- 3440 West 13th St.
Wichita, KS 67203 - © 2009 Olivet Baptist Church,
all rights reserved.
Wednesday our team split up and headed in two different directions. Chad took Dennis and Mark back to Istanbul so they could meet with a group of businessmen and women who are part of an organization called Toastmasters. This is an international organization committed to helping professionals learn to be comfortable speaking in public settings. They helped “judge” the speakers and were able to provide some nice gifts we had brought with us for the “winners” of the night.
Cindy, Leslie, Ercument and I boarded the “fast train” and went to Ankara to visit with Guven’s family. To our surprise his mother had come to Ankara so she could meet with us! We had a great three hours with them before we had to get back on the train and go to Istanbul. On two different occasions Guven’s mother and brother told us how grateful they were for our investment in his life. They thanked Cindy and me for taking him into our family and loving him. We told them it has been a pleasure and a joy and that our entire church family loved him as our own. They again expressed gratitude to us. His mother told us that she had given Guven to God first and then to Cindy and me for safekeeping. We told here that his entire “family” in Wichita took that responsibility seriously.
Thursday was sightseeing and shopping. We traveled to the Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest church buildings in the world. At one time it was the center of Christendom throughout the entire world. After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople it was turned into a mosque and today is a giant museum. We also saw a church building that predated the Hagia Sopia. It was built in the early 400’s and is in the process of being restored today. We also journeyed through the Spice Market. This is an area where you can purchase almost anything your heart desires. It is the market where local Turks shop.
We had dinner with Ercument and his family at a small outdoor restaurant and enjoyed a time of great fellowship and good food (sounds like a Baptist meeting, doesn’t it?). Ercument was our translator while we were in Eskisehir and is a good man. His wife works for Chad at Silas.
This morning I am meeting with Steve, the national leader for Campus Crusade. He is the “boss” of the Albanian girls who were in Wichita earlier this summer. He wanted to meet me because of Olivet’s great generosity and kindness to the Albanians. After we are through we will load up the vans, pick up the Albanian girls and drive to Yalova for the retreat with Chad’s team. I will be doing a Bible study with the adults on the team while Cindy, Mark and the Albanian girls will have responsibility for the six children who are coming.
Please pray for Ercument and Rana as they serve God here. They are passionate believers who desire their countrymen to know Jesus. Pray that the “light of the glory of God in the face of Christ” will shine brightly once again in this ancient country.
