A Follow-Up Report on the Colossal Earthquakes in Turkey
A Follow-Up Report on the Colossal Earthquakes in Turkey
BY AN ANONYMOUS AFM CROSS-CULTURAL WORKER (CCW)
Reposted from Anglican Frontier Missions (AFM) with permission.
It’s been nine months since two massive earthquakes devastated southeastern Turkey. The people of this sprawling region are still suffering and longing for help. Recently, several of us traveled to southeast Turkey to bring encouragement and to offer support with their new reality. Having visited previously during the spring and summer, I was curious to see how things might have changed in one severely affected area, biblical Antioch.
It’s impossible not to be emotionally moved by the desolation in Antioch. There are more empty lots in the city than there were in my last visit, as a portion of the rubble has been piled into dump trucks and taken to surrounding rural areas to be disposed of in newly-zoned landfills of concrete and twisted metal that stretch as far as the eye can see.
Despite this removal, the center of Antioch is still populated by ruins and evacuated buildings waiting to be toppled. Countless roads are blocked by stones, heavy cracks, potholes, and construction equipment, making transportation a nightmare.
This was my first actual visit to the heart of the Antioch because the team I originally traveled with was instructed to avoid the area due to the overwhelming smell of decay in the first weeks following the earthquakes.
The extraordinary generosity the people of Antioch have continues to amaze me. In every household we visited, the mother of the family would quickly, quietly dart into the kitchen to prepare a table full of breads, fruits, drinks, and other exquisite, spicy foods of the region. We came bearing gifts for the families struggling to survive, yet we found ourselves receiving so much more.
I cannot put into words how beautiful it is to experience authentic concern and care from people who have so much pain in their lives. They set those things aside in concern for their guests. It’s not a stretch to say that we are becoming treasured friends and confidants of many in the region.
In fact, during one of these afternoon meals, my friend “Yolanda” informed me that she had been so impressed by the Christians coming to serve at the soup kitchen that she got her hands on a Bible! I was both shocked and delighted to hear this (Turkey is overwhelmingly Muslim), so I asked what she’d been reading.
Yolanda informed me that she had started in Genesis and read all the way through Numbers – no easy feat, even for a seasoned Christian! I told her that those books were very good, but if she really wanted to understand the source of our love and compassion, she should open the Gospel of Mark and read about the life of Jesus.
As I further reflect upon my ministry to earthquake victims, I want to express gratitude to you, the reader, who have prayed for earthquake victims and for us ministering alongside them. You’ve also given generously to AFM’s Turkey/Syria Earthquake Relief Fund. Thank you! Your gifts and prayers have enabled me and so many others to share in word and deed the hope of Jesus Christ.
Second, I’m indescribably grateful for the leadership of AFM. They’ve had my back and walked with me, not only as I’ve served victims of the earthquakes, but in a myriad of ways as I’ve served the Turkish people.
Third, southeastern Turkey will need volunteers for years to come. Not weeks. Not months. But years. It’s a land of utter destruction and sadness. In previous readings of Psalm 23, I always saw “the Valley of the Shadow of Death” as a metaphor, but it’s all too real for the people of Antioch. If you or your church would like to make a difference by sending short-term teams, please contact me through the AFM Office (info@afm-us.org) to learn more.
Finally, this trip gave me renewed hope in God’s promises and love for these afflicted people. It’s my prayer that many find a remedy for their aching souls in the person of Jesus Christ, their Comforter, Lord, and Prince of Peace.
