March Trip, Rest, April Trip

Thank you for your prayers during my trip. For 10 days, we traveled around visiting church leaders. John and I then parted ways, and I went to Albania for a gathering of the leaders of the Protestant Churches Foundation in Turkey. Here are 2 highlights from the trip.

John and I visited the church that we were a part of planting in Zonguldak. Most of the people in the church are Iranian and seeking asylum. It was an honor getting to listen to the hardships that have brought them to Turkey and the hardships that they are experiencing in Turkey. Their perseverance through Christ is such an encouragement. We got to learn about Iran as they told us about their hometown with the anticipation that they could return soon. There are so many things to pray for the Iranian pastor; may God continue to sustain and use them for God’s glory.

As we visited with church leaders, the main difficulty that was expressed was the lack of connection with other church leaders. Relational trust is low in Turkey, and even as people grow in Christ, it is hard to make deep relational connections. During the last day in Albania, a few of us went out to a cafe, it was me and 2 couples who led different churches. It was sweet to listen to them make plans for one of the couples to visit the other and preach in their church. Please pray with me for church leaders to serve in unity, support, and care for one another.

I now have 3 weeks before my next trip, when I will go to Moldova. Please pray for me to rest well, connect with my family deeply, and to get all the things done that need to be done before I fly out.

My trip to Moldova is April 15-29. The first week I will spend with Hakan and his family. Please pray for my time with him. I hope to be an encouragement. The second week, my church’s Lead Pastor, Luke Simmons, will come with a group of 9 pastors from around the US to see Hakan’s Turkish Cultural Center in Moldova. Please pray for God to lead these pastors to support the cultural center. Please pray for me to host them well and communicate clearly.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I would love to share more about these trips after I get back. If you would like to hear more, please reach out.

Blessings,

Mark