PRAYERS AND SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE OF TURKEY

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

(Psalm 34:18)

As the Body of Christ at Springton Lake Church, we want to express our profound sympathy and ongoing prayers for those affected by the recent horrific earthquakes in Turkey. The following letters are first-hand reports from our church friends who reside in Turkey:

TheCityTurnedToRubbleD “On February 6th, we woke up to the news of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked 10 cities here in Turkiye.  Our prayer at that time was that the loss of life would be less than the 17,000 souls lost in a similar magnitude earthquake back in 1999. Over the next few days and weeks, we’ve learned that the devastation of this quake has been much worse.  The entire country is devastated, heartbroken and in mourning.

After such a massive natural disaster, there are a few different phases of critical help needed: Search and Rescue – Relief -- and Recovery.  The Search and Rescue Phase has now ceased with some stories of people being pulled from the rubble even after 12 days of being stuck with no food or water from the initial time of the earthquake.

We are currently in the Relief Phase with over a million people left homeless. Homes were either reduced to piles of concrete or steel, or there was such structural damage that buildings were too dangerous to enter.  In the midst of a cold winter, government and private organizations are providing temporary shelters such as tents and pre-fab containers to live in.

The Recovery Phase will likely last for years.  This will include everything from providing slightly more permanent structures (before the rebuilding of apartment blocks can happen) – to counseling and grief processing services – to bringing in groups of engineers to test the soundness of existing structures to determine their safety.

There is currently an overwhelming need for humanitarian assistance on the ground, and I am sure the needs will shift and change over time.  At the moment, housing and food are the biggest immediate needs, as well as grief counseling for those who have lost loved ones.  Many people have lost everything – family, their homes, their work places – their whole sense of place and belonging.

Please pray and ask our Father to be near to these dear people, and to continue to open doors for us here on the ground to fill physical, but also spiritual needs in a sensitive and wise way.

Thank you for your compassion and care.

 

 

Donations for MISSION TO THE WORLD (MTW) ~ Turkey Earthquake Relief Fund

Mail Checks: MTW, PO Box 744165, Atlanta, GA 30374-4165

(Designate to: Project #95821 – TR Asia Minor Partners)

Contribute Online: https://mtw.org/projects (Project #95821 --TR Asia Minor Partners)

 

 

 

Dear Brothers & Sisters of Springton Lake Presbyterian Church,

As you probably know, on February 6 at 4:17 a.m., a massive earthquake struck southern Turkey turning entire cities into rubble. The devastation extended even further when another quake of similar magnitude struck at a location 60 miles away from the first epicenter at 1:24 p.m. on the same day.  The area has experienced thousands of after-shocks, including at least two significant shocks that took down more buildings and killed more people who were rummaging through the ruins of their homes.  The current official death toll has risen above 50,000 – but the actual total probably exceeds 100,000 – or maybe even 200,000. Millions of people have been displaced. The World Health Organization has launched the largest rescue operation in its history, and claims that this is the worst natural disaster in the past 100 years.  The government is encouraging people to leave the hardest hit areas – at least temporarily. Many have lost everything and plan to relocate to other parts of the country.

 

TheCityTurnedToRubbleA

 

Some of these displaced people have the means to rebuild their lives, or they can rely on relatives or friends to eventually get back to some kind of normalcy.  Others have no resources to recover.  Because of the ongoing economic crisis that this country has experienced over the past twenty-four months, many teeter on the edge of poverty, and are unable to help those devastated by the earthquakes.  In addition, the sudden influx of millions from the earthquake zones has led to a sharp rise in rent prices across the entire country.

Our church was initially involved in trying to meet emergency needs such as providing food, water, blankets and clothing at several locations.  That phase of relief work is winding down with government organizations on the ground and helping people in most areas.  As a church, we have developed a plan for the next twelve months that I have outlined at the end of this letter. We desire to help any affected by the quakes with whom we have had a prior relationship – whether they are believers or not. These are two personal examples:

A friend who lives near the earthquake zone has been one conduit of our aid.  Through him, we are helping a woman with two children.  She is waiting in her city until her dead husband has been unearthed from the rubble so that she can bury him.  She has access to food, but we helped her purchase clothing for herself and her two little children.

A man who gave music lessons to a high school member of our church a few years ago attended our church for the better part of two years. He never professed faith, but continued to be interested in the Gospel.  After finishing his master’s degree in our city, he moved back to his hometown.  Fifty hours after the initial quake destroyed his apartment building, he was pulled out of the rubble.  He has been in the hospital ever since, and we want to get him back on his feet again.

We anticipate that this relief fund will be able to help the young widow and music teacher, and many others transition from now being left with nothing to finding their way to the future – and possibly to new life in Jesus.  We pray that through our acts of kindness and friendship some will be drawn to the love and mercy of our Savior.

The Five Elements of Our Church Relief Plan

  1. We want to continue in fervent prayer for the people God calls us to minister to. We desire that their physical needs are met, but also that they might see Jesus. We covet your prayers and partnership in God’s work through acts of compassion toward people in crisis.
  2. We want to continue to give basic food and clothing.  So far, we have spent about $10,000 meeting these needs.
  3. We want to help families who have lost everything as they get started again.  We will help with the equivalent of $780 per family as a one-time gift to purchase basic necessities.  Our goal is to help fifty families.
  4. We want to help families purchase groceries, or help pay their rent by giving them the equivalent of $260 per month for twelve months.  Again, we have set a goal of helping fifty families through the year.
  5. We anticipate that in a few cases steel containers will be needed for temporary housing if no other alternative for shelter exists.  We want to be prepared to purchase up to five of these special structures.

As fellow believers in the Body of Christ, we are grateful for your support over the past twenty-five years. We welcome your participation in this significant relief project in Turkey. We pray for you as you pray for us in thankfulness to God. May He be glorified in all things.

In Christ alone,

Your Brothers & Sisters at the Amazing Grace Church, Ankara, Turkey

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