Juan sat at our kitchen table and passionately shared his hopes as a missionary to see the message of Jesus reach the Turkish people. Juan is from Central America, and he’s in his 30s. Though not an Adventist, he is full of fire. We knelt and prayed together in Christian unity on our living room floor.

Less than four weeks later, Juan watched helplessly as five raging Islamic extremists shouted “Allah is Great!” and held a knife to his pastor’s throat.

It had been an average Sunday morning in their church in Eastern Turkey. Five visitors arrived, showing eagerness to study, pray, and praise. After the service, these five men were given Bibles. The church was soon empty except for Juan, the five visitors, and the pastor. The men insisted that the pastor meet with them privately to answer some questions, but he declined, saying he had other appointments that day.

Suddenly, the men threw their Bibles to the ground and began screaming at the Turkish pastor that he had denied his Islamic roots. Juan and the pastor stepped outside. The men grabbed the pastor and began to beat him bloody. One blow broke his nose. The men fled.

It was soon discovered that someone at the church had gotten all the attackers’ faces on video. Also, one of the attackers’ cell phones with all his contacts was found! A sword was found hidden in the church. But when the police were called, they took no interest at all in tracking down the criminals.

So you can better pray for Turkey, please take a minute to visit www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51586.htm to read an excellent current report by the U.S. State Department about the unusual state of religious affairs here in Turkey
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