More on Turkish Martyrs: NEED PRAYER

I just recieved this from a friend at Desiring God Ministries. It is more of the story of the Turkish Martyrs that I blogged about yesterday. It is amazing how God gives us grace when we need it. Please keep the families left behind in your prayers.

Brothers,
I am sending these two eye witness accounts of three christian brothers who were martyred in Turkey on April 18th. I would ask that this be displayed on your website so that the families left behind of those slain would be lifted up in prayer. I am reminded of the words of Jesus in (John 12:24) "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Also (Col. 1:24) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." That which was lacking in the church in Turkey is no longer lacking, a display of the sufferings of Christ! May the blood of these three men nourish the ground of the Turkish church so that the seeds that have been planted will yield much fruit to the Glory of God.

Thank you
Drew Rogers

Here are the letters:
Dear Family,
I know this is the fourth correspondence you've received from us this month. I don't desire to fill your inboxes, but I feel it's important to keep before your eyes the situation for Christians in Turkey. With that in mind I wanted to share with you my impressions from our brother Necati's (ne-ja-tee) funeral last Saturday. First I must tell you that I never thought I would attend a martyr's funeral. Of course most of us, at some point in our lives, experience things we never thought we would. I'm merely pointing out that God has taken us down a path that is still new and strange for us.
Anyway, the four of us left Bodrum at 8:30 Saturday morning. It was Engin, Murat (Engin's brother-in-law), Yeliz (a sister in the church) and me. We arrived at the church in Izmir (ancient Smyrna) at 12:30. The funeral was to start at 3:00 so we milled around the church grounds where a few Christians were talking with each other. I immediately felt intimidated. This was my first experience mourning with fellow Christians in Turkey. I was going to meet many brothers and sisters for the first time. I would not know for sure how close they were to Necati. This was certainly no time for embarrassing Turkish lapses. Knowing the culturally appropriate expressions in such a situation is important, obviously. (I had asked Engin earlier if Turkish Christians said to each other in these situations what Turkish Muslims say, "Başın Sağ olsun.", which means, "May your head turn to the right." He told me that they do.) Engin was quickly absorbed with talking to many people he'd not seen for some time. Yeliz, being from Izmir, introduced me to several local believers. After thirty minutes of quiet talking in the church garden, which was filled with 200 year old graves, we went to eat something before the service began.
By the time we returned the 100 or so chairs that had been arranged in the courtyard were occupied, so I found a place to stand with Engin and Murat. The church garden continued to fill up with people until 400 or so people waited together, mostly without talking. Finally, Necati's body arrived. As the casket was carried up the garden path from the street, believers on each side broke out into applause. As his body passed me, I
joined in the clapping, knowing that I was participating in an eternally significant event – one unlike anything I'd ever witnessed before that day. Television cameramen, who had filmed the casket's procession up the path, made their way through the standing room only crowd with minimal amounts of patience and respect. They had to be asked repeatedly to back away from the casket so the service could begin.
At that time I realized that I recognized the man in front of me. He was one of several undercover police present. After a few minutes I remembered him as the man who had visited the church in Bodrum several times last year. One day he and another policeman had talked with Engin for over an hour outside the church. Since Bodrum was almost four hours from Izmir he was probably transferred to Izmir.
The service began. Even though I was only thirty feet from the front I couldn't see the casket, or anyone speaking. Standing there, in that crowd – I thought about Zacchaeus, and what a step it was for that man to climb up that tree to see Jesus. We sang some worship songs, familiar songs filled with a new-found faith and certainty in the worth of Jesus. Several brothers shared. Every one of them gave the same message: "Our brothers did not lose. We lost, but they did not." "Our visitors may wonder why we sing with joy and clap at this time. It is because we know God's promise that our brothers are with him now." "The enemy did his worst. Our brothers are gone, but we are still here. We are not afraid." Necati's wife, Şemsa (Shem-sa) said the following: "I loved my husband. He was a great companion on the road to heaven. I loved my husband, but I love Jesus more. I forgive the killers of my husband." Humility, pride, awe, admiration, faith and determination filled our hearts and tears poured as we listened to this woman of faith. I praise God for the strength he has given our sisters in this terrible time. I celebrate the way he's using them to spur on the church in Turkey. For they are teaching us – they're reminding us who we are, where we came from and where we're going. God in his infinite wisdom has let us see the worst the enemy can do to us. He has shown us the truth and implications of Jesus' words in Mt. 10:28.
After two hours the service at the church ended and we drove to a Christian cemetery in Izmir. The markers were filled with foreigners' names – consular officials, artists and others who may have never planned to have their bodies planted in Turkey's soil. Now, we watched as Necati's body was lowered into the soil. We sang a song, prayed and then filed past Şemsa and her children to give condolences. I watched as Necati's seven year old daughter in her Barbie dress and shoes fidgeted around her mother, who hugged everyone's neck in turn. Please pray for their family to be blessed in the coming days and months, when the support gradually melts away. For my part, I can tell you that it was my privilege and honor to attend Necati's funeral. By God's grace his death will continue to change my life.
Grace and peace,

Second Letter:
Brothers and Sisters,
I thought it would benefit you to read Engin's latest church news article. He sent this out yesterday. It does contain some graphic material regarding the martyrdom of our brothers. I considered editing it, but decided against it. Please read this alone before sharing with others. You can decide how and with whom to share it. Directly below is a picture of our three brothers (from left to right: German brother, Tilman; Turkish brothers Ugur and Necati).
Grace and peace,
Ethan

Dear brothers and sisters,
We would like to give you an update about what happened last Wednesday (18 Nisan 2007) in Malatya, Turkey.
As you know last Wednesday five young people killed our three brothers. They didn't only slit their throats but they tortured them almost two and a half hours. Two killers first became friends with our brothers. They said they became Christians and they even went out to give out free New Testaments on the streets with them. They also joined the Easter service in Malatya. Last Wednesday morning they went to the office and began to chat with our friends. Then three other men came to the office and the tragedy began after that. They had pistols and knives and threatened them and then bound their hands and feet. They put gags in their mouths. They first slit the German brother's throat in the other room. They began to torture our Turkish brothers. One of the doctors who conducted the autopsy told one of the national newspapers that he has never seen something like this. The killers cut Ugur's penis, anus and different parts of his body. They did the same thing to Necati too. There was a very big hole at Ugur's throat. They knifed them more then 150 times. Maybe you can ask yourselves why we are giving you these details. Because this shows how much our brothers were in pain.
Another brother who was not at the office at that time went to the office and tried to open the door with his key. He discovered that the door was locked inside. He then called Necati and asked him if everything was okay. Necati told him they were not at the office and having a meeting in a hotel and he told him not to come to the office. He understood something was wrong as he also heard some one was crying in pain. He immediately called the police and tried to open the door. When the policemen came to the office the people inside didn't open the door. The police said they cut the two Turkish brothers throats while the police were trying to open the door. The leader of the attackers tried to escape from the balcony. He fell down from the third floor and is still in coma.
I was planing to go to Malatya last Wednesday. I talked to some other Christian friends on the phone and they told me many Christians were going there and they told me to go to Izmir for Necati's funeral.
Ugur's family got his body and did an Islamic funeral for him in his village in Elazig. Ugur was 32 years old. He became a Christian two years ago. He even changed his religion officialy and his identity card showed his religion was Christianity. Ugur's family is Muslim and they insisted on an Islamic funeral for their son. Ugur was engaged with Nurcan. When we were in Diyarbakir our Christian friend who had shared the Gospel with Ugur had come to visit us there. Then he went to Elazig to visit Ugur and asked me if I also wanted to go with him. I didn't go to Elazig to see Ugur with my friend. I wish I would have. Please pray for Nurcan and also for Ugur's family.
Four of us went to Izmir for the funeral of Necati last Saturday (21 April 2007). Necati was 35 years old and was married to Semsa and they had one daughter named Ester Bahar and one son named Elisa Aydin. There were almost 400 people at the funeral. Christians went to the funeral from different parts of Turkey. Of course there were many journalists and television cameras at the funeral. There were many policemen to protect us at the funeral. I also wanted to talk to Necati's wife Semsa and waited to talk to her. While I was waiting there I saw Necati's daughter Ester Bahar and my daughter Elcin Karen came to my mind at that time. The tears came from my eyes. We heard Ester Bahar asked her mother, "Mumy, where is my father? I miss him much!". Her mother replied to her, "He is in Heaven now!". Then Ester Bahar said, "I miss him much. Tell him to come now and then he can go back". On the way back home my wife Nurcan called me and told me our daughter Elcin Karen wanted to talk to me. Elcin Karen told me, "Daddy, where are you? Why did you go? I miss you daddy!". Elcin Karen's father went back home safely but not Ester Bahar's, Elisa Aydin's, Tilman's 11 years old son Lukas's, 8 years old daughter Miriam's and 13 year old daughter Michal's. Please pray for Necati's wife Semsa and their two children and also for the German brother's wife Susanne and their three children.
Both Semsa and Susanne said they forgave the killers. The people in Turkey were waiting for them to say 'We are in great sorrow and we want justice and revenge!'. Tilman's wife Susanne read Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing". This was also in the newspapers and on the television news too. We are sure they will miss their husbands much. We know to take revenge is easy but to forgive is the greatest.
Tilman's wife Susanne said they will not leave Malatya and will continue to stay there. She said they love Turkey and they believe God will give a greater beginning for Malatya and Turkey. Amen! Susanne wanted her husband buried in Malatya. So the funeral for Tilman was in Malatya. Tilman's family still lives in Malatya and their children are going to Turkish school.
We know our brothers are with Jesus Christ in Heaven. We want to do our best for their families. We will invite Necati's and Tilman's family to Bodrum, also Ugur's fiancé Nurcan. We wish to encourage them. We are also praying for their needs. We heard Semsa will go with her two children to live with her sister. We are planing to collect offerings for their needs. Please pray the Lord may provide all their needs.
These three brothers are the first martyries in modern Turkey. This is a new beginning for the Turkish Christians and for the Turkish churches. We believe God is going to do greater things in Turkey.
Many Muslims are also sorry for what happened to these Christians but anyway a small group of people are happy about their deaths and they openly explain their joy on some websites. I was at the barber shop and two men were talking about this tragedy. One of them said this was a carnage. The other man replied to him "If they sell Bibles this can happen! Because they were missionaries this happened to them!".
A newspaper said Christians will leave Turkey. What will we do? Are we going to leave our country? Are we going to escape? No! We will not go anywhere. We will continue to live in our country and share the Gospel with these lost people. Satan wants us to have fear but we will not. These people showed us the most they can do. Our brothers were faithful until death and we will follow their examples.
Last Sunday one young man came to the church after the church service and he said he wants to join to the church services. A Christian sister's Muslim friend asked her if she could bring a New Testament for her as she decided to read it. We are sure many people will also want to learn about our belief in Jesus Christ after this tragedy.
Please continue to pray for the Christians and the churches in Turkey as many of us are getting threats.
Sorry this letter is so long.
Thank you very much for praying for us and for Turkey.
God bless and protect you.