Thursday, April 26, 2012

final days

Our trip to Cyprus was really a great time. Our Bible school there has grown since we were there in January and the students are eager for fellowship and encouragement. They usually show video classes twice a week, but now they had a chance to receive some live teaching from Pastor Julian Timofte and I. We can really see the work of God on that island and we have a vision to see Greater Grace there permanently. Pray that God will raise up a team and a pastor who will go.

Back in Istanbul.

Here we are enjoying our last days together in the Bible school. Soon we will disperse and head back to our respective locations, enjoying and applying the Words of Life we have received here. It has been a month full of divine appointments and character building. I am looking forward to returning to Helsinki and seeing what the Lord has been doing there this past month while I was away. Great things, I am sure. Pray for us.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

back in Istanbul

I have spent the last two weeks here in Istanbul, Turkey teaching in the Istanbul Bible Institute and being apart of the team life. This is my 7th or 8th trip to Istanbul and it never gets old. Each time I have the privilege of meeting new people and seeing my friends grow in their faith in Jesus Christ. This time I have met many believers who are Christian refugees from the Farsi speaking countries. They have found our church through many different avenues but they all have the same desire and hunger to know Christ and grow in the Word. Many of them have indefinitely left everything in their country to find freedom in other countries where they can believe without having to deal with governmental persecution. That is what has brought them to Turkey. Please keep them in prayer.

I will be staying here until the end of the month. Next week we will travel to Cyprus to be with our friends there in the Bible school in Limassol. The following week I will travel to another city in Turkey to visit some friends there. After that I will return to Finland for the month of May. I believe God will use this time to enlarge our hearts and invest in us great eternal treasures. Continue in prayer.


Hossien from Iran.


Team Meetings.
Group visiting from Moldova. They had just come from Iraq.

Farsi Bible school notes. Crazy!

Pastor Matti and his disciples.


The Crew.