What are you doing here?

Magda was gone for two weeks. During the two weeks we shared very little personal news with one another. There was no way I could new about her struggle with the Muslim ablution facilities, her encounter with God about His presence in Turkey or her experience with the Turkish man.

I was hoping that she would come back with a clear sense that we should go to Turkey or not. Little did I know that she already prayed that God would work in my heart. She knew I was enjoying my work as Church Administrator and she was content to stay in Halfway House unless, God gives me a clear sense of something different.

The missions committee organized a Turkish evening during the two weeks Magda had been on the prayer journey to Turkey. They prepared Turkish food, dressed up in Turkish attire and invited members of the congregation to come and listen to the Director of the South African Action for World Evangelism (SAAWE) and his wife sharing stories of their experiences taking groups to Turkey on prayer journeys and Bible distribution trips. They also arranged a call to Magda in Turkey to briefly share about her experiences. It was a memorable evening and I was properly reminded of my own experience in Turkey, two years before.

I had the habit to have a short time of Bible reading and prayer after arriving in my office. One morning after the Turkish evening I was reading a passage from 1 Kings 19 and the words of God came to me like it did to Elijah: “What are you doing here?” At first I was surprised, but it was clear. I could not deny it. God was asking me from His Word, “What are you doing here?” My first reaction was to think about my role and responsibilities as Church Administrator. Then my thoughts went to the Turkish evening and Magda being in Turkey. In no time my thoughts were back to the evening in Cradock in 1995 where we experienced His call to be a Light to the nations. Was it now the time to go to Turkey?

I wasn’t sure but I felt a stir in my spirit that if Magda was ready, we should intentionally start to prepare to go to Turkey as missionaries.

When Magda arrived I could not wait to share with her what I had on my mind: “We are going to Turkey, aren’t we? That was it. She knew my mind was made up and she was willing to follow suit.