06 Oct Traveling Along the Trigris River

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries, is currently Turkey. He is traveling with Kurt Uhen, a member of the Global Ministries Leadership Team who is from Emmanuel UB in Fort Wayne, Ind.

We’re on the road headed for Mardin. Our route follows the path of the Tigris river headed south and is flanked by cotton fields, flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle. Stork nest on telephone poles and the roofs of homes.

The headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are located in Turkey. It is here that the Garden of Eden is believed to have been located. We spoke with Turks who have traveled that region extensively, but none have encountered any angels with flaming swords.

We’ve had some great conversations with the very few pastors and church planters in the area. All are eager to make disciples and plant more churches. We’ve also discussed some “business as mission” opportunities that would help this take place.

Mardin overlooks the northern plains of Syria and has a mix of Kurds, Turks, Assyrians, Syriacs, Arabs, and a few Armenians. Tonight we’ll stay at a 5th century Assyrian Orthodox monastery. Originally a sun temple, it became a Christian church when believers from Antioch moved north and the region was won to Christ.

Thanks for your prayers. God is at work in Turkey. We’re praying earnestly for discernment as we consider whether the United Brethren have a part to play.

05 Oct Mamei Simbo: Heart Surgery October 6

Mamei Simbo, wife of Sierra Leone Bishop Billy Simbo, will undergo heart surgery Wednesday, October 6, at 8 am. The surgery, to replace a damaged valve, will be done at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa.

Mamei entered Abington Hospital five weeks ago. She was diagnosed with a bacterial infection, which probably started at the IV port installed so she could begin chemotherapy for the multiple myeloma she has had since 2007. The infection spread to her knee and then to an aortic valve.

After three surgeries, the infection was removed from her knee. But the damage to the heart valve remained. She was scheduled for a valve replacement last week, but picked up another infection, which postponed the surgery. That infection has now been cleared.

On Monday, October 4, the family held a consultation with the cardiac surgeon about the defective valve, which was leaking and causing the heart to work extra hard. Mamei agreed to go ahead with the heart surgery.

Please be in prayer for Mamei. Billy sent these specific ways to pray:

1. That the surgery will be successful.
2. That Mamei will be able to endure the trauma of the surgery. She has shown remarkable improvement in the last few days for which we are all praising the Lord. She sits up in bed all by herself. A few days ago she would yell in pain with every touch.
3. For the period of rehab that will follow surgery, and for protection against additional infections.
4. For us as a family, as we grapple with the aftercare and other issues. I especially covet your prayers as I look at all the work that needs to be covered in the two-month period leading to our Bi-Annual Conference in Sierra Leone in December.

Billy adds, “Thank you all for your continued prayers and encouragement. It is so good to put our trust in the Lord, as many of you have reminded us through cards and gifts.”

05 Oct A Meal in Eastern Turkey

Jeff Bleijerveld and Kurt Uhen, from Emmanuel UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.), are currently traveling in Turkey. Jeff sent this photo, with this note: “We just came back from church and a great lunch of lamb liver and chicken kabobs. It was great! Behnan’s mug of fermented goat yogurt is to the top left. I passed on that.”

04 Oct Travels in Eastern Turkey

At a church service in eastern Turkey

Jeff Bleijerveld and Kurt Uhen, from Emmanuel UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.), are currently traveling in Turkey. Jeff writes:

99% of the people in this eastern Turkish city are ethnic Kurds of Syrian, Armenian, and Iraqi origin. However, the official language is Turkish, so Kurdish is only spoken in the home and among friends.

We had a very Mediterranean breakfast with lots of olives, melon, fresh cheeses, and breads. We headed for church at 11 am. This church has a police officer assigned for security 24 hours a day. However, things are quite tranquil at present as the PKK (Kurdish separatist organization) has declared a 30-day ceasefire with the Turkish government.

Facts I learned today:

There are 73 million people in Turkey.

• Only 4000 evangelicals live in Turkey. Another 30,000 people are Christian, including Assyrian Orthodox and Chaldeans.
• The country was nearly 100% Christian at one time.
• Seven of the early churches’ councils took place in what is modern-day Turkey.
• The Apostle Paul was born in Turkey, and all three of his missionary journeys included time in Turkey.
• John wrote his gospel in Turkey and died here of natural causes.
• Christian Turks consider Turkey part of the Holy Lands.

30 Sep Project: Rebuild Centennial School in Sierra Leone

Global Ministries is partnering in a project to rebuild the Centennial Secondary School (high school) in Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone. The project is being spearheaded by two groups: the Centennial alumni association (many of whose members now pursue professional careers in the States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries), and the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

Before the civil war of the 1990s, Centennial was a United Brethren boarding school with 600 students. But rebel troops occupied and ravaged the school during the 1990s, dismantling the plumbing and electrical systems for their salvage value, and destroying the water, sanitation, and electrical systems. This project will rebuild the infrastructure of water, sanitation, and electrical systems.

To get things going, they are looking for 300 people/groups/churches to give $100 or more, with the goal of raising $30,000. That will enable them to get moving until grant requests are acted upon.