Middle East Update

We arrived safely in Jerusalem after a couple of uneventful flights via Vienna. This is my second trip to Israel and I wasn’t real clear about what exactly I hoped to gain from this second chance to be in the Holy Land. We are accomplishing some very practical and necessary ministry initiatives on this trip to the Middle East and Turkey:

1) Shaping our partnership with New Hope in Moldova where we are empowering the church to provide transition homes for children who either age out of the institutional orphanages (at age 16) or runaway from the orphanages to a life on the streets in an effort to lessen the number of children who are being trafficked for the sex trade to countries like Turkey;

2) Spending time with the largest evangelical church in Istanbul, Turkey where we are at the beginning stages of seeking God’s guidance in helping the church minister to vulnerable street kids by providing a safe place for them to come and get a hot meal along with skills and educational training wrapped up in the message and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition, we began casting the vision for the church to make a difference in the lives of prostitutes trafficked from Moldova through initiatives to prevent as well as provide safety for young girls and boys enslaved in this evil. Pray that God will give us clear direction in ministry and sustain the boldness and courage of the church there to move into this dangerous arena of mob bosses, paid-off cops, and corrupt politicians;

3) In Cairo, we will be meeting with a strategic church partner who will first help us better understand the enormity of the street kid issue in Cairo and then introduce us to evangelical churches that we might partner with to multiply the response by the church to these children and the community.

I’m in the air flying from Istanbul to Cairo as I write this and it’s been a full trip already: full of incredible history, sites, smells, and cultural riches. As I mentioned at the beginning, our trip began in Jerusalem. I had the privilege to attend the dedication ceremony of the Jerusalem Prayer Center which Jodi and I were blessed to be a part of a year ago. We also enjoyed some great prayer and personal time of reflection.

Turkey was amazing. We enjoyed an incredible morning of worship with our church partner and friends in Istanbul. Billy Ray delivered a great message and I really loved worshiping with the Russian speaking congregation. After a meal with the church, we walked with the pastor and our friend Oleg (with New Hope International) to a district known for trafficked sex workers. This area is all mob run and you could feel the weight of darkness and oppression. Being in the sex trafficking arena brought back vivid images and emotions from my trip earlier this year to Cambodia and Thailand. I pray that we can help the church in Moldova and Turkey put a stop to the atrocity of young girls and boys being trafficked and forced to live in such conditions.

Pray for us as we seek God's leading here in Cairo. There is much to do and many people to be reached.