central Asia’s Turkic and Farsi speaking peoples.  There he met his wife, Nadia. Together they have  four children, three of whom are now young adults and have decided to walk in their parents’ footsteps in serving the Lord.  Sargon’s  personal journey is documented in two prior Bridge Reports:
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/pdf/november2009.pdf
https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2019/04/

This issue is an update on the last two years in Sargon’s family and ministry, and briefly touches on the challenges and triumphs the Christian church is encountering in the face of great opposition and hardship in the Muslim dominated countries where he serves.  Please pray for him, his family and ministry; mark your gift: 8341 Iran/Turkey Workers.

Iran and Turkey — An Update by Sargon Daniali Chamaki

 FROM R.K.’S CORNER – AN INTRODUCTION

In 1994, 25 years ago, one of our Dutch Bridge Directors, introduced Steve and me to Sargon Daniali Chamaki whom he had met in Istanbul where the Bridge was co-sponsoring a Christian conference.  An Assyrian, born and raised in Iran, in order to avoid persecution as a young believer in Jesus Christ, Sargon had fled his homeland to Turkey.  He had a broad vision to see the Muslim nations in Central Asia and the Middle East who first were Christian nations before Islam conquered the region, again embrace their Christian heritage and come to a living relationship with Jesus Christ!

We began sponsoring Sargon, and sent him to Almaty, Kazakhstan where he attended Bible College, married and raised four children while being actively engaged in bringing the love of Jesus to the Turkish– and Farsi speaking peoples living there.

In 2007, his heart was rekindled toward the Iranian refugees living in Turkey, and he has since then been engaged in Apostolic work among his people.  Below, is Sargon’s Report:

In 2007, and throughout the following year, after having been away from Turkey and Iran for 13 years, I began to miss my Iranian people. I felt an increased desire to return and more actively serve and love them.  Twice, a few months apart, while visiting two different cities, the Holy Spirit woke me up and impressed upon me that I needed to hurry up.   I did not know then that, due to the new wave of government crackdown on the protesters in Iran, thousands of Iranians had fled to Turkey as refugees.  So, from 2009 on, I visited Turkey once a year, where I attended several Farsi meetings and Central Consultation conferences. Friendships were built, and I entered into many good relationships, which I cultivated long distance. 

Three years later, I received an invitation from a few Iranian churches and old friends in Europe to join their conferences in Turkey.  The following year, I participated as guest speaker in three of those conferences in the cities of Istanbul, Izmir, and Ephesus, and was also invited as guest speaker at one conference in Sweden.  While visiting the city of Chankri in Turkey, God spoke to me,  “I called you to this region; I will open gates before you and cover your paths with oil.”

During 2013 and 2014, my travels to visit Iranians in various cities in Turkey increased.  The Lord impressed upon me that a new church would be planted, and that we were to follow His guidance to do it the Biblical way.

In October 2015, as a result of weekly, nonstop Bible teaching and evangelism for three years, both online and in person, a church in Kayseri was planted.  By the help of The Bridge International, an apartment was rented and furnished to host the church, as well as be used as my residency and office whenever I would visit that city.

The Bible teachings continued; the number of conferences kept increasing in frequency, from once a year in 2015, twice in 2016, three times in 2017 and four times in 2018.  The speakers came from Bosnia, South Korea, Tatarstan, and Australia. They were conducted in the cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Kayseri.  New churches were planted in Nev Shehir in Turkey, and in three cities within the country of Iran: Tehran, Karaj and Kerman. The number of believers also increased in other cities of Turkey and Iran.

These new  churches are named The Evangelical Apostolic Church of Iranians, derived from the official name The Evangelical Apostolic Church of the East, the church at the East of the Euphrate river, within the Persian empire and clear up to China.  They have  already baptized approx. 150 people, and many are awaiting baptism.

In the summer of 2017, the Jireh Church near Seoul, Korea sent us $10,000 which enabled us to buy a van for our ministry.

In October 2018, some of the believers in the church in Kayseri opened a language school in the church facility for Iranian and Afghan refugees, both children and adults, to teach them the Turkish language, thus help them assimilate in local schools and the work arena.

In November 2018 we started our new Seminary to train our first generation of internationally ordained ministers.  In January this year, by the financial support of the Window Missionary Training Center, we were able to rent a three-story building in Istanbul to function as an Iranian Missionary Center.

Last year, due to the continued financial support from partners of The Bridge International, I was able to move my wife, Nadia, and our two youngest children (our two oldest boys are already in college) from Kazakhstan to Turkey, where we live in a nice rental apartment.  Not needing to frequently travel between the two countries any more has given me much more flexibility to focus on the ministry among Iranians in Turkey.   

A few weeks ago, the Farsi branch of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) invited me to teach in their Bible School in Turkey.  They also offered us to establish a Radio – TV internet, and we began raising funds for the channel and establish a studio.  The Bridge International funded the equipment for the studio, so in March the studio opened, and a new home church was planted in the facility of the Mission Center in Istanbul.

Recently, I was informed that The Kernel University in California has approved the establishment of their Middle East Branch in Istanbul.  They have invited me to help the work out the logistics on the Turkish end, as everything is ready to go in America.  This is really good news!

We have been warmly welcomed by our Iranian friends and believers living in Iran, as well as those who are refugees in Turkey. Together we are praying about establishing a Center in the capital city of Tehran, like the one in Istanbul.  It would be operated under cover by a company owned by Christian believers, where a home church and other needed Christian activities would flourish.  We believe we are coming close to the time when the phase of the Satanic grip of oppression on Iran and her people is about to loosen its stronghold!

IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A PARTNER WITH US IN SPONSORING SARGON AND HIS MINISTRY TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE DONATE BUTTON ABOVE AND MARK YOUR CONTRIBUTION 8341 IRAN/TURKEY WORKERS.  THANK YOU!

 

    

Northern Iraq – Update from Displaced Iraqis and Syrians

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

Ulrichs 11-14In the October 2014 Bridge Report, we featured The Bridge’s first participation in helping ease the suffering of the destitute Iraqis and Syrians displaced by the brutal takeover of the region by ISIS — https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2014/10! Our friend and mission partner brought with them the Bridge relief funds we had received from our donors up till then! (Due to security reasons, we do not disclose the names of our partner or his organization).  Our partner did a Fall trip in which we did not participate, but during his latest trip this Spring, we sent the balance in the relief account with him, from which he wrote us this month’s report. The fact that he is Arab, thus easily blending into the local population, enables him to touch the lives of those who suffer the most—the 200,000 out of the 1 mill refugees who live outside the camps, most of them being Yazidis and Christians.  So far we have sent close to $20,000 into the field — with no overhead deducted, it means that 100% of the funds you give, directly serve the needy!  Thank you for your generosity!  THE NEED IS GREAT— PLEASE KEEP ON GIVING!

JUNE TRIP TO NORTHERN IRAQ BY OUR ARAB FRIEND AND HIS TEAM

Displaced Yazidis in Northern Iraq

Displaced Yazidis in Northern Iraq

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We thank God for you as you have continued to give generously and helped provide food, clothing, medicine, heat, and transportation to the displaced people from Syria and Iraq and enabled us to keep sharing the Good News with those who are suffering and without Hope. During these trips, we have been giving new information and methods which are influencing the believers’ ability to reach across cultural barriers and share the message that we have been commissioned to share in a way the locals are able to  hear and receive the Good News of the Kingdom.

Life goes on - baby born in diaspora

Life goes on – Iraqi baby born in the camp

Entering Iraq this time, we found that ISIS had made new gains. What had appeared to be a “hands  down” victory in Northern Iraq by the Kurds, had turned into a fresh infusion of troops and money from ISIS. We were present as ISIS took Ramadi.  This was heartbreaking for us. We also experienced firsthand a renewed campaign of suicide bombs in the region’s capitol of Erbil.  This made it an interesting visit, as everyone was a suspect of the Kurdish guards along the roads. We saw several “plumes” that were the evidence of the efforts by ISIS to penetrate into the heart of Kurdish territory.

Despite the efforts of ISIS, the King of Glory has been working in the hearts of men. We met several of the new Kurdish, Yazidi believers and had opportunity to encourage them and spend good quality time with them. We actively listened to their stories and learned as much as possible, so we could help them contextualize “the message”, for the purpose of reaching as many Yazidis as possible.  My wife and I visited one of the main ancient Yazidi temples to learn about their history, traditions and ceremonies to enable to better help the Yazidi believers continue the movement that God has clearly started.

A Yazidi’s Testimony

N and A sharing their lives with us in the camp.

N and A sharing their lives with us in the camp.

We met with one new believer whom I’ll call N for security sake, who shared his story. The following is his account:

“When the attacks began we had to leave to the mountain (Shingal). My wife was with my family, while I went ahead to the top of the mountain.  Before my wife could join me she was bitten by a poisonous snake on her left leg which was swollen up to her thigh. I was the only young man in my family so I had to walk more than five kilometers every day to bring water to them. There are more than 84 people in my family, so I drank less than a cup of water each day which was not enough. We had no food for 18 days. My wife was getting weaker since we had no medicineand her leg was turning black and blue from the poison.

I had to make a decision as to whether I would stay with my family or try to take my wife to get help. My family was ok, except for their necessary to walk to get water. Because my wife could not walk, I had to carry her every day.  I made the decision to leave my family to save her life. I carried her on my back, and  many times she told me, ‘just leave me on the ground’, but I could not. I was dehydrated from carrying her and I asked a woman for water but she would not give it to me. My feet were bleeding, I still had not eaten, but I felt like someone was pushing me to go forward. I did not know who it was but I knew there was someone behind me telling me that there was a plan for my life and I must continue. Finally someone gave my wife a ride to Dohuq.  I was able to get there later and she recovered fully.

Later, I met a man who introduced me to “A” (our partner) and he told me about Jesus and then brought me to meet a local pastor.  Then I knew it was Jesus who gave me the strength to go on and that he does have a plan for me to tell my people about Him and give my people hope.”  

The Situation on the Ground

Liaison - Outhouse June 2015Liaison - Camp Toilet-Wash Area June 2015In addition to the work being done among the unreached Yazidi people, we also continued to deliver aid to the Persecuted Christians. The situation among the Christians look very bleak at the present as there appears to be no plan by the Government of Iraq, the Kurds or anyone else to go retake the City of Mosul which is the ancient homeland of so many traditional Christians in Iraq. The feeling was very hopeless for those who had lost homes, businesses and land owned by their families for generations. Most of the Christians wanted to simply leave Iraq saying they could never trust the government or the situation again.  They are still living on bare subsistence and in need of fruit, vegetables, meat and medical assistance.

We and several of our partner organizations have been pounding this drum for almost a year now,  and while the situation has much improved from the first visit and there are no longer people living on the streets, it is far from resolved.  (The two pictures above demonstrate the deplorable situation in the camps.  They show the inside and outside of an outhouse, serving as toilet and washroom for between 50 – 140 people at any given time)!

Our Relief Aid Outreach

Delivery of Relief Aid

Delivery of Relief Aid

With our partners, we have been working tirelessly to provide the basic needs to help restore hope to those feeling the sting of displacement.  In addition to locally buying food and medical supplies for distribution, we have also sent two large containers from the United States. While there, one of them arrived, so we went to the Turkish Border and checked it through and had it delivered to the warehouse where it was being sorted, inventoried and prepared for delivery.

After almost a year of wondering and waiting, the uncertainty is not  less, but we have been able to ease the suffering and provide a message of comfort to those mourning and grieving.

Liaison - Distrd food 2 June 2015Some of the greatest needs we are presently facing is grief counseling, PTSD counseling and medical care. If you have experience in any of these areas and are feeling called by God to reach out to your brothers and sisters in need, please contact us.

As much as I would like to tell you the situation is 100% safe; the truth is,  the condition on the ground is not stable.  Nevertheless — when God speaks to us to go, we need to trust and obey.  While we do this charity work in obedience to Christ and His commands to “love one another”, it is not the only reason we go. We are also focused on sharing the message of the Good News with all who need to hear the Gospel message. That includes Yazidis, Muslims and Traditional Christians who do not yet have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are MANY of those in Northern Iraq.

Teaching and Training

Handing out groceries to the persecuted Christians in Iraq.

Handing out groceries to the persecuted Christians in Iraq.

One of the main reasons I went to Iraq on this trip was to work with a group of  people who have a heart for the lost and have been strategically placed by God Himself in this area.The last time we went, I began teaching on Crisis Discipleship.  I touched on “cross-cultural” subjects. The concepts we shared were completely new to this group. They listened to a small portion of the teaching, which convinced them we should return and bring them more training.

Most of the workers in this group are Christians, three are from Muslim, and one from Yazidi backgrounds. As I shared, I saw God stretch them all into new areas of faith. They  realized the old way has been failing. Now they are open to new ways of thinking and new ways of working.  It is a real pleasure to work together and watch God open their eyes. We met together for four hours a night while we were there. The response was almost overwhelming. The brothers all asked us to come back every three months for more training. I was not only honored, but felt that the Lord had divinely opened this door and the good seed was being broadcast onto good ground. I fully expect this to bring forth a harvest, and for the Kingdom to be manifest in Northern Iraq.

How You Can Help

Please also keep our team there in your prayers as different groups have been working in a way that is unwise.  Now, the security police have questioned “A” regarding some literature that has appeared in unsolicited ways and is causing a bad situation for the workers on the ground.

It is obvious to us that the Lord has called us to work in Iraq for such a time as this, but we can’t do it alone. We feel the fervent prayers from those of you who have prayed.  You have also given generously to help us provide for the people of Iraq. Please continue to do so, that the work we have been called to can continue!

Thank you for all your love, prayers and support!  Together we ARE making a difference!  Because He Lives!  T. D. *

     United Nations Investigators Accuse ISIS of Genocide Over Attacks on Yazidis            (Excerpts from @The New York Times 3-15-2015)

Liaison - Yazidi Camp 2 June 2015

The tent cities, full to overflowing, seem more like prison camps rather than temporary shelter for displaced people.

The investigators reported that the pattern of attacks against the Yazidis, a religious minority living mostly in northern Iraq, pointed to the intention of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, “to destroy the Yazidi as a group.” “In their advance across Iraq last year, Islamic State fighters rounded up hundreds of Yazidi men over the age of 14, led them to nearby ditches and summarily executed them”, the United Nations said. The report included the testimony of men who had survived massacres by shielding themselves behind the bodies of other victims. It was quite clear the attacks against them were not just spontaneous or happened out of the blue; “they were clearly orchestrated,” said Suki Nagra, who led a team of investigators that compiled the report.

Yazidi women and girls were abducted and sold or given into sexual slavery as spoils of war, said witnesses who also cited the rape by extremist fighters of two girls, ages six and nine. A pregnant married woman, 19, told investigators that she was raped repeatedly over two and a half months by an Islamic State militant claiming to be a doctor, and that he had deliberately sat on her stomach, telling her, “This baby should die because it is an infidel.”

Yazidi boys as young as 8 were forced to convert to Islam, to undergo training in the use of weapons and to watch videos of beheadings, children who escaped captivity told the United Nations team. “There are reports of hundreds, if not thousands, of these young boys who were forcibly taken,” Ms. Nagra said.

Evidence provided by witnesses also suggested that “a huge number of foreign fighters were involved” and that they had come from at least 10 countries, including from the West, Ms. Nagra said.