Türkiye Was So Sweet.
This month in Türkiye was nothing short of transformational.
It started with light exposing some hidden, hard places in my heart. That exposure led to something I didn’t expect—but deeply needed, deliverance. Yes, in the basement bathroom of our hostel, the Lord met me. Three hours later, I walked out experiencing a freedom I’ve never known before. My soul felt light. I could feel the Holy Spirit’s peace alive in me—real and tangible.
The whole deliverance story is one I’d love to share if you’re interested (seriously, reach out). But the core of it is this: “You can only be loved as much as you are known.” True deliverance requires bringing your whole heart before the Lord and walking through vulnerability with people you trust. The Holy Spirit longs to walk us through inner healing, and that process—though raw—is incredible.
After that personal breakthrough, ministry started.
My team was based in Biga, a small city with a tiny church (literally the size of a walk-in closet) and no full-time local leadership. I expected packed schedules and a clear ministry outline. Instead, we had no official responsibilities except helping with weekly church services.
At first, this felt confusing. “God, what do I do with this?” And then He answered, “Surrender your idea of what ministry should look like, and just listen.”
So that’s what we did. We practiced ATL-ing (Ask The Lord)—starting every day with intentional prayer, asking what He wanted for that day. Sometimes we were led to:
- Share the Gospel and pray over people
- Spend time worshiping and ministering to Him directly
- Encourage one another as a team
- Build relationships and share Jesus one-on-one
In the stillness and lack of structure, God moved.
We got to partner with the local church and started an English Club, open to anyone. It became a safe space to build relationships and have conversations that opened the door to deeper truth.
After connecting with the youth, the Lord placed it on my heart to begin a Discipleship Class. Many of these young believers were new to the faith and hungry for growth, but they didn’t have anyone living locally to guide them. We stepped into that gap, and it was beautiful.
We talked about:
- How to grow intimacy with God
- How to pray
- How to share your faith
- What practical discipleship looks like
And—praise God—by the end of our time, one of the boys from both the English Club and Discipleship gave his life fully to Jesus! I’m still celebrating and thanking God for His grace and the privilege of witnessing that moment.
The Harvest Is Ripe here. So many young people in Türkiye are hungry for Truth. We met many who had been ministered to by the previous World Race team and were so close to receiving Christ. We got to water the seeds that had been planted before us—and trust God with the harvest.
He’s the One who softens hearts. We just have to show up and say yes. There’s no striving—just abiding.
Final Thoughts
My time in Türkiye taught me how to surrender my expectations and live from a place of rest and trust.
The fruit? A deeper relationship with the Lord.
A clearer picture of what ministry can look like when led by the Spirit.
A joy I didn’t know I was missing.
So grateful. So undone. So full of peace.
Thank you, Jesus, for the sweetness of surrender.
