Turkey July 2019
My dear friend Meka and I had the incredible opportunity to go with Shapoor on a trip to Turkey. Shapoor is an Iranian pastor, a dear friend, and a partner in this ministry. You’ll hear a lot about him along the way. You can read about his powerful testimony in my book, Take Your Place in the Harvest of Nations. We joined with Robby Dawkins and his team and ministered mainly to Iranian refugees throughout the trip. We had a retreat where several Iranian refugee churches all gathered together at a camp to learn more about following Jesus. There were teachings, prayer times, worship sessions, and baptisms. It was a beautiful time going deep in God together!
One of my most memorable experiences happened when I prayed for a little boy. He had some mental and physical health challenges. I spent time talking with his mom and ministering to her. Then she asked for prayer for her son. He was normally an energetic boy running all over the place, but the moment I prayed for him, he fell into my arms in the peace and power of the Holy Spirit. It was precious to see Holy Spirit touching his little life so profoundly. His mom received freedom and joy from some issues that were holding her back. Jesus is our Healer and Deliverer!
We also had the great privilege of baptizing new believers. As they went under those waters, they came up washed clean, sins forgiven, lives made new! There is nothing like welcoming people into the family of God and knowing they will be forever His! As we baptized, God gave people visions and encounters with Him. One beautiful young lady saw Jesus giving her a key. It was so real that she held the key in her hand with the biggest smile on her face. I had a Dream key necklace on, so I gave it to her as a symbol of that encounter. God is so close. He is always ready to speak to us and meet us where we are. When He walks into the room, everything changes.
Throughout the whole trip, we saw many people receive new freedom from painful past experiences. We witnessed Jesus loving them back to life and drawing them closer. We shared God’s love with people who we met on the streets and in the refugee churches. It is a great privilege to go to the nations and share about the King of Kings!