Izmir Revisited

IZMIR REVISITED

Our second visit of 2018 was longer than our previous one week stay, but still shorter than in other years. We were there for just over three weeks. In many ways that was too short, as we had to fit a lot in during that time. The weather was typical of Izmir in August: hot all the time. It rained heavily once – and that didn’t touch the central part. Once again, we praised God for air conditioning, which at least enabled us to sleep.

St John’s church is doing well; most of the same people are still there, but it was good to meet some new members. James Buxton is clearly doing some good work, and has attracted new believers (four of whom had been baptised, by immersion, on Trinity Sunday after attending an Alpha course.

Michael celebrated and preached at three Sunday Eucharists, which seemed to go well. They are a remarkably good congregation to preach to, given that most weeks English is the first language for less than a quarter of them. Jo was able to play her full part, by sharing in leading the service, leading the intercessions and assisting with the chalice. On our final Sunday, we felt moved to offer prayer ministry, and almost half the congregation stayed for laying-on of hands and anointing.

Our stay covered four Wednesdays, so we had time to do a Bible Study on the Letter of James, with up to nine people attending – commendable, given that most – only a couple of whom were English-speaking - had to travel some way across town in the heat of the day. Each week we had good discussion and prayer. We also travelled to St Mary Magdalene’s church in Bornova for the Tuesday evening prayers, as well as joining in the Tuesday morning prayers of the New Frontiers church that share the use of St John’s church.

We visited three members – two of them out of town: one for a barbeque and prayer, one to meet a new baby; and we had supper with a lovely Iranian couple who have had some difficulties. We also had a time of prayer ministry for a regular member and her daughter from the States. Two people came to us for a meal.

We can add to that one evening out on the town with Şeyma and Berk, the young couple we’ve seen each visit; it’s touching that they seem to enjoy our company; coffee with one of their friends we’ve got to know, and breakfast with Canaan, Şeyma’s sister and another of Jo’s former pupils from St Sidwell days. (A full Turkish breakfast is a thing of wonder – various dishes to choose from, endless cups of tea, and coffee to finish. It makes most British brunches look a bit inadequate!)

So we feel we used our time to the full. The friendliness of young Turks is delightful; one assistant at the supermarket we usually shopped at always called out ‘Hallo’ when she saw us – and on our last visit used Google Translate on her phone to say ‘You are so sweet’ (something that’s never been said to me in the Axminster Tesco!) And we continued to benefit from the regularity with which we were both offered seats on crowded trains and trams.

More seriously: we’ve experienced some sort of crisis each time we’ve been to Izmir. This time it was the threat of American sanctions, which, combined with the rising inflation in the country, pushed the value of the Turkish lira to a new low on the exchange markets. (It came too late in our stay to benefit us much!) There are various suggested reasons for the financial problems – excessive borrowing to pay for large infrastructure projects, and some unwise government policies among them. So life is becoming more difficult for many local people.

The American reaction focussed on the continuing legal process against Andrew Brunson, an American minister who has been leading a small Turkish-speaking church which meets in premises not far from St John’s. By all accounts, he is very committed to his ministry and to evangelism, with a number of converts in his church; the accusations of spying and involvement with terrorist groups seem absurd. But he is a useful pawn for President Erdogan in seeking the extradition from the USA of the Muslim cleric he was formerly allied to, but who is now accused of masterminding the failed coup of 2016. The unfortunate effect of some of Trump’s posturing is to make Andrew Brunson look more important than he is. The good news is that he has been released from prison, but he is confined to his home. At least he is back with his family, and friends can visit him.

However, at the moment there does not appear to be any general threat against Christian churches or their leaders. A group of various denominational leaders in Istanbul issued a statement while we were in the country, asserting that they had not experienced any restrictions on their activity. There are no restrictions on the Izmir churches; the police guard by the church and the British consulate remain very relaxed and friendly.

President Erdogan has now been given extensive powers, which seem to be subject to minimal checks and balances. The situation will become clearer as time passes, but his direct power to appoint ministers, control the military and dictate to the judiciary must cause some concern. But he clearly won the election earlier this year. That said, Izmir itself still feels very open and inclusive. Only a minority of women wear the hijab, and burqas are a rare sight. But Ataturk’s founding vision of a totally secular society has largely been abandoned, with Islamic values being asserted more at national level – though, as I said, with no significant restrictions on other faith communities. Despite the economic problems, Izmir’s infrastructure is being improved, with a smooth new tramway, and some improvements to the coastal foot and cycle paths. The suburban railway (Izban) has also been extended south, which makes it easier to get to Selςuk and Ephesus (which we visited for the fourth time!)

We continue to be rather concerned about the asylum-seekers at St John’s; there are now six or more from Iran. Those we know best have been in Turkey for around three years, and there is little prospect of their being able to move on to third countries, as most of them seem to have closed their borders, or adopted policies of discouraging all attempts at immigration. Turkey has been remarkably open and generous in allowing well over a million people to enter – but these live in a kind of limbo, with restrictions on where they may live and what they can do; though they do get basic healthcare, and there seems to be a readiness to allow them to study.

We have always enjoyed our visits to Izmir, and feel encouraged by the continuing vitality of St John’s, and its central importance as a Christian presence in the city. For understandable reasons, there has been a certain downplaying of the times the church is open – but when it is open, there are always visitors, usually young people, many of whom are happy, and free, to ask questions and receive leaflets about the Bible and Christian faith.

St John’s feels like ‘our’ church in many ways; we will continue to pray regularly for them all – and ask you to remember them too.

Epiphany in Izmir

Our recent stay in Izmir was only for one week, but it was a good experience. We could review the situation of both the society and of St John’s Church. Unlike our two previous visits, this time there were no national crises or major political campaigns- so we were not harangued from loudspeakers; life seemed fairly normal and tranquil!  Indeed, one of the remarkable aspects of life in Izmir is still how normal things seem. Probably, there is close surveillance, but we saw only one policeman with a sub-machine gun (by contrast, Paris seemed to be frequented by them.) The friendliness of welcome at the passport control in Izmir contrasts favourably with what many ‘foreigners’ experience at London airports. (When Jo presented her visa, the officer declined to look at it, saying she ‘looked honest!) The helpfulness of the average Turk is notable; Jo was always offered seats on crowded metro trains.

St John’s seemed to be in good heart. The new chaplain, James Buxton, has obviously settled in and developed good relations with the people. There have been comings and goings, but several new people have taken on active roles in the church. We went primarily for the baptism of the second son of one of the Iranian refugee families, at the Epiphany Sunday Eucharist. It was a happy occasion; although the municipality cut off electric power just before we started – there are major works going on locally to set up a tram network – there were enough candles to provide light, as the Christmas decorations were still in place.  They helped incidentally to create a special atmosphere!

We also led the weekly Bible Study. It was good to see even more church members than before attending; for most of them English is their second language (which does create a few problems.) But there is a real desire to grow in faith and knowledge. This desire was also shown in a conversation after the Sunday Eucharist when a young Turkish woman – not a committed Christian, though with some Orthodox family background – asked me about the blessing of the sea at Epiphany, how one received the Holy Spirit, and whether he proceeded from Father alone, or from Father and Son. (I think that was the first discussion I have ever had outside clerical or theological circles about the Filioque controversy!)

On our Saturday flanerie, we visited the sole remaining Greek Orthodox church in Izmir – Saint Voukolos’ (he was apparently a disciple of St John the Divine, and precursor of Polycarp.) It has been restored by the municipality, and serves as a cultural centre, but is also used for the Orthodox services. As this was the feast of the Epiphany, the church was crowded for the divine liturgy; it was good to see the RC bishop in the sanctuary.

In one of the English-language newspapers, we saw that President Erdogan was going to attend the inaugural service at the newly restored Romanian Orthodox Church in Istanbul. The Turkish government had contributed to the cost of the building work. St John’s Church continues to be open for visits on several days each week (though prudence has dictated a slightly lower profile, with no canvassing on the street.) Next week a local primary school have asked to bring a group of children on a visit.

These positive signs must be balanced against signs of an increasingly strident Islamisation of this previously solidly secular society, with changes to the school curriculum and an increase in the number of faith-based schools. Some Christian pastors have been imprisoned; the previous churchwarden at St John’s and her doctor husband had to leave Izmir at short notice after untrue statements were made about them in one Turkish newspaper. Turkey is not a comfortable country for journalists or opposition politicians (one of whom is being sued for ‘demeaning the office of the president.’)

Finally, we really sympathise with the Iranian refugees, who feel trapped in Turkey. Their situation could be worse: they can get jobs, and receive free medical care. But one, a qualified Electrical Engineer, who had been told he would be able to move permanently to another country within a year or so, is about to begin his fourth year in Izmir. The Trump administration’s refusal to admit refugees, and its withdrawal of funding from UNHCR, together with the increasing raising of barriers by other countries, is leading to much frustration and a terrible wasted of talent. Please pray for a solution to be found soon!

We enjoyed our visit, and hope to be able to return later this year.

Looking Back

We are now back In England, after an smooth journey back (apart from the greater number of security and passport checks at both Turkish airports.) It’s good to be back in our own home, with availability of books and music, choice of clothes and the calm of a small town in East Devon. But we miss our involvement in the life of St John’s and all the friends we have made there.

Our Holy Week was worthwhile, if a bit limited. We held an afternoon service for Good Friday – which about twelve church members were able to attend, as well as a number of Turkish passers-by, who called in and stayed for the rest of the service. Our Easter Day Eucharist was a joyful occasion, as always; and we had a lovely leave-taking afterwards. We were given a hand-woven kilim – a reminder, we were told, of how our lives are woven together. And someone had had a luscious strawberry and cream cake made, with the iced message ‘Michael and Jo, we love you.’!

Easter Day was also the day of the Turkish referendum on much increased presidential powers. To nobody’s great surprise, President Erdogan got his way – but only by a small margin. Given the huge disparity between the government-funded campaign for Yes and the severely restricted No campaign of the opposition, it almost counts as a defeat. The campaign and its aftermath was at least fairly peaceful. The Izmir region voted strongly against the proposed changes; again, no surprise. It will be interesting to watch further developments from a distance. Some of the Iranian refugees are anxious that there will be a push for more Islamisation in Turkey. And it will probably be even more uncomfortable to be an opposition politician, or a journalist. But as there will be presidential elections in two years’ time, Erdogan will have to ensure he loses no more support (even his home-base Istanbul had voted against the new constitution.)

So we look back on seven and a half busy weeks. As always, we are conscious of the privilege of doing locum ministry. We get to spend time living in a ‘normal’ area of a city, with regular contact with locals – so different from the experience of spending a week in a hotel or holiday let. We become part of a local church, with a real opportunity of getting to know and learn from people with many different stories. We meet Christians from other churches and denominations. Talking to refugees from Iran, we gained a much deeper realisation of all they have suffered, and the continuing pain of their unrooted existence in a temporary setting. They do not really belong anywhere, or possess anything – despite their skills and gifts. It is deplorable that those who are fleeing intolerant regimes are rejected by Western governments that criticise those same regimes.

I am writing this on the feast day of a third-century martyr from Turkey, who was executed in Palestine – one St George. It should be a reminder of our common humanity, unrestricted by narrow nationalism.  At present, most Christians in Turkey have freedom to meet and worship, but there must always be caution; Christian pastors have been arrested on little evidence, and in more Muslim areas, there can be some hostility. Complaints about the apparent downplaying of Easter in chocolate eggs hunts in England sound strange in a country where there is no outward recognition of any kind of this central Christian festival! At St John’s we were able to go on procession around the church on Palm Sunday, but we were told that in some places that would be impossible.

Our hope is that the appointment of a permanent chaplain will proceed according to plan. But we also hope that this will not have been our last ever visit to Izmir and the congregation of St John’s.

Please pray for the people of St John’s in the months to come:

That the refugees may have more than a glimmer of hope for the future.

For justice and openness in Turkey.

Holy Week in Izmir

Yesterday was Palm Sunday. It was good to be celebrating this in a church with palm trees outside; the Catholic Cathedral administrator brought us many (fresh, green) palm branches to decorate the church and to carry in our procession from the hall, as we walked around the church – shouting Hosanna! -before entering for the service. We had brought palm crosses with us from England (a bit like carrying coal to Newcastle, I suppose!) and distributed them to everyone. And, although the congregation is not large, they joined very positively in the crowd parts of the Passion reading. It felt a satisfying start to Holy Week. We were surprised during the Offertory hymn when the congregation more than doubled in size when a large group of young people (obviously on a walking tour) came in at the back of the church; they stayed, many taking photographs, for most of the Eucharistic Prayer - when they left as suddenly as they had arrived. Another indication of the interest many young Turkish people some to have towards Christianity.

Our plans for an afternoon boat ride across the Bay were frustrated. With the referendum on presidential power only a week away, the government AK Party are pulling out all the stops. Some of the streets and the waterfront are festooned with AKP flags, and the President was speaking on a huge stage set up the Cordon, which was out of bounds to visitors. Bus-loads of supporters were brought in from outlying parts (many in buses sponsored by local firms.) We saw crowds making their way to the assembly, which could be heard over a wide area. Restaurant owners must have been disgruntled, because many were out of bounds. The vote takes place next Sunday.

So we walked in Kulturpark (on the site of the former Armenian area, destroyed in the great fire of Izmir in 1922 – sadly there is no acknowledgement of this anywhere. Turkey is quite adept at airbrushing or ignoring its past.) It was nice to see a group of teenagers happily jiving to 1950 jazz music.

On Friday we ventured somewhere new. One of the Iranian members lives as Manisa (in line with government policy to assign refugees to specific towns, to avoid over-concentration in large cities.) It’s accessible by train, so we went, to see her, and to visit this town, which was an important centre of learning in Ottoman period. There are some lovely, well-restored buildings, including a former hospital now turned into a medical museum. It was informative, with panels in Turkish and (pretty good) English; there were some gruesome displays of surgical instruments, and tableaux of procedures. Ottoman medicine apparently included music therapy – something which has only recently come on the scene in Europe – and some innovative medicine. Manisa is famous for its paste made of a mixture of 41 herbs and spices. We bought a tube, and will test its therapeutic powers. A mountain-range towers over the town; at the top of a river, which runs down through the town is ‘Niobe’s Rock’. Readers of Ovid may remember the tale of how Apollo and Artemis took vengeance on Niobe for her hubris in boasting about her children; they were killed by the gods, and Niobe’s tears continue to flow, though her head has been petrified!

Now we prepare for the rest of Holy Week – which of course makes little impact on Turkish society and shops; so there are no Hot-cross buns, or Easter eggs (or bunnies) in the shops. We hope a few church members will be able to attend a Good Friday service at 2.00pm (but other churches have evening services for those who are working.) There are not enough people to support Maundy Thursday or Easter Eve services, I fear. We’ll be taking home communions to a few people. We finished our Bible Study on Ephesians last week, so we will do a one-off one for Holy Week. And then Easter Sunday will be our last engagement before we pack up and return to the UK and our family.

Please pray:

For protection of Christians this week; (there have been few attacks on churches in Turkey, but the dreadful incidents in Egypt may provoke others.)

For our final services at St John’s.

For the future of the church, as the appointment process of a permanent chaplain continues.

For safe and easy leave-taking and return to the UK.

Turtles and cable-cars

Now it is Passiontide. Lent has passed quickly – but in many ways it has been more positive this year, with fewer distractions, and more reason to be focussed.

Yesterday after the Eucharist I took part in my first Annual Church Meeting for five years. It was basically the same as others have been (though perhaps some details were observed in a slightly more casual way than in the past!) Numbers at church have not been high; but at least two of the best singers in the congregation have returned from time abroad, so the hymns were sung with more panache. Visually too the worship was enhanced: one of the church members has loaned a beautiful representation of the Last Supper painted on cloth by a Syrian Orthodox woman from eastern Turkey; we’ve hung it as a kind of altar frontal. Its impact affected even our youngest member: 3 year-old Ryan came up to the sanctuary step and gazed at it for some time. (I’ll try to post a photo on Facebook.) And once more, our numbers were increased by seven or eight people who came into the church in the course of the service - and stayed until the end. We hope and pray that this has some lasting effect. (This week, too, there were well over 300 visitors to the church on Saturday.)

As well as leading the Bible Study and Evening Prayer, I’ve also been seeing one of the Iranian asylum-seekers, a lovely man who is wanting to deepen his (relatively new) faith. He is eager to learn, but already knows more of the Bible, and his reason for believing than many long-term Anglicans I have come across! It’s frustrating that most English-speaking countries have closed their borders to refugees; he and his wife would be assets to any country.

Political campaigning is warming up somewhat as the referendum approaches. We had some ‘Vote Yes’ leaflets delivered to the flat; and there are more ‘Vote No’ posters and stickers around in Izmir. From time to time we hear loud music and announcements from a passing car – but I have no idea which side they are on! But so far, all is calm. The result may well be influenced by the fact that Syrian refugees have been given votes – but not the more sceptical Iranians.

For the past couple of weeks, we have visited the Botanical Gardens at Ege University before the Bornova Evening Prayer, and it’s been good to see the visible progress of spring. There are some interesting plants – and a colony of turtles in one pond. But we can’t help noticing the rather neglected state of the gardens, with a lack of notices, some overgrown ponds, barren flower beds and an air of untidiness. Given that these are – according to one web-site ‘the best’ botanical gardens in Turkey – it suggests that there has been some over-relaxed management in the past, though there are signs of improvement over last year. They are worth visiting (if you can find them!)

We managed to get to Ephesus again. Though this was our third visit, we found plenty of new things to see, as well as enjoying the whole experience again. It was good to see more tourists than last year; and it was easier to explore in a temperature less than 35C! There are good information boards around, but they gave no indication of Ephesus’ significance for Christians – apart from the notice at the Church of St Mary, site of the 431 Council of Ephesus. We took a taxi to the House of the Virgin Mary in the hills above – a lovely peaceful place (with explicitly Christian notice-boards), whatever its historical status. There was much more security than last year, with a check point on the way, and armed soldiers at the entrance.

We also managed to visit a modern art gallery on the 18^th floor of a tower block overlooking the bay. The exhibition – of Turkish paintings from the past 120 years – was very interesting; and the views from the windows were outstanding. (I don’t think we’ve ever been in a gallery so high above the ground.) We also met the two young women Jo had taught when they were at school in Exeter many years ago, and went with them and a couple of friends (six of us in the car!) to the Balcova district, where we took the cable-car up to the top of one of the very high hills overlooking Izmir. It was good  to be surrounded by pine forests and peace.

Please pray for:

Holy Week preparations.

Refugees and asylum-seekers, that their cases will be processed soon.

The presidential referendum; security during the last fortnight of campaigning.

Safety for travellers.

Continued health and safety for Jo and me.

Drains and other matters

Before we left England, some people commented that we were ‘brave’ to be coming to such a dangerous country as Turkey. Ironically, the first ‘terrorist’ attack in recent months took place in London. It’s a reminder that nowhere is ‘safe’ these days. And it is so important to remember that the great majority of Muslims are as opposed to mindless violence as most of us are.

One of the disadvantages of returning to a previously visited place is that there are few ‘new’ things to see or do. In the Izmir region, public transport is somewhat limited, and so we are unable, in the free time available, to get to some other places we would love to visit. But there is some compensation in the fact that we can take time to reflect more  on the culture we experience. One of the most visible contrasts with all European countries is the absence of churches. Before 1922, when the ‘Greeks’ were expelled, many towns and villages will have had Orthodox churches as well as mosques; hardly any survive. That probably accounts for the frequency with which St John’s is visited; it is almost the only church in Izmir (and probably in Turkey!) that is not protected by walls and barriers.

The large Turkish flags we reported last week have mostly disappeared, so they were obviously flying for a particular event. There was a large public meeting on the Kordon yesterday, which we assume was something to do with the coming referendum on presidential power; the road was closed to traffic, and there were coastguard boats and others keeping watch. The government have banned most meetings planned by the opposition, and at least some statements have linked a vote for No with a vote for terrorism. So it is not exactly a ‘level playing-field’; but there does appear to be some doubt about the likely outcome. We shall see; referenda can achieve strange results!

We had an ‘interesting’ diversion at the end of the week. The woman living in the first floor flat came up and managed (eventually) to tell us that she was getting foul water coming up into her sink and toilet and asking us not to use our toilet or sinks! We enlisted the help of our Turkish-speaking churchwarden, and it appeared eventually that there was some kind of cess-pit underneath the shop unit on the ground-floor. This had got blocked and raw sewage was coming up into the shop as well – there are some advantages in being on the top floor! We exercised as much discretion as possible to avoid adding too much to the problem, and all was finally sorted by Saturday evening.

Otherwise, it has been a largely routine week. Bible Study continues to go well, and we are enjoying wrestling with Paul’s thought in Ephesians. We are missing a number of regular members from Sunday worship – we’re a bit of a remnant at the moment - but those who do come seem very committed. We visited the American minister who had done such a good job of helping to maintain preaching and sacramental worship. Sadly his health has now deteriorated. But it was good to see him and his Turkish wife, and enjoy the views of the Aegean from their delightful and interesting house.

Spring has officially arrived – and been marked by some warm sunny days, which is good. A beneficial effect of the arrival of Summer Time in UK is that we are now only two hours ahead, and so communications with home are easier – and we can catch a few radio and TV programmes as they are broadcast! (Certainly, having WiFi in the flat has made life much easier than it was last summer.).

We took advantage of the sunshine to pay a return visit to Foça, on the coast north of Izmir. It’s in a lovely setting, surrounded by clear blue water. The journey there is easy by public transport. Our Saturday walk beside the bay took us some way further to the west, where we discovered an unexpected park extending for a couple of kilometres alongside the sea.

Please keep praying:

For safety and health – for us and for all Christians in Turkey.

For the refugees in our churches.

For Turkey in the forthcoming referendum.

For preparations for Holy Week and Easter.

For the ongoing appointment process for a permanent chaplain here.

Happy Spring; Happy New Year

Today (March 20^th, the Spring equinox) is Nowruz (or Norooz): New Year in the Persian Calendar. It’s a time for family celebrations in much of the Western Asia. So it is a poignant as well as joyful day for ‘our’ Iranian refugees, who are banned from ever returning to their families. It is too easy for us in the West to see refugees as a ‘problem’, without reckoning on how much they have lost in becoming exiles from their homes. Very few would have chosen such a state of unrooted-ness without good reason. By coincidence this year it’s also the transferred Feast of St Joseph, the patron saint of families. In my sermon yesterday, we were thinking about Jesus’s words from the Cross to his Mother and St John, and reflecting on the ‘family’ nature of the New Israel to which they pointed.

Yesterday’s worship seemed to go quite well – though we are missing a few people, who have had to go abroad on trips for various reasons. We are blessed in having some good musicians to lead the singing and to play preludes and during the communion: yesterday one Turkish, one American and one Iranian.

It’s been a ‘normal’ week. On Tuesday we went again to St Mary Magdalene’s church in Bornova. The church is actually older than St John’s, in Greek Revival style; originally, it was a separate ‘parish’ catering for some of the wealthier European merchants. There are still some large mansions in the area; but it is now dominated by the extensive campuses of Ege University. There are students everywhere. The church is a bit neglected, but there may well be potential here. At Evening Prayer, the congregation of a dozen or so was mostly drawn from members of the Turkish Işik Church, who also share the use of St John’s. We use Common Worship, but the songs are a mixture of English and Turkish, and the Biblical readings are also mixed. Three or four children looked in before the service, and stayed for most of it – leaving during my short homily (but I don’t think they were making a protest about my theology!) Several students also took advantage of the opened gate and doors to look inside – all part of this fascinating openness to the Christian presence in Izmir. (On Saturday, we were told, some 380 people – a number visibly Muslim - visited St John’s!)

We managed a couple of days off. On Thursday, we visited the two major archaeological sites. Old Smyrna, in Bayrakli, was deserted as it had been last year. It’s not well signed, but has some interesting remains, dating back to the 8^th century BC, and including the oldest known Temple of Athena, and the oldest surviving Greek water fountain, from which water still flows. The Agora in town consists of classical Greek and Roman remains, including those of a vast Basilica, with underground galleries; there are also many Ottoman gravestones. That site at least appears on tourist publicity – but there are no leaflets to guide the visitor. Izmir seriously underplays its history! Saturday was sunny, so we repeated our long walk beside the Aegean of a couple of weeks previously, and finished with some exploration of the former Jewish area.

Izmir continues to be peaceful. There is an increase in the number of large Turkish flags hanging on public buildings, as the referendum on increasing presidential power approaches (voting on Easter Day.) The President has just told Turks living in Europe that they should have five children, to increase their presence. That won’t go down well with many people, especially those Islamophobes who suspect a Muslim plot to turn Europe into Eurabia/Europistan!

Otherwise, all goes well. The weather is, at last, a bit warmer. People are friendly; we had a warm greeting from one of the fishermen we used to see last summer. It’s interesting to be keeping Lent here, and having to forgo the joys of baklava and other pastries, as well as eschewing the nice restaurants on the Cordon. We look forward to Refreshment Sunday, and beyond that to Easter!

Please pray for:

Iranian refugees, as they miss their families, and feel frustrated by the closed attitudes of the West.

The ongoing process of selecting a permanent chaplain for Izmir.

Outreach to the many visitors who come into our churches.

Continuing health and safety for us both.