We’re excited to begin our In the Footsteps of Paul journey in Türkiye! Led by Doug Stewart from The Outreach Foundation, our team will explore ancient biblical sites like Ephesus, Antalya, and Tarsus while meeting Persian-speaking believers who are sharing the gospel today. It’s more than a trip. It will be a powerful faith experience we can’t wait to share!
Kindly keep our church members in your prayers for a safe journey, a meaningful time of learning and ministry, and for God’s guidance in their lives now and in the future Bridgette Gilchrist, Beth Rice, Cam Traut, Cathy Garnett, Denise Azizian, Esther Acolatse, Kon Savoy, Laurie Oh, Pam Pettibone, Suzanne Sawada. Heartfelt prayers for Cam Traut as she is leading the first press group.
Kindly keep our church members in your prayers for a safe journey, a meaningful time of learning and ministry, and for God’s guidance in their lives now and in the future Bridgette Gilchrist, Beth Rice, Cam Traut, Cathy Garnett, Denise Azizian, Esther Acolatse, Kon Savoy, Laurie Oh, Pam Pettibone, Suzanne Sawada. Heartfelt prayers for Cam Traut as she is leading the first press group.
Day 10
Today was our final full day as a group. We had a 3+ hour drive to Antakya = Antioch! As we drove into the city, our guide, Tan, noted the impact of the large earthquake still evident a few years later - many buildings were lost. There are a lot of temporary “cargo crate” like structures being used for housing, police stations, businesses, schools, and other needs as new buildings are being built.
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The highlight was St. Pierre’s Church near the base of Mt. Staurin, on the side of the rocky stone mountain. The church is accredited with the apostle Peter’s first sermon at this church. It was the first place where the name, “Christian” was given to believers! The first church! (Acts 11:19-26, Galatians 2:11-14)
To be in the place where Peter and the first Christians gathered, to stand in that cave church, see the entrance to the deeper tunnel/cave where Christians hid from the Roman soldiers….this area where Christianity spread out to the Gentiles….what a moment of praise and awe!
“….and a great number became believers.” Amen!
To be in the place where Peter and the first Christians gathered, to stand in that cave church, see the entrance to the deeper tunnel/cave where Christians hid from the Roman soldiers….this area where Christianity spread out to the Gentiles….what a moment of praise and awe!
“….and a great number became believers.” Amen!
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We moved on to a quick stop at the Museum Hotel nearby. A unique and creative way to preserve and display a large portion of a city block (~20,000sqm) discovered during excavation for the site of the hotel. It was an impressive display of Roman Empire artifacts and architecture.
As we end our time in Turkey, we have a lot of moments, encounters, places, and information to continue to process and be grateful for experiencing. One thing we can say with conviction and assuredness is that God of Acts is alive and the Spirit is moving mightily in our new friends’ home country and the diaspora! We look forward to sharing more stories and pictures when we get home. Please continue to pray for our travels, and add to your prayers, our new friends and their ministries. Thanks to all at home for your support and prayers!
Day 9
This morning we had a much appreciated late start, boarding the bus at 10:00 am. We are staying in a beautiful hotel in Adana, near Tarsus. Tarsus has been a thriving city and continuously inhabited for millennia and is one of the few cities in Türkiye to retain its ancient name.
We started with St Paul’s well. It was excavated in 1999. Due to the proximity to was has been identified as Paul’s house, this is the well where Paul’s family would have drawn their water. It is very deep and still functioning. We all verified that the water is delicious.
From there we walked to a city block where the ruins have been excavated showing a Roman road and a residential area.
Next was St Paul’s Church. Not where he worshipped, but a church built in the 12th century and named for him. It was rebuilt in the 1860’s. On the ceiling there is a fairly well preserved fresco of Jesus, with the 4 evangelists in each corner. Another fresco has angels carrying a banner that says in Greek: “This is my son. My beloved in whom I well pleased.”
Then on to Cleopatra’s Gate. This is the gate where Cleopatra entered Tarsus and met Mark Antony for the first time.
We had a delicious “light” lunch in a beautiful setting by a stream with egrets and swans in the pond and a darling calico cat begging by the table.
We gathered back at the hotel to reflect on our experience, using Isa. 43:19 as a jumping off point to talk about what new things we have experienced. We have all been inspired by the stories of those whose faith has thrived and spread in spite of persecution, much like the churches in Acts. We also noted a parallel between what our guide often says about the ruins. To the farmer, it is just the same old ancient stones that have always been there in the field. But to the outsider, it is an exciting discovery worth excavating. In some ways, this trip has opened our eyes to aspects of our faith that we take for granted. Pray for us that we will keep our excitement and excavate God’s truth after we return.
We gathered back at the hotel to reflect on our experience, using Isa. 43:19 as a jumping off point to talk about what new things we have experienced. We have all been inspired by the stories of those whose faith has thrived and spread in spite of persecution, much like the churches in Acts. We also noted a parallel between what our guide often says about the ruins. To the farmer, it is just the same old ancient stones that have always been there in the field. But to the outsider, it is an exciting discovery worth excavating. In some ways, this trip has opened our eyes to aspects of our faith that we take for granted. Pray for us that we will keep our excitement and excavate God’s truth after we return.
Day 9
Today we started off by visiting the gravesite of the poet, Rumi, at the Mevlana Museum and mosque. It was stunningly beautiful!
Sasan and Tan shared about him and his writings and his importance in religious history. Then we left Konya to start our long bus journey to Adana in the warmer south of Türkiye
Our guide, Tan, who has a little background in archaeology, worked his “magic” so that we were allowed to see the active excavation site of Lystra!
Look at Acts 14 and 2 Timothy 3:11. It was here that Paul visited and connected with Timothy (Acts 16). This site sits on a very tall hill. They’ve unearthed part of the very early city wall and church! We saw the “secret” symbol used amongst Christians in those days that resembles a pizza pie. Ask one of us sometime to explain how! We were allowed to take a few rare pictures there. Once again, we were privileged to stand and see where Paul walked and visited, imagining him there, walking around and meeting with other believers, healing the man who couldn’t walk, sharing the Gospel, as well as being stoned to nearly death until the apostles surrounded him and took him to safety.
Something we’ve been considering this week - Paul walked and walked…. Türkiye is a big beautiful country, full of mountains, plains, valleys, rivers, crops/fields, seaside locations, small villages, and big bustling cities. The terrain that Paul and his friends had to navigate is challenging and breathtaking, full of beautiful moments, uncertain weather, and risky adventures…..all for the sake of the joy and love in sharing the Good News of Jesus. Then we consider our new friends we met last week - their passion and joy, their excitement for sharing the Gospel at the risk of so much…..
May we all continue to strive for that unabashed joy, zealous love and desire for others to know Jesus.
May we all continue to strive for that unabashed joy, zealous love and desire for others to know Jesus.
Day 7
Today we traveled through beautiful mountain terrain to Antioch of Pisidia to see St. Paul Church. It is believed that Paul preached his first sermon here, staying for multiple weeks, resulting in many people coming to faith in Jesus. Our leader, Doug Stewart, gave a moving sermon from the same stone lectern that Paul preached from. In the distance, we saw a shepherd boy leading his flock of sheep down the hill. It was a beautiful site.
We also had amazing meals from the locals.
We also had amazing meals from the locals.
Our dinner in Konya tonight.
Day 6
After a much needed later start, we visited Perga, a remarkable site. We could walk through the large arches that Paul and Barnabas entered the city through, as well as stroll down the colonnade, imagining the shopping stalls of many merchants they would have encountered. We stopped at the Aspendos Theater and saw a full Roman amphitheater, then stood at the nearby Su Kemerleri Aqueducts to get a better feel for the Roman Empire’s influence in these areas. It’s been a few full days of contextual history as we considered what Paul and his mission partners in ministry would be experiencing in these cities, and the challenging impact of the cultural, political, and religious dynamics on their work for God’s mission. On this sabbath day, we shared communion with each other led by another group member, Nick Nielsen, a Presbyterian pastor from Calypso Presbyterian Church in North Carolina. It was a special time together.
Our day ended with a wonderful evening of meeting some Christian immigrants and refugees here in Antalya. They shared stories of pain and horrible challenges - imprisonment, health issues, leaving their home country, being separated from family….yet all continue to put their love, hope and faith in Jesus and His Good News, not just for themselves, but for others in their community and back in their home country. Jesus is moving mightily in these people and their witness and we are so very grateful to have met them and share encouragement and prayer requests. Thanking God for the ministry of presence that happens when His believers gather!
Our day ended with a wonderful evening of meeting some Christian immigrants and refugees here in Antalya. They shared stories of pain and horrible challenges - imprisonment, health issues, leaving their home country, being separated from family….yet all continue to put their love, hope and faith in Jesus and His Good News, not just for themselves, but for others in their community and back in their home country. Jesus is moving mightily in these people and their witness and we are so very grateful to have met them and share encouragement and prayer requests. Thanking God for the ministry of presence that happens when His believers gather!
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Day 5
Saturday, we were up very early to check out of our Izmir hotel and head toward 2 sites that Paul was connected to - Miletus (Acts 20:16-38) and Ephesus (Ephesians). Miletus was unique - a “small” site compared to Ephesus, but a terrific visit to a large half of an amphitheater. We could walk up and around in it! Ephesus is spectacularly amazing in its size and breadth of the parts of the city that have been excavated - to see it in person and walk the street that Paul walked…..no words. I know many of us will be glad to share lots of pictures! We flew within the country to Antalya late last night, arriving at our hotel after 1am due to a few delays.
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Day 4
After a hearty breakfast with a beautiful view of the port from the hotel restaurant, we heard from “Isaac”, Director of the Persian Ministry at Quest Academy. Born into a different faith tradition in 1979, at the age of 20 in 1997 he became a Christian after reading a copy of the New Testament handed to him by a stranger. Soon after, he completed a discipleship program at a local Presbyterian church. From 2000 to May 2012, he served at a local Presbyterian church (a church of 197 members) in the role of leading service for the youth discipleship program.
At various times during this period things were more open in his home country. His ministry continued both inside and outside the church until May 2012, when he was arrested for his Christian activities. After eight months of being in solitary confinement and in the general ward he was released under a suspended sentence and remained under probation in 2017. At that time, his wife “Rebekah” and their 11-month-old son “Jacob” were forced to leave the country and settle in Germany
There he pursued theological studies and was ordained. Since that time his ministry has focused through the support of Quest Academy, where he serves as director of the Persian Ministry. He also works with organization in Germany, focusing on Farsi-speaking communities within German churches. At Quest Academy, the focus is on training and equipping the next generation of Farsi-speaking missionaries and church leaders worldwide.
The Academy’s unique approach is that they operate entirely online, without a physical office, connecting students and mentors virtually. Their goal is to mobilize diaspora communities for effective cross-cultural ministries through a program called “Building Bridges.”
Isaac and his family currently live in Munich. His wife Rebekah serves as the Quest Academy’s online outreach and evangelistic efforts through the Instagram platform. Their goal is to have 25 to 30 outreach programs a year. The activities include concerts, outreach to people in the streets using students of the academy in practical programs as well as developing a new curriculum.
At various times during this period things were more open in his home country. His ministry continued both inside and outside the church until May 2012, when he was arrested for his Christian activities. After eight months of being in solitary confinement and in the general ward he was released under a suspended sentence and remained under probation in 2017. At that time, his wife “Rebekah” and their 11-month-old son “Jacob” were forced to leave the country and settle in Germany
There he pursued theological studies and was ordained. Since that time his ministry has focused through the support of Quest Academy, where he serves as director of the Persian Ministry. He also works with organization in Germany, focusing on Farsi-speaking communities within German churches. At Quest Academy, the focus is on training and equipping the next generation of Farsi-speaking missionaries and church leaders worldwide.
The Academy’s unique approach is that they operate entirely online, without a physical office, connecting students and mentors virtually. Their goal is to mobilize diaspora communities for effective cross-cultural ministries through a program called “Building Bridges.”
Isaac and his family currently live in Munich. His wife Rebekah serves as the Quest Academy’s online outreach and evangelistic efforts through the Instagram platform. Their goal is to have 25 to 30 outreach programs a year. The activities include concerts, outreach to people in the streets using students of the academy in practical programs as well as developing a new curriculum.
The second presentation of the morning was from “Daniel”, founder of Bible College. Daniel is a second-generation Christian. His father was a doctor. He got in debt and was depressed. He pleaded to God to be changed. The next day a bookseller came to the hospital and sold the father a copy of the gospel.
In 1991, Daniel went to the UK to study theology, a powerful reminder of how God works in unexpected ways. The Bible College was founded in 2010. Its purpose is to train leaders to transform the country.They also offer counseling for healing of trauma experienced by students in the past. There is increased persecution of people that convert to Christianity. Today it is illegal to attend house churches. Known Christians lose jobs and are arrested. At the same time, leaders are desperately needed.
In 1991, Daniel went to the UK to study theology, a powerful reminder of how God works in unexpected ways. The Bible College was founded in 2010. Its purpose is to train leaders to transform the country.They also offer counseling for healing of trauma experienced by students in the past. There is increased persecution of people that convert to Christianity. Today it is illegal to attend house churches. Known Christians lose jobs and are arrested. At the same time, leaders are desperately needed.
It was Doug’s birthday and we had a celebration cake at dinner. Our final service included a baptism, more testimonials and communion.
Day 3
This morning, while Esther was teaching at the leadership conference, the rest of us gathered to hear from a remarkable couple, John and Mary, who are living as refugees in Turkey.
John left his home country after being sentenced to several years in prison. He had worked in Christian ministry but felt something was missing, a lack of good training for men. He founded a ministry to train church leaders to be strong Christian men in their families. Each year, they train 20 men in a year-long course covering important topics related to leadership and family life. They are always looking for good literature that can be translated into Farsi. Their course materials are also available online, and last year their website had over 60,000 views.
Mary, John’s wife, became a Christian as a teenager and stepped into leadership at a young age. After facing persecution in her home country, she left to protect other church leaders. She worked in media in Turkey but felt called to ministry for women. She has a strong vision for raising up leaders to address the challenges women face and is working to provide scholarships for women to study Counseling, Psychology, English, and Law.
Both "John and Mary" have a heart for healing brokenness and are gifted at identifying ministry gaps and addressing them. They also emphasize mentorship as a follow-up to their training. Their dedication and passion were truly inspirational.
In the afternoon, we had time to relax and enjoy the perfect weather we’ve been experiencing, followed by another delicious dinner at a seaside restaurant.
In the evening, we joined our friends for worship. It was so moving to sing with them in their language and they sang “How Great is Our God” with us in English. While yesterday we heard stories of miraculous conversions, tonight they shared about the topic of the challenges they face. But about halfway through they chose instead to focus on the opportunities and how challenges give them the chance to share their faith and bring people to Christ.
John left his home country after being sentenced to several years in prison. He had worked in Christian ministry but felt something was missing, a lack of good training for men. He founded a ministry to train church leaders to be strong Christian men in their families. Each year, they train 20 men in a year-long course covering important topics related to leadership and family life. They are always looking for good literature that can be translated into Farsi. Their course materials are also available online, and last year their website had over 60,000 views.
Mary, John’s wife, became a Christian as a teenager and stepped into leadership at a young age. After facing persecution in her home country, she left to protect other church leaders. She worked in media in Turkey but felt called to ministry for women. She has a strong vision for raising up leaders to address the challenges women face and is working to provide scholarships for women to study Counseling, Psychology, English, and Law.
Both "John and Mary" have a heart for healing brokenness and are gifted at identifying ministry gaps and addressing them. They also emphasize mentorship as a follow-up to their training. Their dedication and passion were truly inspirational.
In the afternoon, we had time to relax and enjoy the perfect weather we’ve been experiencing, followed by another delicious dinner at a seaside restaurant.
In the evening, we joined our friends for worship. It was so moving to sing with them in their language and they sang “How Great is Our God” with us in English. While yesterday we heard stories of miraculous conversions, tonight they shared about the topic of the challenges they face. But about halfway through they chose instead to focus on the opportunities and how challenges give them the chance to share their faith and bring people to Christ.
At the end of the evening, one of the ladies who had shared the moving story of her conversion yesterday gave us crosses that she had tatted herself.
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Day 2
Today the team split up in two groups. Esther, along with three other teachers, journeyed to another hotel in Izmir and taught at a conference that was attended by Persian believers that had been persecuted and imprisoned for their faith. The rest of the group attended a conference at our hotel, listening to Persian pastors share about their life and ministry.
Persian Pastor, “Petros”, shared with us his ministry in Melbourne, Australia. He fled his home in a small boat as a refugee and landed on Christmas Island, greeted with love and hospitality from the locals. Through them, he was offered the gospel, and fell in love with the Word. Petros started a church in 2012 in Melbourne with two families that has now grown to over 200. It is currently the biggest Persian church in Australia. He also has 10 church plants called “One Church”. Since being called to ministry, his motto has been, “Let God lead”.
We then heard from Dariush, an Iranian pastor, musician, and youth leader. He started as part of a Dutch church in the Netherlands, and also has planted several online churches called Safehouse Ministries. The stories of Persian people of all ages risking everything, coming to faith in Christ through his work was inspiring. He travels when he can, to worship with his online congregation and baptize new believers.
We ended the day with Dariush leading us in worship and listening to the testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters. We heard stories of imprisonment and abuse, along with miraculous healings and the goodness of God in the worst of times. It was a good reminder of the many “Pauls” currently living in chains, witnessing to prison guards, choosing to live in a country where it’s illegal to be Christian and courageously spreading the gospel.
We are unable to share pictures of the Iranian believers due to the danger it puts them in, but here are pictures of Dariush and our group and some teaching moments.
Persian Pastor, “Petros”, shared with us his ministry in Melbourne, Australia. He fled his home in a small boat as a refugee and landed on Christmas Island, greeted with love and hospitality from the locals. Through them, he was offered the gospel, and fell in love with the Word. Petros started a church in 2012 in Melbourne with two families that has now grown to over 200. It is currently the biggest Persian church in Australia. He also has 10 church plants called “One Church”. Since being called to ministry, his motto has been, “Let God lead”.
We then heard from Dariush, an Iranian pastor, musician, and youth leader. He started as part of a Dutch church in the Netherlands, and also has planted several online churches called Safehouse Ministries. The stories of Persian people of all ages risking everything, coming to faith in Christ through his work was inspiring. He travels when he can, to worship with his online congregation and baptize new believers.
We ended the day with Dariush leading us in worship and listening to the testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters. We heard stories of imprisonment and abuse, along with miraculous healings and the goodness of God in the worst of times. It was a good reminder of the many “Pauls” currently living in chains, witnessing to prison guards, choosing to live in a country where it’s illegal to be Christian and courageously spreading the gospel.
We are unable to share pictures of the Iranian believers due to the danger it puts them in, but here are pictures of Dariush and our group and some teaching moments.
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Day 1
Greetings from Izmir, Turkiye! After arriving safely late Monday afternoon, we met our fellow participants from Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, and Calypso Presbyterian Church in Calypso, NC over dinner and got some much needed sleep in hotel beds last night! We started our first full day today with a delicious breakfast with a view of the small Gulf of Izmir off the Aegean Sea. We spent the day with one of our hosts, Sasan Tavassoli, an Iranian pastor who lives in Atlanta and works for the Outreach Foundation. He gave us some background information on what it’s like to be an Iranian Christian, both in Iran and as a refugee. Our tour guide, Tan, is a Turkish Christian, that Dave Ivaska, Caryl, Bethany, and I met on a brief tour of Ephesus last fall when we were in Kusadasi, Turkiye for the IFES conference. So fun to reconnect with him. He gave us a tour of Kadifekale - the hilltop castle that was built by one of Alexander the Great’s generals in 4th century BC. There was a beautiful view of Izmir below, including the “Old Smyrna” ruins which we visited later. We feasted on traditional Turkish food for lunch, had a walk through the Kemeralti Market which was buzzing with all sort of vendors who were bartering with all the shoppers. What a sight to walk through! We ended the day with another delicious meal along the seaside. Now we are looking forward to the next three days when we will meet, listen, and get to know Iranian Christians and some others who work with refugees in the Persian Diaspora. Thank you for your prayers as we explore this unique country, its culture, the history, and meet with Christians who live in a very different context and culture than us. We would appreciate your prayers for health and safety and ask that you pray that we continue to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guiding as we make ourselves present to listen, learn, and engage with the Persian Christians we meet.
Cam