As the number of dead in Turkey and Syria passes 40,000, I’m wondering how you are handling this. Do you, like me, sometimes just turn away because you can’t process it? I’m guessing your mind is often turned toward prayer for the suffering and those serving on the ground.
If you’re wondering what you can do, here are three things I’m thinking about:
Give
Of course money helps in the immediate aftermath of such tragedies. I encourage you to give your own money, but also to mobilize your tribe. What if you set an amount to give and asked your friends to contribute to match it? What about asking your church to make an emergency contribution now and then add Turkish/Syrian relief funds to your next church budget?
There are many places to give. Here are two I trust: Frontiers and MRDS.
Get Ready
Looking out several months, when the intense attention has faded, but the challenge still remains, how might God use us in his continuing work in Turkey and Syria? We’ll likely see an uptick in Syrian refugees coming to the U.S. How might your church respond? Is now a good time to start building a Welcome Corp plan so you’re ready to bring over a family? My friend and author D.C. Keane suggests preparing for future ministry by looking into trauma care training from Trauma Healing Institute or Multiplying Hope.
Go
Have you ever felt a nudge to move to Turkey or Syria? I sure have. Is it possible this tragedy might serve as a catalyst for you to put your skills and passions to work there? As rescue moves to recovery to rebuilding, may God open many doors for believers from all over to extend the kindness and hope of Jesus to Turks, Syrians and Kurds.
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