In the shadowy valley

Friday, 30 July 2009

Hello dear friends,

Come with me to some of the most difficult weeks I’ve had in my life. Though there is no end in sight, I am still grateful for them! God is teaching me deeper empathy for those that suffer debilitating illnesses all the time. I am growing in the fruit of self-control as second by second I clutch at the Lord for His grace. I am learning patience in a new way (still kicking and screaming though!) as I navigate what might be a new normal in my health. And I’m exploring some new spiritual realities. A friend asked me the other day if it was possible that a curse had been placed on me. I began thinking not of myself but of so many other dear friends that are experiencing difficult things at the moment that are highly unusual. The worst was getting news of a coworker who after months of depression and insomnia threw himself off the top of their apartment building a few weeks ago. You can go to the mosque and buy a curse. Very easy. Scripture says a curse without cause does not alight and I can see that I am being attacked in an area where I was inexperienced. Can you pray about this? This may be something as the Body we need to stand against.

On Monday it was time to renew our residence permits. We have five year permits so thankfully we are spared the experience on a more frequent basis. :-) We got to the foreign police at 7 am to find already several hundred people in line. After waiting hours we were told they already had too many for the day and to come back the next day. Thankfully they gave us slips of paper with the date. The next day we got there at 5:30 am and were 61 and 62 in line. At least until all the people with slips of paper from not just Monday but also Friday turned up. In short, it was hours of being pushed and shoved, watching fights break out but finally getting in the door. We are happy to announce Dave was awarded another 5 year residence permit but for some reason they spent an hour having all sorts of different meetings, going to the archives and then deciding that they would need to send my file to Ankara (head office) for their decision. This is not good news – but God can turn what the enemy might want to use for evil through YOUR prayers! Please pray that Ankara would agree I can be given another 5 year residence permit.

Dave was going to Lebanon yesterday for not just a tour but a new church plant amongst some of the counter culture people there. He kept telling me he was going at 11 at night but when I went to check him in there was no flight for then – it was in the morning – 10 minutes later! But what a blessing – he got a lot of work done yesterday that was piling up and went this morning to ask if he could go standby. Off he went – business class. :-) God is good.

Thanks to your prayers we have gotten the Turkish teachers we need for our Kanat camp!! We also have a good number of registrations – thanks for praying! Keep praying for the Spirit to be poured out.

TURKEY FIELD ORIENTATION (8-9 August) still does not have a venue! Izmir didn’t work out and we were offered one place until they found out we have 7 kids amongst us. So we are still looking and it’s in just over a week. We’d love to have it near Ephesus – can you pray we can find accommodation and a meeting room for 11 adults and 7 kids?

Still need to prepare for the Church Planting school. I debated canceling because of my health situation but have decided to hang in there.

I am being upheld by your prayers! And the Sovereign Grace version of “Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus” has also been SUCH a blessing to me! (thanks Renee!) Have a listen:

http://www.imeem.com/people/hX0Ft9/music/AjLY6QO2/sovereign-grace-music-oh-the-deep-deep-love/

Psalm 68 1: Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered!

Blessings, Pam

Dear friends,

So sorry for my long delay in writing. My two weeks in the US were incredibly busy with a 5 day meeting and then emptying the bulk of my family's home. I'm so grateful to those who helped. The garage sale went well and World Relief blessedly came the morning of the day I left to cart the rest away. Dave and I are now the proud owners of 28 boxes stored under stairs and in the garage and are happy the Pallocks are now living there and looking after things. But I was very physically exhausted when I returned to Turkey and it took me a full two weeks to get over jetlag.

Just as I was getting over jetlag, I ended up with a small fish bone in my throat that has been causing anxiety and discomfort for five days. I've been to a doctor who doesn't think the bone is still there but thinks the problem may be scar tissue. I don't know - but I do know that I'm still very uncomfortable and struggling with anxiety. I keep remembering that I'm supposed to speak to 250 women in November on God being our refuge - but I'm unable to find that refuge myself at the moment! Maybe this is my 'thorn' until then. I'd appreciate your prayers for healing or at least peace. Cancer was a breeze - no discomfort!

I have three events coming up, dear friends, that need your intercession:

1. TURKEY FIELD ORIENTATION (8-9 August) As I mentioned last time, our new field leader for Turkey could not get his visa and so, as South Africans, could not come to take up his position. I have been needing to cover the personnel and training jobs and we have quite a few people in the pipeline. Five have arrived since early June so I'll be running a field orientation for them down in Izmir. Please pray these are encouraging, team building times.

2. KANAT - our camp for training Turkish worship leaders. (10-15 August) Many teachers that we had lined up have fallen through and we especially need teachers for darbuka and baglama, two Turkish instruments. Registrations are also currently low but that happened two years ago as well - people often do things at the last minute here. But we need commitments from teachers in order to plan programme and curriculum. We also desire a pouring out of the Spirit - God blessed us so mightily two years ago.

3. CHURCH PLANTING SCHOOL in Baku, Azerbaijan. (16-29 August) This is encouraging - we have 14 participants from seven different countries in the Mus-l-m world! I'm doing most of the teaching on evangelism and would like to request your prayers for good preparation and also creativity. Evangelism is a subject most church planters feel they know how to do but we want to look together at some new ideas.

Thanks for your prayers!

Blessings, Pam


Psalm 68:32 "O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God. Sing praises to the Lord."