I have had some very hard discussions with a local believer, *Matthew, about the demands that Christ has put on the life of a true follower as we walked through I John and now James. He said last Friday that he has been a Christian for 9 years and it has been pretty easy. But now he is starting to see that it is very hard. He said “I am not sure if I can do it”.

We talked about Luke 9 and how various people told Jesus, “I will follow you anywhere” and each time they attached a condition to their following. I showed him that Jesus said you can not put your hand to the plow and look back. Matthew said, “I am not looking back and I do not want to go back. It is just that I have never been told it would be this difficult”. Pray for Matthew as he learns and understands what it means to be a true, fruit-producing following of Christ.

We were invited to a national church in December for a Christmas service. They ask people, mainly foreigners, not to come unless they are invited. So, it was quite an honor to have been invited to this fellowship. The week before we went to the service I was able to sit down with the pastor and connect with him. I think it put him at ease to know that we were in the city, but not looking to come to his fellowship.

I actually expected him to wonder why we had not come to his fellowship before, but it was good to hear him talk about wanting more Turks in their church and not mainly foreigners. He said that he thought this was better for the growth of his people. He shared his testimony and it was such an honor to see this brother’s passion to grow in his faith and see others do the same. Prior to meeting him I felt uncomfortable about how our relationship or lack of relationship with this other fellowship was perceived. I thought that maybe I should take some initiative in communicating with them, but the timing of all of this was simply from the Lord and it was such a blessing to experience what God is doing in our city during the Christmas season.

Before leaving for my tea party group, I felt like the Lord was convicting me because I do not always have a copy of the Word with me. So, I decided I should follow this leading and make sure I had a copy in my purse. Sure enough, one of the ladies asked me about prayer and fasting. She asked if we read the Bible.

I was able to pull it from my purse and show everyone. I told them one of my favorite passages was Psalm 23. One of the ladies read it along with me. A couple of the other ladies leafed through it and said that they would like their own copy. Praise the Lord for speaking through his Spirit. I am thankful that I was able to tell them that I do not have to wash my hands to read it, and that it is important enough to have in my bag during my day!

This month was full of opportunities to share the word with Turks. The best moment of the month was when I told our babysitter, *Mia that we attend the local believing church here on our own. Mia assumed that only foreign people attend the service. Then I told her that Turks were there and she was shocked.

She asked over and over, “How could they be there if they are Turk?” And, “Turks can’t go because they are Muslim” she told me. However, I was able to share with her that just because a person is a certain nationality, it does not determine his or her religion. I then gave her the website for the local church so she could investigate for herself. I am praying she will be curious and want to go with me.

I was able to share with three of my friends the story of our Savior and his birth and why we celebrate Christmas. Two of those friends I gave a New Testament to as a present. Then, I was able to sit with each of them and read some of Luke and Matthew.

The Kurds are mostly known for the atrocities they suffered under Saddam Hussein during the Anfal campain of the late 1980′s. However, they are a complex and intriguing people whose history and diversity has been the subject of some debate. Scholars have studied and written about many aspects of their history, language, culture, and religion.

As with many topics, Wikipedia provides a good introduction to these people, even if some of the information and sources might be questionable. For Wikipedia’s overview of the Kurdish people click here.

The Joshua Project compiles data on the peoples of the world, including brief people group profiles and information about the status of Christian work among them. The main Kurd page can be found here. Be sure to click on link in the table beneath the map to get information on specific Kurdish groups in various countries.

As only a brief perusal of the Joshua Project’s Kurdish pages indicates, the Kurds are extremely unreached. Please pray for a great move of the Holy Spirit among the Kurds, that many will come to faith, and God will receive the honor due His name from these people He has made for His own glory.

I saw the look in his eyes, and I rejoiced and prayed.  As the young man walked away, he held the gift in his hands and glanced over it curiously before tucking it away where his friends would not see it.  We had given him a copy of the New Testament and the Jesus film.  What peaked his interest about the gift, I think, was that it was in his language—the one his mother had taught him and that he spoke at home with his wife and child.  Could God really want to talk to him in Kurdish?  As those who have been changed by it, we know that God’s Word is powerful.  Through the Bible, men can know, understand, and be made alive in Christ.  Kurds have never had much, if any, access to this life-giving Word in their language.  However, we hope a few more will have access soon.

A local group has ordered 10,000 copies of the New Testament in Kurdish along with audio copies for those who cannot read.  They are hoping to distribute these within a year’s time.  Several things need to be done in order for this project to succeed.  Please pray that the necessary funds will be raised to support this project, that government approval will be given for distribution, and that distribution will go well.  More than that, pray that as people receive these gifts, that God would use His great Truth to bring people into His Kingdom.