Serving amongst and mobilising to least reached peoplesServing amongst and mobilising to least reached peoples

OM UK

The Quinta, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 7LT, 01691 773388, info.uk@om.org

Registered as a company limited by guarantee no. 2564320 and charity no.1008196 (England and Wales), and SCO40988 (Scotland).

To support any of the projects mentioned, contact your local OM office

Details can be found on www.om.org

Turkey resuméNo restrictionsNovember 2017

The response to our ads continues to be good, despite the continuation of the state of emergency. There are still many who are open to the Gospel: lots of people seeking answers. We continue to serve the peoples around us in love, wanting to courageously present truth with hope.

Please mention partner key – 1800103 - Bible Correspondence Course

BiBle CorrespondenCe Course

TEENSTREET 2017

We live in a world that is shaken, we live in a country that is shaken, but our God is unshakeable and if we are in Him, we too, are unshakeable. This is a strong and encouraging message for the teens who came with us from Turkey to TeenStreet.

This is the fifth year that God provided everything needed to take a group of Turkish teens, a coach and a translator to TeenStreet! The boys felt freedom being together with about 4000 other believers who know Jesus. Participants come from 25 countries. Those we took from Turkey as Christians in a Muslim-majority country, live as a minority. They told us it didn’t feel like that at TeenStreet. At home the teens experience difficulties in explaining how they can be a Turk and a Christian at the same time.

At TeenStreet however, they feel unity in being together with believers from

so many different backgrounds. The countries which are represented by only a small group are easily found at TeenStreet, and the tiny group from Turkey is no exception. Many teens want to exchange their lanyard for a unique one; the Turkish one is very popular.

In the world today people fight and disagree. The Turkish teens worshipped God, played football and had fun with teens from many countries. They even made friends with some teens that live in Europe, but understood Turkish because they had lived as refugees in Turkey for some months. ’To be together with so many other young people who believe in the Bible gave me courage’, says one of the teens.

We are praising God for His continued faithfulness to the members and ministries within Turkey. Despite the continued ‘state of emergency’ we have witnessed an increased number of enquiries to the Bible Correspondence Course. The teams helping with Syrian and Iraqi refugees say there is a real hunger to read God’s word, and a desire to hear the message of the Gospel across the country

So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. Isaiah 55:11 (The Message)

refugee Ministry

Our work among refugees continues: many are reached with the Gospel. Pray for new opportunities to show God's love both in word and deed.

Please mention partner key – 0001801856 – Refugees

thank you for your prayers

new arrivals A new family arrived in August; please pray for them as they immerse themselves in a new culture and a new language, in obedience to the Lord’s call. New people are also coming in January 2018. Pray for them as they prepare to leave their home culture and raise support.

Thank you for praying for Sinem* and Deniz*. Both had a challenging but equally rewarding time at the Mission Discipleship Training (MDT) in South Africa.

Sinem and Deniz are back in Turkey, serving in their jobs and local church. Was it worthwhile sending them? What are their future plans for missions? Both of the girls definitely feel it was worthwhile to have done the MTD, their faith in God was strengthened as they saw answers to prayer. Because of their Muslim background they had opportunities to share their faith with Muslims. Their horizons were broadened as they lived in South African townships, slept on the floor and shared the local, at times to their taste buds quite foreign food and their lives with black African families. They realized the affinity they felt for the black African community and gained an understanding of what it entails to

serve the Lord and seek his face in adversities and study his word.

Now returned to their home culture, warmly welcomed by their pastor and church, they went back to work and serving in their local church, whose elders have both given them opportunities to lead outreaches and actively encouraged them to serve. Both girls feel a calling to serve God cross culturally. They are also aware that they do want to wait together with the church for God to unfold their future plans, looking towards ministering to those unreached within Turkey and beyond, having their eyes set on Central Asia. Being sensitive to the fact that the decision to go needs to be an initiative and backed up by the local church. For in the end it is the local church that will have to take the responsibility for those they send.

WORKERS FROM WITHIN THE HARVEST

One of the highlights was the prayer time after ‘Throne Room’(worship service). Someone felt the Holy Spirit lead to pray with the groups from both Turkey and Greece together. We talked and prayed in small groups and in the end we prayed standing in a big circle. People were touched and cried as different persons from both countries expressed how they were taught to stay far away from people from this other country.

Our God is the God of reconciliation and unity.

We pray that this experience will help the Turkish teens in their relationship with God and that they can be a blessing to the church in Turkey and be a light for their Muslim friends.If you use Facebook and have a heart for Turkey and what God is doing in

the country, ‘Like’ our page to receive the latest news.

www.facebook.com/TurkishOutreach

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The 1881 Project in 2017 is specifically reaching out to 18 provinces in which there has been no church. Some of the provinces have a few believers and we are delighted to report that in three provinces now, a small gathering of believers is meeting in homes. Pray for their numbers to increase and for God to lead and nurture them in unity and holiness.

Of the last three provinces to be visited, evangelistic teams have now travelled to Gümüşhane and Kütahya where they had many opportunities to share the gospel with people. We ask that you please pray for Aksaray province which is now the only province that has not had a visit from an evangelistic team in 2017. Would you ask God to raise up the right people to go in His timing?

1881 projeCt's plans for july, 2018! We are grateful to God for all that He has done in the five years since The 1881 Project began. Let's celebrate that and conclude the project with an historic outreach in July, 2018. May 140-150 people spread into 24 different teams and reach all of Turkey at once! Experienced workers and Turkish believers will lead these teams. Would you join for this once-in-a-lifetime event?

dates:14th-28th July 2018

This will be a multi-agency outreach.

Note: recruitment will not be done by OM Turkey but by The 1881 Project.

OM Turkey will release some of its long-term workers to be involved in leadership, etc.

For more information, contact info@the1881project.org

Members of Taco and the No Longer Music band recently finished the Tour of Turkey, and what a tour it was! They did 15 shows in ten days. Although there were confrontations by angry audience members and/or the police, there wasn't any city or venue where they weren't able to do at least one show, and the Gospel was proclaimed openly. We are so grateful the LORD answered your prayers.

Overall, there were close to 4000 people at all the shows. 260 surveys were filled out - correspondence courses, gospel portions and evangelistic DVDs were given to all people who filled out a survey. 150 people responded, wanting to meet with someone to talk more about Jesus.

The tour was performed in city centres, sea side squares and parks in five different cities. Since Turkey is still under a state of emergency, it was a tour done in faith. Neither the band nor the Taco team had any idea of what to expect.

Although the Taco team had tested the waters with public street outreaches and a mini tour earlier, the NLM tour took this to another level with a street

NLM TACO TOUR IN TURKEYshow producing a hard-hitting musical gospel presentation with musicians; actors, dancers and an amazing sound and light system.

When No Longer Music comes to town it is anything but a team of wallflowers. They remind me of the C.S. Lewis quote: “Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed; you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

This type of street outreach is both scary and liberating. Participants declare that their allegiance has also changed from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This ouTreach was comprised of Three Teams. TruTh Travellers; parTners TogeTher and The english club.

AWAKEN ANATOLIA SUMMER OUTREACH

the english CluB

Based in Selçuk, close to Ephesus, the team worked with around 35 refugee children, and with the parent’s permission, helped them to learn to speak or to improve their English speaking skills, using Bible stories.

Despite various problems, separation issues along with language barriers, English, Arabic, Turkish, and Kurdish, the team knew that God would reveal Himself to these children and their families.

The Bible stories they shared ranged from the Creation story, through to the Tower of Babel.

The team also visited the families in their homes, which was such a precious time. Language was not needed to communicate that they were happy to be together.

On the last day a celebration took place. Each class presented a song, dance, or script in English, and each student was presented with a children's Bible inscribed with a message and photo from their teachers. The night concluded with food, conversations and tearful goodbyes. We pray all the more that God's work in their hearts will never cease and that there will be workers to continue to show them the transforming love of Christ.

truth travellerspartners together

Beginning in Malatya, the group worked with the local church. Then in Tunceli, it was more of a pioneering outreach as there is no church or fellowship to work with. But in both locations the group were able to share the gospel with the people of the city, give out New Testaments and DVDs and pray for people.

Many conversations took place in parks and cafes late at night, on one occasion some of the group went to a Turkish wedding and were able meet and have photos taken with the bride and groom, plus enjoy the Turkish dancing.

Tom had prayed before the outreach began that he would be able to share the gospel with an English speaker. Sure enough, Tom met *Hakan, their conversation lasted over two hours. Hakan shared about how he practices being a Muslim and fails and the guilt he feels. They talked about forgiveness from a Christian and Muslim perspective. Tom shared about the thief on the cross and how sinners can come to paradise. Tom gave Hakan a New Testament and a copy of "Evidence of the Resurrection". Pray for Hakan, that he would have a clear revelation of who Jesus is!

Kars

*Agnes and *Mary walked into asmall shop to buy water, they startedchatting with *Şenay, the wife of theMuhtar or neighbourhood chief. WhenMary said she sometimes helps withfollow up for the Bible CorrespondenceCourse and explains the Bible tointerested women, Şenay perked upand said “I have read the Koran, butI've never read the Bible…. Um, would you be able to get a Bible for me?”

The shop was very busy, so Şenay asked *Agnes and Mary to return later. When they did, Şenay said, "I have always wondered what the Bible says". Mary shared the message of the Gospel in a nutshell showing her Romans 4 and how we are justified through faith in Jesus. Şenay kept saying, "That is so beautiful!!"

Şenay also added that "In Islam people try to earn their way to God, but they can never make it. But for you, you receive salvation as a free gift from God. I would love to read the New Testament and meditate on what it says." Şenay was thrilled to receive a New Testament. Pray for Şenay and her family to receive the free gift of salvation.

www.joinusinturkey.org