Asia Minor Turkey Missionary update PRAISE REPORTS & NEEDS

Brothers and sisters let me continue and give you the reasons why God
is healing,opening door and saving people. After reading EM Bounds
prayer and importunity of which below you can read part 2 or capt 7 on
same subject. I cannot sleep thinking about the magnificence of our
Lord.
As the church enters it's quest for pray it would behoove the church to
read what Bounds says about importunate prayer. I am just a retread
trying to do somethIng for God before I leave this world. I am so
tired but rejuvenated about what God is doing in this part of Turkey.
Everywhere we go there are many people eager to hear the Gospel. We
have have had our adversities from thee police and beatings but we have
been faithful. Let me summarize about recent events which moreso
compensate for our persecutions.
1. We have been consistently.faithful in spite of all our
adversities which I have written about.

2. People are getting saved over a simple Christmas gift.
One
man was in a coma and he accepted Jesus. He simply stated I accept
Jesus , before he died he got Up
confirming his salvation.

3. When we pray for prople they get healed.

4. We baptized Zafer. With the kidney problems. He has
seizures
and falls unexpectedly. No problem with the baptism on his porch.

5. One man named his grandson ISA (Jesus) this is a Muslim
world.

6 one Muslim lady wants us to have a meeting in her inspite,
of Her husband being a Muslim

7. I could go on and on and maybe I will. These activities

Are a result of importunate praying:Consistently and persistently
going to the throne and not taking a no for an answer.

8. We have been taken to court, tracked by the police and
one brother was beaten
Severely but did no go tothe hospital to prevent publicity.

Your prayers are what keeps us going. We need money to live on and a
van to drive but prayers are better than diver and gold.

Dear ones keep us in your prayer


Eddie, victor and daniel a


PRAYER AND IMPORTUNITY (Continued)

by Pastor E.M. Bounds

"Two-thirds of the praying we do, is for that which would give us the
greatest possible pleasure to receive. It is a sort of spiritual
self-indulgence in which we engage, and as a consequence is the exact
opposite of self-discipline. God knows all this, and keeps His children
asking. In process of time -- His time -- our petitions take on another
aspect, and we, another spiritual approach. God keeps us praying until,
in His wisdom, He deigns to answer. And no matter how long it may be
before He speaks, it is, even then, far earlier than we have a right to
expect or hope to deserve." -- ANON.

THE tenor of Christ's teachings, is to declare that men are to pray
earnestly -- to pray with an earnestness that cannot be denied. Heaven
has harkening ears only for the whole-hearted, and the deeply-earnest.
Energy, courage, and persistent perseverance must back the prayers
which heaven respects, and God hears. All these qualities of soul, so
essential to effectual praying, are brought out in the parable of the
man who went to his friend for bread, at midnight. This man entered on
his errand with confidence. Friendship promised him success. His plea
was pressing: of a truth, he could not go back empty-handed. The flat
refusal chagrined and surprised him. Here even friendship failed! But
there was something to be tried yet -- stern resolution, set, fixed
determination. He would stay and press his demand until the door was
opened, and the request granted. This he proceeded to do, and by dint
of importunity secured what ordinary solicitation had failed to obtain.

The success of this man, achieved in the face of a flat denial, was
used by the Saviour to illustrate the necessity for insistence in
supplicating the throne of heavenly grace. When the answer is not
immediately given, the praying Christian must gather courage at each
delay, and advance in urgency till the answer comes which is assured,
if he have but the faith to press his petition with vigorous faith.

Laxity, faint-heartedness, impatience, timidity will be fatal to our
prayers. Awaiting the onset of our importunity and insistence, is the
Father's heart, the Father's hand, the Father's infinite power, the
Father's infinite willingness to hear and give to His children.

Importunate praying is the earnest, inward movement of the heart toward
God. It is the throwing of the entire force of the spiritual man into
the exercise of prayer. Isaiah lamented that no one stirred himself, to
take hold of God. Much praying was done in Isaiah's time, but it was
too easy, indifferent and complacent. There were no mighty movements of
souls toward God. There was no array of sanctified energies bent on
reaching and grappling with God, to draw from Him the treasures of His
grace. Forceless prayers have no power to overcome difficulties, no
power to win marked results, or to gain complete victories. We must win
God, ere we can win our plea.

Isaiah looked forward with hopeful eyes to the day when religion would
flourish, when there would be times of real praying. When those times
came, the watchmen would not abate their vigilance, but cry day and
night, and those, who were the Lord's remembrancers, would give Him no
rest. Their urgent, persistent efforts would keep all spiritual
interests engaged, and make increasing drafts on God's exhaustless
treasures.

Importunate praying never faints nor grows weary; it is never
discouraged; it never yields to cowardice, but is buoyed up and
sustained by a hope that knows no despair, and a faith which will not
let go. Importunate praying has patience to wait and strength to
continue. It never prepares itself to quit praying, and declines to
rise from its knees until an answer is received.

The familiar, yet heartening words of that great missionary, Adoniram
Judson, is the testimony of a man who was importunate at prayer. He
says:

"I was never deeply interested in any object, never prayed sincerely
and earnestly for it, but that it came at some time, no matter how
distant the day. Somehow, in some shape, probably the last I would have
devised, it came."

"Ask, and ye shall receive. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it
shall be opened unto you." These are the ringing challenges of our Lord
in regard to prayer, and His intimation that true praying must stay,
and advance in effort and urgency, till the prayer is answered, and the
blessing sought, received.

In the three words ask, seek, knock, in the order in which He places
them, Jesus urges the necessity of importunity in prayer. Asking,
seeking, knocking, are ascending rounds in the ladder of successful
prayer. No principle is more definitely enforced by Christ than that
prevailing prayer must have in it the quality which waits and
perseveres, the courage that never surrenders, the patience which never
grows tired, the resolution that never wavers.

In the parable preceding that of the Friend at Midnight, a most
significant and instructive lesson in this respect is outlined.
Indomitable courage, ceaseless pertinacity, fixity of purpose, chief
among the qualities included in Christ's estimate of the highest and
most successful form of praying.

Importunity is made up of intensity, perseverance, patience and
persistence. The seeming delay in answering prayer is the ground and
the demand of importunity. In the first recorded instance of a miracle
being wrought upon one who was blind, as given by Matthew, we have an
illustration of the way in which our Lord appeared not to hearken at
once to those who sought Him. But the two blind men continue their
crying, and follow Him with their continual petition, saying, "Thou Son
of David, have mercy on us." But He answered them not, and passed into
the house. Yet the needy ones followed Him, and, finally, gained their
eyesight and their plea.

The case of blind Bartimaeus is a notable one in many ways. Especially
is it remarkable for the show of persistence which this blind man
exhibited in appealing to our Lord. If it be -- as it seems -- that his
first crying was done as Jesus entered into Jericho, and that he
continued it until Jesus came out of the place, it is all the stronger
an illustration of the necessity of importunate prayer and the success
which comes to those who stake their all on Christ, and give Him no
peace until He grants them their hearts' desire.

Mark puts the whole incident graphically before us. At first, Jesus
seems not to hear. The crowd rebukes the noisy clamour of Bartimaeus.
Despite the seeming unconcern of our Lord, however, and despite the
rebuke of an impatient and quick-tempered crowd, the blind beggar still
cries, and increases the loudness of his cry, until Jesus is impressed
and moved. Finally, the crowd, as well as Jesus, hearken to the
beggar's plea and declare in favour of his cause. He gains his case.
His importunity avails even in the face of apparent neglect on the part
of Jesus, and despite opposition and rebuke from the surrounding
populace. His persistence won where half-hearted indifference would
surely have failed.

Faith has its province, in connection with prayer, and, of course, has
its inseparable association with importunity. But the latter quality
drives the prayer to the believing point. A persistent spirit brings a
man to the place where faith takes hold, claims and appropriates the
blessing.

The imperative necessity of importunate prayer is plainly set forth in
the Word of God, and needs to be stated and re-stated today. We are apt
to overlook this vital truth. Love of ease, spiritual indolence,
religious slothfulness, all operate against this type of petitioning.
Our praying, however, needs to be pressed and pursued with an energy
that never tires, a persistency which will not be denied, and a courage
which never fails.

We have need, too, to give thought to that mysterious fact of prayer --
the certainty that there will be delays, denials, and seeming failures,
in connection with its exercise. We are to prepare for these, to brook
them, and cease not in our urgent praying. Like a brave soldier, who,
as the conflict grows sterner, exhibits a superior courage than in the
earlier stages of the battle; so does the praying Christian, when delay
and denial face him, increase his earnest asking, and ceases not until
prayer prevail. Moses furnishes an illustrious example of importunity
in prayer. Instead of allowing his nearness to God and his intimacy
with Him to dispense with the necessity for importunity, he regards
them as the better fitting him for its exercise. When Israel set up the
golden calf, the wrath of God waxed fierce against them, and Jehovah,
bent on executing justice, said to Moses when divulging what He
purposed doing, "Let Me alone!" But Moses would not let Him alone. He
threw himself down before the Lord in an agony of intercession in
behalf of the sinning Israelites, and for forty days and nights, fasted
and prayed. What a season of importunate prayer was that!

Jehovah was wroth with Aaron, also, who had acted as leader in this
idolatrous business of the golden calf. But Moses prayed for Aaron as
well as for the Israelites; had he not, both Israel and Aaron had
perished, under the consuming fire of God's wrath.

That long season of pleading before God, left its mighty impress on
Moses. He had been in close relation with God aforetime, but never did
his character attain the greatness that marked it in the days and years
following this long season of importunate intercession.

There can be no question but that importunate prayer moves God, and
heightens human character! If we were more with God in this great
ordinance of intercession, more brightly would our face shine, more
richly endowed would life and service be, with the qualities which earn
the goodwill of humanity, and bring glory to the Name of God.

From The Necessity of Prayer by Pastor E.M. Bounds, Chapter 7

INDEX

-----Original Message-----
From: isarabdir
To: isarabdir
Sent: Tue, Oct 2, 2012 3:42 pm
Subject: Bergama activities week one.

Dear praying Saints thank you for your prayers and support that helps
make our trips to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ fruitful

You remember my writings about Seda who could not have a baby due to
complications. I held her healthy baby in my arms this week praise God.
Thank you for your prayers. We go forward in the name of The Healer
Jesus.

Another girl in Dikili had a problem having a Baby. She is in her 4th
month . Pray for that the child will come through healthily..

We have had four prayer meetings and many dicussio,ns with people. We
were able to sit at a table in the Macedonian village I wrote about. We
had fruiful discussion and we have been invited to return.

We had two saved last night. One interesting story I want to relate to


you.

Bro Bill I will be writing more to every one but let me tell you the
results of
one Christmas basket.
One lady accepted the Lord and took a Christmas basket home. Her
husband
accepted Jesus and told his father in law about the Lord. He pray d and
accepted
Jesus( FIL)
Daniela and Victor our new COG Bulgarians were praying in a restaurant
over
their meal. This young girl approached them and told them my father
prays like
you pray. This girl is the sister of the lady who originally accepted
the
Christmas basket.the girl accepted Jesus

What a miraculous story of just one Christmas basket. It seems whatever
we do
the Lord magnifies it. We just need to do something. I was thinking
about the
brother and sister who took a $1000 out of their savings to help us.
What an
investment!!'

........ How hard everyone worked to get the money with enough left
over to do it
again.. 4 souls one basket.

We find the people more receptive to the Gospe.

Was we pray for you pray for us.


Eddie, victor and Daniela

Ps Zafer who has kidney failure was baptized on his front porch since
his med condition does not permit a sea or lake type baptism. Praise God

Dear Praying friends greetings in the name of the Holy One Jesus.

We are doing two trips between now and end of Easter month.
First of all we need to refurbish the condo where workers sleep and live . Pray that there is no problem during this transition.

First trip is basically to do the following.
1. To visit the new believers which got saved during the Christmas basket program. There are 17 we need to see and give a teaching and pray for. Also we need to lift up the sick to the throne of God

2. We need to formalize our prayer groups with leaders. We are now praying about a few men who we want to talk to and pray with.

3. Bro Dinko from Sofia is bringing a team of believers to help us and to minister to the prayer groups.. Praise God for help.
a. pray for their safe journey and good health
b. Pray that the Lord will give them the words HE wants our groups to hear.
c. Pray that our friends have work to take care of the families simultaneously make time for us . Our friends only make about $8-10 a day.
d. Pray that our encounters with the officials will be positive.
e. We plan to saturate the areas (with the Gospel) in which we operate and find new ventures using our new converts ---those who received a Christmas Basket..

The name of our groups is the COG Yeni Hayat Topluglu" Church of God New Life Fellowship. we believe the Lord gave us this name. we have 4 prayer groups we visit plus individuals who are available to talk.

We have lost our van thru unfortunate situation. We need a van to transport the workers since our prayer meetings are 30-80 KM's in separate location. As I heard Bro Perry Stone talk about his Magi. I have also started praying for our Magi to show up with a good van. So be it Lord Jesus. It is slow going by bus. If any one sees my Magi point him in direction of Bergama. I am looking for him daily.

As Amos Russell Wells says (paraphrased below)
Everytime we take a step forward the Devil gets mad. This is a challenge.This is our job. We are in the business of going into the stream of woe where the people of sorrow are and walking with them as brothers in their bitterness, poverty and wretchedness walking far to be a helper. We are the least in the kingdom seeking to serve our friends with a meal and the Gospel.

But we are never alone because this is His Glory and Throne. Infinite Servant ,well may we be a bondman, and vassal and toiler with thee.
If you want to be where Jesus is follow us in our journey. He is with us!!!!!

We will write more as our journey continues but we need your prayer.


eddie and dinko and chita and others

I've been contacted by Engin & Nurcan Duran, Turkish Christians who receive our Notes of Encouragement and have been instrumental in starting churches there. Recently they and their children were driven from their home. Please read the following communication from Engin and pray for them and their children. I will keep you posted as we receive updates.



Take care & be God's,



Chuck



Brothers and sisters, I'm writing to tell you about our very frightening night. This morning around 3 am, while Nurcan, the children and I were sleeping together in the living room, we heard some people banging on our front door. It was as if they were trying to break it down. The children awoke and, of course, were very frightened. I told Nurcan and the children to lie down in case they had guns. We tried to be very quiet.



Nurcan called the police and they arrived within fifteen minutes. After they arrived we heard seven gunshots. One of the police tried to go somewhere but was told to go back. After a while we asked the police to escort us to a hotel. Unfortunately we couldn't wake the hotel manager. So we called a Christian sister and she let us stay with her for the night.



Later in the day we went to a hotel. Now I am at home while Nurcan and the children are there. I asked the police for a copy of their report, but they refused to give it to me. They did allow me to read the report. I asked them why they didn't mention the gunshots and they did not respond.



Also today two members of the terrorism police in Izmir called me and said he wanted to meet with me. When we met I asked him for protection. He said they could not promise that. The police said the same thing to me.



Brothers and sisters we are intending to leave Cesme. To be honest we don't know how this will happen. We don't know where we can go or when. And the schools are starting again on Monday, so this is a concern. I have informed the pastors and believers around Turkey so they can pray for us. And they have assured us that we are in their prayers. Also today three believers came to Cesme to visit us. They stayed for a while, praying with and encouraging us. They did offer to take us to Izmir with them. Please join the Turkish believers in praying for us and our children. We need wisdom, favor and protection to get through this difficult time.



Thank you so much for standing with us during these trials.



Engin

Dear praying friends: this is a follow-on to our last trip to Turkey wherein we expressed so very many obstacles. ....but we know you were with us in prayer and The Holy One was beside us leading the Way .

I have not discussed my last few days extensively with you except the Lord opened doors for us to bring Christmas to a few new friends whom we had never known in the Istanbul area.

Below is a letter from a dear sister re: our visit to their prayer meeting and home. It is lengthy but we are sure you will be blessed because we were.

We are now preparing for our Easter visit to our friends in Bergama and vicinity.. If you have any ideas about what we should do let me know.

as we continue to pray for you pray for us.

eddie and chita

---

From: kalkandelenler@gmail.com
To: isarabdir@aol.com
Sent: 1/1/2011 4:11:20 P.M. Pacific Standard Time
Subj: Re: Christmas Eve toplantisi


Dear Edwin,

Hope you had a good travel back to your country and you are at home safely.


I want to thank you again for your visiting our 2 Christmas parties and blessing us richly. Thank you.


The kids at our site enjoyed you so much. They can't wait for the Easter party. After you left the kids Christmas party the kids stayed a couple of more hours at our house. One of the kids said that, 'Is that true that the kids in America made those gifts for us? Did Eddi Amca come all the way to meet us here. Wov, we must be special. And the other kid said 'Yes we are important'. I was amazed to hear those from the kids. I believe they got the message. The kids kept coming to our house a couple of more days. We made gingerbread house for each of them (first time in their lives) and had a movie night ones. This is amazing that we were able to do this party for them. I so much wanted to do this. But this year we were so tight economically, especially at this month and also so busy that I was especially concerned for the gifts, I thought I can't afford this as far as my time and money. But God sent you (and the gifts already prepared with you) so I was able to do this. God is so wonderful. He has everything in him. All He needs a willful and faithful heart, the rest is His job.


Also, do you remember the lady who came to the church Christmas party with her daughter. (They both loved you). You gave the reading glasses to heShe said first time in her life she is receiving a gift, she accepted Christ that day. () Actually she did not understand much but she prayed anyway.( This lady has never been to a church service or Christian gathering before, first btime at this party, she had come to our house a few time to help with cleaning). Anyway. in afew days we invited them again (the mother and daughter) to our house. We watched the Jesus film with them. They were so touched that they were not able to even talk after the film, but rather thinking deeply and asking questions (even the daughter is close now, at the party she did not want to pray to accept Jesus).
There is another amazing think happenned today about them. This lady, when she was really poor and desperate she was helped by a Greek Orthodox lady in the past. This lady became a very good friend in later years and she still goes to clean this lady's house. She really trust this Greek lady and has been knowing her for years. She had mentioned about her to us before. Anyway, today this Greek lady called us to talk. Because our friends has been talking about all the time. And after she realized that we are Christians she was so happy. We were so happy too, because sometimes Orthodox Christians in Turkey may even talk badly about Turkish convert Christians. But this lady is a Christian and she said to our friends that they should never leave us. We are the most wonderful trustable people, and they should always be close with us, be around us. we all are now so thrilled and happy when we heard this. Such a support. Because this mother and daugther trusting and vauing this lady so much. God is working amazingly. Haleluya.


Dear Eddy, please come again. We can make many other projects together, Since God is with us we trust everything is gonna work wonderfully. Haleluya God is indeed with us. Loves and blessings,
Pervin






2010/12/26 Edwin Brooks <isarabdir@aol.com>

Thank you for allowing me to share the message of Christmas with your kids. It was not only amazing but awesome. My addresses are below.
We look forward to seeing more kids in the future.

Isanin adinda dua ederiz

Skype. Edwin.brooks3
Cep tel no. 0535 294 0161
American no's 818 912 7707. Cep no. Ev no. 818713-0747

ISA adinda oldu


Eddie Brooks

Sent from my iPad

BROOKS JOURNEY TO BRING CHRISTMAS TO FRIENDS IN TURKEY 12-27-10


Dear ones I am resending because I think I gooffed in initial sending .

sorry if this inconvenıenced you

eddie




Dear Praying friends greetings-Merry Christmas and happy New Year from Istanbul.

This is a follow up of my previous communications with you.

In spite of our many difficulties as I mentioned before we were able to have 3 more prayer meetings in which we carried the message of Christmas especially to many children in homes-under tents -beside tents and on the roads and in villages. We witnessed wherever we had the opportunity. Praise be to God for HIS covering. Our job ın the beginning appeared to be overwhelming problems but became thanks to you and your prayers the situation eased.

When we came back to Istanbul a dear brother invited us to a Christmas eve service where we prayed-fellowshiped -ate and ministered to children again. A dear sister as a follow up to this invited local non Christian children to a separate meeting and again we had a great time sharing the message of Christmas which will have a long lasting effect upon their lives. Praise God for this brother and sister and these children.

Please join me in a prayer request . This brother and sister has a young son who has diabetes. Do pray for this boy . May our Lord reach down and heal Elijah...His name is Elijah. Amen and amen

It seems the Lord opens doors even I had not thought of.

We will be in touch with yall as we go back to our homes and prepare for our Easter journey to a lost people.

As we pray for you pray for us. There is no greater service which is greater than silver and gold.



eddie - chita - hristo and pavlina

Dear Brothers and Sisters: greetings and again thank you for your support especially that of your prayers.

In the last month we have been writing about our adversities. ..and again we come to you with another obstacle which can only be resolved with prayer for we wrestle not with flesh and blood.. you well know what we are wrestling with.
It is tough handling these issues alone but we know the Lord is with us.... but we need our brothers and sisters in the Lord who can commiserate with us.

It seems Satan has gone all out to stop our prayer meetings. it seems he is stopping at nothing to stop our prayer meetings in Menemen. Now the police have arrested the owner of the house in which we have had prayer meetings for 6 years. His brother got him out of jail with the admonition of the police to stop such activity or he will suffer a heavy fine. Future prayer meetings have been canceled in that home. This owner had become a problem anyway as we wrote about in previous communications.

Hristo and I had just missed this police encounter which is not new to us but is always a headache and difficult to handle.

Dear ones we urgently need your prayer on this issue.. As I was praying this morning seemingly I heard the Lord say" I sent you and opened the door for you. Now continue to go and I will continue to make the way for you. I have gone before you".

This is the place where 32 people have said the sinners prayer and 10 have been baptized. Already one brother says we can go to a different house which we can but..... pray for us that we will do exactly what the Lord wants us to do. Now that the police is aware of our activities there is concern on our part. What we do is very illegal and we have always been aware of this.

It is not a fear of going to jail but an apprehension of having our visas revoked and unable to reenter the country ; we are the only COG reps in the country under COG World Missions. Hristo says we need to be more secretive about what we do but we have never had this attitude in our work for the Lord

We submit our request to you and to our Lord Jesus without whom we could not function.

Thank you for your prayers

In HIS blessed name ....Jesus

eddie, chita, hristo and pavlina

Dear friends for this journey these are my concluding remarks. thank you for your prayers and support.

The problem we had with Bezgen one of our believers and helpers in Menemen has been alleviated thanks be to the Lord Jesus and your prayers.. In our prayer meeting yesterday we had an offer from a new believer to have our prayer meetings in his home. Praise be to God for this opening . We plan to start that prayer meeting when Hristo and Pavlina return form Bulgaria. Pray for the Lord to restore Bezgen to the Kingdom.

Due to a change in the law we must take our van to Bulgaria and the van must remain outside of Turkey till next Sept 2011. Our means of transportation will be local busses till I return in DEC..

Pray for Hristo and Pavlina as they make this transition . I will rejoin them beginning DEC when we plan to take Christmas to our friends who have no idea what Christmas is about . This action came to me the beginning of this year when the Lord instructed me to let our brothers and sisters know the reason for the season.

We will write more about this journey later this month.

Again thanks for your support and prayers

eddie and chita


Dear brothers and sisters: greetings in the name of our God.

We thank all our supporters for their faithfulness. muchly appreciated

We have been writing and talking to you now for 9+ years and have never asked for a contribution.

Reason for this was our income was sufficient along with a few supporters to provide the funds needed to support our workers in Bergama. Plus Bro. Warren G. Beavers was always the one who was generating support for us. He is now with the Lord

We have talked about this subject extensively and have come to the conclusion that something needs to be done because our supporters for the Bergama project have dwindled by about 50 %.. We have a reserve but if contributions continue to decrease our reserve will decrease to zero balance; Therefore will not be able to support a worker in Bergama full time.

We need your help ; I told the Lord if we don't get help that I will continue to go to Turkey periodically to do HIS bidding.. This is apparently what the Lord wants me to do. HE did not say no as I understood HIM. We believe I can continue to afford myself as long as my health permits ; but not two other people . Then we would only be able to go to Turkey 2-3 times a year

could you help us to regularly support Hristo and Pavlina by contributing to their salary.

Procedures to provide this support are below.

We serve at the pleasure of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ



eddie and chita



CONTRIBUTIONS FOR OUR WORK IN TURKEY.

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO :

CHURCH OF GOD WORLD MISSIONS
PO BOX 8016
CLEVELAND, TN. 37320

ANNOTATE CHECKS WITH ONE OF THE NUMBERS SHOWN
BELOW AS YOU DESIRE.


MINISTRY SUPPORT, BERGAMA (PERGAMOS),TURKEY #132-2016
##### (this is the one for which we have the greatest need) These monies go directly to Hristo and Pavlina salary

MINISTRY SUPPORT, MENEMEN(NEAR SMYRNA) #132-5116


MINISTRY SUPPORT, EDWIN C. BROOKS #065-0462

Dear friends we greet you in the name of the HOLY ONE Jesus.

Our journey ıs at the end of second week and we continue to visit and talk to people about Jesus. It is a never ending and awesome story isn't it--- wherein the Lord gives us courage, wisdom and patience to share this old old story of how Jesus died for us and shed His blood for our sins.

To share this story in Turkish is an awesome experience for us. We seem to share this story with new people without any conflicts. That means Hristo shares this story like it is narrated from heaven then I pick up on this theme. Hristo and Pavlina are good at what they do talking and singing in Bulgarian, Turkish then the Gypsy language. I am a blessed man to experience this story in a way which I have never done before.

Thank you Jesus for the opportunities you are giving us to share your story with people who for hundreds of years have not heard this story.

This past week we shared this story

1. with 5 families of Kurdish origin who were in the field making barbecue coals. They all left their work made us tea and listened. Praise god for these moments.

2. with an 84 year old woman who lived in a man made tent-hut outside a village . She prayed with us as one who wanted to be saved. She said the sinners prayer. we intend to return to her to help her understand more about our Savıor Jesus.

3. in several prayer meetings in which one wife prayed and desires to be baptized in water. we plan to offer this opportunity Sunday. In these prayer meetings new people are coming and we constantly encounter the story of Jesus as a prophet. May the Lord give us wisdom to deal with the encounters and may the Holy Spirit convict their hearts.

4. we constantly visit with those who in past times who prayed with us to reconfirm their decision to follow Jesus. This is so necessary because of the family influence plus the mosques have loud speakers used to pray 5 times a day. one is immersed in this type of call to prayer. Please pray for our brethren in Turkey

Wherever we go we try not to miss an opportunity to witness and pass out new testaments and a DVD on the life of Jesus. The people are so very poor and we have to deal with their plea for money and help. We cannot yield to this plea because we know some people will say they are Christians for material things.

Thank you again for your prayers and support.

many blessings be upon yall


eddie and chita and Hristo and Pavlina

Dear ones thank you again for your prayers.

Our journey ıs in week one with the following results

1. Daıly we visit wıth someone whom we have known and some new ones with no apparent decisions for Christ..

2. I am amazed at the minimum resistance to our discussion of the Risen One. Either they are used to my references to the God of the universe or the Holy Spirit is at work convicting their hearts. Maybe both. Occasionally even they open-invite the discussion of Jesus.

3. More of them are coming down with illnesses. One person has gone from a healthy man to one who is plagued by health problems. He assured me when I return to Istanbul he and his wife would entertain a discussion of Jesus as the Son of God. He even asked to to read the sinners prayer. Dear ones these are people who sacrifice their work and way of life to follow Jesus. It is a huge decisiıion

4. A couple of people are very educated and one has even been to Mecca which is one of the foundations of Islam continue to invite me back. One is 85 years old and cranky in his ways and assures me we will all end up in heaven regardless which road we travel. He continues to ask for my visits whereas before he would not answer my phone calls. Praise God for this softness. Just maybe- maybe he is on the precipice of salvation. Just to be the vessel to help someone escape hell brings my soul to tears. I do not really know what I am doing till I sit and try to explain to you my friends how we go about our work. Then I begin to realize what we are truly doing in carrying the Gospel of Christ

5. One lady who accepted Jesus on my last trip assures me Jesus is still in her heart and is anxious to celebrate Christmas with me when I return in Dec. Praise God for this assurance in the face of Imans and Mosques constant reference to their form of worship.

6. Today we visited a couple of garages and talked about our Risen Lord. One guy aptly put it as enlightenment . Yes and we represent the Light of the world....Jesus.

7. Going thru a securıty check one security person saw my Turkish New Testaments and asked if he may have one. I ran to the trunk of my car to present him one. Praise God again for a small but a significant thing

We continue to plod this road of happy destiny .

May the Lord give us courage to witness without fear for HE has gone before us.

as we pray for you pray for us .. there is no greater service as Bro Gause taught me.

Till the next report

In His HOLY NAME

eddie

Bro and Sisters greetings in Jesus name.

Below is a report from our most recent "EVANGEL" team to Turkey for your perusal.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

eddie brooks

From: dzlatarov@careforall.org
To: vpagan@cogwm.org
Sent: 8/31/2010 3:21:01 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: (no subject)




What once was the cradle of the early church…

Dear brother Pagan,

Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria. My name is Dinko Zlatarov and we met in Romania in May. Of course I’ve known you long before that through our mutual friends.

I wanted to share with you an experience of deep emotional and spiritual significance. If it was only my own personal – I was not going to derail you from your regular, busy schedule but I believe this is something with a vast significance for the Kingdom of God and the operation of the Church of God worldwide.

This past week – the Lord opened for us a door to return back to Turkey for a week on a mission trip. I have been there several times already during the past 6 years working exclusively with the wonderful brothers Brooks and Chakalov. As an outsider I have witnessed and assessed the work there and wanted to share the joy of my heart of what my eyes are witnessing. As Bulgarians we are well acquainted with the spiritual fortress of darkness Turkey is for Europe and the rest of the World. And for so many years it has been unbreachable for the Gospel and we have witnessed how hundreds of heroes sacrificed their lives in a quest of bringing the Light of the Jesus in there.

But my heart is exploding with joy as I see what God has and continue to do through the earnest labor of those two brothers. It is simply indescribable. They have not only preached the gospel, brought the Word of God and sacrificed their lives – but have really established a SOLID foundation for the Kingdom of God in this demonic domain of ISLAM. Every place that we visited on this last trip was marked by groups of people who are now professing the name of Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and who have renounced their faith in Muhamed. During our last week trip there – we had three more water baptisms and so many more listed to the good news of Jesus Christ and we witness more and more receptive heart willing to embrace our Father.

And I am reporting to you my brother that the Church of God has really acquired an established BASE for our further operation in Turkey. We are now obviously at the Next Level of our work at this location and I have a double motivation in sharing all of this with you ;-)

1. To commend the vision, the passion and the great work of brother Eddie Brooks and brother Hristo Chakalov.š Honor to whom honor is due – and they DO deserve it. The Church of God excels because of laborers such as them.

2. To suggest to you brothers as our Generals in the Lord to strategize and plan a motivated massive infiltration in Turkey. We – the Church of God – here in Bulgaria are ready to partner with you and everyone else who is lead by the Spirit of God to work for the growth of the Kingdom in the Muslim world. It is one think if we only dodge the attack of the Islam in our Christian lands – but the enemy is really weakened when we surprise him in his own camp. We need to send more mission teams, print literature, establish more centers – this is my prayer brother Pagan.

I will not take more of your time – you are a seasoned leader. Take my letter to the Lord and I know that you and Him will know what is next.

My family, ministry team and my partners are here in Bulgaria praying for you and all you guys at World Missions are doing for people around the world. We bless and follow your wisdom and lead.

In the name of our Lord Jesus:
brother Dinko